I'm Back

Well, I've been here all along. I realize I've been a terrible "blogger," but no one reads this anyway. A friend once told me I should join a food forum of some sort instead of doing this thing. I liked that idea, but have yet to embark on such a journey. I'm still working in the kitchen, of course. I've tried lots of new recipes. I bought a Campbell's cookbook. I must be losing my mind b/c I haven't spend much time leafing through it yet. I'll touch on a few dishes I can think of that I know I'll create again... Fried Chicken Fingers (from the Bisquick box) put into a Romaine lettuce salad. Topped w/ homemade Ranch dressing. Stuffed shells, stuffed w/ such things as ricotta cheese & spinach. Spaghetti made w/ deer meat. Potato Soup. I had a near-disaster while blending the ingredients. Not sure what's going to be on the dinner plate tonight, everything's frozen... until next time!

Country Fried Steak

Cover the meat (cube steak) w/ flour in a big plastic bag. Dip in bowl of 1 egg white & 1 tsp water. Coat in bowl of flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Brown both sides until done in frying pan w/ 1 tbsp veggie oil.

To make the gravy:

Melt 1 tbsp butter, add 2 tbsp flour. Add 1 & 1/2 cups milk & bring to boil. Whisk often. Bring to simmer & add the following: 1 beef bouillon cube, 1/2 tsp marjoram, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/8 tsp pepper.

I served the dish w/ instant baby red mashed potatoes & sweet green beans. The gravy made the meal!

I need to work on perfecting my breading technique, it's not as consistant as I would like.

Steak Fajitas

We've made our own concoction of steak fajitas before, and this time I felt like going by a recipe. The recipe called for some weird ingredients, so I was a bit skeptical, but they turned out awesome. Saute in 1 tbsp veggie oil:

• 1 red pepper - sliced
• 1 green pepper - sliced
• 1 onion - diced
• 4 garlic cloves

Take the following ingredients & shake in bag w/ sliced skillet meat.

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp oregano

Transfer veggies to plate when cooked & add meat mixture, along w/ 1 tbsp veggie oil. Cook until done. Drain. Add veggies & 1 small can of mushrooms. Saute all ingredients together for a few minutes. Serve on taco shells w/ shredded cheese, sour cream & salsa. I added the mushrooms and doubled all the seasonings. I had no orange juice, but I had oranges. I squeezed the juice of 1 orange to get the 1/4 cup of orange juice. I felt quite inventive & creative... although the recipe didn't specify what time of orange juice to use.

Eggplant Parmesan

This recipe comes from my dear friend Melissa. I've never tasted eggplant, to my knowledge, but was eager & willing to give it a try.

• 1 eggplant - cut into slices
• 1 small can spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg
• olive oil

Beat egg in bowl. In separate bowl, combine Parmesan & breadcrumbs. Dip eggplant in egg bowl, then breadcrumb bowl. Fry in pan w/ heated oil on both sides until golden brown. Place in baking dish. Layer w/ spaghetti sauce & mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle remaining breadcrumb mixture on top. I served this w/ a very tasty Caesar salad & Parmesan green beans. To make the Parmesan Green Beans: Melt 2 tbsp salted butter w/ 2 garlic cloves. Add bag of frozen green beans. Cook until desired tenderness. Move to serving bowl & add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. These were okay - I wasn't too happy w/ the end results. The beans were slightly crunchy still, and that's probably what I didn't like.

Hamburger Chop Suey

My aunt Mary e-mailed this to me quite some time ago... I finally got around to it. I'm always looking for something to do w/ hamburger meat besides the obvious few meals. 2 lbs ground meat - cooked 1 cup diced celery 1 diced onion 1 can mushrooms 1 can shroom soup 1 can celery soup few shakes Worcestershire few more shakes of soy sauce can of water chestnuts can of bean sprouts 3/4 cup uncooked rice Once you cook & drain the meat, add it along w/ all ingredients to a baking dish. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, stirring after 30 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes. Speaking of mashed potatoes - that one recipe I've posted about & made a couple times is now going to be my homemade mashed potato recipe. Delicious! I thought this was a very good hearty meal. My boyfriend thought it needed more flavor... so I'm thinking of what to do next time. Maybe a beef bouillon cube? Maybe another can each of the soups?

Ice Cream BonBons

Very easy. Very messy. I found this recipe in my Taste of Home Cookbook. I made it a few times last winter... then forgot about it. 2 bags pecans 2 bags semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 sticks butter 2 tbsp coffee grinds 2 pints vanilla ice cream (2 containers) (the ingredients are doubled from original recipe) Crush pecans. Using small scoop, roll ice cream balls into pecans. Immediately place on cookie sheet (I put wax paper down) & freeze for one hour. When ready - melt the chips, butter, and coffee in a saucepan on stove. Dip/roll the balls into the chocolate & place back on cookie sheet. Put back in freezer for a little while until ready to serve. So delicious, you can't just have one! I made batches last year for friends and in-laws. Everyone loved them. I got suggestions to make the bonbon's w/ different flavors of ice cream. I think the mint kind would be good! I never made any for my family to try, and my mother was quite upset. Today is my brother's birthday. I'm going to surprise them by bringing some over. I haven't been in the kitchen much lately. I went to the grocery store today & stocked up on lots of good stuff.

