Fluffy Dinner Rolls

We had these rolls last night with my potato soup and it was so good! These rolls are so easy and they are nice and quick too. I'll be making these again and again! This recipe is from Jamie Cooks It Up.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
4 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup hot water
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 - 4 1/2 cups flour
1 heaping Tbsp. yeast


Preparation:
Pour your milk into a microwave safe container. Add your butter to the milk and put it in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 170 degrees. While the milk is getting nice and toasty, turn on the tap to get your hot water. Temperature is important to making these rolls rise quickly.
Put your milk/butter and hot water in the bottom of your Kitchen Aid Mixer. Add the sugar and salt. Then add 2 C of the flour...let it mix for 1 minute.
Add the yeast. Turn the mixer on and add the rest of the flour 1 C at a time.
You have enough flour when the dough scrapes the side of the bowl clean. Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes. You need the plastic wrap to trap the heat.
Coat the inside of a 9x13 pan with some butter.
Spray your counter, or a cutting board with cooking spray. Lay your dough on top of it.
Take a sharp knife, spray it with cooking spray and cut your dough into 12 pieces. Make them as equal as you can.
Gently round them into balls, and put them in your buttered 9x13 pan.
Put the pan into your warm 170 degree oven. Let them rise for about 20 minutes or until they have risen about 1 inch above the rim of the pan.
Leave your pan in the oven and turn the heat up to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. This time includes the time it takes the oven to increase in temperature. If your oven takes a long old time....you will of course need to increase the time baking. Bake until golden brown.
Brush with a little softened butter and serve warm. Yah- I don't do this, I don't feel a need for the extra butter.

Tuscan Pasta

I had seen this pasta on a couple different blogs and really wanted to make it. When I went to make it for dinner tonight I noticed that it called for 1/2 cup olive oil! How is it a light pasta dish when there is 1/2 cup oil? So I decided to come up with my own version. I hope you like it!

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into cubes
1 lb. penne pasta
1 (14.5 oz.) can of petite diced tomatoes
1/2 small onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
2 Tbsp. olive oil
grated mozzarella cheese for garnish

Preparation:
Cook pasta until al dente, rinse, drain, and set aside. In a large skillet heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat, once hot add onion and cook until translucent. Add diced tomatoes, garlic bread seasoning, and chicken. Bring everything to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add penne pasta and stir to combine everything. Cook everything for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until everything is hot. Top with mozzarella cheese if desired and serve immediately.

Butterfinger Cookie Bars

I usually make a treat once a week for Nate. This was our treat this week. I saw the idea over at Kaitlin in the Kitchen.

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
about 8-10 fun size butterfinger candy bars, chopped (or any candy bar of your liking)

Preparation:
Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add baking soda and salt, then mix. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Add flour and mix until well blended. Pour batter into an even layer in a greased 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake in at pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (they should be a dark golden brown). As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over top and let set for about a minute or two. The chocolate chips should be melted and easily spreadable. Spread them in a even layer over the bars, then quickly before the chocolate sets, sprinkle on your chopped candy bars. Let cool before cutting into bars.

Savory Chicken Wings

This was the other appetizer I served during the football game tonight. Nate loves the hot wings I make and so I knew wings would be on the menu. The other night I found this idea on a recipe blog, Kaitlin in the Kitchen, and knew I wanted to try these. I don't like spicy things, so I figured these wings I would actually try. They were really good! Both Nate and I really enjoyed them and they will be a definite game day food at our house.


Ingredients:
1 bag frozen chicken wings (they are usually about 2.5 lbs.)
1 cup bottled Italian dressing (I used fat free)
1/2 cup soy sauce

Preparation:
Lay your chicken wings evenly in a pan with high sides and bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes without any sauce on them. Whisk together soy and Italian dressing. After the 20 minutes, remove them from the oven, and pour half of the sauce on them and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, then remove, flip them with a pair of tongs and pour the rest of the sauce on and return to the oven for 10-15 more minutes or until they are brown and cooked all the way through.

Pizza Bites

It's game day! While Nate is busy cheering on BYU he will be snacking on chicken wings and these pizza bites. I've had these bookmarked for so long and I thought today was the perfect day for them. The recipe is from Our Best Bites.

Ingredients:
1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (or you can use homemade dough)
pizza sauce
melted butter
garlic bread seasoning
shredded mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings of your choice (I used turkey pepperoni, green peppers, and onions)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400 degrees.
Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.
Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. Just eyeball how much. You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind.
When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).
Brush the tops of the dough balls with melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic bread seasoning.
Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I'd check them after even 10 minutes.
Serve warm with warmed pizza sauce on the side for dipping.


