Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Happy Halloween Treat

This one is a short and sweet...I mean salty one. We finally carved our pumpkin tonight, so I had to make pumpkin seeds for my husband...because as he puts it....why would we carve a pumpkin if we weren't going to eat the seeds?

Silly me...

Pumpkin Seeds...the recipe

Ingredients

*pumpkin seeds (rinsed and dried)
*salt
*onion salt
*garlic salt
*EVOO

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Pour about 1 T. of EVOO over the seeds and season with the salt, onion salt, and garlic.



3. Spread out on a greased cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 45 minutes.

Happy Halloween!



Monday, October 29, 2012

Sandy's Shrimp Special

With the wind whipping the sides of our house I figured I should make an early dinner in case we lost power...plus I have a fridge full of food, so I needed to throw something together...

This is a meal I used to throw together on a regular basis...it just so happens that now it gets the Sandy Special name...

Sandy's Shrimp Special

Ingredients

*1/2 diced red pepper
*1/2 diced green pepper
*1/2 diced yellow onion
*1/4 c. cilantro
*1 c. frozen corn
*Spanish rice packet (cook according to package directions)
*1/2 lb. uncooked shrimp
*chili powder, onion salt
*1/4 c. shredded mexican cheese

(salsa, sour cream, tabasco are optional for toppings)

Step by Step

1. On med-high heat, PAM a pan and put the corn in. I like to cook the corn until it begins to brown. Add the onion and a few shakes of chili powder once the corn is beginning to brown.
2. Add in the red and green pepper. Add in the cilantro after a few minutes. Add a few shakes of onion salt.
3. Add in shrimp as the shrimp begins to turn pink. Mix in the prepared rice.
4. Top with mexican cheese.

Serve with salsa or sour cream. You could also put this mixture into a tortilla...just as delicious.
Easy clean up...only two pans were used...and a cutting board and knife! YAY for easy clean up!

Stay safe out there my friends!
May your liquor cabinet be full and plentiful :)

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Faux Lasagna Recipe

This is a recipe I came up with on my own because (honestly) I really don't like lasagna...I am not a fan of the different cheeses used in typical lasagna...my mom's recipe was pretty good...but I just didn't like the taste of it...but lasagna is always the "go to" recipe to impress houseguests you might have over for dinner...or at least that is what it seems...it's too much work for a nightly meal, but showy enough for company...

Well, that being said, I wanted to figure out something I could make like lasagna that also tastes delicious to me, but is "showy" enough for company...

Get ready for ALOT of multi-tasking in this recipe...getting the timing down takes practice...but with practice it is worth it...and yes, there is quite a mess after the making of this recipe...at least there is qutie a mess when I'm done...

Faux Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients

*1 lb ground beef (thawed)
*1 small yellow onion, diced
*1/2 c. fresh basil
*2-3 cloves minced garlic
*3 packages frozen cheese ravioli (you will have some leftover)
*1 jar spaghetti sauce
*2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
*2 c. fresh spinach
*Italian seasonings...parsley, oregano, onion salt, garlic
*salt and pepper
*PAM spray
*EVOO (for drizzling)
*9x13 pan

Step by Step

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown ground beef with onion, garlic, and basil over medium heat. (I also sprinkle some seasonings over the meat)

3. Bring pot to a boil and cook ravioli according to package directions.
4. Drain ravioli. Drizzle EVOO over the noodles to prevent sticking...
5. PAM the pan and then arrange the first layer of ravioli (as seen in the picture)

6. Cover the layer with spaghetti sauce and then cover the sauce with the ground beef.

Cover with cheese.

7. Cook the spinach (in the same pan as the beef was in)
8. Cover the beef with another layer of ravioli. Then, top with the spinach.

Over the spinach, add a layer of sauce and cheese.

9. Top with final layer of ravioli.

Top with remaining cheese and Italian seasonings.

10. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Just had to share this DIY snowman craft!

How cute are these?


I found this idea on Pinterest and just had to try to make some! They are relatively easy to make. And, if you use coupons, they aren't terribly expensive. I do, however, have a lot of left over "snow."

Basically, you buy the snow, clear ornaments, ribbon and baby socks. (I had the pens to make the faces already and I had the string for to put the Christmas hook on) And, of course, you will need a glue gun!

So, draw the face and fill the ball with "snow"

Then, put the baby sock on and glue it in place....

Cut the top off the baby sock...string the ornament...and tie the ribbon around the sock...

So, again, I just had to share this quick little DIY!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

This meal turned out to be a meatless meal...much to the dismay of my husband (and I have to say I do enjoy my protein...so I have a feeling I will be hungry in a bit)...however, Ryan did eat a bowl and three quarters...as he puts it...

