Egg Boats

This is a great way to make egg sandwiches for a crowd! All you have to do is carve out a wedge in each hero roll and mix the egg, cheese, bacon, green onion, light cream, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Then just pour equal amounts of the egg mixture into each boat (hero roll) and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. I've been making this often since finding this recipe! So easy and delicious!

Estonian Kringel (Cinnamon Braid Bread)

This recipe is from a Romanian food blog. Then it was translated and posted on a U.S. cooking site called 'Totally Love It'. That's where I found it.


Cinnamon Braid Bread

Just the unique look of this bread alone, made me want to try it! Then when I saw the simple ingredients I knew I had to try it! I'm not much of a baker so I wasn't sure if I could get this bread to work for me...but I did! It was very easy! I love that the dough has an egg yolk and milk in it. I never made a bread with those ingredients before!

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Chicken Enchilada Pasta
**Click Here For Recipe**

Do you ever try a recipe and love it so much that you don't even bother to add the suggested toppings? That's why my pic shown above looks so plain. But it doesn't taste plain at all! I took a little taste ( or maybe a big taste) before I plated it for that photo and I said to myself, 'Why put anything ontop of this when it tastes so flavorful already?'...plus I couldn't stop eating it long enough to get the toppings out of the fridge! This tastes exactly like a chicken enchilada, except there's no tortilla! The pasta becomes the tortilla!

This was so easy to make...about 40 minutes from start to finish! I didn't bother to pre-cook the chicken and then shred it. I just cut the chicken cutlets into tiny bite sized pieces and sauteed it in the same skillet that I used to saute the veggies. I like to make things as easy as possible.

I love creamy cheesy pasta. And I love chicken. And I love Mexican food. So this was a win, win recipe in my eyes! So, if you want to try this creamy, cheesy and oh so delicious chicken enchilada pasta for yourself, just go to the Pearls, Handcuffs & Happy Hour Blog

Banana Split Mini Bites!

Aren't these just the CUTEST little desserts you've ever seen?

Well take it from me...don't try these unless your making them for no more than 2 people! What a huge pain in the neck these were to make! Here is a list of problems...

Caramel Covered Grapes!

These caramel covered green grapes tastes ALOT like caramel apples! I saw this on...

Red White and Blue Drink!

Yes, this is another one that I found on Pinterest...I know, I stalk that site way too much! I just love finding these kinds of fun recipes! This drink is so easy to make!

Cute Lady Bug Crackers!

I'm really loving the recipes I find on Pinterest these days! There are some very unique and fun ways to play with food on that site...which is my favorite thing to do!

Here is an example of what I'm talking about!



Cheesy Cauliflower Tater Tots!

Did you ever find a recipe that sounds really tasty but has an ingredient and recipe instructions that just doesn't appeal to you? That's what I saw with this recipe, but I didn't let it stop me because I just loved everything else about the recipe!

This recipe called for 4 egg whites...and the whipping of egg whites into stiff peaks! I do not like either of those things because I don't want to waste the egg yolks and I'm not that experienced at the stiff peaks egg white whipping thing! It also called for the use of a pasrty bag and star pastry bag tip...I don't own either of those! Plus that's just too much work for making tater tots!

So I used 1 large egg (including the yolk) and just beat it into the cauliflower mixture! Guess what? It worked perfectly! And I used a 10 oz. box of frozen cauliflower florets instead of fresh, to make it even easier! Just thaw and squeeze the heck out of the cauliflower to drain all the excess liquid!

Instead of the pastry bag I just plopped it onto a parchment lined cookie sheet using two spoons. Again, it worked perfectly!

These cauliflower tater tots were delicious! Especially if you're a fan of cauliflower like I am! They have a nice strong cauliflower flavor but are light,fluffy and cheesy! This is a low carb recipe!

Here is the link to the original recipe...'Cheesy Cauliflower Tater Tots'...and below is my photo of how mine turned out! And I included my easy version of this recipe!


Cheesy Cauliflower Tater Tots

INGREDIENTS;
1 Medium head of cauliflower - I used 10 oz. frozen thawed and squeezed dry
2 Tbls. heavy cream - I used light cream
2 Tbls. butter
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 egg whites - I used 1 large egg with yolk
salt and pepper to taste - I used 1/4 tsp. of each
garlic powder to sprinkle ontop after baked - my idea

 MY EASY DIRECTIONS;
In a microwave safe bowl add cauliflower, light cream and butter. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Transfer cauliflower mixture to a food processor with cheese and pulse slightly until it's the texture of oatmeal. Add salt and pepper. Place back into bowl. Then add in egg and beat until fully combined.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Drop cauliflower mixture by the spoonful onto parchment paper...you should get about 14 tater tots.
Bake on center rack, uncovered, for about 18 minutes or until nicely browned.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with garlic powder.
Serve warm or room temp.

