PERFECT Turkey

I called this turkey exactly what it is...PERFECT! I found this recipe on Food.com and am happy that I did. This is now the only recipe that I use for my turkeys. It is moist and a nice blend of flavors that steam into the meat. We NEVER have leftovers when I make this turkey. Oh, and the gravy...goodness the gravy is as superb as the turkey. Did I mention how simple and error-proof this recipe is too?

So, here we go!:

1 turkey, thawed with giblets and neck removed  (I use a 10 lb Turkey)
4 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs sage
1 lemon, halved
1 apple, halved 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or to taste) 

 

Directions:

 

1 Wash turkey and pat dry.
 

2 Place all of the herbs, all the butter, half the lemon and half the apple into the body cavity. 

 

 

3 Place the other half of lemon and apple into the neck cavity.
 

4 Truss the turkey with kitchen string.

5 Rub canola oil all over the turkey and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

6 If you're using an oven bag, place the turkey in the bag at this point, following the directions on the box. I put about 1 tablespoon of water into the bag.

7 Roast in a 350 degree oven until themometer inserted in the thigh reads 180 degrees. 

 

8 You may want to adjust the oven temperature to 325 if you're not using an oven bag.

 

Naomi's Mexican Coffee

I love Mexican Coffee! I love the unusual flavors of it and the rich, chocolaty flavors of it. When I determined what was in it, I knew I could expand on it.  This is the recipe I developed and gotta say that I really enjoy it. Save a bit of the powder to sprinkle on the whipped cream for topping.

So here we go!:

Ingredients:

8 oz VERY HOT strong coffee

In a larger coffee mug blend:

1/4 cup Half and Half
1 T. chocolate syrup
1 T. DARK brown sugar
1 t. Mexican vanilla (regular vanilla can be used too)
1 t. cinnamon
1 oz blanco tequila
.5 oz Kahlua

In a small bowl, combine topping:

1 t. processed cocoa
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. DARK brown sugar

Whipping Cream

Directions:

1) Pour coffee in the cup which the "flavors" have been blended. Stir to ensure they are well blended.

2) Top with canned whipped cream and sprinkle with topping

HOW SIMPLE IS THAT?!?!

Catherine's Spicy Soup

 Adapted: Allrecipes

 

 OH MY GOODNESS...I love this soup! It is so tasty and has such rich flavors that I can just chow on this stuff. I have made it so many times that I almost have it memorized. It is full of shredded chicken and nice Mexican flavors, yet the spiciness is not over kill to the point where it is rough to eat. When I make this now, I double the recipe because it freezes well. The garnishes of sour cream, cheese and crunchy tortilla strips really add to it, as well. 

 

Now, on the negative side, this soup does take a bit of prep work. Is it worth it? Dang straight!

So, here we go:

 

Ingredients:

 

2 quarts water

8 skinless, boneless chicken

breast halves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black

pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1 tablespoon onion powder

5 cubes chicken bouillon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa

2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled

and diced tomatoes

1 (14.5 ounce) can whole

peeled tomatoes

1 (10.75 ounce) can

condensed tomato soup

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel

corn, drained

2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans,

undrained

8 oz sour cream

 

Garnishes

additional sour cream

Mexican blend cheese

tortilla strips 

lime wedges

Directions:

 

1) In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.

2) In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 45 minutes.

 

3) Garnish with desired accompaniments 

 

Horseradish Beef Pinwheel Sandwiches

YAY! Summer is coming and meal planning is going on pretty heavily! Guess where I found this recipe??? Yep, Pinterest! So, happy I did to. The family loved these. Plus, I made them in the morning and when I got home, DINNER WAS DONE. Just the way I love it.

I tripled the recipe to make 6 sandwiches and served them with chips. So easy and so tasty for a warm day quick meal.


Ingredients:

3 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
8 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 T. Creamy horseradish sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1.5 lbs deli roast beef, sliced
12 slices Provolone cheese
sliced tomatoes, if desired
6 10-inch flour tortillas

Directions:

1) Combine first 5 ingredients.
2) Place the tortillas on work surface, spread equal amounts of cream cheese mixture over each, top each with equal slices of the roast beef slices and provolone cheese, leaving a 1/2 inch border around edges. Place tomato slices on top of the provolone cheese, if desired
3) Roll up TIGHTLY!
4) Wrap FIRMLY in plastic wrap.
5)  Refrigerate until firm. I did 10 hours and they were PERFECT!
6) Cut each sandwich in half and serve.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe showed up in my email from Allrecipes one day and I thought I would give it a try. Now, I have to admit that this wasn't my favorite taco soup, but it was good and still went fast in my house! I threw it in the crock in the morning and dinner was done when Pat came home for the night. 

