Crock Pot Chicken and Veggies

This was a quick meal that threw together by opening my freezer and fridge and looking to see what I had to made.  The result was delicious and turned out great, so my husband deemed it blog worthy.

 Ingredients

3 Bonless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts cut into strips (frozen or thawed)

4 Large Carrots, peeled, and chopped into chunks

Small Can of Peas, Drained

a few button Mushrooms, chopped

5 Yukon Gold Potatoes, scrubbed, and cut in chunks

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 can full of water

2 Tbs. Dried Parsley

2 Tbs. Dried Oregano

2 Tbs. Dried Basil

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1/3 C. Dried Minced Onions

1 tsp. Minced Garlic

1/3 C. white Rice

Directions

Spray your crock pot with non stick cooking spray. Layer chicken strips in bottom.

In a bowl combine soups and water and whisk together. Whisk in garlic and onions, set aside.

Over the chicken sprinkle all your seasonings. Layer on the vegetables. The dump your soup mixture on top.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally. 2 hours before it's done add in 1/4C. white rice and just stir into the mix. Recover and let sit for remaining 2 hours. Serve in a bowl with some crusty bread. Enjoy!

Flower Sugar Cookies with Sour Cream Icing

These are the cookies I grew up with my entire life.  My mom would make these once a month for us.  She loved them plain, and I loved them with icing.  I'm finding on pinterest the recipe is being called "Swig Sugar Cookies".  I've never heard of Swigs, but my Mom grew up in the area where Swigs is, so maybe she got it from them.  I have no idea.  All I know is that this recipe is my personal favorite sugar cookie recipe that I have on my blog.  Seriously, they are amazing!!

Credit-Vintage Revival

Ingredients

1 C. Butter, room temp.

3/4 C. Vegetable Oil

1 1/4 C. Granulated Sugar

3/4 C. Powdered Sugar

2 Tbs. Water

2 Eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

5 1/2 C. All Purpose Flour

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Credit-Vintage Revivals

Cream together butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla.  Add the eggs.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low, and add the water.  Add the butter and mix on medium until everything is combined.

Grease your cookie sheet, and get a plate that has 1/4 C. of Sugar dumped on top. Then roll your cookies into golf ball size balls.  Place on the cookie sheet, and then grab a glass cup.  Using the bottom of your glass firmly press into the sugar/salt mixture on your plate.  Using the bottom of the glass press on the top of the cookie until it flattens to about 1/2in and resembles a flower because the sides will break apart.  Do this with every cookie re-dipping your glass into the sugar and salt each time.

Bake for 8 minutes or until the bottom of your cookies are just lightly browned.  Serve plain or with sour cream icing.  (The Swig cookies you serve cold, I've never tried it but I bet it would be amazing!)

Sour Cream Icing

Ingredients

1/2 C. Butter, room temp.

1 2lb Bag Powdered Sugar (yes entire bag)

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 C. Whole Milk

Food Coloring of your choice

Directions

Mix all ingredients together adding the milk slowly until you get to the consistency you want.  Spread onto cooled cookies or cold cookies.  Enjoy!!

Creamy Mac and Cheese with Bacon

I love to experiment with comfort foods, and mac and cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods in America.  Tonight's dinner experiment turned out great and that's why you are all going to get it on the blog.  It's Mac and Cheese with Turkey Bacon (that's my little "healthy" tip). That being said, nothing about this recipe is healthy, but it's 100% delicious!!

 Ingredients

2 Tbs. Butter

1 pkg. Elbow Pasta, cooked according to package directions

2 Tbs. Flour

1/2 C. Half and Half

1 lb. Turkey Bacon, cooked

3 1/2 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

16 oz. Full Fat Sour Cream

Pepper

Directions

Grill up your bacon, let cool, and cut into pieces. (I cook mine in the wok because I like to use to bacon fat but that's optional.) Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a wok combine your butter and flour, whisk to make your roux. Then when your butter is completely melted, add your half and half, then your cheddar and stir until melted. Add a sprinkle of pepper. Add the sour cream and turn on low, stirring occasionally (you just want everything combined).

Cook your pasta according to package instructions. Drain, (but reserve 1/4 C. pasta water) and dump pasta with the pasta water, into your cheese mixture. Add the chopped up bacon, and stir until everything is well combined.

Pour your mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with some sharp cheddar cheese.  Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the top is just lightly brown and crusty.  Take out and let sit for 10 min. before serving.  Enjoy!!

Easy Pizza Pockets

With Cheese on Top

So I have seen these pizza pockets all over "Pinterest" but there has been 1 major thing bugging me about them.  They never have any sauce in the recipes.  They are only meat and cheese.  This morning I came up with my own little twist on the average pizza pocket, and I have to admit that it turned out amazing.  Definitely a Hubby's top favorite recipe, and a recipe that will now be a staple at our house.  Anything easy, and delicious, is something I will make over and over and over!!  I made 2 different batches so I'll give you some pictures of both.  I hope you enjoy this one!

Ingredients

18-24 Rhodes Rolls, thawed

1 Package Pepperoni (regular size)

1 lb. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 8oz. can Tomato Sauce

1 tsp. Minced Garlic (I used the kind that comes in a squeeze bottle)

a Handful of dried Onions

1 Tbs. Dried Parsley

1 Tbs. Dried Oregano

1 Tbs. Dried Basil

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Pepper

Directions
In a bowl combine tomato sauce, garlic, onions, dried seasonings, and salt and pepper.  Whisk until well combined.  Set aside.

