Tasty Tuesday: Bacon & Beer Macaroni and Cheese

Oh my word! First do not let the word "beer" turn you off this recipe. Second, wipe that drool off your face from the idea of bacon in your macaroni and cheese!

Ingredients
1 package of medium shell pasta (1 #)
1 pound of bacon chopped
4 oz Cream cheese
8oz of SHARP cheddar cheese Shredded
4oz of Colby jack cheese Shredded
4 to 6 oz of Velveeta
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2+cups of milk
1 16oz of Guinness beer
Celery Salt (1/2 tsp+)
Garlic Salt (1 tsp+)
Ground White Pepper (1 tsp +)
Ground Black Pepper (1 tsp +)
Chipolte Chili Powder (1 tsp+)
8 oz of cheese for topping

Directions
1. Boil Pasta to aldente as per directions on your pasta.
2. In a LARGE pot cook bacon and onions in 3 TBS Olive Oil until onions are tender and bacon is crispy. Take out and drain on paper towels.
3. Add in 1/4 cup of oil and 1/3 cup of flour. Whisk together and allow to cook for two minutes to cook the flour but no longer. You do not want to brown the flour.
4. Add in 2 cups of milk and bottle of beer and whisk until it thickens. Add in more milk if needed (I most likely used almost another whole cup but I didn't measure to be exact).
5. Add in cream cheese and allow to combine and be whisked in.
6. Melt in the remaining cheese (except for the amount for topping) and add seasonings as needed. I used quite a bit of each but we like flavor and a little heat. I wanted to add in some red pepper flakes but didn't. Next time I will.
7. What you are wanting is a luscious cheese sauce! If you need to add more milk, please do. Taste for seasonings. Add drained pasta and pour into a sprayed 13x9 casserole dish. Top with cheese.
8. Bake in a preheated 375* for about thirty minutes ~ checking to make sure that the top doesn't get too browned.

I served this for a main meal with Garlic Knots and cut up cucumbers with cherry tomatoes. I wish I had gotten some green onions to put on top!

Tasty Tuesday: Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits

Biscuits! YUM! Need I say more?! In our house we adore biscuits on the side of many meals. Sometimes I like to play with the dough and make them something a bit more exciting, and these were definitely just that ~ exciting!

Ingredients
3 cups of baking mix (I prefer Bisquick)
1 cup of buttermilk
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of chopped pickled jalapenos
1 tsp Chipolte chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 stick of butter melted

Directions
1. In a large bowl measure out baking mix, garlic salt, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and chipolte chili powder. Add buttermilk and  stir to combine. (If need be add a little more milk or mix to make dough not sticky but be careful about over mixing.)
2. Pat dough out to 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick and using a circle cutter, cut out.
3. Dip each biscuit into butter and put on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in a 450* oven for about 10 minutes or until nice and golden.
5. Brush on any remaining melted butter on top of each biscuit. (If you do not have any left over, met just a little bit more ~ you won't regret it!)


Serving ideas:
1. On side of a bowl of chili or stew!
2. With biscuits and gravy!
3. Just as they are with just a bit of butter in the center!

Crawfish Casserole

I love the weekends! Especially when they are full of fun, family, and good food! I am telling you this is one of the most tastiest things that you can pull out of the oven to feed your family, a crowd, or just to make ahead and freeze! It comes together quickly and just needs to bake for about an hour.

Ingredients
1# Crawfish tails
1 Can French Onion Soup
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 Cans HOT Rotel
4 Stalks of celery chopped
1/2 an onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 a bunch of green onions chopped
1 large raw jalapeno chopped
1 cup of uncooked white rice
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of chipolte chili powder
1/2 cup  shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions
In a large bowl combine all ingredients but cheeses. Taste for seasoning. Pour into a greased large casserole dish. Bake covered in foil in 350* oven for 45 minutes. Take out, uncover, and sprinkle cheese on top. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Remove again, remove foil and bake until cheese is melted and golden on top. Check for rice doneness as well at this time. IF for some reason your rice is not done, cover and bake for another five to ten minutes.

