Overnight Blueberry French Toast

One of my favorite breakfast meals is French toast. My mom still makes some of the best French toast I've ever had. This one isn't your typical French toast recipe, but it's pretty tasty. What's nice about it is that it can be tailored to your tastes as far as what kind of berries you use and what not.

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Overnight Blueberry French Toast:
12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup fresh blueberries
10 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tbsp butter


1. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese and top with remaining bread cubes.
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.
5. In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3-4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast.


Note: I sprinkled cinnamon over the top of the French toast before refrigerating. I used 1/2 cup of maple syrup instead of a 1/3. And I whipped the cream cheese with a little bit of milk to make easier to spoon over the bread cubes.

Mini Ham and Cheese Buns

Being 8 months pregnant with a 3 year old running around and a husband who works night shift, I need the quickest meals I can find for dinner. This is one of my go to recipes when I'm in a time crunch. Plus, my three year old LOVES these sandwiches!

http://www.realmomkitchen.com

Mini Ham and Cheese Buns:

2 tbsp dried minced onions

1 tbsp prepared mustard

1 tsp poppy seeds

1 stick melted butter

1 dozen dinner rolls or 2 dozen party rolls

1/2 lb ham

1/2 lb thinly sliced Swiss Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a small mixing bowl, mix onion, mustard, poppy seeds, and melted butter. 

2. Leaving the dinner rolls intact, slice them open so that you have one solid top and bottom. Place the bottom half on a baking sheet or in a 9x13 inch baking pan. The pan size will depend on choice of rolls. 

3. Line the bottom half of the rolls with cheese and ham. Return the top part of the rolls and drizzle the butter mixture evenly over top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

4. Use a shark knife and separate the little sandwiches. Place on a pretty platter and serve immediately.

Note: I use the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (the package of 12). They work GREAT for these sandwiches. I also don't use poppy seeds.

Also, these can be made ahead of time and refrigerated they'll just require at least 5 more minutes of heating time. You can also prepare these and freeze them. If you do freeze them, defrost them in the fridge over night and bake as directed. And they're delicious reheated in the microwave!

Chicken Milano

One of my favorite dishes at Macaroni Grill is their Chicken Milano. I get it almost every time we eat there (which, honestly, isn't enough haha). I was so happy to find a recipe that's similar to theirs. It's not exact, but it's close! If you like chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and creamy sauce, this pasta is right up your alley!

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Chicken Milano:
1 tbsp butter                                                2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced                                   2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped               8 oz. dry fettuccine pasta
1 cup chicken broth, divided                            Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves


1. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the chicken broth; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
2. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and saute chicken. Press on chicken occasionally with a slotted spatula. Cook for about 4 minutes per side or until the meat feels springy and is no longer pink inside. Transfer to a board; cover and keep warm. Discard the fat from the skillet.
3. In the same skillet, over medium heat, bring 1/4 cup chicken broth to a boil, stirring the pan juices. Reduce slightly and add to the cream sauce; stir in basil and adjust seasonings to taste.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 3-4 tbsp of the sauce.
5. Cut each chicken breast into 2-3 diagonal slices. Reheat the sauce gently if needed. Transfer the pasta to serving plates; top with chicken and coat with the cream sauce; serve.

Oven Fries with Lots of Chives

Being an Idaho native, potatoes are a very common dish in our house. However, I can't eat the same kind of potatoes over and over again, so I have a ton of recipes for different kinds of potatoes. One of our favorites (and easiest) side dishes that I have are these oven fries. They're not really fries, but more like home-style potatoes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

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Oven Fries with lots of Chives:
4 whole large potatoes
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tbsp dry ranch dressing mix
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped


1. Preheat oven to 350°. Generously spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Chop potatoes into bite sized pieces and place into a bowl. Spray potatoes with cooking spray. Add the salt, pepper, and ranch mix. Toss to evenly coat.
3. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, stirring once during cooking time.
4. Remove from oven and let cook slightly. Toss in the chives.

Homemade Pop-Tarts

Remember your college days when you woke up late, had to rush to your 8am class, and realized you were starving and had no time to make breakfast? What was the one thing that you'd always run to? POP-TARTS! C'mon, everyone likes those things. My favorite has always been the brown sugar and cinnamon ones. I still like them today! Anyway, I found an awesome recipe for homemade ones. They obviously take more time than the popular prepackaged ones, but they're very tasty!

