Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms

Finding healthy recipes that are really good isn't easy. I came across this recipe and it sounded awesome so I decided to try it! It was awesome!!! The only thing I will change is to add chicken, but that's it:-) I really like the flavor of the Brussels sprouts in the dish:-)

Ingredients:
6 ounces whole-wheat linguine
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 cups sliced mixed mushrooms (whatever kind you like)
2 cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup of sherry cooking wine
 cup low-fat milk (I used organic)
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup finely shredded asiago cheese (plus more for garnish)

Directions:
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sherry cooking wine, scraping up any brown bits; bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, about 1 minute.
Whisk milk and flour in a bowl; add to the skillet with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in Asiago until melted. Add the sauce to the pasta; gently toss. Serve with more cheese, if desired.

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

This recipes is super easy and very flavorful!

I used 3 farm raised Atlantic salmon fillets for this recipe. The glaze recipe is enough to make many more, or you can save the extra glaze and use it on chicken, burgers etc...

Salmon:
3 salmon fillets
HEB Cowboy Campfire seasoning (or any other season all)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Put olive oil in pan and heat to medium high. Season fillets with salt, pepper and cowboy campfire seasoning. Put in oil skin side down and let brown (about 3 minutes), flip salmon to brown on the other side (about 2 minutes). Flip salmon back over (skin side down) and put into a 300 degree oven for about 5-6 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.

Pour glaze over salmon right before you serve it.

Balsamic glaze:
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
Put vinegar and sugar in pot, stir and bring to a boil. Drop temp to a simmer and let the sauce reduce to about half, stirring along the way. The glaze should coat the back of a spoon when it's done....about 20-25 minutes.

ENJOY!!!!!

salsa veggie scrambled eggs

YUMMY!

2 eggs (whisked)
A little green pepper and onion sauted in pan with olive oil for a few minutes, then add egg. Cook until done....then add one spoonful of salsa. That's it!

Schnitzel

My Mom started making this a few years ago. It's very simple and delicious! It's a different twist on the typical fried chicken:-)

Ingredients:
Flour
Panko Bread Crumbs
3 eggs
garlic powder
pepper
salt
1 cucumber thinly sliced
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup coconut oil



Directions:
Slice cucumber and red onion very thin, put in bowl with red wine vinegar, cover, put in fridge until it's time to eat. (the longer this sits the better it is)
Buy thinly cut chicken breasts or pound them thin yourself. Pat each breast in flour first, then egg, then bread crumbs. I season the bread crumbs with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat coconut oil to med-high and fry
each breast until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
Serve the cucumber/onion mixture on top of chicken. ENJOY!!!!

Iced Coffee

It's getting HOT here in Texas, so I needed to figure out how to make iced coffee without spending $4 per cup at Starbucks. I found this recipe and tried it out.It's delicious and easy! I am going to by some flavored syrup so I can have more options too:-)

Ingredients:
1 cup ground coffee
1 (1 quart mason jar)
strainer
water
paper towels

Place ground coffee in mason jar, fill with cold water. Stir well until all grounds are wet. Cover and let sit overnight. In the morning place strainer over large bowl and add 2 paper towels to the strainer. Slowly strain concentrate coffee into bowl and then into another jar or whatever you are going to store it in.

To make the iced coffee: The recipe called for equal parts concentrate/milk.....but that is pretty strong. Play with it until you find the flavor you like. I put a little less than half concentrate - the rest milk - filled with iced - added 2 tablespoons of sugar and it's perfect for me:-)

You can keep this concentrate in the fridge for up to 3 weeks:-)

7-Up Cake

I have seen this recipe A LOT on pinterest....so I figured it must be good. Glad I tried it....it's DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! and sooooo easy to make. I am not a huge baker, so this was right up my alley:-)

Ingredients:
1 box of traditional yellow cake mix
1 box of lemon pudding mix (3oz I think)
4 eggs
3/4 cup of veg. oil
3/4 cup of 7-up


Icing:
milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 juice of a lemon (1 tablespoon)

Directions for cake: Mix all ingredients into bowl. Spray  bundt pan with nonstick spray. Poor batter into bundt pan and bake for 35-45 minutes on 325 or until toothpick comes out clear:-)

After cake is done, let cool then remove from bundt pan. Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice and enough milk to make a thick icing....then drizzle all over cake. YUMMY!

This cake is wonderful:-) There is just a hint of lemon, it's not too much. ENJOY!!!!

Mississippi Roast (Crock Pot)

A girl I work with told me about this recipe and she went on about it so much I just had to try it. It is REALLY easy and only a few ingredients. It doesn't get much better than that!

