The Blankenship's

Thank you to everyone who has continued to follow my food journey here at Katie's Korner.

I've made the decision to make my family blog, The Blankenship's, my one and only blog.

It is where I'll post updates about my family and our everyday life but it will also be where I post new food recipes and craft ideas. I will keep Katie's Korner up and active for you to search my past recipes just in case you've found a few favorites.

I hope to see you soon over at The Blankenship's.

Katie

Thanksgiving Menu 2013

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday next to Christmas. You get to be surrounded by family and close friends, delicious foods, and for our family it's our Christmas season kick off because we do a Christmas ornament exchange. The best part is you don't have to worry about presents and wrapping paper all over the place.

I was asked to share our menu this year so I'm going to take a moment to share the recipes that I'll be making for us this year.

Our event is starting at 2 o'clock this year with the main meal being served at 3:30. Daniel fries the turkeys each year and he smothers and injects them with a butter mixture that keeps them so moist. This year he is experimenting with one and injecting it with buffalo sauce. I usually cook a ham in the crockpot with lots of brown sugar and pineapple.

Appetizers:
Cheeseball - My MIL is making it this year and she doesn't add the hot sauce.
Stuffed Mushrooms  - My family loves these, I've been making them for years but have never tasted one.
Cheese and Meat tray

Side Dishes:
Mac n Cheese - My aunt is bringing this dish.
Chicken n Dumplins - My dad and his girlfriend are bringing this dish.
Arkansas Green Beans - If you love green beans you must try this recipe. It's to die for.
Mashed Potatoes - These are the only mashed potatoes I can get my husband to eat.
Stuffing- I've never made homemade stuffing so my MIL is bringing this dish.

Dessert:
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Bread
Baklava - I grew up eating this stuff at Thanksgiving compliments of my great aunt Sue. This isn't her recipe but it's the one I use and Daniel could eat the entire pan.
Chocolate Pudding Pie- My sister makes this with a graham cracker pie crust and then instant chocolate pudding.
Assortment of Cookies

I can't wait to get my grub on. The turkeys are thawing in the fridge as we speak and I'll head out Wednesday morning to get the rest of my supplies and my goal is to have everything pre-made the night before so I'm not stressed out when everyone arrives.

I hope everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving and if you have a favorite recipe you would like to share with us please feel free to share!

Roasted Poblano Pepper Casserole

We planted one poblano pepper plant this year in the garden and it has been producing like nobody's business. It's one of the peppers that Daniel is unwilling to share with his co-workers so I've been freezing them as we harvest them. We picked yet another fresh batch the other day so after Daniel being out of town for the past several days only to be heading out again in the morning, I thought now was the time to do something with them. I searched high and low for a recipe that tickled my fancy but none came close to what I was looking for. This meant I just needed to create my own and create my own is what I did.

They were DELICIOUS!! Daniel didn't really say much about them until after he had finished his third helping. He said that it was a pretty good dinner which in Daniel code means they were amazing.

I hope everyone who gives these a try enjoys them as much as we did.

Roasted Poblano Pepper Casserole

Ingredients:
8-12 poblano peppers, roasted with the skin peeled off
12 oz. Queso Fresco cheese
1 C. Mexican blend shredded cheese

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
1 roasted red pepper
1 lg. shallot, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
 1/8 tsp. cumin powder

Chicken Filling:
 2 chicken breasts, salted and peppered to taste, browned and cooked through and then shredded.
1 C. frozen corn
1 C. black beans, drained and rinsed.
1 C. diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 C. diced green onions
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin powder

Directions:

1.) Halve and seed poblano peppers. Lightly toss them with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Broil on high in oven until skin is browned and pulling away from pepper. Remove from oven and place them in a large ziploc bag until cooled. Once cooled peel skin off of peppers. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) In a medium skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper chicken breasts on each side and add to a covered skillet. Cook until browned on each side and cooked through. 