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Homemade Pop-Tarts:
1 premade pie crust
Butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten

Strawberry Filling:
¾ cup strawberry jam (or whatever flavor you’d like)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with silpat mat or wax paper.
2. Place the dough on a cutting board. Cut the dough into 4 squares. Roll the cut strips of dough out and make one more square.
3. Mix the cinnamon and sugar until well combined. Spread butter on one side of the square. Spoon a bit of the cinnamon mixture on top of the butter.
4. Fold the dough in half and gently seal the edges with your hands. Take a fork and crimp the edges of the pop-tart closed.
5. Slice a little vent onto the top of each pop-tart. Brush the tops with the egg wash. Sprinkle each one with some of the raw brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a baking rack. Serve warm.

Febulous Wet Burritos

My husband is a huge fan of Mexican food. Seriously, if I make something Mexican for dinner, he'll do whatever I ask! :D This is one recipe that I've made a couple of times. It makes a ton of food, so I don't make it often. But I guarantee that if you make it, your family will love you forever! :D

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Fabulous Wet Burritos:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chili peppers
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 (15 oz) can chili without beans
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
6 (12 in) flour tortillas, warmed

2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions

1. Crumble ground beef into skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Add onion, and cook until translucent. Drain grease and season with garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the green chilies and refried beans until well blended. Turn off heat, but keep warm.
2. In a saucepan, combine the chili without beans, tomato soup, and enchilada sauce. Mix well and cook over medium heat until heated trhough. Turn off heat and keep warm.
3. Place a warmed tortilla on a plate and spoon a generous 1/2 cup of the ground beef mixture onto the center. Top with lettuce and tomato to your liking. Roll up tortilla over the filling. Spoon a generous amount of the sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese and green onions. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or until cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Low-Cal Fettuccine Alfredo

Okay who doesn't love a nice big bowl of fettuccine alfredo? I know I do. I love the stuff! But then I look at the calories and freak out. Sadly, it's hard to find a recipe that isn't made with tons of heavy cream and fat. But, after many attempts at making my own, I found a recipe that works just for what I need. It's one of the most flavorful versions of fettuccine alfredo that I've ever had and it's low in calories! Enjoy!

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Low-Cal Fettuccine Alfredo:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 cup low-fat (2%) milk
Kosher salt
2 tbsp Neufchetel or low-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
12 oz fresh fettuccine
Freshly ground pepper

1. For the sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and 3/4 tsp salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain pasta and return to the pot.
3. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with Parmesan and pepper.


Note: I don't use fresh fettuccine (I don't have the time or energy to even think about making fresh pasta) and the lemon zest is a must!

Cucmber Salad

One thing I hate about summer winding down is that all the yummy foods that you normally eat in summer will be gone for awhile. Things like potato salad, ribs, pasta salads, etc.. One of my all time favorite summer time favorites is cucumber salad. It's refreshing, crisp, and oh so tasty! My mom makes the best cucumber salad, but I sadly don't have her recipe. I do have this one, and it's very similar to hers. I hope you enjoy!

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Cucumber Salad:
4 cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp dried dill


1. Pour 1 tsp of salt over cucumbers. Cover and let the water come out.
2. Toss the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl. Combine the vinegar, water, and sugar and pour over the cucumbers and onions. Stir in dill, cover, and refrigerate until cold.

Cheddar Bacon Hamburgers

Nothing better than a burger on a hot summer day! These are some of the best burgers I've ever had! I never thought about putting horseradish in a burger, but it really works!


Cheddar Bacon Burgers:
1 lb ground beef                                      1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese              1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish           1/2 cup real bacon bits 
1/2 teaspoon salt


1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, Cheddar cheese, horseradish, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and bacon bits using your hands. Shape into 4 patties.
3. Lightly oil the grill gate. Place hamburger patties on the grill, and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until well done. Serve on buns.


Note: Keep the meat cold until you're ready to cook it, otherwise it will fall apart. Make sure to make the patties thinner in the center than on the outside, to keep them from puffing up. 

Ham and Cheese Bowties

Everyone loves macaroni and cheese. It's the ultimate comfort food! And we all grew up eating that beloved mac n cheese in the blue box...it's the cheesiest! Anyway, making macaroni and cheese from scratch for me has been the hardest thing I've ever had to make in the kitchen! I just can't seem to get it right. But I found this recipe..and it works for me! Plus, it has some protein from the ham and my 3 year old loves it! 