Tasty Tuesday: Layered Baked Pene

As summer is over half way done, I have decided to try a few new recipes that I can use in the Fall, that will be tasty and easy for a busy night. This is a great dish you can make ahead and pop in the oven to finish off just before it's time to eat! Serve with Garlic Knots and a salad and you have a tasty meal your whole family will love that will taste like you spent forever in the kitchen!

Ingredients
1 # ground beef
2 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 jars of your favorite Marinara Sauce
1/2 of a white onion chopped
2 TBS minced garlic
Basil, Italian seasoning, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Crushed Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Celery Salt, Garlic Salt, Basil, Lemon Pepper
16 oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 box of pene pasta

Directions
1. Boil pasta until it is aldente. (A little bit of chew left in it)
2. In a large sauce pot heat olive oil on medium high heat and saute onions for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Add meat and begin to brown the meat and finish cooking the onions and garlic stirring often until meat is cooked through. Drain.
3. Place meat,onions, and garlic back into sauce pot and add in the jars of sauce. Taste it and add various amounts of the seasonings listed above. It is hard to tell you exact amounts because I just sprinkle what looks good and taste. (Be careful on seasonings with salt.) Once you get it seasoned and it almost tastes amazing, toss in about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and stir, turning heat to low and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
4. Drain pasta if you haven't already.
5. In a large casserole dish place about 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom.
6. Dump the drained pasta on top of sauce and spread out.
7. Sprinkle pasta with Garlic Salt and 1/2 of your mozzarella cheese.
8. Pour on the rest of the sauce spreading to cover the pasta and cheese.
9. Sprinkle the top with garlic salt and mozzarella cheese.
10. Bake in a preheated 375* oven (covered with foil) for twenty minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. (IF you are starting with a cold dish, please allow an extra 10 to 15 minutes.)

Tasty Tuesday: Creamiest Dreamiest Cheeseburger Macaroni

Some days you just need a good go to casserole that you can throw together in no time, and still feel like you have offered your family a tasty dinner! Seeing as how fast Summer vacation is flying by I will be working on a few more "quick" meals so that menu planning will be a bit easier once I return to work and the kid's crazy schedules begin with football and drill team practices and games.

Ingredients
1# of ground beef (or turkey)
1 packet of Ranch Dressing Mix
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 of a pound of block of Velveeta cut into chunks
4 oz of Cream Cheese
1 package of pasta (your choice) (I like mini shells for this)
2 cups of milk (give or take)

Directions
1. Start a pot of water to boil for your pasta.
2. In a skillet brown the ground beef. Add in the Ranch seasoning, black pepper, Velveeta, and cream cheese. Stir together, then add about a cup of milk. Continue stirring until cheeses are melted and adding milk to get a good luscious consistency.
3. Boil pasta as directed, drain, and add to cheesy meat mixture.
4. Taste for any additional seasoning. When the kids eat this I keep it pretty much as it is, sometimes adding a bit of chipolte chili powder to my serving. (Occasionally I add garlic and onion powder to the batch as it is cooking as well.)

Serve this with hot crusty bread, salad or steamed veggie of your choice for a complete meal! It's tasty, filling, and relatively inexpensive.

Szechuan Fried Shredded Beef w/ carrots and baby corn & Product Review

I have heard you, and there will be some changes as to what I post on the blog. I know many of you desire  more recipes and I am definitely willing to offer them more than just once a week. I am working on a new "schedule of sorts" so bare with me as we transition the blog into the pretty little box that you desire more of!

