avocado cucumber tomato salad

salads are one of my favorite things to eat...i never get sick of eating vegetables like i do chicken so i am always trying new ideas for not so average salads.

i was having some friends over for an essential oils class and although i had a few not so healthy options (beer bread and dip, chocolate pound cake) i wanted something light and healthy too. 

most of the ingredients i did have on hand and this was super easy to throw together!

ingredients:

1/2 of a medium red onion

2 lb. roma tomatoes

2 english cucumbers or 6 mini cucumbers

2 firm avocados 

large handful of of cilantro chopped

2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 lemons - juice from 1 whole lemon (2-3 tbsp) plus a little extra for avocados 

1-2 teaspoons of course ground sea salt

2-3 turns of freshly ground pepper from a pepper mill

method:
1. chop all ingredients and place the onion, tomatoes, cucumber and cilantro in a large salad bowl. as soon as i chop my avocados i toss them in lemon juice to help stop the browning effect. i also make sure that the avocados are more firm than i would usually purchase for other recipes. this also helps with slower browning and gives the salad a nice texture.


2. drizzle the salad with olive oil and lemon juice then gently combine. just before serving add the salt and pepper. doing this just before serving is best otherwise the salt will draw out a lot of juice form the vegetables and could make the salad a little mushy. 

feel free to add more lemon juice to taste or even a freshly pressed garlic clove to your olive oil. looking for a little more protein...grilled shrimp would be amazing in this salad! 

also, fresh dill could be substituted for the cilantro

enjoy!!

super yummy sloppy joes

sloppy joes are great for parties and easy to whip together last minute. i prefer sloppy joes but i am a little picky about the flavor. i do not like too sweet or sweet at all really and i enjoy a little kick. 

here is my little twist on sloppy joes…

ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of ground sirloin or ground turkey 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/4 cup brown sugar

2-3 tablespoons of your favorite steak seasoning 

2 cloves pressed garlic

1 medium onion chopped 

1 small red bell pepper 

1-2 tablespoons worcestshire sauce 

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 1/2 to 2 cups tomato sauce (depending on how sloppy you want them)

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1/4 teaspoon or pinch of cayenne pepper (depends on taste)

crusty rolls (your favorite buns or rolls)

directions

1. heat oil in a large skillet and add meat. break up the meat and continue to brown over medium-high heat. 

2. stir together the brown sugar and steak seasoning. add the sugar/steak seasoning mixture and press the garlic cloves into the meat and stir while meat continues to brown.

3. once the meat has browned, add the onions and red peppers. add the red wine vinegar, worcestershire to the mixture and continue to cook onions and peppers. 

4. add tomato paste and sauce to the pan, stir into the meat mixture let to simmer 5-10 minutes.

enjoy!!

1. 
   

home made chex mix…one my husbands favorites

my husband asks me to make home made chex mix every year around the holiday season. it's one of our favorite and festive snack foods. once you make it yourself the store-bought bags just do not cut it. i use the chex mix recipe on the back of their box as my base but as you all know i always make recipes my own based on the flavors we enjoy…so a little more worcestershire sauce, more garlic powder and of course more butter. kids love to help with this and its so easy to get them involved. 

ingredients

4 cups of corn chex

4 cups of wheat chex

4 cups of rice chex

2 cups of mixed nuts

2 cups of pretzels 

2 cups of garlic flavored bagel chips broken up

2 cups of regular flavor cheerios (sometimes i add these too they are optional)

16 tablespoons of butter (2 sticks)

4 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce (maybe more)

1 1/2 teaspoons of season salt (my favorite is tastefully simple)

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon of onion powder 

method

1. in a very large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips. in a secondary small microwaveable bowl melt butter for about one minute or until melted. Stir in all seasonings well. Pour over dry mixture and ensure an even coating. i use my hands to fold and toss the cereal. it will seem wet and maybe even some slightly soggy pieces but don't worry it dries out in the oven roasting process. 

