Alisha

My computer crashed, so this is the only picture I currently have- but I thought one should be posted...don't you?

Happy Birthday Alisha!

I would have posted a picture of you but I'm at work and dont have access to any. But I just want you let you know how much we love you! Have a wonderful day today! :o)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

:O) Happy birthday Daddy Lee! We love you!

Happy First Birthday, Julianne!

Happy birthday, Jules! (Yesterday.) We love you!

Honey-Lime Enchiladas

One of my Favorites to make! I got the recipe from a friend. I usually like to cook the chicken in the slowcooker to help marinade instead of cooking it then adding it and marinating it for a few hrs, this way I put it in till its cooked, and it shreds easier!
Honey-Lime Enchiladas

1/3 cup Honey
1/4-1/3 cup lime juice (about 2-3 large limes)
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder (I use a little less than a full Tbsp
2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts), cooked and shredded (you can do the fist part in the slow cooker if desired)

2 14oz cans of MILD green enchilada sauce
2 cups of heavy cream (or a pint)

12-14 fajita-sized flour tortillas
3 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded (1small bag is 2 cups)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

avocado/guacamole
tomatoes
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. In a medium sized bowl, place honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic. Whisk together thoroughly to combine. Add Shredded chicken to marinade (I marinated the chicken for a couple of hours, and usually will throw all of this into the slow cooker, to cook the chicken so I don't have to boil it- I'm not a huge fan of my house smelling like boiled chicken and found that this helps with the marinade process, so do this earlier in the day, and I have loved it this way! So if you use the slow cooker don't use the oven yet, just mix all these ingredient and then turn on the oven when you are ready to do the next steps.)

In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the greased baking dish.

Heat a large DRY frying pan till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees). Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and flexible, but before any golden brown spots have appeared. (I just put mine in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften , it worked great) Working one tortilla at a time, place a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Cover the chicken with a large pinch (about 2Tbsp.) of cheese and a little cilantro (I added some cream sauce to the middle of mine and loved it!), then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada.

Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese, cream sauce and tortillas. You will use about 2 cups of cheese for the filling - - Set the remainder aside fr topping the enchiladas in the pan. Add the remaining marinade mixture (if any) to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture.

Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake the enchiladas at 350 degrees for 30-35 minuets until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and diced tomatoes. Enjoy!

January 6th

January 6th is Bean Day! Happy Bean Day to my favorite Beans!

Recipe

In response to Mom Bean's request, here is a quick/easy recipe. I'll try to post more later - I love to cook and we try a new recipe every week, so I've always got more.

Creamy Lemon and Chive Pasta

1 lb. farfalle

2 Tbsp. diced red onion

Olive oil

2 Tbsp. flour

½ cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream (you can probably substitute half-and-half here)

¼ cup fresh chives, chopped

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Salt and Pepper

½ cup grated parmesan

Cook pasta to al dente. Meanwhile sauté onion in oil until soft. Sprinkle with flour and stir. Cook for one minute, then stir in chicken broth until flour is dissolved. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and add heavy cream, chives, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add to pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan and toss. Serve hot with additional parmesan.

Anniversary Paprika Chicken

Anniversary Paprika Chicken

This chicken is so tender and flavorful it doesn't need any kind of sauce or gravy. Serve with Anniversary Bowtie & Asparagus Pasta

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs (you can also use Panko bread crumbs and add Italian seasoning)
1 1/2 cubes (3/4 cup) melted butter
Paprika

Combine Parmesan cheese with breadcrumbs. Dip chicken breast in melted butter. Roll in crumb mixture until completely coated. Place in baking dish and sprinkle generously with paprika. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes @ 375 degrees - Do not overcook!