Last night I made something that the husband and I like to order from a local place close to my parents house. Because it is a  70 mile round trip, we do not get it very often. Now that I have made this, we can enjoy it more often, and it is probably a bit healthier too.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds of thin sirloin half frozen
8 Carrots cut into matchsticks
1 white onion sliced in thin strips
1 can of whole baby corn ~ cut in half and drained
3 tsp minced garlic cloves
1 tsp minced garlic cloves
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 TBS Peanut oil
2 TBS Sesame Oil
1/4 cup Szechauan Stir Fry Sauce
1/4 cup Szechauan Stir Fry Sauce
1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce (I like to use Kikoman w/ sesame seeds)
Soy Sauce

Directions
1. Defrost your steak later in the day, or put it back in the freezer for thirty minutes. It makes it very easy to slice it thin.
2. In a bowl add your sliced sirloin, onion powder, 1 tsp minced garlic cloves, 2 TBS Sesame Oil, 1/4 cup Szechauan stir fry sauce and stir to coat meat well. Allow to sit on the counter to marinate for about 10 to 20 minutes.
3. In a large bowl stir together carrots, onions, celery salt, black pepper, 3 tsp minced garlic cloves, and red pepper flakes.
4. In a wok or a large pot with heat on high add peanut oil and let it get hot. Drop in bowl of veggies and stir often until until carrots begin to soften a bit and you see color change on them as well as the onions.
5. Add veggies back to bowl adding the baby corn with them, and then dump meat in same pot. Stir to coat with remaining oil and allow the meat to seer for a few minutes. Add in Teriyaki sauce and a good couple hard shakes of soy sauce. When the meat has cooked for no more than eight minutes, add veggies in and stir together.
6. Serve over rice.

Now when I set out to first make this dish, I was looking for a different ingredient but happened to catch a glimpse of this. I figured since I was making a new to me recipe "Why not?". 

I give this stuff 4 stars out of 5. It was very tasty, but there was something missing from it that I was looking for taste wise. That is why I added in the teriyaki sauce. Thankfully I had some on hand. Will I use it again? Yes. Do I recommend it? Yes! And while it does have a kick ... I wouldn't call it spicy. It could have had more heat, but for family cooking I am glad it didn't. I found this at my local family owned grocery store, but looking at their website online I discovered that it can be found at many popular grocery stores, most likely one you shop at on a regular basis. Just check out the "International" food isle. 

I am excited to have this recipe in my recipe box now! I make a Chicken Teriyaki that is liked by the family, and I am excited to try another new one in the next week or two. This would also go GREAT with egg rolls! Too bad I didn't' have any of my homemade ones left in the freezer! 

S.O.S: Holler at Saving a Dollar!

Ya'll know how much I love Summer Vacation. I mean seriously I get to be a full time mommy, wife, and writer! No other responsibilities, though trust me I keep very busy with just those! But during the school year I am a teacher. A paid teacher. I do not get a salary of any kind in the summer, so I used to stress about that.

This year? Not so much! Do you know why? Every year we have proved to get by just fine. Yes, the husband works hard and sometimes harder in the summer to compensate but our bills are all paid, there is food on the table, and more than a time or two we are on an excursion to have fun in the sun!

With that said, this is one of those slim and trim weeks and for just a spit second I got a bit concerned about what and how I was going to feed the family. Sure, we have savings ~ no big deal, but we really do not like using it unless we need to. Guess what!? This week we do not need to!

I sat down yesterday morning and began to begin listing the "fixings" for meals that I already had on hand. For the moment, it was not my intention to go to the grocery store until Monday. As I began listing things I was able to come up with a tasty dinner menu that included some new recipes as well as some old (and simple) favorites. I made the grocery list for the few things I would need and decided what the heck, I would go to a discount grocery store that I do not often frequent and see how good we could come out. Who knew?! I did fantastic!

