The Colors of Spring

Today when Jonathan and I left the house I took the camera with me. I used to have one in the car all the time but found out that the extreme cold and the extreme heat weren't good for the camera so when I received this new camera I haven't been taking it with me. Anyway, Jonathan was very patient with me as I drove around and took random pictures of all the beauty that is Spring!

 

I could have taken a million or two more pictures but didn't want to press my luck. As it was we got a few strange looks as we were doing "drive by picture shooting". Do you see a theme to these pictures?

 

                                          Yellow and PURPLE...

                                                      PURPLE

                                                     PURPLE

This picture by Jonathan

PURPLE

 

PURPLE

 

There were so many more tulip pictures I wanted to take but didn't want to go on private property...

Well, hope you enjoyed today in pictures!

Banana Pudding Cookies

I found this really great recipe for Banana Pudding Cookies and thought I would give them a try. There are all kinds of recipes for pudding cookies. The sky is the limit on the different combos you might like to try. Just use this basic cookie recipe and then change the flavor of the pudding and the chocolate chips to whatever flavor you think would be good. Next I think I will try Butterscotch pudding, a combination of butterscotch chips and chocolate chips and crushed pretzels. I saw that recipe and thought that looked good...or chocolate pudding and crushed Oreo's...

Anyway, the recipe says to use room temperature butter and eggs. I let my butter sit out on the counter for several hours and it was still hard so I used the microwave to take the chill off.  This web site has some very helpful hints on how to bring the butter and eggs to room temperature.

http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/how-to-bring-butter-and-eggs-to-room-temperature/


Banana Pudding Cookies

 Yield: 3 dozen cookies

 Ingredients:

 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

 3/4 cup brown sugar

 1/4 cup granulated sugar

 1 (3.4 oz) package banana cream instant pudding mix

 2 large eggs

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour

 1 teaspoon baking soda

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 1 cup chopped vanilla wafer cookies

 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat and set aside.

 2. Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add in pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the vanilla wafer cookies and white chocolate chips.

 3. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges and set. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/banana-pudding-cookies/

 

 

 

I thought my dough was VERY stiff. Next time I will soften the butter a little more.

I used my cookie scoop  and put the cookie dough on the cookie sheets and put the first batch in the oven. They didn't spread at all. So I took them out and mashed them down a little and baked them.

 

 The cookies TASTED delicious all though they didn't look like the picture that came with the recipe. I also made them smaller then was recommended so I got more than 3 dozen cookies out of the batch and had plenty to take to work and share.

 

Everyone that tried them said they were fantastic! One lady said she would pay me to make a batch for her to take home!! Yeah!

Quick and Easy Ranch Chicken

 After cooking all day at work today, Jonathan mentioned that his bake sale for school was in a couple days. So, as soon as I got home, I threw a load of clothes in the washer, whipped up 2 batches of brownies and threw them in the oven and then remembered reading this recipe on the Internet. I think it was on Pinterest..seems like all of my recent recipes come from there. This recipe was SO stinkin quick and easy!!

Quick & Easy Ranch Chicken

Chicken Breasts/Tenders

Ranch
Progresso Bread Crumbs - Italian Style
(Optional) Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Pour ranch into a shallow dish and bread crumbs into a separate shallow dish.

(Optional): Sometimes I like to mix shredded Parmesan cheese in with the bread crumbs.

3. Spray baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Trim fat off of chicken.

5. Dip chicken into ranch and cover with ranch on both sides.

6. Dip chicken into bread crumbs to cover on both sides.

7. Place chicken in baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes depending on thickness of chicken.

Then serve with a favorite side!  The ranch layer around the chicken keeps the chicken super moist and super delicious.  And owing to the spices that are already in the ranch and in the bread crumbs, no extra spices are needed.  Super simple yet super delectable

http://www.mommapack.com/2013/04/quick-easy-ranch-chicken.html

            I was in such a hurry I forgot to take pictures at first.

            First you dip the chicken in Ranch Dressing then in the bread crumbs.Make sure you coat both sides.

 

       I didn't need much since I was just cooking for 2.

 

 

 

Then you bake it at 400 until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees which for me was right at 30 min. This was very tasty! Jonathan and I both really liked it. I served it with what we call boxed noodles and a salad.

So, 2 batches of brownies with walnuts and chocolate chips done, laundry in the dryer and dinner on the table. Yeah! Thanks for the great recipe MommaPack!

☆.•♥• EASY Delicious Crock-Pot BBQ Ribs Recipe! •♥•☆

I found this recipe on my Facebook page and thought I'd give it a try.


☆.•♥• EASY Delicious Crock-Pot BBQ Ribs Recipe! •♥•☆

 The meat falls off the bone as you take them out of the crock pot!

 Ingredients:

 4 pounds Ribs of your choice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoons vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1 bottle of sweet baby rays BBQ

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoons oregano

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the ribs themselves.

 Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs, and turn to coat.

