Cranberry Ginger ale Punch

This also makes a yummy drink without the sherbet.

2 liter bottle Cannada Dry Ginger ale
48 oz bottle of 100% cranberry juice
1 pint sherbet (any flavor)

Add the Sherbet to a punch bowl. Than pour in the ginger ale and cranberry juice.

Black Bean Soup

This is what I had for lunch today and it was yummy! It was my first time making it and it turned out great.

1 can whole black beans
1 can broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
1Tbs butter
1/2 small onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (chopped)
sour cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in butter. Than place 3/4 of the can of beans and the whole can of broth in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the mixture to the pan with the onions, garlic and remaining beans and than bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste.
Optional: Top with shredded cheese or sour cream.

Note: For a thick and creamy black bean soup use less broth, blend all of the ingredients together and stir in a spoonful of sour cream.

Egg Salad

I like to make this every year with the eggs my kids color for Easter. Some times you get some colorful egg salad. You can eat it as a side dish or put it on bread for an egg sandwich. 

12 hard boiled eggs
3/4 cup Miracle Whip
1 Tbs mustard
2 Tbs pickle relish (optional)
paprika to taste

Place uncooked eggs in a large pan of warm water. Heat over Med/High heat. Turn heat to low just before it starts to boil (boiling the eggs may cause them to crack). Cover and let the eggs cook for 20 minutes. Rinse the eggs under cool water and than place in the fridge until they are completely cooled. Peal the eggs and then chop them (in a bowl) into bite sized pieces. Add the Miracle whip, mustard, relish and mix well. Than sprinkle the Paprika on top.

Pizza Bites

1 can Grands biscuits
8 mozzarella cheese sticks
32 pepperoni slices
Marinara sauce (pizza sauce)

Cut each biscuit into fourths. Cut each cheese stick into fourths. I used the bottom of a cup to smash each piece of biscuit so the pepperoni would fit better. Place a pepperoni slice on each biscuit piece and than wrap around a piece of cheese. Bake as directed on the biscuit can or at 350 for about 10 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce.

Cotton Candy Soda

I'm not sure if I can call this a recipe because there are only two ingredients. But I thought it was interesting and my kids thought it was fun to make. Just fill a glass with cotton candy and pour in a clear soda like Sprite or 7UP.

Biscuits and Gravy

While the biscuits are a relatively new recipe for me, I've been making this gravy for years. You can use sausage or bacon grease in place of the butter if you want the flavor. And FYI a stand mixer makes the biscuits much easier to make.

BISCUITS:
3 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup butter
1 cup milk

GRAVY:
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

BISCUITS: mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl than cut in butter with a knife until the mixture resembles crumbs. Than add the milk and mix until it forms into a dough. Roll the dough to about 3/4 inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.
GRAVY: melt the butter in a sauce pan over med/high heat. than add the flour and mix until it's smooth. Continue to heat while you slowly add the milk and whisk until it thickens. Salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Spasagna

Baked Spasagna is one of my favorite meals from Cheddar's restaurant. I was so excited when I found a similar recipe on the internet and I must share it with you. You will notice that I did not add the ground beef to the sauce in this photo. That's because on this particular day my family requested meatballs instead. (meatball recipe coming soon)

16 oz spaghetti noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup milk
olive oil (for baking dish)

MEAT SAUCE:
1/2 pounds ground beef
24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce

Cook ground beef and than mix with spaghetti sauce and set aside.
Cook noodles according to the package. Rinse and drain noodles.
Mix together mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese and milk. Than use your hands to mix it with the noodles.
Rub a baking dish with olive oil and than pour the spaghetti mixture in the dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. After it's done and slightly cooled cut into squares and top with the meat sauce.

Salisbury Steak

1 pound ground sirloin beef
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
2 cups beef broth
1 small onion
mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

Dice onion and mix with ground beef. Shape into oval patties about 1 inch thick. Cook over medium/high heat until juices run clear. Add a bit of salt and pepper and set aside.
Add butter to the pan and saute mushrooms until tender. Add the flour to mushrooms and than add beef broth. Whisk until well blended than add the beef patties and simmer until the gravy begins to thicken.

Cinnamon Bites

I didn't get this recipe from the internet or from a book...I made it up. And I don't know what to call it. It's not really a cinnamon roll or baked cinnamon doughnuts. I guess it's more like monkey bread or pull apart bread (only you don't pull it apart). I don't know so I will just call them cinnamon bites.

