Italian Chicken Soup

Printable Recipe

Italian Chicken Soup
1 box Ditalini pasta
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 1/2 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded
8 cups chicken broth
2 cups half and half
4 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese shavings, for serving

Cook pasta for 2-3 minutes less than suggested cooking time. Drain and rinse in cold water. Toss in 1 Tbsp olive oil and set aside.

Dice canned tomatoes and return them to their juice. Set aside.

Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and oregano and turn off heat, stirring for 1 minute to keep oregano from burning. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, green pepper, celery, and jalapeno. Cook until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, chicken, and tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add cooked pasta, half and half, and oregano from the small skillet. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lots of parmesan cheese shavings.

Serves 8

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Spinach Salad with Honey Dressing

Printable Recipe

Spinach Salad with Honey Dressing
3 cups spinach
3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 red apple, diced
2/3 cup caramelized almonds *
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Toss together spinach, romaine, onion, mandarin oranges, and apple in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with almonds and bacon.

Whisk together all ingredients for dressing. Microwave for 45 seconds. Toss salad with desired amount of dressing.

*To make caramelized almonds, combine almonds with 5-6 Tbsp sugar in a non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and almonds are caramelized.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Chocolate Pretzels

This is a really fun way to make chocolate pretzels. It's a great Christmas treat. I made them with rolos, candy cane kisses, and reese's peanut butter cups. But you can make it with any candy you want. The possibilities are endless! I was surprised that my favorite was the peanut butter cups.

Printable Recipe

Chocolate Pretzels
waffle type pretzels
rolos, kisses, or peanut butter cups
m&ms

Preheat oven to 350. Place pretzels on a baking sheet. Top each pretzel with chocolate candy. Bake for 3 minutes until chocolate is softened, not melted. Remove from oven and top each chocolate pretzel with an m&m. Lightly press down to flatten chocolate to cover pretzel. Cool completely.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes
2 2/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
5 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Place cupcake liners in muffin tins. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix together pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour mixture in two additions, beating at low speed just until incorporated. Pour into cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Then remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely.

To make frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix well. Frost cupcakes as desired.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

Honey Sauced Chicken

Printable Recipe

Honey Sauced Chicken
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, vegetable oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours. Remove chicken; shred and return to crock pot. Serve over rice.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Mmm...Cafe

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Printable Recipe

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup
2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup carrots, sliced
6 cups chicken broth
5-6 potatoes, chopped
1 cup milk
4 Tbsp flour
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
2 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Cook for about 4 minutes or until tender. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and flour until smooth. Whisk into soup. Continue stirring until soup starts to thicken slightly. Add softened cream cheese to the soup in Tbsp-size pieces. Stir until cream cheese melts. Add chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Christmas Goodies

I love Christmas!!! This is my absolute favorite time of the year. There's just something so wonderful and magic about it. I especially love all of the holiday treats. I can never get enough. I decided to share some of my favorite Christmas treats that I've already posted. I hope you enjoy. Merry Christmas and Happy Baking!!!

Andes Mint Cookies

Caramel Crunch Bars

Homemade Caramels

Oreo Truffles

Chocolate and Caramel Dipped Pretzel Rods

Almond Roca Toffee

Cheesecake

Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Printable Recipe

Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs), pounded to 1/4" thickness
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried
1 tsp fresh oregano or 1/4 tsp dried
1/4 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup ritz cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers)
3 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together cracker crumbs and parmesan cheese and place on a shallow dish or pie plate. Set aside. Combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, oregano, and lemon pepper. Lay chicken breasts flat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cheese mixture in the center of each chicken breast. Roll each chicken breast tightly; dip in egg, then in cracker mixture. Place seam-side down in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake 30-35 minutes or until cooked through.

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Pumpkin Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Printable Recipe

Pumpkin Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree

Cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 13x18 sheet pan. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat together vegetable oil and sugars until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in pumpkin puree. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick come out clean. Cool completely.

To make frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter. Add syrup and powdered sugar. Mix well. Spread over cooled cake.