Cover, and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours, or until ribs are tender.

Hubby and Jonathan ate these and I asked them to compare the ones I usually make (posted the recipe in January) with these and tell me which ones they liked better. They both liked these but said they liked the ones I usually make better.  I thought this sauce was very good.

 

Breakfast Casserole

My parents came to visit and I wanted to have a nice hot breakfast for them on the day they were leaving to go on the rest of their trip. I browned the sausage and assembled this in the crockpot the night before. I did use a slow cooker liner and I sprayed that with a little cooking spray. I HIGHLY recommend this step as the liner was a huge mess after this was done cooking!

Yes, this is another recipe from Six Sisters Stuff!

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/search?q=breakfast+casserole+slow+cooker


Slow Cooker Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients:
1 (30 oz) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 lb ground sausage (I used Italian sausage), browned and drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Spray a 6 quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (you cannot make this recipe in a smaller crock pot because it won't fit). Layer 1/2 of the potatoes on the bottom of slow cooker.
Top with half of the sausage, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, onions, green peppers, and red peppers. Repeat the layers again.
Beat eggs, milk, and salt and pepper in large bowl with a wire whisk until well blended. Pour egg mixture evenly over potato-sausage mixture.
Cook on low setting for 8 hours or on high setting for 4 hours or until eggs are set.
Top with green onions, salsa, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado- whatever you like!


I choose this recipe because it didn't have a lot of ingredients that we don't eat. I try to make recipes the way they are written the first time and then make changes if I want. I don't think  it's fair to critique a recipe if you make changes and then don't like it...but that may just be me...

These pictures don't do the recipe justice but I can explain....

The recipe said to cook this for 8 hours on low but ours cooked more like 9 and then was on warm for 3 so the top and edges got a little brown. I forgot to take pictures along the way. I wanted to visit with the family so I just threw the stuff in and started it.

 
I know I said i like to make recipes as they are written the first time but well, i left the peppers out of this one. I really think it would have been better if I had not cooked it for so long and if I had included the peppers. As it was, I thought the potatoes were over cooked and *mushy* but everyone said it was very good. I thought it was a little bland with too much of an onion taste. i will make this again but i will include the peppers and not cook it so long. This recipe makes a lot! It fed 4 of us with enough  left over for at least 3 or 4 more servings.

 

 

Be sure you take their advice and top with green onions, salsa, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado- whatever you like! 

Snow?? Really???

So, I'm a little behind on blogging but i have been taking pictures...does that count? Maybe not. *Sigh* I will get better at time management..someday...

In Weather news, here in Virginia we had rain, sleet and then snow on April 4th. I think it surprised a lot of people including me. Jonathan was inside picking up the pizza and I was waiting in the car when I heard this *ping* *ping* *ping* sound and I'm all  like..wow..that is sleet? Really? and it really was. Jonathan got in the car and we headed home and then I said..that looks like snow..and it was..LOL It snowed for awhile but since the temperature had been in the 60's the ground was too warm and it didn't stick. There were some accidents around since the sleet started during rush hour and I think people just didn't realise that it was slick! Anyway, just a little bit of excitement.

 

I guess i should say that we really don't get much snow around here at all during Winter and hardly ever during Spring.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

I have featured this recipe before when I made Parmesan Chicken. I took Jamie's recipe and changed it just a little to make a totally different recipe. This time I made it like the recipe because it is SO stinkin good this way too. My parents came to visit and I wanted to have a nice dinner for them but I needed something quick and easy since I worked all day and then had some last minute chores to do before they got here. I passed off one of the chores onto Jonathan as he made the brownies. YEAH! I have to add here that he really isn't feeling well since it is Spring and he has allergies but he made them and they were fantastic!

Anyway, I digress...

This is where I got the recipe from.. I found this web site from Pinterest and she has great recipes!

http://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken/

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Time: 15 minute prep + 45 minutes baking

Yield: 7 servings

Chicken:

4 large chicken breasts

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

1/4 t salt

1/8 t pepper

1/2 C milk

3 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 t dried parsley

Sauce:

1   14 ounce can cream of chicken soup

2 T sour cream

2 T butter

  1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks.

2. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers. (I only used 1 sleeve)

3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.

4. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk then the cheese and finally the cracker crumbs.

5. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.

6. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.

7. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

8. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.Enjoy!

                        My ingredients I only used one sleeve of Butter rounds (Walmart brand)

 and it was plenty. I also used McCormick Rotisserie Chicken seasoning which is not in the picture.

 
 Grind up the crackers. It's a mini food processor so I do a few at a time.

 Line up the pans with the milk, shredded Cheddar Cheese and cracker crumbs with the salt, pepper, parsley and Rotisserie seasoning in it. Dip the chicken in each pan pressing the cheese and crackers onto the chicken. After all the chicken pieces are coated I sprinkle the rest of the cheese and cracker crumbs on top. I didn't have much left. Then I sprinkled a little salt, pepper, rotisserie seasoning and parsley on top, covered with foil and put in the pre heated oven.