Without Cheese on Top

On your counter put a handful of flour down and dip each thawed roll in flour. Then take your rolling pin and roll it into a small disk (about the size of an individual pizza).

Place on one side of the disc 4-5 Pepperoni slices, a sprinkle of Mozzarella Cheese, and then in the middle of the disk pour 2 1/2 tsp. full of sauce.

You're then going to fold the dough over to create a little pocket.  Fold over all the stuffing and pinch all the sides close. Then place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Once you have done this with each roll, take a sharp knife and cut a little hole in the top of each pizza pocket. Sprinkle on a little cheese, and cover with a paper towel for about 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are browned and the tops are very lightly browned.

Removed from oven and place on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes before eating.  Serve with ranch dressing, or anything you like for dipping, or just eat plain like we did in our house.  I promise you are going to love these, and the possibilities are endless.  We just used Pepperoni, but you could add olives, mushrooms, peppers, anything your little heart desires.  Enjoy your own pizza pocket for everyone in the family.  There's enough for everyone to have 2nd's and even 3rd's.  Great dinner!!

Tomato Baked Eggs

This is one of my most favorite recipes. I know it says eggs, but I like this recipe for Lunch the most.  It's deliciously creamy with a little kick of spicy.  Above everything else though, it's insanely easy, and it's the perfect meal for brunch or even Father's Day.  Just a little hint to one of our upcoming summer holidays.

Ingredients

2 Large Eggs

1/4 C. Marinara Sauce

2-3 Tbs. Parmigano Reggiano, Grated

1 Tbs. Cream

1/8 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1/8 tsp. Pepper

1 tsp. dried Parsley

1-2 tsp. Olive Oil

Touch of Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a small oven safe baking dish (I use my rachael ray dish) spread your Marinara sauce on the bottom.  Sprinkle red pepper flakes, parsley, and pepper over the top.

With a spoon make a little trough in the center. Crack your eggs into a bowl one by one to make sure there are no shells. Then place each egg in the center of the baking dish, and make sure the yolks stay intact.

On top of the eggs drizzle cheese, cream, and olive oil, and then just a touch of salt.

Bake for 10-12 minutes just until the only thing that jiggles are the yolks.  You want them to just be firm.  Then mix the yolk into the white, and then spoon onto buttered (yes, real butter) toast, and you're going to die!  It's delectable.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we do in our house!

Homemade Twinkies

I have long had an obsession with Twinkies.  I think they're amazingly delicious.  They are soft, chewy, moist, and full of delicious cream.  

Mine are not the typical twinkies because I add a little bit of "Flair" to these puffed little cakes.  I hope you enjoy my version....I've yet to have a complaint.  I've included the cupcake and layer pan directions.

Ingredients

2 C. Cake Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 C. Butter, room temp.

1 C. Sugar

3 Egg Yolks

1 tsp. Vanilla

3/4 C. Milk, room temp.

Vanilla Buttercream filling (recipe below)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Cream butter and sugar until soft.  Beat until light, and then one by one add your egg yolks while mixing.  Mix until light and creamy.  Add vanilla.

Beat in the milk and the dry ingredients, until well incorporated.

Bake in a greased layer pan for about 25 minutes. 

You can also bake in a cupcake pan.  You fill the cupcakes 1/2 full and bake for 25 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream Filling

2 sticks unsalted Butter

3-4 C. Powdered Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix with hand mixers in a bowl until soft and creamy. 

Take an apple core or paring knife and create a hole length wise in the twinkie or in the middle of the cupcake. 

Fill a ziploc baggie with the buttercream and cut off the corner.  Pipe into the cakes.  (Just a note, I have shown the cupcake, and layer pan style.)  Enjoy!!!

Corn Dog Recipe

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone!! In celebration of this great day, I am sharing my traditional Fat Tuesday recipe with y'all.  Every Fat Tuesday my husband and I make my corn dogs.  Not only are they delicious, and 100% NOT nutritious, but they're Amazing!  I know you'll try one bite and you're going to Love them! Have a Happy Mardi Gras!

Ingredients

2/3 C. Flour

1/4 C. Cornstarch

1/4 C. Cornmeal

1/4 C. Sugar

1 Tbs. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

1 C. Buttermilk

8 Hot Dogs

8 Thick Wooden Dowels

Soy Bean Oil (I like to go with the healthiest oil when I'm making these, but you can use what you want.)

Directions

Preheat 4 inches of oil to 350 degrees.

Mix Flour, Cornmeal, Sugar, Baking Powder, Salt, Garlic and Onion Powder, and Buttermilk together, until well incorporated into a somewhat smooth batter.

Push each wooden dowel into the hot dog at least 3/4 of the way up.  I like to leave about 3 inches sticking out of the bottom.

Put Cornstarch into a pie plate and dredge each hot dog in the cornstarch.

Then dip and heavily cover each hotdog in the cornmeal batter. Circle around to get the top to twist a bit, and place in HOT oil. 

Fry for 3-4 minutes turning over 1/2 way through cooking.

After 4 minutes or when the outside is completely nice and really golden brown, pull out and place on a paper towel until it's cooled down a bit. 

Serve with Mustard and Ketchup.  Enjoy!