Makes 36 bars

Recipe adapted from Norah's Menus and Recipes

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

Printable Recipe

Creamy Chicken and Noodles
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp onion salt
1 (16 oz) pkg egg noodles
4 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add poultry seasoning, onion salt, and egg noodles. Cook for 6-8 minutes until tender. Add chicken. Stir in soup and sour cream. Heat through.

Serves 8

Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Thanksgiving Ideas

Wow! I can't believe Thanksgiving is coming up in a week. I wanted to re-post some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes for anyone who needs some ideas. 

This turkey was so delicious! It's the most tender and moist turkey I've ever had. We're going with my husband's family this year which means we're not cooking the turkey. But I think we're still going to have turkey another day because it's so good!

Thanksgiving Turkey

This is my mother-in-law's recipe for homemade stuffing. My husband cannot have Thanksgiving without it!

Homemade Stuffing

Pretzel jello salad is always a hit at Thanksgiving, although it's more like a dessert than a salad. Maybe that's why everyone likes it so much!

Pretzel Jello Salad

 You can't forget the pie! It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without many different pies!

Chocolate Toffee Pie

Vanilla Pie Filling (you can add any topping to this!)

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

Tomatillo Chicken Soup

Printable Recipe

Tomatillo Chicken Soup
6 medium tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
2 lbs boneless skinless breast halves
4 cups chicken broth
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Chop 3 of the tomatillos. Place remaining tomatillos in blender and blend until smooth. Place pureed and chopped tomatillos in a crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken; shred and return to soup. Top with cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Mummy Meatloaf

I made this for Halloween and served it with Mac & Cheese Zombies. It was such a fun dinner and a huge hit with the kids.

Mummy Meatloaf
meatloaf (recipe here)
Monterey jack cheese slices
olive slices

Make meatloaf as directed and shape to resemble a mummy's body with arms crossed. Bake until cooked through.

Lay 1-inch wide slices of cheese across mummy's body, leaving space on the head for the olive eyes. Return to oven for a few minutes to slightly melt the cheese.

Recipe adapted from Family Fun

Mac & Cheese Zombies

We had a Halloween themed dinner a few nights ago. It was a lot of fun! It definitely makes dinners so much fun for the kids.

Printable Recipe

Mac & Cheese Zombies
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
3 cups elbow macaroni, cooked

Preheat oven to 400. Heat milk in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in warm milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; reduce heat and stir until it starts to thicken. Whisk in cheese, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cooked macaroni.

Place macaroni in greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, turn upside down, and place olives for the eyes.

Makes about 15-18 zombies

Recipe adapted from Family Fun and Southern Living

Spooky Halloween Punch

I made this drink for our Halloween party and it was a huge hit with the kids. They loved the hand floating in the drink. One of the fingers broke but I think it just added to the effect to have a finger floating around. It was so much fun!

Printable Recipe

Spooky Halloween Punch
20 oz. frozen strawberries, thawed
6 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 qt. ginger ale
water
frozen hand

To make frozen hand, wash out a plastic glove with soap and water. Fill with water and place red food coloring inside the glove. Secure with a twist tie. Place in freezer until frozen.

Combine strawberries and lemonade concentrate in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a punch bowl. Add ginger ale and desired amount of water.

Carefully remove glove from the frozen hand and place hand in the center of the punch bowl.

Serves 12

Recipe adapted from Family Fun

Monster Pizzas

This recipe has been moved to The Traveling Circus.

Click here for recipe

Monster Pizzas

Apple Pie Caramel Apples

I love the caramel apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. I always buy one when we go on vacation or if it's a special occasion. They're about $6 an apple so they're pretty pricey but they're so worth it. I found a recipe to make them myself and I was so excited! It was actually pretty easy too. The recipe calls for a bag of caramels but I decided to make it with homemade caramel. Either way, they're delicious!