A couple of notes:

1. I doubled the tortilla strips and am happy I did. They really added to the soup. The original call for the seven tortillas wouldn't have made enough though.
2. I made the tortilla strips in the morning and it gave them a chance to firm up by dinner that night.
3. Add cheese, sour cream, lime wedges and/or chopped green onion. Whatever your heart desires. It really added to it.
4. Pat doesn't like bay leaves so I omitted it. I thought it did fine. If you don't mind them though...be sure to add it. 
5. I used a quart of chicken broth versus the water/broth. I really like a strong flavored soup and that is what it produced.

In my opinion, this is a soup which would freeze well. It has gone on my roster of soups to make in Fall and freeze for quick lunches and dinners.

So, here we go!:

Ingredients:

1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed or diced tomatoes (which I used)

1 (10 ounce) can RED enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 t. jarred garlic

2 cups water

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (10 ounce) package frozen

corn

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

 

Tortilla Strips:

 

7 corn tortillas

Kosher Salt

vegetable oil

 

Directions:

 

Soup:

 

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

 

Tortilla Strips:

 

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)

 

2) Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.

 

3) Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt

 

4) Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. 

 

To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.  Garnish as desired.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Fried Rice

I LOVE THIS RECIPE! I have made it so many times it isn't even funny. When I first came across in on Life as a Lofthouse, I only went with the fried rice recipe thinking that the chicken's ingredients seemed pretty gross. I mean really....who uses ketchup in sweet and sour sauce. Then I tried it and realized I WAS WAAAAYYYY OFF!

The prep does take a bit more time, but it is so worth it. My family can eat a ton of this stuff and I have started doubling the recipe to ensure we have enough to munch on for dinner and leftovers. I partnered with Fried Rice and store purchased egg rolls.

I am giving the original recipe, but know that it doubles easily!

So here we go!: 

Ingredients:

Chicken:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

Sweet and Sour Sauce: 

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

Directions:

 

1) Preheating oven to 325 degrees. 

2) Rinse chicken breasts in water and cut into cubes. 

3) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Shake chicken in the cornstarch to coat and dip into the eggs.  

4) Heat oil in a large skillet and cook chicken until browned but not cooked through. 

5) Place the chicken in a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. 

6) Mix sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Pour evenly over chicken. 

7) Bake for one hour. During baking process, turn chicken every 15 minutes.   

Turtle Bars

I love Turtles. Love them in ANY form. When I saw this recipe posted on Pinterest...yes, that EVIL, EVIL place Pinterest, I knew I was making them, but I also it would be really dangerous to have 40 of these things laying around my house calling for me. The perfect opportunity again was for my live book club and library staff. These are also pretty rich so a small bar goes a long way. Be sure to cut them small.


I think the most difficult part of this was the caramel. It required the most attention to detail to make sure it didn't burn, yet blended well. Be sure not to leave it while it is cooking.

Ingredients: 

Bar Base

2 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup softened butter
6 oz. pecan halves or chopped pecans

Topping

2/3 cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: 

1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

2) Blend the flour, sugar, and butter with an electric mixer until  the mixture looks coarse and crumbly. 

3) Press mixture into a 9×13-inch pan. 

4) Arrange the pecans over the flour mixture; set aside.

5) In a small sauce pan, melt butter and brown sugar.  Stirring frequently, bring to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds, stirring constantly to make sure the mixture is fully blended.
  
6) Remove from heat and pour the over the pecans-covered base. 

7)Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Return to oven for 5 minutes.  

8) Remove, and with an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into an even layer.

9)  Let cool in pan completely and then cut into small squares.

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Chewies

On top of the Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes (with cinnamon cream cheese frosting) I made for my live book club, I made these bad boys. These cookies were AWESOME. Think of the chewiest oatmeal cookies you have ever had and you get these with a flair of coconut.

Two pieces of advice: These cookies really need to baked on parchment paper or a silicone mat. The bottoms were a beautiful, bakery quality brown.DON'T OVER MIX this dough. It will result in tough cookies.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, slightly softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together butter and sugars, until they are well-combined.

2.) Add one egg and mix until it’s fully incorporated. Then add the second egg, and the vanilla, and mix until everything is evenly incorporated.

3.) Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture.

4.) Add about 1/2 of the flour, and mix. Scrape down the sides of your bowl, and then add the second half of your flour, mixing until just incorporated.

5.) Add oats and coconut, mixing until just incorporated.

6.) Roll dough into balls, or use a cookie scoop to evenly portion out the dough. I use my larger cookie scoop.

