Happy Wednesday!

It’s a gorgeous Summer day out today – 80 degrees F., sunny & clear skies. After the last 3-4 days of intermittent rain, it’s nice to see the sun again!

Been plugging away at the baby blocks and STRUGGLING with the intarsia. I decided I wanted a smiley face on one of the block sides; got it all drawn on the grid paper and knit maybe 1/3 of it – up to where you begin to knit in the mouth – disaster! I’m guessing I ripped it out a good 8 times, re-knit, rip, re-think/re-knit, etc. until I finally decided there was NO way I could KNIT the mouth & eyes without the mouth looking like some sort of scary Halloween pumpkin face! Ended up drawing on my old embroidery skills – cross stitch for the mouth & eyes, and Lazy Daisey for the outline of the face (took me awhile to remember the ‘trick’ to that last stitch – must have attempted it a good 8-10 times before finally it clicked). Here is what the baby block looks like on the BACK SIDE (before I sew it up & stuff it)

All the ‘mess’ of yarn ‘strings’ everywhere are called ‘floaters’ – you basically knit with one color (say white) for maybe 6 stitches, then drop that yarn, pick up the next color (say yellow) and knit 4 stitches, drop that/pick back up the white and keep going. All the yarn you are NOT using at the time just ‘floats’ at the back of the work until you need it. It’s a mess on the back but makes nice pictures on the front. Here’s that same block on the front side:

One block almost done, 2 more to go (or more, depending on my moods!) The multi-colored squares are the top/bottom of the block.

===================

No-Bake Caramel Shortbread Pie

Crust:
2 C. crushed shortbread cookies
(reserve 1 T. for topping)
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, melted
1/3 C. sugar

Caramel Filling:
2 (8 oz, ea) pkgs. cream cheese,
softened
1/2 C. caramel dessert topping
1 T. vanilla
1/4 C. heavy cream
Cool Whip, thawed
–
Crust:
Mix all ingredients in medium
bowl; press into bottom & barely
up sides of 8 inch pie plate.

Filling:
Beat cream cheese, caramel topping
& vanilla in large bowl using elec.
mixer on medium speed until smooth.
Gradually beat in heavy cream just until
blended. Beat on medium-high speed
2 minutes until fluffy then spoon into
crust & smooth out.  Top with Cool
Whip & refrigerate 3 hours until set.
When ready to serve, drizzle top with
additional caramel topping & sprinkle
with reserved shortbread crumbs.
Store leftovers in refrigerator.

(recipe: iambaker.net)
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Spicy Zucchini Soup

4 T. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds/
stems/ribs removed (& discarded),
chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 lb. chopped zucchini (skin on),
about 5-6 C.
1 1/2 C. chopped day-old bread
3 C. chicken broth (or vegetable)
1 C. water
1/2 C. fresh mint leaves (spearmint),
loosely packed/chopped
1/2 C. fresh cilantro, loosely packed,
chopped (optional)
2 tsp. lemon juice
salt/pepper, to taste
–
Heat oil in large pot over medium-high
heat. Add onion & jalapeno, saute 4-5
minutes until onions are translucent but
not browned. Add garlic & zucchini;
saute 3-4 minutes longer, stirring often.
Sprinkle with salt. Add bread, broth &
water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat &
simmer gently 20 minutes. Remove from
heat; add mint & cilantro (if using). Puree
in a blender or food processor until
smooth, working in batches if necessary (or
use an immersion blender). Return soup
to pot, add lemon juice, salt/pepper, to
taste. Serve hot or chilled. Serves 4

NOTE: keeps a week, refrigerated

(recipe: simplyrecipes.com)
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Crockpot Chicken in Tomato Sauce

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken
breasts (or tenders)
3 T. butter, divided
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted crushed
tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can fire-roasted diced
tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 large zucchini
fresh, chopped basil
–
Can be served by itself OR
with cooked pasta
–
Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
Melt 1 T. butter & 1 T. olive oil.
Season chicken with garlic powder,
salt/pepper & cook on each side
until lightly browned (about 3-4
minutes) then place in crockpot.
Add both cans tomatoes, tomato
sauce, Ital. seasoning & remaining
2 T. butter. Cover & cook on High
3-4 hours or Low 6-8 hours until
chicken is cooked through*.
Taste sauce & add more seasonings,
if desired. Spiralize (or slice thin)
zucchini & add to crockpot. Cover &
cook in sauce until softened, 10-15
minutes longer. Garnish with fresh
chopped basil. Serves 4

*If using tenders: reduce time to
2-3 hours on High or 4-6 hours
on Low

NOTE: If sauce is too acidic for your taste,
you can stir in a few tablespoons of cream
or milk.

