More Food Favorites

So I can't resist sharing some more favorite recipes I've tried recently. Try them out and let me know how you like them. Thank goodness for food blogs!

Besides eating haha we haven't been up too much else. The weather has been really rainy so we've stayed indoors a lot, gone to the library, and redbox of course. I'm super excited for Conference this weekend! The weekend is always so uplifting and I always love all the talks. Elder Holland's my favorite :)

Had this one for dinner tonight and loved it!

Cheesy Taco Pasta
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef {I used 80/20]
1 taco seasoning packet
1 1/2 cups southwest salsa
1/2 cup water
1/2 lb. pasta {I used rotini}
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup cream
salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
Bring water to boil to cook the pasta. Salt it and cook pasta until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, cook ground beef, breaking apart as you go. Once thoroughly cooked, drain meat and run under hot water to remove any fat. Wipe out pan with paper towel and place back on heat. Pour cooked beef into hot pan with taco seasoning, salsa and water. Simmer until pasta is finished cooking.
Once pasta is cooked, drain well and pour into skillet. Top with cheese, cream, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese melts and noodles are coated in sauce. Serve immediately.
source: laurenslatest.com

My sister Nikki and I made these awhile ago and we fell in love! I was looking online today for a treat to make to eat during General Conference and came across these babies again and decided it was time to make them again!

Apple Streusel Bars

SWEET PASTRY:

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. real butter, softened (no substitutions!)

1 egg, beaten

APPLE FILLING:

1/2 c. white sugar

1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

4 c. (about 3 medium) sliced, peeled baking apples (I’ve used Granny Smith in the past, although this time around I used Gala and they were fabulous)

GLAZE:

2 c. powdered sugar

About 3 Tbsp. milk (whole milk is best)

1 tsp. almond extract

To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until you have pea-sized crumbles. Gently mix in beaten egg.

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Preheat oven to 350 and set aside.

To prepare apple filling, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon and toss with apples.Spread apples out on prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over apples evenly and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.  When finished, allow to cool completely.

To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Place glaze in a Ziploc bag and cut off a very small portion of one of the corners. (Or just use a fork(Drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden (you can place it in the freezer to hurry things along). Cut into bars and serve

source: ourbestbites.com

 

Okay...if you have not had Wingers Sticky Fingers than you have NOT LIVED!! I love these babies and now I can make them at home! I am so happy I found this recipe!

 

Wingers Sticky Fingers

 

For the chicken...

I just buy a package of Tyson’s frozen breaded chicken strips and bake them according to their conventional oven directions.

**If you wish to fry them, go for it! Or if you have your own breaded chicken recipe and you feel up to the challenge, then try it! Tyson’s frozen breaded chicken is already done (just bake according to package's directions)and is way easy for the meal in a crunch.*

 

SPECIAL Wingers Sauce

1 and ½ cups brown sugar

6 Tbsp FRANKS hot sauce (*It has to be FRANKS! I use the buffalo flavor and it is delicious, but the original would taste good too!*)

4 Tbsp water

Heat sauce until sugar is dissolved, then pour over chicken!

Enjoy! Serves about 2 with a little left over….so 2 for the price of 1

source: chef-in-training.com

 

I love love love crock-pot recipes! Here is a yummy and super easy one!

 

Cilantro Lime Chicken

 

In a slow cooker, mix together:
One 24-ounce jar medium or mild salsa
Juice from one lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
One 1.25-oz. package taco seasoning
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional

Add 4-6 boneless chicken breast halves (completely defrosted) to the slow cooker and coat with the salsa mixture. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours. Serve the chicken with the salsa mixture spooned over the top. If you're feeling crazy, throw a dollup of sour cream on top with some crushed tortilla chips.

This is also delicious as a taco filling or in a taco salad.
source: pipandebby.com

okay okay one more and I'm done!

This was voted  the #1 cassarole for the year at Taste of Home. I love cassaroles and I especially love this one! Definitely a favorite!

CHEESY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef ( lean)

• 1 large onion, chopped or season with Onion powder or minced onion

• 2 1/2 cups salsa

• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing

• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

• 6 flour or corn tortillas (8 inches)

• 1 small can of drained corn, or about 1 1/4 cups of frozen corn (optional)

• 3/4 cup sour cream  *Note: I used 1/2 cup

• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or your favorite cheese

• 1 cup shredded lettuce

• 1 medium tomato, chopped

• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

•  *Note:  I added 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro to the meat mixture instead. I also cut the flour tortillas to fit my pan, since they were the very large size. (That’s why they are square) I fried the cut-off edges and sprinkled them with cinnamon & sugar!

