Easy 3 Table Toppers in One

A few years back I had a need to make something crafty so I ended up at Micheal's Craft and TONS of stuff was on sale!!  So this is what I bought for $20:

I put some beads that I already had in the jar with the candle and it makes for 3 different table toppers

And then I made the wreath.  I started by placing the flowers where I wanted them to be and then I hot glued them into place.

Put it together and what have you got?  Bippity Boppity Bo!

Grilled Cheese Genius

Snickerdoodle Puppy Chow

I've been craving snickerdoodles but don't like making them because I just find the process a bit irratating.  So I thought, "Hey!!!  Puppy chow!"  I recently made some puppy chow that used brownie batter as the coating so I thought using yellow cake mix would be incredibly delicious.  Turns out I was right!
 
Inspired by Your Cup of Cake

Ingredients
1 (12 oz) box rice chex
1 (12 oz) bag white morsels
1 cup yellow cake mix
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Notes / Directions
In a large ziploc bag, combine cake mix, sugar, and cinnamon.  Shake well and smash any clumps of cake mix.  Melt white morsels in microwave for about 1 minute, stir to make sure it's smooth and melted through, and pour over rice chex.  Carefully stir until well coated.  Pour chex into the ziploc bag and seal off.  Turn the bag upside down and shake the cake mix mixture down through the chex.  Keep turning bag until well coated.  Serve and enjoy!

*For more evenly coated chex, reserve a cup or two of chex or add more white morsels. 
**You can also make snickerdoodle popcorn. Instead of chex, pop 1/2 cup popcorn kernels.

                 It really does taste as good as it looks!!!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Adapted from allrecipes.com 

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 

For the icing:

4 cups confectioners' sugar 

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (milk could also be used)
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Notes / Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients and set aside.  In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.  Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and cream again.  Stir in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.  Drop heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

In another bowl, whip icing ingredients until it becomes nice and smooth, adding small portions of whipping cream at a time to measure consistency.

There are a few options for icing and spreading.  For a

runnier icing, add more whipping cream and frost cookies

when they are completely cool.  For thicker, less. 

 For more of a frosting glaze, let the cookies cool completely

and use a thicker frosting.

For more of an icing effect, ice with thicker frosting

while cookies are still hot out of the oven.  Or use a more runny

frosting and ice when the cookies are cooled.

 

And here's my sweet little cookie thief:

Salade de Maison

This recipe is thanks to a family friend, Celia, who served the LDS church in Italy for three years.

Ingredients
For the Salad:
2 heads romaine lettuce
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 lb bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
3/4 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

For the Dressing:
2/3 cup salad oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, pressed (or chopped finely)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Notes / Directions
Put dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine (or put into a blender). Combine salad ingredients. Just before serving, toss with dressing to taste.  

 

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Fried Rice

This dish was delivered to me right after I had my first child.  It was so good that I just had to get the recipe.  Thanks Lori Carter!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients
4-5 chicken breast
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1-2 eggs, beated
sesame seeds
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup rice, cooked
frozen vegetables, stir fried
teriyaki sauce

Notes / Directions
Sauce: Mix water, sugar, vinegar (less for less tang), ketchup, soy sauce, and bouillon cube and bring to boil. Boil 1-2 min. and keep warm. (Can add a little corn starch to thicken.)

Chicken: Put flour and corn starch in ziplock bad. Put in chicken and shake till evenly coated. In a bowl, beat eggs. Dip chicken in eggs and place in a heated skillet with some oil. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Brown both sides of chicken. Don't fully cook. Place chicken in a pan and coat with sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. After 30 min. flip chicken and continue to bake with foil. Remove foil for last 10 min.

Fried Rice Ingredients
1 cup rice, cooked and cooled
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
2/3 cup green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove
ham, cubed
3 tablespoon sesame seeds
5 eggs
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
salt
pepper

Notes / Directions
Cook the rice a day before. Bake sesame seed at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until browned. Melt butter in skillet and saute onions, mixed veggies, garlic, and ham. Add eggs and rice. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce at a time. Add green onions and sesame seeds. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lazy Mac 'N Cheese

Ingredients
1 box Mac 'N Cheese
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 chicken breast

Notes / Directions
Cook macaroni and frozen veggies according to packages.  Fry chicken in some oil on the stove.  Cut up into chunks.  Add it all together and enjoy!