(recipe: slowcookergourmet.net)

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Cucumber Sandwich Filling

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. mayonnaise (can add
more, if needed)
1 medium cucumber, peeled/
seeded & finely chopped
1/2 tsp. fresh dill or 1/4 tsp.
dried dill weed
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
=
Place cucumber in a colander
& press to remove excess water.
Place cream cheese & may in a
blender or food processor &
pulse until smooth. Combine
cream cheese mixture, cucumber,
dill & garlic salt & place in a bowl.
Chill until ready to serve to allow
flavors to blend.
Makes 1 C.- total or 6-8 servings

(recipe: food.com)
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Creamy Broccoli/Bacon Bake

6 C. broccoli florets
2 carrots, sliced
1 (8 oz) tub cream cheese spread
2 T. milk
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 green onions, sliced
3/4 C. Kraft “shredded Triple
Cheddar Cheese with a touch of
Philadelphia” cheese
4 slices fully cooked bacon, chopped
–
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Add broccoli & carrots to saucepan of
boiling water; cook 2-3 minutes until
crisp-tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 C.
cooking water. Mix next 3 ingredients
until blended. Return cooked veggies
to saucepan; add cream cheese mixture
& onions; stir until veggies are evenly
coated with sauce, adding reserved
cooking water, if necessary, for desired
consistency. Spoon mixture into 2 Qt.
casserole dish that has been sprayed
with nonstick spray. Top mixture with
shredded cheese & bacon, cover with
foil. Bake 25 minutes until heated
through, uncovering last 5 minutes
of baking time. Serves 8 (1/2 C. each)

(recipe: Kraft recipes)
———————————-
Tuna Patties

2 (5 oz, ea) cans chunk light tuna in
water, drained/flaked
1 (6 oz) pkg. Stuffing mix for chicken
1 C. shredded mild Cheddar cheese
3/4 C. water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 C. mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
2 T. sweet pickle relish
1 egg, beaten
–
Combine all ingredients & refrigerate
10 minutes then stir. Heat large nonstick
skillet sprayed with cooking spray to
medium heat. Using an ice cream scoop,
make patties & place in skillet. Flatten
into patties with back of a spatula. Cook
6 minutes or until golden brown on both
sides, carefully turning after 3 minutes.
Serves 6

(recipe: Kraft recipes)
—————————————-

California Club Pasta Salad

1/2 C. ranch salad dressing
1/4 C. Miracle Whip salad dressing
2 C. rotini pasta, cooked/rinsed
under cold water
1 C. coarsely chopped romaine
lettuce
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 C. chopped plum tomatoes
4 slices bacon, cooked/crumbled
–
Mix ranch dressing with Miracle
Whip until blended. Combine all
remaining ingredients (except bacon)
in large bowl. Add dressing mixture &
mix lightly. Refrigerate 1 hour. Top
with bacon just before serving.
Serves 6, 1 C. each

(recipe: Kraft recipes)
————————————–

Crockpot Sour Cream Chocolate
Zucchini Bread

1 egg
1/3 C. oil
1 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C. sour cream
1 1/2 C. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. shredded zucchini
1/4 C. cocoa powder
–
Spray one 8 X 4″ loaf pan
with nonstick spray. In bowl
beat eggs, oil, vanilla & sugar until
light & fluffy. Add sour cream; mix
well. Add flour, baking powder, baking
soda, salt & cocoa powder – mix well
then add zucchini – stir, by hand, until
just mixed – pour into prepared pan.
Place a small rack in bottom of crockpot*
Place loaf pan on top of rack. Place 2
paper towels on top of crockpot & secure
towels with lid. Cook on High 2-3 hours
depending on how hot crockpot cooks.
Test with a wooden toothpick. Cool in
pan on a baking rack before removing
from pan. Makes 1 loaf.

NOTE: *If you don’t have a rack, ball up
a few pieces of foil & place pan on top.

You can double this recipe & make muffins,
or half muffins/half 1 loaf bread.

(recipe: 365daysofcrockpot.com)
==========================

Gas prices in the area have crept up a little
from $2.29/9 to $2.36/9 – as my husband
keeps reminding me: “At least they’re not
at $4.00 a gallon!”

