Lapse

For those who were wondering where I was and why there weren't any posts, I wanted to let you know I had a family emergency and had to fly to New York for several days to see my grandmother and wasn't able to post. I'm back now and will start posting again tomorrow. Coming up: fried green tomato burgers, bacony potato salad, and shrimp with white cheddar grits!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Song of the Day

She'll Come Back to Me - Cake

Corn and Edamame Salad

I adapted this recipe from one that I found in SELF Magazine. I have come to realize that my changes have made this way different from the original, but I'll post a link to the original so you can fix it how you like.

What you need:
1 can of corn, drained
1 small to medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup shelled edamame
2 tablespoons Mayo
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (gives it a little kick)
S&P to taste

What you need to do:
Just mix everything together and serve! This just makes a few servings. I usually double this so we can have leftovers. Click here for the original recipe.

Song of the Day

Blue Sky - Allman Brothers

Cuban Sandwiches

What you need:
1 12oz loaf of Cuban Bread
3/4 cup Dijonnaise (I actually did a mix of equal parts mustard and mayo instead of this bc Tommy doesn't like Dijonnaise)
1 pound thinly sliced deli honey ham
1 pound thinly sliced deli pork (we couldn't find this so Tommy actually grilled some pork to put on the sandwiches, but definitely get the deli pork if you can find it)
1 (8oz) package sliced Swiss cheese
Garnish: Pickles

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 400. Cut bread in half lengthwise. In a small bowl, combine Dijonnaise (or mustard mayo mix) and pickle relish. Spread mixture evenly over both halves of bread. Top evenly with ham, pork, and cheese. Cover with top half of bread. Wrap sandwich in heavy duty aluminum foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until sandwich is hot and cheese is melted. Cut into slices to serve. Garnish with pickles, if desired.

These were really really good. I dont like pickles or mustard, so instead of putting the relish and mustard mix on mine, I just used mayo and still loved it.

Song of the Day

Brian and Robert - Phish

Fizzy Fruit Salad

Here's a recipe I got from Sara that even Tommy liked and he's not a big fruit guy. The vanilla pudding mix gives it a distinct spike of flavor and the fuzzy navel provides fizz which complements the pudding flavor.

What You Need:
3 bananas, sliced
2 cups strawberries
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can fruit cocktail, drained
1 can peach slices, drained
1 large or 2 small boxes of vanilla instant pudding (not sugar free)
1 fuzzy navel (or another kind of wine cooler if you can't find this)

What you need to do:
Mix fruit together, pour vanilla pudding mix over fruit, then pour fuzzy navel over and mix together and you're done!

Song of the Day

No Remorse for Tess - Woodwork Roadshow

(Sorry - I'm at Edisto and I couldn't get the internet to work until now to post yesterday's song. Hopefully this won't be a problem all week, but we'll see!)

Buffalo Chicken Salad

I'm blogging from the road on the way to Edisto! Here is a fast and easy meal that we make often. You can use the rest of the rotisserie chicken for sandwiches, wraps, to put on homemade pizzas, nachos, or to use in other recipes.

What you need:
Baby spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Texas toast croutons
Shredded cheese
Texas pete buffalo wing sauce
Rotisserie chicken
Naturally Fresh Bleu Cheese or Ranch Dressing (near bagged salads - refridgerated)

What you need to do:
Pull chicken apart and shred a little so its bite size and place in a bowl. Pour some of the hot sauce in with the chicken and mix it together (I probably just use 1 tablespoon per salad). Heat this mixture up in microwave for 20-30 seconds- just to rewarm chicken. Layer baby spinach, tomatoes, chicken, croutons, cheese, dressing and serve! Its pretty awesome! Thanks Sara for the pic!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Photo Friday

My babies Tuck and Tally!! Tommy and I are about to leave them for 10 days and I already miss them. :( If anyone wants to come see them while we are gone, they'd love it!!

