Song of the Day

Long Distance Call - Phoenix

Jerk Chicken Wraps

This is another Rachael recipe she got from Pampered Chef. Thanks!!

What you need:
1 T EVOO (I used a little more)
1 T Jamaican Jerk Rub (I used a little more)
1 lb chicken tenders
1 can cubed pineapple
1 red bell pepper
3 green onions (white and light green parts only)
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, drained
6 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
2 heads romaine lettuce (you will be using these as your 'wrap' so the bigger the leaf the better for wrapping)
Optional: I added a spicy banana pepper in here as well, we like heat.

For the Dressing:
2 limes
1/3 cup reduced fat mayo
3 T pineapple juice (I used a little more, add to your tasting)

What you need to do:
Whisk EVOO and jerk rub together, dip chx tenders in the rub mixture. I grilled them on my 'indoor' grilling pan (I don't know the official name for this pan) but if you do not have one of those, you could cook it them in a skillet. Cook for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until done. Remove chicken. Cook the pineapple in the same pan, for about one minute per side. (Note: the pineapple will pick up the leftover seasoning from the chicken and will darken because of that.) Meanwhile, dice your red bell pepper, green onions (and spicy pepper if you so choose). Set aside. Dressing: Zest one lime and juice both limes. Add in the mayo and mix well. Set aside.

Build your wraps:
Lay out your lettuce wraps and stuff them with your chicken, peppers and onions, pineapple, bacon, black beans, and drizzle with dressing.

Song of the Day

Yellow Ledbetter - Pearl Jam

Taco Soup

This is a recipe my aunt Terry Ann gave me. We love it bc its super easy and good, and has a little kick to it. Its a perfect week night meal. Serve this with cheese, sour cream, and fritos. Makes a lot.

What you need:
1.5 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
2 (14 oz) cans of petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can of pinto beans, drained
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of chicken broth (Terry Ann adds 2 cans of broth, but I like thicker soups so left it at one can)
2 packets of taco seasoning
1 packet of dry ranch dressing
1 cup chopped onion

What you need to do:
Mix all ingreients together in large pot, bring to boil for 10 minutes. Turn to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Sevrve with grated cheese, sour cream, and Fritos.

Song of the Day

Laredo - Band of Horses

Tomato Grits

These are absolutely fantastic. You'll want to make them again and again. Great to serve for company. The Ro-Tel gives it a great kick. You'll love these!

What you need:
2 cups water
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 cup quick cooking grits
1 stick butter (plus one tablespoon)
1/3 cup diced green onions
6 oz kraft garlic cheese roll (I usually can't find this so I use a tub of garlic herb cheese from the fancy cheese section in the deli)
2.5 cups shredded cheddar
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 eggs, lightly beaten

What you need to do:
In saucepan, bring water & milk to a boil. Add salt. Slowly add grits & return to boil; stir for one full minute. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 3 minutes. Stir grits & add 1 stick butter, stirring until melted. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes or until grits are thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.

Sautee onion in 1 tbsp butter for one minute. Add garlic cheese, 1.5 cups cheddar, and onions to grits and sitr until cheese has melted. Add tomatoes & mix well, stir in beaten eggs. Pour grits into a greased 11 x 8 x 2 casserole dish. Bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top & cook for 5 more minutes.

Song of the Day

Sugaree - Grateful Dead

Bacon & Egg Cheeseburger

O.M.G..... I'm never going to lose weight while I am blogging. Tommy is a huge help and made dinner so I'd have something to blog, and I came home to this cheeseburger and Paula Deen tomato grits (which are also absolutely amazing). I tried my hardest to only eat half of this but it was impossible.

What you need:
Quarter pound of ground beef
1 egg
1 slice of pepper jack cheese (or whatever you like)
2 slices of bacon
1 hamburger bun
1 slice of tomato
1 tablespoon mayo
S&P
Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Worchestershire Sauce


What you need to do:
Heat grill to medium high. Season the beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and worchestershire. Mash the beef into a flat patty. Grill until desired doneness, adding cheese at the end so it melts on the burger. While grilling, cut bacon into 4 small strips and pan fry on medium heat. Cook the egg in the same pan so it takes in some of the bacon drippings.