Taco Grande Pizza

Ingredients
1 yeast package for pizza crust
1/2 can refried beans
salsa
taco beef
tomatoes
green onions
black olives
cheddar cheese
mozzerala cheese

Notes / Directions
Make pizza crust according to package.  Spread dough out in a cast iron skillet or baking sheet.  Spread refried beans evenly over crust.  Layer on salsa, taco beef and cheeses.  Top with tomatoes, green onions, and black olives.  Bake according to yeast package.

Alplermagronen: "Swiss Mac'n Cheese"

Ingredients 
8 oz ditalini pasta
2 medium potatoes, cut into thin strips
3.5 oz parmesan cheese
3.5 oz gruyere cheese
bacon strips, crumbled (more the better)
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heaving whipping cream
to taste salt

Notes / Directions
Boil potatoes and pasta in salted water. Put a layer of the cooked and salted potatoes in an 8x8 pan. Sprinkle bacon and parmesan cheese on top. Spread on noodles and sprinkle more bacon and gruyere cheese.

Melt butter in a pan and saute onions and garlic until brown. In the same pan, bring milk and heavy cream to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook till thick and pour over macaroni.

Put into preheated oven at 250 degrees so that the cheese melts.

Crepes

Is your mouth watering??? Mine is. There is nothing like a crepe with Nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream. It's our Saturday morning tradition, that is, until I picked up running :(  Now it's more of a Sunday morning breakfast tradition. At least until church is at 9:00 instead of 11:00.

Ingredients
6 eggs
2 cups milk
3 tablespoon butter, melted
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Notes / Directions
Put everything in a blender and blend till smooth.  Heat skillet to medium heat.  Pour on and use a spoon to spread and thin them out (thinner is better).  Once the bottom is browned and the top is no longer liquid, flip and gently cook other side.

Serves 4-6 people. For 2-3 people, half the recipe.

Toppings:
Nutella
Bananas
Strawberries
Whipped Topping 

 

Rosemary Lemonade

Ingredients
1 heaping teaspoon dried rosemary or 3 teaspoons fresh
4 cups water, divided
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice
dash salt, opt
lemon slices 

Notes / Directions
In saucepan, mix rosemary, 1 c water and sugar. Boil gently for 5 minutes. Strain and add to mixture 3 remaining c water, lemon juice and salt. Serve well iced. Garnish with lemon slices.

Makes about 1 quart.

BBQ Chicken Salad

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

Ingredients 
For the Salad:
3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
2 cups BBQ sauce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cored and chopped
2 romaine hearts, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
8 ounces mexican cheese blend
 
For the Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Notes / Directions
Cook chicken in a small crockpot with barbeque sauce on high for 2-3 hours until chicken is cooked through.  Shred and place in fridge to cool.

Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.  Rerefrigerate to help thicken.

To serve, toss salad with 1/4-1/2 of the dressing and cilantro.  Gently toss in onion, beans, corn, and cheese, and barbeque chicken.  Or put everything on the table and let people build their own salad.

Nutella Syrup

Adapted from Picky Palate

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 heaping tablespoons Nutella

Notes / Directions 
Heat butter, sugar, and buttermilk on medium heat until butter is melted and it starts to boil.  Reduce heat and add baking soda and vanilla.  It will start to bubble and rise from the baking soda.  Stir.  Remove from heat and add Nutella.

I made IHOP Buttermilk Pancakes and added pureed strawberries in the batter.  It would also be really yummy on Whole Wheat Pancakes with strawberries or bananas on top.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil

Notes / Directions
Mix dry. Mix wet. Mix together.

Su’s variations:
Mix flour and milk with 1 tsp vinegar, yogurt or whey the night before to neutralize phytic acid, etc.
Next morning mix in other ingredients. I use coconut sugar in place of brown . Cook on melted
coconut oil.

Baked Oatmeal

Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
Additional milk

Notes / Directions
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and set aside.  In separate bowl, whisk liquid ingredients.  Combine dry and liquid ingredients until well blended.  Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking pan.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 or until set.  Serve warm with milk.

To reheat leftovers, cook in oven at 350 for 10 minutes.

Banana Mousse

Ingredients
3 frozen ripe bananas
2-3 room temperature bananas

Notes / Directions
Place bananas in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  If it's too thick to blend, try adding another banana at room temperature.  You can also add cocoa, peanut butter, strawberries, or anything else you like to eat with bananas!