Ham and Cheese Bowties:
8 oz farfalle pasta                            2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter                                  1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 clove garlic, minced                        2 1/2 cups shredded Colby cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour                    4 oz cooked ham, julienned
1/2 teaspoon salt                             1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper


1. Preheat oven t o350°.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Saute garlic 30 seconds. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Stir in mustard and Colby. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir in pasta and ham.
4. Pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.


Note: I don't use julienned ham, I just use cubed ham..works fine and it's a lot more texture that way. 

Fried Zucchini

As I've gone through this pregnancy, I keep hoping that I'll start to crave healthy snacks or meals. So far, it's not happening. The only healthy thing I've ever craved is milk, which is good I guess.
Last night, we had dinner at my in-laws house. They had fried zucchini, pork steaks, mashed potatoes, and peas. I was in love with the fried zucchini! I had never had it before and it was tasty. Today, I found myself craving it again! I'm craving zucchini....so what if it's fried. :D I ran to Wal-Mart just to pick up some zucchini so I could make this tasty snack. My 3 year old even loved this!


Fried Zucchini:
2 zucchini, sliced                     1/2 teaspoon salt
1 onion, sliced into rings          1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour           1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cornmeal                     1 cup vegetable oil, for frying


1. Place zucchini and onions in a medium bowl and mix together.
2. In a small bowl (or ziplock bag) mix flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Pour dry mixture over zucchini/onion mixutre, cover bowl and shake well. Let mixture sit for about 30 minutes; a batter will form on the veggies.
4. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. When oil is hot add breaded vegetables and fry, turning to brown evenly.
5. Place on a plate lined with paper towel. Sprinkle with salt as they come out of the oil. Let cool and enjoy!


Note: I added grated Parmesan to the flour mixture for a little more flavor. I also used Italian bread crumbs instead of cornmeal (I didn't have any on hand).

Brownies

For dessert tonight, I made a pan of these brownies. I have never made homemade brownies before without the help of a box haha. Sad, I know. But man I'm glad I waited until I found this recipe. It's seriously to die for! My husband and I had one for dessert tonight and we both were wanting another one, but we had to stop ourselves haha. We added chocolate chips to this mix as well, but the recipe doesn't call for it.

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Brownies:
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnut halves


1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish.
2. Melt the butter and mix in the remaining ingredients in order that they're listed.
3. Pour mixture into dish and bake for 20-30 minutes.


Note: We didn't use the walnuts and added chocolate chips instead. And I ended up having to cook my brownies for 45 minutes. Just keep an eye on them and check them with a toothpick in the center. We also sprinkled powdered sugar over the top! Delicious!

Coke Chops

One thing I love about pork is that it tends to be a relatively tasteless meat. Sounds bad, i know. But you can pair it with almost anything and it'll be amazing! Tonight, I found a recipe for something that I thought was completely absurd and strange...I just had to try it! This recipe calls for four ingredients: pork chops, ketchup, "cola-flavored" soda, and brown sugar. A random group of ingredients, but they totally work well together. Don't doubt these and definitely try them the next time you buy pork chops!

Cola Chops:

8 pork chops

1 cup cola-flavored carbonated beverage

1 cup ketchup

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Season pork chops with salt and pepper.

3. Line a 13x9 inch dish with tin foil.

4. In a small bowl, mix the ketchup and cola. Pour a small amount on the bottom of the pan.  Place the chops into the pan on top of the sauce. Pour remaining mixture over pork chops and sprinkle with brown sugar. 

5. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes or until pork is cooked through and an internal temperature reads 160°.

Sticky Monkey Brains

Who loves cinnamon rolls? I do I do I do! But I love these even more! Plus, monkey bread is so fun to eat! I'm not one to get messy when I eat, but you can't help but get messy when eating this! Enjoy!

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Sticky Monkey Bread:
3 (7.5 oz) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 6 miniature bundt pans (or 1 normal full size bundt).
2. In a small bowl, stir together the white sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. use scissors or a knife and cut each of the biscuits into various sizes. Each one can be cut into anywhere from 2-5 pieces.
3. Sprinkle about half of the pecans against the prepared pan. Roll pieces of biscuit in the cinnamon sugar and place them into the pans, distributing evenly. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon-sugar over the dough balls.
4. Mix together the brown sugar and melted butter. Stir in the remaining pecans. Pour evenly over dough balls.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until biscuits are toasted and cooked through. Invert out of pan to serving dishes.

Note: I don't use a bundt pan (I honestly don't own one). I just use a round cake pan and I fill the whole pan up instead of having the hole in the center. Works just fine! Enjoy!