2. you can microwave on high for 5-6 minutes in a microwave safe bowl stirring about every 2 minutes but i choose to roast ours in the oven. place the mix into 2 or 3 roasting pans or i also use shallow bar pans to make sure it all gets roasted. sprinkle each pan of mix with a little garlic powder on top. set oven temperature to 200-250 degrees bake for one hour stirring very 15 minutes. then lay out the chex mix on paper towels to cool before placing in an air tight container. 

the flavor is bold so feel free to decrease or add more of your favorite flavors!

enjoy!!

heath bar cream cheese apple dip

so do not look at the apples and think this is healthy…it is not. but i can say it sure is yummy! this is a great time of year to whip this up for a party or family gathering it is always a hit and i have never had leftovers. this recipe is so easy and most of the time we have all of the ingredients on hand to whip it up for last minute guests.

ingredients 

1-8 ounce package of cream cheese softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 package of mini heath bars frozen then finely chopped
3-4 tart apples or i use my favorite honey crisp

1. mix the softened cream cheese, sugars and vanilla in a bowl until well blended. sugars may give the cream cheese a slightly gritty texture until it sits for a bit and dissolves completely. place the mixture in a round serving bowl or plate. i used the pampered chef collapsable bowl for this party and it actually worked perfect.

2. sprinkle the chopped heath bar chips on top. then wash and slice the apples.




enjoy!!

roasted mushroom and kale pizzette

giada de laurentiis is my absolute favorite on the cooking network and she is also an inspiration. 

she is beautiful, fun, i love her bubbly personality and well then there is her amazing kitchen skills!

the other day my husband and i were watching an episode of her show and my husband started talking about these little pizzas she made… "how hard would those be to make babe?" i knew what he was aiming for : ) 

"not hard at all…are you wanting some giada pizzettes?"

and off to the store i went. i would actually have had all but the (non home made) dough and cremini mushrooms but our cupboards were pretty bare and it was time for a grocery trip.

these were amazing!! i followed the recipe exactly and will definitely be making it again but likely with home made or frozen bread. these would work just the same as a large regular sized pizza. And also putting all of these ingredients in a rolled out crust then rolling it into a pizza roll would work as well. 

i paired this with a baby spinach kale and chard salad toped with walnuts carrot ribbons and gorgonzola with a balsamic and olive oil dressing. we had them for dinner but these would make an awesome game day snack just in time for the super bowl this weekend!!

ingredients:

8 ounces or cremini mushrooms sliced

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 ball store bought pizza dough (12 to 16 ounces)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 

1 small bunch of tuscan kale (about 4 leaves), ribs removed and cut into ribbons

2 ounces of gorgonzola, crumbled 

1. place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees fahrenheit. Toss the mushrooms with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sea salt then roast on a baking sheet or foil until they are golden brown about 6 yo 8 minutes. then set aside. 

2. roll out pizza dough to 1/4 inch thickness. use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles in the dough and transfer the circles to a parchment- lined baking sheet or stone…i used a stone from pampered chef. 

3. drizzle the dough circles lightly with olive oil. place a teaspoon of mozzarella on each circle, then top with the mushrooms and then the kale ribbons, i used kitchen shears to cut the kale into ribbons. finally top each circle with gorgonzola crumbles. drizzle with a little more olive oil and bake until they are golden and bubbly about 10 minutes.  arrange on a platter and serve 

enjoy!

jerk chicken nachos

these are perfect for game day…and tonight is the big game!!

although i will not be indulging in these tonight you can! 

this is one of my favorite recipes for nachos and it is from the pampered chef. 

ingredients: 

• 6 cups tortilla chips
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar or monterey jack
• 2 tablespoons jamaican jerk rub ( i use pampered chefs version) 
• 1 small yellow or red bell pepper
• 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup sour cream mixed with 1 tsp additional Jamaican jerk rub

 

• 1. preheat oven to 425 degrees 
• 2.
  in bowl, combine chicken, cheese and 1 tablespoon jerk rub; mix gently. sprinkle chicken mixture over tortilla chips. bake 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• 3.
  dice the bell pepper. cut lime in half crosswise and juice half of the lime; add remaining jerk rub and bell pepper to the lime juice and mix well/ 
• 4.
  snip cilantro. slice remaining half of the lime.
• 5.
  spoon bell pepper mixture over nachos; sprinkle evenly with cilantro. take the remaining 1/4 cup sour cream and mix with the jerk seasoning. i then used a plastic storage bag cut the corner of it and squeezed the sour cream onto the nachos through the bag…you could also use any other pastry decorating tool or dollop it on.
  
  enjoy!
  go bucks…pluck those ducks!!

pulled pork…sliders

so i have never really been a huge fan of pork but i must say these tasty little sandwiches may be the exception to the "rule". these are great since most of the day they are spent in the slow cooker and virtually have zero prep. i have made these for entertaining hungry ufc fans and family dinners.  also feel free to use regular buns…pictured here are sliders that i made up for entertaining.

ingredients

2-3 pound boneless pork shoulder aka pork butt (i know right…butt is the best cut of meat for this recipe or i have used pork loin) 

1-2 cans or bottles of your favorite root beer (bargs is our favorite)

1 tablespoon of garlic powder or 1 clove pressed

1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce (our preference is sweet baby rays…yum)

salt to taste

directions

1. rub roast with salt and garlic. pour root beer into the slow cooker. then place roast fat side up inside the slow cooker. i prefer to have roast nearly covered. cook for time indicated. generally 9-11 hours on low and 5-7 hours on high.

2. after its finished cooking, remove from slow cooker and place on a cutting board that has an edge to catch any juice. use two forks to gently shred the pork and place back in the slow cooker on warm. add desired amount of bbq sauce and stir into the meat. you can add a tiny bit of water to help the sauce stir in. let sit for 5 minutes in slow cooker then serve on buns or sliders.

enjoy

sausage and cream cheese stuffed crescents

i had the opportunity to try these at one of my thirty-one party's. the hostess decided to host a brunch on a saturday. she made an amazing spread of brunch goodies and i was told i needed to try one of these. i did and wowza! they are so bad for you so just beware. but you can not go wrong with anything made with crescents and cream cheese. and i actually have made them a couple times and they have always been a hit. if you aren't having a breakfast but want a fast easy appetizer to take,  swap the breakfast sausage for 8oz. sweet and 8 oz. hot italian sausage and take a mustard for dipping. all just in time for super bowl sunday!!

ingredients

16 oz of bob evans (or your favorite) breakfast sausage

8 oz of philadelphia cream cheese softened

2 packages of crescent rolls 

1. pre-heat oven as directed on crescent roll package. brown and ground up the sausage. drain. add sausage to the softened cream cheese and stir together well.

2. open and unroll each crescent. i actually cut the crescent triangle in half and roll them out a little to make bite sized pieces. put about a tablespoon of filling onto each crescent and roll from the widest point.

3. place on a baking sheet and bake as directed.

enjoy

french toast roll ups

here it is...
the recipe a few messaged and posted about after seeing the new years photo of the spread my mom made. i really am not a fan of sweets so french toast has always been low on the breakfast radar. not to mention these are not great for the waist line. 

but these little bites were yummy and so simple…so i decided to indulge a little. i actually show the sticks with and without sugar and cinnamon. i preferred them without the added dredge of the sugary mix since i am not a fan of the sweet but really loved the flavor of the cinnamon. so my thought for mine at least would be just a sprinkle of cinnamon.

these are great for entertaining since this recipe is for the entire loaf of bread. if you want to you can always half it. 

ingredients

1 giant loaf of fluffy white bread

8 oz of cream cheese

dolce caramel sauce for drizzle

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons of milk

1 teaspoon os vanilla

sugar

cinnamon (we used vietnamese) 

butter

1. trim crust off of each bread side with a serrated knife. then flatten bread with a rolling pin.

