Foodie Friday: Skillet Seared Honey Mustard Pork Chops

This yummy sounding recipe is courtesy of Jennifer at colangelopr.com. Thanks Jennifer for sharing this recipe with us!

After a long day at the office, the last thing you want to do is slave over the stove! Instead of spending your entire night cooking, why not whip up a quick hearty meal?  Golden Blossom Honey (goldenblossomhoney.com), the iconic fourth generation 100% American honey, has a flavorful and easy recipe for any night! This Skillet Seared Honey Mustard Pork Chops recipe is sure to warm up any winter night.  These deliciously tangy pork chops are the perfect robust meal for the family. 

Skillet Seared Honey Mustard Pork Chops

3 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
4 (1-inch thick) boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine honey, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Dip pork chops into marinade to coat. Place on a plate and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over a high heat. Once hot (not smoking), add chops and sear for 2 minutes or until chops are well browned on the bottom. Turn meat over and place skillet in oven for about 10 minutes, until chops are no longer pink inside.  Serves: 4.

Foodie Friday: Banana Applesauce Bread

So I have to admit I'm not too fond of bananas, but I do like me some warm banana bread with some butter on it. If I eat bananas plain the peel has to be bright yellow with no black on it. I'm weird I know. I just have a thing with textures and bananas fall into that category of food textures I do not like. My most favorite thing to do with those bananas that start getting a little too ripe for me is making banana bread with them. I have two recipes for banana bread that I really like and this is one of them that I thought I would share!

Banana Applesauce Bread

• 1/4 cup butter, softenend
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large banana, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 1 16 oz can applesauce
• 3 TBS buttermilk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar. Add banana, eggs, and applesauce. Stir in flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix should be slightly thicker than a cake mix.. Add buttermilk and if too stiff and another tablespoon of the buttermilk. Pour into two greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.When done slide a knife around the edges and invert. Cool on a wire rack.

Foodie Friday: Creamy Ham and White Cheddar Soup

With the cold weather comes the desire for soups!  At least for me that's how it goes.  Whenever it is a snowy day I want to bake homemade bread and have some nice thick soup.  I have a hubby who isn't a fan of soups.  They don't fill him up, so he claims.  And he doesn't believe in drinking your dinner.  So I always have to make sure my soup is thick and has lots of stuff in it.  I found this recipe on one of the scrapbook blogs I stalk visit.  Crazy, huh? Go visit Designs by Megan Turnidge for lots of free scrapbook templates and goodies!  She also does some crafty stuff once in awhile, like this yummy soup!

Creamy White Cheddar, Ham, & Potato Soup

2 tbs. vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, diced
3 ribs celery, sliced
4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced
5 cups *less sodium* chicken broth
4 cups potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size cubes
2 cups diced, cooked ham
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste (1/2 tsp. is about how much I use)
5 tbs. butter
5 tbs. flour
2 cups whole milk
3 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

In a stockpot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat and add the onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until veggies start to soften. Stir in the chicken broth, potatoes, ham, and salt & pepper. Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender (about 10-15 minutes).

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and whisk constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk (don’t add it all at once to avoid clumps). Continue stirring over medium-low heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth.

Stir the cheese mixture into the stockpot.

Serve and garnish with cheese, green onion, etc. as desired.

Foodie Friday: Potato Bread

I am always on the lookout for new bread recipes.  I really want to find a good homemade bread that would be great for sandwiches.  I have found some really good ones but they are crumbly, not so good for sandwich bread, but great for soup and stew.  Well I came across this recipe and had to try it.  I love it when people bring potato rolls to things so I figured potato bread would be good.  I was right.  It was really good!  Now I know what I can do with all my leftover mashed potatoes that I freeze.  (I seem to think my little family can eat 5 lbs of mashed potatoes in one sitting.....)  