Anniversary Bowtie & Asparagus Pasta

Anniversary Bowtie & Asparagus Pasta

We LOVE this stuff! Is it the healthiest pasta? Hmmmm.. no. But it is oh so good! This is a great one for crowds or just for two! :) Trust me, you will fall in love with this! Make sure you have a bigger skillet to work with, because this makes a lot! Its great for two and leftovers or family of 5, as a side dish

1 pkg. bow tie pasta
1/2 c. (1 cube) butter (the real stuff)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 pint heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
10-15 spears asparagus, blanched
1/2 c. bacon, crumbled
1/2 c. toasted pinenuts (or to taste)
Parsley, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Boil bow tie pasta in salted water until al dente. Do NOT over cook.
In wok or heavy skillet melt butter. Add minced garlic and saute a minute or so.
Add Parmesan Cheese and bouillon cube(s). When the bouillon cube is dissolved, slowly stir in heavy cream and salt & pepper. Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and toss until pasta is well covered. Add blanched asparagus. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, toasted pinenuts, parsley & Parmesan cheese and toss together. Serve immediately.

Bacon & Rosemary Chicken

This has to be one of my favorites to make. It is a bit time consuming but is DELICIOUS!

Bacon & Rosemary Chicken (Courtesy of Simple & Delicious)

4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 bacon strips, chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced/minced
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Flatten chicken breasts to an even thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken breasts, one at a time, and shake to coat.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings. cook chicken in butter and reserved drippings for 4-6 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reads 170. Remove and keep warm.

Add the garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes to the skillet; cook for 1 minute. Add broth and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced by half. Return chicken and bacon to skillet, heat through.

Misc dinner ideas

This is an email I got from one of my good friends wife. There are a whole bunch on here but I figured it is fun to share with. I've tried almost everything on here and it is amazing!

 

not going in any particular order :) just grabbed some of our favorite recipes and started typing :)

so this isnt all of them...but its all i could think of right now, so im sure you will be getting random emails every now n again if we have something amazing for dinner! ;)

Alfredo sauce {jasons famous sauce!} its one of our favs!!

3 tablesppons butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup milk

melt butter, remove from heat

blend in flour, salt, garlic powder, and pepper

add the milk, return to heat

cook over medium heat, stirring constantly

cook until mixture is thinkened and bubbly

cook 1 minute more, keep stirring

remove from head and add:

2 oz. cream cheese {cut up{ mix with wire whisk until smooth

add 1/3 cup fresh parmasan cheese, stir constantly, until cheese melts

serve over noodles and chicken

crock pot potato and double corn chowder

1 bag {16 oz} frozen hashbrowns, thawed

1 can whole kernal corn undrained

1 can cream style corn

1 can evaporated milk

1 meduim onion, chopped

8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 teaspoon salt

/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

combine all ingredients in to a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

CrockPot Italian chicken

4-6 boneless/skinless chicken breast

1 pkg dry italian seasoning

1/4 cup water

8 oz cream cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

mix water and italian dressing pout over chicken in crock pot. cook on low for 4-6 hours. remove chicken and add the cream cheese and soup to juices in the crockpot, mix well. put chicken back in crock pot and cook for another 1-2 hours. serve over rice or noodles

crab ragoons

oil for frying

8 oz cream cheese

2-6 oz cans of crab drained and flaked {fresh crab works well too!}

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1 pkg wonton wrappers

heat oil, mix all ingredients in large bowl and put 1 TBSP in wonton wrapper, then fry until golden brown.

Wonton wrappers

1 egg

1/2 cup water

2 cups flour

mix all together and roll out till paper thin

chicken cordon bleu

flatten one boneless chicken breast for each person to be served. cover with slices of ham and swiss cheese. roll up into a ball. fasten them with tothpicks. roll in melted margarine or butter and then bread crumbs {we add ritz crackers to our breadcrumbs, and favorite seasonings} bake at 350 20-45 minutes

Chinese style fried rice

1 1/2 cupes water

1 1/2 cups minute rice

1 egg beaten

3 TBSP butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

2-3 TBSP soy sauce

whatever other veggies you like

bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. stir in rice. remove from heat; cover let stand 5 minutes. meanwhile, cook egg in butter in a 10-inch skillet or electric frying pan on 325 degree until set. add ionion and ric {and other veggies} cook and stir over medium heat until rice and onion are lightly browned. combine remaining water and soy sauce, stir into rice.