Chili

Well, since I posted a cornbread recipe, I figured I'd go ahead and post my chili recipe. This is one of the best chili recipes I've ever had. I don't make it spicy, but I'm assuming you probably can. I also prefer to make this in the crock pot instead of on the stove. Either way, it's amazing!

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Blue Ribbon Chili:
2 pounds ground beef                         1 (8 oz) jar salsa
1/2 onion, chopped                             4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix
1 teaspoon ground black pepper           1 (15 oz) can light red kidney beans
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt                        1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix, and kidney beans. Mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour. If you're making this in the crock pot, just toss the meat into your crock pot and add all the other ingredients and mix. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Note: I drain my kidney beans. There's plenty of juice in the chili without the bean juice, but it's totally up to your preference.                  

Buttermilk Cornbread

Cornbread is a marvelous thing! First off, you can eat it for dessert with a little bit of butter and honey, or as a side to a fabulous bowl of chili! For me, cornbread has to be sweet though. I don't like the bitter kind. Whats your preference? 

This recipe is made with buttermilk, which I've never made before I came across this recipe. But now that I have this one, those boxed mixes don't stand a chance! I hope you like this recipe...it's super easy!

Buttermilk Cornbread:
1/2 cup butter            1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup white sugar     1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs                        1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk          1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Asian Beef Noodle Bowls

Sorry about not posting these last couple of days. Honestly, I just forgot to do it haha. But here I am once again! Ever wonder why Asian food never tastes as good as it does in the restaurants? I still can't figure it out! And I haven't mastered how to cook Asian food. Sad since I'm part Japanese lol. Anyway, this is probably one of my favorite home made Asian dishes, although it's no where near what you'd get in a nice restaurant. But, it'll do!

Asian Beef Noodle Bowls:
4 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta, broken in half
8 oz. fresh sugar snap peas
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 lb boneless beef sirloin s teak, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup Teriyaki baste and glaze
4 medium green onions with tops, sliced (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped

1. Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile snip off stem ends of sugar snap peas and remove strings if desired. Drain pasta; cover to keep warm.
2. In 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat 3 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry beef in oil about 2 to 3 minutes, until no longer pink. Remove from skillet; keep warm.
3. In same skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry peas and carrot in oil about 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp but tender. Stir in pasta, beef, and Teriyaki baste and glaze; toss until well coated.
4. Sprinkle with onions and peanuts.

Peanut Butter Bars

I don't know where you all are located, but if you're anywhere near me (Missouri), you'll know just how stinkin' hot it is outside! Electric bills are rising just as fast as the thermometer! It's just crazy! Anyway, this heat makes it hard to cook food for your family because the heat makes your house so uncomfortable. Well I have a dessert (or for me, a snack haha) that you can make that has very little stove use! 

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Peanut Butter Bars:

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons peanut butter

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an un-greased 9x13 inch pan.

2. Chill peanut butter base for 20-30 minutes.

3. In a metal bowl over simmering water or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the 3 tablespoons of peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the chilled prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting.

Cream Soda Pancakes

And the recipe you've all been waiting for...*drum roll*...Cream Soda Pancakes! haha. Okay, you probably weren't waiting for it, but you'll definitely love it! :D These pancakes are the only ones that I'll make (until I find another kind that look just as yummy). I don't use the boxed pancake mix anymore, unless I'm short on time or money.
The original recipe called for beer instead of cream soda. I can't imagine having beer flavored pancakes and since we don't drink beer, I figured I'd try something like cream soda. And luckily, it worked out well! These are amazing with just butter on them, but maple syrup is good too! Enjoy!

Cream Soda Pancakes:
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cream soda
2 tablespoons butter, melted


1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the egg, soda, and melted butter. Whisk together just until blended. A few lumps are okay.
2. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Coat with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the hot surface for each pancake.
3. Cook until bubbles form on top, flip, then cook until browned. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Beef and Bean Burritos

So we all know in college, one of the cheapest things we could find to eat were the bean burritos from Taco Bell, right? Well ha, I have a recipe that I found on Pioneer Woman's website. These are definitely better for you than Taco Bell's bean burritos (well, you can always make them healthier if you want to.) These are another one of my husband's favorites (he's got a weak spot for Mexican food). I hope you enjoy these!

