Chinese New Year 2017 - Year of the Rooster...and Tea Eggs

I'm not so good at preparing Chinese food, I admit, but there is a favorite of my kids that I have mastered - TEA EGGS!

Tea Eggs
6 eggs
5 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 black tea bags (or 2 Tbsp of black tea leaves)
1 tsp Anise
1 stick cinnamon
Several grinds of black peppercorn
Place the eggs in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover.  Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 2 minutes
Remove the eggs from the water, and using a knife, tap each egg to slightly crack the shell in several places.
Return the eggs to the saucepan of water, and add the rest of the ingredients.
Cover and simmer for 3 hours, adding additional water as necessary.
I let the eggs sit in the water till it's room temp, and then refrigerate them.
Peel, rinse and enjoy!

These Cookies!

We found this recipe on Taste of Home this week.

We baked them....

...and we devoured them!

They really do melt in your mouth.

When I try a recipe that my people love, I'm obliged to share.

*Hint*  Do NOT over bake.  In fact, we set the timer for much less.  They are 'meltier' that way!

Amish Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugars.  Beat in eggs until well blended.  Beat in vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar and gradually add to creamed mixture.

Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 375 for *8-10* minutes or until lightly browned (they don't need to be browned!!).  Remove to wire racks to cool.

You're welcome!

Now, go, be a hero!

Soup's On!

Not gonna lie, I love soup!  It's one of the few things I like about winter.  Seriously, give me 80 degrees any day.  But since it's now below 20 degrees, I will survive with soup!

My family prefers the meatier meal-in-a-pot soups, but I love veggies, so I make cabbage soup once a week and reheat a bowl for myself whenever I need a boost.  I love the texture and taste of the veggies, and it's packed with nutrition.  My friend Christina got me hooked on it, and here's my tweaked recipe:

Cabbage Soup
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced (I reduced this from the original recipe)
1 cup white onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
3 tsp garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
14 oz basil, oregano, garlic diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large soup pan over medium heat.  Add celery, onion and carrots, and saute until slightly tender.  Stir in garlic.  Pour in chicken broth.  Stir in tomatoes and cabbage.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cooking until cabbage is tender.  Stir in oregano, salt and pepper.  Enjoy!
*Add other veggies and seasonings to your liking!*

Tea Eggs!

My kids love boiled eggs, and they really love Tea Eggs (a common snack in China)!
They're like boiled eggs with enough flavor that you don't need to salt them.
So it would be a shame if I didn't share the recipe.  Here's my revised version.

Tea Eggs
6 eggs
5 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 black tea bags (or 2 Tbsp of black tea leaves)
1 tsp Anise
1 stick cinnamon
Several grinds of black peppercorn
Place the eggs in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover.  Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 2 minutes
Remove the eggs from the water, and using a knife, tap each egg to slightly crack the shell in several places.
Return the eggs to the saucepan of water, and add the rest of the ingredients.
Cover and simmer for 3 hours, adding additional water as necessary.
I let the eggs sit in the water till it's room temp, and then refrigerate them.
Peel, rinse and enjoy!

Homemade Favorite to Go

We are that family.  You know, the family that has a separate cabinet for storing Ramen.

It's ridiculous how much instant MSG my kids consume.

But, it's so handy before a game or after a game.  Ah, who am I kidding?  We even feed it to them for supper.

Maybe you've already discovered this, but being a bit slow, I've just now figured out that I can make a healthier and tastier version of my people's favorite!

The key is variety.

And making it your own.

In this experiment I just used what I had on hand:
Spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained
Ringwood Gold cut corn (of course)
Chicken base
Carrots, chopped
Onion, finely chopped
Jars with lids

This is the mix, ready to refrigerate or pack in your lunch!

Add boiling water, seal the lid and let sit for 4 minutes.
I use chicken and beef base in so many of my recipes to add flavor!
*hint* use a low sodium chicken or beef base, or you'll end up with nearly the same thing as you find in the bag or cup of ramen.

Homemade Ramen to Go

Chicken or Beef base (low sodium)

Vegetables (shredded carrots, sweet peppers, scallions or onion, corn)

Seasonings (cumin, crushed red pepper)

Noodles (thin spaghetti, rice noodles - the possibilities are endless!)