Here is what I bought from our local Joe V's:

Frozen Chicken Strips (kid's lunches) 2.97
4 Pack Totinos Frozen Cheese Pizzas 4.17
1 shredded cheddar cheese (2 cup bag) 1.77
Hickory Bacon (1 lb) 2.97
1 1/2 pound sirloin tip (for stir fry) 5.44
Oscar Meyer Chopped ham 2.37
Green onions .50
18 ct Eggs 3.42
Grands Biscuits 8 ct 1.38
Grands Biscuits 8 ct 1.38
Blueberry Muffin Mix .58
Blueberry Muffin Mix .58
1 Gallon Whole Milk 1.98
Family size Rice A Roni chicken Rice 1.68
Red Lobster Biscuit Mix 1.97
Red Lobster Biscuit Mix 1.97
4lb bag of sugar 1.84
Whataburger Spicy Ketchup 2.00
HEB Splenda 100ct 1.88
1 8 oz can of Mushroom pieces 1.08
Baking Cups 1.28
1 lb rice 1.08
Rotel Diced Tomatoes .88
Rotel Diced Tomatoes .88
1 lb bag of Shell pasta .58
Zipper Freezer Bags Gallon Size (40 ct) 1.88
10 lb bag of potatoes 2.74
Canned green beans .62
Canned green beans .62
Folgers Classic Coffee 3.47
5 lb All Purpose Flour 1.48
Honey Wheat Bread 1.85
White Bread 1.78
24 ct Ozarka Water 3.33
8 ct Powerade 3.78

Total: 68.75 (without tax 68.18)

Here is our dinner menu for the week:
Friday:Bacon grilled Cheese  & Ramen Noodles (or Tomato Soup)
Saturday: Chicken Fried Steak, French Fries, Gravy, Salad, Biscuits, and Gravy
Sunday: Roasted Chicken Thighs w/ roasted veggies, Chicken Rice, salad, and "The Best" ever rolls
Monday: Beef & Broccoli over Spicy Noodles or left over rice from night before
Tuesday: Goulash & Cornbread
Wednesday: Hamburger Steak w/ gravy over mashed potatoes, corn and green beans.
Thursday: Homemade Cheeseburger macaroni (shells really) & garlic knots

For dessert this week I will be making:
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Chocolate Chip & Peanut Butter Chip cookies
Smores

As you see my family is NOT going to go hungry. In fact, they will be eating very well and really will have no clue that they are eating on a slim grocery budget. We did already have some of the meat in our freezer (burger meat, chicken thighs, hamburger steaks), and staples on hand and this is why I do that! It is easy to pull together a menu when you keep a set amount of regularly used items in your pantry and freezer. This was also a week I did not need any pet supplies, cleaning supplies, nor paper goods.

Tasty Tuesday: Stuffed Panko Crusted Pork Chops

Last week I decided to throw in a yummy new recipe to my menu plan and boy am I glad I did!

Have I mentioned how much I really like Kale lately? I have been using it where fresh spinach is usually called for and I have to say the texture it adds where Spinach went limp... boy oh boy! I love it!

Ingredients
4 Boneless Loin Chops (Butterflied but not split)
1 block of cream cheese
1 package of Zesty Italian Dressing (dry) Seasoning
About 1 cup of Kale (Frozen then squished in the bag ~ it chops it for you!)
Your favorite Steak Seasoning
Salt if needed (Check that steak seasoning)
2 cups panko crumbs
2 TBS oil
2 TBS Taco Seasoning
2 eggs whisked

Directions
1. In a bowl mix zesty Italian seasoning, cream cheese, and kale.
2. Sprinkle seasoning inside of chops.
3. Fill chops with cream cheese mixture evenly.
4. Use toothpicks to seal the edges closed.
5. Sprinkle steak seasoning over top and bottom of chops.
6. Place in a covered casserole dish into fridge until about 30 minutes before you want to start cooking them.
7. Thirty minutes before time to cook, pull chops out of fridge. In a skillet heat up 2 tbs of oil and add panko crumbs stirring until they begin to brown. Be careful! They scorch easily if left unattended.
8. Remove from heat and add taco seasoning stirring to combine well.
9. Dip chops into whisked eggs, and then into panko crumbs to coat.
10. Bake on a foil lined cookie sheet with a cooking rack in a 375* oven for about 30 minutes.

When I served these I used two boxes of Rice A Roni fried rice, added in a bit more butter and added at least 2 cups of frozen kale! It was delish!