3.) In a small skillet add 2 tbsp. butter and heat over medium low heat. Add diced shallots and garlic. Cook until softened.

4.) In a small food processor add roasted red pepper and softened shallots and garlic. Process until smooth. Add back to small pan and season with salt, pepper, cumin, and slowly mix in heavy cream. Allow to simmer over low heat.

5.) In medium bowl added shredded chicken, frozen corn, black beans, green onions and diced tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Mix until thoroughly until fully incorporated.

6.) In a medium sized baking dish add a thin layer of the roasted pepper sauce on the bottom. Top with  8-10 poblano pepper halves. Top with chicken mixture and then top with 1/3 of the Queso Fresco cheese crumbled. Repeat layers. You'll have two regular layers plus an extra layer of the shredded chicken mixture. Top the last layer with remaining Queso Fresco cheese and the shredded Mexican cheese.

7.) Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until browned on top and bubbly on the side. Allow to stand for a few minutes and then serve.

I know a few vegetarians and I would suggest substituting the chicken for cooked quinoa. My guess would be about two cups and it would be tasty cooked in vegetable broth and then mixed with some fresh cilantro.

Also, I apologize in advance if something is missing in the instructions or if something doesn't make sense. I typed this up with two screaming toddlers around me so my mind kept scattering elsewhere.

Strawberry Sauce

The ladies and I went strawberry picking today along with my mother-in-law and we came home with a big ol' bucket of strawberries that were just screaming to be made into something delicious. I adore strawberry sauce on pancakes and ice cream so I just knew I had to whip up a batch. I've never had homemade sauce before and I couldn't believe how delicious this was. Addison helped me make this and we both had giant smiles on our faces after we gave it a taste test. If you love strawberry sauce as much as I do, you must make this as soon as possible.

Katie's Homemade Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients: 
1/2 Cup white granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 cups of sliced strawberries

Directions:
1.) In a medium saucepan over medium high heat add sugar, vanilla, and strawberries.

2.) Bring to a boil and allow to boil for about ten minutes. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for another five to ten minutes.

3.) Allow mixture to slightly cool and then blend about 2/3 of the mixture. Add blended mixture back to saucepan and allow to completely cool. Store in an air tight jar and keep refrigerated.

Grilled Chicken and Veggie Quinoa

Daniel is on a wellness committee at work and for each meeting they all bring in healthy dishes to share with each other. He requested a quinoa salad of some sort so I found him a good one for his meeting which left me with an extra cup of quinoa that needed to be cooked. I came up with this dish tonight trying to use it up and come up with something different. All four of us really enjoyed this dish and surprisingly, it is very filling. I can't wait to experiment more with quinoa.

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 Cup uncooked quinoa
1 TBSP. chicken flavored broth and base seasoning
2 Cups of water
2 zuchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, peeled and sliced
2-4 red tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
1 TBSP. minced garlic
2-3 medium chicken breasts
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.) Slice zuchini and squash and coat evenly with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and garlic. Grill until tender. Cut tomatoes in half and place on the grill until the skin starts to peel off.

2.) Salt and pepper chicken breasts and grill until cooked through.

3.) Bring two cups of water with chicken broth and base seasoning and quinoa to a boil. Then cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until water is absorbed.

4.) Allow vegetables to cool and then dice them up along with the cooked chicken breasts. Gently fold quinoa into the chicken and veggie mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of grated Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cherry Chocolate Cookies

I was searching for a good cookie recipe yesterday that didn't involve chocolate chips since I had none and I came across this one over at Cassie Craves. I always seems to go to her page first. Even though hers called for chocolate chips I decided to walk on the creative side and use what I did have on hand...cherry chip morsels.

I swapped out the vanilla pudding for chocolate, and the chocolate chips for cherry chips. We all thought these were pretty delicious and what you see in this picture is all that is left. I gave some to my aunt and uncle and we kept the rest to have something sweet in the house. 