HAPPY 28th SUMMER!!!!!!!!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Song of the Day

Loving Cup - Rolling Stones

Broccoli Cheese Soup

We ate this last night with the Chicken BLT Wraps and LOVED it, and we don't really even like broccoli that much. The best part is that it doesn't take much time at all! Oh by the way, this recipe probably only makes 5 servings. If you want more, double it.

What you need:
2 cups broccoli (add more if you looove broccoli)
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half (I conveniently had exactly this much leftover from one of last week's recipes)
1/4 cup flour
1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese
bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional - I just cooked an extra piece when I made the wraps and crumbled it on top of each bowl)

What you need to do:
Steam Broccoli until tender, about six minutes. (I actually used a zip lock steam fresh bag - faster and no clean up.) Chop finely. The steamed broccoli chops easily, but if you want it extra fine, use a food processor. Set aside. In a large saucepan, combine broth and milk. Slowly whisk in flour. Cook over medium to medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until it starts to thicken (or just to a boil). Add chopped broccoli and reduce heat to low. Cook about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese until it melts and serve with bacon sprinkled on top.

Song of the Day

What a Good Boy - Barenaked Ladies

Chicken BLT Wraps

This is a Paula Deen appetizer recipe that I turned into tonight's dinner. Below is the appetizer version that makes 12 servings. I made the full sauce mixture, and then basically halved everything else to make 2 full wraps. Its just a simple wrap recipe that you can make low fat if you want. I used turkey bacon and Tommy didn't seem to even notice. Muwhahahaha. :)

What you need:
1.5 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard (Or regular Mustard if you don't like Dijon)
1 tablespoon Mayo
6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 pound deli sliced chicken
6 slices bacon, cooked
6 leaves green leaf lettuce (I just used bagged lettuce bc I had some)
1 tomato, sliced
(I added some reduced fat Colby Jack cheese slices to mine because everything tastes better with cheese!)

What you need to do:
In a small bowl, combine honey, mustard, and mayo. Spread evenly on tortillas. Top each evenly with chicken, 1 slice bacon, 1 lettuce leaf, and 1 slice tomato. Fold 1 edge of sandwich wrap over filling; roll up tightly, and place seam side down. Cut, and secure with wooden picks, if needed. (I can never figure out how to do a good wrap roll up. Mine don't look near as good as Paula's does in the magazine, but just do your best!)

Song of the Day

Landed - Ben Folds

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

This recipe is great because you can keep most stuff in stock so you can cook anytime. And even better because it takes like ten minutes to cook, seriously.

What you need:
3 cups frozen stir fry vegetables (I like the Asian Medley with the mini corns)
1/2 cup stir fry sauce
1/2 cup cashews
1 tablespoon olive oil
precooked chicken strips (the kind that come in a box near deli meat - I used Perdue Short Cuts)
1.5 cups rice

What you need to do:
Start cooking rice. Cook stir fry veggies in oil on medium high heat for 5 minutes in medium skillet. Add cashews, stir fry sauce, and chicken. Cover and cook 2 more minutes. Serve over rice.

Song of the Day

Ballad of Lucy Edenfield - Jupiter Coyote

Hot Corn Casserole

Update - Rachael made this and took a picture of it for me to put on my blog! Thank you Rach! (She didn't use the onion topping on it.)

Sorry - no pic of this one, but it's one of Summer's recipes that I've loved for years.

What You Need:
1 can of cream style corn
1 can of regular corn, drained
1 8oz block of cream cheese
1 bag of pepper jack cheese cubed (if you can't find that, grate 1.5 8oz blocks of pepper jack cheese)
1 white onion chopped and sauteed
French Fried Onion Topping

What You Need To Do:
Sautee onion with butter. Soften your cream cheese in the microwave if its not already soft. Mix all ingredients together (except fried onion topping) and put in a casserole dish and cook for 25 mintues at 350. Add french fried onion topping and cook for 5 more minutes. (I usually make this in a round deeper casserole dish.)

