Spinach Dip

Who hasn’t had spinach dip? I am guessing just about everyone has tried it at some point in their lives, unless they are absolutely positively against spinach, and some people are. If you’re not against spinach and you are the 1 out of 10,000 that hasn’t tried it I beg of you go to the store, buy the ingredients, make this dip, and try it. You won’t be disappointed, I promise!

This is the dip among dips in my opinion; as far a cold dips go. My Aunt Beth is actually the first person in my life to have ever served it and although I would eat some, during my childhood years, I don’t remember being in love with it then. Truthfully, I had kind of forgotten all about it until a few years ago when my Mother in Law made it. The difference now, unlike my childhood years, is that I am crazy over it. My Aunt serves hers in a Hawaiian Bread bowl but my MIL serves hers alongside a bag of salty potato chips. Either way you serve it I’ll take it, seriously I will take the whole bowl and run.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but lately Baby Cakes and I have been having the occasional dip for supper during the week. I honestly think it might end up being some kind of a weekly tradition. I for one am stoked, how easy is a dip for dinner? Super easy, that’s how easy.


Spinach Dip
recipe from Knorr website

10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
16 oz. container sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix
8 oz. water chestnuts, chopped (optional)

Combine all ingredients and chill for at least 2 hours.


Peace, Love, and Spinach Dip (I think I just found my new sign off),

Marmalade Curry Chicken

I am a curry kind of girl. A few months ago Baby Cakes took me to a Thai restaurant for supper and I felt like being a bit daring and trying something curry. Now I had heard stories in the past about how curry makes people smell? I don’t know if there’s any truth to that but either way growing up I had always associated curry with something gross. Not anymore. It is wonderful, a warm spice for sure, slightly sweet on your tongue, it is unlike any other spice.

Being as I am a new crock pot fanatic and I love me some curry I thought I would give this recipe a shot. I did tweak a few little things from the original recipe. The first thing being the ginger, I am allergic to ginger so I tend to omit it, in it's place I added cinnamon although I really can't tell you why. The second tweak was adding more chicken broth and that was because of my third tweak, adding more chicken. I had a family pack with 9 thighs in it, thawed them all, and had a slight panick attack trying to figure out when and what I would make with the left over 5 thighs. Nuh-uh I am cooking them all in this recipe. Left overs are your friend on a busy day, as is the crock pot.

I have to admit that I wasn't crazy about this recipe. Neither was Baby Cakes. Was it good? Sure. Is it something that I'll be making again? Probably not. However, I'm glad that I tried it and just want to tell you, please please don't let my less than stellar rating stop you from giving it a go at least once. You never know, you might love it.


Marmalade Curry Chicken
recipe slighly adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 (18-ounce) jar orange marmalade
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chicken broth

Put the chicken into the bottom of your slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine the marmalade with the dry spices and chicken broth. Pour this on top of the chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for about 4 hours.

Serve over rice with a bit of the curry sauce.


You know, after thinking about it it the fact that I left out the curry might have been why it didn't turn out as good as the original blog post implied.

XOXO,

Colcannon

Before I ever began blogging I came across this recipe while searching for something featuring cabbage, I still do that by the way, pick an ingredient and run a search for recipes featuring that ingredient. Anyhow, when I saw this I knew I had to make it so I saved it to my computer to be made one day. Well that one day was last night, 2 years after I originally saved it. Good things come to those who wait.

I am absolutely loving this dish and thinking of a million different ways to serve it. My Mom has a recipe that I think would go with it wonderfully, don’t worry I’ll share that recipe “one day”.

Does anyone else love side dishes and side dishes alone for supper? I tend to order vegetable plates as restaurants and last night while BCakes ate ham along with his I just had this. It me there’s something about a side dish, they are comfort to me.