Cherry Chocolate Cookies

~ Adapted from Cassie Craves

Ingredients:
 

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
small package of chocolate pudding
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups of cherry chip morsels










Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add in pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the cherry chips.

3. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

*Make sure you follow the step about leaving the cookies on the cookie sheet for an additional two minutes. They are very soft when they first come out and will fall apart if you try to take them off immediately.  Also, I suggest using the larger box of pudding like she did in her recipe. The smaller box is all that I had on hand and I felt the cookies could have had more of a chocolate kick to them.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Our fridge and pantry are almost bare here in our house so I was on a mission to find a sweet treat to make that included ingredients that I still had on hand.

I recently discovered Stephanie over on her blog Macaroni and Cheesecake and it's become another favorite of mine. As soon as I saw this cake I just knew I had to give it a shot.

We ate ours still slightly warm out of the oven and it literally melted in my mouth. It's like a cross between regular ol' cake and a good coffee cake and it will definitely be made again. This would be awesome served for a brunch on a holiday such as Easter and/or Christmas.

Cinnamon Roll Cake
Source: Six Sister’s Stuff

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 tbsp. butter, melted
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon

Glaze:
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
5 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray, set aside.

2.) In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 3 cups flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, & vanilla.  Mix until fully incorporated.  Reduce speed to low and slowly pour in the 4 tbsp. melted butter.

3.)Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.

4.) Clean your stand mixer bowl and once clean, add in the 2 sticks softened butter, brown sugar, 2 tbsp. flour, and cinnamon.  Beat until fully incorporated.  Mixture will be thick.

5.) Spoon dollops of the cinnamon butter mixture on top of the cake batter.  Use a knife to swirl the cinnamon butter mixture into the cake.

6.) Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and place in pan on a cooling rack.

Meanwhile mix together your glaze.  In medium sized bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, milk and vanilla. Pour over cake while it is still warm and carefully swirl the pan around or spread the glaze around so that it is evenly distributed over the cake.  Serve cake warm or at room temperature.  Store leftovers in airtight container.

Katie's 3 Bean Whole Hog Chili

I'm going to ignore the simple fact that I haven't posted a new recipe here on the ol' blog since October and get straight to the point! I just hope someone is still out there willing to follow along with me...lol.

The point is my three bean whole hog chili. Daniel had a sales guy from work give him probably three pounds of whole hog sausage. The sausage was extremely fresh, as in the pig had been slaughtered, butchered, and processed the day before Daniel got a hold of it. It's a very bland sausage that is very smokey in flavor. You could smell the smoke with the sausage still in the bag.

I decided to try to whip him up a chili to take for his lunches and this is the masterpiece that I came up with. It's smokey and delicious with a kick of heat in the back of your throat. It's not for the faint of heart and perfect for this dreary, cold weather that just doesn't seem to want to leave Ohio! I'm ready for spring for crying out loud!!

Katie's Three Bean Whole Hog Chili
Source: Katie's Korner

Ingredients:
1 lb. whole hog sausage, browned
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 md. onion, diced
1 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
1 7oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 29 oz. can tomato sauce
29 oz. water
1 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:
1.) In a large stock pot brown whole hog sausage with diced red peppers, diced onions, and garlic. Brown until no more red meat is showing.
2.) Add in chipotle peppers with the adobo sauce and mash in with the meat mixture.
3.) Add tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans. Stir until everything is evenly mixed.
4.) Add black pepper, chili powder, cumin, and kosher salt. Allow chili to boil for about ten minutes and then reduce heat to low and allow it to simmer for one to two hours to allow flavors to combine.

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and onion.

Potato Leek and Carrot Casserole

I don't even know how to properly describe this casserole. I made it tonight to use up some leeks that Daniel had requested for the new diet that he is attempting. I've never eaten, nor have I ever cooked with them so I honestly made this dish praying the entire time that what I had concocted in my head, would actually produce an edible dish that we would all enjoy. I was already pushing it by adding potatoes and we all know, Daniel doesn't eat potatoes.

