Caramel Apple Cobbler

Another recipe mom made while we were home… SO easy and delicious!  Be sure to serve with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

- 2 cans caramel apple pie filling

- 1 cake mix (white, yellow, butter recipe—your pick)

- 2 stick of melted butter OR a can of sprite

Directions:

1- Spray 8x11 casserole dish and spread apples into the bottom.

2- Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top of the apples.

3- Pour melted butter evenly over the top of the cake.

4- Bake until golden brown—45 to 5o minutes.

 

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

1- We’ve made it with sprite and butter—both work and taste great.

2- You can use any flavor cake mix—but with the caramel apple pie filling, the spice cake mix is delicious!!

3- This recipe can be used for ANY type of fruit cobbler.

Cajun Shrimp, Spinach, and Grits

Mom made this for us the other night. So easy and so great—especially if you are a shrimp and grits fan.

Ingredients:

1 cup quick-cooking grits

2 tablespoons olive oil

1.5 pounds large peeled and deveined shrimp

2 teaspoons Cajun or blackening seasoning (no salt added)

Kosher salt and pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 bunch fresh spinach, thick stems discarded

Directions:

Cook the grits according to package directions

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet. Season the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning and 1/4 tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes. Turn and cook until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the lime juice and toss to coat. Transfer to a plate.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining Tbsp oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the corn and cook until heated through.

Add the spinach and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook, tossing, for 1 minute. Return the shrimp to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve over the grits.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- We like spice so we used more cajun! (3 teaspoons)

- I made cheese grits to serve with this instead of just plain grits. Cheese makes everything better.

- This recipe serves 4.

** Original Recipe from Woman’s Day.**

Broccoli Cheddar Cornbread

Great homemade cornbread recipe!! Trick the kids into eating some extra veggies.

Ingredients

• 2 (8.5-ounce) boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 (8-ounce) container cottage cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 stick unsalted butter or margarine
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed but not drained

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix together all ingredients except 2 tablespoons Cheddar to create a batter in a bowl.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet melt butter. Saute onions and broccoli until soft. Pour batter over the vegetable mixture and sprinkle top evenly with remaining cheese. You can also place the ingredients in an 11 by 17-inch baking dish.

Bake in oven until golden, 30 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Add some jalapenos to this and it adds an extra kick.

Cheese Stuffed Bacon Meatballs

I like a good meatball recipe, but this marinara is AWESOME!

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 8 to 10 slices applewood smoked bacon
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
• 1 tablespoon beef stock
• 8 to 10 bocconcini mozzarella balls

Marinara:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 (14-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes in puree
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

Directions

Meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the bacon slices on a sheet pan. Put in the oven and bake until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan to a cutting board and chop. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the beef, Worcestershire, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, black pepper, stock and the chopped bacon.

Form portions of the meat around bocconcini to make smooth balls. Arrange the meatballs on a sheet pan with a rack and bake until thoroughly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Marinara:

Add the oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the onion, garlic, basil, oregano and pepper and saute for a few minutes. Stir in the crushed and diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes and the bouillon. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the meatballs from the pan to a serving platter and serve with the marinara sauce.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- You can buy the special mozzarella balls at Whole Foods, but save yourself some money and just cube a block of mozzarella into 1/4 inch cubes.

- The marinara makes A TON!! Be prepared to have something with marinara the next day too! :)

-

Chocolate Orbit Cake with Mixed Berry Sauce

WOW!! Was surprised how easy this dessert was and it was delicious. Did I mention we topped it off flaming strawberries. Super cool! Try it, you’ll LOVE it!

Chocolate Orbit Cake
(from Room for Dessert by David Lebovitz)
makes one 9" cake

Ingredients:
1/2 pound butter, in small chunks
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
6 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line the bottom of a 9" round pan with parchment paper and butter the bottom and sides.
3. Combine the butter and chocolate in a double boiler.  Cook until melted.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and the eggs.
5. Whisk in the melted chocolate to the sugar and eggs.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and place this cake pan into a water bath, with warm water reaching about half-way up the sides.
7. Cover tightly with foil.
8. Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the cake appears set and your finger comes away clean when you touch the center.
9. Remove from oven and water bath and let cool completely.

Mixed Berry-Cassis Sauce
Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen mixed berries

1/3 cup creme de cassis
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
1 tspn cornstarch
pinch of salt

fresh fruit for garnish

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook for 10 to 15 minutes stirring often, until no longer frozen and very juicy.
2. Add in the creme de cassis, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and bring to a simmer.
3. When the liquid begins to simmer, spoon about 1/4 cup of the liquid into a small bowl.  Add the cornstarch to the liquid in the bowl and whisk thoroughly until the cornstarch is dissolved.  Return the cornstarch mixture to the berries cooking in the saucepan.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow to boil for about a minute.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer until the liquid begins to be syrupy.  Remove from heat--serve warm immediately or reheat in microwave before serving.

Cut cake and serve sauce and fresh berries on top.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- We ended up using a bag of chocolate chips—72% cacao from Whole Foods for our chocolate.

- You get Crème de Cassis at the liquor store. (Can be used to make a delicious dessert cocktail too, google it!)

- The recipe called for all blackberries but we used mixed fruit and garnished with fresh strawberries. Including a hollowed out strawberry filled with Bacardi 100 alcohol on top that we lit on fire. SO COOL!!

