One Crazy Cookie

A few weeks ago London Broil was on sale.  I figured it would be great on the grill. The weather had a different idea.  The day I decided to make it a strong storm decided to rage outside so I had to go with another option.  It was simple and turned out delicious.  This recipe is a keeper. Crock Pot London Broil and Gravy from I'm Luving This Life London Broil 2 packets brown gravy mix 2 cups beef broth 2 Tablespoons soy sauce 1 Tablespoon minced onion 1 teaspoon pepper Place London Broil in the crock pot and pour the rest of the ingredients on top.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours, stirring and turning the meat a few times.  When meat is cooked remove and slice into thin pieces.  While you are slicing the meat check your gravy.  I added 1 Tablespoon corn starch mixed with a little water to the gravy mixture to thicken it up a bit.  Return meat to crock pot, stir and heat until gravy is desired consistency.  We ate it over mashed potatoes, but would be good alone, as a ho

High blood pressure runs in my family. I've had several family members have serious health issues and some lose their life because of it.  Over the years my blood pressure continued to rise.  Finally, a few years ago I gave in and started taking medication to control it.  The last couple years I have introduced regular exercise and trying to eat better into my life (running has kind of become an addiction). It has aided in the lowering of the dose of medication I need to take.  The past summer the doctor attempted to take me off of the medication due to my very active lifestyle. but my blood pressure shot right back up.  It turns out it is genetics.  As soon as I went back on the medication it was right back where it should be.  Due to this factor it is important that I keep it monitored. Can't let it get high and I need to watch that it does not get too low (that has happened also).  That is where this great little machine that does big things comes in. The  VIVE Prec

Bread is one of my biggest loves and weaknesses.  The other night on my commute home from work (I have a lot of time to think) a thought entered my mind garlic butter and cheese in a cinnamon roll form.  I had to experiment with it and they turned out to be a huge hit!! Garlic Cheese Roll-Ups 1 batch of pizza dough (you can find an easy and good recipe here .) 4 Tablespoons butter, divided 2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided 1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan Cheese 1 1/2 -2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese Roll you dough out in to a large rectangle.  Melt 2 Tablespoons butter with 1 teaspoon garlic.  Spread the garlic butter over the rectangle.  Sprinkle with the Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese.  Roll up the long ends and cut into 1 about 1 inch pieces (dental floss works well to cut it.You can see an example here .)  Place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of

A few weeks ago Cave Tools asked me if I wanted to try out their new Rib and Roast BBQ Rack ,  I was excited when it arrived.  You know I'm a crazy foodie because I thought the stainless steel was beautiful!  I decided to try something a little unconventional and see how it worked. Here it is on the grill ready to go. Look at that nice smoke. First we tried some chicken tenders (which I needed for a salad) They turned our delicious, but were a little small for the spacing on the rack.  A full chicken breast would of been perfect. Next we tried some steak. It was pretty thick steak.  We were worried the stuff on the upper sides would not get cooked completely. We were shocked at how well it actually cooked. Those little blackened ends had such great flavor.  It worked well on our grill, but would be perfect in a smoker. The Cave Tools  rib and roast rack  has: Unique 2 in 1 Design Gets The Job Done Without Needing Multiple Tools - Great for Cooking

  When you don't get home from work until 7 pm it's important to feed the troops as quick as possible.  So lately, I have been focusing on how I can get dinner done quickly, but still be home cooked and nutritious as possible.  This one fit the mold.  It is so simple, super quick and delicious!  Best of all you can change it up to fit your family's taste buds and leftovers seem to taste even better the next day.  It has been a huge hit at my house. Sausage and Pepper Pasta 1 medium sweet onion 2 Peppers (I like to use for example 1 red and 1 yellow) 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 sausage, sliced and halved. (I used a Hillshire Farms Smoked Beef Sausage) 1 can petite diced tomatoes 4 mushrooms, sliced 1 can spaghetti sauce 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 1 lb pasta cooked and drained. Pour the olive oil in to a saute pan.  Add the garlic. Slice onions, peppers and put them in the pan. Saute over medium heat until they start to get tender (about

