Portuguese Pot Roast!

This is my first time making Portuguese food, but if all Portuguese recipes are as delicious as this one then I'll be making MANY more!

Egg in a Hole!

This is such a fun way to serve eggs and toast! And I love the fact that the eggs and toast are made at the same time in the same frying pan! So much easier that way! My family got a kick out of this egg dish! I've made it often. I like to make this when we're having breakfast for dinner!

Homemade Taco Seasoning!

Whenever I make chili or any kind of Mexican dish, I always make sure to have this taco spice blend mixed and ready to add! No need to buy packets of taco seasoning when you probably already have all the ingredients needed to make your own!

Plum Peachy Seared Pork Chops!

Summertime is the best time to experiment with fruit recipes! I'm finding lots of fresh peaches and plums in every food store and farm stand! Lately I've been craving fruit with pork, so I figured now is the time to get creative!

Scalloped Eggplant Casserole!

This is a recipe I had saved in a folder for about 3 years. I found the recipe on the GroupRecipes.com cooking site. It was posted by one of my favorite cooks from that site known as Dugger. I have tried a few of his recipes and was never disappointed!

Simple Banana Split Pie!

I was given this recipe by a Facebook follower named Richard Allen Jernigan. This is what he said...
"I have a recipe for you. It is very easy, and you may even find other simple variations in addition to the ones I have listed. It actually tastes as if it has more calories than it has, and it is very good for the hot summer since it is so light. I got this from a fundraiser cookbook a group in my hometown in WV did back in 1978. It has always been a hit!"

Easy Skillet Apple Pie!

I never thought to make an apple pie in a skillet, but it is truly a great idea because it's so quick and easy! I found this recipe here on a food blog called Lemon Sugar!

Easy Skillet Chicken Parmesan

I know that chicken parmesan has been around for ages! There are so many recipes out there that it's mind boggling!

Skinny Chocolate Banana Souffle

I love it when I come across a chocolate dessert recipe that is not only easy, but low fat and low calorie! It's a dream come true! This dessert is so light, airy and creamy with just the right amount of chocolate/banana flavor!

Fried Pasta Stix

I came up with this recipe as a way of using up some leftover cooked lasagna noodles. I love the crunchy baked ends of lasagna! That is exactly what this tastes like when dipped into your favorite pasta sauce!

Spicy Beer Bread

 I have been looking for the perfect Beer Bread recipe for a long time! I definitely found it with this next recipe! I love how easy this is to make with just a few simple ingredients! This bread is nice and hearty with a slightly sweet and slightly spicy touch! The beer flavor comes through perfectly!

S'mores Kiss Cups!

I love S'mores and have tried many different variations of this classic recipe! So why not try one more?

Easy Oven Luau Ribs!

This is one of those rare recipes that makes you do a happy dance after you taste it! I was shown this recipe by a foodie friend named Michelle Conner!
She found this recipe in an old 1979 cookbook put out by the American Martyrs Catholic church in Manhattan Beach, Ca....called 'Recipes and Remembrances'.

Upside-Down Pizza and a Giveaway!

An easy and unique way to make a delicious pizza in less than 45 minutes! No yeast dough to make!

Cheesecake Dip!

I love a good sweet, creamy, cheesecake any day! But sometimes I just don't have the time to whip one up! And when my cheesecake craving hits, I want it fast! So, I went looking through my pantry and fridge to see if I could come up with a way to get an instant fix! I was very pleased with the results of my experiment!

Amazing 4 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken!

This is one of those seriously scrumptious easy meals that you just want to gobble up and lick the plate clean! And the best part is how easy it is to make and contains easy to find ingredients!! Prep time is 5 minutes! And you don't even have to defrost the chicken! 

Garlic and Lemon Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes!

This is one of those easy baked meals that you just assemble and forget about until it's dinner time! Everything bakes in one pan! Lots of flavor with little effort...my favorite kind of recipe!

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!