I would love for you to link up one of your current favorite recipes in the linkup below!

Link up your latest entry here!

Tasty Tuesday: Creamy Country Ranch Chicken & Rice (Slow Cooker)

This is one of those fall back on kind of recipes that you always keep the stuff on hand when you know you will need a slow cooker meal to save the day. It saved my hiney a time or two, especially during the busy time of football season.

Ingredients
2# Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 package of Italian Seasoning
1 package of Ranch Dressing Mix
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 can Cheese soup
1/2 block of Cream cheese cubed
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese soup to go on top
1 cup cooked rice
1 tsp black pepper

Directions
1. In a slow cooker put the chicken on bottom.
2. Sprinkle both seasoning packets on top of the chicken.
3. Next sprinkle the cream cheese along the top of the chicken.
4. Pour on the Cheese soup and spread over chicken.
5. Pour on the Cream of chicken soup over the cheese soup and spread out evenly.
6. Pour on the Cream of Mushroom soup over the chicken soup and spread evenly.
7. Turn on slow cooker and allow to cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
8. Prepare rice as directed.
9. Using tongs or forks shred the chicken and mix well to ensure that the cream cheese is incorporated well.
10 .Add in about 1 tsp black pepper.
11. Add in cooked rice and shredded cheese into crockpot and stir to combine.

Extra Info:
This is amazing served with hot crusty french bread or butter biscuits. You can sub 2 cups cooked rotini (or pasta of choice) for the rice if you would rather have pasta. This is also pretty amazing over mashed potatoes!

I added this recipe into a video if you would like to see it being put together. :) CLICK HERE if you would like to see it!

Creamy Sausage, Tomato & Kale Minestrone

Sometimes you just have to play in the kitchen. The following recipe is an adaptive version from one of our family's favorite soups Sausage, Spinach and Tortellini Soup.

Ingredients
1 # Italian sausage without the casing (I used mild)
1 8 oz Package of cream cheese (room temperature)
1 1/c Minestrone pasta (Ditalini)
2-3 cups fresh chopped kale
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 onion chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
2  TBS Crushed Red Pepper flakes
4 cups of Chicken broth (or veggie broth)

Directions
1. In a soup pot brown sausage, onions, and celery together on medium heat until the meat is cooked through and the veggies are tender. Add in garlic and cook for another minute or two.
2. Add in tomatoes and all the seasonings.
3. Cut cream cheese into small squares and add to the sauce. Stir in until it is incorporated well.
4. Stir in kale. (I LOVE using kale because it hold's its texture ~ unlike spinach)
5. Add 4 cups of broth and turn heat up to medium high.
6. Pour in minestrone noodles and stir well cooking for the length suggested on box.

Mine came out a bit thick so you can add more broth if you wish, or perhaps a bit of half & half. This is a GREAT dinner to serve to a crowd along side of some crusty french bread and side salad.

Tasty Tuesday: Bacon, Spinach, and Tortellini Mac-n-cheese

This past week I really had no interest of eating, let alone cooking much. By Saturday I was itching to play in the kitchen and oh my word am I ever glad I did! Macaroni and cheese is a top comfort food for many. If you like it too... I promise you~ you will love this spin! It has bacon in it! Who doesn't love bacon!?

Ingredients
2 TBS Olive Oil
1 pound of bacon cut into pieces
1/2 red onion chopped
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
6 to 8 oz bag of fresh baby spinach
3/4 cup of oil
3/4 cup of flour
2 + cups of milk (+ as needed to make sure it's not too thick)
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup cheddar shredded
1 cup Colby/cheddar shredded
1 container of soft cream cheese spread
19 oz bag of frozen cheese tortellini cooked 1/2 .way through