This is probably the most fattening thing you will ever eat, but it is so good. The saltiness of the bacon, and the spice of the pepperjack, and the fried egg just go so well together.

Song of the Day

Oh Sweet Nothin - Velvet Underground

Bacon Tomato Presto Pasta

Fast, easy and delicious! You're supposed to use Penne for this but I used Rotini bc thats what I had in the pantry. Anything is good with this.

What you need:
10 slices Bacon, chopped (original recipe calls for 8, but I think it needs more)
1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes (I always add more)
1 tub (8 oz.) Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (I used shredded bc we had some leftover from last week)
6 cups hot cooked penne pasta (one box)

What you need to do:
Cook pasta if you haven't already. Meanwhile, cook bacon in skillet 5 min. or until bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally. Drain skillet, leaving bacon in skillet (try to resist eating all of it out of the pan bc it smells so good). Stir in cherry tomatoes. Add cream cheese spread, milk and Parmesan cheese; mix well. Cook until hot and bubbly, stirring frequently. Stir in pasta.

Song of the Day

High & Dry - Radiohead

Greek Salad

This is a quick salad that I just love.

What you need:
Baby Spring Mix (or any lettuce you like)
Chopped Tomatoes
Chopped Cucumbers (I skip this)
Sliced Olives (I skip this)
Feta Cheese
Oregano
S&P
EVOO

What you need to do:
Just layer lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta, S&P, a little Oregano, and drizzle with EVOO and voila, you have an awesome side salad without too many calories. The Oregano and S&P surprisingly add a lot to this salad.

Song of the Day

Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons

Sugar and Nut Glazed Brie

If you love Brie, you'll love this recipe. (This is the stock picture since I didn't have one handy.)

What you need:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts or pecans
1 tablespoon brandy
1 (14-ounce) round brie
Apple wedges, for serving
Pear wedges, for serving
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Crackers, for serving

What you need to do:
In a small bowl stir together the sugar, nuts, and brandy. Cover and chill for at least 24 hours or up to 1 week. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place the brie on an ovenproof platter or pie plate. Bake for 4 or 5 minutes or until the brie is slightly softened. Spread the sugar mixture in an even layer on top of the warm brie and bake for 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until the sugar melts. Brush the fruit wedges with lemon juice and arrange them around 1 side of the brie. Place crackers around the other side.

Song of the Day

Steady As We Go - Dave Matthews Band

Tommy's Spaghetti

What you need:
1.5 pounds ground beef
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (14.5 oz)
1 tablespoon Worchestershire
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp each Basil, Oregano, Parsley
S and P
Cooked spaghetti noodles

What you need to do:
Brown meat and onions, drain. Add all other ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, low - medium heat. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve over spaghetti noodles.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Song of the Day

The Only Exception - Paramore

OK I know this is like a punk / emo band, but i really like this song.

Meatballs with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

This is a great fast recipe that you automatically get 2 meals out of bc we freeze half the meatballs right off the bat so we have a meal ready to go for another time. This sauce is so great too. You'll love it.

What you need:
For meatballs:
2 lb. Ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1.25 cups Water
2 Eggs
For sauce:
14 oz jar spaghetti sauce
2 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (I used dried)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (we had shredded leftover from the Cornmeal Chicken Parm so we used shredded)
Linguini or Fettuccini Noodles, Cooked

What you need to do:
For Meatballs:
Heat oven to 400ºF. Line 2 (15x10x1-inch) pans with foil; spray with cooking spray. Mix ingredients until blended; shape into 32 (1-1/2-inch) balls (ours only comes out to 24), using 1/4 cup for each. Place 16 (or twelve in our case) meatballs in each prepared pan. Bake 16 to 18 min. or until done (160ºF). Combine half the meatballs with Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce. Cool remaining meatballs; freeze for later use.
For Sauce:
Mix spaghetti sauce, Cream Cheese and basil in large skillet; cook on medium-low heat 3 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 16 hot meatballs; stir to evenly coat. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese before serving. Makes 4 servings, 4 meatballs (3 meatballs per serving in our case) and 1/3 cup sauce each.