I got the original here:Irish American Mom.  She has lots of fabulous pictures about the whole thing.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cup mashed potatoes (2 - 3 medium)
• 1/2 cup reserved potato cooking water
• 2 packets active dry yeast (1/4 ounce each)
• 1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°to dissolve yeast)
• 1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
• 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil (to grease the mixing bowl for bread to rise in)

Directions

	Peel and cube the potatoes. Place in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.
	Drain the potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
	Mash the potatoes. Press through a food mill or strainer to remove any lumps. Set the potatoes aside.
	Empty the yeast packets into a large mixing bowl. Add the warm water and set aside for about 10 minutes until the mixture is foamy.
	Add the warm mashed potatoes, warm milk, reserved potato cooking water, melted butter, sugar, salt and 4 cups of the flour.
	Knead with a dough hook of an electric mixer. Gradually add an additional 2 to 3 cups of flour to form a stiff dough. Knead it in the mixer until smooth and glossy, about 8 minutes.
	Grease a large bowl and transfer the bread dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel. Set in a warm, draft-free space and let the dough rise and double in size (about 1 hour).
	When risen, punch the dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into two equal halves.
	Take each section, knead lightly and shape into a loaf.
	Place into two greased loaf pans (9 inch x 5 inch). Cover again and let the dough rise for an additional 30 minutes until doubled in size.
	Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. The loaves are cooked if the base sounds hollow when tapped.
	Remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have been looking for a good sweet and sour recipe. I posted one earlier that was pretty good, but it didn't have the breading.  My hubby wanted to have the breaded kind.  Then I found this and I have made it several times.  It's a hit!  This is definitely a regular now.  I have also been looking for a good friend rice recipe and lucky for me, the blog Life in a Lofthouse, had both the fried rice and sweet and sour chicken.  Score!!

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Courtesy of Life in the Lofthouse

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup  oil

The sweet and sour sauce: (I actually doubled mine so I could have extra sauce for my rice)

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

       Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Cube your chicken Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs.  Heat your  oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9×13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

Fried Rice

3 cups cooked white rice (day old or leftover rice works best!)

3 Tablespoons sesame oil (or vegetable oil)

1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)

1 small onion, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3-4 Tablespoons soy sauce

      On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add the peas/carrots mix, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender. Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled. Now add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated!

Try adding some diced ham, or green onion. Yum!

Foodie Friday: Lizard Stew

One of the things I love most about winter is being able to cook soups. I am always trying new recipes and this was a new recipe we tried out of the worlwide ward cookbook earlier this week that my family loved. Let me clarify that this soup does not have lizards in it! I have no idea why it is called that but oh man is it good! I told my 5 year old we were having lizard stew and she flipped out, but after I explained there is no lizards in it she was ok with it and actually ended up eating her whole bowl full. The great thing about this soup is that it is very easy to make! Easy is great right? I'm sure your whole family will like this just as mine does and will become a family favorite. That's the kind of meals you want anyways right-yummy and easy:)

Lizard Stew

1 pound ground beef, browned

1 10oz can green chiles and diced tomatoes (I only put in half the amount of green chiles. I didn't want it too spicy)

1 15oz can chili beans

1 26oz can minestrone soup

1 pound velveeta cheese

Combine all ingredients but the cheese in a large pot. Once soup starts bubbling add cheese and heat through. Serve with corn chips if you desire. This can be cooked in a crock pot as well on the low setting.  You would just add the cheese about a half hour before serving. Serves 6

Foodie Friday: Beef Stuffed peppers

I never had stuffed peppers until after I got married and decided to try some one night for dinner. I was skimming through an Eating Better cookbook I had bought in high school and decided to try this recipe out. I was surprised at how delicious they were. My husband especially likes these! These are really yummy, and a healthier dinner choice!

Beef Stuffed Peppers:

4 green, red, or yellow peppers
1 lb ground beef (the more lean the better)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup uncooked white rice
4 Tbsp catsup, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano, divided
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes (I used some home canned stewed tomatoes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tops off bell peppers,  remove seeds. Combine ground beef, onion, rice, 3 Tbsp catsup, salt, 1/2 tsp oregano,  and pepper in a large bowl mixing lightly. Spoon into peppers. Stand in a 8X8 dish. Combine remaining catsup, oregano, and stewed tomatoes. Pour over peppers. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until beef is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Foodie Friday: Brocolli Cheese Soup

Once the cold weather sets in, my favorite thing to do is make soups!  Which bugs my hubby because he isn't a soup person (he is a meat and potatoes type person)  But oh well, every once in awhile I have to cook a meal that is for ME and not everyone else and they just have to deal with it.  You get what you get and you don't throw a fit! =)  I love broccoli and cheese soup but the canned stuff has way too much salt for me.  So when I found a recipe that didn't have any canned stuff I had to try.  I think this is a keeper!