Friday Night Cook Out

Last Friday we had a cook out at our house. 8 or 9 people, including my boyfriend & I. Everyone supplied their own meat. We had steaks, salmon and tilapia. A friend brought corn on the cob. I supplied baked potatoes, and mushrooms & onions. I love entertaining friends & family. I'm not an expert. I'm not rich. But it's still fun. --- Thursday my boyfriend & I went out for Chinese. Saturday we went swimming & ate meatloaf, scalloped spuds, etc at my parents house. Sunday we had a chicken casserole bake & caesar salad at the would-be in-laws. Yesterday I stopped by my parents house & ate w/ my mom & brought a plate home for my boyfriend. Steak, chicken, baked red potato, mushrooms & onions, salad and shrimp. Time to get back in the kitchen! I'm looking for recipes & might run to a nearby grocery store on my lunch break. I want to do something w/ chicken. If I don't find anything I will settle for Potato Chip Chicken.

Peppered Steak

New Recipe Alert I got this recipe from a co-worker. It was something her husband threw together one night. I used skillet steak strips. Place in baking dish. 1/2 c Dales 1/2 c water Sprinkle each of the following on strips: onion powder garlic powder steak seasoning Morton's seasoned salt 1 red bell pepper 1 green bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 1 jalapeno 1 small can mushrooms Place all on top of strips, make at 400 for 45-60 minutes Serve over rice I was supposed to add chopped onions, but I forgot. I thought it was very good. Danny didn't care for all the peppers. He's not big on veggies. I made a spinach butter spread to go on top. I wanted to use up my leftover spinach. I thought the taste complimented the rest of the dish well, although I was hesitant. 2 tbsp spinach 2 tbsp fresh basil (or 1/3 of that dry) 1 stick butter

Mom's Lasagna

This recipe really did come from my Mom. In fact, she cooked it. She is used to making a large dish of lasagna and lately has been having more leftover... so she concluded that she is able to give a portion of the lasagna to myself. Who am I to complain? Delicious meal that I don't have to cook... sign me up! I heated it in a loaf pan (this is what she put it in) in the oven for 30 minutes. Made a quick salad. Cooked a batch of the generic brand of round biscuits. I tweaked them by adding garlic salt & shredded cheese. Instant meal!

Pork Chops & Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

I haven't cooked since Thursday. Today is Tuesday. It was my boyfriend's birthday weekend. Friday my boyfriend & I went out for Mexican & Margarita's w/ another couple. Saturday we ordered Firehouse Subs. Sunday we went to dinner at his parents house. I did make my Stovetop Mac & Cheese (previous post) for lunch on Saturday while babysitting my boyfriend's god-daughter. I wanted to make pork chops last night. I had a bag of pork chops w/ the bones. The boyfriend tells me to also make the package of boneless pork chops b/c the ones w/ bones will not be enough. He was right. After I cut off the bones & fat from the 4 chops, they looked identical to the boneless pork chops. I layed the chops in a clear baking dish & sprinkled a very generous dose of Cayenne pepper on top. I got this idea from the bottle of Moore's seasoning that I used to marinate the chops in. Moore's is very similar to Dale's that we are very fond of. So, I poured Moore's into the baking dish, almost covering pork chops. Let that sit until ready to eat. My boyfriend grilled the pork chops. I thought I had previously discussed my Cheesy Ranch Potatoes, but I could not find a blog about it. So, forgive me if I already have. I got this recipe from my would-be mother-in-law. I've tweeked it to my liking, using the same ingredients, only differing in the process of how it gets done. Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

• Fry potatoes like you normally would
• A few minutes before dinner is served, top potatoes w/ shredded cheese (I used Colby)
• Drizzle Ranch dressing over cheese
• Place cover back on pan & let warm for a few minutes to melt cheese

Delicious!!! I also served "Sweet Green Beans"... a can of green beans marinated w/ a generous helping of brown sugar.

Beef Stew in Crock Pot

This is a favorite meal in my house. House consisting of my boyfriend & I. I got it offline, cannot remember where... probably a website dedicated to crock pot recipes. I put this in the crock pot this morning for dinner tonight. Beef Stew in Crock Pot

• 2 1lbs roast meat
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1 big can of mushrooms
• 1 cup milk

Cut meat into pieces, place in crock pot. Pour all ingredients on top. Cook on low in crock pot 8 hrs. Serve over rice. The original recipe calls for 1 can of soup, 1 small can of mushrooms, and 1/2 cup of milk. I doubled it to make more gravy/sauce. I probably should have gotten more meat b/c every time I make this my boyfriend says it's not enough!

Guests for Dinner

I wanted to make chicken last night, but I did not know what I wanted to do. I decided to try to make the Italian Chicken (previous post) in the oven, instead of in the crock pot like the original recipe. I also used Sherry instead of White Wine. I like the white wine better, it gives a more distinct flavor. Or maybe it was b/c it was baked in the oven for an hour and not in a crock pot for 8 hours. It was still very tasty though! I also added a small can of mushrooms, I was thinking about it last time but did not. The meal consisted of: Salad Italian Chicken Corn Instant Mashed Potatoes I was going to make homemade potatoes, but then got lazy. I knew I had a bunch of packs of instant ones, so I decided to make 2 of those. 2 girl friends came over, and my boyfriend ate as well. I'm not used to cooking for more than 2. Everything turned out well though, and I think everyone enjoyed the food. A friend came late, and I had a plate saved for him. I was disappointed in myself b/c once I made my plate I realized everything was yellow/white in color, and that's a big no-no in the cooking world! Oh well...

