Thursday, March 31, 2011

Navojo Tacos

So I haven't made this for years but just saw my old recipe and decided to try it again.

Fried Dough
2 1/2-3 c. flour
1 c. water
1/2 t. salt
3 t. baking powder
Mix and then take small portions ( I flatten them to hand size so they get cooked thru)
Fry them in about an inch of oil in a pan. Make sure oil is medium hot not too hot to burn or too low so it takes too long to cook.
When done I made chicken chili (chicken from my freezer and 2 cans of beans and 1 can tomato sauce and taco seasoning) To make more healthy add lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.
Lex and Parks loved them.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Turkey Taquitos

Think Taco-roll ups. Think EASY and CHEAP. That is what a Turkey Taquito is my friends.
Turkey meat (on clearance for .50 for 1lbs) With onions, cilantro, taco seasoning and crushed red peppers. Basically make taco meat any way you like. 
 Fry white or corn tortillas just for a few seconds so they are soft and pliable. 
Add cheese and meat onto the tortilla and roll up. Bake for 15 minutes at 425*F.
Just until golden brown and cheesy (like me)

I had extra so instead of baking them, I froze them like this first. 
Then I put three to a baggy and now we have a quick grab and go lunch option

Yumm yumm yumm....

Saturday, March 19, 2011

barbecue or Alfredo pizza pita


Here are some pita pizzas . I love barbecue sauce as my family knows so you can use that or the tomato based pizzas. I pull out seasoned chicken from my freezer already cooked and then add anything you want. Parker loves the peppers and I love the mozzarella cheese. I like pineapple but the kids don't You can top it with parsley. You can also use sausage instead of chicken but much more fattening. aggh.

My favorite is the alfredo sauce yum and you can use spinach or artichoke the ingredients I never use but will with this pizza. The reason I like pitas is that it's fast if you don't have time to make a crust.
ALFREDO SAUCE

4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup of cream
3/4 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese grated from a block
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, salt, milk and cheese. It's important to stir fairly rapidly--cream, when heated, has a tendency to curdle. (I use milk for last fat)Once the ingredients have fairly well homogenized, turn the heat up to medium and stir constantly until the sauce has thickened. Turn the heat down and cover the sauce; Add more or less cheese depending on taste, remembering that adding too much will cause your sauce to thicken.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

McCall Casserole

Ok so it's basically a casserole and all I put in it is.....

Depending on how big you want the casserole to be I usually do
1and 1/2 cups of rice cooked
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 package of sausage cooked
and 1 onion

While the rice is cooking, I cook the sausage and then in another pan I cook the onion and 2 bell peppers that are cut up in little squares.
I then mix it all together with a little salt and pepper and some cheese.

Cook it at 350 for 30 mins.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Beet Salad... it really is yummy!

I have 4 go-to salads and want to make it 7. One for each day of the week. This is one of them! I had it a a Valentines Party and thought "beets?" Yes, beets. I LOVE THEM! The original recipe is here. 
Roasted Beet Salad


  • 1 can sliced beets
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Salad
  • 1 large pear
  • 3 cups spinach lettuce
  • 2 ounces goat cheese













Toast the almonds in a small skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Remove and cool.
For the vinaigrette: Make the vinaigrette by stirring together the vinegar, mustard, salt and sugar, and then slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
Add the sliced beets add half the vinaigrette, tossing to coat completely. Toss the remaining vinaigrette with the salad greens.
Quarter and core the pear and slice it into julienne strips, about 1/8-inch thick. (optional but it really adds to the salad I think)
Arrange the dressed greens, and beets on a platter and top with the pear, toasted nuts, and goat cheese.

Friday, March 11, 2011

fruit chicken salad

Another chicken recipee with chicken from the freezer.

I always add more salt and pepper and sometimes garlic powder as well since the flavor diminishes in the freezer (at least to me it does) For this recipe I add cajun spice as well.

Then lettuce, mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, the chips like cafe rio (thin) and then dressing.
(I've seen this with much more ingredients so you can add sesame seeds, etc. to your liking (keep in mind I have kids at home that like things plain.) I made rolls to go with it. The kids loved it.

I'll upload the picture when I get on my other computer.

chicken tacos with a twist

I bought lots of chicken at 1.29 and so most of the time I am making chicken for dinner. I ran out of recipes so I made up a new one. I loved it. I hope you guys do as well.

I crockpot a whole bunch of chicken with salt, pepper, garlic salt, sugar, sometimes onions. Then I freeze all but what I make for dinner.

Today I pulled one of the containers out of the freezer, shredded it and added about 1/4- 1/2 c. soy sauce, 1/4 c. ketchup, more salt and pepper, 1 tsp gound ginger.

Then just the usual, tomatoes and lettuce and rice but actually no cheese for this one on grilled tortillas with a side of grapes and apples. I just wanted to eat the chicken. (I actually didn't measure the above ingredients so just add or subtract according to have you like it.) It's so easy when you can just pull it out of the freezer.


Thursday, March 10, 2011

Oreo Cupcake Recipe. Enough Said

Be still my beating heart! For someone who does not like chocolate as a general rule, I sure sorta love this little dessert. My love started a few months back when my favorite little bakery that I am not allowed to eat at decided to make Oreo Cupcakes. It was a Wednesday. They generally make them only on Saturdays. That was the best Wednesday of my life thus far. And I bought one. It was $3.25. Money very well spent.

Except I have been pining away for them ever since that fateful day. For $3.25, I can buy my own bag of oreo's and make 2 dozen. And so I did. Today. Between tending to my "i-only-want-mommy-24/7" toddler.

Well, I don;t have any pictures right now but it was super easy that you don't need it.

Make this chocolate cake recipe for the cupcakes.



1      (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
2      1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
3      1 cup sour cream
4      1 cup vegetable oil
5      4 eggs
6      1/2 cup water
7      1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mix, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into cupcake liners. Bake until done and then cool on the rack... or counter. Or barstool. Whatever. 


Then add a LITTLE of the mix to the bottom of the cupcake liner.
Next add and entire oreo. Double stuffed. Mint, reduced fat. Scratch that. DO NOT use reduced fat. That is just pointless if you are making these little gems.
Then add a final scoop of the above mentioned chocolate cake batter.

Bake.

Now add your butter cream frosting on top. Recipe below.


6 tbsp. butter
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tbsp. cocoa
2 to 3 tbsp. milk or heavy whipping cream
Crushed/blended oreo's

1. Cream butter.2. Combine sugar and cocoa and oreo's
3. Add sugar and cocoa and oreo mixture to butter
4. Add milk to and butter mixture. I would start with 2 tbsp. of milk and if it's too thick add another tbsp. of milk.


 Its pretty if you can pipe it one. If you don;t have a big enough tip, just take off the tip. The plastic thing alone will work just fine.

And here is the best part. Eat. All of them. Well, at least two. And have a cup of milk.

You can thank me later. Your hips and thighs may not but your tastebuds will! :)

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Best Mint Brownies. Ever

Oh. my. Stop whatever you are doing and make these! Well, finish reading this first. I made then for our RS Birthday Celebration and got asked for the recipe by, well, everyone. It is that good. I got it here. I made some changes though. You will have to go to the link for the directions since I don't want to re-write the whole thing and I am sure it violates copy write. Anyhooo... (let me pause to wipe the drool) Bake away!



  • BROWNIES
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • MINT FROSTING
  • 1/4 cup softened butter
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 1/2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2-3 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • Green food coloring
  • CHOCOLATE TOPPING
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips