Sweet and Sour Kielbasa

I've been sick for so long and am craving some more good home cooking. I made this back in August and it has become a staple meal for us. I haven't made it since Aug but thought that I would share the recipe with you. You will notice in the picture that I used two different kinds of pasta because I was running short of the rotini noodles. It didn't make any difference in the taste of the dish so feel free to substitute. It's so good and such a nice hearty meal.

1 pack of Kielbasa sausage
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
1 bell pepper (chopped)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 box Rotini noodles
1/4 cup of crushed pineapples (drained)
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp butter
Directions
Place olive oil in a LARGE skillet on medium high heat. In a separate pot place pasta with water and boil for 7-8 minutes. Slice kielbasa and place in skillet with olive oil. Add onion and bell pepper with the kielbasa until the kielbasa starts browning up. Then add brown sugar and crushed pineapples and stir. Once mixture comes to a boil reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Drain pasta and add salt, pepper and butter and gently blend. Place pasta on plate and top with kielbasa mixture. Enjoy!
4 servings
**Please note that I found this recipe a while ago on a website called At home with Nikki

Pizza Pops anyone?

 Hey everyone! Looking for a nice little after school snack for the kiddos? I remember how hungry my son used to be when he would get home from school and needed a little something to hold him over until supper time rolled around. Well I've found just the thing for you and they are super fast,easy and CHEAP to make....oh yeah and did I say that they are delicious as well? I didn't really know what to call them because I had seen them being made on tv but couldn't remember which show I was watching at the time but did remember most of the ingredients...if I forgot to add something then I'd never know it because they were so good. So I've named them Pizza Pops because each bite is like a POP of cheesy goodness. Like I said they will be good for snacks, however they were supper tonight for me and my husband. I didn't feel like standing and cooking for any length of time so this was the perfect thing....a side salad along with these is more than enough for anyone I think. So anyway, here is the recipe..hope you enjoy.
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PIZZA POPS
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
couple of pinches of salt
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 cups Sergento 6 cheese Italian cheese (8 oz bag)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups sliced pepperoni cut into small pieces
1 jar pizza sauce
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, Italian seasoning, rosemary in large bowl. Lightly beat egg and milk then add to dry mixture along with the cheeses and pepperoni.
Use an ice cream scoop to fill your muffin tin. Bake for 24 mins. Heat about half the jar of pizza sauce in the microwave and serve in a side dish for dipping. This recipe will makes 18 large muffins

Oh yeah I about forgot the most important part moms.....be sure to set you one aside so you'll have something to snack on as well while your making that precious family of yours supper.
Have a good day everyone!

My Mexican Casserole recipe....

Hey All! Yesterday I was on the phone with my mom and was working on a mini album while talking and she was telling me about a Mexican pie recipe that she had made and how good it was. Well I have to be honest...I'm an not real good at multi tasking at all so when she was telling me what she put in it all that heard was Mexican pie, ground beef and what I thought was corn chips. Well I had stopped working on my album to finish our conversation because obviously I didn't hear the rest of the ingredients because I just simply can't do 2 things at once. So after our phone call ended I got to thinking about what I was going to make for dinner and so the mad scientist headed to the kitchen to see what I could find to make. So I grabbed the corn chips, ground beef and then opened my pantry and literally started pulling anything out that sounded like it would be good in a casserole and here is what I came up with....by the way. I misunderstood my mom about the corn chips as well...she had said corn tortillas. But this turned out really good and my husband loved it as well.
ROBIN'S MEXICAN CASSEROLE
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(1) 10.5 oz bag BBQ corn chips
(2) pkg taco seasoning
2 lb ground beef
(1) 16 oz refried beans
(1) 15 oz whole kernel corn (drained)
(1) 15 oz diced tomatoes (Italian style)
(1) small can sliced black olives (drained)
(1) Tbls dried chopped chives
(1) tsp onion salt
         OR
(1) medium onion chopped
(1) 8 oz (2cups) Sargento 6 cheese Italian
(1) cup shredded cheddar cheese
salsa
sour cream
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Brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning as recommended on pkg. In a large sauce pot combine beans, corn, tomatoes, olives, chives and onion salt. (Drop the onion salt if using chopped onion, saute chopped onion while browning ground beef if you choose that route). Heat this mixture then add ground beef to bean mixture and stir well. In a greased 9 x 13 glass dish add a layer of corn chips then a layer of the bean/beef mixture then add some of both the cheeses and repeat this step one more time. Crumble the remaining corn chips and top off casserole.
In a preheated 350 degree oven bake for 20 minutes.
Serve with salsa and sour cream.
ENJOY!

Chili's copycat Grilled Carribean Salad....

