Tasty Tuesday ~ Five Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Unfortunately, this is not an actual picture of what the recipe turns out to look like but it is what I wish it did look like. I haven't tried this yet, but a friend of mine loves it.

4 Tablespoons Flour

4 Tablespoons Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cocoa

1 Egg, beaten

3 Tablespoons Milk

3 Tablespoons Oil

3 Tablespoons Chocolate Chips (optional)

Splash of Vanilla Extract

1 Large (Microwave Safe) Coffee Mug

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in milk and oil. Mix well. Add chocolate chips, if using, and vanilla then mix well. Place mug in microwave and cook for three minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, so don't be alarmed. Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate if desired. (I see me eating it straight out of the mug before it cools completely :-) ) Enjoy!!!!

Tasty Tuesday~ Healthier Stuffed Peppers

As I said last week, I belong to allrecipes.com and I have started eating healthier. I found this recipe and wanted to share! It sounds fantastic!

Servings


6

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef 1
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 cup water
6 bell peppers, assorted colors
2 (8 ounce) cans natural tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 45 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, garlic and onion until meat is evenly browned and onion is softened.

Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)

In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.

Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender. Sprinkle the peppers with grated parmesan cheese after baking, if desired.

Tasty Tuesday~ Kiwi Strawberry Smoothie!

I belong to a recipe website: allrecipes.com and I found this great smoothie that was submitted by ANNIESSE. I just love it! It is so refreshing! And at 204 calories, you can't go wrong! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients

1 banana
6 strawberries
1 kiwi
1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
3/4 cup pineapple and orange juice blend

Directions

Place the banana, strawberries, kiwi, vanilla frozen yogurt, and pineapple and orange juice blend in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 204
Total Fat: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 2mg

 

Tasty Tuesday...Apple Crisp from Betty Crocker!

I was looking for a recipe for peach cobbler and came accross this recipe on the Betty Crocker site and thought it sounded delicious! Well, I made it over the weekend...IT WAS!! So, if you don't have your own Apple Crisp recipe, try this one!

4 medium tart cooking apples, sliced (4 cups)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cream or Ice cream, if desired
™

1. Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with shortening.
2. Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.
3. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with cream.

Or serve it with some Vanilla Bean Ice Cream...I did! Yum!

Tasty Tuesday! Loaded Baked Potato Soup...

There's nothing I enjoy more (except maybe coffee) on a snowy winters day than

a pot of homemade soup. Below is the recipe that I use when I'm in the mood for

some really great Loaded Baked Potato Soup...

Ingredients~
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
chopped green onion
salt and pepper to taste


Directions~
Place cubed potatoes into a glass dish, and cook in the microwave oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or until soft.
While your cooking the potatoes, melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat using your whisk blend in the flour until smooth, then stir in the milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Stir in the potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in the sour cream, cheddar cheese and bacon bits until melted and well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This is great with yeast rolls!

Tasty Tuesday! Something I really did just throw together

You know when you take something out of the freezer, put it in the fridge to thaw

and forget about it? That happened to me last week when I took out chicken breasts to make the

Zesty Chicken Tortilla's from kraftrecipes. So after frying the chicken breasts, I began making the mayo/sour cream & flour mixture when I noticed there were big black things floating in it. Needless to say, ugh! So I took the pan off the stove to investigate. It was the teflon off the bottom of my pan! So in the trash it went. But I had these chicken breasts and tortilla's. What was I going to do? I took a look in my fridge and what did I find? The left over 5 layer Mexican Dip that I had made for the superbowl! hmmm... so this is what I came up with and it was a HUGE hit!!

ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

burrito tortilla's

shredded mexican cheese (I love Sargento's) for the dip, too!

sour cream for the dip too!

the ingredients for my 5 layer Mexican Dip (that aren't listed above)

refried beans

1 lb hamburger

taco seasoning (I use Old El Paso)

taco sauce

green onions

tomato

what I did was make the dip for the super bowl. I always just wing it, I never follow the recipe. And I use what I have on hand, usually. I just layered the beans, taco mixture, light taco sauce, shredded cheese, tomato, green onions and dalloped sour cream on top. What was left over after the super bowl went into the fridge. I fried the chicken breasts, shredded them and then threw the leftover dip & shredded chicken into my big pot. Once it was hot, I put the tortilla's in the microwave between 2 damp paper towels and warmed them for about 15 seconds. I then layered the chicken/dip mixture, shredded cheese, sour cream and tomato onto the tortilla and wrapped it tight! I didn't take pictures, but I should have, because it was delish and I will be making it again!!

Tasty Tuesday! Three Cheese Chicken Penne from Deanna's Corner Cooking

I was surfing the web Monday morning and found this wonderful blog! Deanna's Corner Cooking is fantastic! She has some fantastic recipes! If you haven't found her blog before, you should head over and check it out!!

Three Cheese Chicken Penne

Ingredients~
1 stick of butter
1 cup of cream
6 ounce provolone
6 ounce mozzarella
1 cup parmesan
4 chicken breasts
1 box of penne pasta

Directions~
Grill or bake your chicken according to your taste preference. Cut into bite size strips. Boil penne pasta in salted water according to package directions.Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Pour in cream and add cheese. Stir until all is melted and well mixed. Pour sauce over pasta and chicken and toss well.