Makes 4 servings.

Baked Potato and Dill Soup

Ingredients

4-6 large russet potatos, baked at 425 for 40-60 mintues

1/2 c butter

1/2 flour

2 tbsp dried dill (you can put less or more in, depending on how much you enjoy dill)

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 c milk

1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese (again, you can easily add more or less depending on your preference)

1 bag Hormel bacon bits - or - 6 strips crumbled bacon

6 tbsp thinly sliced green onion

 

Notes / Directions

Cut baked potatoes into bite size pieces.

 

In a large saucepan, melt butter over meduim-low heat. Add flour to melted butter and stir consistently for five minutes. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese, dill, black pepper, and green onion. Stir until well mixed. Add potato and bacon bits.

Caramel Apples

These caramel apples tasted exactly as a caramel apple should.  I was very pleased with the simplicity of the caramel and the richness of the flavor.  It definitely beats buying caramel apple kits!

Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
dash of salt
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
10-12 popsicle sticks
10-12 medium tart apples

Notes / Directions
Melt butter in a sauce pan.  Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt.  Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula.  Slowly add sweetened condensed milk and insert a candy thermometer, always stirring.  Bring to a boil and continue to stir and cook, carefully scraping all surfaces of the bottom of the pan, until temperature reads 248° (firm-ball stage).  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Push popsicle sticks into the tops of the apples and prepare a greased cookie sheet.  Take apples and dip and twirl in the caramel till completely covered.  Let excess caramel drip off and then place on the cookie sheet.  Let caramel cool and then serve.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Burrito

Adapted from Topsy Turvy

For the Pork:
pork loin roast
1 liter Dr. Pepper
1 can chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
 
Slow cook with Dr. Pepper chipotle chilies (for less spicy meat use diced green chiles), brown sugar, and molasses in oven at 250 degrees or in crockpot for 7-8 hours, should shred beautifully. The trick is sealing the meat. So use some tin foil and put it over the top of whatever you are cooking the meat in then put your lid on. Don’t check it again until your time is up.
 
For the Sauce: 
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green peppers, cut into slices
1 jalapeno, seeded
3/4 lbs (about 7) tomatillos, husked and halved
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 C chicken broth
1 Tbsp sugar

In a large sauce pan saute onions in the olive oil until translucent.  While cooking the onions, put green pepper, jalapeno, tomatillos, cilantro, and chicken broth in a blender.  Blend till smooth.  It will become a little frothy but that's ok.  Blend it for about a minute.  Once onions are ready, add garlic and saute another minute.  Pour contents in blender into the sauce pan.  Add seasonings and bring to a simmer.  Simmer at least 15 minutes.  If you want it thicker, simmer for up to an hour. 

For the Rice:
1/4 cup onion, diced 
2 cups water
1 chicken bullion cube
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lime 
1 cup rice  
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
 
Sauté onions in 2 Tbls oil.  Add water and chicken bullion cube and bring to a boil.  Add sugar, rice, and the juice of 1 lime.  Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.  When done cooking, add cilantro and stir it in.

For the Beans:
2 cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup diced onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon chicken bullion
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lime
 
Saute onions in the olive oil until they are caramelized.  Add garlic and saute for another minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, reserving the lime, and bring to a boil.  Turn to a low simmer and cook for another 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Towards the end, gently press down on beans with a spatula.  Just enough that they barely erupt.  When done cooking squeeze lime juice on top of beans.
  
Serving:
Layer rice, beans, pork, and cheese on a tortilla.  Fold up and then smother with sauce.

What you need to buy:
Just to make things a little easier, this is a list of everything you're going to need to buy.  Minus rice, sugars, bullion, oil, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper.
  
pork loin roast
1 liter Dr. Pepper
1 can chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce or 1 can diced green chilies
2 cans Black Beans
molasses  
3 small onions
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro 
6 cloves garlic
1 green pepper
1 jalapeno
3/4 lbs (about 7) tomatillos
3 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups water and 3 chicken bullion cubes)
tortillas
cheese

Green Enchilada Sauce

Adapted from Topsy Turvy

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green peppers, cut into slices
1 jalapeno, seeded
3/4 lbs (about 7) tomatillos, husked and halved
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 C chicken broth
1 Tbsp sugar

Notes / Directions
In a large sauce pan saute onions in the olive oil until translucent.  While cooking the onions, put green pepper, jalapeno, tomatillos, cilantro, and chicken broth in a blender.  Blend till smooth.  It will become a little frothy but that's ok.  Blend it for about a minute.  Once onions are ready, addd garlic and saute another minute.  Pour contents in blender into the sauce pan.  Add seasonings and bring to a simmer.  Simmer at least 15 minutes.  If you want it thicker, simmer for up to an hour.