These were so fun and they are perfect football food!

Cajun Pork Roast

Such an easy and yummy recipe! Seriously, so easy. The original calls for the roast to cook on low for 12-15 hours. I didn't have that kind of time, so I just cooked it on high for 4 hours and then on low for another 2 and it still turned out really well! This recipe comes from Lovely Little Snippets.

Ingredients:
3 lb. pork roast
6 cups water
4 chicken bullion cubes
4 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning

Preparation:
Dump all of the ingredients on the slow cooker, and set on low for 12-15 hours. Shred and serve.

French Bread Rolls

Nate is a huge fan of rolls. I don't make rolls or bread too often because carbs aren't the best thing for my diabetes. However, Nate had been asking for them for a while so I figured it was time to give in. I saw this recipe over at The Skillet Sisters.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. white sugar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
4 cups all-purpose flour


Preparation:
In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead* until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Makes about 16 rolls.

*I just used my bosch mixer with the dough hook.

Steak Stir-Fry

So good! I really, really enjoyed this recipe. This tasted much better than some of the dishes I've had at restaurants. I loved this dish! I am going to be making this again soon! I adapted this idea from one over at The Daily Smash. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1- 1 1/2 lbs. steak, sliced into thin strips
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
olive oil
vegetables of choice (I used broccoli, green pepper, onion, and carrots)
hot cooked rice

Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil, once hot, cook the beef. Be careful not to over cook your beef, you don't want it to be tough. If sliced thin it should take just a few minutes. Once done, remove from pan and set aside. Empty any grease from pan. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil and saute vegetables until they become crisp-tender. In a bowl, combine cornstarch with water and mix well, then add brown sugar, ginger, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, and soy sauce. Pour that mixture into the skillet with the vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes or until thickened. Add beef back to the skillet and heat through. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Homemade Slurpees

I saw these over at Taste and Tell and knew we had to try them! Such a fun hot weather treat and I like that you can make them any flavor you want!

Ingredients:
makes 2 slurpees
2 cups ice
about 1 cup carbonated beverage (I used sprite)
1 Tbsp. pre-sweetened Kool-Aid*

Preparation:
Put the ice in a blender. Add enough carbonated beverage to just make the ice float. Add in the pre-sweetened Kool-Aid. Blend until slushy. Serve at once.

*all I had was unsweetened Kool-Aid so I just mixed the flavor packet and 1 cup sugar, and then added a Tbsp. of that

Taco Stuffed Shells

This is a recipe from my childhood. I got a kid's cookbook that I think was published by Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Gardens, I can't seem to find it anywhere online or I would show you. It had a lot of fun and yummy recipes. Two of the recipes I remember making were mini cinnamon sugar soft pretzels and these taco stuffed shells. I looked everywhere online for the recipe, but couldn't find it so I just had to wing it. I think they turned out really well and they were even good left over. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
8 oz. jumbo pasta shells
1 small onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
1 envelope taco seasoning plus the water it requires
1 recipe of Zesty Mexican Tomato Sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips, crumbled for garnish (optional)

Preparation:
Brown the ground beef. Halfway through cooking time add the chopped pepper and onion. Add the taco seasoning plus the water it requires and finish cooking the meat. While the beef is cooking, boil the pasta shells until they are just shy al dente, they will finish cooking in the oven. Rinse and drain the shells and let cool for a few minutes. Prep sauce. Pour enough sauce into a 9x13" glass baking dish to cover the bottom. Once the beef is finished and the shells are cool, gently spoon beef into the shells and place finished shells in the baking dish. Once finished, pour remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. After 30 minutes uncover the stuffed shells and top with shredded cheese. Return to oven and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Just before serving top shells with some crushed tortilla chips and sliced olives. Enjoy warm.




*updated 04/06/13*

Honey Glazed Chicken

When I showed this recipe to Nate, he had to have it! So I added to our menu and made him help me cook it today. The chicken turned out so moist and tender, it was really good! The glaze was a bit sweet for me, but as long as I pulled the skin off I was fine. I may switch up the flavors next time, but I will definitely use this method for roasting chicken again. I adapted this recipe from one found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, one of my favorite recipe blogs.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, giblets discarded
1 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven. In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper and paprika. Pat the chickens dry with paper towels and rub the spice mixture under the skin and over the outside of each chicken. Tuck the wings behind the back and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Arrange the chickens, breast side down, on a V-rack set inside a roasting pan. Roast until the chickens are golden, about 35 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully with a wad of paper towels, flip the chickens so that they are breast side up. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 cup water and the broth into the roasting pan. Return the roasting pan to the oven and roast until the thigh meat registers 165 to 170 degrees, about 35-45 minutes.