Anyway, I had to pull my food processor out of its' box and out of the garage for that matter. I'm not big into lots of food prep...but I do love a good pesto. So, rather than buy one and use one out of a jar...I thought I would take a stab at making my own.

I already know of some changes I would make...I would top the pasta with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella melted over the top...but more about that later...the original recipe was one I found (of course) on Pinterest: Annie's Eats

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Ingredients

*1/2 small onion
*1 c. fresh basil
*6 cloves garlic
*1/4 c. pine nuts (in hindsight, I would have toasted them prior to processing)
*1 c. roasted red peppers (mine were from Wegman's olive bar)
*shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
*1 tsp sea salt
*1 tsp pepper
*EVOO
(Next time I make this...cooked chicken, 1 c. diced tomatoes, 1 c. cubed mozzarella)
*penne pasta

Step by Step

1. In the food processor combine the following: garlic, onion, basil, pine nuts, peppers, cheese, salt and pepper.


2. Once those are all look like mush....add in the EVOO (about 1/4-1/2 cup).
3. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1 c. of starchy water before draining.
4. Combine the pesto with the drained pasta. Add cup of starchy water. (and the cooked chicken)

5. Let the pasta sit for a few minutes. Then, top with tomatoes and mozzarella.

*Honestly, I think this would be a great topping for chicken alone. If you aren't in the mood for pasta, this on some chicken with a nice green veggie would also make for a great meal!

I made a PIE! An APPLE PIE!

I will make no excuse, I will never be my mom. My mom is the best baker I have ever known and she is ALWAYS baking! Seriously, for fun she will turn out like a million pies...just because. And, this isn't limited to just pies...she doesn't discriminate....cakes, cookies, brownies...she is equal opportunity. It is a wonder I wasn't a million pounds growing up...

My mom is a supreme baker and I never aspire to be like her. She is in a league of her own...not that she doesn't try to influence me...and well, I did bake a pie yesterday...it just wasn't to the Mama Benton standards...I didn't make my crust from scratch like she does...instead...I take after my grandmother and bought the crust from the store! :)

That being said, I am using my mom's recipe for the apples...so her crust recipe is safe...I just had to share because this was so easy, even I could do it! And, I found that the filling really isn't THAT bad for you...now as long as you don't eat the entire pie and get all of the calories from the crust...this is a relatively "ok" dessert...

Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients

*8-10 apples, thinly sliced (got for tart apples...not sweet...I used a variety)
*3/4 c. lite brown sugar
*2 T. whole wheat flour
*1 tsp. cinnamon (I may have been a bit more generous)
*a shake of nutmeg
(Dont Forget...*refrigerated pie crust)

Step By Step

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
2. Combine the sliced apple with the dry ingredients. I used my hands to make sure all of the apples were covered.
3. (obviously) Line the pie pan with the bottom crust, fill with the apple mixture, and top with the top crust.
4. Wet the sides of the crusts to make sure they stick! Then, vent the top...I went for the heart look.

Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Check the bottom of the pie...if it looks wet...it NEEDS more time. My pie took about an hour and 15 minutes to bake entirely...

This pie made my husband very happy...Apple Pies are his favorite...but it is NO WHERE near as delicious my mom's apple pie...I am looking forward to that at Thanksgiving!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Easy Empanadas

Basically, this is a turnover. A super simple turnover...depending on what you want inside of it. Using a refrigerated pie crust, you can cut the time of having to make your own dough. I have made this with a variety of "fillings." I have used a beef filling (with mexican flavorings) for the same amount of time as the recipe below. What I like about this recipe, is you can make it what you want.

Honestly, I had forgotten about this easy recipe until I was making this week's menu. I realized I hadn't made empanadas for awhile, and I thought I would try this filling instead of using beef....not exactly a "Latin-American" recipe....but nonetheless a yummy recipe...and this MAY be better than the beef recipe I have used...



Buffalo Chicken Empanadas

Makes 2 empanadas

Ingredients

*1 refrigerated pie crust (divided in half)
* Buffalo Chicken Recipe chicken (crock pot chicken)
*diced red, green pepper (1/4 c.-1/2 c.)
*diced onion (1/4 c.-1/2c.)
*cilantro (1 T.)
*shredded mexican cheese (1/2 c.)
*salt and pepper
*chili powder
Optional: salsa and/or sour cream for topping

Step by Step

1. Follow the steps for the Buffalo Chicken Crock Pot recipe.
2. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
3. In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onion and peppers. Once the onions are soft, add in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Combine the peppers, onions and cilantro with the chicken.