Serve over pasta. There are a lot of instructions, but its not hard.

Song of the Day

The Inlaw Josie Wales - Phish

This is an all instrumental song that reminds me a lot of Little Martha by The Allman Brothers, which I hope I can post at some point.

Cornmeal Chicken Parmesan

This is so freaking good. I was starving and didn't feel like taking a lot of pictures, so this was the best I did, but its so good. I made the chicken part the night before, and put it in a casserole dish, so all we had to do the next day was bake it and cook some noodles. Which Tommy actually did for me so I had a yummy meal waiting for me when I got home from work!

What you need:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal mix
1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
1 (0.7-ounce) package Italian dry salad dressing and seasoning mix
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 5 of the thin sliced ones)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 350°. In a shallow dish, lightly beat eggs. In a separate shallow dish, combine cornmeal mix, panko, and seasoning mix. Dip chicken in eggs; dredge in cornmeal mixture. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook chicken 2 to 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Place in a 13x9-inch casserole dish. (I stopped here and put the casserole dish in the fridge to cook the next day). Bake for 15 minutes. Top with pasta sauce and bake 15 minutes. Top with cheese and bake 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Song of the Day

Plush - STP

Havarti Egg Griller

This is a great little sandwich for lunch to have with Brocoli Cheese Soup.

What you need:
1 sandwich thin (or two pieces of bread)
1 egg
2 tablespoons light mayo
1 slice light Havarti Cheese (or whatever you got)
2 slices bacon, cooked (I left this out)
1 slice of tomato (I left this out)
Spray butter

What you need to do:
Heat skillet to mediumish heat. Once its hot, spray w/Pam and crack egg on skillet. Cook egg however you like it. This one is over hard. Meanwhile, spread mayo on inside of both slices of bread, layer with bacon, cooked egg, cheese, tomato and top with other slice of bread. Spray tops of bread with spray butter and grill on skillet just like a grilled cheese. Cooks fast. Its really good!!

Song of the Day

One - Warren Haynes

This is a great cover of U2's One done by Warren Haynes at Bonaroo. Great song, no matter who sings it.

RoTel Dip

What you need:
1 can of RoTel Tomatoes, drained
Shoepeg corn
1 block of cream cheese, softened
Tortilla Chips or Fritos

What you need to do:
Mix all ingredients together in a small casserole dish and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve with Tortilla Chips or Fritos.

Song of the Day

Lasso - Phoenix

I looove to run to their album Wolfgang Amadeus. Its got so many upbeat songs that make it easy to run to them.

Turtle Cake

This is a super duper yummy cake that starts from a box mix. I believe this one came from Dana. Thanks Dana! Not the prettiest picture, but the inside is so moist and gooey you'll love it.

What you need:
1 box german choc cake mix
1 (12 oz) jar caramel topping
2 sticks margarine, softened
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 (6 oz) bag choc chips
1 cup pecans

What you need to do:
Mix cake according to directions. Pour 1/2 of batter into greased 9x13 pan. Mix next 3 ingredients together. Pour caramel mixture over 1/2 cake batter. Sprinkle choc chips and pecans over batter. Top with other half of batter. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min.

Song of the Day

Gringo Honeymoon - Robert Earl Keene

Company Chicken

This is an awesome recipe, but it takes a long time. Its one of mamas and I can never make it as good as her, but its close enough. :) Serve with white rice and put some of the sauce on the white rice. (This plate is just leftovers, so it doesn't have the white rice, but I recommend it.)