Stir the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl until no lumps remain; set aside. In a small saucepan bring the honey and 4 tablespoons vinegar to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the glaze. Return to a simmer and cook for one minute.

Brush the chickens evenly with a layer of the glaze. Continue to roast until the glaze is golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes (this is important – if the chicken is cut too quickly, all the delicious juices will escape and the meat will be dry).


I didn't notice until after the pictures were taken that my chicken was upside down! Sorry!

Homemade AuGratin Potatoes

I finally used my mandoline slicer that I got for my birthday (in February)! It made this recipe really easy. I was surprised that the recipe was so simple. I saw the idea over at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes, but I adapted it for us.

Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices (love using my mandoline for this!)
3 tbsp. butter, plus more for buttering baking dish
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
paprika


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Butter an 8x8" baking dish and layer 1/2 potatoes into the bottom. Season with some salt and pepper.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in flour and salt; stir constantly with a whisk for a minute and then add milk. Cook until thickened. Stir in cheese and continue stirring until it is fully melted.
Pour half the sauce over the potatoes. Add other half of the potatoes on top, season with salt and pepper and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle paprika over the top.
Cover and bake for 90 minutes.

Again, not an amazing photo, but the potatoes taste really good.

Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2-1 package dry onion soup mix (depends on how much seasoning you like)
1/4 cup crushed saltines
1 egg

Preparation:
Combine ground beef, soup mix, crackers, and egg. Don't over-mix or meat will be tough. Spray a cupcake tin really well with non-stick spray. Evenly spoon meat into cupcake tin. I got about 9 cupcakes, but next time I am going to make them bigger, so aim for 6. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 30 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Enjoy!

*You can use whatever meatloaf recipe you like and just make them into muffins.

Okay, this is not the prettiest picture, but it gives you an idea.

Pasta with Spicy Italian Sausage Sauce

The first few years of our marriage I barely made any Italian food. Nate claimed he didn't like pasta very much so I didn't make it. Once in a blue moon we would have pasta because I love pasta. However since I've really gotten into becoming a better cook and trying new recipes these past 9 or so months, we've tried several pasta dishes. Nate now likes pasta and I put in on our menu every other week or so. I saw this recipe over at Better than Burgers. I used mild sausage and it was just right, I'm a spice wimp. It's a super easy recipe and nice variation on pasta.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage, removed from casings (you can use hot if you want)*
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
salt
pepper
hot cooked pasta

Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat sausage, garlic, and onion until meat is browned. Drain any excess fat. Pour in tomatoes and tomato sauce; mix in parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot pasta.

*The original recipe calls for a full pound of sausage. I found that to be too much meat for my preference. I like more sauce to meat ratio, so from now on I'll just use a half pound.

Easy Baked Chicken and Red Potatoes

Since Nate was so sad that he didn't get any potatoes last night, I thought I would make him some tonight. The fact that I had a couple leftover potatoes didn't hurt either! I wanted something simple and comforting, and this is what I came up with. We both enjoyed it and Nate is looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

After dinner we decided that this recipe is so easy even Nate could make it. We are slowly building up his repertoire of meals.

Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1.5 lbs. red potatoes (you could use russets also)
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
4-5 Tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:
Wash and pat dry chicken. Rinse potatoes. Cut potatoes into evenly sized bite sized pieces. Add both chicken and potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Pour olive oil and both dressing envelopes over the chicken and potatoes, mixing really well. Spray a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray. Add chicken breasts to baking dish and then potatoes. Bake at 400 for approximately 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are fork tender.

Roasted Italian Potatoes

I took these to a church function tonight (I doubled the recipe) and I totally forgot to take a picture! Sorry. They were pretty tasty though, the whole dish was gone pretty quickly. This is a super easy recipe that Nate wants me to make again really soon. I saw this idea over at Miranda's Recipes.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes
1 envelope Italian seasoning mix
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preparation:
Wash the potatoes. Chop potatoes into evenly sized pieces. In a mixing bowl drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and add the Italian seasoning. Mix well. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with pam and add the potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until fork tender. Stir potatoes halfway through cooking time so they don't stick. Sprinkle cheese over top of the potatoes during the last few minutes of cooking. Serve hot.

