Campfire Banana Boats!

This is a great summer time recipe because it's made on the grill or campfire! But this can also be made in the oven! I loved this and will be making it many more times because I want to experiment with lots of different toppings! The possibilities are endless! The main toppings are marshmallows and chocolate chips! Then just add whatever else you like!

Simple and Crisp Trail Mix

I love snacking on food that not only tastes good but is good for me too! It makes me feel good about what I'm eating while it cures my need to munch! Sometimes my snack ends up being a quick meal when I'm in a hurry...like for breakfast!

Having an easy homemade trail mix is so much better than store bought because it's made with only the things I want! Some store bought trial mixes contain items that don't appeal to me and that aren't really healthy like pretzels, or salty peanuts! And for some reason store bought trial mixes usually have stale, hard, raisins in them...not appealing at all!

3 Ingredient Cobbler!

I was so interested in this recipe because it just seemed too good to be true! I was shown this recipe by my Facebook friend, Chip Stanley, when he posted on my wall!

Onion Pie

Here is another savory pie that I tried and loved! There is a lovely contrast of flavors with the sweet onions and the buttery cracker crust! I couldn't stop eating this pie! And it's so VERY so easy to make! It only takes about an hour from start to finish! 

BLT Dip...My New Favorite Dip! And Low Fat Too!

 

I am so excited about this new dip I discovered!!! I love BLT's...so this dip is right up my alley! I often use it as a sandwich spread! It's so much easier to just have this dip all ready to go instead of assembling a traditional BLT sandwich every day! And believe me, you will want to eat this every day!

Caprese Stuffed Tomatoes!

With the warm summer days approaching I'm always looking for new cold dishes to prepare! I love fresh tomato recipes, especially when garlic and mozzarella are involved!

The Best Marinade for London Broil!

I don't usually eat grilled London broil because it just never has enough flavor for me! Well, that was until I tried this marinade!

Crunchy Smokey Pork Chops

This recipe below was born from my cravings! I love any food that is smoked or has a smokey flavor! I crave smokey foods ALL the time...I must have been a cave woman in another life!

Philly Cheese Steak Spaghetti

I love making classic recipes with a new twist! This worked perfectly! This tastes just like a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich with spaghetti instead of a hero roll. Use wheat pasta if you're looking to cut down on carbs.

Honey Dijon Roasted Potatoes

Easy, simple, and delicious potato side dishes make me so happy because it's so hard for me to think of what to serve with every meal! And I just get so bored with the usual mashed potatoes or basic oven fries! A green vegetable side dish is so easy because I always have some sort of frozen variety laying around! But the starchy side dish always has me looking for something interesting! This next recipe was just what I needed!

Garlic Parmesan Wonton Crackers

I am loving the many things you can do with wonton and egg roll wrappers, such as...
Frickles...Smoked Sausage Egg Rolls...Apple Pie Egg Rolls with a Caramel Drizzle and Sloppy Joe Egg Rolls! Such an easy and versatile product!

Then I came across this recipe called Baked Wonton Chips.

Antipasto Fritters!

Recipe **here**

This is a recipe I created for an assignment I had this month through the **Allrecipes.com Allstar Program**  I was asked to create a recipe using Sargento Shredded Cheese. I mentioned this assignment in this recent blog post here. This was a VERY easy assignment because I'm Italian...and what red blooded Italian doesn't like Sargento cheese!

Bourbon Street Crack Chicken - Crockpot Style

Okay, let me explain this recipe and its title! Louisiana has a street called 'Bourbon Street' and that is where a recipe called 'Bourbon Street Chicken' was born. The Louisiana recipe contains bourbon whiskey.

Then there is a recipe that's been passed around Pinterest called 'Bourbon Crack Chicken -Crockpot Style', which is similar to 'Bourbon Chicken' from Chinese restaurants.

Well, I wanted to make a combo of the two because if I'm going to make a recipe called 'Bourbon Chicken' it should contain bourbon!

Balsamic Roasted Pork Chops

This recipe is so easy but so flavorful! I love the thick, tangy, robust, sauce! I think this recipe would also be perfect with chicken! I'll be trying it that way next time!

Cheesy Honey Mustard Chicken

Doesn't that title just make your mouth water? Simple ingredients with delicious results!

Candied Bread!

I never thought to 'candy' bread! But it's a great idea! It's a quick and delicious snack! The taste of this reminds me of the famous 'Auntie Anne's Pretzels'! I always get them when I go to the mall. I think I go to the mall just for that reason!

Firecrackers!

This is the kind of snack that you just can't stop eating! Especially if you love salty/sweet combinations! The little extra surprise in this treat is the slight spiciness from the Hot Fries and the cayenne pepper! Its just the perfect balance of sweet, salty and spicy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Fried Rice

This is one of those rare recipes that makes you do a little happy dance when you taste it! I love that it's easy and made with simple ingredients, that most people have in their pantry everyday!

The Tequila Squeeze!