What you need:
4 chicken breasts halves
4 slices of thin sliced deli ham
4 slices of bacon
1 10 and 3/4 oz can of cream of mushroom soup
1 16 oz thing of sour cream
1/3 cup of white wine (optional)

What you need to do:
Put chicken in large ziplock and beat chicken with mallot (or rolling pin) so its thin. Mix up Mushroom Soup and Sour Cream and White Wine. Flatten out chicken breast and lay one slice of ham on it. Put a teaspoon of soup/sour cream mix over ham slice and then roll it up so the ham is on the inside. Wrap bacon around the chicken. You can stick a toothpick through it so it stays together, but she doesn't normally do this. Repeat for all 4 chicken breast halves. Put the chicken roll ups in a greased casserole dish and pour the rest of the sauce over it all. Cover with foil. Cook at 325 degrees for 1.5 hours. Take foil off. Cook for another 30 minutes without foil.

Song of the Day

Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks - The National

Texas Hash

This is one of my Mother in Law's recipes that we love. This would be a good one to fix and freeze and just pop it in the oven when you need it.

What you need:
1.5 pound ground beef
1 (14.5) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
S&P

What you need to do:
Brown ground beef and onion. Add can of tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add uncooked rice & seasonings, mix well. Put in casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for an hour.

Song of the Day

Change - Blind Melon

Poppy Seed Chicken

I don't have a picture of this one yet, but don't shy away from making it. It is my go to dish when I need to bring someone a casserole for whatever reason. And I always get asked for the recipe.

What you need:
3 or 4 chicken breasts (better with 4, but ok with 3)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 pint sour cream
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 sleeve of ritz crackers
1 stick of butter or margarine
1/4 cup of butter or margarine (about half a stick)

What you need to do:
Coat the chciken breasts with the 1/4 cup melted butter and stick in the crockpot and pour the rest of the 1/4 cup on them. Cook on low for about 5 hours. (I just put it on at lunch and turn it off when I get home, so its about 5 hours. I'm sure you can do more or less.) The chicken is so succulent this way. If you dont have as much time, you can just boil the chicken or cook it however you want.
When chicken is done, cut it up in bitesized pieces.
Mix together the cut up chicken and sour cream and soup in a casserole dish.
Crush up the Ritz and melt the butter and mix together with the poppy seeds. Put the Ritz Mixture on top of the chicken mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. You'll love this one. :)

Song of the Day

The New Love Song - Avett Brothers

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

Here's a very southern recipe that reminds me of summers at Edisto. Not many ingredients, not much work, but I love it. We serve over white rice usually. The below recipe is what my mom gave me, and it makes A TON. You probably want to 1/4 this.

What you need:
1 pound of okra
8 ears of corn
8 ripe tomatoes
Onions (optional)
S&P
Better than Boullion Ham Base (I had no idea what that was so I included a picture below.)

What you need to do:
Strip the ears of corn, and chop the tomatoes, onion, and okra. Put in a big water with ham broth, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Then cover and put on low for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the okra is tender.

Song of the Day

Come Pick Me Up - Ryan Adams

Dirty Rice

I went home this weekend and my mom asked what my favorite thing she made was. This rice came to mind. Beware of all the butter!

What you need:

1 Onion, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 stick Butter
1 cup white rice
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
S&P to taste

Sautee onion, green pepper, butter, and uncooked white rice on low until veggies are tender. Add rice and broth to a casserole dish and bake at 325 for 1.5 or so hours. The longer it cooks, the less gummy/stuck together it is. I kinda like it moise and stuck together, and thats the texture you get after 1.5 hours.

Song of the Day

'Til Kingdom Come - Coldplay

Texas Caviar

You can eat this on its own, or with tortilla chips. Its a very light and refreshing (and easy) side or appetizer. You can use any combination of the veggies below.

What you need:
Shoepeg or White Corn
Diced Tomato
Chopped Red Onion
Chopped Cilantro
Chopped Green Pepper
Chopped Jalapeno (fresh, not pickled)
Black Beans
Italian Dressing

What you need to do:
Combine all veggies in a large bowl, and add Italian Dressing to taste. It doesn't need to be fuly submerged with dressing, just enough to coat all veggies.

Song of the Day

Positively 4th Street - Jerry Garcia Band

This is a Bob Dylan song that I've loved for years, but I just heard the Jerry Garcia Band version today on Sirius and think I actually like it better than Dylan's version.