Dried or diced meat of your choice

In a clean jar, add 1 Tbsp beef or chicken base.  Add vegetables and seasoning to your liking, then top with cooked noodles.  Refrigerate the jars if you're not using them immediately.

Add boiling water to the top of the noodles, seal the lid and let sit 4 minutes.  Stir and enjoy!

You're welcome :)

Yumilicious Black Bean n' Rice Burritos

I have several friends who've got a knack for cooking for a crowd.  Sometimes they don't even use a recipe!  But when I ask them to put it on paper so my people can enjoy it, they always oblige :)

Kim made these while we were in China last year, and my big kids love them!

I make a batch, wrap each in Press n' Seal, then store them in the freezer (in a freezer bag), and we've got an energy-packed snack after 2 minutes in the microwave.

It wouldn't be fair for me NOT to share this one, and since she agreed, here goes:

The prep looks something like this...

First, I rinse, soak and cook my beans.

When they're done, they'll go in this concoction to finish up!

While that's finishing up, I'm heating the sauce mixture.

I'm cooking the rice and getting the tortillas and cheese out.

 Then we're ready to make something beautiful!

Black Bean and Rice Burritos

Black beans (2 cans of Bush's Best, drained and rinsed or cook your own)
16 oz Red Enchilada sauce, mild
16 oz tomato sauce
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked riced (cooked in 4 cups chicken broth)
Burrito size tortillas
Shredded cheese
2 Tbsp salsa
2 Tbsp bacon drippings
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
First, prepare the beans.  When they are ready, place them in a sauce pan (or I use a cast iron skillet) with 2 Tbsp bacon drippings, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp cumin and 5 Tbsp salsa.  Heat through.  You can also add diced bell pepper, jalapeno, onions, crumbled bacon or finely chopped cilantro.  Make it your own.
Meanwhile, cook or steam your rice in chicken broth.
To make your red sauce, in a saucepan, add 16 oz enchilada sauce, 16 oz tomato sauce, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp chili powder.  Cook that on low heat until warmed and seasonings have blended.
To assemble burritos:
Warm tortillas in microwave to make soft.
Lay out Press 'n Seal for each burrito.  On your tortilla, add 2 heaping Tbsp rice, 2 Tbsp beans, 1 heaping Tbsp sauce and top with a handful of cheese.  You can add ground beef, shredded chicken or pork too!  Roll the burrito and wrap with Press n' Seal.  Store the wrapped burritos in a large Ziploc freezer bag.
Pop frozen burritos (still in Press n' Seal) in the microwave for 2 minutes and enjoy!

Thank you, Kim!!!

Cuke & Tomato Salad - Yummy!

Yup, this one's a keeper!

Cucumber & Tomato Salad
* 2 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
* 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
* 1/4 purple onion, thinly sliced (thinner than my   picture!)
* 1/4 tsp pepper
* Kosher salt to taste
* 2 tbsp. fresh dill (or dill weed)
* 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
* 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 tsp Dijon mustard
* 1 tsp honey

In a large bowl combine cucumbers, tomatoes and onion.  Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over cucumber mix, tossing to coat.  Serve immediately.

The people loved this...except that I added too much onion.  Make it your own!

Hola Granola!

My friend Lori has an amazing knack for whipping up things that taste so good!

Every recipe I've tried has been a hit! ***

I finally got a chance to try her granola last weekend...

...and it is amaaaaaazing!  My people have been eating it over yogurt, in milk and by the handful!
You can find Lori's original recipe HERE,
and here's my adaptation:

Granola
1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
Put all that in a pan and warm it slowly on the stove while you mix up the dry ingredients, adding the vanilla after the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
Mix together:
4 cups oats (I actually used Quick oats, and they worked fine!)
3/4 cup roasted and salted cashews, chopped
3/4 cup whole natural almonds, chopped
1 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Pour warm, melted butter mixture into bowl of dry ingredients, blend well.  Spread mixture onto buttered cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees.  Remove from oven and stir granola.  Bake for 15 more minutes, and stir again.  I didn't need to bake any longer, but if necessary, bake 10 more minutes or until granola is golden brown.  Let cool, and store in a sealed container.