1 can Grands biscuits
1/4 cup butter (melted) or use spray butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
ICING:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cut each biscuit into fourths (an 8pk of biscuits makes 32 bite size pieces). Mix cinnamon and sugar together. Dip each biscuit piece into melted butter and than roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place about an inch apart on a cookie sheet and bake according to  the directions on the can or at 350 for about 10 minutes.
While the cinnamon bites are cooling mix 2 cups confectioners sugar and the milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until you get a desired thickness. Than add the vanilla. Mix and pour over the cinnamon bites.

Garlic Cheese Rolls

These are so good. I like to make them when we eat spaghetti.Or use them as an appetizer when dinners going to be a little late. They are smaller than they look in the picture...more bite size.

1 can Grands biscuits (8pk)

8 string cheese sticks

butter (I used butter spray)

garlic powder

parmesan cheese (dry powdery kind)

Cut each biscuit into fourths and also cut each cheese stick into fourths. Wrap a biscuit piece around each piece of cheese. Use your fingers to pinch and seal each one so the cheese doesn't ooze out while baking. Spritz with butter spray and sprinkle with garlic and parmesan cheese. Bake as directed on the can of biscuits or at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Note: keep a close eye on them and don't over bake or the cheese will ooze out. I bake mine for less time than it says on the can.

Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Do you know what else a coffee pot is good for besides coffee? I have 3 coffee pots. A single serve one that I use for coffee, a 4 cup one that I use to heat water for oatmeal and hot chocolate, and a 12 cup coffee pot for making tea. Just thought you might like to know how I heat my water for this next recipe.

1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup hot water
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup maple syrup

Heat your water first than pour it over the oatmeal and mix. Than add the brown sugar and maple syrup.

Bacon Alfredo Sauce

I love chicken and I love alfredo sauce but I'm not real fond of chicken in my alfredo sauce. Instead, I like real bacon bits in my sauce. Here is an easy alfredo sauce recipe I found:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter (real butter is better)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese (or bagged shredded Italian cheese blend)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
pepper to taste
real bacon bits

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over low/med heat. Slowly pour in the heavy cream and continually mix with a whisk until it begins to simmer (do not let it boil). Add the cheese in a little at a time and whisk until it's smooth and creamy than add your seasonings. Top with the bacon pieces after it's been mixed with the pasta.
Note: If the sauce is to thin than add a couple tablespoons of flour to a very small amount of milk and than stir it until their are no lumps and than add it to the sauce.

Honey Mustard dressing

My son loves honey mustard dipping sauce (it's tragic when we run out). I forgot to buy some and had to search the fridge to throw something together for him. I didn't use a recipe or measure anything out thinking it would be the only time I would need to make it from scratch. Well, that was over a year ago and my son has asked me a dozen times since to make it again. So I searched several recipes on the web trying to find a recipe similar to the one I whipped up. This one is very close and it tastes really good.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip) 

2 Tbs yellow mustard

2 Tbs honey

1 Tbs lemon juice (or vinegar)

Mix it all together and enjoy. This can be used as a dip or dressing.

The first time I made this I only had Miracle Whip and that's what I used. It was way too sweet. So if that's all you have on hand than you may want to cut back on the honey. I have not tried it with vinegar yet but the recipe I found said you could use either lemon juice or vinegar. If you've tried this with Vinegar leave a comment and let me know how it tastes.

Baked Pork Chops

Did you know you could use instant mashed potatoes as breading? Well, I didn't know that...until today. Anyway, I did not use instant mashed potatoes in this recipe but I will make a recipe using it soon because I can't wait to try it.

Ingredients:
Thin cut boneless pork chops
flour (to coat)
eggs
bread crumbs (any flavor)

Notice I didn't add an amount to the ingredients? Well, it's because it will depend on how many pork chops your cooking. Rinse and pat dry the pork chops, coat with flour, dip in eggs and than coat with bread crumbs. Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes.

Chocolate Pudding

I never knew chocolate pudding was so easy to make. I am was always buying those little pudding cups but they just aren't big enough to fulfill that hankrin you get for puddin'. Here is an easy recipe I found on Pinterest and it's do die for!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/8 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups milk

Combine all of the dry ingredients into a sauce pan. Slowly mix in the milk and heat on med/high. Stir, stir, stir until it thickens. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract. Cool in the fridge. That's it...the hardest part is waiting for it to cool.