 

I baked this for 30 min. covered, then I turned the oven up to 450 so I could put the garlic cheese biscuits in to bake and baked them both for 10 min or so. If you do this watch the chicken cause it will burn!

 

 I took  2 cans of green beans and 1 can of corn, drained them all and poured them in a glass 8x8 baking dish. I sprinkled a package of Italian Salad dressing mix over both vegetables and then put a few pats of butter over that and put that in the oven with the chicken to heat.

 

After I took the foil off of the chicken and put the biscuits in the oven I took the can of Cream of Chicken soup, Sour Cream and Butter and mixed them up in a small sauce pan until it was hot. When the Chicken came out of the oven I served up the chicken onto plates and then poured a ladle of this sauce over each persons serving of chicken. This recipe is phenomenal! You HAVE to try it!

 

My parents came about the time dinner was ready to come out of the oven so I served it up and we ate it so there aren't any *after it came out of the oven* pictures...oops...

 

Peanut Butter Chip Banana Bread

This recipe is from Pinterest.  I followed the pin to Six Sisters Stuff. I have tried other recipes of theirs and loved them so figured this one would be good too! They have TONS of great recipes so be sure and check them out. If we have bananas on hand that are getting too ripe and no one is eating them then I just peel them and mash them up in a measuring cup and scoop them out into a baggie and freeze them. Most bananas are about a half of a cup each. I label the baggie when I put it in the freezer with how much is in each baggie. I had enough on hand so I thought I would try this recipe.

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/search?q=peanut+butter+chip+banana+bread

Peanut Butter Chip Banana Bread

 Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup peanut butter chips

 Directions:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your loaf pan (like an 8 x 4" pan) with shortening.

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl stir together bananas, peanut butter, oil, egg and sugars.

Pour dry ingredients into bowl with wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Batter will be lumpy (do not over-stir).

Fold in peanut butter chips and spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and remove from loaf pan, transferring bread to a cooling rack.

 

The ingredients I used

                                                                                    DONE!

This bread was good. My loaf pan must have been smaller than theirs so my bread cooked 15 min. longer.  I thought it was very rich. I took some to work and shared it. One person thought it would have been better without the chips in it. I think next time I make it I will probably use a lot less peanut butter chips and add a few chocolate chips. It had a very nice peanut butter taste from the peanut butter in the batter. I'm not sure it needed that many chips. I sent several slices to some co workers in another location and was told they loved it and wanted more. Several other people where I work loved it also and wanted the recipe. So, very mixed reviews...most absolutely loved it and the others just thought it needed less chips but was still very good.

Chicken Enchilladas

Today's recipe is from Susie, who is a  Mom of 7 children. I found her blog and LOVE reading all about the antics of her young children and also about her goal to get back in shape. She is truly an inspiration! Go ahead..read her blog..later..
after you check out the recipe..


http://not-your-average-mom.com/chicken-enchilada-recipe/

I did make some changes. Saturday I put several boneless chicken breasts in the crockpot with Rotisserie seasoning and Italian Salad dressing and cooked them. Jonathan likes to use this chicken for chicken, bacon, cheese and ranch wraps for his school lunches and I have pre-cooked chicken to use in recipes like this one. Susie uses the Rotisserie chicken you can get in the deli...I hate de- boning chicken so this works for me. I didn't have enough cheese (I have to save some for Taco's on Tues) so I used some Salsa con Queso I had on hand. (Salsa with cheese)

 

So, here are my ingredients, corn (drained), 3 pre-cooked chicken breasts diced or shredded, 1 can cream of chicken soup, a half a soup can of water, a half a jar of Salsa with Cheese and a couple cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and a pack of flour tortillas and a 13x9 baking dish.

 

Mix the soup, water,

and 1 cup of shredded cheese in a bowl.

 Scoop out about 1/3 of the mix and set it aside

then add the 1/2 jar of Salsa with cheese, the corn and shredded chicken in with the 2/3rds of the mix you have left. (Mine was a little soupy so I will probably leave out the water next time.)

I took about 1 cup of mix and put it on my flour tortilla and wrapped it up placing it in the sprayed baking dish seam side down. Like I said..my mix was really soupy...I lined 6 of them up and then poured the mixture that I had set aside over the top of the wrapped tortillas..then put the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese on top. I sprayed a piece of foil wrap with cooking spray and covered the dish. This baked in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I then uncovered them and put them back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

 

 

I thought these were very good. It is definitely something I will make again. It is very cheesy. Susie added Cumin and Cilantro which I didn't have. I think this recipe is very versatile. You can add whatever you want. You could add rice or broccoli instead of corn some sour cream or whatever you think would be good. I like to keep it simple and use what I have on hand. If you like spicy you will need to add some spicier salsa and the Cumin.