Pinterest Recipes I've Tried

Although I have a lot of recipe pins on Pinterest, I haven't made most of them (yet!).  But I thought I would share the ones I have and let you know what I thought.

Mexican Crock Pot Soup
The Pin: can of rotel, can of corn, can of black beans (drained & rinsed), 2 frozen chicken breasts, 8 oz cream cheese, 1 packet dry ranch dressing, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder. Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook 6-8 hours. Shred chicken, and enjoy!
My Take: Delicious!  I topped with sour cream and ate with tortilla chips.  It is pretty thick so I would recommend filling an empty can from the recipe of water (or milk) and adding that while it cooks.  Also, if you aren't big on spicy food, either omit the chili powder or use just a dash.

Crock Pot Potato Soup
My Take: It was pretty good!  I didn't have the exact amount of the ingredients so I improvised a bit and it still turned out pretty well.  I also added the bacon and green onions (chives actually) and let it cook for about 30-60 minutes before serving so the flavors mixed well.  I would definitely recommend this recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
I was craving something pumpkin and this seemed easy enough!
My Take:  Absolutely delicious!  But it makes too much for 2 people (it makes a 9x13 worth).  We are still eating it!  It would be perfect for Thanksgiving.

Reese Cup Bars
My all time favorite candy is Reese's, so anything peanut butter and chocolate catches my eye! 
My Take:  Very easy and delicious!  But again, made too much for Brett and I.  They also dried out quickly (we kept them in the fridge as they were best cold). I would recommend them for a gathering or to cut the recipe in half (or even half again).

Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Brett loves anything buffalo flavored so I thought these would be a big hit.
My Take:  They were pretty delicious, but way too spicy for me (thanks to pregnancy)!  I could only eat one so Brett used the leftovers on pita bread to make a pizza.  That I tolerated a little better, but only a small piece!  I think it was too spicy because we used hot sauce instead of buffalo sauce though...oops!  So don't make the mistake I did!

Corn Cakes with Tomato Avocado Relish
I love crab cakes (and Tuna Cakes) so I thought we would give these a try. 
My Take: Ehhh, these were okay.  I didn't make the tomato avocado relish though, I just put avocado on top.  The cake by itself was too bland so it needs something on top and definitely the ranch to moisten them up.  We probably won't be making these again.

What's your favorite pinterest recipe?

Spinach Artichoke Dip {Recipe}

Spinach and artichoke dip is possibly one of my favorite dips/appetizers.  Who wouldn't like melted cheesy yumminess?!  I have found that the best spinach artichoke dips are homemade so I thought I would share my go-to recipe.  Brett and I actually had this for dinner the other night as neither of us were motivated to make something else (and I forgot to thaw some meat, oops!). Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (by sitting out or microwave)
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Romano cheese (I didn't have this so I just added more Parmesan)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt (I don't have this so I used garlic powder and a dash of salt)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (more or less depending on how you like this flavor...it doesn't add much spice because of all the dairy, but it adds a nice flavor)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup spinach (I just took about half of a frozen bag of spinach and thawed it so I'm not sure exactly how much I had, but 1/2 to 3/4 cup is good)
• 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained (cut into smaller pieces if you so choose)
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella (I didn't have this and it was fine with out, but would be extra yum with!)

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a small baking dish.
2. In a bowl mix cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, Parmesan & Romano cheeses, garlic, basil, garlic salt, chili powder, and salt & pepper.  
3. Gently stir in artichokes and spinach.
4. Transfer mixture to baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese.  
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly and slightly browned on top. 
6. Serve warm with tortilla chips, pita chips, slices of bread, veggies, etc!

Linking up to these parties: (go check 'em out!)
Craft-O-Maniac
Tatertots & Jello
The Home Stories of A to Z
33 Shades of Green
Remodelaholic 

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Recipe at Tummies Full of Love

I just posted a recipe over at my friend Lindsey's recipe blog, Tummies Full of Love.  It is for Bacon Wrapped Chicken that was delicious!  Head on over to check it out!  There are lots of other great recipes posted there too.

31 Days of Handmade Gifts: Day 10 {Food in a Jar}

Welcome to Day 10! You can find the other 31 Days posts here.

 

A couple years ago I gave Potato Soup in a Jar for some gifts and the recipients loved it!  It was pre-blog so unfortunately I don't have pictures or a source for some of the recipes I saved.  It's a simple, tasty gift and if you make a lot of them it is very affordable and doesn't take too long to assemble.  All you have to do is put the ingredients in a jar and attach a tag with instructions.  I will share some recipes and examples I found on Pinterest.

Potato Soup Mix



1-3/4 cups instant mashed potatoes


1-1/2 cups dry milk


2 Tb. instant chicken bullion
 (or vegetable for vegetarians)

2 tsp. dried minced onion


1 tsp. dried parsley


1/4 tsp. ground white pepper


1/4 tsp. dried thyme


1/8 tsp. turmeric


1-1/2 tsp. seasoning salt



Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Makes 6 servings. Place in 1 quart canning jars. 


Attach these instructions to the jar: 
To serve: place 1/2 cup mix in soup bowl and add 1 cup boiling water. Stir until smooth.

I didn't try the next one but it seemed to be pretty easy (both for you and the recipient).

Layered Three Bean Soup

Layer the ingredients in a two-cup jar, in the order given, lightly packing down each layer with a spoon before adding the next layer.

1/4 cup mixed dried vegetables

1/4 cup split peas

1/3 cup romano beans (or cranberry beans)

1/3 cup white navy beans

1/3 cup pinto beans

1/4 cup pearl barley

3 tablespoons beef bouillon granules

3 tablespoons dried onion flakes

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

If you have any room left in the jar, add a few more beans, peas, or vegetable flakes to fill the jar completely to the top.  


Attach these instructions to your jar:

Empty jar contents into a large soup pot. Cover with 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for two minutes; remove from heat, cover and let soak for one hour.

After soaking time, stir in two more cups of water and bring soup back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1-½ hours to 2 hours, or until beans are tender. If soup thickens too much during cooking, add more water as required. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving.


Cowgirl Cookies in a Jar 

Image Source: Bakerella

Layer the following ingredients in a jar:

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup & leveled

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cooking oats

3/4 cup m&ms (red and green would be great for Christmas!)

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Attach these instructions to the jar:

Stir all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and add 1 slightly beaten egg, 1/2 cup butter (melted slightly in the microwave) and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Roll cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Makes about two dozen.

Brownie Mix in a Jar

Image Source: AllRecipes.com

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/4 cups white sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt in a quart jar. Layer remaining ingredients in the order listed. Press each layer firmly in place before adding the next layer. NOTE: Be sure to wipe out the inside of the jar with a dry paper towel after adding the cocoa powder, so the other layers will show through the glass. 

Attach these instructions to the jar:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan. 

2. Empty jar of brownie mix into a large mixing bowl, and stir to blend. 

3. Mix in 3/4 cup melted butter and 4 eggs. Mix thoroughly. 

4. Spread batter evenly into prepared baking pan. 

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. 

6. Cool completely in pan before cutting into 2 inch squares.

There are a lot of soup/cookie in a jar recipes out there so if you're looking for something specific it probably won't take long to find them on google.

Reupholstered Window Seat

One of my sweet friends started a recipe blog for a group of us to post on.  I finally got around to posting a recipe.  Go check it out!

One project that I've done recently is the window seat cushion in our spare room.  Until recently it had the same fabric that the previous owner put on there.  I never thought I could reupholster it until now!  And the checkered pattern with the stripes isn't really my style.

So I picked up a yard of home decor fabric at JoAnn's for half off (only $5.30).  

Way more my style!   

 

Closer look: 

 (I am always drawn to flourish/damask prints!)

I can't wait to get started on pillows for it!  It's such a bare space, it needs something more to fill it.   I even have some fabric to make them as well as old pillows to use the stuffing from.  So my excuse is time.

Side note, the walls in this room when I moved in were painted a bright aqua/turquoise that emanated down the hallway.  It was horrible.  It took two coats of primer and two or three coats of paint to cover it!!  (The color is Sherwin Williams Vanillan - I picked something neutral that would go with the apricot color of the hallway, living room and kitchen, which I am tired of now by the way!)

I am hoping to post some minor redecorating posts soon.  When I bought my condo I was not crafty and didn't really have an opinion on decorating.  But that has changed and I'm constantly coming up with new ideas inspired by some of the wonderful blogs out there.  And I'm especially hoping one of those is a living room rearranging post (including trading out those awful vertical blinds for curtains!)...just have to convince the husband.  But...the full time job and school come first so sadly it might be a while.  Might just have to take a day off to get some sewing done!

Quick question, do you all like the font of my post?  Is it hard to read?  Should I pick something else?  Thanks!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I love baking.  I always have, which has probably contributed to my major sweet tooth.  I made these cupcakes a while ago, and they were probably the best cupcakes I have tasted!  Enjoy!!

(Sorry these are not photographed well, I need to get better with that, I mean I have taken two photography classes, I shouldn't have an excuse!)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients 
1 box red velvet cake mix

1 box (3.9 oz) chocolate instant pudding

1 package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup  butter, softened

1 bag (16 oz.) powdered sugar (about 4 cups)

1 cup thawed cool whip

1.  Make cake mix according to package instructions for cupcakes adding the pudding in the batter.

2.  While cupcakes are baking, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until well blended.  Gradually add sugar.  Whisk in cool whip.  Put icing in gallon size ziploc and cut tip off of the bag (about 1/2 inch in).

3.  After cupcakes have cooled, take the handle end of a butter knife (or any other similar kitchen utensil) and make a small hole in the middle of the cupcakes.  Fill hole with icing and then ice the top of the cupcakes.  I recommend going in a circle, starting on the outside.  Very easy but looks professional!  And oh so yummy!

I'm linking up with the parties below.  Head on over for some delicious recipes!

On the 12th Day of Christmas

Linking up with Cait for the last day of the 12 Days of Christmas for a little Christmas Musings.

This is really more of a musing instead of several.  A couple years ago I gave as gifts a jar of potato soup mix.  I don't have a picture of the jar but here's something like what I gave:

And just imagine it was potato soup inside!

Supplies:

1 qt. jar with lid

Cardstock

Printer

Thin ribbon/string/yarn/raffia

Tissue paper/fabric

Ingredients for approximately one jar:

1-3/4 cups instant mashed potatoes


1-1/2 cups dry milk


2 T. instant chicken bullion
(or vegetable if making for a vegetarian)

2 tsp. dried minced onion


1 tsp. dried parsley


1/4 tsp. ground white pepper


1/4 tsp. dried thyme


1/8 tsp. turmeric


1-1/2 tsp. seasoned salt



*Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Place in 1 quart canning jars.

*Decorate with your supplies.  If your lid is 2 pieces place round disc on 1st, then fabric, then outer rim. 

*Print the following instructions on card stock, cut out and attach to each jar.

Potato Soup

To Serve: Place ½ cup of soup mix in a soup bowl and add 1 cup of boiling water.  Stir until well blended.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Mix in bacon bits and cheese to make it loaded potato soup!  Enjoy!!

I got a lot of compliments that the soup was great, and it was easy to put together!

On the 5th Day of Christmas...

Linking up with Caitlin for some Holiday Recipes!

I love cooking and I love spending time with friends and family.  So when the holidays come it makes me really happy to mix the two!  If I had the time I would post all of my favorite holiday recipes (most are desserts), but I don't think my fingers could handle that!  So here's two.


Spinach & Artichoke Dip
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (divided)
1/4 tsp black peppper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
2 blocks (16 oz total) cream cheese
1/2 of a 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry


Preheat oven to 350*.


Mix 2 T parmesan in with spinach.
In a large bowl combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 T parmesan, pepper, garlic, artichokes, cream cheese, and spinach.
Stir until well blended.  
Put mixture in 1 1/2-2 qt baking dish.
Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella (1/2 c) and Parmesan (2 T).
Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.  
Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or whatever you desire!!




Chess Cake
Preheat oven to 350*.
Mix together the following ingredients with a fork and then knead with your hands for 2 minutes:
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 stick melted margarine
1 egg
Once mixed, spread into an ungreased 9x13 pan.


In another bowl mix:
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
2 eggs
3 3/4 c powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
Blend by hand ingredients until moistened.  Then cream by mixers til smooth (about 2-3 minutes). Pour over cake mixture.
Bake 35 minutes til golden brown on top.  Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar while still hot.


Yum Yum!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I'm going to start out saying this turned out so much better than I expected!  I have made 2 soups before that failed miserably.  When I left work Thursday into the chilly air (finally! enough of the 80s in October!) I decided I wanted some soup.  I had a recipe I found on Kraft Foods but it just seemed too plain.  When I was buying tortillas I found a recipe on the back of the package for Chicken Tortilla Soup, but I didn't like that one either.  So I combined them.  It's SO easy to make.  Cutting up the tortillas is the "bad" part, only because its the most time consuming.  Enjoy!

Lauren's Chicken Tortilla Soup


Six 6 inch tortillas (I used flour because I don't like corn as much)
1/2 tsp. oil
1/2 lb chicken breast (1-2 depending on their size, I used the largest one I had)
32 oz. chicken broth
1 cup corn (frozen)
1/2 cup green pepper (you can buy these frozen)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can black beans
1 cup salsa (I used medium to give it a bit of a kick)
1/2 to 1 1/2 cups water
Cheddar cheese (topping)
Sour Cream (topping)


1.  Boil chicken (if frozen, thaw first) until white in center, about 10 minutes? (I never time this!).


2.  While the chicken is cooking preheat oven to 400.  Cut up 2 tortillas (or 3 if you like a lot of crunchies on top) into strips and coat with 1/2 teaspoon of oil.  Spread out in 1 layer onto a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes or until brown.


