copycat portillo's chopped salad

do you have a portillo's/barnelli's near you? if not, you should probably move near one stat! everyone raves about portillo's chopped salad so when i saw this recipe, i knew that i had to try it! (i have never actually tried the chopped salad because 1) i spent 10 years as a vegetarian and here is bacon in this salad and 2) portillos beef and cheddar crossaint or jumbo chili dog. when they have sooo many amazing things on their menu, who really orders a salad?! lol anyways, i have been eating a lot of salads lately so i thought that i would give this a try... and its amazing! as i was going over the place i got this recipe i noticed that a portillos chopped salad has chicken in it but they opted to leave it out. I guess actually having the salad from portillos would have clued me in to that earlier lol, oh well, i now can't wait to try this salad with chopped chicken breast in it!

copycat portillo's chopped salad
from http://stolenmomentscooking.com/homemade-portillos-chopped-salad/

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 – 2 heads Romaine lettuce (or big bag of garden salad mix)
1 small head red cabbage, minced
1 small red onion, finely minced
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 c. ditalini pasta, cooked and cooled
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
mustard vinaigrette dressing (3 tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, black pepper to taste mixed well)

 Finely chop lettuce  into tiny pieces. Put in a large bowl.

 Add remaining ingredients, except dressing, and toss to combine well.

 Pour dressing on  just before serving.

puffy pizza

my kids love pizza (don't pretty much all of them though lol) i am tired of the same thing so when i found this recipe i thought that it would be a nice change up... and it was! my kids both loved it and i thoroughly enjoyed it (hubby was at work so he missed out on it) this is definitely a quick recipe that you can throw together when you are in a hurry to prepare something.... now if only it was more figure friendly and had veggies in it right?!

puffy pizza
from http://kim-thislittlelifeofmine.blogspot.com/2012/01/bubble-up-pizza.html?m=1

1 can (12oz) golden layer buttermilk biscuits

1 cup pizza sauce

1 cup mozzarella cheese

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut biscuits into quarters and place in medium bowl. Toss biscuits with pizza sauce. Add half of the cheese. Toss until well blended. Spray a pan with cooking spray. Pour biscuit mixture into pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes

sorta bananas foster

so if you read yesterday's post, you know how much i love stir crazy. well they also have these amazing banana wontons with ice cream. i wanted something similar so i researched different bananas fosters and came up with this recipe... and it was so good! the whole family definitely approved and with how simple it was to prepare, i will definitely be making this one more often!

bananas foster (sorta)

2 bananas, cut into slices
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 tsp cinnamon
vanilla ice cream

melt butter and brown sugar together in saucepan over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. turn heat to low and slowly add half and half while stirring constantly. When mixed well, add banana slices. Cook for 3 more minutes. Pour over bowls of ice cream and enjoy!

sweet and spicy chicken

i LOVE stir crazy's sweet and spicy chicken (well... i usually order shrimp instead but both are seriously uh-may-zing!) i have been searching for recipes to recreate since i first tried it! i have never figured it out until now... and i am so happy to be able to share how simple it is with you! i found a recipe for thai sweet chili sauce on pinterest and decided i would give it a try. it turned out awesome (you can easily substitute a store bought one like maggi taste of asia's thai sweet chili sauce and it would be even simpler!)

sweet and spicy chicken

1 large chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

3 eggs beaten

1 cup (or more) Panko bread crumbs

cayenne and black pepper
thai sweet chili sauce to taste

Heat deep pan on medium heat with oil filled about 1 inch. Scramble eggs in shallow dish. Pour breadcrumbs into shallow dish and pepper to taste. Dredge the chicken in eggs then dredge the chicken in panko bread crumbs. Drop the chicken in the hot oil and fry until golden brown.

When all chicken is cooked thoroughly, pour sweet chili sauce in hot wok and add chicken, stirring to coat chicken completely.

homemade thai sweet chili sauce (gluten free)

i found this recipe while trying to recreate stir crazy's sweet and spicy chicken. i never realized how simple it was to make something like this! i threw it together this morning and couldn't be happier with the results!it tastes just like the store bought kind and at half the price! btw this recipe is gluten free!

thai sweet chili sauce
from http://wheatfreemom.com/blog/recipe-gluten-free-thai-sweet-chili-sauce/

1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
3 red chili peppers
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water

Chop up chili peppers in a small food processor. (do not deseed)

Add chopped chili peppers, garlic, sugar, water and vinegar into a saucepan. Heat on medium until the mixture boils.