***Lori is one of my skinny friends, so as I strive for a more fit me, I'm serving a lot of great things to my krew, while I only get  a nibble :)  Pity, I know :)

Yummy Baked Sweet Potato Chips!

I've been experimenting with sweet potatoes because we love them; we just don't love them mushy!

Here's what I came up with today, and they taste as delicious as they look!

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

For an after-school snack I used 2 large potatoes, and I did not wash them.

 Have you ever seen one of these before?  

This slicer/grinder/shredder was handed down from my great-grandmother, and I love it!

I sliced 2 potatoes in under a minute.

Perfect!

On your baking sheet sprinkle the slices generously with ground pepper and sea salt and drizzle about 1/8 cup light olive oil over them.

Then, using your hands, mix it all up, making sure the slices are well coated.

 Next, arrange the slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Turn them and bake an additional 10 minutes.

(For crisper chips, add an additional 5 minutes *or so* to each side)

Remove from the oven and serve on a napkin lined dish.

Don't worry, they won't last long!

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

2 sweet potatoes, unwashed

1/8 cup light olive oil

ground pepper

sea salt

*Preheat oven to 350.  Using a food processor, slicer or a good knife, slice the potatoes evenly as thin as possible.

Place the slices on a cookie sheet and top with salt, pepper and oil.  Hand toss to evenly coat all slices.

In a single layer, line the slices on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Turn each slice and bake an additional 10 minutes.

*for crisper chips, add an additional 5 minutes or so to each side*

Watch them disappear!!!

Simple (and delicious) Salad!

Ever find yourself in a pinch to whip up something quick and yummy...and it turned out to be a keeper?!?
A long time ago I threw this salad together, and I still fall back on this recipe.

Simple Company Salad
10-12 oz Cherry or Sunburst Tomatoes
1 large bag of Romaine salad mix
6 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
16 oz. bottle of Caesar dressing
1 bag of your favorite croutons
1 cup salted and roasted sunflower kernels
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except dressing and croutons.  Just before serving, add dressing and stir, then top with croutons.

Go, be a hero, in a flash!

Baked Oatmeal - Who Knew?!?

Baked Oatmeal!  
Shhhhh, my family thought it was dessert!

Next time I will triple it and put in a 9x13...

*3 cups quick-cooking oats
*1 cup packed brown sugar
*2 tsp baking powder
*1 tsp salt
*1 tsp ground cinnamon
*2 eggs
*1 cup milk
*1/2 cup butter, melted
*extra milk
Preheat oven to 350.  In large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk and melted butter.  Stir into oat mixture until blended.
Spoon into greased 9" square pan.  Bake 40 minutes or until set.
Serve warm with milk.

*Note* I didn't have eggs so I made it without them, and it was not set but still delicious!  The possibilities are limitless: add fruit or nuts.

Mealtime Made Easy Peasy

When I find an easy dish that my family loves, it is my duty to share :)

Oven-Baked Cheeseburger Sliders

2 lbs lean ground

¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 small onion finely diced

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp salt

1 pkg Kings Hawaiian dinner rolls

6 slices American cheese

Preheat oven to 400.  In a bowl combine the beef, bread crumbs, diced onion, onion powder and salt.

Evenly distribute the beef mixture in a 9x13 pan, gently pressing to even thickness.  Use fork tines to poke holes throughout the meat. 

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or till cooked through.  When cooked through, remove the pan and drain off the liquid.  Top with the sliced cheese and return to the oven for 2 minutes.  Remove from oven, allow to rest a few minutes and then cut into 2” squares.

*My kids don't like onions in their burgers, so next time I will skip the onion and use dry Ranch mix.  And I made 2 pans of this, of course*

Easy Peasy Stromboli

1 pkg peperoni

1 (13.8 oz) can Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust

¼ cup pizza sauce

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning

Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Unroll dough on the cookie sheet and starting at the center, press out to form rectangle.  Spread the sauce over the dough to within 1 inch of sides.  Top with Italian seasoning, peperoni and mozzarella.  Fold long sides of dough over filling, then press edges to seal.

Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes or till crust is golden brown.

But I don't have time for...

What are all the things you don't have time for?

Exercise?  Good food choices?

Oh.my.word, me either!