** Original recipe from http://www.dessertsforbreakfast.com***

Chicken and Potato Florentine Soup

This is a popular soup at Olive Garden and this is a pretty close copy-cat recipe. We actually made it with leftover turkey. Makes a FULL crockpot!

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
32 ounces chicken broth
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 tablespoon instant minced onion
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 (28 ounce) cans water
2 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans, drained
10 ounces shredded carrots
6 medium sliced potatoes, peeled
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon italian seasoning
1/2 tablespoon instant minced onion
1/2 tablespoon paprika
5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

- Simmer first 6 ingredients until chicken breasts are tender; remove meat and let cool; drain the solids from the broth and put clear liquid back into the soup pot; chop up chicken into bite size chunks and put back into the broth.

- Add next 10 ingredients to the soup pot and simmer for 45-60 minutes. The potatoes should be fork tender but not mushy.

- Add the fresh spinach and stir; let it wilt into the soup for about 5 minutes.

- Add the cream cheese and the grated mozzarella to the soup pot. Stir frequently until the cheese melts. Be careful that it does not stick to the bottom.

- Ladle into bowls; serve with crusty bread.

 

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- We made this in the crockpot and cooked it all day.

- Added the beans without about an hour left and the spinach about 5 minutes before serving.

- Instead of mixing in the mozzarella cheese we just topped the soup with it.

*** Original Recipe from: www.food.com***

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

If you like sweet potatoes you’ll love this recipe. If you don’t like sweet potatoes, you’ll love this recipe. It’s just that good. Cheese makes everything better!!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
• 1 cup (4 oz.) freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, divided OR Gruyère cheese
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Garnish: fresh thyme

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Layer half of sweet potatoes in a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp. thyme and 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining sweet potatoes. (Potatoes will come slightly above the rim of each cup.)

2. Microwave cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 tsp. thyme at HIGH 1 minute. Pour cream mixture into muffin cups (about 1 Tbsp. per cup).

3. Bake at 375°, covered with aluminum foil, 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.

4. Let stand 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around rim of each cup, and lift potato stacks from cups using a spoon or thin spatula. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish, if desired.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- We made ours with Gruyère cheese… found it at Wal-Mart. Added a nice rich flavor that mozzarella doesn’t have.

- We made these in a bendy silicone baking pan, made it easy to remove them from pan without breaking the stacks.

 

** Original Recipe from: http://www.myrecipes.com**

Pistachio Crusted Chicken

Super easy and quite impressive. Was surprised at the amazing flavor of this dish. Enjoy a new variation on chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups shelled pistachios
• ¾ cup plain breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 4 TB. Dijon mustard
• 4 TB. canola oil
• ¼ cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, parsley, dill, etc.)
• 1½ lbs. chicken breast cutlets

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with a piece of foil.
2. Grind pistachios by pulsing in a food processor until medium fine. Mix the nuts with the breadcrumbs, and place in a shallow bowl. Add salt and pepper.
3. Whisk the mustard with 2 TB. of oil, and the herbs in a separate bowl.
4. Spread mustard mixture over both sides of each piece of chicken, and dredge in the pistachio breading to cover.
5. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet. Add chicken breasts, two at a time (do not crowd), to the skillet, and cook until the coating turns golden brown on each side, flipping after 3– 4 minutes. Repeat for each piece.
6. Place each browned chicken cutlet on the baking sheet, and bake to finish. Cook 7–10 minutes depending on thickness of chicken.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

• We looked at 3 different specialty stores for shelled pistachios… ended up finding them at Wal-Mart. Who would of thought?!
• Be careful not to chop your pistachios too fine. You do want some chunkier pieces in the crust.
• We ended up using a little more oil in the skillet than it called for because we didn’t want the crust to stick to the skillet and peel off the chicken.

 

** Original recipe from: www.wherewomencook.com ***

Potato Parsnip Pancakes

Super easy recipe, great side to eat with soup!

 

Ingredients

- 2/3 cup light olive oil or peanut oil, for frying

- 3 medium Idaho potato, peeled and shredded

- 1 small parsnip, peeled and grated

- 1 small onion, peeled

- 1 egg, beaten

- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

- 1 tablespoon chives, finely sliced

- 1 tablespoon dill, chopped

- 3 tablespoons matzo meal, all-purpose flour, or cracker meal

- Salt and pepper

 

Directions

- Heat about 1/3 cup of oil over medium to medium-high heat.

- Drain the shredded potatoes and parsnip, pressing them down in a colander to get their moisture out.

- Place the mixture in a bowl; using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the potato mixture so the onion juices fall into the bowl as well. Add the egg, parsley, chives, dill and matzo meal to the bowl and season with salt and pepper.

- Combine and drop enough batter into hot oil to make 2 1/2-inch pancakes. Add more oil, as needed, and fry cakes in batches until deeply golden on each side.

- You will get about 16 pancakes. Drain cooked pancakes on paper towels and arrange on a platter.

 

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Actually followed this recipe as written, but did cheat with some dried herbs instead of fresh!

Bacon Bleu Cheese Dates

OH MY GOODNESS!! Was at a party ate one of these without knowing what they really were… DELICIOUS!! And I didn’t even think I liked dates or bleu cheese. :) Super easy appetizer. Enjoy it for the holiday season!