Ingredients:
Chuck Roast (4-6 pounds)
1 stick of butter
6-7 banana peppers (I bought a jar of them)
1 package of ranch dressing (powder)
1 package of Au Jus (powder)

Directions:
Put roast in crock pot, sprinkle the ranch and au jus on top. Place stick of butter on top and put 6-7 banana peppers around the butter. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours (or high 4-5 hours). DON'T ADD WATER!!!! Trust me....just let it do it's thing and you will be glad you did:-)

It's DELICIOUS!!! Great with mashed potatoes and a veggie....or you can make sandwiches with the meat.....another good idea would be tacos...yummy! This is a new crock pot recipe that will stay in my kitchen for years to come:-)

ENJOY!!!
FYI: This is a picture I pulled off the internet because I haven't taken one....but will post my own pics next time I make it:-)

Baked Bacon

I knew that it was possible to bake bacon, but never did it because I didn't think it would be as good as fried bacon. My Mama was baking her bacon while I was at her home in Utah and it was delicious!! I have started baking my bacon and will never go back to frying again! It's easy, yummy and MESS FREE!!!

Line a baking sheet with foil and place bacon on sheet. Bake in 350-375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp to your liking. Remove bacon and transfer to paper towel to drain. Let the foil cool, then crumble it up and trash it! DONE!!! No messy grease to clean up off the stove anymore...YAY!!!!!!!!

Chicken Tenders

These are so crunchy and delicious!!!

Chicken Breasts ( however many you need) 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 pepper 1 tsp lawrys seasoning 4 eggs 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1 cup flour

Directions: In three separate bowls, put flour, panko bread crumbs and eggs. Add some garlic powder, salt, pepper and lawrys seasoning to the panko bread crumbs and mix up. Whisk the eggs a little. Cut the chicken breasts into strips. Each breast usually makes three strips. Dredge each chicken strip into the flour first, then the eggs, then the panko bread crumbs and fry them in hot oil ( I use crisco) Make sure its not too hot or they will burn. I had my burner on 6 the whole time and it was perfect. Brown them on each side for about 4 minutes (or until they are brown) and flip over and do the same on the other side. Pull out and drain on paper towel (salt them again just a little) then serve:-)

Andouille pasta with peas

This dish is super easy and quick to make and is very tasty!! If you haven't ever tried andouille sausage before....you should:-)

Ingredients:
3-4 links of andoulli sausage
fettuccine pasta
2 tomatoes
1 cup of frozen peas
garlic (2 cloves)
olive oil
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions.
Put a little olive oil in a skillet and heat to medium high. Cut up sausage and add to pan....cook until browned...adding chopped garlic right at the end so it doesn't burn. Turn heat to med low to low, add chopped tomatoes and frozen peas to sausage(don't drain grease from sausage...that's where all of the flavor comes from!!)...stir and cover pan. Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until everything is hot. Spoon sausage mixture over pasta and top with cheese!!! Add salt and pepper if desired. YUM!!!

Hash brown Egg Sausage and Cheese Muffins

These are sooo yummy! Super easy to make and easy to heat up on a busy weekday morning:-)

Ingredients:
hash browns (shredded - in a bag)
8 eggs
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
chives ( about 2 tablespoons)
sausage (about 1/2 cup browned)
1/2 bell pepper chopped
salt/pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Brown sausage until done....adding chopped bell peppers a few minutes before it's done. Drain sausage and set to the side. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray and put enough hash browns in each tin to cover the bottom. Press the hash browns down in the tin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 15 min. While the hash browns are baking mix in a bowl, eggs, chives, sausage and bell peppers. Pour enough egg mixture on top of hash browns to fill each muffin tin. Top  with shredded cheese and bake another 15 minutes. DONE!!!

Potato & Ham Soup

I had LOTS of leftover ham so I decided to throw this soup together....it is DELICIOUS!!!

Ingredients:
Ham (chopped up - about 1 1/2 cups)
dried onion (about a tablespoon)
celery seed (a few dashes)
salt/pepper (to taste)
garlic powder (about a teaspoon)
carrot (one large - chopped)
4 small potatoes (peeled and chopped)
3 cups of water
3 chicken bullion cubes
2 cups of milk
1/2 stick of butter
3 tablespoons of flour

Directions:
In a big pot add potatoes, ham, carrots, water, dried onion, garlic powder, celery seed, salt/pepper and bring to boil. Let boil for about 10 minutes (until the potatoes are tender). Next add the chicken cubes and stir to dissolve...turn pot down to a simmer. In another pot (small one) melt butter (med heat) then whisk in flour to make a thick paste....once it's thick add the milk slowly, while continuing to whisk. Bring heat up to a med high heat on the milk...and whisk until it starts to thicken. Once it's thick add the milk mixture to the potato soup. Stir together and let simmer for about 15 minutes...add any salt or pepper if needed for taste:-)

Serve with cheese and green onions on top...YUM!!!!!!!!

Cinnamon Almonds - Crock Pot

OMG...these ROCK! They are just like the ones you get at the fair. I am IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!! Easy to make too:-) The only thing I have to say about them...is keep stirring about every 20 minutes or they will burn...and make sure you spread them out on foil or something so they can harden. If you don't spread them out they will harden in big clumps...and you don't want that. This was my first attempt at making these are they turned out perfect...it's easy...just keep an eye on them!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C. Sugar
• 3 Tbsp. Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. Salt
• 1 Egg White
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 1/2 Cups Almonds
• 1/4 C. Water

Directions

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together sugas, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
2. In another medium sized bowl, whisk the egg white and vanilla until it’s a little frothy. Add almonds. Make sure the almonds are thoroughly coated in the egg white mixture.
3. Add cinnamon mixture to the almonds and toss until coated.
4. Thoroughly spray the stoneware of your large crock pot. Add the mixture of almonds and sugars to the crock pot and turn it to high
5. Cook ( with the lid on ) 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. In the last 15  minutes, add the 1/4 C. of water and stir well. Stir really well, especially as it gets later in the cooking process.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the almonds flat to cool. The almonds will be sticky at this point, so make sure you separate them a little and have no large mounds.
7. Once the almonds have cooled store them in an air tight storage container and enjoy as you wish!!!!