This wasn’t the simplest of recipes. Quite a few pots for one dish but after tasting, and eating a bowlful, I can without a doubt say that it is worth it. Creamy and buttery with a few crisp bites of smoked bacon, the buttery cabbage… Mmm. Even Baby Cakes is a fan, he practically fought me for who gets to take the leftovers to lunch today. (He won by the way; it’s Lean Cuisine for me.) Now for the fight over who’s going to wash all those pots and pans.



Colcannon
recipe from Wives with Knives

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 ounces bacon
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 head cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup milk, scalded
1/2 cup butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

Place cut potatoes in a large pot of salted water and cook till fork tender.

In a large saucepan sauté the bacon until almost crisp and then add the green onions into that pan without draining the bacon fat and sauté another minute. Add the cabbage and cook until tender and a bit caramelized.

In a small pot gently scald the milk and melt the butter.

Drain the potatoes and mash while slowly pouring in the hot milk and butter mixture. Now stir in the cabbage and bacon mixture; salt and pepper to taste.


I know that my picture isn’t as pretty as hers is but I don’t care. You most certainly cannot judge this book by its cover. No sir. Make this one time and you’ll be adding it to your weekly rotation.

This is my first time taking place in:

Sunday Suppers @ Deep South Dish
Totally Tasty Tuesdays over at Mandy's Recipe Box
Mouthwatering Mondays over at A Southern Fairytale
Tasty Tuesday Parade at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Tuesdays At The Table over at All the Small Stuff
Recipe Swap Thursday at A Prairie Story
Recipe Swap at Grocery Cart Challenge
Potluck Sundays at Mommy’s Kitchen

Hope to see you there!

Yum,

Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Oatmeal was on mega sale, because I cut coupons and watch ad sales, I got a 42 oz. can of quick cooking oats for about $.50 last week. I see a lot of oatmeal recipes in our future and I do not mind not one bit. I have already begun searching for creative recipes, something outside of oatmeal raisin cookies, although I will be making some of those soon too. So if you have any killer oatmeal recipes send them my way.

It was cold last night and if this morning is anything like last night then I want hot coffee and a warm bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. I dreamt of my Daddies oatmeal and toast; guess what we’re having for breakfast… This is my Dad’s oatmeal, by taste anyway, because he invents recipes and then remakes them over and over all without a formal ingredient list. This particular recipe was highly requested of him by us, the three oldest children, especially the broiled toast he served alongside it. Mmm, a spoonful of sweet oatmeal on top of the crunchy butter-y toast, one taste and you’ll be well, toast (Sorry I had to).


Brown Sugar Oatmeal
recipe from my Dad

3 ½ cups water
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups quick cooking oats
½ stick of butter
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Bring the water and salt to a rolling boil.

Stir in the oats and let them cook for about 1 minute.

Toss in the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until incorporated into the oatmeal and the butter is melted.

Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking for 1 minute more. Take off heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

To serve: Put 1 cup of the oatmeal into a serving bowl and top with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Stir in and serve alongside toast or a bowl of fruit.

Before the cream is added...


Everyone has a recipe for oatmeal, you do don’t you? If you don’t you are more than welcome to borrow this one from time to time but just know I warned you, you’ll never stop making this version.

And just because these two things go together I’m also posting on here his broiled toast recipe, if you can even call it a recipe.


Broiled Toast
recipe also from Dad

4 slices bread, any kind
4 slices butter, quartered

Place 1 quarter of butter on each corner of the bread slices, somewhat in the center.

Place under the broiler for 30 seconds; watch it closely because it burns very quickly, if it is not done yet allow it to cook in 15 seconds intervals, checking between each one, until done. You’re wanting it to be toasted light brown and for the butter squares to be melted.

Serve alongside Brown Sugar Oatmeal or top with a slice of cheese to eat with some soup.

Enjoy, I know I sure did. Yum.

Drunken Pork Chops

I have seen this recipe a few times now on various blogs and every time that I do see it I think “Hmm, I need to make that” but I never seem to. So last week when writing the shopping list I printed this off and added the ingredients to the list. It required a special trip to SPEC’s to get some Woodchuck Amber Cider (my favorite beer besides Heineken) but any reason to buy some Amber and I’m game.