2. soften the cream cheese so its spreadable. spread the cream cheese over one end of the bread so its clumpy though not spread smooth. then drizzle some caramel onto the cream cheese.

3. roll the bread starting at the cream cheese end and set aside. heat a griddle to medium heat. whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla in a shallow bowl for dredging. dredge the rollup in the egg mixture then place seam side down on the griddle. continue to flip so each side of the roll up becomes brown and crispy. once all sides have been browned, baste with melted butter on all sides then dredge in a cinnamon sugar mixture. 

other ideas:

feel free to try different flavors. substitute jelly for the caramel. peanut butter and jelly also works. get creative make it your own. the caramel was my fav. 

taco pocket bake

so anything mexican is a go in our house so i concocted this little creation and received 2 thumbs up from my husband. i am pretty sure ethan would love it if he could tolerate the texture of bread...but for now no go. i believe this may have been a  Kraft recipe that i made into my own..

ingredients

1-2 packages of crescent rolls (depending on how full you want them)
1 package of shredded mild cheddar cheese or freshly grated (you will not use an entire package of cheese)
1 lb. of ground beef i use at least 92 % lean beef or extra lean turkey
1 taco seasoning packet
sour cream (optional)
Taco sauce (optional)

preparation 

1.pre-heat oven as directions state on crescent package. brown the beef in a medium pan and add taco seasoning as directed. drain meat.

2. open crescent roll tube and separate each individual crescent. you can roll them out if you would like a little more filling or leave them as is for just about a tablespoon full of meat. i rolled some of mine too thin so be careful. you can also cut each crescent triangle in half if you would like to make bite sized pockets which are great for entertaining.

3. place 1 to 2 tablespoons of meat in each crescent  then the cheese (desired amount)and fold corners across the center where the meat is. i folded the longer piece last. but each time i pressed the dough together. you can leave little holes, it allows steam to escape.

4. once you have done all 8 to 16 crescents (I bought only 8 crescents and had quite a bit of meat left over for 1.21 pounds of beef) bake on a cookie sheet and as directed on package of crescents or until golden brown.

5. top with desired toppings: salsa, taco sauce, sour cream

i also topped ours with a little bit of extra cheese before baking and will actually incorporate scallions the next time. this recipe is definitly one you could add and make your own...beans, jalapeno peppers, cilantro...etc


enjoy!!

oil and vinegar dispenser

finally got around to using this kitchen gadget and i love it!! i am bad...we registered for it and its been up in my cupboard...i have just been using my regular olive oil and vinegar bottles when i need dressing.

well i am super excited i took the time to open it and use it today because it works awesome!! you could easily add spices or herbs to the oil part and make infused oil.

ours was purchased from kohls and its the food network brand.

sweet yet tangy twist on hot ham and cheese...

i was super excited to make these and they were a huge hit! i absolutely thought the flavor was amazing and simple was the best part. these little gems would be great as mini slider sandwiches or on burger buns. perfect for game day or dinner with the family. this time i chose burger rolls since there were only a few of us but will definitely be making them again as sliders!

a twist on hot ham and cheese or

(funeral sandwiches)

1 package of king's hawaiian rolls

1/2-1 lb. good ham deli meat thinly sliced

swiss cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 c. butter, melted

3 tablespoons worcheshire sauce

2 tablespoons mustard

2 tablespoons brown sugar

dash of onion powder

preparation:

1. cut the rolls in half and line the bottom of a baking pan with the bottoms of the rolls. layer the ham slices, then cheese and place the top half back on.