Turn sauce down to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Combine cornstarch and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl and mix well. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the chili sauce and continue simmering for a few minutes. This should thicken pretty quickly. Remove from heat. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

cream cheese potato soup

hi! i know that its been soooo long since the last time that i posted but things have been hectic around the camacho household and i feel that i was out of my cooking groove for a while there (where nothing seemed to turn out well at all... for like months lol)

 anyways, i'm back and i'm posting this great soup. i made this recently for my hubby when he was sick and everyone in my family gobbled it up! the only problem was that there wasn't any leftovers!

cream cheese potato soup
from http://www.crumbsandchaos.net/2010/11/cream-cheese-potato-soup/

4 cups CHICKEN BROTH
4 cups RED POTATOES, cubed (i didn't peel them but feel free to)
1/4 cup MINCED ONION
1/2 tsp SEASONING SALT
1/4 tsp BLACK PEPPER
1/4 tsp CAYENNE PEPPER
8 ounces 1/3 LESS FAT CREAM CHEESE, cut into chunks
BACON CRUMBLES
CHEDDAR CHEESE

Combine potatoes, broth, onion, and spices in a large pot.  Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender.  
Take about a cup of potatoes out and set aside. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth.  Then pour the potatoes back in the pan.

When it is all returned to the pan, reduce the heat to low.  Add the cream cheese, and heat low and slow, stirring frequently, until it melts.  Serve topped with cheddar cheese and bacon pieces.

crockpot buffalo chicken dip

this dip is soooo addicting! i have made it several times for different get togethers i have had at my house and it is always a hit! i was craving this dip so badly today that i had to make it as soon as i got home from work. normally, i would cook a chicken breast in the slow cooker and shred it but i did this in a pan on the stovetop because it would have taken too long and i wasnt in the mood to wait any longer than i had to lol.

buffalo chicken dip
from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/02/lighter-buffalo-chicken-dip.html

4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 cups cooked shredded chicken

Add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. I love eating this with carrots but you can use celery, pretzels, chips or crackers!

butter cake bars

omg these are amazing!you should make these for christmas!- those were the exact words that came out of my hubbys mouth. the best way to describe the taste of these is cake batter and cheesecake had a baby ... ummm delicious much?!

this recipe is quite easy and definitely worth it. you have to let it cool completely though to get the full amazingness of them (if that makes sense lol).

 the picture i took of these does not do them justice (all my pics are taken on my phone and i have recently scratched the lens and there is a little black dot in all the pics that i take)

anyways, if you want to take a look at mouth watering pics go to the website i got this recipe from.

butter cake bars
from http://somekitchenstories.com/2012/01/17/momofukus-butter-cake-bars/

1 box of yellow cake mix (1 pound)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3 eggs
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla extract

 Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with foil or parchment paper.

 Make the base first: mix together cake mix, butter and 1 egg.

 Pat into pan, create an even layer.

 Cream together the cream cheese, 2 eggs, sugar and vanilla. Pour over cake layer, spread to edges.

Bake for 35 minutes or until edges are golden brown- center should be a creamy yet solid consistency like cheesecake.

 Cool completely in pan before cutting into squares.

cleaning the grout in my kitchen

so lately i havent been posting much... i have said before that i have been recycling alot of my recipes lately and focusing on diy stuff around the house. i am proud to say that i am in the process of staining cabinets in my bathroom and it has turned out awesome so far. but this post isnt about that lol. this post is about cleaning my grout. i have ceramic tile throughout most of my house and i hate it! (dont get me wrong, its beautiful tile and it looks great... i am just a fan of hardwood floors)

anyways, i searched pinterest for a way to clean grout. and i found this website http://homekeepingforall.blogspot.com/

so i mixed two cups Vinegar, two cups Water and 3 Tablespoons Baking Soda in a bucket and used a bristle brush (purchased at the dollar store) and went at it. it was super easy and i think the results turned out great! obviously there is some elbow grease involved but it didnt take me long at all and i didnt have to scrub hard.