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
• Stir in the salsa, beans, corn, dressing, sour cream, taco seasoning and cumin.
• Spoon a generous layer of meat mixture on bottom of 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
• Place a flour or corn tortilla on top of meat mixture. Layer with half of the meat mixture, and cheese. Repeat as many layers as you like.
• The last & final layer should be a healthy dose of grated cheese.
• Cover with foil that has been sprayed with pam or other and bake at 400° for 25 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.
•  Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro. Yield: 8 servings.

source:justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com

 

Just What I Needed

After a very difficult and draining weekend I didn't feel like doing much, even though it was a nice day it still didn't help the way I was feeling. Keith insisted going out even if it was just to the park would help us feel better. So we drove downtown and into the North End to one of my favorite parks- Camel's Back. Growing up we came to this park all the time because there was like one park in Eagle and it was pretty lame, but Sunset and Camel's Back were our go to parks. Camel's Back holds a lot of memories, even though it has changed somewhat I can still picture in my mind what it used to look like and the fun times we had here almost every week in the summer growing up. The three of us played for awhile, Keith and I watched Carson all giddy with excitement run around and explore. After awhile I decided to take a hike to the top of the hill while Keith stayed with Carson. Once I got to the top I hiked the trails in back for a bit, taking in the beauty of Boise, the foothills, the trees, and the sunset. Oh it was just what I needed. What I was feeling all went away and a peace came, it was so nice to just look at the view and think of all my blessings, Keith and Carson being what makes me happy, and just thinking about life and why certain things happen and what God is trying to have me learn through all of it. Sometimes nature is the best therapy.

                                This is why it's called "the city of trees."

New Tastes

Each week I get the lovely task of planning our meals, writing the grocery list and shopping for the food. It's kinda a love/hate thing, I get excited about looking for new yummy recipes to try but recently I've started to hate grocery shopping, I don't know why, I used to love it, but maybe that will change. Anyway...this week I tried some new recipes which I enjoyed. Tomorrow I'm trying to re-create Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork Burrito...we'll see how that goes. Here are two of the recipes that I really liked not only for their taste but for their simplicity!

French Dip in the Crockpot

4 pounds of some type of roast meat (rump roast, chuck roast, etc!)

1 can (10.5 oz) beef broth (I used Campbells)

1 can (10.5 oz) french onion soup (Also used Campbells)

Grape Juice (just enough to fill the rest of the crock pot)

french rolls or other crusty rolls

sliced cheese (we love Swiss or Provolone with these!)

Place your roast in the crockpot and pour the broth, french onion soup and grape juice on top. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours. About 30 minutes before eating, take out the meat and shred. Place meat back into the juices and stir to flavor all the meat. Split your rolls and top with sliced cheese. Bake at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes or until rolls are nice and toasty. Top rolls with shredded meat and add a cup of the au jus (yummy meat juices) on the side to dip your sandwich in...SUPER YUM! Perfect for a Sunday meal or any day where it can cook all day long.

Now I love Clif Bars and these didn't taste exactly like the real thing to me but that's ok they had their own flavor and I really like them. The whole pan was gone in a day! I think I will be making these again today. I love granola bars and it's fun to be able to make your own homemade granola or bars because once you have all the ingredients you can make several batches and it's cheaper than buying them.

Ingredients

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 3 large biscuit style shredded wheat cereal, or 1 cup un-frosted spoon-size shredded wheat
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

How to Make

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Spray an 8x8 pan lightly with cooking spray.
3. Place raisins in food processor and pulse until lightly chopped (it will be sticky)
4. Add the shredded wheat, oats, cinnamon and salt in food processor and pulse until mixture is finely chopped and incorporated.
5. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, honey, vanilla and peanut butter.
6. Add the oat mixture and chocolate chips and stir until combined.
7. Spread in prepared pan and bake 15-18 minutes until edges are slightly golden.
8. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing into squares.

P.F. Changs Lettuce Wraps (knock-off)

Keith and I absolutely love P.F. Changs, especially their lettuce wraps. If any of you haven't tasted these delicious babies yet you need to! Therefore, I am posting this recipe so that you can re-create them. You will love them, I promise!

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

For stir fry sauce:
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For Cashew Chicken:
• 2 chicken breasts (about 3/4 lb. total), diced
• 8 leaves of greenleaf or iceburg lettuce
• 3 tablespoons canola oil (or oil of choice)
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cashews, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For stir fry sauce:
1. Mix all ingredients making sure to dissolve brown sugar. Set aside.

For Cashew Chicken:
1. Heat canola oil in pan over medium to medium high heat. Add diced chicken and brown (about 4-5 minutes). Remove chicken from oil. Add onions, garlic and 1 teaspoon soy sauce to pan; brown. When onions and garlic are brown and tender, add stir fry sauce, browned chicken, and cashews. Saute mixture for a few minutes and remove from heat.
2. Spoon chicken mixture into individual lettuce leaves. Add your favorite hot sauce, more cashews or basil.

"Can you just stay this small Forever?"

It's been so bittersweet watching my little man grow up. He has gotten so big and so smart. It's seriously the most amazing thing to watch him explore, grow, and develop, and do new things. These past few days he has done some things that have just melted my heart and made me want him to stay this small forever. I love every stage they go through, newborn, infant, toddler, there's fun things about each stage and at each stage I remember thinking, "I just want him to stay this small."

Anyway...so the other day Carson was playing with his train and he would go sit on it and then run back to me and give me a big hug and rest his head on my shoulder and just hug me for a little while then go back to his train and playing for a about 30 seconds then would run back and give me a hug again and rest his head on my shoulder, he did this about 3-4 times. It was the most precious thing ever, I sat there and thought just how lucky I am to be his mom.