Song of the Day

Nightswimming - REM

Guacamole with Bleu Cheese and Pomegranate

Here's a dip we all love, the bleu cheese mixed with the avacados is an unexpected, yet surprisingly delicious combination. And very easy!

What you need:
3 ripe avacados, halved, pitted, and taken out of skin
4 oz soft bleu cheese (or gorgonzola) at room temperature
1-2 finely diced fresh jalepeno chiles (to taste)
1/4 medium red onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons chopped ciilantro
s & p to taste
1/4 c. pomegranate seeds (I sometimes skip this - and it was skipped when this picture was taken)
(I have added chopped tomatoes to this before and it was really good, your preference)
Tortilla Chips for dipping

What you need to do:
Mash the first and second things together, then stir together the next 4 items. Top with Pomegranate seeds and serve with tortilla chips. (You'll notice as the avacado gets exposed to air, the color of the dip darkens. Don't get scared, just stir it around and it will look nicer.)

Song of the Day

I Shall Be Released - The Band

Cuban Toasties

What you need:
1.5 ounces boiled deli ham slices, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
3 oz shredded Swiss cheese (3/4 cup)
1/3 cup Mayo
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1.5 teaspoons chili sauce
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 baguette, cut into 1/3 inch thick slices
2 - 3 crisp dill pickles, thinly sliced

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 500. In a small bowl, stir together ham, cheese, mayo, onion, chili sauce, and mustard. Arrange bread slices ona foil lined baking sheet. Place 2 pickle slices on each slice of bread (or 1 if its a larger slice), then spread about one tablespoon of ham mixture on top. Bake the toasties for 8-10 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Cool a few minutes before serving. These go fast!!

Song of the Day

Wordless Chorus - My Morning Jacket

Nachips

What you need:
1 can of refried beans
Trader Joes or Herdez Salsa (the less chunky salsas work better for this)
Colby Jack Shredded Cheese
Round Tortilla chips

What you need to do:
Heat oven to 400. Spread a spoonful of beans onto each chip, then some salsa, then sprinkle cheese on them as well. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. So easy and so delicious. A perfect little weekend snack because you probably have all of these ingredients in your house.

Photo Friday

Meet Paisley!!! No, I did not get another cat, but Summer did! She is so adorable I had to post a picture of her and introduce her to everyone. :)

Song of the Day

Everybody Knows - Ryan Adams

Angel Chicken

My awesome friends made this dish for me for my birthday last year (and let me eat it off of the "celebrate plate" :) I haven't actually cooked it myself, but I've eaten it, and it is very good. Its a crock pot recipe so there isn't much you have to do, except wait.

What you need:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup Tuscan House Italian Dressing
1/4 cup dry white wine
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces (Sara used chicken breasts when making it)
1/2 pound angel hair pasta, uncooked
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)

What you need to do:
Beat cream cheese, soup, dressing, and wine with whisk until blended; pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on LOW 4-5 hours (or HIGH 2-3 hours). Cook pasta as directed on package about 15 minutes before chciken is done; drain. Serve topped with chicken mixture and parsley.

Notes: You can save some cals by using Neufchatel Cheese, reduced fat cream of mushroom soup, and light italian dressing. Also, you can substitute water or chicken broth for the wine.

Song of the Day

Just Breathe - Pearl Jam

Sour Cream Biscuits or Judy Biscuits

My awesome husband brought me home a Panera sandwich for dinner, so I'm not cooking tonight, but I'm giving you one of my mom's most requested recipes. My extended family loves these and refers to them as "Judy Biscuits." Its hard not to eat several at a time, just warning you! Unfortunately I don't have a picture right now, but I'll post as soon as I make them next.