3 tbsp. oil

1/3 of a yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp. flour

2 1/2 c. chicken stock or broth

3/4 c. milk

1 1/2 c. broccoli florets

2 c. white cheddar cheese, shredded, plus extra for garnish (you can sub yellow cheddar if you want)

1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

seasonings to taste (I used some roasted garlic and herb seasonings)

In a large saucepan, heat oil.  Add onions and saute.  Add garlic and salt and pepper.  Cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add flour to pan and stir until the moisture is soaked up, and cook for 1 minute.

Add stock a little at a time, mixing to incorporate all ingredients and work out any lumps.  Add milk.  Bring mixture to a simmer and add broccoli.  Simmer over medium heat until soup has thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and break up chunks by putting some in a blender or food processor.  Do as much or as little as you want, depending on how chunky you like it.  Return soup to heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.  The stir in cheese.  Stir until all the cheese is melted and thickened.  Ladle into bread bowls and garnish with extra cheese if desired.

Foodie Friday: Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

2-3 chicken breasts

3 celery stalks

3 carrots

1 onion, minced

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp dried basil

2 bay leaves

6 cups broth (I used about 7-8 bouillon cubes for mine...I like the extra flavor)

plus any extra seasonings you like.  I added minced garlic, and I have this super yummy roasted garlic and herb seasoning that I put on.

2 1/2 c. uncooked egg noodles

Slice your celery, thin.  Shred your carrots. Place the celery, carrots and onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.  then put your chicken on top.  I did mine whole and still frozen.  Pour the broth in.  Then let it cook on high for about 4 hours, or until the chicken is cooked thorough.  When it is done, shred the chicken (I put it in my kitchenaide and let it do the work).  Then let it cook to get some flavor soaked in.  While that is happening, cook your noodles.  Once the noodles are done, add them in the soup and let them cook for about 1/2 hour on low, to soak up some of the flavor.

This was the perfect meal for a rainy day.  I like my soups chunky and this is definitely chunky and full of lots of stuff.  You can add more broth if you like more liquid.  It is a very forgiving recipe =)  Serve it up with some nice warm rolls and YUM!!!!!!

Foodie Friday: Chili Dog Casserole

I have to admit...I was a bit skeptical about this but my husband insisted we try it.  He loves chili dogs!!  But it was a hit with everyone! The best part, it is so easy!!!! Even your kids could make this!  

 2 (15 oz) cans chili with beans  (we actually did it with no beans)

1 (16 oz) package hot dogs

10 (8 inch) flour tortillas 

1 cup  Cheddar cheese, shredded

First, pour 1 can of chili in a baking dish.  I used the a 7x11, but you can use a 9x13.  Then, roll your hot dogs in the tortillas and place over chili.  Then pour the other can of chili over top and sprinkle with cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 425.  Let them stand and cool for a bit before you eat. 

I think this dish qualifies as "man food" and could be something to serve for game nights or whatever else men do.....

 

Foodie Friday: Zucchini, Black Bean, and Rice Skillet

Zucchinis Zucchinis Zucchinis everywhere and what to do and make with them all.  I have an easy recipe.  My boss gave me a huge zucchini.  I have now used it in two recipes and there is still some left over.

I made a Zucchini, Black Bean and Rice Skillet.  It was super easy.  Here is what you will need:

- 1 cup of rice (I used brown rice)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
-2 cups of cut up zucchini
- 4-6 Roma tomatoes
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 green pepper
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
-Spices to taste( I used Italian season, Rosemary, black pepper and salt)

I stared out by cooking the rice.  While the rice was cooking I cut up the zucchini, tomatoes, and green pepper.  I then put the olive oil in a skillet pan and tossed the zucchini in.  I then used a garlic press to crush up the garlic and put in the skillet with the zucchini.  I then added the green pepper.  When the garlic, zucchini and green pepper were all cooked up.  I added the tomatoes and black bean.  I then added my spices.  Once the rice was cooked I added it to skillet.  Ta Da! I am all done with this super easy and delicious meal.  When I served it I topped it with some shredded cheddar cheese. 