7.) THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! Place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat, leaving about 2″ between each cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown, but the center is still light in color and puffy.  Only about 8 cookies will be able to be baked at a time. DO NOT OVER BAKE THESE COOKIES!

8.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.  If you try to move them too quickly they fall apart.

Chicken Breasts in Green Salsa

 I found this recipe on Food.com. I love Mexican food and am really trying to expand the recipes that I make for my family. This one will definitely be a keeper. The softness of the green salsa sauce served over the thin cut fried chicken breasts. The chicken then simmered in the sauce which made the dish so mellow.

Be sure to top it with the lettuce, tomato, cilantro, onion and sour cream. My son even melted Mexican cheese on the chicken breast and sauce prior to adding the veggies. It gave it a wonderful bonus!

I partnered it with Mexican Rice and my Agave Nectar Margaritas. It was a wonderful meal and one that we will definitely be making again.


Ingredients:

4 chicken breast fillets
salt and pepper
all-purpose flour, for dredging
2 -3 tablespoons butter ( or a combination of butter and oil)
16 ounces salsa, green, mild ( or hot)
1 cup chicken broth
1 -2 garlic clove, finely chopped
3 -5 tablespoons cilantro, chopped, plus extra to serve
1/2 green chili pepper, fresh, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup sour cream
lettuce, shredded
3 -5 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1) Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then dredge with flour.
Shake off the excess.

2) Melt the butter (or butter, oil) in a skillet, then add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until golden but not cooked through-the chicken will continue to cook in the sauce.

3) Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

4) Place the salsa, broth, garlic, cilantro, chili, and cumin in a pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer.

5) Add the chicken to the sauce, spooning the sauce over the chicken.

6) Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

7) Remove the chicken and sauce from the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper.

8) Serve with sour cream, lettuce, scallion, and cilantro.
 

Funeral Sandwiches

I must admit...I have an addiction to Pinterest. It has really sent my love of cooking into overdrive with new recipes I have found on there. These sandwiches are one of those. When I saw that my friend, Erin, had commented on how tasty these things were, I knew they were being made and right away. 

Can I just say...YUMMERS?!?! They were so different and so tasty, it wasn't funny! I loved the combination of the Swiss cheese and ham with the sticky sauce on top. Now, be sure to take the time to "marinade" these. The longer they can marinade the more tasty they are. I partnered with chips and corn on the cob for a nice light dinner that I will be making frequently in the Summer. When you serve these, you might want to have wet naps around.

Ingredients:

1 package of King's Hawaiian Rolls

1/2 lb. sliced ham (from the deli)

Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 c. butter, melted

3 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. mustard

2 T. brown sugar

dash of onion powder

Directions:

1. Cut the rolls in half and line the bottom of a baking pan with the bottoms of the rolls. Layer the ham , then cheese and return the top half of the rolls on top of the cheese.

 

2. Mix together the butter, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. Pour the whole works over the buns, drenching each one. Cover tightly with foil and marinade anywhere from 4-24 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes,uncovered,or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Every month, I attend a live book club at my library. I love bringing fresh baked goods to them and my library staff. It allows me to try out new recipes for the blog and not have them stay at my house to call out to me.

While speaking to the library manager, she talked about her love of anything pumpkin. I remembered seeing this recipe while on Pinterest and thought this would be a perfect time to try it, while giving her a nice treat. It originally was on Taste of Home, which is one of my favorite food magazines.

These cupcakes were even better than what I thought they would be. They were moist and the frosting on the cupcakes were unbelievable. They were even pretty simple to make as well. The recipe garnered about 24 cupcakes.


Ingredients-CUPCAKES

3/4 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
Directions-CUPCAKES:

1) In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin.
3) Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger;
4) Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
4) Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.
5) Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6) Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Ingredients-FROSTING:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions-FROSTING:

1) In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. 
2) Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth.
3) Frost cupcakes, as desired.

Spoon Tacos

OK, I have a secret to tell. I hated my school cafeteria in grade school, but LOVED their spoon tacos.In general, I love tacos so any variation of a taco is ok by me. There is something different about a spoon taco though and  I frequently crave those tasty lil morsels. I finally decided to duplicate the recipe and to make it a tad bit "beefier" and adult friendly than those served by my school.

I found a winner. We loved them. The 9x13 pan was gone by the next day. Garnish them with all the traditional taco garnishments of tomato, lettuce, salsa and sour cream. Trust me, you won't be sorry.

So, here we go!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef 
1 chopped onion 
Salt to taste
1 t. pepper 
1 t. Garlic powder
1 t. cumin
1/4 c. chili powder
1/2 t. oregano
1 can chili  
1 bag Fritos/corn chips
3 cups Mexican Cheese

Directions:

1) Brown Ground Beef and onion.

2) Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, oregano. Stir.

3) Add chili, stir and set aside.

4) Spray a 9x13 pan liberally with spray. Spread corn chips in bottom of pan. Next layer the beef mixture. Finally, spread the cheese.

5) Bake in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is well melted.

6) Garnish with desired condiments as desired.

The Lee Brothers Charleston Kitchen by Matt Lee and Ted Lee

Book: The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen
 
Author: Matt Lee and Ted Lee
 
Release date (if applicable): Published

Synopsis: A collection of recipes and stories from the quaint, exquisite, yet down to earth city of Charleston, SC!
   
My rating: 4 Stars
 
My opinion: The pictures and recipes in this book were phenomenal. Now, they were heavy on fish recipes, so if that is not your thing, you might want to take a look at the library versus purchasing it first. Also, I am a huge fan of chocolate, so I must admit that I was slightly disappointed that there were no chocolate recipes in the dessert section. However, there were a couple other ones that tickled my fancy. They also had a wonderful yet simple recipe for boiled peanuts one of my favorite snacks!

I loved the stories of "life" in past and current Charleston, as when I think of that spectacular city, I think most of the people! 

I must admit that one of the things that did kind of mildly irk me was that with the fish recipes, a better chunk of the fish called for in the recipe are indigenous to the Charleston or coastal area. In a couple of recipes, the authors gave substitute fish to use, but not in all. I noticed this with a recipe calling for a certain type of grape. Could I substitute regular green and red grapes? I don't know because the author doesn't specify. It simply came across for several of the recipes that it would be a great regional cookbook, but not outside the bounds and definitely not distributed nationally. 
 

Source:  Library
      

Would I recommend? : I would, but again, due to the cost, I would take a look at it in a brick/mortar bookstore or the library to make sure it tickles your fancy. 
 
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand Alone

"Almost a Candy" Bar

I rue the day I came across this recipe on Pinterest. Originally pinned by Marty's Musings, I had made these bars for the library staff where I am a patron. Problem was that I forgot to take them to them when we went. This left the entire pan for my family to eat and eat it we did! They were so addicting.

On top of it, they were incredibly simple to make. I whipped them together in 15 minutes and then baked them. Because I am not a huge fan of butterscotch, I omitted the chips and went with a cup and a half each of the white and chocolate chips. I must admit that they needed the butterscotch chips. Next time I make them (and there will be plenty of next times) I will make sure to include the butterscotch chips.

So here we go!:

Ingredients:

1 pkg. devil’s food cake mix
1/2 cup margarine or butter (softened)
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup Heath English toffee bits
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, combine cake mix and margarine; with pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly in bottom of greased 9×13 baking dish.

2) Sprinkle with the butterscotch, white and chocolate chips. Top with the Heath chips. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over all.

3) Bake for 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly and then cut into bars.

Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

To partner with my Baked Chicken Tenders, I was looking for a really simple mac and cheese recipe. I didn't want to put a ton of time into it, as I had an incredibly busy day and the last thing I wanted to do was spend any time in the kitchen. I went on a search and found this recipe on Allrecipes.com.

As I read the reviews of it, one of the consistent comments was that the the dish was not cheesy enough or had enough butter so I boosted those two ingredients. I found that it worked out well.

While I wouldn't serve this recipe as an entertainment dish, it was perfect for a dinner side. It whipped up quickly and had just the enough amount of cheese, yet it wasn't as smooth as I normally like.

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package

macaroni

1 egg

2 cups milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted

4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

 

2)  In a large pot of salted water, lightly boil the macaroni for about 5 minutes until half-cooked. Be very careful not to overcook macaroni. Return macaroni to pan.

 

3) Whisk the egg and milk together in a large bowl. Add butter and cheese to the egg and milk. Stir well. Pour the egg and cheese liquid over the macaroni, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir well.

 

4) Place the lightly cooked mixture into the prepared baking dish. Press the mixture evenly around the baking dish.

 

5) Bake uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is brown.

 

Baked Chicken Tenders

I found this recipe on Pinterest, which was based off the recipe from Bisquick.

My family loves a good chicken finger and this one wasn't bad. To boot, it was baked which made it even healthier. I partnered it with Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese and cheese recipe and corn on the cob. One thing that my family and I decided was that they definitely needed a sauce as they were kind of dry without them. As we were trying to figure out the sauce, we decided that Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesan Garlic sauce would have been perfect. My son did a buffalo wing sauce and he said that it worked well with the tenders, as well.

The original recipe called for the tenders to be double dipped but I found that to be unnecessary. I do think nest time I make these though I will give that a try.