 

before

after

 

crockpot shredded beef tacos

my husband was skeptical when he opened the lid of the crockpot and peeked inside to see this.... but he was pleasantly surprised by these tacos and has already said that he would like them again soon!

crockpot shredded beef tacos
from http://cookingclassy.blogspot.com/2012/01/shredded-beef-tacos.html

1 2.5 lb chuck roast
14 oz beef broth
3 tbsp taco seasoning1 tsp garlic powder
Juice of 1 lime
corn tortillas
any toppings you like on your tacos (we used cheese and lettuce)

Place roast in a slow cooker, pour beef broth over it and squeeze with fresh lime juice.  Sprinkle roast with taco seasoning.  Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Remove roast from slow cooker, shred beef, removing all fat and return shredded beef to slow cooker.  Cover with lid and cook additional 30 minutes.   Use slotted spoon to serve beef or drain into colander. Serve with any toppings you would like!

thankful tree

i know that i have told you in an earlier post that i have been recycling recipes alot lately so i havent been sharing much. well i have also been spending alot of time browsing pinterest to get ready for the holidays (I am super excited!) anyways, pinterest has caused me to redecorate my front room (i painted and hung curtains... im working up the nerve to try my hands at restaining my cabinets an espresso color::wish me luck- i plan on attempting this after the holidays:: and i've been looking for all kinds of new crafts to do with my kiddos and i came across this and thought it was a great idea. well when it came to craft time today i knew this was perfect.... so here is my kids thankful tree...

thankful tree
from http://bargainbound.blogspot.com/2011/11/thankful-tree.html

construction paper
leaf stamp
scissors

first i drew a tree on a piece of brown construction paper and had my 5 year old, Oliver (oli) cut it out with scissors. When he was done, i taped it to my kitchen wall.

meanwhile, my 2 year old daughter anabelle (aj) stamped leaves onto different colored papers. When she was done with that, oli cut those out too.

When he was done with those, i asked what they were thankful for and wrote it on the leaves (9 of them to be exact since today is the 9th and i plan to do one a day) and then taped them to the thankful tree.

italian sausage and tortellini soup

the other day i posted my recipe for homemade chicken broth. this is a perfect recipe to use it for!

italian sausage and tortellini soup
from http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/10/tortellini-sausage-soup/

2 links al fresco Italian chicken sausage (you can use raw sausage if you would like- this is what i had on hand)
2 cloves pressed garlic
1/2 onion, diced
½ c. water
4 cups chicken broth
½ c. apple cider
1 16-oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. shredded carrots
3 basil leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 medium zucchini, grated
2 cups frozen cheese tortellini
1/4 cup half and half

Remove casing from chicken sausage by using a knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing.and cut into tiny pieces. Add to large saucepan. (If you’re using raw link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large saucepan)

Chop onion and add to pot with garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is warmed/cooked.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, cider, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano and basil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Add the half and half and tortellini and cook until tender- about 10 minutes more.

homemade chicken broth in your crockpot

with fall in full swing and winter fast aproaching i have found myself making lots of soups and chilis.... so of course i have been using lots of chicken broth. i figured it was about time that i started making my own! my local grocery store had chicken breasts on sale for only $1.49/lb so i stocked up. the only problem with these chicken breasts is that they aren't cleaned very well (as a former vegetarian this still grosses me out and i am very picky about any fat or veins in my chicken breasts). the first thing i do when i buy packages of chicken breasts is clean them and freeze them individually. i figured that since i cut off alot of good pieces of chicken while cleaning the breasts that i might as well use it to make chicken broth.

homemade chicken broth in your crockpot
from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/02/homemade-chicken-stock-from-your-crock.html

leftover chicken pieces from cleaning or 3 chicken breast halves
1 onion, quartered
1 tomato, quartered
2 carrots, cut into chunks
2 celery stalks
2 cloves garlic
handful of cilantro
pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into crock pot and cover with water. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

When it's done, strain the liquid into a container and discard vegetables and chicken pieces . if you used chicken breasts, remove and store for later use.