Luckily the evening before I was planning on tossing it all in the crock pot on my way out the door I realized that it wasn’t a crock pot recipe. The horror! This wasn’t going to work for me, it was going to be a 10 hour work day and I was NOT coming home to cook an hour plus recipe after working that long. Easy enough fix, I just thought back to past crock pot recipes and attempted to pull this off…


Drunken Pork Chops
adapted from Siggy Spice

5-6 pork chops
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bottle of beer, amber cider
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup water

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides and place into the bottom of the slow cooker.

In a bowl combine the beer, ketchup, and brown sugar, stirring to combine. Pour the sauce mixture over the top of the pork chops.

Cook on low heat for 7 hours.

Before serving thicken the sauce:

Remove the pork chops and set aside.

Combine the cornstarch and water stirring to combine. Slowly stir this mixture into the crock pot sauce, whisking to insure no lumps. Cook the sauce on high heat for about 30 minutes or until you’ve reached the desired thickness.

Put the pork chops back into the thickened sauce and flip to coat.

Serve this over mashed potatoes or rice.


Baby Cakes loved it. I loved the sauce but only liked the overall dish. After all that slow cooking the meat wasn’t very pretty, you know if you’re a visual eater like I am. Maybe a thicker pork chop or less cooking time. I am determed to work it out.

The ingredients are once again on the shopping list for next week. Any excuse to by Amber, right? Grin. I’m going to make it the way the original recipe calls for because I just know that this has the potential to be a killer meal.

See you soon,

Chorizo Dip

This is the best dip I have ever had in my entire life hands down. I can’t even begin to tell you. Baby Cakes loved it just as much as I did and in fact told me that it the best thing he has ever eaten. Simply put, it is amazing. This dip will adorn every pot luck table from now on, every.single.one. It is so good that I am almost speechless (a feat if you know me).

Baby Cakes and I often eat chorizo, mainly for breakfast and always on Saturday mornings in whatever form we happen to find it. The neighborhood gas station sells authentic chorizo and egg tacos or this little Mexican restaurant in Tomball, were Baby Cakes and I frequent, have so many chorizo choices, Queso Flameado con Chorizo or Picadillo de Chorizo con Huevos y Patatas (Minced Chorizo w/ Eggs and Potatoes) just to name a few. I could go on and on about how amazing chorizo is but I won’t. However, I think you can tell that we eat a lot of it so when I found this recipe recently oh, it was so on.

The one thing I’ve found since making and eating chorizo regularly is that you have to find a good quality; the chorizo that most stores sell will cook down to nothing, just orange-red liquid of melted fat. No, you need a good homemade chorizo. I recommend finding a local Mexican Grocer (in Southern Texas I can find one anywhere) and purchasing it from them. You won’t be sorry, either for buying the good chorizo or for making this dip. Seriously, amazing!


Chorizo Dip
recipe from Evil Shenanigans

1/3 cup Mexican chorizo
1/2 cup onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 teaspoons butter, melted

Heat the oven to 350 F and spray a small baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small pot over medium heat add the chorizo. Cook until all the fat is rendered and the meat is browned, about 8 minutes.

Drain the meat on paper towels and return to the pot along with the onion and red pepper. Cook until the onions and peppers are softened, about three minutes. Add the jalapeno, garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Fold in the cheddar cheese, then add the chorizo mixture and mix thoroughly.

Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. In a small bowl toss the panko, paprika and butter until evenly coated. Spread evenly on the dip. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown on top. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.


We ate ours directly out of the dish with crackers.

I kept trying to get a shot of actual dip, what's underneath the topping but this is all I kept getting over and over, apparently my camera isn't as big a fan as Baby Cakes and I...


This recipe will be shared with every single person I know and soon starting with everyone who frequents Delightful Country Cooking and joins in on her weekly link party This Weeks Cravings.

Swoon.