What you need:
2 cups Bisquick
1.5 sticks butter, softened (It was originally 1 stick of butter but when I told my mom I was posting this one she told me I better make it 1.5 sticks of butter. She is just like Paula Deen when it comes to butter.)
8 oz sour cream
*****Do not try to go skinny on this recipe by using low fat sour cream or heart healthy bisquick. I tried this once and was very disappointed.*****

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together and put in a greased mini muffin tin. (If you don't have a mini muffin tin, you can put little spoonfulls of these on a greased cookie sheet.) Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown. They will fall apart in your hand and melt in your mouth. Delish.

Song of the Day

The Late Greats - Wilco

Mile High Salsa Pie

I really shouldn't even put this on here because its based off a boxed taco kit, but its so good I wanted everyone to know about it. It's one of Tommy's favorite meals. It tastes way better than it looks.

What You Need:
1 pound ground beef or turkey or chicken
1 Old El Paso Soft Taco Bake dinner kit
1 16 oz jar of salsa
4 oz monterray jack cheese
1 can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup of water
Tortilla chips (optional)

What You Need To Do:
Preheat oven to 400. Brown meat, drain. Add seasoning mix from kit, water, half of nacho cheese from kit and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium high heat, add kidney beans and the rest of cheese. Simmer for 4 minutes. In a 2 quart casserole dish (I conveniently have a round one that fits the tortillas perfectly), layer tortilla, 1/4 salsa, 1/4 beef mixture, 1/4 cheese and repeat with remaining 3 layers ending with cheese on top. Bake, covered, for 17-22 minutes.

Song of the Day

If Its The Beaches - The Avett Brothers

(These guys are my faves. I'll probably post a ton from them, so I hope you don't get sick of them!)

Creamy Cheesy Pasta

This is served with the Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe below. As I noted below, this is a fast and delicious recipe, but you will have 3 burners going at the same time on the stove, so you've got to multi-task a little. Don't let that scare you though. By the way, the pink in the picture is the ham in the pasta. It looked a bit like uncooked chicken, and I just wanted to clear that up. :)

What You Need:
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup chopped deli ham
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere Cheese (in fancy cheese section by the deli)
3 cups hot cooked fettuccini pasta

What You Need To Do:
Unless you already have hot cooked pasta on hand, go ahead and get started on cooking that. Then in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and ham; cook for two minutes. Add flour, salt, and pepper; cook for two minutes stirring constantly. Gradually stir in half and half. Cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Add hot cooked pasta to pan, tossing gently to coat with sauce.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

So I checked my blog today and I have 5 followers! I know, its only 5, and one is my husband, and one is my sister, but still exciting none the less! Anyway, onto the food. Today's recipe is awesome and fairly fast (40 minutes for me) and only serves 2 so you don't have a ton of lefties.

What You Need:
1 cup panko (japanese style breadcrumbs)
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (I just used dried thyme and it was good)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness (I absolutely hate when recipes say to pound the chicken to 1/4 thickness bc I can never do it. Instead, I buy the thinly sliced breasts and it works wonderfully.)
1-2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
Creamy Cheesy Pasta (See prior post)

In a shallow dish, combine panko, thyme, salt & pepper; set aside. Brush both sides of chicken with mustard. Dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken, and cook for 4 minutes. Add remaining oil to skillet, turn chicken, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Place chicken on a cutting board; let rest for 5 minutes. Cut chicken crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Spoon Creamy Cheesy Pasta onto serving plates. Place chicken over pasta. I served with roasted asparagus (recipe coming tomorrow).

Creamy Baked Spinach

This is a recipe I found in a Paula Deen magazine that I've made several times since I first saw it. Its so easy and so good. But unfortunately not so good for you...

What You Need:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 chopped onion (try using frozen chopped onion for this)
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup half and half (divided)
10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (however last time i used a 9 oz bag of fresh spinach and chopped it - either works)
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I always skip this part bc i dont like the sweet taste mixed in. But if you like nutmeg, go for it.)