Mama's Spaghetti & Meatballs

Now, I didn't get this recipe from my Mama, I got it from my Easy Italian Cookbook. Boy, was it easy. My boyfriend is not the biggest fan of what I consider to be traditional spaghetti - ground beef meat & sauce. He is the biggest fan of meatballs, however. I figured this would be a perfect alternative. I served it w/ a salad & my version of cheesy garlic bread. New Recipe Alert Spaghetti & Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

Mix these together & form into balls - around 12

Bring 1 can of Ragu - Old World Style Spaghetti Sauce to boil

Add meat balls to sauce & simmer 20-30 minutes until cooked through.

Serve over spaghetti noodles & top w/ Parmesan cheese.

-----

I never actually let the sauce boil, b/c it started to pop & get all over my kitchen. I cooked it longer than 30 minutes on 3, waiting for my boyfriend to get home from work & shower, etc. We both agreed it was good, but needed a little flavor. Next time, I'll season the meatballs w/ a little something.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

I came up w/ this idea one night when I wanted garlic bread but did not have any. I use 4-6 slices regular bread (b/c that's what fits into my toaster oven). Spread butter. Sprinkle w/ garlic salt. Sprinkle w/ cheese. Lightly top w/ a type of herb. Toast for just a few minutes until the cheese is melted. My boyfriend enjoys this garlic toast so much, he prefers it over any store bought kind. Last night I had to use garlic powder b/c my wonderful boyfriend ran off w/ my garlic salt one night & it never returned.

Salsa Dip

I haven't done much cooking, well - none at all this past weekend. One of my many cousin's came to visit my family & I spent a great deal of time at my parents house eating my Mom's food. Saturday, I did bring over a super quick & easy dip I got from a friend. Salsa Dip

• 1 jar salsa
• 1 pkg cream cheese - softened
• shredded cheese to sprinkle on top

Blend salsa & cream cheese together, spread on platter & top w/ cheese. Always a hit.

Sausage Dip

Tomorrow is "Dip Day" at work... a few of us are bringing in a dip & a couple others are supplying the chips. This will be our lunch. I got this recipe from a friend of mine. He's made it a few times & it's very good. I just made it for tomorrow. Of course I had to sample it, and I must admit it turned out quite nicely. *New Recipe Alert*

• 1 lb sausage
• 4 pkg cream cheese
• 1 can rotel tomatoes (I used Kroger brand)

Ground meat (used the masher!) & add cream cheese & tomatoes. Serve warm.

Sloppy Joe's

I finally found an easy way to ground hamburger meat!! I swear, I always have the hardest time & dread browning hamburger meat. Use a potato masher! Works wonders. After it's cooked & drained add the following & simmer on low 30 minutes or until ready to serve. I served it on those buns w/ the seeds & chips on the side. New Recipe Alert 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup water 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp Worcestershire 2 tsp mustard 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder

Ready for Winter

I'm ready for cooler weather to make all the good "cold weather" foods. I got this bug after talking to my mother about certain meals a couple weeks ago. The itch is back after glancing through my new cook book. Certain foods/drinks just taste better during the colder months! I love the thought of cooking in the kitchen on a cold winter day while a fire is going in the fireplace. It's only the beginning of July... I have a while to wait.

Personal Pizzas

This recipe comes from my Easy Italian cookbook. I've made it a few times before, and after tonight I think I've perfected it quite nicely. Cook 1 lb ground sausage. In a bowl mix: 10 oz can pizza sauce, garlic powder, basil, oregano Place 12 (6 1/2's) english muffins on cookie sheet spread sauce mix top w/ 1 block shredded cheese top w/ 1 small can of mushrooms bake at 475 for 15-20 minutes I was going to make a salad to go along w/ this but decided against it. They are good enough to eat by themselves. They are fun to make too!

New Cookbook

While browsing our local discount warehouse I walked down the cookbook isle & couldn't resist!

Paula Deen's The Deen Family Cookbook The coolest part? A picture of Paula surrounded by cookbooks on the floor has one of my cookbooks in it!!! The Country Cooking one... at least it sure looks like it. This is my second Paula Deen cookbook.

Chicken & Scalloped Spuds

I marinated 5 boneless/skinless chicken breasts in Dale's for 2 hours. My boyfriend started to grill them, the grill ran out of propane so I put them in the oven on a baking sheet. Already going in the oven was a dish of Cheesy Parmesan Potatoes. Scalloped Potatoes. I sliced 7 potatoes. In a pot I melted 1/2 stick butter w/ 1/4 cup flour. I added 1/2 block of sharp cheddar cheese & 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. (This is the same basis for the white sauce & Stovetop Mac & Cheese recipes.) I added the potatoes & poured the mixture into a greased baking dish. 375 for 30 minutes. Delicious flavor, but the potatoes should have cooked longer. I put them back in for 15 and they were done better. I've made this dish before, it comes from my Country Cooking cook book. I simmered a can of green beans w/ a generous dose of brown sugar. TASTY! I don't remember where I got this idea from, but we almost always eat green beans this way. I also had a dinner guest over. I'm always excited, yet nervous when people eat my food.