Salsa

For some reason salsa has always seemed so intimidating to make. If I had known it was this easy, I would have started making my own long ago! This recipe was really good. I blended it into a really fine consistency, we're not huge fans of chunky salsa. I kept it on the mild side, but feel free to heat it up if that's what you like. The only thing I would change is to halve the cilantro, other than that, I thought this recipe was amazing. I saw this recipe over at My Kind of Cooking.

Ingredients:
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeds and veins removed (I added 2, and it was nice and mild)
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (the original recipe calls for 2 Tbsp. but I think it would be better with just one, unless you really love cilantro)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

Preparation:
In blender container, combine jalapeno peppers, onion, cilantro, and 1/2 of tomatoes. Cover. Blend well. Add remaining ingredients. Cover. Pulse until blended.

P.S. Have you tried the new Tostitos chips that have a hint of pepper jack? If not, you really should, so good!


Nate is such a good taste tester!

Taco Casserole

The best way to describe this recipe is a mix between nachos and taco salad. Both Nate and I really enjoyed it and I will definitely make it again. I saw the idea over at Better Than Burgers. I adapted it for our tastes.

Ingredients:
Casserole-
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 small can enchilada sauce (I used a little bit of Taco Bell sauce and plain tomato sauce)
2 cups broken tortilla chips (you could use Doritos too)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I left these out)
shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings-
shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, sour cream, avocado, salsa, etc.


Preparation:
Brown the ground beef. Once cooked through add the taco seasoning and mix well. Add just enough enchilada sauce to the meat to get the consistency of a thick sloppy joe mix, you don't want it soupy. Spray the bottom of an 8x8" baking dish with cooking spray. Place chips into the bottom of the baking dish, add black beans, and then top with the meat. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Twists

As you've probably learned by now, my husband Nate LOVES cinnamon rolls and all the variations thereof. I knew these cinnamon twists would be a big hit, and they were! These were so easy, and so quick too. This is one dessert I don't mind making. I hope you like these as much as we did. I saw the idea over at Recipe Shoebox.

Ingredients:
Dough-
1-1/2 cups hot water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. yeast

Topping-
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Cinnamon-sugar mixture (1/2 cup sugar + 1 Tbs. cinnamon)

Icing-
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4-5 Tbsp. milk

Preparation:
In a large bowl, add hot water, egg, 1 cup flour, sugar,salt, butter, then yeast. Mix for 2-3 minutes, then add remaining flour. Knead for about 8-10 minutes. *I did this all in my bosch mixer with the dough hook.

Divide dough into 2 roughly equal portions. Pat dough (since it's a soft dough, I found I didn't need a rolling pin) to about 1/4-inch thickness in a rectangular shape. With a pizza cutter, cut dough down the middle then into strips (about 1-1/2-inches wide). Brush with butter and then sprinkle generously with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Take each strip, fold it in half and then twist up. Set twists on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil and sprayed with pam. Allow to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. *I just set them on top of my preheated oven. Bake at 400° for about 12 minutes or until very lightly golden brown.

While twists are baking, in a large bowl, beat all ingredients together until smooth. Heat in the microwave until nice and runny and a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle over hot cinnamon twists.

This recipe made 18 twists.



This is what it looks like when I allow Nate to add the amount of frosting he wants.

Five Peppercorn and Dijon Pork Tenderloin

This recipe is really simple, but it looks and tastes gourmet. It's perfect for a Sunday dinner when you don't want to spend all day in the kitchen. We really enjoyed it. I saw the idea over at Taste and Tell, but adapted it to our tastes. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
1.5-2 lb. pork tenderloin
3-4 Tbsp. dijon mustard
coarsely ground five peppercorn blend
Kosher salt
olive oil

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub pork tenderloin with a Tbsp. or so of olive oil and then coat with ground peppercorns. Sprinkle a little bit of Kosher salt over the top. Bake in a roasting pan or glass baking dish for 35-45 minutes, depending on your preference of doneness.