Ingredients:

- 1 pound sliced bacon, cut in half

- 1 pound pitted dates

- 4 ounces bleu cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice dates in half, and open them up. Pinch off pieces of blue cheese, and place them into the center of the dates. Close the halves of the dates, and wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside. Secure each one with a toothpick. Arrange in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.
3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bacon is crisp. Turn dates over after the first 20 minutes for even cooking.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Let the dates rest out of oven to cool off before serving. They will be HOT!

- I had to broil them for a few minutes to get the bacon crisp. Just watch them carefully.

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

I am always happy to find a new way to eat a vegetable. This one looked delicious (and cheap) so I gave it a try. YUM!! This will definitely become a repeat. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients:

1 t. olive oil

2 T. bacon bits

2 T lemon juice,

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 Cabbage head, quartered

Directions:

- Mix all ingredients together except cabbage.

- Place on piece of quartered cabbage on large square of foil, spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture on top, making sure to get it in the nooks and crannies. :) Repeat.

-Wrap tightly in foil and bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- This would be super easy to do on the grill!

- Had this two nights since we had 4 pieces and there was no way my kids would eat it. I made it with different seasonings – with and without lemon juice and overall it was just good!! So, no matter what you actually use, the technique is just good for cooking cabbage!

- I cooked mine for about 20 minutes and it was still crunchy, the way we like it. So bake accordingly.

Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Sorry I haven’t been posting lately, things have been a bit crazy and the budget is pretty limited so haven’t been being to adventurous. BUT… here is one recipe I ran across and had all the ingredients to… well almost. And it was for the crockpot. Kid friendly… enjoy!

Ingredients

1 (32 oz.) bag frozen tater tots
1 (3 oz.) bag bacon pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

- Spray the bottom of your crock pot.

- Do the following layers in crockpot: tater tots, cheese, bacon, chicken (seasoned with salt and pepper), cheese, bacon, tater tots, cheese, bacon.

- Pour milk over the top.

- Cook on low for 4 hours—might need additional time if you started with frozen chicken pieces.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Seriously?! The layer chart gave me a headache so I dumped everything in the crockpot—reserved out a handful of cheese for the top—and gave it a big stir. Really… is all that layering necessary… I think not.

- I didn’t have tater tots so used a bag of shredded hashbrowns instead… pretty sure my version was healthier.

- Needed more salt and pepper. (Probably b/c I used the hashbrowns instead of tater tots.)

 

** Original recipe from: www.thecountrycook.net **

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

I'm a big fan of classic dishes, especially now that I have moved away from home.  I love cooking things like this on Sundays...

Creamy Chicken and Noodles
-3-4 boneless chicken breasts
-2 cans of cream of chicken soup
-1/2 cup of butter in slices
-42 oz. of chicken broth

Put all of these items in your slow cooker for 8 hours.  Remove chicken at this time and shred (or dice) and return to the cooker.

-One bag of egg noodles (I prefer the medium size, but you can do whatever makes you happy)

Put the noodles in the cooker for another hour or so and dinner is served!  Adjust the times and amount of broth for how your family likes their noodles - soupy, mushy, firm, or casserole like.

Kitchen of Reality Tips:
- I have never actually made this in a slow cooker.  I think this is perfect for when you forget to take the chicken out of the freezer.
- I put the frozen chicken (literally like in a block) in the broth and soup and poach it for about 20-25 minutes.
- Then I take it out and dice it.  I put it and the noodles back in the pot and let it go for about 8 minutes until it is the consistency I like.  I add more broth at this point if it needs it.
- I use way less butter, if any.
- This is great frozen and reheated, especially if you put it in a casserole dish with a little Parmesan and breadcrumbs on top.

Smothered Beef Burritos

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it's quickly becoming a favorite in my house!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew meat or other beef cubed (top sirloin is great)
• 1 large can mild enchilada sauce* (at least 19 oz.)
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1/2 can refried beans (optional)
• 5-7 burrito size flour tortillas
• 1 cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Put beef, bouillon, and enchilada sauce into a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until meat is very tender. (Can also cook on high for maybe 3-4 hours.) 

When beef is done (very tender and flakes off when stirred), taste and add more salt, if desired. Heat up refried beans in the microwave (covered and in a microwave-proof dish, of course)and put your oven on broil. On an oven-proof plate, or cookie sheet even, lay out a tortilla.  Place on tortilla about 1/2 cup of the meat, drained by using a slotted spoon, and a spoonful or two of beans. Roll into a burrito (hopefully you know how to roll these). Pour some of the remaining enchilada sauce from the crock pot over the burrito to cover it. Sprinkle with some cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2-4 minutes.

Serve.
Makes 5-7 burritos, depending on how full you make them.

Notes from Kitchen of Reality:
-We hate beans so I omit this part.
-I use a slotted spoon and remove all of my beef from the crock pot and put it in a large bowl where I shred it with two forks.  Then we found the broth to be too thin to get a nice coating on your rolled burritos, so this time, I did a corn starch/water mixture to thicken it.  I did maybe a Tbsp of corn starch in a little bowl with cold water.  Mix well and then I added it to the cooking liquid left in the crock pot.  I turned the crock pot to high while I shredded the beef.  It made it more gravyish in consistency and really did a great job of staying on the burritos after I rolled them. 
-block cheese melts WAY better than preshredded stuff.  Buy the block and shred yourself, you will be happy you did.