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Beef and Bean Burritos:
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 whole medium onion, chopped
1 can (7 oz) Mexican tomato sauce or enchilada sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cumin, oregano, chili powder, and garlic, to taste
1 can (28 oz) refried beans
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
12 whole burrito sized flour tortillas


1. Brown ground beef with onion and season to taste. Drain fat if desired (Pioneer Woman's recipe doesn't include this step). Pour in tomato sauce and simmer over low heat. Add water if it gets dry.
2. Heat refried beans in a sauce pan. Add cheese and stir until melted. Keep warm.
3. Heat tortillas in microwave for 1 minute.
4. Spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add meat. Fold over ends, then roll up. Place two burritos on a microwave safe plate. Drizzle tomato sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese. Cook for 1 minute, or until cheese is melted and burritos are hot.


Note: the Mexican tomato sauce took me a long time to find, but most Walmart Super Centers should sell it. It looks like this:

Spaghetti!

This is one of the first recipes that I learned to make that I still make today. My mom's spaghetti is the only spaghetti that I really like. It makes it hard to have to break down and buy the bottled sauce (but times are tough, sometimes it's just something I have to sacrifice haha). Anyway, this sauce is super thick and hearty and has veggies (you can probably add more if you want) and gives a nice well rounded meal.


Mom's Spaghetti:
1 lb hamburger                             1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped                5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter                     1 can tomato sauce
1 can sliced olives, drained             1-2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained      1 package Italian spaghetti sauce mix
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar          1/2 cup red cooking wine
Parmesan cheese            


1. Brown hamburger in frying pan. Drain off fat.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a stock pot. Add green pepper, onion, and garlic. Saute for a few minutes, but don't burn the garlic.
3. Add meat to the pot, along with the remaining ingredients. Season with Italian seasonings or with oregano and salt and pepper.
4. Let sauce simmer for 20-30 minutes (depending on how thick you want it).


Of course add your favorite kind of spaghetti noodles.


If you choose to leave out the cooking wine, that's fine. It tastes just as good without it! :D Enjoy!

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Now this recipe is something special. This is not my recipe by any means, but man I wish it was. I got this from Pioneer Woman. This woman can cook! The one thing I keep going back to is her Creamy Mashed Potatoes. These things are seriously straight from the heavens! Every time I need mashed potatoes, I go for these. No more of those gross boxed mashed potatoes. I never realized how unappealing those flakes of potatoes were until I came across this recipe.


What's even better? EVERYONE loves these! But shh..don't tell them that they're not that great for you, but who cares about calories when eating a big pile of mashed potatoes? These don't even need gravy on them! They're amazing just by themselves! :D

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Creamy Mashed Potatoes:

5 lbs Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes

3/4 cup butter

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (to 3/4 cup) half and half

1/2 teaspoon (to 1 teaspoon) seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon (to 1 teaspoon) black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Peel and cut potatoes into pieces that are about the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30-35 minutes.

3. Drain potatoes and put back in the pot. Mash over low heat. Turn off the stove. Add butter, cream cheese, and half and half. Mash. Add seasoning salt and black pepper.

4. Stir well and place in a medium sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in the preheated oven. Heat until butter is melted and potatoes are heated through.

Pioneer Woman says you can make these a day or two ahead and heat them up when you need them. I've never done this (they're too good to not eat right away). But if you do it that way, take it out of the fridge 2 or 3 hours before serving time. Heat in a 350° oven for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Peach Glaze

This is our dinner for tonight, so I thought I'd post it. I've never made this recipe before, so I have no idea if it's good or not. It looks good, so we'll see. I'll have to post once we've eaten it just to put my two cents in.


We bought a new grill this spring because I was tired of having to buy charcoal every time we wanted to grill. Plus, growing up with my dad, we didn't use charcoal. Charcoal was bad :P haha. Anyway, I convinced my husband to buy a propane grill and our life is good again. However, the one thing my husband hates to grill is chicken (haha.he doesn't know we're having this for dinner yet). On our charcoal grill, chicken took forever to cook all the way through and it would always get charred on the outside. I'm pretty sure it was just the grill though..it wasn't anything fancy. Anyway, so now that we have this fancy propane grill, we're going to try chicken once again. Hopefully it goes well because I don't have a back up meal in mind! :D

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Grilled Chicken with Spicy Peach Glaze:
1 cup peach preserves
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup chopped green chilies
6 chicken drumsticks, skin removed
3 bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed


1. Heat grill. In food processor or blender, process first four ingredients until smooth. Reserve 1/3 cup preserves mixture.
2. Place chicken pieces on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 25-30 minutes, turning frequently until juices run clear and thickest meat is cooked through to the bone. (170° for breasts; 180° for drumsticks)
3. Brush preserves over the chicken during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
4. Discard any remaining preserves mixture used for brushing.
5. Before serving, brush chicken with reserved preserves mixture.