Greens & Gemilli

New Recipe Alert This recipe is from my Easy Italian Cookbook from (once again) my wonderful friend Melissa. I was a little hesitant about this, let's be honest - the name doesn't sound to appetizing. The picture looked so good I had to try it out! From now on I will call this recipe "G & G". OH MY GOSH! Sooooo delicious! Definitely created a meal for my household. Which is only 2 of us, but that's besides the point. I made this for lunch on Saturday and we ate the leftovers for lunch again the next day. I didn't tell my boyfriend what was in it until he started eating it.

• Cook 1 lb ground sausage
• Boil 8 oz spiral noodles
• In another pan cook 10 oz pkg frozen thawed spinach in olive oil
• When meat is done, add jar of spaghetti sauce - I used a flavored/peppered kind
• Add spinach - Let marinate for few minutes
• Serve over noodles
• Add feta cheese on top

4th of July Treats

July 2nd we went out to eat at Ruby Tuesday's. Followed by a fireworks show. July 3rd we went to a cook out, I brought my Stovetop Mac & Cheese. July 4th we went to another cook out / party. I brought taco dip. I call this recipe "Melissa's Bean Dip" b/c I got it from my wonderful friend Melissa. This is only my second time making it, but it's always a hit. I should have used a deeper tray, b/c the dip ended up more stuffed then I'd planned. I used one of those throw away thin metal ones w/ a plastic top. I layered:

• uncooked refried beans
• 1 pkg sour cream mixed w/ 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 block cheese
• lettuce
• 1 can diced tomatoes & peppers
• 1 can sliced olives

Served w/ tortilla chips. Yum Yum Yum.

Since this is a blog about my trials & tribulations in the kitchen, I'll touch lightly on the fact that the Raspberry White Chocolate Bars I attempted to make for the cook out did not turn out. The dough was supposed to be "crumb like" and was cake like. I baked it anyway, but it did not have a good flavor. I followed the directions exactly. I bet I know what went wrong. I used margarine spread instead of butter like the recipe called for. I should have know better, but usually the recipe will specifically say real butter or no substitution. Needless to say I was quite upset.

Grilled Pork & Vicky Potatoes

We sometimes get this chunk of meat that is already marinated w/ a certain flavor. It's usually pork. This time it was golden bbq, or something of the like. I forget the brand name, but you can find it in the meat section of your grocery store. *New Recipe Alert* I got the potato recipe from my mom. I remember her making this when I was younger & it was very tasty. She calls them "Vicky Potatoes" b/c she got the idea from an old friend named Vicky. My mother & I are very creative w/ our recipe names! They turn out like a fried/baked potato on the grill. Mine turned out okay but I definitely need more butter, salt, pepper, and onions - more of everything!! I remember Mom's having so much more flavor. I made a foil tray/box w/ a cover for the potatoes to go on the grill. That was the hardest part. I sliced 7 or 8 potatoes & put them in the foil tray. I put 8-10 medium sized blobs of butter scattered on top of the potatoes. Lots of salt & peppercorn. 1/2 sliced onion spread on top. I used peppercorn just for fun, since I just purchased a grinder of it for the French Dip Sandwiches. Close up/cover the potatoes w/ foil. Make sure the tray is deep enough for the butter to not leak out. Carefully place on the grill & cook while the pork is cooking. About 30-45 minutes. I want to make these again. Practice makes perfect. I think this would be a good dish to make while entertaining friends. I also had a can of baked beans going on low in the house. I enjoy grilling out w/ my boyfriend. I'll sit outside w/ him while he tends to the grill and we both will usually enjoy a beverage of some nature.

French Dip Sandwiches

I put this meal together in the crock pot this morning before work. I'll let you know how it turns out. New Recipe Alert Remove fat from pot roast and place in crock pot. Add 1/2 cup soy sauce. 1 bay leaf. 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp rosemary 3-4 whole peppercorns - I had to grind mine, not sure how much I used!? Cover almost completely w/ water - 3 cups for me Bake on low in crock pot 10-12 hours Pull apart meat Serve on french bread Transfer sauce mix to pot & boil - use as dipping sauce UPDATE: Sandwiches turned out good! A little spicy... but that could have been due to the slice of pepperjack cheese I added to the sandwich.