I've been having so much fun trying new drink recipes using Sauza Tequila. They are one of the sponsors this month in the Allrecipes.com Allstar Brand Ambassador Program. Forgive me for not having the proper shaped stemware for these drinks! I used martini glasses, wine glasses and a water goblet! Oh well, it still tastes the same no matter what kind of glass is used!

Easy Creamy Parmesan Basil Sauce

This recipe saved the day for me because my 19 year old daughter and her boyfriend needed something to eat for lunch! I was all out of leftovers and all the cold cuts were gone! Food shopping is on Friday, so the cupboards were getting bare!

One Pan Mexican Potato Casserole

 

I'm so thrilled at how delicious this potato side dish turned out! Besides the huge flavors...this was so easy and quick to make! I'm loving 'One Pot Wonders' these days because it's been a busy month so far...not much time for fancy cooking or difficult recipes! Everything is mixed together in one casserole dish, then you just pop it in the oven! Stir one time during baking...add the sauce and cheese...stir and continue baking until cheese melts! Done baking in 35 minutes!

One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice

This is a recipe I created for my assignment with the Allrecipes Allstar Program. This month one of our sponsors is Herdez. This sponsor generously sent all the Allstars this delicious package of their cooking sauces! Also included in the box was a microwave tortilla warmer! I can't wait to use that convenient kitchen gadget!

For this assignment we were asked to create a recipe using Herdez's new cooking sauces. I love Mexican food so this was such an easy task for me! I knew I wanted to make a hearty, stick to your ribs kind of meal! I think I achieved that in this 'one pot' recipe! My family loved my creation and I loved how easy it was to make! The chicken and rice cook together is the same pot! No need to pre-cook the rice! Less pots and pans to wash always makes me happy! I love to cook but I hate to do dishes! I'll be making a few more recipes using Herdez cooking sauces! The flavors are so fresh and bold, but not overly spicy!

 

One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice

        3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced into bite sized pieces

                   1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice

                   2 large cloves garlic, minced

                   1 medium sized onion, chopped

                   2 Tbls. olive oil

                   1 Tbls. butter

                   1 tsp. kosher salt

                   1/4 tsp. black pepper

                   2 tsp. chili powder

                   2 tsp. ground cumin

                   12 oz. jar Herdez® Tomatillo Verde Cooking Sauce

                   14.5 oz. can low sodium chicken broth

                   2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

                   1/2 cup sour cream

                   1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or cilantro

 

Directions

In a small bowl mix together salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Sprinkle this mixture over the sliced chicken breasts and toss to coat.
In a very large skillet, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add seasoned chicken pieces along with minced garlic and chopped onion. Saute while stirring until chicken is fairly browned and onions are tender, about 5-10 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium/low.
Add the uncooked rice to the chicken mixture and stir well. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Then add the Herdez cooking sauce and the chicken broth. Stir well again and bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to low, cover skillet and let simmer for 20 minutes.
                   Then uncover and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Top with sour cream and parsley or cilantro before serving.
Serve warm.   Serves 4             

 

 



 

Island Pork Chops with White Wine Cream Sauce

I just love creamy sauces and I just love unique ingredients! This recipe has all that and more! The original recipe called for a pork tenderloin but I just used thick, center cut, boneless pork chops.

 

S'MOreos!

Who would have thought you could make S'mores with Oreo cookies! It's actually a very good idea! But I decided to take it one step further and one step easier! Instead of using regular Oreo's and adding a piece of chocolate, I used chocolate covered Oreo cookies! They're called Oreo Fudge Cremes!  I know, I know...brillant, right?

I found the idea for the S'MOreos **HERE**

Asian Spaghetti and Meatballs

Yes, I tried another Asian style recipe! I know...I may need an intervention!

I loved the meatballs in this recipe! I was so tempted to add some salt and other seasonings, but after I tasted it, I thought it was perfect! No seasoning needed! These meatballs were so flavorful from the pork, toasted sesame seeds and green onions!

 These meatballs would also be perfect served alone as a cocktail meatball!

Sweet Taco Snack

I came up with this recipe because I wanted to use up some leftover flour tortillas...and I
was looking for something sweet to eat!  

This was perfect because it was fast and easy! I love the way all the ingredients melted together and was tucked inside the tortilla. But if your lucky like I was, the melted peanut butter will ooze out of the taco and drip down your hand! A taco just isn't a great taco if it's not messy!

Blackberry Balsamic Chicken Breasts

I love how easy and delicious this recipe turned out! The flavor is sweet and slightly tangy! And I just love to pair chicken with fresh thyme! I sliced the chicken breasts in half to make them a little thinner. This helped the chicken to cook quicker. This dish was done in less than 30 minutes!

Caramelized Cabbage!

I came across this recipe about 3 years ago on a cooking site called GroupRecipes. I tucked it away in a folder full of recipes that I wanted to try! Then the other day I found the folder and decided to finally try the recipe! I'm so glad I did because this was so very good!