Minestrone Soup

I believe that this is a Taste of Home recipe.  It was VERY good.  I made it for dinner tonight but it did made a huge stock pot full of soup.  I recommend halving it.  I wasn't a huge fan of the garbanzo beans.  I'll leave those out next time.  I added a can of drained corn and that was absolutely delightful.  And as for the macaroni, I felt like it was a hassle and it really didn't add much to the soup at all.  I'll be leaving those out next time too.  I think this recipe would work excellently in a crock pot.

Ingredients
1 lb. pork sausage
2 cloves garlic
2 onions, chopped
4 c. carrots, sliced
2 c. celery, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 28-oz. large cans tomatoes
28 oz. can beef broth (or bouillon)
2 c. fresh mushrooms
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. basil
3/4 tsp. oregano
parsley
1 can green beans, rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 handful of macaroni

Notes / Directions
Break up sausage in large stockpot and pour 1 quart boiling water over. Begin
simmering. Add the rest of the above ingredients except green beans, garbanzo beans, and macaroni, and simmer two hours.

One hour before serving add the green beans and garbanzo beans.  Add macaroni for the last 20 minutes of simmering.

Fettuccine with Chicken and Herbed Veggies

Adapted from Pillsbury

Ingredients:
12 oz. fettuccine, cooked and drained
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 chicken breast, cubed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 zucchini, chopped
1 tomatoe, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 cup parmesan cheese shavings 

Notes / Directions:

Cook fettuccine according to package.  Cut up all the vegetables. Heat oil in a skillet and cook onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Stir in chicken, bell pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until chicken is browned. Stir in zucchini, tomatoes, basil, and oregano. Cook 5-6 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Place fettuccine on serving platter, spoon chicken mixture on top. Sprinkle with cheese.

Cream Cheese Chicken

Ingredients
Chicken breast halves
1 package cream cheese
1 package Italian salad dressing mix
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup butter

Notes / Directions
Put everything in a crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.  Serve over Rice.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

For the Pork:
pork loin roast
1 liter Dr. Pepper
1 can chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
 
Slow cook with Dr. Pepper, chipotle chilies (for less spicy meat use diced green chiles), brown sugar, and molasses in oven at 250 degrees or in crockpot for 7-8 hours, should shred beautifully. The trick is sealing the meat…. So use some tin foil and put it over the top of whatever you are cooking the meat in, then put your lid on. Don’t check it again until your time is up.
 
For the Rice:
1/4 cup onion, diced 
2 cups water
1 chicken bullion cube
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lime 
1 cup rice
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
 
Sauté onions in 2 Tbls oil.  Add water and chicken bullion cube and bring to a boil.  Add sugar, rice, and the juice of 1 lime.  Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.  When done cooking, add cilantro and stir it in.

For the Beans:
2 cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup diced onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon chicken bullion
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lime
 
Saute onions in the olive oil until they are caramelized.  Add garlic and saute for another minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, reserving the lime, and bring to a boil.  Turn to a low simmer and cook for another 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Towards the end, gently press down on beans with a spatula.  Just enough that they barely erupt.  When done cooking squeeze lime juice on top of beans.
  
For the Dressing:
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tomatillos, cut in half
ranch dressing dry packet (with buttermilk)  
sour cream (however much for dressing packet)
green tabasco sauce
 
Mix dressing per instructions on packet in blender. Add tomatillos, cilantro, and a couple good dashes of tabasco sauce. Blend well.