Aunty Carol's Chicken & Twice Baked Potatoes

I'm back in the kitchen! After a hectic weekend of wedding festivities, I'm finally back home & re cooperating. I thought I was going to wake up Sunday and make my boyfriend & I brunch, but I thought wrong. Too lazy. Made scrambled eggs & bacon instead. I call this recipe "Aunty Carol's Chicken" b/c that's what my mom calls it. She got the recipe from her sister, and I have no idea how my aunt came across it. All it requires is Catalina Dressing & Chicken Tenders. I marinated the chicken in the dressing before work yesterday & put it in the fridge, where it sat all day. This also works well w/ other varieties of dressings. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. I've made Twice Baked Potatoes before & w/ this chicken recipe. I've always thrown ingredients together & never used an actual recipe. Well, I found one in my Country Cooking cookbook that is pretty much identical to what I had been doing. But, nonetheless, I wanted to try this recipe. *New Recipe Alert* This recipe calls for the (6 russet) potatoes to bake in the oven for 1 hour. So, I did this as soon as I got home. Make sure to poke holes in the potatoes! Scrub clean & place on baking sheet. I let those bake while I did various house activities: laundry, dishes, etc. When 1 hr was up I took them out to let cool. I posted pictures from my friend's wedding during this time. Once I thought they were cool enough I cut off a slice of one side of the potato & scooped out the insides and placed in bowl. Continue on remaining potatoes. Mash w/ 1/2 stick (4 tbsp) melted butter. Add 1 cup milk. Salt. Pepper. 1/2 block (4 oz) cheddar cheese. (I used sharp cheddar - that's all I had.) Bacon Bits - 3 tbsp. Chives - 3 tbsp. Minced Onion - 3 tbsp. I didn't realize I needed this & didn't have an onion chopped up so I wanted to use my dry minced onions. The canister said 1/4 cup minced = 1 cup fresh. I didn't know what to do, so I used 1 tbsp minced onion. Mix all those ingredients & add back into potato skins. Sprinkle w/ paprika & 2 oz (1/4 block) cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. This is when I baked the chicken tenders. I put the potatoes on one half of the baking sheet & the chicken tenders on the other. I placed foil (& lifted edges) on the side w/ the chicken tenders to keep the dressing from going everywhere. So, the potatoes go back in the oven for another 25 minutes, along w/ the chicken tenders for the same 25 minutes. I made a salad consisting of lettuce, shredded sharp cheddar cheese (the remaining 2 oz left of the block), bacon bits, and homemade croutons. I whipped up another batch of the Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, which I think tasted better than the first. Homemade Croutons I got this recipe from my boyfriend's mother. He asked for these last night. All you do is take 2-4 pieces of bread (bread, hamburger buns, anything will work - preferably slightly stale) & break into bite size pieces. Place in single layer on toaster oven baking pan. Sprinkle generously w/ Morton's. Toast 5 minutes. I really make sure to watch these while they are going, b/c they will burn quickly. This turned out to be a very nice meal. I thought the potatoes had too much onion flavor. My boyfriend thinks they needed a little more flavor, like sour cream. Still tasted good though.

Chili Cheese Hot Dogs and Mac & Cheese

I did a little shopping after work. I got home & didn't feel like doing any cooking. I cooked a package of hot dogs on the stove on 6-7 in a flat square frying pan until done on all sides. I warmed a can of chili sauce. I also shredded some extra cheese to go on the hot dogs. This meal doesn't sound extra ordinary until I tell you about my Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese!!! OH MY GOSH! This stuff is so awesome. I like it better than any oven baked mac & cheese. It turns out so creamy. I got it from my Country Cooking cookbook. Recipe to follow. Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese 8 oz elbow macaroni noodles 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt pinch pepper 2 cups milk 2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese sprinkle paprika Cook noodles according to package. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, and whisk until thickened. Add salt & pepper. Add milk. Continue to whisk until well blended and heated through. Stir in cheese until blended well. Drain noodles & add to cheese sauce. Top w/ paprika if desired. I like to use sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese for more flavor. Other flavors work well too. SO DELICIOUS - I promise! This is also the same basic recipe (just doubled) as the White Sauce recipe.

Kitchen Update

I finally went grocery shopping last night! My kitchen is stocked & full. I have a few new recipes I'm anxious to try & I'm a little disappointed b/c I won't be back in the kitchen till Monday, except for tonight. I have a wedding rehearsal & dinner to go to on Friday, the wedding on Saturday, and I will probably have dinner at my would-be in-laws on Sunday. Last night we ate Firehouse Subs. It was kind of late when I got home from shopping to start cooking. Tonight is either "Aunty Carol's Chicken" & Twice Baked Potatoes or Greens & Gemilli (looks much better than it sounds). Such decisions! Isn't it fun to find stuff in your pantry you didn't know you had? I think it is. I found a bunch of packs of those instant flavored mashed potatoes. Such an easy side dish.

Not Your Average Hamburger Helper

I have yet to visit the grocery store so my pantry is still pretty bare. I took less than 1 lb of hamburger meat that needed to be eaten and browned it very well. I seasoned it w/ 2 different kinds of meat tenderizer, a couple pinches of minced onions, and a garlic parmesan mixture I got from an Entertaining at Home party. I let that cook while I fried 4 hot dogs, cut into pieces, in a small frying pan drizzled w/ olive oil. I gave the hot dog pieces a generous dose of Morton's Seasoning. I also had a generic brand of mac & cheese going. When all 3 pans of food were done, I plopped each onto a plate, and ate it mixed together. I used some of the Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (see previous post) I still had in the fridge as a side/topper. It was an alright meal, for something completely thrown together. It must have been okay b/c my boyfriend went back for seconds... unless he was starving.

Chicken & Stuffing Bake

I got this recipe from my Mom, who got it from her sister-in-law - my aunt. It's absolutely delicious, and almost gives you the feeling of Thanksgiving. Chicken & Stuffing Bake 3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/2 cup milk 1 box instant stuffing (dressing) - prepared Make stuffing according to directions. Place chicken breasts in baking dish. Mix soup & milk together. I like to whisk the mixture to really blend together. Pour on top of chicken. Spread stuffing on top. That's all! Bake at 350 for 1 HR. I might double the milk/soup next time to create more gravy. I made the Mashed Potatoes (see Parmesan Chicken & Mashed Spuds post) again to go along w/ this for 2 reasons. Mashed potatoes go great w/ this dish... and my pantry is running low on supplies. I still had the left over ingredients from the first time, so I used those up. Coming soon: French Dip Sandwiches, Sloppy Joe's, Personal Pizzas.