Strawberry Lemonade

I just love frozen strawberry lemonades from McDonald's. Before we moved we had a McD's in walking distance from our house. It was the perfect combination. I got my exercise walking to McD's and my strawberry lemonade fix everyday...it was my motivation. So just imagine my disappointment when we moved to a town that doesn't even have a McD's! I started having major withdraws, I had to do something so I went to the grocery store only to find out they don't carry strawberry syrup. So I Googled a recipe and this is what I found.

Strawberry syrup:
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix strawberries and sugar in a sauce pan. Stirring occasionally, cook on med/high heat until it begins to thicken (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and puree half of it (or mash it with a potato masher). Place it back in with the remainder and cool in the fridge.

Lemonade:
1 cup real lemon juice
1 cup sugar
add enough water to make 2 quarts
Mix in desired amount of strawberry syrup and enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs

I make these with turkey bacon and turkey dogs but they can be made with regular bacon and hot dogs. There are several ways to cook them. They can be cooked on the grill or fried in a pan until the bacon is crispy or baked in an oven. I prefer to cook them in the oven but I can't wait to try them on the grill.

Ingredients:
hot dogs
bacon
BBQ sauce

Wrap a slice of bacon around each hot dog. Slather it in BBQ sauce than grill them, fry them or bake them. I bake them at 400 for 20 minutes.
Note: I have not tried to fry them in a pan but I would think that you would leave the BBQ sauce off while you cook them and add it later.

Leave me a message and tell me how you cooked your bacon wrapped hot dogs. Did you use turkey or pork?

Chocolate Chip Mousse

Recently I've been experimenting with coconut milk in my recipes after reading about it's health benefits. I came across this chocolate mousse recipe on Pinterest. That particular Pinterester (is that a word?) also uses this recipe as a cupcake frosting...mmmm. I haven't tried it on a cupcake yet but I will!

Ingredients:
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Use a can of coconut milk that has been sitting (untouched) in your cabinet for a day or two ( you need the milk to separate from the water in the can). Open the can and place it in the fridge over night (this causes the milk to thicken at the top of the can). Scoop out the thick coconut milk into a bowl (save the coconut water for another recipe). Add the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and blend until it's the consistency of mousse. Top with chocolate chips and enjoy!

Note: It is very important not to shake the can. If the coconut milk did not separate and you decide to use it anyway than it will be more like pudding and less like mousse. And you will probably want to add more sugar.

The first time I made this it turned out wonderful and delicious but the second time I made it the milk did not separate. It could have been because I came strait from the grocery store and put the can in the fridge and it thickened before it had time to separate. Or because I used a different brand and some manufacturers use a thickening agent to keep the milk from separating in the can. I made the recipe anyway and to be honest I did not like it as much. The next time I get a can that does not separate I think I will skip the mousse and make a banana and coconut milk smoothie.

I bet you could use a can of coconut cream instead of the coconut milk (if you have tried it let me know). Did you try this recipe? Did your mousse turn out ok? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Ranch Chicken

This is a recipe I like to make from Betty Crocker. The only difference is I bake them instead of frying them in a pan. I try to avoid frying at all costs, not just because it's unhealthy but because I'm just not good at it. So it's safe to say that you will not find many (if any) fried foods on my blog. One of the things I like about this recipe is that you can use spicy mustard in place of the ranch dressing and it's just as good.

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken breasts (halves)

Ranch dressing (or spicy mustard)

bread crumbs (any flavor)

Parmesan cheese

Brush the dressing on all sides of the chicken and then coat with bread crumbs. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

.

The taste will be mild so don't be afraid to slather it on. I used about a tablespoon of ranch dressing on each piece of chicken.

Coconut and Banana Smoothie

I recently started using coconut milk in my smoothies because of its health benefits and I like the rich and silky texture it gives the smoothie. One of my favorites is this simple coconut milk and banana smoothie:

Just blend together 1 cup coconut milk and 1 banana. It's that simple!
If you use canned coconut milk than you may need to add some regular milk to thin it out a bit.

Honey BBQ Popcorn Chicken

Every time I go into Walmart or Price Cutter my kids beg for some boneless BBQ chicken from the deli. But it can get expensive when I want to buy enough for the whole family to eat for dinner. So I decided to make my own. All it took was a bag of popcorn chicken (real chicken, not the processed nuggets) and a bottle of honey BBQ sauce.

Pour the honey BBQ sauce over the popcorn chicken, mix it together and then bake it according to the instructions on the package of chicken. If you cook the whole bag like I do than you may want to add about 5 extra minutes to the cook time.