Serving:
tortilla strips
pico de gaillo
tortillas
shredded cheese, mexican blend
romaine lettuce
 
Lay a tortilla on a plate.  Top with rice, black beans, and meat.  Place lettuce on top and pour on dressing, cheese, pico de gaillo, and tortilla strips

What you need to buy:
Just to make things easier, this is a list of everything you're going to need to buy.  Minus rice, sugars,bullion, oil, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper

pork loin roast
1 liter Dr. Pepper
1 can chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce or 1 can diced green chiliesgreen tabasco sauce 
2 cans Black Beans
1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water and 1 bullion cube)
ranch dressing dry packet (with buttermilk)
molasses  
2 small onions
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro 
2-3 cloves garlic 
2 tomatillos 
romaine lettuce 
sour cream (however much for dressing packet)
tortilla strips
pico de gaillo
tortillas
shredded cheese, mexican blend

Chicken Waldorf Pasta Salad

Ingredients
2 12.5 oz. cans of cubed chicken breasts, drained and shredded 
3 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained (save juice to soak apples in)
1 apple (fuji), chopped and soaked in pineapple juice
2/3 cups celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups red and white grapes 
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cups craisins
crescent dinner rolls

Notes / Directions
In a large bowl combine all ingredients except for grapes, pecans, and craisins. Marinate mixture for several hours or overnight in refrigerator. Add grapes, pecans, and craisins just before serving. Serve in crescent dinner rolls.


Makes about 15 sandwiches.  (If you want to make it for a really large group like for a relief society activity,  3 times it.)



Other Options:
Serve over spinach
Add cooked and cooled bowtie noodles and have as pasta salad
Or add noodles and eat over spinach for a super pasta salad

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

I'm so excited because my mom flew in for the weekend so we are going to party!!  Literally.  We have some random girl's birthday party tomorrow.  But her being in town also means that I have to make something delicious and take a picture of it.  One, because I've gotta serve my best stuff to my guests, and two, because she can keep little hands from snatching up my projects as I try to photograph them.  So here's what we had for dinner.  Absolutely divine.  There are not any left overs, except for the extra pan that is in my freezer for a later occasion!

Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced 
4-8 large basil leaves, chopped
1 15oz container ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz) package Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 cups), shredded
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (this was just enough. If you like it saucier, use more.)

Notes / Directions
Cook shells for two minutes less than the recommended time.  Carefully separate shells and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Grease two 9x13 baking dishes and spread spaghetti sauce on the bottom of each pan.

Cook chicken and chop up into small chunks.  I did this by chopping it up as I cooked it in a skillet.  Set chicken aside.

Mix together ricotta cheese, cream cheese, garlic, and egg till almost smooth.  I did this in my kitchen aid.  Add 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Stir together.  If using a kitchen aid, continue the rest of the process with a spoon.  Stir in chicken and onions.  Gently fold in basil and spinach.  Avoid stirring too much or the mixture will turn green from the spinach.  Spoon mixture into a gallon sized Ziploc bag and seal it shut.  Cut a 1/4-1/2 inch corner off and carefully pipe mixture into the shells.  Fill each 9x13 pan with filled shells.  Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Cover both dishes with foil.  Place one pan in the freezer and bake the other for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chicken Giardino

I love this dish.  It's quick and easy!  It only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, not to mention the delicious simplicity of it.  You can easily customize this for your own taste buds and nutritional needs.  If you don't like zucchini, use squash instead!  If you have left over spinach in the fridge, chop it up and add it.  Need to use up that broccoli before it goes bad?  Throw it in!  Add whatever veggies you want!

Ingredients  
1 cup bowtie pasta
1 pound chicken breast 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon ground italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese shavings

Notes / Directions
Bring  pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to package.  In a large, non-stick skillet, add chicken and olive oil.  Salt and pepper the chicken heavily.  After about 3 minutes, add the onions and garlic.  When chicken is almost finished cooking, add red bell pepper and zucchini.  When chicken is done, add peas and tomatoes (don't seed the tomatoes, the juices add a delicious flavor to the dish) and heat through.  Stir in drained pasta and italian seasoning.  Sprinkle cheese on top.

* I use McCormick italian herb seasoning grinder.  I do have italian seasoning that you can just shake but it's just not as good!  The herbs taste more potent with the grinder and there's just a little bit of red pepper in there that is just delicious!  It adds the perfect amount of zing to the dish.

Fried Rice

Ingredients
1 cup rice, cooked and cooled
5 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup frozen mixed veggies 
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup ham, cubed
3 tablespoon sesame seeds
5 eggs
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
salt
pepper

Notes / Directions
Cook the rice a day before. Bake sesame seed at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until browned. Melt butter in skillet and saute garlic, mixed veggies, and ham. Add eggs and cook.  Stir in rice. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce at a time. Add green onions and sesame seeds. Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Ground Beef Risotto

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup rice
3 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/3 cup carrots, shredded
3 tablespoon green onions
1 zucchini, chopped
1 can corn

Notes / Directions
1 In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef, onion, garlic and pepper over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain if desired. Stir in rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2 Stir in broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer 10 minutes.