We eat this with Spanish rice and the Chili's copy cat salsa recipe right below this one.  DELICIOUS!  And beyond easy with basically ingredients I always have! 

Chili’s Copy Cat Salsa

I had lots of garden tomatoes and peppers to use, so I was looking for a great salsa recipe. Olivia, who posts on here quite often, recommended this one and it is AWESOME!! Especially since I’ve always been a huge fan of Chili’s salsa… not so much the rest of their menu.

Super easy and makes a ton… so stock up on your favorite chips and make it a Mexican week for your menu so you don’t have to throw any away!

Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

2 cans (14.5 oz each) whole tomatoes, drained

3-4 canned, whole jalapenos

1 yellow onion, quartered

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons lime juice

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients together into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned. Threw a close guess for the amount it called for in cans into the blender because I was too lazy to chop and go for an exact measurement. Turned out fine.

- While I know that Chili’s salsa is chopped very fine… I tend to like a little chunk to mine, so be careful in your blending.

- Also, not all peppers are alike. So add them one at a time and taste between. I like spicy so I used 6 or 7.

 

***Original recipe from http://www.sixsistersstuff.com***

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

Salted Caramel is the “new” everything in the world of sweets it seems. I was looking for something new to make and decided to give it a whirl. These seemed easiest enough and if you like sweet and salty then you are going to LOVE these. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Crust:

- 1 lb salted butter, room temp

- 2 Tbsp vanilla

- 1 cup sugar

-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

- 4 cups flour

Filling:
- 1 bag (14 oz.) caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped

- 1/3 cup milk or cream

- ½ teaspoon vanilla

- 1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt (optional)

 

Directions:

Crust:

1. In mixer, beat butter and sugars until creamy.

2. Add vanilla, mix well. combined. 

3. Sift flour into the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a smooth soft dough forms.

4. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Place the rest of the dough in fridge.

5. Bake at 325 until edges are a pale golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool about 15 minutes.

Filling:

1. Place the unwrapped caramels, cream, and vanilla in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.

Final Assembly:

1. Pour the caramel filling over the crust. 

2. If you are going to salt the caramel sprinkle it on caramel layer now.

3. Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.

4. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 – 30 minutes.

5. Let cool before cutting into squares.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- My dough never really got stiff—I think because I didn’t want to go to the store and buy butter. I used margarine instead and while the consistency wasn’t quite right, it baked up and tasted great.

- I only had EXTRA course sea salt… it was a bit salty if you got too much in one bite. Next time I will put it in a ziploc and give it a good whack or two with the meat mallet to make it a bit more fine.

***Recipe found at: www.cookiesandcups.com**

To Die For Shrimp

I laugh at my sister because anytime she wants a good recipe she types in “to die for” at the beginning of her internet search. I must say, it usually works out for her.

Now that we are at the coast I am getting braver with cooking different types of seafood and experimenting with plain old things like cooking shrimp. THIS is by far my FAVORITE simple shrimp recipe.

Try it… it’s to die for!!

Ingredients:

- 1 lb (or more) of fresh shrimp, peeled

- stick of butter, melted

- one or two lemons, sliced thinly

- Cajun seasoning

Directions:

- On a baking sheet, pour melted butter.

- Spread lemon slices over the butter.

- Then layer shrimp on top of lemon slices.

- Sprinkle with seasoning.

- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- I used less butter—adjust as you see necessary for your amount of shrimp.

- The second time I made this I actually put the shrimp down first, seasoned it, and then topped with lemons and butter. It came out with a little more flavor this way.

- The original recipe called for Italian Seasoning but I like some spice—so we went Cajun. I’m sure the other way would be great too!

Roasted Corn Salsa

My friend Jenny made this recipe for us last year and I loved it. Never got around to making it last summer but have made it twice in the last few weeks! YUM!! Great reason to hit up the local Farmers Martket! Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 3 ears corn, shucked
• 4 medium tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.), chopped
• 2 onions, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Grill corn, turning often, until kernels have softened and are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then cut off kernels from each ear (you'll have about 3 cups).
2. In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Add parsley and stir well. Chill until ready to serve.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality

- The last time I made this I actually used frozen corn. Cooked it in the microwave according to directions, drained it to remove as much water as possible and then threw it in a hot frying pan with a little bit of oil until it browned up. Not as good as fresh corn on the grill, but still really good, and a great time saver.

**Original recipe from www.myrecipes.com**

Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya

When the whole Slivensky crew is down at the beach together we love to try new recipes with fresh seafood, especially shrimp. Although it took forever for my rice to cook up, it was a delicious recipe that I will be making again! (Be sure to see my notes/tips below.)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch slices
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1(28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole spice mix
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pound extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 3/4 cups long-grain rice
• Parsley, optional

Directions

- Combine chicken, sausage, onion, green pepper, celery, tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth, spice mix, thyme and oregano in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 hours.

- Add shrimp and rice; raise heat to high and cook for 30 minutes more. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality

- I don’t like celery so I didn’t use it, just used more peppers.

- I used less chicken and more shrimp because that’s what we wanted.