Bacon Wrapped Pretzels!

When I first saw this recipe I said to myself, "How can this be bad?"...and you know what? It can't be bad...it's absolutely delicious! You just can't go wrong with bacon wrapped around a pretzel rod! And this is not just bacon! It's bacon coated with brown sugar, chili powder and cayenne pepper!

Dragon Noodles

I've been having so much fun trying unique Asian style recipes! When I came across this one, I knew I had to try it because the ingredients were very few and very simple! I found this recipe on a food blog called Budget Bytes. Cute name, right!

Got Leftover Ham?

If you're like me, you probably have leftover ham from Easter! I made a smoked ham butt and I saved the bone with about 1/2 lb of meat attached! This is my favorite ham & bean soup...or hambone soup, as I usually call it! I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. This recipe says to cook the soup for 8 hours but it was perfect after only 4 hours! I served it with homemade cornbread. A great hearty, filling soup!

Sausage Chips

If your looking for a new, unique snack or appetizer, try these sausage chips! They were so easy and just like potato chips, you
can't eat just one!

Apple Danish Roll-Ups

This is a quick easy dessert that tastes like it came from a fancy bakery! I've seen many recipes with apples rolled in store bought refrigerated crescent biscuits, but that wasn't good enough for me! Noooo, I had to tweak it and change it to make it into something different!

Chicken Scampi

I love a good shrimp scampi! My kids...not so much! They're just not a fan of shrimp! So I decided to switch the shrimp for chicken! It worked...they loved this! 

Five Minute Chocolate Mousse!

When I have a chocolate craving I want something fast! So having this simple recipe is a joy! I didn't think it was possible to make chocolate mousse that fast! But after trying this recipe I was happy to see that it can be done!

Tastee Apple Giveaway!

I have been a big fan of Tastee Gourmet Apples for a long time! I buy them whenever I see them in my local food stores! These apples are always so juicy and decadent! You may have seen me blog about them a few times in the past!

All Free Casserole Recipes Website

I was very honored recently to have 3 of my casserole recipes posted on the All Free Casserole Recipes website! That site has so many interesting categories such as...

Foodie Review - a section where the editors tell us about food products that they've tried.

Featured Foodie - a section where they highlight certain food bloggers.

Free eCookbooks - a section where you can look through all the free eBooks they offer.

Plus sections for giveaways and grocery coupons! And of course, many sections of different casseroles such as chicken, beef, vegetarian, dessert and even diet casseroles!

These are my 3 casserole recipes that they published on their site...



Corn Dog Casserole
Click title to see recipe

The Sloppy Shepard
Click title to see recipe







One Pan Baked Potato Casserole
Click title to see recipe



I love the well written recipe descriptions they added to each one of my recipes!

Go check out my recipes and tell me what you think!

For St. Patty's Day!



I'm not Irish but I made this corned beef and cabbage for dinner last St. Patty's Day in honor of the holiday! 'Corned Beef and Cabbage I' ...and I followed what this reviewer said...

 

Reviewed: Mar. 6, 2008

"I take the corned beef out and while the cabbage, carrots and pot's are cooking in the liquid, I put the brisket in the oven for 30 minutes with this sauce that I combine on the stove until smooth. 1/3 cup of brown sugar,2 tblsp of butter, tbsp of prepared yellow mustrad, 1/3 cup ketchup, 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. I combine these ingredients till smooth, then pour over the brisket while the veggies are cooking. 30 to 40 mins. at 350 will do it. Hope you like it, all of my friends who hate corned beef will only eat mine!" By Tracey
 

 I was so lost on which recipe to use because there are a million recipes for corned beef and cabbage! I decided to just pick the recipe with the most positive reviews! 
I made the right choice...we loved this!

This recipe worked out PERFECTLY!! Look at how that delicious sweet and tangy glaze just glistens on the corned beef! Thank you Tracey, for mentioning your sauce recipe in your review!

Unstuffed Greek Chicken Breasts

Oh how I love to make recipes as simple as possible! That's exactly what I did with this recipe! I'm not very good at stuffing things into pockets of meat! I can never get enough stuffing inside and the stuffing usually comes oozing out before it's done cooking! So why not just put the stuffing on top of the meat! Chicken meat, in this case! But I intend to do this with other meats also! And even with fish! I'm going on an 'unstuffed' recipe frenzy, so watch out!

Chocolate Cobbler!

This is some kind of wonderful...yes it is!  And this is what great songs are made of! I was happy dancing to that song as I was eating this perfectly fabulous chocolate dessert!

I'll try to put into words, what this tastes like! It is like a combination of a perfect cake brownie on a bed of the most splendidly light chocolate pudding! Some foodies have compared this recipe to a lava cake, but since I've never eaten a lava cake, I can't make that comparison! I just can't believe how delicious this turned out with so little effort and such simple ingredients! And what is even better is that it doesn't contain much butter and doesn't contain any eggs!

I even used low fat milk! So I would consider this a low fat dessert!