Well, two helpings later he proclaimed that they were really good and I'll admit to have 2 1/2 helpings. They are awesome and both girls loved them. We've got plans on buying a concession trailer here within the next year or so so cook and sell lunch and dinner items out of and he said tonight that this will be going on the menu with our pulled pork dinner.

These were creamy and cheesy which were right up my alley. I highly suggest trying them out at your Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Potato, Leek, and Carrot Casserole

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 large potatoes, washed and cubed
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. salt
2 leeks, clean, halved, and sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz. whipped cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese
Black pepper, salt, and garlic powder

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a colander add sliced leeks and submerge in a large bowl of cold water. Toss lightly with your hands to allow the dirt to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Remove colander from bowl of water and allow it to drain.

2.) In a large saute pan add olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter. Add carrots and garlic cloves to saute pan and cook for two to three minutes. Add cubed potatoes and season with black pepper and salt. Add an additional 1 tbsp. of butter and cook for roughly ten minutes or until potatoes have a golden brown texture and have started to soften in the middle. Lastly add leeks and toss gently with the rest of the vegetable mixture. Turn off heat.

3.) In a microwave safe dish, melt cream cheese for 20 seconds. Add sour cream to cream cheese and milk then generously season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add to potato mixture and evenly coat. Add to oven safe dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and top with shredded cheese.

4.) Bake uncovered for twenty to twenty-five minutes until top is golden and sides are bubbly.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Pork Loin

Creamy roasted garlic pork loin, sounds fancy doesn't it? Guess what! It's as simple as throwing a few ingredients into a baking dish. This meal consisted of only four ingredients, salt and pepper being two of them, and I only have one item to thank. Progresso recipe starters. Have you tried these magical things yet? I received one free in the mail about two weeks ago and while I was hesitant at first to give it a shot, I finally gave in and gave it a try in my kitchen.

I lightly dusted the pork loin with salt and pepper and then poured the cooking sauce over top of it in a covered baking dish. I was excited at how moist the pork came out and the big kick was that Daniel liked it. The man's funny about his meats so when he says something is good, then I know it's good. If you're looking for another easy dinner then give this stuff a try. Next time I'm going to throw it all in my crockpot and see how magical it is that way.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Pork Loin
Source: Me

Ingredients:
3-4 lb. pork loin
1 can PROGRESSO creamy roasted garlic cooking sauce
salt
pepper

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) In a 2 1/2 quart baking dish place pork loin and season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour cooking sauce over pork loin, cover and bake for two hours or until cooked through

3.) Serve over rice or with a side of mashed potatoes.

* I wasn't paid or given the free sample in order to blog about the cooking sauce. I'm blogging about it because it was that good!!

Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole

I had another one of those "what's for dinner" nights. I really hate it when I don't take the time to compose a weekly meal plan. It leaves me guessing every night what I'll be making for dinner and I hate stressing about it. I pulled together a couple of ingredients and hoped for the best.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well this turned out and the best part was that both girls went back for seconds. Daniel said it was just OK, but it didn't slow him up when he went back for seconds!

This made enough for all of us to have two servings a piece and we still have enough leftover that the girls and I will have lunch tomorrow. I can't wait to see how well it holds up reheated. If you're looking for something to comfort your soul on a chilly evening, this would be great!!

Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole
Source: Me

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. parsley
1 sm. onion finely diced
1/2 tsp. onion powder
8 oz egg noodles, boiled and drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) In a medium saucepan boil chicken breasts until cooked thoroughly. In a large pot bring water to a boil and add noodles and a couple of dashes of salt. Cook until al dente.

3.) In a large mixing bowl add cream of celery soup, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, frozen corn, and colby jack cheese. Gently mix together.

