Creamy Crab Pasta

 

This recipe was calling my name from the first moment I laid eyes on it! I found the recipe on a food blog called

'A Couple in the Kitchen'

I love creamy, cheesy, pasta recipes! And I had a can of lump crab meat that was begging to be used!! So this was destiny!

I whipped this up so quickly...it was done in LESS than 30 minutes! Take that, Rachael Ray!

This was so good! I was afraid there wouldn't be any left to put with the pasta! I was just eating it out of the pan while I was waiting for the pasta to boil! That's when I realized that this recipe would work great as a dip! Or maybe even as a stuffing for mushrooms!

I was so tempted to tweak this recipe because the ingredients looked to simple... how could it be tasty? Oh, but it was perfect 'as is'... So don't mess with it! The only thing I did was sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley on top to make it look pretty for the camera!

 

Creamy Crab Pasta

 

Ingredients:

¼ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup all purpose flour

2 cups half and half

½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for garnish

¼ teaspoon. ground nutmeg

kosher salt, white pepper, and black pepper to taste

1 lb. cooked lump crab meat

1 lb. cooked pasta of your choice

Fresh chopped parsley garnish - optional

 

Directions:

 

In a large deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in the half and half and continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in the cheese and seasons to taste. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Then stir in the crab meat.

Cook just until the crab is heated through.

Serve over cooked pasta of your choice. Top with optional parsley garnish and additional cheese and pepper, if desired.

Serves 4-6 people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruit Roll-Up Valentine Fortune Cookies!

 

Okay, don't judge these by how sad mine look! This is a cute Valentine treat to give the kiddies! Especially if you use the Fruit Roll-Ups that DON'T have the tongue tattoos printed on them! You can add any message you want inside! No cooking involved! Just roll out, cut and fold into shape!

 

Check out this *link* to see the easy steps to making these fortune cookies for yourself!

Bombay Stew

 

I've been loving Indian food lately! I'm always looking to try new recipes with the flavors of India! I've never tried an Indian stew before, so that's what attracted me to this recipe!

Skinny Pop Popcorn

I am totally in love with this snack!!! I buy it whenever I see it and I eat it just about everyday! I even bring it with me to the movies because I like it better than movie theatre popcorn! I never thought I would like ANY popcorn better than movie theatre popcorn! This popcorn has the unique flavor of movie theatre popcorn without all the fake butter and heavy salt!

The fact that it is lower in fat and calories...and cholesterol free, is just a bonus!

I was not compensated in any way for my opinion of this product! This is just something I wanted to share with my readers!

Happy Chinese New Year!

This is the year of the Snake! In honor of this holiday I decided to share with you this delicious recipe that I tried last night. Snake is not one of the ingredients! That's not something I think I would ever eat! I said 'think'...so it is possible I would eat snake, if it was prepared in a totally delicious way! Instead, I'll show you this Asian Meatball Soup Recipe posted on a blog called 'Noshing with the Noland's'.

Simple Creme Brulee Pie

My husband loves creme brulee! He orders it every time he sees it on a menu! I've been thinking of making creme brulee at home, but it requires the use of a small blow torch (kitchen size) to crystallize the sugar topping! I don't want to invest money in a kitchen torch, that will probably only be used to make creme brulee! Then I saw this recipe and knew I had to try it...

Leftover Champagne? Make a Martini and Some Cookies!

What do you do with leftover champagne? I don't like to just throw it away! It's too expensive to waste! So I went looking for recipes that I could make with it!

The first recipe I found was for a martini! Have I ever mentioned how much I love martinis? Yes, I think I may have mentioned it once, twice or three
times...*here*...*here* and *here*!

I love the idea of a fizzy martini, so this was perfect! This one contained not only champagne but also lemon vodka and orange liquor. I loved the citrus flavors! This was sparkling and refreshing! The name of this martini is

Pasta Pie

Isn't this a cool way to serve baked ziti? Well I thought so, that's why I tried it! And really that's what it is...just a cool way to serve baked ziti! There's no other reason to play with pasta like this! Having said that...I got such a kick out of making this! I know...I'm such a food dork!!! And I enjoyed lining up the pasta in the pan! It was very therapeutic and didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would! Only about 10 minutes.

Spiral-Cut Hot Dogs!

This is very easy to do! It not only looks cool, but it does serve a purpose! These spiral cut hot dogs cook without curling up...they're also great because the spirals help to capture all the condiments you put on top. And if you grill them, there is more surface area that gets all brown and flavorful! Or if you microwave them in a dish of water, like I did, they won't burst open!