5. Spray a baking sheet with PAM. Unroll pie crust.
6. Cut in half. Spoon chicken mixture over one side of each half.

7. Top with cheese (or wait and top with cheese after baking)

8. Fold over filling and pinch the side. Vent the top a few times by stabbing with top with a fork.

9. Top with chili powder (if desired)
10. Bake for 10-15 minutes.


Top with sour cream, cheese, and or salsa. YUM!

Crock Pot a WHOLE chicken!

I must admit, I was a person who was afraid of cooking an entire bird...I'm not sure exactly if there is an actual reason why....but it always seemed a bit daunting to me...(not to mention I hate leftovers, so I knew there would be a lot of leftovers)

Anyway, my husband loves chicken. He loves buying and devouring rotisserie. But, I always thought about how much sodium was in one of those $5 chickens....so it was time. Time for me to conquer the bird!

First time bird makers...make sure you thaw the ENTIRE bird before you try and get the bag of giblets out...my bird didn't thaw as fast as I wanted it to...long story short...I had to microwave it to get the remaining part of the bag out of the bird...it was a MESS!

Overall, this is a great recipe. I look forward to trying to different spice combinations. My husband was happy (and so were the dogs!) I liked it the night we ate it, but true to form, I didn't enjoy the leftovers...in fact we still have leftovers from it in the refrigerator right now...next time I will need to plan another meal that can use the left over meat....

Chicken Crock Pot

Ingredients

1-2 teaspoons of the following:*thyme
*onion powder
*garlic powder
*paprika
*red pepper flakes
*cumin
*salt
*pepper
And...
*1 sliced onion

Step by Step

1. Mix the seasonings together in a bowl.

2. Rub all over the chicken (and inside of the skin of the chicken)
3. Place all of the onion on the bottom of the crock pot.

4. Place the chicken on top of the onion.

5. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.

No water is needed! I swear! The chicken has enough liquid in it, that you will be fine! Take a look and see what was in my crock pot after it cooked all day....


So in other news, we had a FANTASTIC day at our alma mater...It was Homecoming weekend at Elizabethtown College...so Ryan and I headed back to spend the day remembering the good 'ol days...it was nice to go back and see friends we hadn't seen in awhile and it only took a few hours to make us realize we really aren't as young as we feel! (ugh!) But, here are a few pics from our weekend...




Thursday, October 18, 2012

My Take on the Yummy Crunchwrap

I found this recipe on Pinterest from Busy Mama Bird. She called it the Crunchwrap Supreme...I'm assuming it is her take on something from Taco Bell. I am not a Taco Bell partaker...so I am just guessing. Anyway, I thought it looked delicious and wanted to try it myself.

I looked at her recipe and I liked it, but I knew I wanted to change a few things. The things I changed I wasn't sure if it was going to "work," but it was worth a shot. Now, her crunchwrap was very pretty at the end...mine....was not. But, that being said, it was VERY yummy.

The major change I made was instead of using queso sauce, I stuck with shredded mexican cheese. This was part of the reason my wraps didn't stay wrapped, but I tried! Also, I tried to shove a lot of veggies in mine, so, again, that might have been part of the reason it didn't stay "wrapped." (and instead of buying tostadas...I crumbled up tortilla chips)

Without further to do...



Pugh's Yummy Crunchwrap

Ingredients

*burrito sized soft tortilla
*crumbled tortilla chips (about 1/4 c. per crunchwrap)
*ground beef
*taco seasoning (for the beef)
*shredded lettuce
*diced onion
*diced pepper (red or green or both)
*diced, jalapeno (seeded, if preferred)
*diced, tomato
*cilantro
*shredded mexican cheese
*salsa, sour cream (optional)
(*damp paper towels!)

Step by Step

1. Cook ground beef with taco seasonings and cilantro. Set aside in another bowl. You will use this pan again to melt the crunchwrap. (keep the pan on a warm setting)
2. Warm the tortillas between layers of damp paper towels (:30 in the microwave)
3. On the warm burrito, put a layer of cheese down....

4. The rest of the layers...
Top with ground beef...

Then, tortilla chips...

Peppers, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno (all the veggies)...

More cheese and circle the cheese with lettuce...

5. Fold the edges in and flatten down.

6. Put extra cheese in the folds to melt the folds down.
7. MAKE SURE YOU SPRAY WITH PAM! Then, flip the crunchwrap down on the pan with the folds facing down.

8. Cover (and drop a bit of water in with the pan to help the cheese melt)

9. Flip (after a few minutes)

10. Serve with salsa and or sour cream