- My rice was still crunchy after 30 minutes…and 45 minutes… next time I will either buy a different fast cooking rice OR pre cook the rice on the stovetop using the broth of the jambalaya and then mix it all back in together.

**Recipe from www.americanfamily.com**

Pizza Bake

Easy and had all the ingredients in the pantry to make it. Just something different from a plain old boring pizza. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 med onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 15 ounce jar pizza sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano
- 1/2 C parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 T oil

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Brown hamburger, sausage, onion, and bell pepper. Drain well.
- Add garlic salt and oregano, pizza sauce. Stir well.
- Grease a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle mozzarella over bottom of it. Spread meat mixture over the cheese.
- In mixing bowl, add eggs, milk, flour, oil, and salt. Pour over meat in pan.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese over batter.
-Bake 30 minutes.
Tips from a Kitchen Reality:
- I ended up using only about 1 lb of meat total.
- I didn’t use onions and peppers—replaced with mushrooms—and used a lot. (Replace with your favorite pizza toppings.)
- Didn’t use fresh oregano—replaced with a few Tbsp Italian Seasoning.
- Mine wasn’t quite done at 30 minutes—I think it baked 40 instead.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

This really wasn’t a stroganoff recipe to me, more of a goulash. But then I realized I really didn’t know the difference, so I looked it up and really this should be “Ground Beef Strogalash.”

It’s easy, cheap, and one of the kids ate it too! What more can you ask!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1/4 cup chopped yellow onions

1 cup sliced white button mushrooms

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1/4 pound small elbow macaroni or wide egg noodles, cooked

2 cups beef broth

1/4 cup sour cream

Grated white Cheddar cheese, optional

Directions:

- Season the beef with the salt, pepper, and Essence.

- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the meat and drain any excess oil.

- Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 2 minutes.

- Add the macaroni, beef broth and sour cream. 

- Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens slightly, 5 to 6 minutes. 

- Serve with cheese on top.
 
Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the mixture onto 2 large plates. Sprinkle each portion with the cheese, if desired, and chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Recipe for Emeril’s Essence Seasoning

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality

- I left out the onions, added more mushrooms.

- The sour cream in the fridge was moldy, so I used cream cheese instead.

- I had no intent of making a full batch of Emeril’s special seasoning, so instead I gave my meat a dash or two of all ingredients in the mix – well, actually just the ones I had in the pantry cupboard. :)

- I didn’t think the sauce was thick enough so I used flour to thicken. (If you never done that before, mix a few tablespoons of flour with twice as much COLD water then pour into hot mixture. Whisk as you pour so it doesn’t clump up. Cornstarch works the same way. Just be sure to mix with cold water first.)

- I have no idea why you would cook your meat in oil, I didn’t and still had to drain off excess.

ENJOY!!

**Adapted recipe from www.foodnetwork.com **

Crock Pot Bruschetta Chicken

The original Pinterest Recipe... 

6 Chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)

1 Cup Low Calorie Italian dressing (less than 70 cals per 2 tbs)

One large tomato, Sliced thin

2 Tablespoons Ground Basil

1 Tablespoon Ground Oregano

Take boneless, skinless chicken thighs and put them in a crockpot. Slice tomato into thin slices, and place over chicken.

Pour Italian dressing over the chicken and tomato. Sprinkle Oregano and Basil over the top. Cook on high setting for three hours or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

For an additional 70 calories, you may serve on/over a piece of baked sourdough bread.

makes 6 servings

My Recipe...(everyone knows I rarely have all the ingredients for anything!

2 Complete Frozen Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

1 Cup Low Calorie Italian dressing (what was left in a Low Calorie Italian Bottle and what was left in a Wishbone Romano Basil Vinaigrette bottle)

1 1/2 cups of diced Roma Tomatoes (left over from tacos)

A couple shakes of Ground Basil (about 2 tablespoons)

A couple shakes of Ground Oregano (about 1 tablespoon)

2 sprigs of fresh basil leaves cut into small pieces

1 sprig of fresh oregano cut into small pieces

Dump it all in the crockpot. Chicken first, then tomatoes, then dressing and seasonings. Set probe temp (if you have one) to 165 degrees and let cook. It took about 2 hours on high and then sat for an hour on warm before serving. 

 

Serve over plain Ramen Noodles cooked with no seasoning (or ala Madeline). Make sure to spoon the juices out of the bottom of the crock pot and pour over the chicken and noodles for extra flavor. Top with cheese. In my case, I used parmasean, asiago, romano combination (it was in the fridge). Mozzerella would be more in line with the Bruschetta recipe! In any case, make it your own!

Dana's Bean Dip (aka - Crack)

Best bean dip you'll ever eat and it's super easy!

1 jar of bean dip (found by the chips at the store)
1 box of cream cheese
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 dollop of sour cream

Mix well and serve warm.

I, of course, bought re-fried beans instead of bean dip because I wasn't paying attention to the recipe. So, we added about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to give the beans a little more creaminess. It still tasted amazing! You'll want to make a LOT, because this stuff will not last long.

Special thanks to Dana Hancock for her original recipe!

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

The hubby wanted to cook for me on Mother’s Day so he asked me to find him a new recipe that I would like to try. With the fresh basil out of the garden, I knew this one would be yummy!!

Ingredients
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup Sun-Dried Tomato dressing, divided
2 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (1 tsp. dried basil leaves)

Directions

- Place chicken in Ziploc bag. Add 1/4 cup dressing and seal bag. Marinate for 10 minutes or longer.