4.) Shred cooked chicken breasts and add to cream of celery mixture. Add cooked egg noodles and gently mix until evenly coated.

4.) Add to a prepared 2 1/2 quart baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese.  Bake uncovered for 25-28 minutes or until top is bubbly and golden.

Mock Chipotle Rice

We love Chipotle here in our house, even the little ladies. I've been trying for years to recreate their rice recipe to no avail and even thought this still isn't 100% like theirs, I was pretty darn good, good enough to eat all by itself. I can't wait to make this again for a simple side dish with our dinner. I made ours with our golden fried chicken nuggets and Addison had two or three servings of this. Normally I would make it when we were eating Mexican food but clearly, it can go with just about anything.

Mock Chipotle Rice

Ingredients:


2 cups water

1 chicken bullion cube
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 cups quick cooking white rice
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Juice from 1/2 fresh lime
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
1.) In a medium saucepan, bring two cups of water to a boil. Add 1 chicken bullion cube and one whole garlic clove, lightly mashed.

2.) Once water has boiled, take out garlic clove and add two cups of instant white rice. Turn off heat and cover pan with a lid. Allow to sit for five minutes.

3.) Once rice has finished cooking, add cilantro, juice of lime, and salt. Mix thoroughly and serve. 

Golden Fried Chicken Nuggets

You know that feeling of sheer panic when its time to start dinner and you have absolutely know idea what to make? I had one of those moments the other night and I hate it. I knew dinner would involve chicken because I had set some out earlier to thaw, but I truly didn't know what to do with it.

Typically I start dinner around 5 o'clock and on this particular day 4:50 rolled around and I was stumped. After standing in the middle of the kitchen for a minute or so and then carefully examining everything that was in the fridge, freezer, and cabinets I settled on homemade chicken nuggets, mock chipotle rice, and green beans. I didn't have high hopes for this meal, I just knew that it needed to be edible and fulfilling and surprisingly, this fit the bill. I always know when something is good when Daniel either compliments me on it, or says that it's good and he said that these nuggets were good after questioning me what was in the batter.

These will were great dipped in my favorite honey mustard, Daniel dipped his in spicy mustard, and the girls used a bit of ketchup and BBQ sauce. They were easy to make and went over well which means that they will be made again sometime in the future.

Golden Fried Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 heaping tsp. garlic powder
1 heaping tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 lg. chicken breast, cubed and cut into sm. pieces

Directions:
1.) In a small mixing bowl add and evenly mix all of your dried ingredients; flour, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and paprika. In a second small bowl mix together your eggs and milk.

2.) In a dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening over medium/high heat.

3.) Coat cubed chicken in egg mixture, drain any excess egg mixture and then dip into flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and gently place in melted shortening. If first piece of chicken starts to bubble around the edges that means your shortening is ready to go. Place an even layer of chicken in vegetable shortening and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a dash or two of salt. Repeat process until all chicken is fried. 

4.) Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and your favorite side dishes and enjoy!

Skillet Cornbread

I knew making two different kinds of chili this past weekend that we just had to have cornbread to go along with our meal. My mamaw makes homemade cornbread but growing up my mom used to always just use the boxed variety. I always try to stick with homemade items when I have guests over for meals so I knew the boxed kind just wouldn't suffice this time.

I found this recipe on-line and instead of baking it in a 9x13 baking dish as stated, I used my cast iron skillet. I preheated my oven with the skillet inside so that it would be hot when it was time to pour in the cornbread mixture. Before adding the mixture, I added a couple of tablespoons of butter that I made sure coated the bottom and the sides of the skillet and then I poured the wet mixture in.

I don't know the size of my skillet, but it's a big one and this recipe made enough to fill the pan. There were six adults and two children and we devoured this skillet of cornbread. I got several compliments and I was pretty proud of myself for doing such an awesome job my first time making homemade cornbread. I'll never used boxed cornbread mix again!