Pineapple Cherry Chicken

Keeping with the Pineapple Cherry theme I decided to make the following recipe. I’ve made Cherry chicken before but this variation is different, even if it’s by only adding cherries and pineapple. If you would like to see the other way I’ve made this you can check it out here.

As always Baby Cakes loved it and devoured two peices of chicken this evening. I loved the cherries but then again I am all about fresh cherries.


Pineapple Cherry Chicken

3/4 cup cherry preserves
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup canned pineapple, drained
8-12 cherries, halved and pitted

Mix the preserves, mustard, water, Worcestershire sauce, pineapple and cherries in a bowl and set aside.

Cook the chicken in hot oil in a nonstick skillet until browned on both sides, for about 15 minutes. Stir in the mustard mixture. Simmer over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 min. until the sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through.


Serve warm over sweet potatoes, stove top, rice, the possibilities are endless. Although I do have to admit that aesthetically speaking the sweet potatoes look the best.

As always, yum!

Fresh Pineapple Cherry Upside Down Cake

I needed a thank you gift fast. I had a pineapple sitting on the counter, cherries in the fridge and a cake mix in the pantry. I know just what to make.


We are currently replacing atheistic things around our house, outdoor lights being the most recent thing, and my Father in Law came over to help my husband get them done. This is not the first time my Father in Law has lent a hand and I am certain it won’t be the last; my husband’s parents are both so very giving of their time for all of us. Still I wanted to show my appreciation to him because sometimes a simple “thank you” isn’t quite enough. What better way than to bake something?

According to Baby Cakes, when he delivered it for us yesterday afternoon my Father in Law ate two slices right then and there saying that it was really good. Good. That’s what I like to hear.


Fresh Pineapple Cherry Upside Down Cake

Bottom:

1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into 8 rounds
18 fresh cherries, deseeded
2- ¼ cup butter, melted
2- 1/3 cup light brown sugar

Pour the one of the melted butters into the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan and add the brown sugar, mix to combine. It will be a bit thick so if need be spread evenly over the bottom of the pan.

Now set four pineapple rounds into the dish and place the cherries one in each open area.

Do the same with the other 8 inch cake round.

Set aside.

Cake:

1 box white cake mix
2 eggs, yolk and whites
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/3 cup pineapple nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Beat the above ingredients in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer until completely combined and lump free.

Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans. Evenly spread the batter over the top of the pineapple, cherries and sugar mixture.

Bake according to the cake mix boxes directions. Let rest and cool a bit after baking and before serving turn out onto a cake plate.


Now I know that I have made an upside down pineapple cake before and that the recipe is actually very similar but try this one too. Infact, try this one above the other one. This is my new favorite version of this classic cake.

So good I had a slice for breakfast,

French Toast

When I was a child my Daddy was the primary breakfast cook on Saturday mornings and still is on special occasions. However, my Mom would make a special breakfast every once and awhile and this was almost always what she served (and if not then this was what I wanted her to serve). I have to tell you that I am a huge fan of French toast. Both Baby Cakes and I are. Something about the crispy slightly cinnamon-y exterior and the warm soft inside, smothered in melted butter and maple syrup does it for me. It is the perfect breakfast, the perfect lunch or even better yet the perfect supper. This is actually the very first breakfast that I had ever made for Baby Cakes and he has been requesting it, for dinner, ever since. I will always oblige.

Now this isn’t the exact recipe or the directions for how my Mother makes it. She uses whole milk instead of cream and I don’t recall nutmeg being used in her recipe. Nor does she fry it in butter! But despite these small adaptations whenever I make it I still think of her and the wonderful memories of sitting at the kitchen table with my siblings, swinging our legs and eating French toast.


French Toast
adapted from my Moms recipe

3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
dash of nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 slices bread
butter

In a shallow dish beat the eggs and cream together; add the salt, nutmeg and cinnamon and mix until combined.

Now coat a piece of bread in the egg mixture, flip the slice over and coat the other side. Set on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet, to catch the drippings. Repeat with all six slices of bread.