But, I certainly don't have time for ~

Please don't hear me say that exercise and good eating habits will eliminate the possibility of ill health.  Not.saying.that.  Also, don't think I sit around worrying about whether I might wake up tomorrow with some mysterious illness.  Nope.  Don't have time for that.

Here's what I DO have time for regarding my health:

* Meal planning

* Reasonable exercise

* Packed family lunches v. drive-thru

* Grabbing fresh fruit v. unwrapping the goody-goodness called oatmeal creme pie

* Setting an example for my children

Let me break it down.

*Meal planning ~

This takes about an hour or two each week when I use my family's favorite recipes.  It takes a bit longer when I'm in a rut and hop on one of my favorite websites with free menus like Make Dinners Easy and search for new ideas.  I choose a main dish, then add the sides.  I don't assign meals to a certain day of the week because we roll spontaneous flexible.  I make a list of 10 to 12 meals, including sides, special meals or snacks needed for the week's events, and then prepare my shopping list.

*Reasonable exercise

Now this is a doozy.  I.am.tired.  I have a billion reasons why I don't have time for this, including ten of the most adorable peeps still in the nest.  BUT the truth is, I don't have time NOT to exercise!  In this life God has given me one body.  I had no idea He would give us the invitation to s.t.a.r.t adding to our family through adoption when we were well.into.our.forties.  This body is tired.  But I praise God every day that I CAN get out of bed and move.  I am also reminded that this body is a temple.  I am so far from perfect, but I really do want to treat my body as the temple it is.

I have to make a choice every.single.day to get my rear out of bed and do this.  A while back, around 4:30 a.m.-ish, as we were starting Insanity, hubby said, "We're old.  Shouldn't we be doing something different...like walking?" Whateva!  Truth is, hubby and I have to do a lot of things intentionally these days.  For instance, many weeks our Treasures have several doctor's appointments, and we are both self-employed, so what might be 'ideal' for one family is not possible for ours.  Occasionally we both get to attend the visits, but most often, only one of us takes the 'patient' and the 'tag-alongs' while the other works.  No paid vacation, medical leave or mileage reimbursement here :)  We just do what we need to do.

And that really got me to thinking.  What would either of us do without the other?  Don't-even-wanna-think-it!  But seriously, what if one of us became ill?  I never lose sight of the fact that God knows the number of our days.  He is the One who led us down an amazing and unexpected path, slightly out of the norm, and He is in control.  I don't worry about what tomorrow will bring.  I do want to steward what He has given me.  

So, what do we do?  Hubby and I work out together.  We cut ourselves some slack when we just don't get it done!  We encourage each other.  We laugh at each other.  We push each other.  Right now we are fighting our way through Insanity.  Let me tell you, Shaun T is kicking our tail!  This is an extreme workout and is not for beginners, so it's not for everyone.  The average workout is 35-42 minutes, *and add a few for passing out - just.kidding!!!!*  Out of 24 hours.  That includes warm-up, stretching and cool down!  

Insanity's not for you?  Think of how far you could walk in 42 minutes.  Even if you didn't go anywhere, on the treadmill.  And we get to do this at home - bonus!  Also, we get to do it while the kids are sleeping...because they have been our harshest critics:  Ya' know, our shoes aren't right, we aren't doing the same thing as the video, our shorts are baggy, yadayadayada.  But for a couple of 'old folks' we are having fun.

Here's another thing:

*Packed family lunches v. drive-thru

Although ours are more this size: :)

As our family grew, I started packing snacks for sports events because we couldn't afford to buy them.  Then I started packing meals.  Two reasons:  costs less, and I get to choose what we eat.  The hardest part of this is taking the time to plan.  But it is so doable.  I pack meals for our doctor's appointments as well, especially the ones that are hours away.  Many of y'all are so much more creative than I am, so you could make this like a treat.  I am still working on that.

*Grabbing fresh fruit v. other goodies

Okay, I like a creme pie as much as the next guy, but I want to make sure there are always healthy options in the house.  Although I do keep some empty calorie foods around for occasional quick kids' snacks, I also have easy-to-eat nutritious foods available such as chunked cantaloupe and watermelon, grapes, bananas, apples, applesauce, cheese sticks, almonds and yogurt.