 Picture borrowed from allrecipes.com member, LESLEYfromWI. I didn't get my own picture but this looked just like mine!

Skillet Cornbread
Slightly adapted from: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 vegetable oil
3-4 tbsp. butter

Directions: 
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with large cast iron skillet inside to warm. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes. 
 
2.) In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth. Added butter to heated skillet and allow to melt, making sure that it has coated the bottom and the sides.  
 

3.) Pour cornbread mixture into prepared skillet and bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

4.) Serve slightly warm with an additional pat or two of butter. 

Crockpot Chili

Growing up I wasn't fond of chili. My mom would make it and I would pick the majority of the beans out of it. As I have matured my taste buds have matured as well. I eat things now that I wouldn't have touched with a ten foot pole back during my childhood, chili being one of them.

I was in chili mode this past weekend and I'm pretty sure this recipe is now my favorite. I got lots of compliments over it and I can't wait to make it again. I top mine with LOTS of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream when I have it on hand. This is a must serve dish during fall.

Quick Chili
Source: allrecipes.com
I made a few slight changes!

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water ( I omitted and used a large container of veggie juice instead)
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans (I used a 40 oz. can)
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (I used two, 15 oz. cans)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (I omitted)
diced onion
shredded cheese
sour cream

Directions: 
1.) In a large stock pot lightly brown ground beef, and drain if needed. 
2.) Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. 
3.) Add tomatoes, diced tomatoes with chili peppers, tomato sauce, vegetable juice, kidney beans, pinto beans, chili powder, cumin, sugar, salt, pepper and hot sauce if so desired. Simmer for 30 minutes and then serve. 

* I browned my meat, onion, and garlic in a skillet and then added it with all of the other ingredients to my crockpot and cooked it for about three hours on high heat.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

During the day when I'm not being forced to watch the Disney Junior channel, I immediately turn on the Food Network. I love watching others cook and I really love getting inspiration to try my own creating. One afternoon while watching the Barefoot Contessa make a batch of these, I just knew I had to give them a try. I made them for a family dinner at our house and everyone enjoyed them. Daniel proclaimed that they weren't really peanut butter and jelly because I made it with raspberry jam instead of grape but what can you do.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Source: Ina Garten

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (She suggests Skippy, but I used a store brand and they were fine)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam
2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped (I left these out)

Sorry for the poor quality of the photo.

Directions:

 1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.) Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

3.)In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

4.) In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

5.) Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown.

6.) Cool and cut into squares.

Turkey Bacon Crescents

I've been a real cooking slump these past couple of weeks. I just don't have the motivation to find new recipes, write grocery lists, and then spend time cooking elaborate meals in the evenings. I'm not sure what the problem is but I hope I get out of this slump soon.

Not only am I in a cooking slump but I'm having some complications with my ileostomy. One of the complications pretty much keeps me from lifting or bending over so the easier the meal the better for me. When I saw this one I just knew I had to give it a try. It was delicious and we all loved it. It's most definitely another keeper here in our house!

Turkey Bacon Crescents
Source: Plain Chicken

Ingredients:
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
2 Tbsp honey mustard dressing
8 oz thinly sliced cooked turkey (from deli)
4 slices provolone cheese
8 slices precooked bacon

Directions:

1.) Heat oven to 375.

2.) Separate dough into triangles.  Spread each triangle with 3/4 teaspoon honey mustard. Top each with turkey, 1/2 slice of cheese and 1 piece of bacon. Roll up loosely.

3.) Place on cookie sheet.  Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Yes my friends, it was that simple! If you have young children this is a must try recipe.

Italian Layer Bake

This meal was so good I can't even begin to properly describe it. It was easy to throw together and Daniel took one bite and proclaimed, "this is good!" I was afraid that it would be to bland so I threw in half a chopped onion with the roasted red pepper and I think it helped tie it all together. This is definitely going into monthly rotation here at our house!