                                                       

Apple Pancake Rings and Mini Pancake Stacks

This is another recipe that I found on Pinterest! I thought it looked like a great idea for a breakfast recipe! It tasted very good but it was a pain to make! I tried to make it as easy as possible by using my 'go to' pancake batter recipe. But there were other problems that I did not for see!

Problem #1

Red, White and Blue Strawberries!

I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it was so cute for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend! This would also be perfect for the 4th of July...or Veteran's Day...or Election Day...or...well you get the idea!

I don't think I have to write the directions for this, but just in case...this is strawberries dipped in melted white chocolate then dipped in blue colored sugar. The colored sugar can be found in the cake decorating section of most grocery stores!

*~*~*~*~*~*

And this is another fun thing to do with fruit!

White chocolate chips stuffed into blackberries!

This gives the fruit a nice balance of tart and sweet!

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

I've been loving cajun recipes lately! Probably because I discovered this easy and perfect cajun spice mix recipe...*click here* I love making my own spice mixes especially when I can't find the ones I need in the grocery store! That's what happened the day I found that recipe! I wanted to make some jambalaya and it worked so well that I decided to try other cajun recipes!

This 'Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta' was so delicious and so easy! I've always loved creamy pasta recipes, but I never tried one with a cajun flare! The leftovers even tasted great cold! Here is the blog post where I found this recipe...*click here* This recipe will be made often in my house!



Don't Believe Everything You See On Pinterest!!!

I saw this recipe for 'Strawberry Smores' on Pinterest! It was one of those recipes that was 'Re-Pinned' a lot!!! The photo looked soooo inviting and delicious! It also sounded VERY easy to make! WRONG!!!!

A Cool Way to Make Baked Potatoes!

The recipe caught my eye because of the photo! I love to find new ways to make potatoes and this definitely looked like something new! The recipe is called

Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Burritos!

I found this recipe idea on the Internet! It was so easy and very good!

Crab and Spinach Souffle's

I love to figure out ways to use up leftover stuff that I have in my freezer! I had some leftover imitation crab meat and some leftover frozen chopped spinach that was just sitting there begging to be used!

Iced Chai Tea

I love all things Chai! I've tried many Chai flavored teas and the brand that I think has the most flavor is Good Earth...I always buy the decaf version! I love the strong spices that this tea has. Many tea brands are weak and bland. But I never let those other brands go to waste! That's where my Iced Chai Tea idea came from!

Antipasto Salad Bowl

When I have large family dinners (20-24 guests) for the holidays I always make my antipasto platter! Everyone looks forward to it! I serve this before the main dish.

Sauerkraut Balls!

Ohio is well known for their Sauerkraut Balls and now so am I because my guests loved this! This tastes like a cheese dog with sauerkraut! I served this with yellow mustard for dipping. This was a unique and very flavorful appetizer/snack! Perfect for any get-together! These can very easily be made a day ahead and then baked when needed!

Flower Power Eggs!

I saw this recipe idea posted on Pinterest! I thought it was cute! I love the creative food on that site!

I just had to try it!  I love peppers and eggs, so I knew this would taste great!

It's Time For Another McCormick Spice Giveaway!

This is what you will receive in the giveaway!

Do you remember this post...A Great Giveaway...well it's time to do another one!

Basil Infused Olive Oil in 10 Minutes!

I received some basil infused olive oil as a gift and loved it! When the oil was all gone I missed having it around! So I decided to make some myself. It's very easy to do! Two ingredients and three simple steps and you'll have this delicious infused olive oil!

I love to dip Italian bread into the oil and eat it with a piece of hard cheese. And a glass of wine goes nicely with that too! It's also delicious drizzled over pasta! Infused oils can be very expensive to buy! So making it yourself is a great way to save money and have the satisfaction of knowing that you can do it!



Basil Infused Olive Oil

You'll Love These Balls!

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Trail Mix Balls

And they're actually healthy too! They're made with lots of natural ingredients like quinoa, oatmeal, shredded coconut, almonds, dark chocolate chips, dried cranberries, peanut butter(1 tbls) and honey. They taste so nutty, sweet and crunchy! A very satisfying snack! And these are so easy to make...no baking involved!

I Can't Believe I Made It!!!

I never realized how easy it is to make homemade ice cream!!! So why doesn't everyone make their own? Is it because they don't know how easy it is? Do I have the only ice cream machine that makes it this easy? I can't believe that all I had to do was mix a few common ingredients into a bowl and then add it to my ice cream maker! Then I just turned on the switch and 20 minutes later I had this delicious, cold, creamy creation!

