One Crazy Cookie

Just a few words about my new favorite salad.  It is easy to put together and oh so DELICIOUS!! I found this recipe over at Moogie and Pap .  She is always making some amazing things!!  I love that you really don't need to measure the ingredients and the dressing is so good!! Bowtie Spinach Salad adapted from Moogie & Pap 1 bag baby spinach 8 oz. mini-bow tie pasta 1 package bacon cooked crisp and broken into small pieces. 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into about 1 inch cubes 4-6 strawberries cut into bite sized pieces 1/4 cup almond slivers Dressing 1 cup canola oil 2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon prepared mustard 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1 Tablespoon sweet onion 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds *Optional  1 strawberry Update: This is my new favorite dressing for this salad: Sweet Vinaigrette Dressing 2/3 cup oil 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon mustard 1/2 teaspoon onion salt 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds (optional) Mix well. Shak

My brother Ryan is an amazing cook.  Today, I am sharing with you one of his signature dishes! It may not look beautiful, but it is delicious and I love the bean mixture.  He adds, "to make sure you have a bottle of  'Beano' on hand!!" (Did I mention his great sense of humor!) On with the recipe.... Ryan's Bean Casserole All beans are the 15 oz. cans 1 can Pork & Beans 1 can kidney beans 1 can red beans 1 can black beans 1 can great northern beans 1 pound hamburger 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 Tablespoons mustard 1 small onion, chopped (or about 1/2 cup) 1 Polska Kielbasa or beef smoked sausage 1 Tablespoon vinegar 1 package bacon Brown and drain hamburger.  Cook bacon until crisp and break into pieces. Cut sausage into small pieces.  Drain and rinse beans except the pork and beans.  Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Pour into a 13 x 9 casserole dish and bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.  My lazy version: Place it all in a crock po

As I was searching through my recipes looking for meals to use up my ham I came across one of my family's very favorites: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole. Oh yum!!  This is a go to recipe when I need to take dinner into someone.  I always get a call wanting the recipe.  It is best when you use real ham in it so it is the perfect dish for the leftover ham. Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole Once again the picture does not do it justice. It also makes a great freezer meal. Another of my favorites is: Skillet Ham & Pasta Last but not least idea for leftover ham or should I say your ham bone is: Ham & Bean Chowder YUM!! I hope these help a bit!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!!  A huge THANKS to everyone for letting me vent about my son and for all the sweet words.  Just a quick update: His bloodwork came back normal and just as a precaution we will see a cardiologist in a week.  So far so good!!  I have a ton of ham leftover from Easter dinner.  Does anyone else?  So my question is what do you do with it all??  I have a few great recipes, but my family gets tired of it real quick.  Any ideas? Now on to my weekly menu:  7 days of HAM!  Just kidding, although I am thowing in a few ham meals. This Week's Menu  Monday: Ham Fried Rice Tuesday: French Dips Wednesday: Skillet Ham & Cheese Pasta Thursday: Tex-Mex Casserole Friday: Beef & Cheese Manicotti Saturday: Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza Sunday: Tacos Have an INCREDIBLE week!! Linked to: Menu Plan Monday

Your recipes that I can't wait to try out on my table!! Greek Pasta Salad Meatless Meals for Meat Lovers Fruit Topped Angel Food Squares The Cookin' Chemist Mango Salsa Only Fish Recipes Bacon Ketchup Moogie & Pap Hula Girl Blondies Sinful Southern Sweets Garden Cheese Ball Meatless Meals for Meat Eaters

This is the perfect meal to satisfy my meat and potatoes hubby.  I love it because it is easy and an all in one deal!!  It is delicious and there weren't any leftovers.  Pork Chops O'Brien 6 pork loin chops about 1/2 inch thick 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup butter 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1+ cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cups french fried onions 24 oz. frozen hash browns seasoning salt Over medium high heat, brown the pork chops and set aside. Melt butter.  In a medium sized bowl combine the soup, sour cream, butter, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 cup onions.  Fold mixture into the potatoes. Spread mixture in a lightly greased 9 x 13 dish. Arrange pork chops on top and sprinkle them with the seasoning salt. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the pork is tender.  Remove cover. Sprinkle with the remaing french fried onions and cheese. Return to the oven uncovered for 5-10 minutes

This was a quick, easy and delicious meal!!  It is supposed to be a lower calorie version.  I left out the pepper flakes so that my kids would eat it.  They loved it!!  You can add more vegetables or leave them out.  The only thing I will do different next time is I need to double the recipe, they ate it all and I think leftovers would be tasty.  I served it with steamed broccoli on the side. General Tso's Chicken 1 1/2 cup chicken broth 3 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch (3 Tablespoons 1 1/2 teaspoons) 3 Tablespoons sugar 3 Tablespoons soy sauce 1 1/2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 Tablespoon oil 1/2 cup minced onions 1 teaspoon minced garlic *1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes  *1/2 cup unsalted cashew pieces 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into about 2 inch pieces. *3 medium mushrooms, sliced *2 stalks of celery, sliced Cooked rice (I cooked 3 cups.) *optional ingredients In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, suga