Here is a link to a video that shows you the easy way to cut these hot dogs into spirals...**Video**

Melt In Your Mouth Chicken

How could I resist I recipe with THAT title? Well, I couldn't, so I made it! I found the recipe on Pinterest, of course, because that's where I find most of the recipe I make these days! This recipe was VERY popular over there! Lots of people were singing it's praises! You'll see evidence of that on this **page** where lots of others have made it and photographed it, just like I did!

I'm not sure what all the hype was about!

Mexican Green Rice

**Click Here For Recipe**

This recipe got my attention just from the title! Then when I read the ingredients and directions I knew I would be trying it soon! And that's just what I did! Within a few days of seeing this recipe, it was on my plate!


The only change I made was to use Anaheim peppers instead of pablano, because I'm whimpy when it comes to spicy food! The Anaheim peppers were perfect...just a slight heat that didn't linger too long! Well, except for on my HANDS!!! I forgot to wear plastic gloves, so my hands are on fire right now as I type!!! So wear plastic gloves!

The flavor from the peppers and herbs really shines through in this rice dish!

Colored Beer!

 In Honor of the 2013 Super Bowl game between the Baltimore Raven's and the San Francisco 49'ers, I made these colored beers! I found this idea through the McCormick spice company and thought it was cute! My hubby liked it too! Although he didn't call it 'cute'...

Colored Beer

Food Color drops per 12 ounces of any Light Colored Beer: 
• ASSORTED COLORS
Purple = 5 red + 2 blue
Blue = 8 blue + 2 red
Green = 2 green
Orange = 14 yellow + 2 red
Yellow = 4 yellow
Maroon = 20 red + 2 blue
Red = 20 red

...Or for Soda:
Clear Soda (drops Food Color per 8 ounces)
• ASSORTED COLORS
Purple = 3 red + 2 blue
Blue = 6 blue + 1 red
Green = 6 green
Orange = 6 yellow + 2 red
Yellow = 4 yellow
Maroon = 28 red + 2 blue
Red = 28 red

...Or for Dips:
(drops Food Color per 1/2 cup any white based)
• ASSORTED COLORS
Purple = 30 red + 30 blue
Blue = 30 blue + 5 red
Green = 20 green + 3 blue
Orange = 15 yellow + 5 red
Yellow = 10 yellow

**For a black color**...you can buy 'McCormick Black Food Color' or
 mix 5 drops of blue + 1 1/2 teaspoons red & 1 1/2 teaspoons green. It's not as intense as the store bought color though.

I'm not a sports fan AT ALL...gasp!!! But this falls into the food/drink category...which I'm a HUGE fan of!

Serve these at your Super Bowl party

or any color themed party!

I'm sure it will turn heads!

German Potato Dumplings

I'm always looking for new ways to serve potatoes! There is only so much you can do with a potato! When I saw this recipe on a food blog called 'Dr. Ola Cooks', it caught my eye because it looked like matzo balls, as you can see in my photo. But it tastes just like mashed potatoes! It was just more compact. These dumplings are firm and creamy at the same time! This is a more interesting way to serve mashed potatoes and very easy to make!

Runa Tea

This just might be your cup of tea!!!

 It was for my darling husband!

I received 2 free samples of their citrus-ginger guayusa tea, for focused energy, and was eager to try it out on him.

 He just LOVES a good cup of herbal tea! And let me tell you, he's tried just about every brand there is on the market!

So being the good wife that I am, I brewed this up for him!
And here is his review...

 "This tea had a very clean, smooth and subtle flavor."

 "Not over-powering and no bitter aftertaste, with a nice hint of ginger."

"One of the better teas I've had so far."

"Now they just have to make a lemon-ginger flavor."

Thank you so much Runa for the samples!

My husband is a very happy customer!

Here is a little bit of info about this execptional herbal tea...

We produce GUAYUSA (gwhy-you-sa), a natural, delicious source of energy and nutrition from the Amazon, provides clear and focused energy - what the native Kichwa people call “mental strength and courage.” A caffeinated leaf native to Ecuador, guayusa contains an exceptional balance of caffeine, antioxidants, vitamins and amino acids for your whole body and mind.

Check out their Facebook page to see what else they're brewing up these days!

Runa on Facebook



Rum Truffle Mocha Hot Drink (Skinny Style)

This really is the perfect hot drink for these VERY cold days we're having in New York! I made this last night and it was just what I needed...a warm, chocolaty, boozy, beverage to take the chill off!

This recipe is from a talented blogger named Anna

from the 'Crunchy Creamy Sweet' website.

 In her recipe, she explains how to easily make frothy milk with just a glass jar and a microwave...and some milk, of course!