Mom's Meatloaf

I call this Mom's Meatloaf for the obvious reason, I got this recipe from my Mom. It's super quick & easy. Of course, it also tastes delicious. Meatloaf is neither mine or my boyfriends favorite dish. We both discuss how much we do not care for meatloaf, yet every time we eat it - our feelings change. It's a never-ending process. I chose to make this dish b/c I had hamburger meat that needed to be eaten soon & nothing else in the kitchen to make w/ it. Spaghetti was my first choice, but I had no sauce. Mom's Meatloaf 1-2 lbs ground beef 1 wet piece of bread 1/4 - 1/2 pkg crackers 1-2 tbsp minced onions 1/4-1/2 cup ketchup 1 egg Combine ingredients in a bowl, mix well. Place & form in a loaf pan. Drizzle on extra ketchup if desired. Bake at 350 for one hour. I also added a sprinkle of garlic salt & Goya Seasoning to the mix. To go w/ the meatloaf I made a box of Scalloped Potatoes (the white sour cream [& onion?] kind) & a can of corn. I was so upset, b/c I already had the potato package opened when I realized I had enough potatoes to make homemade scalloped potatoes. Those would have been SO delicious. The box kind is still very good, and a very quick fix. I make sure to keep a few boxes of those, along w/ a few boxes of Mac & Cheese in the pantry at all times.

Burgers & Fries

My boyfriend made his famously delicious burgers on the grill. In the house - I kept some canned mushrooms on low in a small frying pan, w/ a blob of butter. The shrooms were for the burgers. We love mushrooms on our burgers! I had a can of Bush's Grillin' Beans going on low in a medium size pot. I also made Oven-Fried Potato Wedges - that come w/ a delicious seasoning. Cut potatoes (3-6) in 1/2, and then in slices to make the wedges. Do not peel. Place them on a cookie sheet & spray potatoes w/ cooking spray. Sprinkle on the "Special Seasoning" and bake for about 30 minutes at 425 degrees. I keep the Special Seasoning on hand in an empty spice container, it's that good. 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp ground mustard 1/4 tsp garlic powder Just mix the above ingredients together, and that's all. I made another batch of the Zesty Dipping Sauce (see Fried Green Beans) to go w/ the fries. *New Recipe Alert* The real reason of this post is to talk about the Buttermilk Ranch Dressing I made last night. Then, I remembered the point of this blog & figured I'd better talk about the rest of my meal. I made this spur of the moment & was supposed to let it chill for 2 hours, but we had a few dinner guests over & they wanted to try it. Only good things were said. 3/4 cup mayo 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 tsp parsley flakes 1/2 tsp instant minced onion (find it by the spices) 1/2 tsp salt dash of pepper 1 clove garlic - finely chopped (I buy the small jar of this already chopped - 1/2 tsp equals one clove garlic) Mix all ingredients & refrigerate for 2 hours to blend flavors. Both the Oven-Fried Potato Wedges & the Buttermilk Ranch Dressing came from my Betty Crocker New Edition Cookbook.

Potato Chip Chicken & Fried Green Beans

Potato Chip Chicken 4 cups (1 cup crushed) Sour Cream & Onion Chips (or your favorite flavor) 1 tbsp parsley 1 egg 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp veggie oil 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts Mix crushed potato chips & parsley in a bowl In another bowl beat egg & Worcestershire sauce Heat veggie oil in pan over medium heat Dip chicken in egg & then in chips Cook chicken until golden brown (and done in the middle) on both sides Very easy & very yummy!! I've made this a couple times before, a long time ago. I had forgotten about it - but now I'm going to make it more frequently. I haven't tried any other flavor of chips yet - but I will next time. Also, the recipe suggests using a rolling pin to crush the chips, and that does work nicely. The recipe comes from my Betty Crocker New Edition cookbook. I seem to be using this one a lot lately. Fried Green Beans *New Recipe Alert* The few times I've tasted fried green beans I have loved them. I found this recipe in a magazine a co-worker had. "Taste of the South" maybe? The recipe also comes w/ a zesty dipping sauce. When I saw this - of course I had to try this recipe! veggie oil for frying 1 cup flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 tbsp salt 1/2 tbsp pepper 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed 1 cup buttermilk Heat 2 inches of veggie oil in a dutch oven In one bowl: flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper In another bowl add the 1 cup of buttermilk Dip the green beans in the buttermilk, and then in the bowl of flour/cornmeal Fry the green beans in the oil about 3-5 minutes in batches, until golden brown Set aside on a plate w/ paper towel to absorb oil Serve warm Zesty Dipping Sauce *New Recipe Alert* 1/3 cup mayo 1/3 cup ketchup 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp garlic salt Whisk all ingredients together & refrigerate until ready to serve w/ fried green beans The fried green beans w/ the zesty dipping sauce was delicious!! The only problem I had was that the breading didn't stick to the green beans as well as I would have liked. Also, I was on the phone w/ the bacholerette at the time, when I probably should have been paying more attention to what I was doing. If you are impatient like me, I would suggest cutting the ends off the green beans prior to starting the meal if you have time. I thought the trimming would never end! I also whipped up the zesty dipping sauce earlier so it would have time to chill in the fridge. This will definitely become a meal in my house. I love discovering new foods to make together as a meal!