If you're not using the stock right away you can store it in containers and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for several months. When the stock is chilled, the fat will rise to the top and harden and you can easily remove it.

crockpot ranch chicken tacos

i came across this recipe this morning and thought it was perfect for today. my husband got a new job working afternoons/nights so he isn't around for dinner anymore. since i didn't work today i was able to make something that all of us would be able to eat. i threw this in the crockpot this morning and was able to pull some of the chicken out before the hubby left for work this afternoon and then i was able to serve the rest for dinner a few hours later... gotta love crockpot recipes!

crockpot ranch chicken tacos

from http://www.laaloosh.com/2012/07/26/crock-pot-chicken-ranch-tacos-recipe/

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 package dry ranch seasoning mix

1 package dry taco seasoning mix

2 cups chicken broth

flour tortillas

any additonal fixings you like on your tacos such as

crumbled bacon

ranch dressing

shredded mexican cheese

cabbage/carrot slaw

 guacamole

Put chicken, broth, taco seasoning and ranch seasoning into a crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Shred chicken with two forks.

Divide chicken and taco fixings evenly amongst the tortillas and enjoy!

lasagna soup

i know its been a long time since i posted last. sorry about that... have you ever felt like you are in a food rut? lately i feel like i haven't made anything thats really good and worth sharing. (and if i'm being completely honest, there has been a lot going on in my personal life ::mostly good:: that has me cooking less frequently and using the same recipes over again)

anyways, i'm sharing this recipe because its definitely worth sharing! i really enjoyed it and my kids actually ate it so i'm ecstatic! (my hubby is working so he hasn't had a chance to try this out yet)

lasagna soup
from http://thedeenbros.com/index.php/recipes/recipe_detail/bobbys_lighter_tastes_like_lasagna_soup/

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 Italian turkey sausage link, casing removed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup pasta noodles (I used bow ties)
1/4 cup half and half
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. (at this point, I used my immersion blender to puree most of the big chunks of tomatoes and make the soup smoother because i knew that my kids wouldn't eat it with the large pieces of tomato) Add the spinach and noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in half and half and the Parmesan.

chicken enchilada stuffed zucchini

i saw this on my fave food blog skinnytaste.com and couldn't wait to try it! i made it for dinner tonight and they were awesome! i've said this before- sometimes the idea of vegetables (i think it may be the texture)grosses me out and i cant eat something if i know that there are veggies in it. i was a little scared that this might be the case because for some reason lately zucchini has been bothering me (no i'm not pregnant- i think its just my tastebuds changing in my old age lol) anyways, that was not the case with these at all and i genuinely enjoyed them!

what i loved best about these is that even though i didnt even attempt to give it to my kids cuz i didnt want to have that battle today, i wrapped the chicken/zucchini mixture in corn tortillas and my kids ate it no problem! yay hidden veggies!!

chicken enchilada stuffed zucchini
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/08/chicken-enchilada-stuffed-zucchini-boats.html

2 medium zucchini
1 cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 cup (or more to taste) enchilada sauce
3/4 cup shredded mexican cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4" thick. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Add zucchini and chicken; mix and cook until zucchini is cooked through. .Add more enchilada sauce if the mixture appears too dry.

Place 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish, and place zucchini halves cut side up. Using a spoon, fill each hollowed zucchini with chicken mixture, pressing firmly. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes or until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through. I topped with light sour cream and some avocado pieces. DEEELISH

cream cheese spaghetti squash casserole

ive made this recipe before with actual spaghetti and i was a huge fan so i decided to try it with spaghetti squash and see if it was still good... i thoroughly enjoyed it and didn't miss the carbs at all!

cream cheese spaghetti squash casserole

1 spaghetti squash
1 cup marinara sauce
4 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds.  Place in a covered dish with a ¼ inch of water and microwave for 10 -12 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the insides of the squash and transfer to a bowl. 

Add cream cheese, feta cheese and marinara sauce to the bowl with spaghetti squash.  Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated. 

Pour into oven safe baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

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!