3 Stir in carrot. Cook uncovered 5 to 7 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed.

4 Remove skillet from heat. Stir in cheese. Cover; let stand 3 minutes. Sprinkle with chives.

Onion Chip Dip

Ingredients
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 16oz tub sour cream
Celery flakes (dried and crushed from celery leaves)
Onion powder
Milk

Notes / Directions
Cream cream cheese. Add sour cream.  Add onion and celery flakes to taste, 1-2 teaspoons. Mix until smooth. Add a little milk until desired consistency. Serve with potato chips. Really good on baked potatoes too.

Chili Chip Dip

Ingredients
1 can Hormel chili "No Beans"
1 8oz pkg cream cheese

Notes / Directions
Put ingredients in small sauce pan and heat slowly until cream cheese is melted. Serve with Fritos or corn chips.

Peanut Butter Bars

I really wanted peanut butter bars tonight, but I also wanted no-bake cookies...  It was a conundrum.  What I wanted was more peanut buttery goodness with chocolate AND oats!  The recipe I had for peanut butter bars was OK, but not as good as I would have liked.  They were far too sweet and didn't have the oats in them.  So I tweaked it!  I must say, the outcome was far better than I expected.  It was a definite improvement of the original recipe.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!  And a quick note, I crushed the graham crackers in my kitchen aid and slowly added everything else and that made it super easy.

Ingredients
1 package graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups oats
1 cup powder sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons Nutella (or peanut butter)

Notes / Directions
Mix graham crackers, oats, powder sugar, butter, and peanut butter until well blended.  Press down evenly in an ungreased 9x9 inch pan.

Put chocolate chips and Nutella in a metal bowl.  Float the bowl in a pot of boiling water.  Stir mixture until all chocolate is melted and smooth.  Pour over prepared crust.  Place in freezer for about 10 minutes until it is hardened.  Best if stored in the fridge.

Spinach Salad with Girard's White Balsamic Vinaigrette

 

This is my favorite salad dressing.  Ever.  It is amazing!  It has such an earthy and wholesome taste to it.  Try it!  I love to have it on my spinach salad with craisins, feta cheese, and some kind of candied nut.

Wassail

 
Wassail

Ingredients
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 quarts apple cider
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
3 inch stick stick cinnamon

Notes / Directions
Combine brown sugar, salt and cider. Tie spices in small piece cheesecloth; add. Slowly bring to boiling; simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Remove spices. Serve hot.

Sauteed Apples

A fine thanks to Allrecipes.com!

This is what I make when I have a bunch of apples lying around that need to be eaten!  And it makes a delicious breakfast too. 

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
4 large tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Notes / Directions
1. In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add apples. Cook, stirring constantly, until apples are almost tender, about 6 to 7 minutes.

2. Dissolve cornstarch in water; add to skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve warm.

German Pancakes

 

Ever had these?  They are kinda weird looking...  But they are so yummy!  You can serve them with so many different toppings!  I've listed a few of my favorites at the bottom.

Ingredients
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter

Notes / Directions
Set a clear glass pie plate in oven on bottom shelf. Turn oven on to 400 degrees. Mix flour and milk until smooth.  Add eggs and mix for 5 minutes on low setting. Remove hot pie plate from oven and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Rotate around until butter is melted. Add batter immediately. Bake for 20 minutes.

 Nutella

 Powder sugar

 Fruits

 Chocolate syrup 

 

IHOP Buttermilk Pancakes

I used to buy pancake batter from the store but it just was never that good!  Naturally, I began my quest for the best recipe out there and came across this copycat recipe and it is absolutely delectable.  I can only eat one pancake though because for some reason, they are extremely filling.

IHOP Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (heaping) baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 pinch salt

Notes / Directions
1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
2. Mix all of the ingredients til combined.
3. Melt a little bit of butter in the pan.
4. Pour the batter by spoonfuls into the hot pan, forming 5-inch circles.
5. When the edges appear to harden, flip the pancakes.
6. They should be golden brown.
7. Cook the pancakes on the other side until they are also golden brown.
8. Enjoy.