Directions
1. In a large pot put in 2 tbs olive oil and allow to heat up slightly. Add in bacon and begin cooking. Once it is about 2/3rds of the way cooked, add in your red onion and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until bacon is browned and onions are tender. Add in spinach and allow the spinach to wilt for about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towel covered plate.
2. Add in 3/4 cup of oil and flour and whisk together to make a nice paste. Add in seasonings and continue to whisk. Cook for about 2 minutes or so to make sure you get out the raw flour taste.
3. Whisk in milk slowly until you get a good "loose" gravy texture. It may take only the 2 cups of milk, it may take more. Add in cheeses and whisk in until blended well. Check the consistency again ~ you may need to add another splash of milk or so.
4. Whisk in cream cheese and make sure it is blended well.
5. Add in tortellini, bacon, onion, and spinach mixture. Mix well.
6. Spray a lasagna pan with Pam. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes in a 375* oven until top browns slightly and it is all bubbly and delish!

Tasty Tuesday: Crawfish Etouffe

It started with a Facebook recipe shared by my husband to me on Thursday evening. He loves all things crawfish and this is definitely the season to play with those recipes. Good thing though is you can get frozen crawfish tails any time of year in most grocery stores, so this recipe is NOT limited to only crawfish season. Crawfish season is usually the entire length of spring (really starting in late winter) with the height around March and April.

Anyway, I sent a text to my husband who had to work on Friday and asked what he would like for dinner. I often ask, but on days that I do not work I try to make it a priority to allow him to make the choice if he desires to. Guess what he asked for? Yep. Crawfish Etouffe. I had never made it before, but have been making more cajun dishes than I used to. When I saw the recipe I knew there were some elements missing so I really adapted it A LOT to be more authentic. I can tell you ~ it probably took maybe at most an extra 5 to 10 minutes but the time and effort were a huge success! We ended up inviting a couple we hadn't seen in a long time over and it was a hit with them as well.

Ingredients
1 cup of butter
1 cup of flour
Chopped veggies (2 onions, 1 green bell pepper, 4 stalks of celery, 3 serrano peppers)
1 bunch of green onions chopped (top 1/3rd reserved for topping as served)
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 can Golden Mushroom soup
4 soup cans of water (5 if too thick)
2# of crawfish tails (Defrosted)
2 bay leaves
1-2 TBS Nolan Ryan Steak Seasoning
2 caps of liquid crawfish boil
Dashes of : Chipolte chili powder and cayenne pepper,
salt, and black pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a LARGE stock/soup pot melt butter and add flour. Whisk continually until rue develops a nice caramel color.
2. Add in chopped veggies and 2/3 of green onions and stir well allow veggies to soften. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add in can of soup and 4 cans of water stirring well to combine to make sure that flour gets incorporated into liquid. This will become thicker as it cooks together.
4. Add in crawfish, liquid crawfish boil, seasonings and bay-leaves and simmer on medium to medium low to allow the flavors to meld together.
5. Taste for additional seasoning.
6. Serve over rice.

S.O.S : Save our Saturday! Crawfish Tortellini

For today's Save our Saturday I thought I would share a new recipe that I made tonight. I took a couple of different ones I had seen online using shrimp and subbed crawfish tails since that is what the husband and kiddos had for an early lunch. We took what was left and I peeled the tails and became inspired! This was so good, and was taste tested by several who thought the same! It is almost slap yo momma good! Well.. if you love spicy and crawfish! Remember ~ you can always change the spices and use shrimp instead of crawfish (just make sure it is peeled, de-viened, and cooked).

1# crawfish tails
4 cloves of garlic minced or grated
2 TBS Old Bay Seasoning (or Crawfish boil seasoning)
1 tsp chipolte chili powder
1 TBS Red pepper flakes
1 4 oz jar of pimentos drained
3 cups of chicken broth
12 oz can of evaporated milk
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of flour
1 1/3 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (not the sprinkle kind)
4 tbs minced parsley
1 package of cheese tortellini cooked to directions and drained (Or choice of pasta)

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a sauce pot. Add in garlic, seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Wisk in flour and allow to cook for a couple of minutes.
2. Add in chicken broth and evaporated milk and cook until thickened. Add in a splash more of chicken broth if too thick.
3. Stir in pimentos, cheese, parsley, and crawfish tails and allow to sit for about five minutes or so.
4. Add pasta and stir to coat. Serve immediately!