Hey all...I thought I'd share a copycat recipe that I made from a recipe book that my best friend Suzie had bought me. It was so good that I had to share it with all of you.
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CHICKEN
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup store-bought teriyaki marinade
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HONEY-LIME DRESSING
1/4 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
11/2 teaspoons lime juice
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PICO DE GALLO
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons diced jalapeno pepper (I left this out)
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro (I used 1 teaspoon of dried)
pinch of salt
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4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
4 cups chopped green leaf lettuce
1 cup chopped red cabbage
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, cut into chunks ( I used a can of pineapple chunks that I drained real good)
1/2 cup mandarin orange slices (again I used canned that was drained)
1/2 cup whole dried cherries (I left these out because I don't like them)
2 cups crushed tortilla chips (husband didn't like them as a topping)
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1. Do ahead: Marinate the chicken in the teriyaki marinade in a covered container for 2 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
2. Do ahead: In a small bowl, combine the honey-lime dressing ingredients whisking well, and refrigerate in a covered container.
3. Do ahead: Combine the pico de gallo ingredients and refrigerate in a covered container. (I made a double batch of the above dressing and put it in a rubbermaid dispensing bottle)
4. Light a charcoal grill or preheat the broiler
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off the excess. Cook each breast, turning once 5 or 6 minutes per side, until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Set aside and keep warm.
6. Combine the lettuces with the cabbage and divide among 4 serving bowls. Top each salad with the pico de gallo, pineapple chunks, orange slices, cherries and crushed tortilla chips.
7. Slice the cooked chicken into thin strips and divide among the salads. Serve with ramekins or honey-lime dressing on the side.
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Serves 4 and the estimated AT-HOME cost is $9.50

Pies, Pies and MORE Pies!

 On my visit to see my best friend and sis Suzie in Oklahoma this year, she asked me what I wanted to learn to cook this time and I said PIE! So that's exactly what we did and I was so thrilled and excited that I actually did it myself.......with the guidance of Mrs. Betty Crocker herself aka Suzie.

 Here we are....Suzie said that I was a good student......it takes a good teacher to make a good student. Thank you so much there is no way that I could of done it without you helping and guiding me.

 The filling for the chocolate pie! YUM!

 It's topping time!

 Waaaaa Laaaa here is the final product of this pie...a good old fashion chocolate!

 Here we have a pecan pie and a quiche.....Supper and dessert! YUMMMMMY!

And yes we do deliver to one of the sweetest couples in Porum Landing! Jojo and Tuffy loved it....psssst we had to wear our "uniforms" while delivering and had to ride to the neighbors in style...on Suzie's pink golf cart! weeeeeee!!! I still can't believe that I now know how to make pies! I'm so excited about it!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Hi everyone and Happy Halloween! I finally drug myself out of bed today where I've been being held captive by first a stomach virus and now what seems to be the flu. I had been craving something that I could actually taste. So I got up and made a big pot of chili, a pan of mexican cornbread and then I wanted something to do with pumpkin so I ran across this recipe on the internet and just had to try it. I wanted to do something nice for my boys today and for myself as well. So I just had to share with you this recipe cause it is sooooo good! The muffins are really moist and just so yummy.
I'm off to the doctors in the morning. As soon as I wake up I'm calling and begging for them to please get me in. I've taken all this mess that I can possibly tolerate.
So anyway, here's the recipe....hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (15oz can)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (I used pecans)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water. Beat for 90 seconds or until well mixed.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices, stirring until no streaks remain.

Combine flour mixture and pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts and raisins. Stirring only until all ingredients are mixed.

Cover batter and allow to stand at room temp for one hour.

Preheat oven at 400 degrees

Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 of the way full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until muffin tops spring back after lightly touched.

Brush tops of muffins with melted butter while still warm and sprinkle lightly with sugar.


Now kick your heels up and ENJOY!

Three bean chili! So Yummy!....

Is it getting chilly out where you are? Well it is here in Tennessee and over the weekend it really felt like fall and was all rainy and yucky so what's a girl to do? I had been scanning over some other blogs and ran across a three bean chili but didn't quite have all of the ingredients in it that it called for sooooo I was like a mad scientist in the kitchen and came up with my own version of it. Here's the recipe in case you want to make it yourself.

2 cans diced tomatoes chili style
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of black beans
1 can of chili beans in hot sauce
1 package of chili seasoning
1 teaspoon of cumin
salt and pepper
1 large yellow onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 can of chicken stock


TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
sour cream
dried chives
crushed tortillas (I used these but I have to say that we didn't like them on it, it made them turn to a soggy chewy mess so I want make that mistake again)
grated montery jack cheese

In a large pot put all your beans and tomatoes, add the chili mix and cumin and salt and pepper. In a skillet put a bit of olive oil in the bottom just enough to coat it a little. Then chop your onions and peppers and saute them. Then after they are nice and sauteed add your chicken stock to release all the good stuff off the bottom of your skillet. Add this to your pot with the beans and tomatoes in them. Let cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes to an hour. I personally think the longer it cooks the better the ingredients blend together.
Once the chili is finished cooking serve up in a bowl and add your montery jack cheese, a dollop of sour cream, dried chives and the crushed tortillas (if you dare)

It's soooo yummy! My husband and son went back for 2nd and 3rds! So it's a hit in this house! Hmmm you never know what will be the outcome when I go to the kitchen to cook and take on the roll of a mad scientist! This was a success!
Hope that everyone has a wonderful day and come on back and see me soon.

Suzie's Seaside Soup

Brrr it's cold outside and a perfect time to warm up with some comfort food. This recipe was given to me by Suzie over at Happy Shack and is soooo yummy. My family just loves it so I had to share it with all of you. We never had eaten artichoke hearts so that was something new for us and believe me it was good. So here's the recipe. Hope that you all try it and enjoy it as much as we do.

5 tablespoons flour
5 tablespoons butter or margarine melted
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1/2 pound small shrimp cooked & deveined or 14 oz bag of frozen cooked & deveined shrimp (I used more shrimp cause my boys love shrimp so you can use the entire bag or more if you like)
2 cans artichoke hearts drained chopped to bite size pieces
4 cups whole or skim milk or heavy cream (milk is easier on the thighs )

Melt butter in large soup pot, stir in flour to make paste.
Slowly stir in chicken broth which is at room temp or heated in the microwave. Just not cold or you will get lumps in your flour mixture.
Now add all the other ingredients, the seasonings, onions and milk.
Still well and cook on low to medium til it simmers. Stir occasionally so it won't scorch.
Yields 6 to 8 servings. Serve with hot rolls.
Now eat up and enjoy. Yum!

Mayonnaise Rolls YUM!

Ever needed some rolls to go with dinner only to get dinner started and realize you have none to go with it and it's just a tad to late to run to the store? Well here's a quick and simple solution for you. I make these all the time cause they are just that.....quick and simple.

Mayonnaise Rolls
yields 6
1 1/2 cup self rising flour
3/4 cup milk
2 HEAPING tablespoons mayonnaise
Mix all ingredients til lumps are gone and pour into greased muffin tin in a 450 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are golden done.

These are so simple to make that you don't have to be Betty Crocker to make them and they save the day when you've ran out of any other kind of bread to serve with your meal. Now pour on the butter and eat up! YUMMMMMM

Flatbread pizza

Hi all...I'm going to share with you something that I've never done before. A recipe! This one your going to love cause it's super easy and the best part is that they are so easily adaptable to whatever you want or like on your pizza. My sis over at Happy Shack and I came up with this recipe and we call them lakebrats just because of the fact that you can have anything that you like...just like a brat and since we both live on lakes it was perfect. So here goes. If you have any questions or if you feel that I've left anything out please let me know.

Flat bread or Wraps (located where the tortilla shells are at)
pizza sauce
mozzarella cheese
feta cheese
green pepper finely chopped
onion finely chopped
pepperoni
black olives
red roasted peppers
sun dried tomatoes
chicken tender (cooked and chopped in small pieces)
canned mushrooms
basil pesto (just a little bit cause remember this is an extremely powerful taste and a little goes along way. Add it right after the sauce)

Fry up the chicken tenders in about a half a can of chicken broth and some minced garlic. Set aside and let cool while chopping up your green peppers and onion. Then chop up your chicken tenders and have handy.
Line the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil to catch and drips that may occur. Then preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the flat bread or Wraps on the middle rack for 1 minute on each side. Take out and start adding your toppings. Place back in oven and cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until your mozzarella cheese is melted nicely.
Please remember that you can put anything that you would like on your pizza. These are completely adaptable to your specific taste and the best part about it is. They are like having your own personal pizza.
My sister and I talk on a daily basis and toss ideas back and forth about crafting, cooking ect. and when I was telling her about the pizza that I had at McAlisters Deli in Destin, Fla this summer and just how good it was, it set off a brain storm of how we could make our own and this is what we came up with. So when sis and her hubby Don were here this summer we got to cooking...we were like mad scientist in the kitchen adding a little this and a little that and waaa laaa. Here's the outcome.
It may be the end of summer but remember pizza is good all year and they are so quick and easy and best of all you can please everyone in your family. Then sit back kick up your heels and take a break....no need to stand over a stove for hours making a huge meal when you can have a lakebrat in 30 minutes or less. YUMMMM
Hope you enjoy!