- Place a large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; heat grill to medium heat.

- Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill for about 6 minutes.

-Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.

-Turn the chicken over and place cooked-side up, on foil on the grill. Top with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill 8 minutes or until chicken is done.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- No tips from me. The husband made it following the directions and it was DELICIOUS!!

**Recipe from www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com **

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach

I always am up for a recipe that is tasty and good for you.
The recipe claims to be 5 WW points per serving for anyone counting!
It was DELICIOUS (dare I say it, very moist... I can't stand that word) and super easy, especially since I had all the ingredients at home to make it.

Ingredients:
8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each
1/2 cup whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
6 tablespoons egg whites or egg beaters
5 oz frozen spinach, squeezed dry of any liquid
6 tbsp part skim ricotta cheese
6 oz part skim mozzarella
olive oil non-stick spray
1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
- Wash and dry chicken, season with salt and pepper.  Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Combine breadcrumbs and 2 tbsp parmesan cheese in one bowl and 1/4 cup egg beaters or egg whites in another.
- Shred or finely chop 1.5 oz of mozzarella cheese and combine with remaining parmesan cheese, spinach (make sure you squeeze it dry), 2 tbsp egg beaters, and ricotta cheese.
- Lay chicken down on a working surface and spread 2 tbsp of spinach-cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and keep seam side down.
- Dip chicken in egg mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down in a baking dish (no toothpicks -needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken. \
- When finished, lightly spray with olive oil and cover with foil. Bake 25 mins. Remove foil, top with sauce and cheese. Bake 4 more minutes until cheese is melted.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
I actually ALMOST followed the recipe, I substituted Italian (non healthy) breadcrumbs for the other, it was what was in the pantry. I also love garlic so I added a tsp of minced garlic to the cheese/spinach mixture.

**Recipe from www.skinnytaste.com . **

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Since it is Cinco de Mayo—I tried out a new recipe for the occasion. YUM! Hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese
Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Directions:
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- As always I left out the onions and cilantro. Feel free to swap out ingredients that you like.

- I didn’t have any sour cream so I used Ranch Dressing instead. It was delicious!

- I am a very bad burrito wrapper, so instead of rolling these, I sandwiched the filling between two tortillas… so ours were technically quesadillas.

-These were cheap, easy and delicious. They will be made again!

 

** Original recipe from: www.melskitchencafe.com/ **

Sour Cream Pasta Bake

This is a modified recipe I got from one of my best friends, Emily. 

1 package bowtie Wacky Mac Pasta (my kids love the colors, I love it's made from veggies)
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cottage cheese
1 small can tomato sauce (NOT spaghetti sauce)
1 lb ground beef
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.  Cook the Wacky Mac according to the package directions.
2.  While the pasta cooks, brown off the ground beef and drain the excess fat off.  Pour in the can of tomato sauce and I season it with a little black pepper and garlic salt.
3.  In a 2 or 3 qt baking dish (I use a large deep oval shape, not a 9 X 13) dump in your cottage cheese and sour cream.  I season this also with a little black pepper and garlic salt.  Mix well.
4.  Drain pasta and shake excess water off.  Pour into baking dish and mix with sour cream/cottage cheese mixture. 
5.  Pour beef mixture on top and spread evening.
6.  Top with cheese.  Cover with either foil or a lid (I have a glass lid) and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Take the foil/lid off the last 10 minutes to brown the cheese just a bit. 

Tips from the Kitchen of Reality:
-My kids DEVOUR this.  They LOVE the Wacky Mac! 
-The original recipe calls for scallions on the top.  It makes it taste a little more Tex-Mex and I like it that way but the kids don't, so I leave it off.
-This is a great easy recipe that makes a lot and is GREAT reheated as leftovers. 

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Pineapple Chicken

This is a super easy and inexpensive one!

Ingredients

4 frozen chicken breasts

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. teriyaki sauce

1 can pineapple chunks,  drain half the juice out

Crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

Throw it all in the crockpot and turn it on. My chicken was not frozen so I cooked it on low for 4 hours and it was perfect.

Serve over rice or noodles with broccoli! Delicious!

** Recipe from: www.sixsistersstuff.com **

Alice Springs Chicken

This is one of the most familiar items on the menu at Outback Steakhouse—I seriously think I’ve only eaten their three times, but certainly ate this each time I was there. Good stuff. I can’t say if it really tastes like the “real thing” but it is good regardless!

Ingredients
4 chicken breast, pounded to an even thickness
1 bottle Lawry's Original Seasoned Salt marinade
4 slices bacon
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cups cheddar jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup honey mustard dressing

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken in the Lawry's Original Seasoned Salt marinade for at least 30 minutes.  The longer the better.

2. While the chicken is marinating, cook the bacon in a large skillet.  Set aside.  Reserve 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat.  Sauté mushrooms in bacon fat until softened.  Set aside.

3. Grill the chicken 12-15, minutes until done.  You can also cook the chicken in a skillet on the stove if desired.

4. Preheat the broiler on your oven.  Place cooked chicken on a rimmed baking sheet.  Spread 1-2 Tbsp honey mustard on cooked chicken.  Top with bacon, mushrooms and cheese.  Broil until cheese is melted.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

I am a bit of a thrifty shopper and wasn’t buying the marinade since I had the actual Lawry’s Seasoning Salt in my cabinet. I just sprinkled the chicken with it and let it sit in the fridge about a 1/2 hour.