Again I'd like to tell you I do not put these videos with the songs, they're already like that. So I have no idea what's going on in this video. Its kinda funny.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

What you need for the blackened chicken aspect (sauce ingredients to follow):
I actually had to triple this the last time so that i could coat all my chx, fyi
1 t sweet paprika
2.5 t salt
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1 t ground red pepper (Cayenne)
3/5 t white pepper (i don't have this so i leave it out)
3/4 t black pepper
1/2 t thyme leaves (i used dried)
1/2 t oregano leaves (i used dried)
6-8 chicken tenderloins
Cooked Penne Pasta

What you need to do for the blackened chciken aspect:
Combine all seasons in one bowl, rub mixture into chixcken on both sides (coat well). In a large skillet heat 1 T EVOO over high heat. Add chx and cook, flipping once. You want a nice sear on either side. While chicken is cooking start on the sauce. When Chicken is done, remove from heat, let it cool, then cut into bite size pieces.

What you need for the Sauce:
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 c milk
1 c cream

What you need to do for the sauce:
Melt butter in a skillet, add flour and whisk until smooth. Add milk and cream all at once. Whicsk on Med-High heat until smooth. Let boil while whicking constantly. Let thicken. Once thickened, add chicken, fresh diced tomatoes, chopped green onions (one bundle) and stir.

Serve over Penne Pasta and top wth parmesian cheese.

Note from Rachael: A lot is going on all at once in this recipe but its not hard. Very good!! I think this would also be good with shrimp instead of chicken.

Song of the Day

Crazy Mary - Pearl Jam

Unfried Chicken

These are a great alternative to fried chicken. They're really good and juicy and tender. The below recipe is for an entire chicken, but I just cooked 9 or ten chicken tenderloins instead. They cook a lot faster and are a lot less work.

What you need:
1 Broiler-fryer chicken (3-1/4lb) cut up (or 8-10 tenderloins)
1/2 cup Light Ranch (refridgerated ranch is always better - by bagged salads)
Small amount of hot sauce (optional) - I probably used about 10 dashes and would use a little more next time
1 pkt Shake n Bake Extra Crispy Seasoned Coating Mix (You may end up needing to use the second bag in the box, I barely got everything coated with one bag.)

What you need to do:
Remove skin from all chicken pieces except wings (skip this step if using tenderloins). Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag. Add dressing and hot sauce. Seal bag and turn evenly to coat chicken with dressing and sauce. Refrigerate 30 minutes to marinate - I actually forgot to marinate it and just cooked it without this step and it was still good.

Heat oven to 400. Place coating mix in a pie plate or shallow dish. Dip chicken in coating mix, turning each piece over to evenly coat both sides. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Sprinkle with any remaining coating mix. Discard bag and marinade. Bake 40 - 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through - If using tenderloins, you only need to cook for about 10 minutes (165 degrees).

Song of the Day

Albuquerque - Phish

Tomato Basil Macaroni and Cheese

This is from the "light and luscious" portion of Paula's latest magazine, and although I am not sure I agree that its light (due to the 3 cups of cheese and the pound of pasta), it sure is luscious. I LOVE it. I hate buying herbs, but I loved the flavor of the basil in there. You have to try this one. Probably the best new recipe I've made lately. Serves 6-8.

What you need:
1 pound elbow macaroni (however I used shells and i highly recommend those instead)
1 cup panko (japanese bread crumbs)
1/4 cup parsley (you could skip this if you dont want to buy it, didn't do much for it)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 cups skim milk
3 cups reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used two cups sharp cheddar and one cup colby jack)
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cups chopped fresh basil

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with Pam. Cook pasta until tender. Drain. In a small bowl, combine panko and parsley. Set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until smooth. Add cheese, stirring constantly until thick and creamy. Add macaroni, salt, tomatoes, and basil. Spoon into prepared baking dish (and eat a little spoonful for yourself before it goes in to taste it). Top with reserved panko mixture. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Song of the Day

Sitting Here in Limbo - Jerry Garcia & David Grisman

Sirloin Steaks with Bleu Cheese and Mushroom Wine Sauce

This one seems like it has a lot going on but its not that hard. Its SO SO SO good though. I normally don't like red wine, but this red wine sauce was really really good. This made four steaks and T liked it so much that he ate two of them for dinner. :) Sirloin steak is typically a tougher steak, but it's still worth it to make.