Warm a skillet over medium/low heat. Melt a teaspoon of butter in the pan and add a slice of dipped bread into the pan. Brown on both sides, it doesn’t take very long.

As the slices get done butter and set on plates.

Serve warm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle (or drown as the case may be in my house) with maple syrup.


Now I don't know that this is the proper way to make real French Toast but I must say that this version is as good if not better than any other version I have had at resturants or even at someone else's kitchen table.

You're gonna love it,

Guacamole

I have another when I first starting dating Baby Cakes recipes to share...

My Mother in Laws recipe box is full of quick meals, having been so involved in and dedicated to her children’s lives and also substituting at the High School she needed fast and filling to feed the family. It was one of those after football/cheerleading/work/PTA/laundry/homework/etcetera etcetera situations. You might know this situation personally; heck I think all women know this situation personally. Anyhow even though her life has calmed a bit since then she still makes some of the dishes that my husband grew up eating and I was lucky enough to get to devour them while we were dating. This is my third favorite thing that she makes. (Yes I have a list; she makes some really wonderful dishes.)

I was surprised to learn that all she uses in her guacamole are avocados, tomatoes, garlic salt and salt. I had always had it with jalapenos, onions, cilantro, and just so many different ingredients and variations but who would have thought that the simplest version would taste the best. She taught me that salt is key in this recipe and I have found myself even adding salt to it at restaurants and being amazed at what a difference it makes. Mmm hmm, once you make it like this then they can keep the all the other ingredients.


Guacamole
slightly adapted from my MIL

3 large avocados pitted and scooped from skins
¼ purple onion, small diced
1 Roma tomato, small diced
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
salt to taste

In a mixing bowl mash the scooped avocados and then add the diced onion, tomato and garlic powder stirring to combine. Add a teaspoon of salt at a time, each time stirring and tasting until you can taste the difference. Not salt lick salty but obviously salted.

Serve with tortilla chips.

These and other dips are my second favorite form of dinner, second only to the crock pot, that I could ever make. It is such a delight knowing that after I come in from work all I have to do is a bit of chopping and mixing before we can eat. Of course this doesn't have to be a dinner recipe, it would be great for any situation where a dip is needed.

Yum.

Crockpot Pinto Beans

Now I am no stranger to a pinto bean. My Grandma makes killer beans, my father-in-law, an uncle-in-law and even my hubby allegedly makes a killer pot of pintos (allegedly because he’s never made them for me) but even though I have ample recipes readily at hand I had never made them, until now.

My hang up was the fact that I would have to be home to do so, or so I thought, because in everyone else’s recipe they cooked all day long over slow heat in a big old giant pot and when I’m at home I don’t want to pause every so often to stir. Ahem, it’s called a slooowwww cookerrrrr. I did all the rinsing, chopping, corralling, and measuring in advance the night before, while waiting for Mike & Molly to come on, so that all I had to do was toss it all in and turn it on before I left for work this morning. Love it!

Yesterday I mentioned that I ran a search for recipes featuring ham, so that I could use up the leftover ham. I also introduced you to a blog titled Newlyweds that I found running the search. Put the two together and we get Crock-pot Pinto Beans. If you want her recipe verbatim check it out on her blog here.

Baby Cakes loves them, as I knew that he would and I must admit I'm pretty fond of how easy they were to make.


Crockpot Pinto Beans
slighly adapted from Newlyweds

1 lb. pinto beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 large onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried chives
½ -1 lb. ham, cut into chunks
4-6 cups water

Rinse the beans very well, checking for any beans to discard, dirt, pebbles, etc. Add the rinsed beans to the crock pot along with 4 cups of the water.

Stir in the onion and garlic, all the spices, and the can of Rotel. Add the chunks of ham into the bean mixture and submerge them into the ingredients.

Add enough water to completely cover all of the ingredients.

Cover and cook on high for 7-8 hours.