Printable Recipe

Apple Pie Caramel Apples
6 apples

Caramel:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 bags white chocolate chips
cinnamon sugar

Wash and dry apples and insert sticks. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together ingredients for caramel except for vanilla. Stir constantly until it reaches a soft ball stage, about 235-240 degrees. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Let cool for a few minutes. Dip apples into caramel and twirl around to coat completely. Place on parchment paper to set. Repeat with another coat of caramel.  Cool in refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Dip apples in chocolate to coat completely, then place on parchment paper to set. After it sets for a few minutes, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*This recipe makes a lot of caramel. You can let the remaining caramel cool and cut into individual candies or use it for a caramel dipping sauce.

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything and Tasty Kitchen

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Printable Recipe

Southwestern Chicken Soup
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2-3 Tbsp diced jalapeno pepper, seeded
3 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn

In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil until tender. Stir in chicken broth, water, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne. Add chicken, black beans, tomatoes, and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Easy Caramel Popcorn

This caramel popcorn was super easy to make and it turned out so great. It was so addicting. I couldn't stop eating it :)

Printable Recipe

Easy Caramel Popcorn
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
11 large marshmallows, cut in half
2 bags microwave popcorn, popped

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and let it come to a boil. Stir in marshmallows until melted and smooth. Pour over popped popcorn and mix well.

Recipe adapted from The Sisters Cafe

Zuppa Toscana Soup

I love this soup! It's one of my favorite things to eat at Olive Garden. I'm so excited to be able to make it at home!

Printable Recipe

Zuppa Toscana Soup
1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1 qt water
4 cups chicken broth
2 lg potatoes, cubed (about 4 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cups chopped kale
1 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat, breaking up as it cooks. Drain and set aside. Place bacon in the skillet and brown until cooked through without letting it get too crispy. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, combine water, chicken broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and bacon. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add kale, half and half, and salt and pepper. Heat through.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Chef Pablo's Restaurant Recipes

Frozen Reese's Peanut Butter Pie

Yesterday was my husband's birthday. He loves peanut butter, especially Reese's peanut butter cups. This was a perfect dessert for his birthday.

Printable Recipe

Frozen Reese's Peanut Butter Pie
24 Oreo cookies, crushed
4 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups cool whip
1/2 cup chopped Reese's peanut butter cups

topping:
hot fudge
12-13 mini Reese's peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350. Combine crushed Oreos and melted butter. Press into a greased 9" springform pan. Bake for 7-10 minutes.

Combine peanut butter and powdered sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until melted and creamy. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Fold cool whip into peanut butter mixture. Fold in chopped peanut butter cups. Pour into crust. Freeze for 3 hours. Top with Reese's peanut butter cups and drizzle with hot fudge.

Serves 12-13


Recipe adapted from Baker's Royale

Layered Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing

Printable Recipe

Layered Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing
3/4 head romaine lettuce
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup cucumber, sliced and quartered
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red bell pepper
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper

Place romaine lettuce in a large bowl. Layer peas, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, 4 slices of the crumbled bacon, eggs, and cheese over the lettuce. In a small bowl, combine ingredients for the dressing. Mix well. Pour over salad and spread across. Garnish with remaining slice of crumbled bacon. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Toss before serving.

Recipe adapted from The On Call Cook

Swedish Meatballs

Printable Recipe

Swedish Meatballs

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

2 Tbsp butter

Dill cream sauce:

2 Tbsp flour

1 cup half and half

1 cup beef broth

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dill seed

In a large bowl, combine first 7 ingredients. Crumble beef and pork over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet. Place half of the meatballs in the skillet and cook until no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels; place in a medium bowl and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining meatballs. 

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for sauce. Stir into skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour sauce over meatballs. Serve meatballs over rice.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

This recipe has been moved to The Traveling Circus.

Click the link below for the recipe

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Printable Recipe

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups chicken broth
3 green onions, sliced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste

garnish:
cilantro
green onions
cheese
sour cream
avocado

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a crock pot. Season chicken with salt and place on top. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. A half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot. Season with salt, if needed. Serve over rice and top with desired toppings.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste

S'mores Cookie Bars

Mmmm... these were so good. It was like eating a s'more sandwiched in between two cookies. It doesn't get much better than that. It's definitely not calorie free but oh so good!