My family loves meatloaf, but I needed a bit of a change.  A combination of sweet and sour sauce and meat.  A perfect change.  It was delicious!! The sauce is AMAZING!! Sorry this is the only picture I took.  We got too involved in eating it that it was all gone before I thought about taking more pictures. Sweet & Sour Meatloaf 1 1/2 pounds hamburger 3/4 cup uncooked oats 1/2 cup minced onion 1  teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 egg 1 (15 oz.) can of tomato sauce 2 Tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons prepared mustard Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix hamburger, oats, onion, salt, pepper, egg and 1/2 can of the tomato sauce together.  Place in a loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes.  Meanwhile in a small saucepan over medium heat combine the remaining tomato sauce, the sugars, vinegar and mustard.  Bring mixture to a boil and remove from heat. After meatloaf has cooked for 45 minutes remove from oven and drain the grease.  Po

Saturday at the BIG track invitational, my son ran the 3200 and collapsed at the finish line.  It was so scary!!  They did not permit parents on the field, but that didn't stop me.  Nothing was stopping me from getting to my son.  It was a really scary time. They had an ambulance at the meet but no one there to staff it. (Is that stange to anyone else but me?) They had a medic tent which had a doctor and he said he needed an IV but, they had no way to give him one.(Ok there is an ambulance and a doctor what is wrong with this picture?)  Finally after about 1/2 hour the dr. said we needed to get him to the ER.  Kody perked up and was determined he was not going.  Luckily it all worked out and he was able to walk out on his own.  Now we just got to figure out what is going on with him. So question for everyone.  No matter how much he drinks he cannot stay hydrated.  No other issues, but when this happens during the race his body just shuts down. This was the worst episode yet.  Does

Lately I have been in a bit of a dinner rut! So I turned to a good friend and asked if she had anything she would share with me.  A few minutes later, she tapped me on the shoulder and handed me this recipe and it is DELICIOUS!! It was a hit with the whole family, even the picky eater.  Unfortunately, the pictures do not do it justice, so you will just have to trust me on this one.  It is simple, quick and tasty!!  Italian Chicken Pockets 1 pound chicken breast, cubed 1/2 cup Italian dressing 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup diced onions 4- 6 oz. sliced pepperoni, cut in half 3 medium mushrooms, sliced 1 green pepper diced 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded Mozzarella cheese (optional) pita pocket bread Marinate the chicken cubes in the Italian dressing for at least 2 hours.  Drain off the dressing.  Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat.   Add chicken and cook until browned. Add mushrooms, onions, peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Then add t

Have you ever dreamed of writing your own story book, in which animals talk, people can fly, and giants live next door? Now is your chance!!  I have always wanted to write a children's book, but have been too scared.  This is the perfect opportunity for everyone who has ever dreamed of being published.  Cheerios has made it easy for you to enter your story. Through its annual New Author Contest Cheerios ® cereal will make this dream a  reality for one aspiring children’s book author. One Grand Prize Winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize  and a possible publishing deal with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, in addition to having his or her book featured inside Cheerios cereal boxes nationwide. Founded on the belief that reading is a key building block for learning and life, the Cheerios New Author Contest encourages ambitious authors to write and submit an original story, in either English or Spanish, suitable for children ages three to eight. The conte

You all know my famiy's love of Mexican food and my love of trying new things.  So when I saw this recipe over at An 'A' for Effort I just knew it would be amazing because she makes the best things!! It did not let me down.  Due to my lack of certain ingredients I adapted it a bit and loved it so much! The added ranch dressing brings added flavor.  I will be making these again and soon.  Everyone loved them. Ranch Enchiladas Creamas Verdes adapted from An 'A' for Effort 2 cups shredded cooked chicken 2 T olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 2 cups green enchilada sauce, divided 1 small can diced green chilies 4 oz. cream cheese 3/4 cup ranch dressing , divided flour tortillas 1 C half and half or heavy cream 3C shredded Monterrey Jack cheese Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.   Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; Saute onion 5 minutes.  Add chicken, 1 cup enchilada s

I have a little glitch in this week's menu.  We are waiting to hear if my son qualified for a big race out of town this next weekend.  Don't they get that this mom has to PLAN!! (deep breath). So I am planning like we will be going and if not, I guess I will just have to plan some more.  This Week's Menu Monday: Italian Chicken Pitas Tuesday: Spaghetti & Meatballs Wednesday: Chicken Ole Thursday: S&S Meatloaf Friday: Out of Town Saturday: Out of town Sunday: Pork Chops Wishing you a delicious week! Linked to Menu Plan Monday

I had two bananas that were way overdue to be eaten..I couldn't get rid of them. So I turned them into this DELICIOUS cake!! It is so light and flavorful. OH YUM!! I want another piece........but I am gonna resist...well, maybe??? Banana Pudding Cake 1 box yellow cake mix 1 (3.5 oz.)package instant banana cream pudding mix. 4 eggs 1/4 cup oil 1 cup water 1 cup mashed bananas Optional: 2 cup mini chocolate chips Icing: 2 cups powdered sugar 2 Tablespoons butter, melted 2 Tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla dash of salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.  Add cake mix and pudding mix to a large bowl.  Add eggs, oil, water  and mashed bananas.  Beat on low speed until blended.  Then beat on medium speed for 4 minutes.  (Stir in chocolate chips if desired.) Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Then turn out on to a wire rack and cool completely.