Salsa Chicken

I got this recipe from my Aunt Mary who said she made it up when she had nothing in her kitchen but some chicken & a jar of salsa. This is one of my favorite all-time meals!!! Salsa Chicken 1 jar salsa chicken breasts or tenderloins 1 small can of mushrooms 1/2 onion chopped 1/4 cup water Parmesan cheese noodles or rice I have tweeked it a little - by adding the mushrooms & onions. I also make a white sauce to go over the meal. (Recipe to follow) Mix all ingredients except chicken (& noodles/rice) in frying pan. Add chicken. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top if desired. Cook medium/medium high until chicken is done. About 15-20 for tenderloins & 30-45 for breasts. Serve over noodles or rice. I made rice w/ this meal for the first time & enjoy it better than noodles. White Sauce This recipe comes from my Betty Crocker: New Edition cookbook. It's a basic white sauce recipe, w/ cheese added. It it delicious & goes good w/ just about anything. 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp flour 1 cup milk pepper & salt 1/2 cup shredded cheese - any flavor Melt butter in saucepan, adding flour, salt & pepper & whisk until blended & smooth Add milk, bring to boil - let simmer Add cheese & whisk into sauce until melted Serve immediately Using a whisk instead of a spoon really helps blend in the butter/flour mixture w/ the milk. I usually do not make any side dishes w/ this meal b/c it is so delicious. A salad would go nicely, I am trying that next time. Last night I re-heated our leftover Little Ceaser's Crazy bread.

Italian Chicken

I made this the same day I was busy in the kitchen making Crab Rangoon & Pound Cake. I thought this would be a good dinner for my boyfriend, who was working late & wouldn't get home before I left for my Bachelorette festivities. I got this recipe from my friend, Alisa, who said it was absolutely delicious - and she was right! You put the following ingredients in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours and serve over noodles or rice. I did noodles, but next time I want to do rice. *New Recipe Alert* Boneless/skinless chicken breasts (I did a whole pkg of 6) 1 pkg dry italian dressing 1 pkg cream cheese 1 1/2 cups (entire bottle) of cooking white wine or sherry (I did wine - next time I want to try the sherry) 1 can cream of mushroom soup I think that's all... it was really simple & delicious! It makes lots of extra gravy, and would be super yummy served w/ a side of mashed potatoes.

Baked Crab Rangoon & Pound Cake

I made Crab Rangoon, and a homemade pound cake - along w/ the Party Punch (previous post), to bring to a Lingerie Party over the weekend.

*New Recipe Alert* Baked Crab Rangoon 24 won ton wrappers 1/4 cup mayo 4 oz (1/2 pkg) cream cheese 2 green onions - finely chopped 12-16 oz crab meat The Crab Rangoon was really simple. I couldn't find the won ton wrappers in the grocery store, so I looked online and ended up finding tons of posts about homemade ones. So, I decided to give it a try. I was a little leery b/c I've never attempted to make homemade bread of any kind.

*New Recipe Alert*

Won ton Wrappers

2 cups flour

1/3 - 1/2 cup water

1 egg

3/4 tsp salt

extra flour as needed - for rolling out dough

Knead & let sit for 30 minutes. Roll out thinly, and cut into 24 squares. The recipe calls for the use of a regular size muffin pan - to make 12. I was telling my Mom about this recipe, and she suggested I use the mini-muffin pan, which is 24. That was a smart idea! And was perfect for the amount of dough the won ton wrapper recipe made. So, once those are cut I sprayed the mini muffin pan, and filled each hole w/ a won ton wrapper, leaving the corners out and open for now. To make the filling: Mix all ingredients together and fill in the muffin tins over the won ton wrappers. You can leave them open, or what I did was take the corners and fold them over the top, covering the crab mixture. I like this way better. They look more polished & fancy. Bake in oven at 350 for 18 minutes. I looked at the grocery store, and found some "Sweet & Sour" Sauce that was red. I purchased that to go along w/ the Crab Rangoon as dipping sauce. These are a tasty yummy treat. Perfect for an appetizer for a get together of any kind. I did try this recipe on Thursday night, when I made the fajitas. I wanted to be sure it would turn out nicely for the party. I made the won ton wrappers open that night. I got the Bake Crab Rangoon recipe from kraftfoods.com. The won ton recipe also can from the Internet. It's a basic recipe & I found it on tons of different sites. I don't remember which site I printed mine from.

*New Recipe Alert* To-Die-For Pound Cake I got this recipe from a co-worker. I was very proud of myself for attempting, and succeeding to make a cake from scratch. It seemed like a lot, but was pretty simple. I made the batter & baked the cake. I made the icing - that was easy - and had that ready for when the cake was done & cooled. I think it turned out pretty good, and seemed to go over well at the party.

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 cups cake flour
• 6 eggs

Frosting:

• 1 bag of powdered sugar
• 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 stick butter ("little bit of butter" is what I was told - I used 1/2 stick)
• 1 tbsp vanilla (I added this for more flavor)

Cake: Mix cream cheese, butter, sugar until fluffy & smooth. Add vanilla & salt. Slowly add flour & mix well. Add eggs one at a time. Completely blend mixture. Pour mixture into greased baking pan. Bake at 325 for 1.5 hrs - I did 300 for about 45-60 minutes - that's how my oven works! I also put a round cake pan w/ water in the oven while baking. I was given this tip by the same lady who gave me the recipe. It's supposed to help keep moisture in the oven.

Frosting: Mix all ingredients & set aside till cake is cooled & ready to frost.