Foodie Friday: Chicken Enchilada Pasta

I found this amazingly delicious recipe on pinterest and figured that I had to post it on here because it was too good to not share. My whole family, but especially my husband absolutely loved it! This dish does require quite a bit of ingredients, but it is well worth it! The recipe can be found on this site.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

• 1 rotissere chicken shredded
• 2 TBS olive oil ( I just used some canola oil cause that's what I had on hand)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 can diced green chiles (4oz)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 cans green chili enchilada sauce
• 2/3 cup red enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheese (any kind)
• 1 cup sour cream
• Penne pasta

Toppings:

• sour cream
• green onions
• tomatoes
• olives

Directions:
Shred chicken. Chop veggies. Boil pasta according to package directions. Heat oil in large skillet

 and cook onion for 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes.Add cooked chicken, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, salt, and enchilada sauces. Let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add cheese and stir until is is melted and heated through. Slowly add sour cream and make sure to NOT LET IT BOIL! Stirl just until heated through. Add cooked and drained pasta to the skillet. Mix well. Serve and garnish with desired toppings. Enjoy!

Foodie Friday:Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Hey friends sorry I have been hiding out in the scrapbooking world! :) I told the other girls to just schedule my days and then I would do it, but when I have to self motivate, well you already see what happens with that. Yep my post ideas and pictures back up and I never post. 

Trinity posted this exact recipe back in Feb 2012 but she deleted her pictures so I am going to post it again with a few variations and options. 

oh ya the reason you are getting this post in the middle of the summer is because there were a few rainy days and this sounded SO AMAZING and I made it and now I am craving it again.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

1 C chicken breast, cooked and chopped

4 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp flour

1 quart half and half or instead use 2 C heavy whipping cream and 2 C milk

1 14 oz can of chicken broth

1/2 C celery, finely diced (Thrive Food has celery freeze dried incase you don't have fresh on hand)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 C carrots, finely shredded or chopped

1 C onion, finely diced

1 C fresh spinach, coarsely chopped (3/4 C-Thrive food freeze dried spinach that works amazing)

1 Tbsp extra virgin oil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp parsley

1 lb potato gnocchi (find in the gourmet section of supermarkets, walmart has mini Gnocchi that rocks!!)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese-optional

Saute the onion, celery and garlic in the butter and olive oil. If you chopped the carrots saute them now if you shredded then you will add them later. Saute over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent then add the flour. Make the flour all pasted to the veggies and cook for another minute or two. Then add the 1 quart of half and half or cream/milk. Cook gnocchi in a separate pan as instructed on the package. Now into the cream base and veggies add the chicken, if you shredded carrots add them now. Let the mixture thicken and then add the chicken broth (I didn't use it all I kept my soup thick because that is how I like it). Now add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning, simmer until soup is heated through.

Foodie Friday: Mexican Salad

 The perfect filling summer salad. For those days when it is just to dang hot to cook. My Grandma found this recipe in the 70's and we have been consuming it ever since. Its light enough that you feel good about yourself for eating a salad and filling enough that you can serve it by itself for dinner and your husband won't complain about being hungry two hours later.

The only ingredient that will give you the slightest pause is called Ranch Style Beans. Its is a specific brand of beans that can be found in most stores. I found these at Smiths for $.69. Just find them, use them, love them.

Combine 1 basket of cherry tomatoes, 1 1/2 cup sharp grated chedder cheese, 5 sliced scallions,1 can drained and rinsed Ranch Style Beans, and one head of lettuce.

 Add one small bottle of Catalina dressing.

 Then crush one bag of corn or tortilla chips (We love Fritos) and add the the salad.

Mix it all up and dig in. This is quite a big salad. It will fill 4-6 people if you serve it by itself and more if you serve it as a side. I know that it sounds a little odd all together but just trust the 70's it is an amazing, easy, delicious salad. Enjoy!

Mexican Salad

1 head lettuce

1 basket cherry tomatoes, whole

5 scallions, sliced

12 oz. or 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 can Ranch Style Beans, drained and rinsed

1 sm. bottle Catalina dressing

1 bag corn or tortilla chips, crushed

Toss all ingredients together except chips. Add chips then toss again.