3.  Chop the rest of the tortillas in to small pieces.  Once chicken is cooked, chop it into bite size pieces.


4.  Add chicken, chopped tortillas, beans, corn, taco seasoning, peppers, salsa and chicken broth to medium pot. Add water, the amount will depend on how much you want to dilute the taco seasoning.


5.  Heat to a boil.  Then reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Stir every couple minutes so it doesn't stick.


6.  Once cooked, remove from heat and serve (you can also freeze it for later after letting it cool).  Garnish with cheese, sour cream and crunchy tortilla strips.


It's not McAlister's Chicken Tortilla, but it's very tasty and filling!

Apple Strudel Muffins and Apple Crisp Recipes

As I mentioned before, I got some delicious apples (but not golden delicious, actually I can't remember what kind they are.  It was a type I hadn't heard before) at Huber's when we went a little while ago.  I think its been two weeks, wow!  Time flies.  


That night I made Apple Strudel muffins for the tailgate at church the next morning.  They went over really well and since I doubled the recipe, provided breakfast for the next week!  Here is the recipe (courtesy of AllRecipes.com) with my modifications.


Apple Strudel Muffins
Muffins:
2 cups flour
1  teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (I used real unsalted butter)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped apples (about 2 apples, depending on size)
1 cup shredded apples (about 3 apples, depending on size)
(I shredded with a cheese grater to get the juice out & make the muffins moist)


Topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted


1. Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or fill with liners.  You could also use a 24 cup mini-muffin pan, greased.


2.  In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder & soda, and salt.


3. In a large bowl beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth.  Mix in vanilla and shredded apples.  Stir in chopped apples and gradually blend in the flour mixture.  Spoon mixture into muffin pan.


4.  In a small bow mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Add butter until mixture is coarse like crumbs.  Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.


5.  Bake 20 minutes in preheated oven or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan.  Cool on wire rack.


Enjoy!


Apple Crisp
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats (any kind works)
2/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I never have this so I don't put it in.  It's up to you!)
1/4 cup chopped pecans, optional ( I NEVER put this in...I dislike nuts mixed in my food, texture thing)
1/3 cup melted margarine
3 pounds of apples, (about 9-10) peeled and chopped in about 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice




1.  Preheat oven to 350.


2.  Chop and peel apples (the most time consuming part!).  In large bowl mix apples, lemon juice (if you use a full 2 tablespoons, there might be extra juice after its baked) and cinnamon and 1/2 cup white sugar.  If this bowl has a lid, it makes mixing so much easier!


3.  Put apples into 2 quart or 2.5 quart (that's what I used) baking dish. 


4.  In medium bowl mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Mix in margarine.  Cover apples with mixture.


5.  Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool about 15 minutes before eating.


**I just took this out of the oven and it smells DELICIOUS!!!  Tastes that way too!!**


Variation:


Cherry Crisp


When I don't have fresh apples, I use a can of cherry pie filling (21 oz), add some frozen berry mixture (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries & blackberries) over top of the cherry pie filling and double the crumbly topping (because it's so good!!).  Bake for about 25-30 minutes.  It's probably one of my favorite desserts, and the easiest!


I hope you enjoy these recipes!!  

Alfredo Sauce Recipe

As my family knows, I love Alfredo sauce.  But up until tonight I have never made my own, just ate the jar kind.  So I was feeling adventurous and googled Alfredo recipes and came across this one.  Since it claims to be better than Olive Garden (yum) I figured it had to be good.  And it was!!  Brett & I both loved it (the more you put on your pasta--fettuccine--the better).  It's not the healthiest, but it tastes great and was pretty easy.  Here's the recipe with my comments in purple:

'Better than Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce'

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons sweet butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I use the Spice World Minced Garlic in the jar)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used more towards 2/3 cup because I didn't want to leave the container with just barely some in it) 
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese (All I had was a pizza blend that had mozzarella in it)
• 1 (12 ounce) box angel hair pasta (I used fettuccine because I had some cooked already)
• I also added some oregano in step two, about 1 tsp. 

Directions:

1.  Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium/low heat. 

2.  Add the garlic, cream and white pepper and simmer, stirring often.

3.  Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer for 8-10 minutes until sauce has thickened and is smooth.

4.  When the sauce has thickened, add the Mozzarella cheese and stir frequently until smooth.


5.  While the sauce cooks, boil noodles for 3-5 minutes.  


6.  Place pasta on plates and spoon sauce over pasta.

This sauce is definitely a great base to add other ingredients to.  It would taste great with mushrooms (fresh or canned), some tomatoes (specifically sun dried, yummy!), or anything your heart desires!!  Enjoy!


Lauren