*Setting an example for my children

This is so important to me.  Our children can only eat what we provide.  They can only learn from what we do.  I'm not talking about pressuring my kids to be 'skinny minnies' or constantly acting like the food police.  They are smart enough to see what is important to us.  It's up to us to set the tone.

I have 11 children who will one day be husbands, wives, and parents to my grandchildren.  My priorities today will influence their choices today and in the future.

I would like to encourage you as well!  A baby step forward is a step in the right direction.   

A hero to me is the person who gets off the couch and takes the first step!!!

How can I encourage YOU?

How can I pray for YOU?

Leave a comment or email me!

To HIM be glory!

Cooler Corn *delicious and easy*

You might be a redneck if...

Oh, never mind :)  Call me whatever you want, this is good!

If you need to use up last year's corn to make room for fresh, if you're planning a large gathering, or if you just like sweet corn on the cob, this is easy peasy.

Cooler Corn
*Shuck the desired amount of corn.
*since ours was frozen, we thawed it a bit, then shucked it*
*Place the clean corn in a clean ice chest.
*Pour enough boiling water over the corn just to cover it, then close the lid.
*In 30 minutes you have perfectly cooked cooler corn!  No kidding!

Now, go be a hero!
And praise the Lord for His provision!!!

The Sandwich

My friend Lori is an amazing cook!  Lucky for me (and you!) she shares some of her secrets on her blog.

I love how she takes simple things and makes them delectable!!!  Who knew?!?

I buy French bread from W*l-mart all the time to go with homemade soups, but I never thought to do this...

It is just as delicious as it looks!  Lori's recipe is here!  I tweaked it a bit for my our taste.  I don't like to sweat when I eat, so I eliminated the jalapenos.  I used shredded Mozzarella cheese on the bottom half, shaved Cure 81 ham, and shredded pizza blend cheese on the top.  And I had to use two loaves for this Krew.  Oh.my.yummy!

And I think I promised I'd share the recipe for this *again*

One Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350
Add the stick of butter to an 8 or 10 inch cast iron skillet and melt over medium-high heat.  Once melted, stir in sugars and vanilla and remove from heat.
Whisk in egg and milk, then stir in the flour, soda and salt.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes till cooked through.
*we actually prefer gooey*
Serve warm from the skillet.
*The skillet is HOT*



Now, go be a hero!
In one simple post I've given you an entire meal :)

Can You Say Bacon??? (a recipe)

When the pastor challenges me to make a breakfast casserole "with like a pound of bacon in it", that's a mission I'm going to set out to accomplish!  After all, there are some things you can never have too much of: bacon, cheese...and bacon, to name a few.

I found this recipe on allrecipes and adapted it by adding slightly more cheese.  The only thing that would make it better is adding more crumbled bacon on top!

I refrigerated it overnight so I could just pop the pan in the oven on Sunday morning.  P.e.r.f.e.c.t.!  This is not a breakfast casserole with soggy bread and a hint of meat :)

Bacon Breakfast Casserole
1 lb. bacon         1 medium sweet onion, chopped
7 eggs, beaten     2 cups small curd cottage cheese
6 cups frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Cook the bacon.  (I've started cooking my bacon in the oven - thank you, Kim, for that little tip!)  Crumble bacon and set aside.  Add 1 tbsp of bacon grease to frying pan and saute the onion.  Then combine all ingredients, including bacon, in a large bowl.  Mix well and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Press down with a spoon and bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes.

Go be a hero!

Pizza Casserole Recipe - yumilicious!

I promised to share this if it made the cut...
and since my people ate most of the two pans, I guess we can call it a hit!

I'm making two more pans for freezing today.

I got the recipe from HERE

Pizza Casserole

Ingre­di­ents:

1 — 2 jars red pasta sauce (just depend­ing on how “saucy” you like it)

1 box penne pasta (cooked & drained)

2 — 3 Cups moz­zarella cheese

1 C shred­ded Parme­san cheese

Pizza Top­pings of your choice (we used pep­per­o­ni,  about 30, but you can add black olives or whatever!)