I served this with some Red Lobster Garlic Cheddar biscuits and it was a perfect match!

Tasty Tuesday: Jalapeno Popper Chicken

I tell you .... if you want an amazing and pretty easy main dish to serve to your family that is a hit all the way around, you must try this. I first found this recipe on pinterest but ya know, I can't just leave a recipe alone without changing it up and making it my own. So this is my version!

Ingredients
3 Chicken Breasts
1 8oz package of Cream Cheese (softened)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 large jalapenos deviened and deseeded then diced
3 oz Oscar Meyer Bacon Pieces
1 packet of Zesty Italian salad Dressing mix (dry)
2 eggs whisked
1 TBS Taco Seasoning
1 cup of Panko Crumbs
1 TBS oil (Canola or olive)

Directions
1. In a skillet heat oil, Add in panko crumbs and toss until golden in color. Mix in taco seasoning and set aside.
2. Slit the chicken breast down the side to make a pocket. Do NOT butterfly it!
3. In a bowl mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and bacon.
4. Sprinkle inside and outside of chicken with zesty Italian dressing mix.
5. Fill pocket of chicken with mixture. Do not be afraid of putting too much.
6. Dip each chicken breast into egg and then into panko making sure entire chicken breast is covered.
7. On a cookie sheet, place a cooling rack and spray well with Pam.
8. Place Chicken onto cooling rack and cook in a preheated 375* oven for 30 minutes.

Sweet Word Sunday: Sweet & The best brownies inthe world!

This Sunday the word sweet resonates with me deeply. As I looked up the definition of the word swet there were many definitions. A lot of them referred to sugar (duh!). But this is what stood out in the noun tense of the word "something pleasant to the mind or feelings".

Are you sweet in your thoughts? Are you sweet in how you are feeling? Let's talk for a minute shall we? Go grab ya something to sip and while we sit and chat... it is my hope that by the end of this post we both will be a bit more sweet in our countenance.

How you think in your mind .. always produces more than just a thought that no one can hear. In fact whether you know it or not the thoughts you spend time and energy on will always be evident to others. No they can't read your mind, but they CAN read your facial expressions, body language, They can read between the words spoken because of your tone, words used, and the voice fluctuations.

Now, if you are a sociopath  you might be able to work around this but the majority of us are not sociopaths. We are human. None of us are perfect. But we have got to start realizing that our thoughts produce feelings that produce actions which in turn results in some kind of outcome. When we realize we are more transparent than we often would like, maybe just maybe we would take more responsibility for those "hidden" thoughts we have.

We are often told that we can't change the way people treat us, what impact they have on our lives but I would like to think, and influence you to think differently on that. We CAN change that by changing the way we think, feel, act, and react.

Take a jug of lemonade. It isn't "born" sweet. It's lemon juice and water. Something magical happens though when you add just the right amount of sugar! We are like that lemon juice and water. We must take the time and effort into adding just the right amount of sweetness. I can guarantee you that you offer someone a glass of lemon juice with water, and another glass of the lemon juice, water, and sugar they will reject the one without the sugar.

Start your new week off sweetening up those thoughts and watch what happens!

Now... onto the best brownies in the world. These are rich, moist, and really the easiest thing you can whip up because it uses premade brownie mix.

1 box of Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix
1 box of Chocolate fudge (Mocha fudge or Milk chocolate) Brownie Mix
Eggs (as needed on both boxes)
Oil (as needed on both boxes)
Water (as needed on both boxes)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 container Chocolate Icing (or  homemade)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a lasagna pan (or the largest pan you have that is not a cookie sheet) with nonstick spray. Mix all ingredients together except for the icing and pour into pan. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Turn pan and bake for another 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely and frost brownies. These are GREAT on their own with a cup of milk or coffee or topped with ice cream!