This is my new ice cream machine that I won in a Facebook giveaway. This is such a great invention.

There is only one flaw with this machine. The manufacturer should have made it so that the ice cream machine cannot be opened until the ice cream is done being made! I kept eating scoops of fresh made ice cream through the opening in the top. Not a good idea if you want to share this ice cream with your family.

Seis de Mayo

I was so busy yesterday making my Cinco de Mayo recipes, so I decided to post them today!

I made Churros for the first time yesterday! I always buy Churros when I go to carnivals, but now, I'm so happy to say, that I can make them at home!


http://allrecipes.com/recipe/churros/detail.aspx
The link above will take you to the recipe.

I made these Churros as part of my activities for the Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador Program, as I've mentioned many times in other posts! Here is my review of this recipe...

These were VERY good, but a little tricky to get them just right! I love the fact that this is a firm dough because it holds the nice shape of the ridges which Churros are known for! I followed the suggestion of the 'most helpful' reviewer named Cat...I used only 1 tbls. of sugar and oil in the dough batter. But I think the key to getting these to cook perfectly is to make sure the fryer is at 375 degrees and I made sure to fry the Churros for 4 1/2 minutes each. The inside will continue to cook after being removed from the fryer. I made mine about the same size as the Churros I buy from vendors...8 inches long and 3/4 inch thick. I used a cookie gun/press instead of a pastry bag which worked perfectly with this firm dough! I piped all the Churros out onto waxed paper and fried them 2 at a time. These taste just like the Churros I always buy at carnivals!


As you can see from this inside view of my Churro
the center was cooked perfectly! Not raw at all as
some reviewers said was a problem.

I also made these tasty little appetizers! They're called 'Potato Nachos' and they were delicious! They are made by slicing cooked potatoes into rounds and topping them with a sprinkle of dry ranch salad dressing, cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese and jarred jalapeno slices. Then bake and top with sour cream and green onions!Here is my photo and the link to the recipe...


http://allrecipes.com/recipe/potato-nachos/Detail.aspx
The link above will take you to the recipe.

And the last new recipe I tried yesterday as part of my Allrecipes.com Allstar Program wasn't really a Cinco de Mayo item, but it went very well with all of the above mentioned food!

Smooth Sweet Tea
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/smooth-sweet-tea/detail.aspx
Click on link above to see recipe.

This was my first time drinking Sweet Tea but I know I'll be making this more often! It was such a refreshing and delicate iced tea drink! This is a strong brewed tea but the taste is not as strong as regular iced tea. The trick to making it taste smooth is a pinch of baking soda in the brew! I made mine decaf and added fresh lemon!  This was a perfect recipe for me...not overly sweet!

I hope you like the recipes I showed you today! And I hope I inspired you to give them a try!



Ice Cream Cake...2 Ways!

Buying store bought ice cream cakes can be so very expensive...and you can't always get the flavors you want! So I decided a few years ago to learn how to make it myself...not the ice cream part! That I still buy, but I will be making that myself soon also!

 Here I will show you 2 ways to make ice cream cakes! One way is so simple and only takes minutes. The other way is slightly harder and needs to be prepared a few days in advance. But either way, you'll save lots of money and you can customize the flavors in so many ways!

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Easy Oven Smoked Steak! No Wood Chips Needed!

There's nothing more satisfying than the taste of freshly barbecued steak on a grill. But sometimes it's just not convenient to barbecue outdoors! Well here's a recipe for those days when you cannot use your outdoor grill. Its easy! No wood chips involved!  Just steak plus 5 simple ingredients! And it tastes like you grilled it! I've made this many times! Serve with some potatoes and a green veg of your choice...it's that easy! This recipe was posted on the Internet by a cook named Annieamie. The photo is my own.


A Sandwich That Will Knock Your Socks Off!

My yummy sandwich!

I just tried this recipe called, 'Roasted Parmesan Tomato Sandwich'...it was my lunch yesterday and it was simply delicious...'simple' being the key to the fresh flavors of this sandwich! While I was devouring...and I mean DEVOURING this sandwich, I felt like I was transported to a quaint little sidewalk cafe in Italy! I've never been to Italy but I just know they must serve food like this all the time at those sidewalk cafes!

Soft Pretzel Bites...2 Ways! Stuffed and Sweet!