I also used plain old cheddar—it was what was in the fridge!  Still very tasty!

** Recipe from www.plainchicken.com **

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

Can you tell that we have had a week of new recipes!?  While sometimes it might get boring with the same type of food throughout the week, I’ve found that it works better with my budget to make things with similar ingredients. So 3 of the last 7 days—we’ve had Mexican food.

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups salsa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
6 small flour tortillas
1 small can of drained corn
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions
1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, sour cream, corn, taco seasoning and cumin.
3. Spoon a generous layer of meat mixture on bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
4. 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.
5. The last & final layer should be grated cheese.
6. Cover with foil that has been sprayed and bake at 400° for 25 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.
7. Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- I made mine in a 9 x 13 pan. Made two stacks of three tortillas each and was able to just cut it out in squares to serve.

- Of course I left out the onion and cilantro and I used the random mix of cheese I had in the fridge—but it still was delicious. Nothing new and exciting, just rearranged a little.

(Recipe from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake)

Taco Pasta

So my my husband asked me while eating dinner, “Is this just a glorified hamburger helper recipe?” Good question… I’ve never eaten hamburger helper, so perhaps it is. He quickly tried to make up for the fact that it wasn’t from a box by saying “It tastes much better than that, you can tell it has fresh ingredients.” Yea, yea. Too late for that now Mister! It was a great change up from our normal Mexican meals, definitely kid friendly, hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- 8-12 ounces medium pasta shells
- 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes)
- 1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic, taco seasoning, and diced tomatoes. Let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

3. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.

4. Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor. Serve with a green salad.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- I left out the onion and cilantro. Not big fans of either. Since I was hoping the kids would eat it, and one of the two did, I didn’t get the tomatoes with chilies.

- Didn’t think it was going to thicken up, but it did. Just be patient.

Asparagus Penne

I love a recipe with fresh asparagus. This is a good one, no changes made or needed. ENJOY!

Ingredients

- 1 pound asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 pound penne
- 1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

3. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt.

**Recipe from www.foodandwine.com**

No-Bake Energy Bites

I’ve had this recipe pinned on Pinterest for awhile, friends have made and then my sister made them. Decided it was time I made them.

Ingredients:

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

- Mix everything together.

- Refrigerate 1 hour – then roll into 1 inch balls.

- Store in airtight container in fridge for one week. (They won’t last that long.)

Tips:

- Substitute away with this recipe! I used whole flax seeds and mini M&M’s and less coconut this first round. Anything to get the kiddos to eat them.

Tortellini Spinach Bake

YUM! Try this as an easy dinner or as a side – you’ll be glad you did!

Ingredients:
- 12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortellini
- 4 strips of bacon
- 3 cloves minced garlic -
- 2 Tbs flour
- 2 C milk
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp dry basil
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 medium lemon
- 2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- ¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
- ¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- Cook tortellini according to directions.

- Cook bacon in skillet until crisp, remove from pan.

- Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth.

- Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

- While sauce is heating, zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 1 teaspoon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

- Drain tortellini and place back in pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in a baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

- Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- I didn’t have a lemon, just used lemon juice. I’m sure the lemon flavor would have been stronger had I used a real lemon.

- I could only find the 8 oz bags ot tortellini at Walmart—so I bought two and used them both so we would have leftovers for lunch and dinner tomorrow. I had plenty of sauce to go around without adding anything extra.

Originally from Our Best Bites Website.

Bacon and Blue Cheese Potato Salad

Mark needed to take potato salad to work tomorrow, so I went for a new recipe. I get tired of the same old potato salad, you know?!?

Well, it turned out DELICIOUS!! Would be fabulous with burgers right off the grill. Try it, you’ll like it!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs red potatoes , cut into eighths
• 5 slices bacon
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 green onions , chopped
• 3 ounces blue cheese , crumbled

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes until tender.

2. Cook bacon until crisp, and cut into one inch pieces.

3. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, salt and pepper.

4. Fold in green onions, cheese, potatoes and bacon.

5. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Parmesan Mushroom Pork

This recipe which I found on Pinterest was titled “Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Breast” and came from HERE. But the recipe that follows was made with what was in my kitchen this afternoon and was only inspired by the original recipe. See what you think! We loved it.

Ingredients:

- 2 thick pork cutlets

- a large handful of parmesan cheese

- 6 sliced button mushrooms

- 1/4 cup mayo

- 1 minced garlic clove

- salt and pepper

Directions:

- Place pork in a greased baking dish.

- Mix the rest of the ingredients and spread over the top of the pork.

- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- The original recipe called for a cup of mayo and that made me want to gag. I am guessing I used about a 1/4 of a cup, I really just added mayo to stick all the other ingredients together.

- Sorry my cheese amount is just an estimate—I just used enough so the mixture would cover both pieces of pork.

Homemade Hummus

We love hummus… well, the 18 month old and I do. My sister and I gave it a go at making homemade and it turned out pretty yummy! Much cheaper than buying the small containers at the grocery store. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved (15.5-ounce can)
-1/3 cup tahini or sesame paste
-4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
-6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
-8 dashes Tabasco sauce
-2 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions:

Place the chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid, the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until coarsely puréed.