add ham, chicken, turkey, or beef

manitcotti with cheese

14 pieces of manitcotti, uncooked

1 3/4 cups part skim ricotta cheese{15 oz container}

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups spaghetti sauce

boil water, sitr in manicotti, return to a boil. reduce heat and boil uncovered, 6-8 minutes, stirring ocassionaly. drain well, cool in single later on foil to keep from sticking {we rinse with cold water to cool noodles down}

heat over to 350. in a large bowl stir together cheeses, parsley, salt pepper. spoon into cooled pasta tubes. spread thin layer of sauce of bottom of 13x9 glass baking dish. arrange filled pasta in a single layer over sauce. pour remaining sauce over pasta; cover with foil. bake 40 minutes. remove foil. bake 15 minutes loner or until hot and bubbly.

Sweet pork

1 pork roast

2 cans of red enchilada sauce

2 cans of green chilis diced

2 cups of brown sugar

14 oz dr pepper

1can crushed pineapple with sauce

place eveything in crock pot and cook for 6-8 hours on HIGH until pork shreds. for sweeter pork add sugar to taste.

serve as tacos, or just over rice and beans

Olive Garden Zuppa toscana

1 lb sausage

2 large russet baking potatoes sliced in half and then in 1/4 inch slices

1 large onion chopped

4 slices of bacon, cooked crumbled {or 1/2 can oscar meyer real bacon bits}

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Kale or swiss chard chopped

2 cans chicken broth

1 qt water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

cook sausage in a 300 degree oven bake oproximately 1/2 hour drain on paper towl cut into slices

place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, salt, and pepper to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes. turn to low heat add kale and cream. heat through and serve

baked potato soup

8 slices bacon

1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons margarine

1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4-2/3 cups milk

2-3/4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed

2-3/4 green onions, chopped

3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon shredded Cheddar cheese

2/3 cup sour cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble, and set aside. In a stock pot or Dutch oven, melt the margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.

Chicken Enchiladas we add whatever random veggies we have that sound good! n my friend puts corn in hers which sounds delish!

1/3 cup shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

tortillas

grn onion

mushroom

grn pepper

mix all ingredients together, spread mixture down center of each tortilla rool tortillas and place in casserole dish. top with cheese. bake at 350 for 30 minutes. serve with cheese, lettuce, and sour cream

Easy beef Stroganoff

1 lb hamburger

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

4 tsp. worcestershire sauce

brown hambuger, drain, mix with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. add inions and cook a few more minutes. stir in soup and sour cream and worcestershire sauce. serve over noodles or rice

ritzy chicken Dorito chicken {same recipe just doritos instead of ritz, any flavor}

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup plain yogurt/sour cream

10 ritz crackers

1/4 parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic pwder

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 ccup canned milk

crush crackers to make coarse crumbs. miz crumbs with parmesan cheese, garlic powder, parsely salt and pepper. dip chicken into yogurt/sour cream and then in crumb mixture to coat chicken. place in baking pan. bake at 425 for 50-60 minutes or until chicken is crisp and golden brown. mix soup and milk. heat through pour over chicken.

Dutch oven potatoes in crock pot

4 slices of bacon cooked and chopped

4 potatoes peeled and thinly sliced

salt and pepper

1/3 cup onionsthinly sliced

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 4 oz can diced green chilies {opt.}

{we add grn peppers}

top it off with cheese when serving

combine all ingredients into crockpot. cook on low for 5-6 hours. check and stir occasionally

 

Swedish meatballs

we usually buy the swedish meatball seasoning packet at walmart. then make meatballs out of ground beef, follow directions on packet and serve over rice or noodles. but here is a recipe i found for it online

• 1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs, about 3 slices bread
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion or 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth
• 1 cup half-and-half or light cream

Combine bread crumbs, onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg and 3/4 cup milk in a large mixing bowl. Let milk soak into crumbs for a few minutes. Gently stir in ground beef until well blended; form into balls about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Brown meatballs in butter and oil in a large skillet; remove with a slotted spoon to a 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of drippings; stir flour into drippings. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Stir in beef broth and cream. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and boils for a minute. Pour over Swedish meatballs in baking dish. Bake Swedish meatballs at 325° for 35 to 45 minutes. Swedish meatball recipe serves 6.