I am so hooked on this new recipe I just tried!!! I've been wanting to make my own pretzels for years, but I kept putting it off because I thought it would never work out for me! Then a few days ago I saw this recipe a food friend named Bill Wentz posted on Facebook! This recipe was the easiest I've seen for soft pretzels!!! It's just 5 ingredients! You just mix everything together and then knead, shape, dip and bake for 10 minutes! The hardest part for me was shaping the pretzels! Here's a picture of my first attempt at pretzel shaping.......

First attempt!
I know these look bad!!!
But they tasted great!

These are coated with cinnamon and brown sugar!

Homemade Lo Mein! It's So Easy!

This recipe tastes JUST like the Lo Mein I get from my favorite Chinese restaurant...but better, because I can add only the vegetables we like! In my photo I show this recipe plain, with just some chopped chives on top, but I have made it many times since then and have added chicken, bean sprouts, yellow and green onion and sometimes water chestnuts! It all depends on who I'm making it for and what they like! I make this recipe often, especially when I'm craving Chinese food! Go ahead and try it...I know you'll love it!

The original recipe is from a cooking site, posted by a member known as Yomomma. I tweaked it slightly to suit my family's tastes! I'm posting the recipe with the changes I made!

Lo Mein

A Great Giveaway!!!

Click on photo to enlarge

As I mentioned in this blog post, My 15 Minutes of Fame! I will be giving away a bunch (18 packs) of McCormick Gourmet Seasoning Mixes *click here* to see the selection! But I never imagined how many spice packets the McCormick people would send!

Quinoa Burgers!

I found this recipe on a blog called 
'Eating Well, Living Thin-er' by Linda F. It caught my eye because I love quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) and I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it! It's basically a veggie burger...but it tastes delicious! Most veggie burgers aren't very tasty and the texture is usually too chunky. This quinoa burger is none of those things!

An Italian Style Grilled Cheese Sandwich!

I love hot lunches! I'll heat up leftovers before I'll eat a cold lunch! But when there aren't any leftovers I'll make myself this tasty hot sandwich! I love this because it's quick and delicious! And it's kind of healthy too! Well, except for the butter and cheese...but it does have some veggies in there!

This grilled cheese sandwich reminds me of one of my favorite appetizers...antipasto! So that's what I named my recipe! I hope you like it as much as I do!



Antipasto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Easy Creamy Mac n' Cheesy

I've tried sooooo many mac n' cheese recipes! I've tried some with onions...some with dry mustard...some with cottage cheese! I finally decided to mix and match different recipes until I got exactly what I wanted in a mac n' cheese dish!

 I wanted something super creamy and cheesy but with lots of flavor! This is what I came up with...it's now my 'go to' mac n' cheese recipe because it works perfectly every time! I never have a problem with clumps or dryness! And I love the slight flavor of the mustard! You can add breadcrumbs on top and bake it til browned, if you like a crunchy crust! I don't, because I like my mac n' cheese to be totally creamy!

Meatloaf Muffins!

Lots of my food friends have been making these cute little meatloaf muffins, so I decided to give it a try! You know what? I think I'll make my meatloaf like this from now on because it's so much easier to make and serve in these individual muffin shapes! And I just love the fact that the mashed potatoes are ontop of each meatloaf. I poured brown gravy over the mashed potatoes just before serving! My family loved these! You can use your favorite meatloaf and mashed potato recipe. Below is the meatloaf recipe I used.

Meatloaf Muffins

My Favorite Cocktail - Homemade!

Red Apple Martini

I just love Red Apple Martinis!!! It's so hard to find a bartender that really knows how to make one correctly!

 Well, a few years ago I was out to lunch with my husband at this cute little seaside restaurant...it was a very casual place! The kind of place that you just drive up to in your boat! Flip flops and a T-shirt is the usual attire!

We walked in and sat down at the bar.

Do You Love Almond Joy Candy Bars?

Almond Joy Cake Mix Cookies

Well, if you do, you'll absolutely LOVE these cake mix cookies! They're so VERY easy to make...20 minutes from start to finish! And they really taste like Almond Joy candy bars!

Three Tasty and Easy Recipes!



Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage
Caesar Salad Recipe
**Click Here**

I love these kinds of recipes because I can make a large meal for my family in a snap! That's what I did with these 3 recipes!

An Exciting Birthday Bash!

I recently found out that I, along with 150 other AllRecipes.com Allstar Brand Ambassadors, are invited to an all expense paid birthday celebration for the AllRecipes website! The website will be 15 years old in July! We are all being flown to Seattle for this fun filled, 2 day, birthday party!

My 15 Mintues of Fame!

Well, it will really only be 5 minutes of fame after the video is edited...lol!

 I was recently asked to film a McCormick Gourmet Seasoning Mixes video! It's one of their new products, soon to be released nation wide this spring and summer!