He is also so particular sometimes, he loves both me and Keith, but since I spend 24/7 with him and feed him most of the time he sometimes just wants his mom, so he's started to actually say, MOM. I love it! When I first heard it I got so excited! Now whenever he wants me or wants to eat he'll say, MOM, MOM, MOM. It's sooo cute!

The other day I asked him if he wanted to go outside and he said, "YEAH!" oh he's my little boy!
He also says, OW, WoW, and Thank You. OW is is new favorite word, I think he says that the most besides MOM.

Yesterday, I took off his shirt to change his clothes and he immediately runs into his room and into his bathroom to the tub and put his leg up getting ready to put himself in, I had to hurry in there and let him know I needed to do that, and take off his diaper too. It was just so cute to me that he immediately thought, since I was taking off his clothes it was bath time, he sure loves his baths!

He also is so particular when it comes to eating dinner, he wants to eat our food instead of his. He somehow believes that our food is superior to his and therefore wants to eat ours. We have figured out how to trick him though by putting his food on our plate and acting like it's ours. He will eat it if it's on our plate, he's hilarious.

He has this train that he got from his Grandma Penrod for Christmas. He is big enough to where he has figured out how to climb up on it and sit down on the seat. He loves to play with all the buttons that make noise. It's so cute to see him figure things out on his own.

so baby picture perfect. I can't believe he used to be this small!

Rainy Days and Sundays

So it's been rainy all week and depressing--I haven't got out of the house much because all three of us have been sick, it's been quite the fun week!

But....on Sunday I'm giving a talk. I think we all need to hear this topic often, me especially right now, that's why I think, actually I know I was supposed to give this talk. I needed to gain a greater testimony about this principle and to read the wonderful talks I was asked to. Keith showed me this poem which is perfect for my talk, so I'm adding it. Here's a little food for thought....

The Touch of the Master's Hand

'Twas battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile.

"What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"
 
But, No,
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.
 
"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.
 
The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."
 
And many a man with life out of tune
All battered with bourbon and gin
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin
A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
 
But the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.
 
Myra Brooks Welch

A Day Downtown

Keith had Friday off work so we spent the day downtown with some of my family. We went out to an Italian Restaurant with my brother, sister (and her daughter), and my mom. Afterwards we took a little walk along the greenbelt that goes right through Boise (it's definitely one of my favorite things about Boise and one of my favorite things to do when the weather is nice) Carson didn't like being in his stroller for long, he wanted out and wanted to walk! He loved exploring and was laughing and giddy the whole time he was walking, it was soo cute! Keith said, "you know who he looks like when he walks, Paul Walker," so we nicknamed him PW. haha It was such and ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS day. Later that night we went over to my mom's for some homemade Chinese, my bro-in-law really knows how to cook some good chinese food!

Saturday was absolutely gorgeous too! We headed over to my sisters house to hang out for the day. We went on a walk to the nearby elementary school and just let the kids play. Afterwards the boys grilled up some mean hamburgers for us while Nikki and I made some very addicting Turtle Cheesecake Bars...probably our favorite thing to do when we get together is to try new recipes from pinterest! Oh they are still sitting in my fridge and I can't resist them!

Here's the link if you wanna give them a whirl....http://www.louanneskitchen.com/2011/09/turtle-cheesecake-bars.html

Simple Joys

It's funny how simple little things can sometimes bring the most joy to your day. I made a new drink that I absolutely love- it's so simple but so yummy that I've already made it twice today! haha Once for breakfast and once for dessert. I can't wait to make it again tomorrow. It has all my favorite things! PB/Choc/Bananas.

1 Banana

1 TBS of Cocoa

1 spoonful of peanut butter

1/2-1 C Milk

(Mix all ingredients in blender, add more or less of whatever ingredient depending on how you like it- thick or thin) Ooo man it's my new favorite!

Today was also such a nice day that I decided little man and I should go on a walk. I walked to hamburger/ice cream shop just down the street and asked my sis to come meet us. It was fun to get out and enjoy the nice the weather! We had fun hanging out, eating and chatting, once our husbands got home we went to the nature park for FHE for another leisurely stroll and let lil' Carson and Brielle play at the park. It was so fun to see Carson really play for the first time since last time it was warm enough to go to the park Carson wasn't walking yet. Afterwards we went to the SUB on the BSU campus and got some Chic-Fil-A for dinner. yummm I love their sauce. All in all it was one of those simple, but really enjoyable days that also makes you want summer to be here quicker so you can be outside more. Can't wait for all the summer activities especially swimming since Carson is a fish!

They're BACK!

They're BAAACK!! Girl Scout cookies!! So I gotta say everyone raves about the thin mints, they're even Keith's favorite but mine are TAG-A-LONGS! I mean who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate? I've never really liked mint so that's probably why I stay away from the thin mints, the samoas are my second fav. I found a blog with a homemade tagalong recipe which I'm dying to try! Anyway...I won't tell you how long it took me to eat the whole box....only Keith knows haha. Let's just say I'm comtemplating buying another box ;)