Foodie Friday: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

I enjoy anything that has citrus in it especially lemon!  So I was anxious to try this recipe for lemon muffins. The original recipe doesn't call for poppyseeds, but I think lemon and poppyseeds combined is a great combination so I decided to add some in. If you love muffins you will love this recipe!

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins:

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softenend
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp poppyseeds (optional)

Muffins:

In a medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar, lemon, juice, and egg. Sift together dry ingredients. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to make a thick batter. Stir in lemon zest and poppyseeds. Spoon into paper lined muffin tin (2/3 full) or a loaf pan. Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Bake loaf at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. Just before the muffins or bread comes out of the oven, combine syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan.

Syrup:

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar

Combine and heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Prick small holes in the top of baked bread of muffins with toothpick, then gently pour syrup into holes. Cool.  Makes 12 muffins or 1 loaf.

Foodie Friday: Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe

I needed a quick meal one night and needed something with hamburger meat since it was thawed from the day before. I didn't want tacos....I wanted something different. Then I found this recipe.  I can't remember the site so I could link back to them...sorry =(

Ingredients:

1 Lb ground beef

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, chopped

 1 can mushrooms, or you can use fresh, roughly chopped *optional

1/4 cup steak sauce 

1 cup beef broth

salt and pepper, to taste

Hamburger buns

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs flour

1 cup milk

1 Cup provolone cheese, Swiss, or Italian cheese blend, (grated)

Directions:

In a large skillet over med/high heat, add the sirloin and brown for about 5 minutes; just until it starts to separate and render some of it's fat. Add the the onion, bell pepper, and mushroom.

Cook another 5 minutes or so, until the vegetables are nice and tender. You can drain off some of the liquid if you like. Stir in the steak sauce and beef broth, season with pepper. *I would hold off on the salt until  you are just ready to serve. (The steak sauce and broth are both plenty salty) I did not need any additional salt. I did season with pepper, though. Let simmer for a few minutes.

While meat is cooking, melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat.

 Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Cut dinner rolls in half, toast, and fill with meat mixture. Top with a few spoonfuls of the cheese sauce.

Enjoy!!!

Foodie Friday: Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

I love sweet and sour chicken but it seems like whenever I get it nowadays at the restaurant it has a funny taste.  So I have tried making it from scratch and then it tastes too much like ketchup since most the recipes I have found use that.  Well, I went on vacation to visit my mom for a few weeks.  I didn't want to eat out a whole lot because I am cheap and I didn't want to gain 10 pounds while I was here =)  One of our traditions when we come here is there is a Chinese restaurant that we always go to.  It was actually the restaurant that we had our wedding luncheon at because my hubby's parents were friends with the owners.  One of the highlights was coming each year and seeing the owner, Kathy.  She loved seeing the kiddos grow.  Well, last time we went we found out that Kathy had retired so she wasn't there anymore.  My kids were sad because they loved seeing her.  So this time we won't be making our usual trip but I still wanted Chinese food.  So I visited one of my favorite blogs, The Country Cook, for a recipe I had been wanting to try.

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1-16 oz. bottle Catalina
1 packet onion soup mix
1 cup apricot preserves (or peach)
1-15.75 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
2 peppers, chopped, I used 1 green and 1 orange
rice for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.  In a bowl, combine the dressing, preserves, and onion soup.  Add in chicken.  Spray a 9x13 dish and pur the chicken mixture in.  Cook for 45 minutes.  Add in pineapple and peppers and then cook for another 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve over cooked rice.  Enjoy!!! 

Foodie Friday: Great Grandma Clara's Spice Nut Waffles

Best waffles ever! They might take a little extra time but they are worth it.

I have one solid memory of my Great Grandma Clara, when I was about 6 years old. Sitting outside at a white metal table (the cute decorative ones that seat like four people) and looking at Clara, who I didn't know at all, sitting in her chair with tubes in her nose. That is it. But every time we eat her amazing waffles I send a little love up her way and thank her.