What You Need To Do:
Preheat Broiler. Spray 2 ramekins with Pam. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, cook 5 minutes or until tender. (If using fresh spinach, add it in now so it has time to wilt). Add flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/4 cup half and half. Stir until smooth. Stir in Spinach, cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and remaining half and half. Spoon into baking dishes. Broil 5 inches from heat for two minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Song of the Day

Railroad Earth - Storms

Greek Isles Pasta Salad

Here's a new recipe we tried last night. We both really liked it and will definitely make it again. If you don't already use whole wheat pasta, try it out with this dish! We can't really tell the difference, or maybe we're just used to it. We ate this as a side for burgers. Great served hot or cold.

What you need:
3 cups Farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked (or use whatever you have in the pantry)
Chicken Broth (to cook noodles in - optional)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup ddrained canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed
1/2 cup Greek Vinaigrette Dressing (or another similar vinagar based dressing)
1/2 a package of Oscar Mayar Real Bacon Recipe Bits


What you need to do:
Cook pasta as directed (if using chicken broth, substitute at least half the water with broth). Drain. Place in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pesto Pitas

These go wonderfully with the Italian Meatball Soup. Such a great and easy recipe.

Ingredients:

4 flatbread rounds or pita rounds cut into 4 slices

1/4 cup prepared pesto

2/3 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

Preheat Broiler. Place flatbread/pita triangles on ungreased baking sheet (I use foil over baking sheet for easy clean up). Spread each evenly with pesto. Sprinkle each evenly with cheese. Broil, five inches from heat, for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and pitas are toasted. Serve immediately. (ok so mine are a little burnt in this picture, 1-2 minutes goes by fast and I kinda forgot about mine and burnt them...)

Italian Meatball Soup

Italian Meatball Soup is one of our favorite new recipes. The picture doesn't do it justice but it is definitely worth a shot. Serve with Pesto Pitas.

What you need:

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup frozen chopped onion (frozen chopped onion is a lifesaver!! Keep this on hand in freezer for other recipes!)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 (32 oz) boxes low sodium chicken broth

1 (16 oz) package frozen Italian Style meatballs, baked according to package directions

1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup ditalini pasta (UNCOOKED)

1 (6oz) bag fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

What you need to do:
In a large dutch oven, melt butter over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth, meatballs, and beans; bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add pasta, reduce heat, and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender. Add spinach and cheese; cook for 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted. Serve with Pesto Pitas and you are in for a treat. :)

Greek Dip!

Oh Greek Dip you couldn't be any more delicious, any easier or any cheaper. This is one of our go-to recipes for any occasion.

What you need:
Large container of Greek yogurt
Large container of Hummus (preferably Trader Joes Mediterranean Hummus)
Olive Oil
Black Pepper
Feta Cheese
Diced Cucumber
Diced Tomatoes
Pita Chips

What you need to do:
Spread a layer of greek yogurt in the bottom of a pie dish, then layer hummus over that. Drizzle that with EVOO, sprinkle with pepper, top with cucumber and tomatoes and voila! You are in for an addicting treat.

Bacon Cheddar Toasts

These are always awesome, and even more awesome since you can make them ahead and freeze them for two months ahead of time. They can go straight from freezer to oven and EVERYONE loves them. Oh and this pic was taken when I made them for a Halloween party in case you were wondering...

What you need:
1 cup Mayo
2 Teaspoons Worchestershire Sauce
1 cup (4oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 chopped onion
3/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (and maybe one or five extra to eat while cooking...)
1.5 loaves of soft french bread from bakery (I get the two pack of take and bake from harris teeter bakery. I'm sure one long crusty loaf is fine too)

What you need to do:
Combine mayo and Worchestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Stir in cheese, onion, almonds and bacon. Cut bread into 1/2 inch slices; spread with cheese mixture. Cut slices in half. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes or until bubbly.

Makes about 4 dozen?

NOTE: Unbaked toasts can be frozen. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for an hour. Remove from cookie sheet and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. When ready to use, place unthawed toasts on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until bubbly.