Tasty Tuesday! Zesty Chicken Tortilla Bake by Kraft Recipes

Our perfect zesty chicken tortilla bake by Kraft Recipes

Ingredients~
1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
16 flour tortillas (6 inch)
Make It!
HEAT oven to 375°F.
MIX dressing and flour in medium saucepan with whisk until well blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened. Add 1 cup cheese; cook until melted, stirring constantly. Reserve 1 cup sauce.
STIR chicken, salsa and parsley into remaining sauce; spoon 1/3 cup down center of each tortilla. Roll up. Place 8 roll-ups, seam-sides down, in each of 2 (13x9-inch) baking dishes sprayed with cooking spray; top with reserved sauce and remaining cheese.
BAKE 25 min. or until heated through.

When I made this recipe, I thought, ugh, mayo? so I changed it to 1/4 C of mayo and 1/4 C of sour cream. I kept everything else the same. I used mild salsa but it was a little bland, so next time, I will be changing it to medium salsa. But this was a really good recipe that Jim liked!

Tasty Tuesday! Club Pasta Salad from Betty Crocker

ingredients~

1 package Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® ranch & bacon pasta salad mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups cut-up cooked turkey or chicken
1/2 cup cherry tomato, cut into fourths
1/2 cup julienne strips Cheddar cheese
4 cups bite-size pieces lettuce

1.) Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
2.) Drain pasta. Rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.
3.) Stir Seasoning mix and mayonnaise in large bowl. Stir in pasta and remaining ingredients except lettuce. Serve on lettuce. Refrigerate leftovers (if desired, moisten with a few teaspoons milk before servings).

The reason I chose Club Pasta Salad as my recipe of the week...I absolutely LOVE Suddenly Salads Bacon Ranch pasta salad mix! Brittni introduced me to it right after I got out of the hospital in November and I'm addicted it. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch AND dinner! So when I saw a recipe using it, I thought, oh HECK YES! I have even substitued tuna instead of using turkey or chicken. But I do prefer chicken...

Tasty Tuesday! Tuna Cakes from Kraft Foods

I'm going to start blogging about some of the recipes that I find online and I'm calling it 'Tasty Tuesday!' They will just be recipes that I find that I will be making or have made for my picky eaters. Nothing fancy just everyday food! So today's recipe is: Tuna Cakes! I found this recipe on the Kraft website (I just love Kraft!).

Ingredients~

2 cans (6 oz. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked (I use StarKist)
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. CLAUSSEN Sweet Pickle Relish


1.) MIX all ingredients. Refrigerate 10 min.

2.) HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Use ice cream scoop to add 1/3-cup portions of tuna mixture, in batches, to skillet.

3.) FLATTEN into patties with back of spatula. Cook 6 min. or until golden brown on both sides, carefully turning patties over after 3 min.


Substitutions-
Substitute 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, 4 chopped green onions and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice for the Cheddar, carrots and relish.
For Easier Handling in the Skillet-
Mix all ingredients. Shape into patties as directed. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour before cooking as directed.

So for dinner tonight we are having:

Tuna Cakes, homemade mashed potatos, green beans and pineapple upside down cake!

Review & Giveaway~ Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms by Jane Doiron

Your busy mom lifestyle dictates quick get-on-the table meals, but how do you prepare and cook a delicious meal at the end of your busy day when you are simply out of time and energy? It’s simple! Here's how: Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms Cookbook. This is Jane Doiron’s cookbook of savory, family-favorite recipes that were individually home-tested and selected.
Make Ahead Meals are:
• Simple to prepare.
• Simple to assemble ahead of schedule.
• Simple to freeze ahead.
• Simple for the whole family to enjoy.
Jane Doiron helps you, a very busy mom like herself, to put a fabulous dinner on the table every night for friends, or just for the family, with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of flavor.
Jane's goal was to seek out main dish, family-favorite recipes that could be make ahead meals without sacrificing the food’s taste and texture by freezing. After years of home-testing recipes, Jane has compiled this must-have cookbook with specific make-ahead directions. In addition, Jane includes her best recipes for clever side dishes, flavorful appetizers and luscious desserts. Imagine opening your freezer to pick out a family-favorite appetizer, main dish, or dessert, and all you have to do is thaw and heat it!
Make-ahead meals are a healthy and economical alternative to take-out and preservative filled, pre-packaged foods. With make ahead meal planning, you are making fewer trips to the grocery store, and saving money otherwise spent on unhealthy, take-out and fast foods. It’s simple. Give yourself a break during the hectic weeknights with Jane’s make-ahead meal recipes. Spend the time that you save outside of the kitchen doing something that you enjoy.

my thoughts:
I've always wondered how to make casseroles ahead of time and freeze them. As well as what other foods can be prepared ahead and frozen. This is one of the best cookbooks that I've found that explains the process, step by step, from start to finish! As everyone is aware, I've been out of commission for the last 2 weeks and this cookbook came in while I was stuck on the couch. I've had lots of time to go through, pick out some of the recipes that I can't wait to try (most are desserts, go figure!) Even my kids (who I've complained about never being home for dinner) have went through and marked the recipes they want me to make ahead (so they can eat them anytime!).
Jane's website: Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
now for the fun stuff:

Jane has graciously sent an extra copy of Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms!

The Contest ends at midnight on September 29th

Since I am mailing this out,

it is open to EVERYONE! EVERWHERE!

To win:

YOU MUST BE A FOLLOWER!

Leave a comment with your name & email address!

That's it!