Steak Fajitas

I made this meal last Thursday. Today is Monday. This is a recipe, thrown together by my boyfriend, that I re-created. I use a recipe I found in Cosmopolitan to make homemade pita shells. It consists of flour, water, egg, a little bit of herb or your choice, and maybe milk? I'll have to double check the recipe for ingredients. It's super easy & quick. You mix the batter & make the shells like you would a pancake. I make these quite often for various meals or snacks. So, while I'm flipping those - I'm making the steak mixture. I cut up a big piece of beef meat (right now I'm brain-blanking on the proper term) to make the strips. Chopped onion, bell pepper, 1 small can of mushrooms, various spices from my cabinet: steak seasoning, garlic salt, Morton's, etc. Oh, and a little bit of chicken broth. Just b/c I had that left over from those homemade mashed potatoes. And a blob of sour cream. I add all of these ingredients to the frying pan & let simmer while I continue to make the pancake pita's. This time, we ate it like a taco. Sometimes I'll put it b/t 2 shells & cut it up into pie pieces. I add shredded cheese & sour cream.

Fried Chops, Broccoli & Party Punch

We always seem to marinate & grill pork chops every time we have them. Last night I felt like doing something a little different. All I did was spray the frying pan w/ Pam, and fry the pork chops until done - seasoning them w/ the Morton's spice from my last post. They turned out good but did not seem to "fry" as well as I would have liked. I don't know if this was b/c they had bones in them, or b/c I used Pam instead of veggie oil. I decided I prefer the boneless pork chops. The over all taste was very good though. I picked up 2 fresh bundles of broccoli at the grocery store & boiled until tender. I added an entire block of shredded (Colby) cheese. You can never go wrong w/ broccoli & cheese. I made homemade cheesy garlic biscuits. This recipe is in my Better Crocker cookbook. The red one, I'm not sure which version. It consists of 2 cups dry Bisquick mix (I use the generic brand), 2/3 cup milk, & 2 oz shredded cheese. Mix ingredients & plop onto cookie sheet & bake for about 10 minutes at 450. You are supposed to melt 1/2 stick butter & some garlic powder together & brush on top of biscuits when done. I had not made these in quite awhile & only read the ingredients & not the directions. So, I mixed the butter & garlic w/ the rest of the batter mix to be made into the biscuits. They tasted just the same, if not better. I just enjoy brushing on the garlic butter - it's fun. *New Recipe Alert* I am attending & co-hosting a lingerie/bacholerette party this weekend. I'm bringing punch. I picked up the ingredients for a recipe from the Pampered Chef. I tried it last night to make sure it was tasty enough for the occasion. Well, it was! 12 oz lemonade concentrate, 6 oz orange concentrate, & 2 liters sparkling water. Mix those & add lemon, lime, and orange slices if you want. That's all. I am going to skip on those fruit & add strawberry slices for my party punch though, to add color. Also, I added the full 12 oz can of orange juice just b/c I wanted to see how it tasted. It was delicious, but for the party I am going to scale back to the original 6 oz. Oh, & I added 1 1/2 cups rum. It's a lingerie party after all!

Parmesan Chicken & Mashed Spuds

This was last night's dinner... I made Parmesan Chicken, using memory to re-create a recipe I printed offline that is somewhere around my house. I used 3 large pieces of boneless/skinless chicken breasts. I dipped the chicken in a bowl w/ 1 beaten egg. Then I coated the chicken w/ flour from a second bowl. Lastly, I coated the chicken in a third bowl mixed w/ bread crumbs (from a box), Parmesan cheese (grated, not shredded), & quite a bit of Morton's Nature's Seasoning. I used cooking spray on the frying pan instead of using veggie oil b/c I recently learned this was a bit healthier. Cook the chicken on both sides until done. I also added the extra bread crumb mixture to the pan. *New Recipe Alert* The homemade mashed potato recipe came from a website. It consisted of 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup light cream, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tbs butter, lots of pepper, 3 pieces of crumbled cooked bacon, and 1/4 cup fresh parsley. I like to cut the potatoes into tiny pieces so they soften faster while boiling. I was supposed to boil the potatoes with the chicken broth, but missed that step. The recipe seemed to turn out good anyway. The recipe called for 5 large potatoes. I used the 8 super small ones I had in the pantry. My only complaint was the consistency of the mashed potatoes wasn't as thick as I would like. I blame this on the # of potatoes used. I also used 4 strips of bacon, b/c that's how many came off easily after I defrosted the entire frozen package. Also, I used dry parsley b/c that's all I had to work w/. I was unsure of the measurement change so I just sprinkled until I felt that was enough. I heated a can of french cut green beans to go along w/ the meal. The potatoes were delicious! I will definitely make this meal again.

Introduction

I've been working in the kitchen for 2 years, since I moved out on my own. I still consider myself to be a novice cook, but I'm not scared of trying anything in the kitchen. I usually cook for 2, my boyfriend being the person I cook for the most - besides myself. He normally has good things to say about my creations. I get the recipes I use from various places: online, cookbooks, family & friends, magazines, etc. I love hunting for new recipes. My favorite cookbooks come from my would-be mother-in-law. I will add where I got each recipe from because I am not trying to take credit for any recipe - unless stated otherwise. Sometimes it might be a compilation of ingredients used & not specific quantities. I've always been fascinated w/ people who have blogs. I've tried it before and don't think I'm any good at this. I'm starting this for fun, and maybe somebody out there in the cyber world will come across my blog & find something for their taste buds. If you are interested in specific ingredients or quantities, or have any other general questions feel free to leave a comment.