Family Matters Friday: Starting the day off right! (Smoothie Recipe)

One thing I am grateful for is being home in the mornings to see the husband and kids off for their day. I like to know everyone has what they need when they leave, and that they either have a full tummy or something with them to eat when they are hungry. I am NOT a breakfast eater but this week I have enjoyed drinking a smoothie on the way to work. I am still fighting the same cold that hit me last week and honestly it hasn't gotten much better, I just adapted and got on with my life instead of allowing it to derail me completely. Tuesday however, I had a huge desire to get as many natural vitamins into my body as possible and the best way to do that is with fruits and veggies. I love salads, and I love smoothies. Thankfully so does the majority of my family. We always seem to be a "dentist family" on most things. (Ya know 4 out of 5 prefer) We are working on finding what works for the one who is skeptical and I feel confident that we will find what he likes too.

One of our favorite smoothies is a "Cherry Berry Banana Smoothie". I didn't snap a picture but it is the most beautiful shade of pink you can imagine! And it tastes so good! I use my Ninja, and when I am making these smoothies I use the large pitcher.

Cherry Berry Banana Smoothie

2 to 3 large frozen bananas
1 cup of vanilla light yogurt
1 to 1 1/2 cup of frozen "Cherries and Berries" fruit
1 1/2 cups of milk

Blend all the ingredients together. By using frozen fruit you do not need to add ice and the frozen bananas help to make the smoothie thick and creamy. What an amazing start to any day! I do not add sugar. There is enough sweetness from the fruit and yogurt!

I also would add 1 to 2 cups of raw spinach to this for myself. I can't convince the family to try it but it just ads a bit of freshness and it got in some good leafy greens!

Sweet Word Sunday: Bloom & Lemon Sunshine Cake

This word was placed on my heart Friday as I was making Garlic Knots for my family to go along with a pot of spaghetti. Does anyone else out there do that? Fix something really simple but try to jazz it up with either a fresh made yeast bread or special side dish? I always feel guilty for giving my family spaghetti because really it is a low effort meal. Now mind  you Friday I was really getting sick, and was very lethargic so I was thankful that was what was on the menu.

For the garlic knots I needed to allow my yeast to proof.. or bloom. And that is when it hit me. I mean look at this glorious photo of my yeast mixture!

Bloom can be defined as being in a flourishing healthy condition. Yeast is not useful unless it is in a flourishing and healthy condition. Have you ever try to make some type of rolls and they were hard as hockey pucks? Well often that was the result of your yeast not being in a thriving condition. If the water is too cold, it won't bloom. If the water is too hot, it dies. It has be in an environment that is just right for it to be useful. Same goes with us.

We must be in a place (environment) where we too can be useful to bloom. If we are in an environment that is too cold (bitter/cold/dreadful) we will not grow into anything. We will remain stagnant, perhaps even begin to keep other things around us from growing too. When we are in an environment that is too hot we have no choice but to wither and die from being parched, over heated, and unable to breath. Funny thing is... we cant' blame anyone or circumstances on how we bloom ~ or not bloom. That choice is ours. See we are not yeast tossed into a bowl. We place ourselves where we are. We place ourselves in the environments we are in.

Now for some Lemon Sunshine Cake

I love to make this cake on Spring like days, and into the summer time. I know it's January... but I needed some sunshine. Besides for dinner I am making a new recipe (which will be shared on Tuesday) that also uses lemons and so this will just be the perfect end to Sunday dinner.

Ingredients
1 box Duncan  Hines Lemon Cake
1 small box of Lemon Instant Pudding
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs (WHOLE ~ do not skimp!)

Directions
Spray Bundt pan with Pam. In a large mixing bowl dump all ingredients in and whisk until well combined. Pour into pan bake in a preheated 350* oven for 40 minutes. Let set and cool in pan for 15  minutes. Revert onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. To ice, I usually warm up 1/2 a can of lemon frosting and drizzle on top. TADA!