So, here we go:

3/4 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 lb chicken tenders
2 eggs slightly beaten

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.

2) Combine baking mix, Parmesan cheese, paprika, salt and garlic powder in a Ziploc bag

3) Dip tenders in egg and shake in mix. Place on cookie sheet.

4) Bake 15 minutes, turning after 8 minutes.

Breakfast Ham Cups

Breakfast for dinner is a frequent occurrence in the Blackburn home. I am not a big breakfast as a meal person, but do enjoy breakfast meals, so dinner is a great place to fit in those recipes.

I came across this recipe on Pinterest, but have seen it in numerous other recipe sites. I had over purchased some ham for a recipe I made and, not wanting it to go to waste, thought this would be a perfect time to try out this really quick to make recipe. I partnered it with sausage, hash browns and toast. It was a perfect, relatively light, meal.

I ended up making 9 cups. My son who ended up reheating his told me that these did not reheat well. They were rubbery and had pockets of "water" in them. I would encourage only to make the number of cups that you want to eat in one sitting. These are so easy to make that it is nothing to throw them together and have them on the table in 20 minutes.

I am giving the recipe for 6 cups. Adjust as desired!

Ingredients:

6 deli ham slices
6 eggs
1/2 cup Co-jack cheese
1/4 green onions, chopped
salt/pepper, as desired

Directions:

1) Spray muffin cups LIBERALLY!! Trust me on this one! Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) Place a ham slice in each cup and break an egg over ham slice.

3) Sprinkle with salt and pepper, as desired.

4) Sprinkle with 2 T. of cheese and 1/2 T. of  onions

5) Bake for 12-15 minutes until egg is set to desired firmness.

Pollo en Crema con Chipotles (Chicken and Peppers in Chipotle Cream)

I am trying hard to expand my taste of Mexican food instead of simply going with the stand-byes. I found a new cookbook that is really helping me to do it. As a bonus, this cookbook that came across my path is a Mexican Slow Cooker cookbook. What could be better?!?! Now, it isn't a Fix it and Forget It cookbook, but every single recipe I have had from this book is restaurant quality.

This recipe which translates to Chicken and Peppers in Chipotle Cream was just downright tasty. It did take a while to cook, so give it time to prepare. I served with a plain Mexican rice, fire-roasted corn and, of course, Agave Nectar Margaritas!

So, here we go!:

Ingredients:

6 Bone in Chicken Breasts
1 C. Water
2 t. kosher salt
1 large white onion, chopped
1 T. Vegetable oil
2 large jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and cut into strips
1 large poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into strips
1 Red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into strips
1 Large Roma tomato diced
3 T. minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped chipotles in adobo
1/2 t. ground pepper
1 c. heavy cream

Directions: 

1) Place chicken, water and 1 t. salt in a 5 qt crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 or 4 hours, JUST UNTIL TENDER. Turn chicken once halfway during cooking process. Remove chicken from crock and allow to cool. Bone the chicken in very large pieces and return the meat to the broth.

2) Peel the onion, cut in half horizontally and then each half vertically in half inch slices.

3) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add onion, chiles, bell pepper, tomato, garlic and chipotles. Stir frequently until the veggies soften-about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 t. salt and the pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until totally tender. Add cream. Stir and add to chicken mixture. Cover and cook for one more hour on low.

4) Serve with Mexican rice and ENJOY!

Paula Deen's Meemaw Christmas Cookies

Dipped with Peppermint

Not Dipped

Being a lover of Paula Deen, she is ALWAYS represented in my Christmas packages. I stumbled upon this recipe off of one of the sites where I always see her recipes and knew that they needed to be a part of it. After I tasted these yummy morsels, I also knew that they weren't just for Christmas!

I have to be honest. When I first saw them I must admit that I was intrigued enough that I knew I needed to t make them, but "concerned" enough that I didn't know if they were going to get to stay on my trays. Sure enough, I found myself munching on these. I don't know WHY I ever doubted Miss Paula! They were good not dipped, dipped and the crushed peppermint really gave them a nice twist.

So, don't think these are just for Christmas...bake away!

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup puffed rice cereal
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits
White chocolate chips, melted, optional

Peppermint hard candies, crushed, optional

 

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

3) Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl and beat in the oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 small additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each one. Slowly beat in the rice cereal, coconut, and oats. Fold in the toffee bits and refrigerate the dough, covered, for 1 hour.

4) Drop rounded tablespoons of dough on 2 cookie sheets. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

5) If desired: Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate. Dip the cookies into the white chocolate and sprinkle crushed peppermint to decorate. Allow to cool or serve warm.