And don't forget the cornbread, Honey Butter Cornbread. Seriously what are you waiting for? Make this for tomorrow night’s supper.

Yeah, it's that good,

Scalloped Cabbage

We have leftover cabbage, not to mention the left over ham; I’m sorry, leftover hams, HAMS! So in honor of these leftovers I am running searches for recipes featuring them. I easily located tomorrow night’s recipe, coming ahem tomorrow, using up a majority of the ham, but I couldn’t as easily locate a new and improved cabbage recipe until…

Say hello to Newlyweds, an adorable blog featuring recipes, gardening and personal bites about her family especially her twin boys. Who, by the way, are adorable. Also, she’s a Texas girl! (grin). I must have bookmarked all of her recipes and I can’t wait to make some of them starting tonight. Oh and another thing, she is a heck of a blogger. She photographs the entire cooking process she is a better women than me!

Baked Cabbage was a wonderful way to use up the leftover head of cabbage; I cannot get over how amazing this dish is/was. The smell of it while cooking, the crispy bits of bacon, the creamy dreamy goodness of the sauce, I’ll call it a sauce. We ate the entire baking dish full. Not to worry it was only a small version of the recipe. Baby Cakes loved it (he gives it a bada** rating), I loved it. What’s not to love?


Scalloped Cabbage
recipe from Newlyweds

1 small head of cabbage, sliced
1/2 onion sliced
3 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon seasoning blend, your choice
2 cups heavy cream
4 dashes of hot pepper sauce
6-8 slices raw bacon, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Layer the cabbage into a buttered baking dish and top with onion slices.

Put the 3 tablespoons of cornstarch into a mixing bowl and measure in 4 tablespoons of heavy cream, using your finger or a spoon stir the mixture until the cornstarch is dissolved completely. Add the remaining cream slowly while whisking the cornstarch mixture. Whisk in the salt, pepper, hot sauce and seasoning blend. Pour over the cabbage and onions.

Top evenly with the raw chopped bacon.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 90 minutes. Uncovering the baking dish with 10 minutes left.

Stir before serving.



Simply a.maze.ing,

Crock Pot Chicken

I have a feeling there will be many more crock pot recipes to come in the near future. My in-laws gave me a new crock pot for Christmas and I am overjoyed. My old one also given to me by my Mother-in-Law, only had one heat setting still working and that was the HIGH setting. Everything I made was overcooked only I had no idea. Not only that but this thing can turn off the cooking after the set amount time and kick on the warming setting so that even if I run late at work the food won’t be overcooked and it’ll still be warm. LOVE.

This recipe is a breeze to prep in the morning. There is nothing worse than trying to rush out of the door only to have to chop and precook something before it even goes into the slow cooker. This is as simple as tossing in the meat, opening some cans and turning that baby on. When it’s time to eat I just cooked some rice and a veggie.

I realized today, while typing this that I never added the sour cream that the original recipe calls for. Somehow I just forgot about it and honestly it didn't seem to matter because this is delicious. Wonderful. Amazing. I can’t wait to try it with the sour cream next time. Even Baby Cakes went crazy over this recipe. Yeah, it’s a keeper.


Crock Pot Chicken
accidently adapted from Jenny Mac's Lip Smack

1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
2 cans sliced mushrooms, drain
salt and pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tbs. dried chives

Sprinkle the uncooked ground meat with the seasonings and break up into the crock pot. Mix together the undiluted soups and mushrooms in a bowl and pour over meat.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Serve over rice or broad noodles.


This really is so very yummy. I plan on making it again and again and again only next time maybe I'll remember the sour cream because that would truly just kick it up to a whole other level of good.

Share this one, you won't be sorry.

XOXO,

Happy New Year Y'all

I can remember in the past on New Year’s Eve my Grandma making all the traditional southern new year staples, black eyed peas, cabbage, corn bread and I am sure some sort of protein, most likely something pork, and although the following recipes aren’t from my Grandma I do make them every year because of her. Since learning what these foods represent I can’t imagine not eating them on the eve of or the actual day, hopeful that they might actually pull through. Superstitious maybe but I’ve always heard that you make your own luck and mine just happens to be in a big old pot on the stove, or so I believe.