My family loves smoked meat.  There is just something about the added flavor that makes the taste so incredible.  We have always wanted to buy a smoker, but couldn't find something that was in our budget.  I was so excited when Cave Tools  asked me if I wanted to review a smoker box.  When it arrived I was surprised how small it was, but after using it I discovered it is the perfect size. It's made out of stainless steel. It fits nicely under the grill grates. We tried it with charcoal briquettes and it did not work very well, but when using the gas it worked brilliantly. On the wood chip package it says to soak your chips before using them.  We discovered it worked much better with dry chips. We cooked hamburgers BBQ Chicken and Veggie Kabobs and my favorite just smoked chicken.  We did not even season the chicken. It was flavored strictly by the smoke from the smoke box and it was delicious. You can buy the Smoker Box directly from Cave Too

Happy St. Patrick's Day! St. Patrick's Day is one holiday that holds very special memories for me.   It was one of my Grandma McNee's favorite holidays.  I remember how much she loved it and how happy it would make her to celebrate the "green" day.  It was tradition that she always made her famous " Irish Cupcakes ".  They were so fun and oh so delicious.  No matter how old we were we looked forward to them each St Patrick's Day.   I have attempted to keep this tradition up with my own kids, but as life got busier and with a full time job, I have become a slacker in this area. Thankfully, my Sister Tayler took hold of the reins and kept the tradition going this year. Not only are they adorable, but it brings back such tender and happy memories.   You can find find this recipe for GRANDMA's IRISH CUPCAKES here . Tayler used t his recipe for the frosting. (My fave!!) Thank you Tayler for the little reminder of our incredible, amaz

I am a HUGE Taco fan.  I could eat tacos all week and never get tired of them.  My family on the other hand think I make them too much (once or twice a month is not too often).  So this was a great find.  The family absolutely loved it.  It had great flavor and provided my taco fix while satisfying my whole family.  It is now my favorite dish and there were no leftovers. Queso Taco Pasta From Picky Palate Queso Sauce 4 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup prepared mild salsa Beef Mixture 1 cup finely chopped onions 1 Tablespoon minced garlic 1 pound ground beef 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon  black pepper 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes, mild 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 Tablespoon lime juice 3/4 pound small pasta of your choice 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray

F or Thanksgiving my mom and sister made this incredible chocolate pie.  It was so delicious and a huge hit.  Let's just say it did not last very long.  It left me wanting more...craving it! Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I made it twice and took another one to a potluck at work (also a huge hit there).  Best of all it is super quick and easy to make. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Patsy's Perfect Chocolate Pie Inspired by Lauren's Latest 1 baked and cooled pie crust  12 ounces chocolate chips (Basically 1 bag. I like the Guittard and I used milk chocolate) 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup powdered sugar 2 cups cold milk 1- 5.1 oz. package instant chocolate pudding Chocolate shavings for garnish DIRECTIONS: Whip cream with vanilla and powdered sugar until stiff.  Set aside. In a large bowl whip milk with chocolate pudding mix until smooth. Sit 3 minutes to thicken.  Pour the chocolate chips into a bowl

Happy New Year! Life has been a bit crazy for me ever since going to work full time last Spring and sadly this blog has suffered the consequences of it.  Let's just say I have totally missed it and my interactions with all of my incredible and amazing readers.  My goal this coming year is to get back to writing, creating and sharing with all of you.  To say THANK YOU for your patience with me I have a great giveaway to start the year off with from the great people over at  CanvasFactory . With CanvasFactory  I was able to easily take this little photo from my phone and create a beautiful 16 x 20 canvas print. (This picture of my canvas print does not do it justice, It is gorgeous!) The website was so easy and helpful. It helped me determine which pictures would work best for this size. It was quick and I was impressed and even more in awe when it arrived.  It is very nicely done and looks amazing. The wrapped edges are such a nice touch.  There are lots