marshmallow caramel popcorn

i found this recipe on a pic on pinterest. i love this and its so easy!

marshmallow caramel popcorn

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
9-10 marshmallows
12 c. popcorn.

Microwave brown sugar and butter for until melted. Add marshmallows. Microwave until melted, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Mix popcorn in and combine until popcorn is coated. Enjoy!

cherry beergaritas

im not one for sweet drinks but i loved this when we had it this weekend! i am already looking forward to making it again lol

cherry beergaritas
from http://theblondcook.com/2012/04/cherry-beer-margaritas/

(1) 12 ounce can frozen limeade concentrate

12 ounces cherry 7up

(1) 12 ounce bottle Corona

12 ounces of your favorite tequila

In a large pitcher, mix all ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Pour into blender with ice and blend. Enjoy!

bolognese sauce

this recipe is out of this world good!!! its my new go to sauce recipe! my sister told me that she tried this recipe and that it was really good so i thought that i would give it a shot. i am so glad that i did! i love this recipe because it has carrots in it so it sneaks veggies in for the kids! i served it with pasta for my kids but it was so tasty on its own, that i put it on spaghetti squash and devoured it (sometimes the thought of veggies grosses me out and it makes it hard to eat, even if it is good... does that make sense? lol)

bolognese sauce
from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/12/pasta-with-bolognese-sauce.html

2 oz bacon, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, minced
2 al fresco sweet italian sausage, casing removed and chopped into tiny pieces
1/4 cup white wine
1 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup half & half

In a deep heavy saute pan, saute bacon until fat melts. Add butter, onions and carrots and cook on medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Increase flame to medium-high, add sausage and saute until browned. Add wine and cook until it reduces down, about 3-4 minutes.  

Add tomatoes. Simmer covered on low, at least 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add half & half and cook 2 minutes longer.

serve with pasta or with spaghetti squash and enjoy!

outback chicken

my husband really enjoyed this chicken! i will definitely be making it again. its a pretty simple recipe too so i love that! i actually browned the chicken and then threw it in the oven and took the kids for a walk. thats my kinda recipe!

outback chicken
from http://debrapate.blogspot.com/2012/01/outback-steakhouse-alice-springs.html

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
Lawry's Seasoning Salt

6 bacon slices

2 tbsp regular mustard

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey

2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise

2 cup shredded Colby/Jack cheese

To make the Honey Mustard:  In a small bowl, mix the mustards, honey and mayo. Store in fridge until ready to use.

Sprinkle and rub the chicken breasts with seasoning salt. 
Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Remove bacon and set aside.  ***Do not discard grease.***

Saute chicken in the bacon grease for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned.  Place chicken in a casserole dish or pan.

Spread some of the Honey Mustard over each piece of chicken, then layer with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese.

Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is done.

Serve with the left over Honey Mustard Sauce that you made.

blt pasta salad

i had some spinach and tomatoes that needed to be used so when i found this recipe i thought that it was perfect!

blt pasta salad
from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/06/blt-macaroni-salad.html

8 oz uncooked pasta
4 slices bacon
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced small
4 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
fresh pepper to taste
2 cups baby spinach

Cook bacon until crisp. Set aside.

 Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water to cool.

Chop tomatoes, saving juices. Combine with mayo and pepper in a medium bowl. Add spinach and stir to combine. Mix pasta with tomatoes and spinach until everything is coated well. Toss in bacon right before serving.

bacon wrapped chicken bites

my sister gina first introduced these to me. these are one of my hubbys favorites and Oli actually requested them for dinner last night! and since he actually asked for something that wasn't nachos, pizza or a hot dog, i was more than happy to oblige!

you can eat these by themselves or dip them in bbq sauce (my hubbys fav) or sweet chili sauce (my fav)

bacon wrapped chicken bites
from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/bacon-wrapped-chicken-bites.html

3 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in 1-inch chunks (about 30 pieces)
10 slices bacon, cut into thirds

Preheat oven on to 375°F.

Wrap a piece of bacon around each piece of chicken and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked and bacon is crisp.

copycat wendy's chili

i have been craving wendy's alot lately. i LOVE their chili cheese fries! well instead of going to get them, i decided to find a copycat chili recipe. i found this one and its close enough for me! I threw all of the ingredients into my crockpot and cooked it but this could easily be made on the stovetop.

wendys copycat chili
from http://www.food.com/recipe/wendys-chili-recipe-19061

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 (14 ounce) can chili beans

1 (14 ounce) can kidney beans

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (1 1/4 ounce) package McCormick mild chili seasoning

2 lbs ground beef

Brown Ground beef. Drain fat.