What you need:
4 (4 ounce) 1 inch thick boneless sirloin steaks (I just got a big one and cut it into 4 rectangles)
1 teaspoon freshly cracked mixed peppercorns
1/4 crumbled bleu cheese
4 slices bacon
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup Beef cooking stock
1/3 cup red wine

What you need to do:
Trim fat from steaks and Butterfly them (cut each steak in half horizontally without cutting all the way through). Open up the cut steaks, like a book and flatten them with your hands. You'll have two attached equal sized pieces that look sort of like a butterfly. Place one butterflied steak inside a large ziplock bag and pound the steak to about 1/4 inch thickness (with a rolling pin or meat mallet). Remove steak from bag and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper evenly over the top. Place 1 tablespoon bleu cheese on one side of steak. Fold half of the steak over the bleu cheese. Wrap one slice of bacon around the cut edge of the steak and secure the ends with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining steaks.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook stirring constantly about 1 minutes. Add steaks and cook for 4 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. (4 minutes per side was too done for us, we'll cook less next time). Add mushrooms to the skillet, and saute for 5 minutes. Add stock and wine, stirring to scrape browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook over medium high heat, stirring often, until mixture reduces by half, about 5 minutes. Pour mushroom sauce over steaks.

Song of the Day

Wave on Wave - Pat Green

Perfect Smashed Potatoes

This is another recipe from my newest Paula magazine. Beside it is Sirloin Steaks with Bleu Cheese and Mushroom Wine Sauce - that recipe will be coming tomorrow. It serves 6-8. The below recipe is really buttery, so if youre not used to that much butter, you may want to only do 1/2 a cup instead of 3/4. But it was really good and easy!

What you need:
1 3 pound bag red potatoes, quartered
3/4 cup butter, softened
1(8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

What you need to do:
In a large dutch oven (i just used my big pasta pot), add potatoes and water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat (but I wouldn't reduce to lower than medium), and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain well. Add butter, cream cheese, scream, s & p. Mash with a potato masher until desired consistency. Also, These were really really good with the sauce from the steak. I'd recommend pouring some on if you eat them together.

Song of the Day

Lisztomania - Phoenix

Chicken Caesar Tetrazzini

Thanks Sara for the recipe and the picture!

What you need:
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup Hidden Valley Caesar Dressing
1 jar (4.5 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons dry bread crumbs

What you need to do:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and combine with chicken, broth, dressing and mushrooms in a large mixing bowl. Place mixture in a 2-quart casserole dish. Mix together cheese and bread crumbs; sprinkle over spaghetti mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbly.

Song of the Day

Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash

Sausage Balls

These are a classic appetizer we've been making for years. i love them for tailgates bc they don't go bad, and still taste good after sitting out for a while.

What you need:
1 pound tube of hot sausage
2 cups Bisquick
3 cups of shredded Cheddar

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 375. Combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl. You have to get down and dirty and actually use your hands so its kinda gross. Form mixture into several 1 inch balls and place on a foil lined** cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

**I tried the new Reynolds Non-Stick foil and its AMAZING. I highly recommend it.

Song of the Day

Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix

Chex Mix

This little treat is based off the recipe on the Crispix Box, just modified a little bit. Ashley showed me this trick. I had forgotten how good it was!

What you need:
6 cups Crispix cereal
2 cups potato sticks
1 cup pretzel sticks
1 cup party peanuts
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

What you need to do:
Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 pan and preheat your oven to 250. Put first 4 ingredients in pan, and then mix the last 5 ingredients together in a bowl. Pour butter mixture over Crispix mixture and mix to make sure everything is coated. Bake for 45 minutes at 250, stirring every 15 minutes. Enjoy!