Roasted Broccoli

This is the best broccoli I have ever put in my mout....mmm...mmm.mmmm:-)

Cut fresh broccoli up into bite size pieces  spread on cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed garlic...mix together. Bake in pre-heated 425 oven for about 15-20 minutes...turning once. Once the broccoli is fork tender and starting to brown, it's done. Pull it out and squeeze a little lemon juice all over it...and shred a little fresh parmesan on top too....YUM!!!!

Parsley Garlic Grilled Chicken

So, I totally bought parsley instead of cilantro...OOPS! Had to make up a recipe....and it turned out AWESOME!!!

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 cup fresh parsley
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
few dashes of pepper
few dashes of Thai chili sauce

Mix everything above in a food processor (except chicken)...then pour marinade over chicken and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Grill chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until chicken is done...ENJOY!!!
This is really a great recipe....doesn't need any sauce or anything to go with the chicken. It's healthy too!!!

Mummy Cupcakes

These were super simple...and they turned out super cute! I just made a regular batch of chocolate cupcakes and put the icing on in a mummy pattern. Then I added black gel dots and red sugar dots for hte eyes...that's it!!!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

These are pretty darn tasty! I was suprised:-) Super easy too!!!

First off...Happy Halloween everyone!!! Here is our pumpkin this year:-)

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

Scoop seeds out of pumpkin and rinse under cold water...getting all of the stringy stuff off of them.
Spread out on roasting pan and sprinkle with salt, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder. Toss together to coat all of the seeds and roast in 350 oven for about 30 minutes....or until the seeds are toasted brown. They will smell awesome too....so you will know they are done:-) I tossed them around on the pan about half way through the cooking. ENJOY!

Beef Stew

Perfect Fall Supper!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs boneless chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2-3 tbsp cup flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 3 carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch slices
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in eighths

DIRECTIONS

1. On medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil to a large heavy pot (one that has a tight fitting lid).
   
2. When it begins to smoke slightly, add the beef and brown very well. Add the salt and pepper as the beef browns.
   
3. Once browned, remove the beef and set aside.
   
4. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened.
   
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring often.
   
6. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
   
7. Add wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flour will start to thicken the wine as it comes to a simmer.
   
8. Simmer wine for 5 minutes, and then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, and the beef.
   
9. Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on very low for about 1 hour.
   
10. Add potatoes and carrots and simmer covered for another 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.
    
11. Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving. 

ENJOY! This is wonderful stew!!!

Re-fried Beans (Crockpot)

I LOVE re-fried beans. It has taken me a few tries....but I have finally figured out how to make them just the way I like them:-) They are delicious!!!!!!

I didn't use measurements....so bare with me on this. You might have to just play with the seasoning until you get it just the way you like it.

Ingredients:
Dried pinto beans (about 2 cups)
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp dried onion
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno
2-3 cups of water

Directions:
Put beans into crockpot. Cover them with water. You want the water about 1/2 inch about the beans. Add all of your seasonings and stir. Cover and turn on high for 5-6 hours or until beans are tender. You might have to add water as they cook if they look like they are getting a little dry. Once the beans are tender, get a spoon and spoon out extra moisture(keep on the side in a bowl). Mash the beans with a fork...or potato masher...or heck, you could probably use a blender..lol. I used a fork which I am sure is the hardest way...but it worked! Once you have them all mashed up you can add back in the sauce that you took out...as need to get the right texture of the beans.

These are really yummy!!!! I am not sure my hispanic friends would approve...lol. I might be doing em' all wrong:-) But they ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sloppy Joes

Who doesn't love sloppy joes??? YUM!!! I have always bought the can stuff....but tonight decided I would make my own. It's so easy...and is SOOOO much better than the can stuff. Try this...and you will never eat the can stuff again. Not to mention it's much healthier for you when not used from the can. The more processed the worse it is for you:-(

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
1 small yellow onion (chopped)
3/4 cup ketchup
pepper
1 1/2 tbsp mustard
1 1/2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 tsp garlic (dried)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp BBQ sauce
1 tbsp vinegar (any kind will do)

Directions:
Saute onion for a few minutes in pan (with a bit of olive oil) and then add the beef. Cook until done...then drain grease and return beef to pan. Add in all remaining ingredients...stir...taste (you might need to tweek it a little to your liking). Simmer for about 15 minutes...serve open face on buns. Toast in oven with cheese on top. YUMMY!!!!!

I added a little BBQ sauce for flavor...but if you leave out the BBQ sauce it's more like the regular sloppy joe flavor.

Kids will eat these bad boys up! Hope your family enjoys these as much as we do!!!