 

2. mix together the butter, worcheshire, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. pour the whole works over the buns, drenching each one. cover tightly and marinade anywhere from 4-24 hours. the longer the better

3. preheat the oven to 350 degrees. bake for 15-20 minutes uncovered or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden.

ethan's monster party

this was one of my favorite party's to plan! ethan's 4th birthday!

he had been talking about a monster party since his 3rd birthday party (i think he gets that from me...i am a major planner) so monsters it was. but of course they had to be happy monsters.

didn't take long to start putting together all of the monster themed fun...here are some of the details.

monster cheese ball

it was all about eyes
individual snack cups on the kids table

the monster cake
(hartville kitchen)

monster cupcakes
(the cake lady )
i actually put the candy eyes on them myself

      

the cake table
the back drop was made from plastic table covers
cut and then tied in knots

lil monsters as a favor
(oriental trading)

monster lollipops

(oriental trading)

they are stuck in a foam block that was wrapped in crate paper

the birthday boy

success!!

cheese ball

this was a huge hit at ethan's birthday party and it's really nothing special accept i made it with fresh ingredients.

16 oz. cream cheese (2 blocks)

1 pack of hidden valley ranch dry seasoning packet

1 pound of bacon cooked, drained and crumbled

1 cup of chopped green onions or chives (feel free to add less or more)

freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese or bagged (enough to roll it in)

1.soften cream cheese then mix in ranch packet until well blended. add onion along with bacon crumbles. mix well. form the cream cheese mixture into a ball and roll in the cheddar cheese.

we garnished with olives to make eyes : )

grilled heirloom tomato and goat cheese pizza

this is one of my favorites i used to make it all the time and think i am feeling the urge again! mike is not a fan... well he strongly dislikes tomatoes so usually recipes with tomatoes are skipped unless i make a smaller portion for myself. i suppose half tomatoes would work on this delicious twist to a healthier option for pizza! and bonus... its a five ingredient dish!

ingredients:
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough cooking spray 
1 garlic clove, halved 
1 large heirloom tomato, seeded and chopped (about 10 ounces) 
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled herbed goat cheese 


preparation

1. prepare grill to medium heat. i use the pampered chef bbq pizza pan and you need to use a gas grill not charcoal if you want to grill it. you can modify this recipe and make it in the oven as the dough package calls for baking. although personal tip... bake in oven for a few minutes so crust gets a little crispy then add the toppings and bake for remaining time...helps to keep it from getting mushy or soggy when toppings are added

2. unroll dough onto a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat dough into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle. (or use the pampered chef pizza grill pan) Lightly coat dough with cooking spray.

3. Place dough on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 1 minute or until lightly browned. Turn crust over. Rub with garlic; sprinkle with tomato and cheeses. Close grill lid; grill 3 minutes. Serve immediately

grandmas chinese chicken wings

i am a chicken wing lover...well i like the legs. my husband prefers the legs as well but he makes sacrifices to ensure i get the most if not all of the legs i want. 

(i really try hard not to eat the other half...tid bit of truth...he loves me! no really you understand when it comes to men and their food...he really loves me!)

since we are fans of wings i was excited when my friends jen and george were having us over to try this new recipe with them.

it was amazing! it was almost like the non-leg parts didn't matter and i could have licked the bowl(i think we did actually).  the wings had a bite but were perfect and you can easily tailor this recipe to your liking.

more sweet...more hott...you decide!!

ingredients

16 whole chicken wings, flap segments removed and saved for stock

1/3 cup sake
1/3 cup soy sauce

4 tablespoons brown sugar (If you like it sweeter, add more. you can check the flavor of the sauce at any time and I encourage you to)

2 -3 tablespoons mirin

3 tablespoons fish sauce (originally oyster sauce-can but you can try with hoisin sauce)

4 large thin slices fresh ginger

1 -2 cloves star anise

1 dried hot chili pepper

1 cinnamon stick

shaved green onion, for garnish (julienne cut)

sesame seeds, for garnish

directions

1.place a 14-inch nonstick saute pan over high heat. add the chicken and dry-sear to lightly brown the chicken.

2 add the sake, soy sauce, 1/3 cup water, brown sugar, mirin, hoisin sauce, ginger, star anise, dried chile and cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer.

3 cook, covered, about 12 minutes.

4 uncover and simmer until the pan is almost dry, tossing frequently to coat the wings, 10 to 12 minutes.

5 skim off the fat if you like(recipe did not recommended), and serve, garnishing with scallion shavings and sesame seeds.