Add all canned items, including juices into crockpot or large stockpot. If using crockpot, cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. if using stovetop, cook until the onions and peppers are soft, but i would suggest letting it cook for atleast 2 hours to let all the flavors combine.

garlic cheddar mashed potatoes

this is my go to side recipe because my whole family loves these. i add cooked cauliflower puree to add veggies/lower calories and nobody in my family knows the difference! In fact, Oli said to me "mommy, can you make this for dinner again tomorrow?" lol it feels like it has been forever since my entire family has eaten the same thing without any complaints! i'll take it!

garlic cheddar mashed potatoes

6 baking potatoes
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup cooked cauliflower puree (to make cauliflower puree all you have to do is steam cauliflower in steamer for 10 to 20 minutes- or until cauliflower is soft. you can then throw it in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth)
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese


cook potatoes in salted boiling water. when cooked thoroughly (you can stick a fork through them) drain and place back in pot used to cook. Add remaining ingredients and blend together until desired consistency.

pretzel buns

i  love soft pretzels in general so of course i absolutely love pretzel buns for hamburgers! but they are so ridiculously priced... 4 for $3.99 at the local market by my house! i have made pretzel bites before and they worked out very well so i thought why not try these... i just wish that i had done this sooner! lol

Pretzel buns

from http://www.thedutchbakersdaughter.com/2012/01/pretzel-buns.html

1 3/4 cups milk, warmed to 110 degrees F. (bathwater warm)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

3-3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

Water Bath

7-8 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

4 tablespoons baking soda

Place the warmed milk in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the olive oil and the yeast. Let this mixture stand for about 5 minutes or until it starts to foam (this way you know the yeast is working). Add three cups of the flour and the salt.

Attach the dough hook and knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding additional flour, if needed. The dough should nearly clean the sides of the bowl, but still be a little tacky. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly, by hand, for about a minute until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a well oiled bowl and turn it over so that both sides are oiled. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled, about 45 minutes.

Punch the dough down and place on a floured surface. Divide it into 8 pieces. Form each piece of dough into a ball. Place the dough balls on a lined baking pan, cover and allow to rise for an additional 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the buns are rising, prepare the water bath. In a large pot, combine the water, salt, and baking soda; bring to a rolling boil. Gently drop the dough buns into the boiling water, a few at a time, letting them sit in the bath for about 30 seconds on each side. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them back on the lined baking pan. Using a serrated knife, cut 2 lines across each bun (and sprinkle with course salt if you want).

 Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the buns are a deep brown. Transfer to a rack to cool. If you aren't planning on using these right away, freeze them.

spinach stuffed chicken breast

for some reason today i was really craving spinach and feta cheese. this is what i found and it definitely hit the spot! the recipe below serves 2.


spinach stuffed chicken breast
from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/spinach-and-feta-stuffed-chicken.html

1 cup fresh spinach
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup  Feta cheese
1/4 cup 1/3 less fat cream cheese
2 cloves garlic
 pepper
1 large chicken breast, cut in half
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
spray oil
toothpicks

In a small sauté pan, heat oil. Add garlic and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.

Remove from heat. In separate bowl, add feta, cream cheese, pepper and garlic/spinach mixture.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Pound chicken to make them thinner. This helps when you wrap the cutlets.

Spoon just under 1/2 of spinach mixture in the center of the chicken. Roll it and secure the ends with toothpicks to prevent filling from coming out. The egg wash and breadcrumbs keep everything in place, so it doesn't have to be perfect.

Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs and place on foil lined pan or spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Lightlly spray chicken with oil and bake about 25 minutes, until cooked through. Remove toothpicks and serve

pretzel chicken

this was awesome! i made honey mustard sauce (recipe follows) to dip this in and together it was one of the best things that i have made in a while! (i feel like i have been having a lot of 'off' meals... ask the broccoli quinoa casserole that i threw in the garbage today and it would agree lol)


the best part is that this was really easy! the recipe that i got the idea from called for ritz crackers but i didnt have nay on hand so i improvised and i think that it turned out awesome!


pretzel chicken
idea from http://www.jamiecooksitup.net/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken.html

2 chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded down to be thin (you can place in a ziploc bag and use a meat mallet (?) or frying pan)

3 handful pretzels, crushed

1/2 cup milk

2 cups shredded cheese- i used mexican blend cuz thats what i had

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pour the milk, cheese and pretzel crumbs into 3 separate small pans.

Dip chicken into milk and then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers as best you can.

Press the cheesy chicken into the pretzel crumbs and press it in.

Repeat with each piece of chicken.

Place chicken into sprayed baking dish. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Honey mustard sauce:

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

mix all ingredients together and serve.