Direc­tions:

1. Spread a thin layer of sauce along the bot­tom of a pan (prepare pan with cook­ing spray first)

2. Place 1/2 the pasta noo­dles on top of the sauce.

3. Arrange half of your pizza top­pings on top of the noo­dles 

4. Top that layer with moz­zarella. I used a lit­tle less than half so that the top would be a lit­tle more cheesy!

5. Con­tinue lay­er­ing with the other half of the ingre­di­ents. Top the whole thing with the remain­ing moz­zarella & sprin­kle with shred­ded Parme­san cheese.

6. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30–45 min­utes (until the cheese is bub­bly & the top layer starts brown­ing just a bit). You can remove foil for the last 15 minutes or so.

Of course, I doubled this and used two 9x13 pans, and I've tweaked the recipe just a bit.
I served it with baked potatoes, french bread and salad.
Go, be a hero!

*Give Me Your Freezable Dish Recipes, Puleeeze!*

Two weeks from today we will be China bound.  
It hasn't sunk in yet!

An amazing family will be moving into our oh-so-crowded home in our two-week absence.

One way I can make things a little easier for this mama is to prepare some meals for freezing.  After all, she will be feeding 18 people on a daily basis - yikes!  

And if she decides to cook fresh every day, or meals miraculously appear at our doorstep...then I'll have meals ready for the fog of jet lag :)  You know that feeling, 24 eyes staring at you, wondering what's for dinner, and you haven't even thought about it - gah!

I've started a list of dishes that freeze well...and here's where you can help!

Do you have a super-delicious recipe that I can double or triple and will freeze well?  

*hint* I'm not into complicated, fancy dishes.  We like ground beef and chicken...and ground beef...and cheese :)  I would love to try some new things though that will please a crowd!

Can't wait to see what you've got!!!!

Yes, We Have No Bananas

We eat a LOT of bananas.  And then sometimes we just don't get them eaten in that short window of perfection.

Since I found this recipe, I refuse to throw them away!

I like a banana nut bread that is melt-in-your-mouth moist...but isn't soupy in the middle.  Hard.to.find.

Until this one.

It's got a golden crust and is super moist.

Last night after supper I whipped up a batch, and it took 65 minutes, from deciding to eating it...and burning my tongue.

It's.that.good.

Super Moist Banana Bread
(Recipe)
1 cup oleo
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
5 large bananas, mashed
1 small box instant banana pudding mix
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup chopped nuts
Cream oleo and sugar.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add pudding (dry), then bananas.  Sift together dry ingredients and add to mixture.
Grease 2 large loaf pans and dust with sugar.
Bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes, till center is done.  Remove from pan and cool on wire racks.

Lori is a Rockstar ~ 2 Recipes

So, my friend Lori over at Joy Unspeakable is on this insane amazing quest to cut processed foods from her family's meal plan.  Honestly, she's taught me a thing or ten, and it has inspired me to try lots of new things too!  Thank you, dear friend, for challenging me and taking me out of my foodie comfort zone.

When I saw her homemade soft tortillas, I had to try them.  Let me just say, I got out the tub o' butter and snacked my way through taste tested them.  All my people, from the smallest to the biggest (who had his wisdom teeth out Friday but couldn't resist!) loved them!  I.am.a.hero!

On this night I browned up some ground beef, added some taco seasoning, whipped up some homemade refried beans, some rice, chopped some lettuce, opened a jar of salsa (I know, I should make that too!), grated some cheese, and we had soft tacos.

I'm sending you to Lori's blog for the recipe since she shared it!

*I doubled the recipe for my family, and we only had 4 left over*

After New Year's when I posted pictures of the treats we whipped up to celebrate, a friend asked for the Rolled Pizza recipe.  It's super easy and yummy!

Unfortunately, I copied this recipe a long time ago, and I don't have the source.

Rolled Pizza
2 cans refrigerated pizza crust
1 lb bacon, fried and crumbled
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 onion, chopped and browned with beef
Velveeta, chunked or shredded
(You can also add pepperoni, sausage or Canadian bacon ~ make it yours!)
Roll out crusts on greased sheet, cover with the toppings.  Roll up and bake at 350 approximately 20 minutes or till golden.  Slice when cooled.
*I used about 8 oz of Velveeta but it was a little dry so next time I'm adding more cheese and maybe a smidge of sauce*

Go be a hero!