Now I will for warn that the following recipes are what I call my semi-homemade versions, with a store bought ham that I only had to heat up, but please don’t let that stop you because they are so good and worth the time they take, barely any, but most importantly I won’t tell anyone. Go ahead tell them that the peas were fresh and the cornbread is from scratch. Just remember to eat a bit of it all for a year of luck and prosperity. So without further ado (just click on the item name to go to the recipe page)…

Semi-Homemade Black Eyed Peas

For the best chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.


Fried Cabbage

The cabbage represent paper money.


Honey Buttered Corn Muffins

Cornbread represents gold.


Happy New Year Y'all,

Fried Cabbage

I can remember in the past on New Year’s Eve my Grandma making all the traditional southern new year staples, black eyed peas, cabbage, corn bread and I am sure some sort of protein, most likely something pork, and although the following recipes aren’t from my Grandma I do make them every year because of her. Since learning what these foods represent I can’t imagine not eating them on the eve of or the actual day, hopeful that they might actually pull through. Superstitious maybe but I’ve always heard that you make your own luck and mine just happens to be in a big old pot on the stove, or so I believe.

This recipe actually came from my MIL; I had never had fried cabbage until I started dating my husband. In fact the only time I had even really eaten cabbage at all was on New Year’s or in the form of a cabbage roll a few times in my lifetime. Anyhow, I hadn’t been dating Baby Cakes that long when I was over for dinner at his Mom and Dad’s house for supper and had this version of cabbage. Oh.my.goodness good. We eat this often too, because I learned quickly that BCakes’ Mom knows the way to his heart. I take notes.


Fried Cabbage

1 small cabbage, rinsed and chopped
½ stick butter
½ onion, quarter
1-2 tbs. seasoning blend, your choice

Over medium heat in a large skillet sauté the sliced onion in the butter until done and/or translucent.

Add the cabbage and seasoning to the skillet, stir and cook down. It will wilt pretty quickly and once it begins to you can cover it with a lid and continue cooking over low heat for 25-45 minutes or until some of the cabbage had taken on a golden color and it is completely soft.

Serve it warm and preferably with some pepper sauce and corn bread.

I can’t help but grab a bit every time I walk pass the skillet. I adore it although it doesn’t make the house smell that lovely but that’s where Scentsy comes in.

Mmmm Buttery Cabbage,

Honey Buttered Corn Muffins

I can remember in the past on New Year’s Eve my Grandma making all the traditional southern new year staples, black eyed peas, cabbage, corn bread and I am sure some sort of protein, most likely something pork, and although the following recipes aren’t from my Grandma I do make them every year because of her. Since learning what these foods represent I can’t imagine not eating them on the eve of or the actual day, hopeful that they might actually pull through. Superstitious maybe but I’ve always heard that you make your own luck and mine just happens to be in a big old pot on the stove, or so I believe.

Okay, perhaps it’s because I have done way too much cooking over the holidays but I cheated on almost every recipe made for New Years, this one is no exception.


Honey Buttered Corn Muffins

2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 of a cup of half and half
1 can of creamed corn
1 tbs. honey
½ a stick of butter, room temperature

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare the muffin tins.

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together and let it sit for about 5 minutes and then mix well once more.

Fill the muffin cups ¾ full, it should make about 18 muffins, and bake until golden brown about 12-15 minutes.

While the muffins are still warm gently press in the center top of the muffin and place a pad of butter in the “bowl”.

As you can see from the recipe above this isn’t really anything major, actually super simple but it got more raves and compliments than any baked good I’ve ever made before. Okay, well almost any baked good I’ve made before. I personally enjoyed them so much that I smeared a bit of jelly on one for breakfast this morning.

This doesn't have to wait until New Years to make it would be great with chili or any soup.

XOXO,