Simple Chicken Marinade

Sorry, I wish I had a better name for this recipe, but I can't think of anything fun right now. This was the second new recipe of the evening and it was really good as well. I saw this idea over at Our Family Treat. I just adjusted the amounts a bit.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 green onions, diced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned pepper
1 tsp. celery salt

Preparation:
Combine and whisk together all the ingredients except for the chicken. Put chicken in a gallon size ziploc bag and pour the marinade in. Seal up the bag and put it in a large dish. Refrigerate and let marinate for 4 hours before cooking. Grill, bake, saute, whatever you'd like, although I do think grilling is the best!



photo updated 06/04/13

Vegetable Rice Pilaf

Both recipes I made tonight are definite keepers! I love when that happens! I've had this recipe bookmarked for quite a while now, it's so good I wish I would have made it sooner! I saw the recipe over at Mommy's Kitchen. This is going in my favorite file, I will be making this again and again!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil or 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups long grain rice, uncooked
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
kosher salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and green bell pepper and saute until tender and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Add rice and saute 2 minutes more. Raise heat to high and add chicken broth, mushrooms, thyme, kosher salt and pepper. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with fork and serve.

Photo updated 04/16/14.

Beef Stroganoff

This recipe is a 10! I seriously LOVED it! Now I hate sour cream, but this was amazing. Perfect comfort food, I can't wait to make it again. I really might add it to next week's menu, it is that good! This was my first time making and eating stroganoff and this recipe was awesome. I got the recipe from Jenna's Journey.

Ingredients:
1.5 - 2 lbs. top round steak (I only used a pound)
Salt & Pepper
5 Tbsp. butter, divided
4 Tbsp. flour
1 carton beef broth (I used 2 cans)
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 lb. extra wide egg noodles, cooked

Preparation:
Heat 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Slice steak into small thin strips. Season the steak with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet and brown. Once cooked, remove pan from heat and set aside. In another skillet melt 4 Tbsp. butter, slowly stir in 4 Tbsp. flour whisking constantly to make a roux. Add your beef broth, stirring well. Let the sauce thicken for a few minutes. Once thickened whisk in mustard and sour cream. Let thicken for another 3-5 minutes until desired consistency. Taste sauce, add any salt and pepper you need. Add steak and onions to the sauce. Heat through and serve over cooked egg noodles.

Kalua Pulled Pork

I try to make pork every so often. Nate could have bacon nearly every day, but I want something a little leaner. I thought this recipe looked nice and easy, and it was. It was a nice variation to a pork roast. I saw this idea over at Favorite Family Recipes. They served it as a pulled pork sandwich, I served mine over some basmati rice, but I think sandwiches would be awesome as well.


Ingredients:
3-4 pound pork roast
1-2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1/3 cup liquid smoke
1 cup water
4 washed ti leaves (if ti leaves aren't available or you don't know what they are, no worries-- it is still great without them. They just add a cool local Hawaiian element to the dish)

Preparation:
Line bottom of crock pot with 2 ti leaves (if you have them). Rub pork generously with salt, pour on liquid smoke then place on ti leaves (or in the crock pot). Add water. Fit remaining ti leaves (again, if you have them) around outer edge of crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until it will easily shred into juices (do not drain).

*Okay, I just made a two pound roast for Nate and I so I cut down the liquid smoke to 1/4 cup and the water to 3/4 cup. I didn't use the ti leaves. Also, once I shredded the pork, I didn't add all the juice, just about 2 cups, and I thought it turned out great!

Milky Way Ice Cream Cake

Nate's cute aunt invited us over for dinner last Saturday night, and I brought this dessert. Nate loves ice cream and milky ways are his favorite candy bar, so this recipe was a big hit with him. I saw the idea over at I Heart Naptime. This recipe comes together really quickly and is super easy.

Ingredients:
10 ice cream sandwiches
1 tub cool whip, thawed
1 bag of snack sized milky way candy bars (you could totally do snickers or whatever candy bar you like)
1/2 jar of caramel topping
1/2 jar of chocolate topping

Preparation:
Arrange the ice cream sandwiches on the bottom of a 9x13" glass baking dish. You may have to cut some of the sandwiches to get them to fit. Heat up both the caramel and chocolate toppings so they are easy to drizzle. Drizzle 1/2 of caramel (a 1/4 of the jar) and 1/2 of the chocolate over the top of the ice cream sandwiches. Unwrap and chop up the milky way bars and sprinkle half of them over the ice cream sandwiches. Evenly cover the cake with the cool whip. Drizzle the remaining caramel and chocolate over the cool whip and top with the rest of the milky ways. Cover and freeze for a couple hours before serving. Enjoy!