chip dip

1 can black beans

1 can niblet corn

grn onion diced

avacado

tomatos

cilantro

Kraft zesty italian dressing.

mix all together serve with chips

chicken pockets

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 T. milk
2 T. butter, softened
4 cups cooked diced chicken
1/2 cup finely grn onion
2 T. minced onion
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of black pepper
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 T. butter, melted
mushrooms
Mix the softened cream cheese, milk, and softened butter together and beat until smooth. Add the cooked diced chicken, finely chopped celery, minced onion, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then set aside. Separate each can of the crescent dough into 4 rectangles. (Do not separate it into 8 triangles as directed on the can for dinner rolls. Press the extra perforations together to seal.) Spoon about one half cup of the cream cheese/chicken mixture on to the center of each piece of dough. Fold the dough in half over the chicken. Pinch the edges of the dough together to seal. Place the filled pockets on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the top of the dough with the melted butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. This recipe makes 8 chicken pockets.

tuscany tomato soup

1/4 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

4 carrots, peeled and finely diced

4 stalks celery, finely diced

3 medium onions, finely minced

3 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes with juice

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil and butter in a large pot. Cook the carrots, celery, and onions for about 20 minutes, or until very tender.
Puree tomatoes in food processor or blender; add to the vegetable mixture in pot and continue cooking over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and basil; season with salt and pepper. Serve. 8-10

Desserts:

Lemon Love Notes

crust: 1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Filling:1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

mix four crust ingredients together. press into 8x8 baking pan. bake at 350 for 15 minutes. remove from oven. meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients together. spread lemon mixture over crust. bake at 350 an additional 30 minutes. sprinkle with pwdered sugar.

Banana bread

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 nuts

2 cups flour

4 ripe bananas

1 tsp baking soda

cream butter and sugar. add beaten eggs, then flour and baking soda. smash bananas and mix in add nuts. bake at 350 for 1 hour.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla paste (extract will work just fine)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.
Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Add vanilla and chocolate chips.
Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm

Hash Brown Soup

Hash Brown Soup

• 1 sauteed Onion, chopped
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 1 Large bag Frozen Hash browns
• 1 Can cream of Celery Soup
• 1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 12 oz can of Evaporated Milk (I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk)
• 1 pound Velveeta Cheese

Combine onion and broth, bring to boil. Add hash browns, bring to boil. Add soups (don't dilute) and evaporated milk, bring to boil. Add Cheese. Heat until cheese melts. Optional, serve with bacon bits on top.

Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Crock pot Salsa Chicken

Toss 2-4 pieces of frozen chicken (prefer boneless)
in the crock pot - then add:

12-15 oz. bottle of salsa
1 can of corn (with out water)*
1 can of black beans (without water)*(you can also use dry beans on this - but you have to soak and cook them first or they're hard)

Let that cook for 4 or so hours on high, then mix it around, the chicken will fall apart - shred itself as you mix it - and then just before you serve it, add:

sour cream or a block of cream cheese

Serve over rice or cuscus - sometimes I mix the cooked rice in and make a burrito

. It's really good in a burrito. SO YUMMA! and a cinch! You can add whatever else you think would be good in this! One of my fav easy things to make!

*The original recipe says to add with water, but I found this made mine too soupy, especially if you want to have this as a burrito. Jeff doesn't like the beans and I've made it without the corn or beans, and substituted for other things.

HELP WITH DINNER!!

I've No energy and out of ideas for simple, repeat SIMPLE things for Dad's dinner. I'm going to try Cailey's crock pot meal tonight but I could use any more ideas. I will post some for you all and I hope we can keep this going and share when we come across a great idea. With as busy as you all are, I think this will be a good thing for all of us. Loves and more loves, Mom
1. frozen burritos with salsa, cheese, and sour cream
2. .... well,.......well,.......see the problem??

Happy birthday adam.