I haven't actually made this recipe before myself. I just haven't had to. It has been a staple at my Mom's house over the years, a go to for special occasion breakfasts. But just last Monday I made waffles out of a box and got to thinking. They were terrible. Really bad. Like fluffy cardboard. (Yes that is a thing.) I realized that I never made the waffles because my mom always said that they took a little extra time. So  I looked in my family cookbook and saw that the extra time she spoke of was whipping egg whites. Really Mom.... That's it? I will whip egg whites all day long as long as I don't have to eat cardboard waffles again. So here it is the extremely long and tedious process. (NOT!)

 Whip the egg whites. (Don't forget to save the yolks!)

 Mix together the dry ingredients.

 Add in the milk, egg yolks, and melted butter.

 Fold in the pecans and egg whites. (I used walnuts this time, any soft nut will work and be delicious.) For anyone who doesn't know, folding in the egg whites means mixing them as gently as possible so you lose as little of the air you whipped into the egg whites as possible. One technique is to drag your spatula through the middle of the bowl rotating it under the batter and then folding the batter over the top of the mixture. Continue until fully combined.

 I didn't put the nuts in till i cooked half the batter because my odd husband likes nuts but doesn't like nuts in things. (Weirdo) My waffles took about 3 1/2 min to cook but that will vary based on your waffle iron.

So delicious! I doubled my batch and cooked 24 waffle squares, so a single batch will do about 12.

Spice Nut Waffles

2 cups flour
3 T sugar
1 t salt
3 t baking powder
1 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t cinnamon
2 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cup milk
4 T melted butter
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Whip egg whites stiff. Set aside. Mix dry ingredients. Add milk, melted butter and egg yolks. Fold in egg whites and chopped nuts gently. Cook in a piping hot waffle iron. Devour.

End of story...

P.S. If it was unclear in the recipe the big T is tablespoons and the little t is teaspoons.

**UPDATE**
This is a slightly embarrassing update and a little funny too. My big sister, after reading the blog, text-ed me to tell me that the memory I have couldn't have happened because Great Grandma Clara died before I was born. Apparently I was thinking of Great Grandma Helen. Well I was 6 what can I tell you... Anyway I still love her for her amazing food and Grandma Helen too.

Foodie Friday: Koolaid Popcorn (Skelita's Sugar Skulls)

Here is another tutorial from the Monster High Party.  This is also a great snack when you do movie nights or to take to the park.  

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Light Corn Syrup

⅔ cups Butter Or Margarine

6 quarts Plain Popped Popcorn (I think I may have used more popcorn so maybe pop a bit extra and if you have extra sugar sauce, add more popcorn)

2 packages Kool-Aid (Any Flavor You Want)

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 225 F.
2. Boil sugar, syrup and butter/margarine together for 3 minutes.
3. On a large shallow ungreased baking dish, spread out popped popcorn.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the Kool-Aid with the baking soda.
5. Remove sugar syrup from the stove and carefully stir in the Kool-Aid mixture. (This will make the sugar mixture puff up. Be careful to not get burned.)
6. Now take sugar mixture and pour it over the popped popcorn. Carefully mix all till combined.
7. Place it in the oven and stir every 10 minutes. Repeat this 3 more times.
8. Take popcorn out of the oven and when it starts to cool, break it apart into pieces.
9. Enjoy!

Foodie Friday: Chocolate Pancakes with Homemade Syrup

I am a total believer in breakfast and get sick if I end up skipping it. I get kind of tired of having a bowl of cereal every single morning so I enjoy switching things up every now and then. My kids really like these-especially my little guy which I was a little surprised about! The pancakes are not too sweet, but the syrup makes up for that :). The recipe doesn't normally call for chocolate chips, but I think the next time I make these I may put in some chocolate chips. Yum! See what your family thinks of these!

Chocolate Pancakes:

• 1 1/2 C flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp sugar
• 6 Tbsp cocoa
• 1 1/4 C warmed milk
• 4 Tbsp butter or margaring, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten

Mix and sift together dry ingredients. Add milk, butter, and eggs and beat until smooth. Add extra milk if the batter is too thick. Cook as you do regular pancakes. Serve warm with syrup.

Syrup

• 2 C sugar
• 1 8oz can evaporated milk
• 1 Tbsp butter

Boil sugar and milk, stirring constantly until all the sugar is dissolved. Cook over high heat until the mixture starts to boil. Do not leave unattended as it comes to a boil quickly. Remove from heat and add butter. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir and enjoy!