Rum Truffle Mocha Hot Drink

INGREDIENTS:
4 Tbls. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbls. rum
1 1/2 cups hot freshly brewed coffee
4 packets artificial sweetener or regular sugar
1/2 cup skim milk or low fat milk
Finely chopped chocolate - for garnish, optional
　
DIRECTIONS:
In a glass measuring cup melt 4 tbls. chocolate chips in the microwave according to package directions. Then add in a splash of the hot brewed coffee and whisk until smooth. Whisk in more hot coffee if needed. Add the sweetener and whisk again. Pour into 2 mugs and add 1 tbls. of rum to each mug. Then add the remaining hot coffee.
Now make the hot frothy milk by pouring about 1/2 cup milk into a glass jar with a lid. Shake the jar vigorously to create foam. Remove lid and microwave on high for 20 seconds. Do this a few times until you see the foam float to the top. Spoon a little of this hot frothy milk on top of each hot mocha. Garnish the top of each with some finely chopped chocolate. Sip and Enjoy!
Make 2 Servings

Original recipe from the Crunchy Creamy Sweet website.
This post belongs to My Recipe Journey





Fiesta Chicken Casserole

**Click Here For Recipe**

Look at that big, beautiful, serving of a flaky, salsa coated biscuit, topped with cooked chicken, green peppers and cheddar cheese. Plus another topping of sour cream and more salsa! This was dinner last night, with a side salad. A very hearty, satisfying meal! And very easy to make! Check out the recipe!

This recipe is another one of 3 recipes I made for the Brand Ambassdor Program through Allrecipes.com Allstars. I mentioned the other 2 recipes I made in earlier posts this week.

I had fun trying these Pillsbury Grands biscuit recipes! I've always loved their product, but I never knew there could be so many ways to incorporate these biscuits into so many delicious meals! Go to this Allrecipes.com page to see more recipes like these!

Biscuit Taco Cups

*Click Here This Recipe*

This is another recipe I tried from the Pillsbury company as part of my Brand Ambassador assignment through Allrecipes.com Allstars. This is chili in a biscuit bread bowl! How smart is that? 

I used my own *chili recipe here* .

It worked nicely to fill all 8 biscuit bowls! These bowls are a nice size...one per person. I served this with a salad and dinner was complete!

This was so delicious and so much fun to make and serve! Who wouldn't want to eat chili out of a buttermilk biscuit bread bowl! Try saying that 3 times, fast! You really can't go wrong whenever you use Pillsbury refrigerator biscuits! They are perfect every time...and I love cracking open the cardboard container!

Check out their Facebook page **here** for more great recipes! And stay tuned to my blog for more recipes that I'll be making with Pillsbury biscuits!

                            

                                                                   



Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole

This was a whole lot of creamy, chicken and biscuit yumminess!!! I made this as part of my activities as a Brand Ambassador for Allrecipes.com. This month one of the sponsers is Pillsbury. They were generous enough to send all of the Ambassadors free coupons for their Grands Buttermilk Biscuits so that we could try some of their recipes and give them our feedback...no pun intended! One of the recipes I chose to make was this one.

Me and my family were very happy with this recipe...look how lovely it turned out! The biscuits are all golden and fluffy! I doubled the recipe and there was still NO LEFTOVERS!!! That large casserole dish only served 5 of us!

My family requested that I make this more often!

I'll be making a few more recipes using Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits in the very near future...probably this week! So stay tuned for those results!

Black Bean Hummus with Lemon, Garlic and Sesame!

It was snack time at my house yesterday and I wanted something healthy, quick and easy! Then I remembered this recipe that I saw on a blog called 'Energize For Life'

Doesn't that sound like a VERY healthy website? Well that's because it is! 

I had all the ingredients to make the hummus, so I guess it was meant to be!

Cannoli Cream Dessert!

With Valentine's Day approaching fast, I decided to share with you this simple and elegant dessert recipe.
I love to make desserts that look fancy but are easy and delicious! That's how I came up with this next recipe called 'Cannoli Cream Dessert'. I made it for my husband, on Valentine's Day, a few years ago....he was very impressed! 

My recipe was recently featured on this food blog called 'Leanne Bakes' ...She's a very creative and talented cook! Stop by her blog and drool over some of her recipes!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese 
1/4 cup confectioners sugar 
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbls. melted butter
1/4 cup chopped canned peaches or other fruit of your choice                                                 
2 Tbls. shredded semi sweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium size bowl mix together first 4 ingredients til smooth.
In a separate bowl mix together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter.
Take 2 wine glasses or other fluted stemware and place 1/4 of the crumb mixture in the bottom of each glass making a well in the center.
Add 1/4 the cannoli cream mixture on top. Repeat this one more time. Garnish with chopped fruit and shredded chocolate. Chill til ready to serve.
Makes 2 servings
So make a nice candle light dinner for your sweetheart and serve him this sweet treat for dessert! Enjoy!