Sounds easy enough. Let's hope it turns out that way! :D I'll post again once we've eaten dinner just to review it!


My review: We loved this chicken! Although, my husband and I both agreed that it needed just a little bit more flavor. I think a little bit of salt would have been perfect. We did three drumsticks, three wings, and three thighs. It was all gone by the end of the meal haha. Definitely sticky and it wasn't spicy at all.

Brownie Batter Cupcakes

So I thought I'd post a couple of recipes a day, just to make sure I keep posting. Plus, I have a ton of recipes and it would take me forever to post them all if I did it once a day.


Anyway, here is a recipe that I just found not too long ago. I got a craving for cupcakes and brownies the other day (ugh..pregnancy please let me crave only the good things :P). I couldn't decide which one I wanted to make and I didn't really want to have to make a pan of brownies and a pan of cupcakes. So, I went searching the internet and I came across these...and I fell in love haha :D

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Brownie Batter Cupcakes:
1 (19.5 oz) package brownie mix              1 (18.25 oz) package white cake mix
2 eggs                                                  2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup canola oil                                   1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup water                                        3 egg whites


1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 48 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Whisk together the brownie mix, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup canola oil, and 1/4 cup water in a bowl. Stir just until fully incorporated, about 50 strokes; set aside.
3. Mix the cake mix, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1 1/3 cup water, and 3 egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Spoon the brownie batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup 1/3 full. Spoon the cake batter over the brown batter, until muffin cups are each 2/3 full.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.




Note: I didn't make this recipe as written. 3 egg whites in a cake mix seemed weird to me. I just made the brownie mix and the cake mix by the instructions on the boxes. They came out just fine. Also, I'd recommend putting a dollop of the cake mix on the bottom of each muffin liner and then put the brownie mix on top of that, so they don't stick to the liner. For some odd reason, if I didn't put the dollop, the brownie batter would get stuck to the liner.


Also, this recipe doesn't call to frost the cupcakes. I didn't end up frosting mine and they were just fine without it. Although, if you want to, a nice peanut butter or chocolate frosting would be tasty!

Peppered Bacon and Tomato Pasta

I thought I'd start by posting one of my husband's favorite meals. He asks for this ALL the time. Oddly, he likes the tomatoes more than the bacon, but who can resist the combination of tomatoes and bacon?! Oh and a little hint of cheese..hehe :D I don't have pictures of this recipe yet, but once I do, I'll post some!

This is seriously one of the easiest pasta dishes I make. Although, it is a little time consuming (what with making all the bacon). But, with the small amount of ingredients in it, you'll find it's super tasty!


Oh and you're more than welcome to stray from my recipe. I always find it's important to try the recipe as written just once (unless it's really really bad) and then come back and change it the second time. But you're more than welcome to do as you please.

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Peppered Bacon and Tomato Linguine:
1/2 lb. peppered bacon, chopped
2 tbsp chopped green onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 (16 oz) package linguine
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese


1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook until crispy. Drain. Reserve drippings and set aside.
2. Cook pasta until al dente. 
3. Saute green onions and garlic in bacon drippings over medium heat for about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer for five minutes.
4. Toss pasta with sauce and sprinkle with cheese.


Notes: I don't use peppered bacon (paying nearly $7 for bacon doesn't make sense to me). And I let the sauce cook a lot longer than 5 minutes. Oh and who really measures the amount of cheese they put on top of their pasta? haha I don't :D 


Enjoy and don't forget to come back and leave comments or tips that you found made this recipe even better! 

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog! I'll be posting recipes, tips, and tools on here to make your cooking life more enjoyable and tasty! I'm not claiming to be a professional by any means, so please, take that to heart when you try out my recipes. I've never had a complaint though, so I'm hoping everyone finds my food just as yummy as my husband and my family does. Also, I love to get tips on my food as well, so if you try a recipe and you have some tips or advice on it, please feel free to comment on it and let me know. I'd love to try out new things, so the more comments, the better! I'll be trying to post a new recipe once a day on top of other posts. I'll try to get pictures of most of the recipes, but my camera isn't that great, so I'm not promising anything. Anyway, thanks for coming and please come back for updates!