Italian Layer Bake:
Source: mrfood.com

Ingredients: 
1 (8-ounce) container refrigerated crescent rolls 
8 slices (1/2 pound) deli turkey 
8 slices (1/2 pound) deli ham 
12 slices (1/2 pound) deli hard salami 
8 slices (1/2 pound) Swiss cheese 
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted peppers, drained 
4 eggs, beaten (I only used 3)
1/2 a small onion, finely diced

Ingredients:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll crescent roll dough without separating triangles. Separate dough into 2 squares along center cut line.

2. Place 1 square of dough into an 8-inch square baking dish; using your fingertips, press dough to fit bottom of dish.

3.Layer with half of each of turkey, ham, salami, Swiss cheese, roasted peppers, and onions. Pour half of beaten eggs over peppers and repeat with remaining meat, cheese, and peppers.

4. Place remaining square of dough over peppers. Pour remaining beaten eggs over dough and cover lightly with foil.

5. Bake 20 minutes, remove foil, and bake an additional 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden and heated through. Let cool 15 to 20 minutes then cut and serve.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Every now and then I come across a recipe that looks really good but then I compare it to other similar recipes and I end up getting nervous about making it.

This recipe is one of those that looked delicious but because I am used to making regular broccoli casserole with a jar of processed cheese, I automatically start comparing the two and wondering if they will taste the same.

I am here to say that I had no reason to be nervous. This dinner knocked our socks off and the best part was how simple it was to make. We all had multiple servings and the girls and I ate the leftovers for lunch the next couple of days.

Further proof at how delicious it was is the fact I didn't snap a picture of it. I was starving by the time I had gotten it prepared and that first bite was so tasty that I couldn't stop long enough to grab my camera. I highly suggest going to the recipes source to view a great picture of the dish. I used the same exact baking dish so my picture could have been twins with hers.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Source: Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of mayo
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of shredded Colby and Monterrey cheese
1 bag of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1/2 a small onion, finely diced*
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste*

*= my little additions

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Mix all ingredients together. Add to a lightly greased, 2 quart baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is a light golden color and bubbly around the edges.

3.) Serve over rice or your favorite pasta.

We served ours over rice and it was awesome. It was so awesome that I'm putting it back on our two week menu for the second time in a row. I'm going to try adding the cooked rice to the mixture and then baking and someday I'll make it again using spaghetti noodles added and baked in with the mixture.

Tater Chips

Daniel has been after me for the past week to make some homemade potato chips. I've been putting it off for two reasons. The first one being that the thought of standing there and frying potato chips was a little overwhelming. The second being that I have never made them before.

I finally overcame my two issues tonight and I'm so glad that I did. They were so good that Addison and Cadence were eating them quicker than I could fry them. What is even better is how easy they were to make. I seasoned them with sea salt as I was taking them out and I can't wait to make them again and try different seasonings.

I sliced them by hand, but I would highly suggest using your food processor or a mandolin as they will be thinner that way. I got them as thin as I could without slicing my fingers so they weren't as crispy as I would like.

Sorry for the lousy phone picture, we ate these to quickly to grab a good photo.

Homemade potato chips

Ingredients:
4 Idaho potatoes, thinly sliced
Vegetable oil
Sea salt or favorite seasonings

Directions:
1.) In a medium sauce pan, bring two inches of vegetable oil to around 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.) Add thinly sliced potatoes one at a time to hot oil, stirring around every so often. Fry until they are a golden brown color.
3.) Take them out and place them into a large bowl lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to cool.

Serve right away or store them for up to a day or so. Four potatoes served the four of us so I would use one potato per person. Also, I don't have a thermometer, so I just tested the oil temp with a very small and thin potato to check the oil to see if it was hot enough. Remember, you want the oil to be ready because if you put the potatoes in before the oil is hot enough, the potato will start to absorb the oil instead of frying in it.