The hummus should be moist and thick; add more lemon juice or reserved chickpea liquid to thin, if necessary.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours for the flavors to blend. Taste for seasonings.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Mine came out a little salty. Not sure if I measured wrong or what. If I were you, I’d add it at the end to taste. I’m thinking it was the cook’s error though!

- Add different ingredients to have different flavors—we added black beans to party of the hummus and had it with our Mexican theme food night with tortilla chips.

* This is a Barefoot Contessa Recipe!

Slutty Brownies

I did not title the recipe… but it definitely is fitting. Got this off of Pinterest and the quote there was “They're called Slutty Brownies because they're oh so easy, and more than a little bit filthy.” ENJOY!!

Ingredients

- 1 box chocolate chip cookie mix (plus ingredients indicated on box to make it)

- 1 pkg of oreo cookies

- 1 box of brownie mix (plus ingredients to make it)

Directions

- Line 9x9 square pan with plenty of wax paper so you can easily lift brownies out of pan later to cut.

- Make cookie mix and press into the bottom of pan.

- Cover the cookie mix with a layer of oreos— whole cookies, do not break into pieces.

- Mix up brownie batter and pour over the top of the oreos.

- Bake for 30 minutes—be careful not to cook too long or they will dry out and not be super yummy and gooey.

- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

- You will no longer question their name, promise.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- I bought a pouch cookie mix… you can buy a tube of cookie dough already made.

-

-

Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Garlic

I am a woman on a budget these day for sure and this was a cheap recipe that had GREAT flavor and was really “light.” Try it, I think you’ll like it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes

2/3 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound spaghetti

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and the red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens, about 1 minute. Add the sliced mushrooms and the salt and cook until the mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 9 minutes. Drain and toss with the mushroom mixture, the parsley, and the pepper.

 

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality

- I thought 1/2 cup of oil sounded like a lot… I think I used about 1/2 of that.

- I used minced garlic that I had in the fridge instead of cloves.

- I love angel hair pasta, so we used that instead of spaghetti

- The leftovers of this were AMAZING! The flavor was just so much better. I may make this ahead next time, refrigerate it, then reheat in skillet when ready to serve. The pasta just had more flavor. Then again, if I had used more oil it may not have been a problem as it would have coated the pasta better. YUMMY… none the less!

Slow Cooker Ham and White Beans

Super easy, super cheap, and GREAT for a cold day of no cooking!

Ingredients

1 lb package dried northern beans
ham bone, hocks, shanks or diced ham (about 1 pound)
2 tsp onion powder
6 cups water
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Rinse and sort the beans for any pebbles. Add the the rinsed beans, onion powder, salt, pepper, and ham to the crock pot. Add water. Cover and cook on low about 8 hours, until beans are tender. Remove ham bone, shanks or hocks and pull off the meat. Add meat to the crock pot and mix. Serve with cornbread.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality

- Won’t lie… ham bones, hocks, etc just gross me out. I bought a small package of country ham pieces at the grocery store.

- I soaked my beans in water overnight and then only had to cook for about 3 hours—we had this for Sunday lunch. Didn’t have all day to let it sit.

Classic Meatloaf

I am not a big fan of meatloaf. Every recipe I’ve ever just was blah… or had about 5 ingredients I thought were gross. :) HA… and I wonder why my child is a picky eater.

Anyways… found this plain Jane recipe for meatloaf and gave it a shot. For me it’s a keeper.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry oregano

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

3/4 lb ground beef chuck

3/4 lb ground pork

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, combine ketchup and brown sugar. Set aside.

2. In large bowl, whisk all the rest of the ingredients together until well incorporated.

3. Transfer the mixture onto prepared baking sheet and make a loaf 9 x 3 inches.

4. Brush loaf with ketchup/sugar mixture.

5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

1. I didn’t use onion—surprise! And I used tomato sauce instead of paste. Worked fine.

2. The mix of pork and beef made a big difference to me and I liked the sweeter sauce on top with brown sugar. AWESOME meatloaf for the picky me! Hope you enjoy!

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

A quick kid friendly recipe I ran across that my child will actually eat!! YIPPEE!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/2 cup oatmeal

Directions

1. Heat peanut butter and honey on low until well mixed.

2. Add oatmeal and raisins.

3. Stir well then pour in a greased cookie sheet or shallow baking dish.

4. Let cool then cut into bars.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Mine came out a little gooey but I actually omitted the raisins so I should have probably put in more oatmeal. BUT they were still tasty.

- I had to put sprinkles on top of ours for my little picky eater to try them, but they’d be great with so many other additions—chocolate chips, m&ms, nuts, etc.

Chicken~Mushroom and Rice Soup

2 large cans chicken
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans chicken broth
2 cups instant rice
2 tsp salt
2 tsp butter
4 cups water
2 Tbsp parsley (or chives or both)
2 cups half & half

Cook everything but half & half until rice is tender. Add half & half and heat through.

Tips:

• I do this in a crockpot for around 4 hours.


• I use "real" chicken instead of the canned.


• It's a wonderful way to use leftover poultry.


• When I do this at home I use low fat versions of the soup and cream. Still yummy!


• I've taken this to potlucks and family gatherings and it's always a hit!