Printable Recipe

S'mores Cookie Bars
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king sized milk chocolate bars or 4 regular sized bars (Hershey's)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 baking dish. Cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Mix at low speed until combined. Press half of the dough evenly into baking dish. Top with chocolate bars, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread marshmallow creme evenly on top of chocolate. Layer remaining dough on top. (It's best to form dough into shingles and piece together on top of marsmallow creme) Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Makes 16 bars

Recipe adapted from Lovin' From the Oven

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Printable Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, diced
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
10 oz package frozen corn

garnish:
cilantro
shredded cheese
tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken and shred; return to crock pot. Serve with cilantro, cheese, and tortilla chips.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Framed Cooks

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

This recipe has been moved to The Traveling Circus.

Click the link below for the recipe

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

Ranchero Shrimp

Printable Recipe

Ranchero Shrimp
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 roma tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes, chopped

3 anaheim chile peppers, roasted, peeled, and diced

1/4 Tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

To roast peppers, place on greased baking sheet. Place under the broiler for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. Broil until peppers are charred. Let cool and peel skin.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, peppers, and spices. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat. Simmer until tomatoes are juicy, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp, uncover, bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer until shrimp is pink and fully cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Serve over rice and serve with warm tortillas.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Cooks.com

Honey Spice Rubbed Pork Chops

Printable Recipe

Honey Spice Rubbed Pork Chops


2 lbs boneless pork chops (thick cut)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup Catalina dressing, divided
1 Tbsp honey

Heat grill to medium heat. Mix dry ingredients together for spice rub. Brush meat with 2 Tbsp of the dressing. Rub spices onto meat. Let stand for 10 minutes. Mix remaining dressing and honey together. Set aside. Grill meat for 8-10 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Baste with dressing mixture.

Serves 4-6

Recipe adapted from Kraft

Reese's Bars

These yummy bars taste just like the candy bar. They were so good!

Printable Recipe

Reese's Bars

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

1 cup butter, melted

1 (12 oz) bag milk chocolate chips

Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Mix together crumbs, powdered sugar and peanut butter. Stir in melted butter. Blend until well combined. Press mixture evenly into pan.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Spread over peanut butter mixture.

Refrigerate just until set. Cut into bars.

Makes 24 bars

Recipe adapted from Momma Hen's Kitchen

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

I know this isn't the greatest picture but I promise these quesadillas are so good. My husband was out of town a few weeks ago and I wanted to make something low maintenance for dinner since it was just me and the kids. I wanted to make something that was kid friendly but also something that I would enjoy. So I came up with this chicken mixture and made quesadillas. It was so delicious; so much better than I expected it to be. It was probably the best quesadilla I've ever had! The best part was there was enough left over for us to have it for dinner the next night. Bonus!

Printable Recipe

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

1 lb chicken breast, cut into cubes

1/2 bell pepper, diced

2 green onions, sliced

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup salsa

1/3 cup sour cream

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

shredded cheese

tortillas

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and green onions and cook until chicken is cooked through. Stir in beans, salsa, sour cream, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Heat through, about 10 minutes. Heat a griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place tortilla on griddle. Place cheese on the top half of the tortilla. Top with chicken mixture. Fold up bottom of tortilla, making a half circle. Heat until bottom is lightly browned. Flip quesadilla and cook on the other side until lightly browned. Cut into triangles.

Makes about 8 quesadillas

Slow Cooker Orange Hoisin Chicken

Printable Recipe

Slow Cooker Orange Hoisin Chicken

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp hoisin sauce

3 slices fresh peeled ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp cold water

1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

sliced green onions

Combine orange juice concentrate, honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Pour into a large ziploc bag. Add chicken and coat evenly. Transfer chicken to crock pot and pour remaining sauce on top. Cover and cook on low heat for 5-7 hours.

Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Strain sauce into a saucepan. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat and add cornstarch mixture into sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Pour some of the sauce over the chicken. Serve the remaining sauce at the table. Serve chicken over rice. Top with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion. 

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe