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.