Chocolate Milk Smoothie

I love this smoothie because its basically chocolate milk sweetened with a banana. I also love it because it's healthy for my kids and they don't get all the sugar and other additives that they would get from the store bought chocolate milk.

1 cup milk
1 Tbs cocoa powder
1 banana
1 Tbs peanut butter
Blend it and enjoy!

I  like to use dark chocolate cocoa powder because it contains the highest concentration of flavonoids which are a form of antioxidants (actually I'm just a sucker for dark chocolate). Peanut butter is high in protein and the banana has potassium...what more could you ask for in a Delicious smoothie?

Meatloaf Patties

Every single person in my family are picky eaters (including myself). My husband and son like ground beef while my daughter and I like ground turkey. This is a meal that works with both ground beef and ground turkey. My husband and son eat it like a hamburger with cheese on a bun while my daughter and I just eat the patty with Katsup.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 box Stove Top stuffing
1 cup water
1 egg

Mix all of the ingredients together and then form them into patties (makes 6-8 patties). Cook them like you would a hamburger patty. I cook them on my George Foreman grill and they are done in about 5 minutes. That beats waiting an hour for meatloaf in the oven!

You don't have to make this into patties on the grill you can also make a meatloaf out of it and bake it in the oven at 375 for 1 hour. I've even seen a recipe where you cook it in a crock pot. I will have to try it.

Leave a comment and let me know how you like to cook yours. Did you make patties or a loaf?

Hot Chocolate

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup hot water

1 cup heavy cream

3 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients in a 2 quart sauce pan. Add the hot water and mix over med/high heat. Stir until it begins to boil. Slowly add the milk and cream and heat for about 2 minutes longer (do not let it boil after adding the milk). Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract.

Note: If you do not want to use heavy cream than leave it out and replace it with milk.

topped with cool whip and a mini candy cane

Slow Cooked Apples

Ingredients:
5 cups apples (4 medium apples)
2 Tbs water
2 Tbs melted butter
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar

Mix the water, butter and lemon juice and pour over the apples in the crock pot. Than sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low for 2 -3 hours.

Option: pour the sauce into a pan and add about a tsp of corn starch and than heat until it thickens. Than pour over apples.

Frozen Yogurt Pops

My son loves these frozen yogurt pops and they are so easy to make. I purchase the smallest containers of yogurt I can find with a rounded bottom (makes them easier to eat). Use a knife to poke a small hole in each yogurt container than poke a popsicle stick in each hole. Put them in the freezer for a couple of hours or over night. If they are stuck in the container than run some warm water over them and they will slide right out.

Biscuit Wrapped Hot Dogs

I used a can of Pillsbury Crescent Rounds and a pack of Jennie-O Turkey Franks. Roll out the crescent rounds and wrap them around  the hot dogs than bake at 375 for 12 minutes.

Black Bean and Bacon Quesadilla's

This is a no fail meal in my house. My family would be happy to eat these everyday. This is my go to recipe when I'm too busy to cook a big meal. Quesadilla's are so easy to make and you can put almost anything on them. My favorite quesadilla is from a local mexican restaurant. It's called a black bean florentine quesadilla. It has spinach and black beans on it...yum! But I'm the only one in my family that will eat spinach so I don't make the Florentine at home.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 pack 8 inch tortillas
1/2 cup real bacon bits
2 cups shredded cheese
butter

Directions:
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of a tortilla and than place it butter side down in the skillet. Sprinkle desired amount of cheese, black beans and bacon bits on top. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Use a spatula to fold it in half when it's done.

Cookie Dough

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk

Put all of the ingredients in your mixer and mix it on low. It tastes best after it has been in the fridge for at least an hour.

NOTE: This recipe is not meant to be baked!

Granola Bars

1 cup oats

1/3 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup dried banana chips (chopped)

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1/3 cup grape nut cereal

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

Blend all of the ingredients together than pour it out onto wax paper. Place another piece of wax paper on top and roll it out to desired thickness with a rolling pin. Place it on a cookie sheet and put it in the fridge for at least an hour (this step will make it easier to cut). Use a pizza cutter to cut them into bars and store them in the fridge.

Note: You can easily change this recipe. Try adding kraft jet-puffed mallow bits for a smores taste or add raisins instead of chocolate chips. If you want it more chewy and less crunchy than leave out the grape nut cereal and banana chips.