Last night was my knit/crochet group and
we had 16 ladies all kind of crammed in;
some of them brought the baby items
they had knit/crocheted for the Detroit
Veterans Hospital’s Baby Shower – the
lady from the hospital is coming next
meeting (August 30th) to pick it all up.
Today found me sorting through the items
and writing out little tags for each that read:

“Made especially for you by: (first name, last
initial)
Waterford-Area Knitters & Crocheters”

Then I had to attach each tag to the item (the
hospital likes the ladies to know that there
was someone who personally made their gifts.
With just what I have here at the house now,
we have 18 afghans, 10 hats, 10 baby headbands.
I know that the next meeting will be pretty hectic,
with people coming in with bags. I feel bad that
on the collection day I’m not able to individually
photograph EACH item, but I am going to take
the ones that are here and photo them on my
picnic table some time soon so that the ladies
who can’t attend on ‘pick up’ day will at least
see ‘some’ of the donations. My ladies are
awesome when it comes to charity events.
One of my ladies crocheted 6 blankets and 8
hats! That’s a LOT (some ladies only do one hat
or one blanket – not that I’m complaining – I’ll
take whatever they want to make!)

A little later on I have a quick trip to the library
to pick up more books by my (now) favorite
author Lincoln Child, then a trip to the town-
ship offices to pay our Summer taxes (oh, joy).
Tonight’s special needs group is all set up: we’re
singing AND our one male helper/leader is going
to lead them in a new song he taught them a
few weeks ago, it’s called “the Fruits of the Spirit”
and I found a coloring page (free/on line) that
has that very thing on it! YAY! The night should
go pretty quickly and some of our kids are away
at camp, so it will be a smaller group – should be
fun.

Not much else new right now – lunch with my
friend yesterday was good – lots of chatting. The
food was ‘so-so’, I had a taco salad and I’ve never
before seen anyone put sliced radishes on one
(picked them off) – they put the chicken in big
chunks in the bottom of the tortilla ‘bowl’ then
shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, a little
shredded cheese & a huge dollop of sour cream;
kind of bland/blah – no beans, onion, etc. Will
not be going there again (only good thing? it
only cost $5.99).

Have a GREAT day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Still Mighty Chilly!

Another light dusting of snow overnight – roads are clear but it’s only 13 degrees F. out there with a wind chill of -11 degrees F. Oh goody- I have my special needs group tonight AND it’s Music/Birthday night (most popular event of every month) not counting I’m needed to play the piano for all the singing – sigh. Bundle up, Buttercup – we’re in for a REALLY CHILLY NIGHT!

Still working on the ‘special’ baby blanket – it’s coming along nicely, about 2 1/2 feet done. Spent a good amount of time yesterday on line attempting to find the crocheted border I had in my head – a sort of leaf-lying-on-it’s-side thing (don’t know where I originally saw it and OF COURSE I didn’t print it out or save it anywhere!) Went through all my knit/crochet books, searched on line (let’s say I spent a good 2 hours doing that) and finally decided to go through my books one more time. Just as I was saying to my son: “Wouldn’t it be nice if I just turned the page and there it was?” You guessed it – did just that. Me & my BIG ideas: this lovely pattern is SEVENTEEN ROWS TO MAKE ONE LEAF! Brings back that old TV commercial: “What was I thinking?” Let’s just humbly say: it’s WAaaaaay past my knit skill levels! Oh well, at least I finally FOUND it! Thought about what I could do instead which brought me to ANOTHER knit border I’d seen somewhere . . . this time it was a shorter search – found it and now will have to do an experiment to see if I can, indeed, do this pattern. I want to do a knitted, structured ruffle all around the blanket but reading the pattern and not exactly sure what they mean in one part – will play with that idea later.

Cold weather brings out the soups, stews & casseroles – enjoy!

==================

Cheesy Sausage Chili
(crockpot)

Chili Base:
1/2 lb. ground chicken
1/2 lb. ground turkey sausage
1 lb. tomatillos
1 (jalapeno/poblano or aneheim) pepper
2 c. salsa verde
1 can navy beans, rinsed/drained
1 (12 oz) bottle beer
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cilantro

Cheese Sauce:
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 1/2 C. milk
1 C. shredded cheese (your choice-
poster used Monterrey Jack)
–
Cook ground chicken & sausage in
skillet on medium-high heat until
fully cooked; drain. Peel husk from
tomatillos – rinse to remove sticky
residue; cut off & discard stem; chop
into small bite-sized pieces. Remove
ends/ribs & seeds from pepper &
chop. Add all chili ingredients to
crockpot; cover & cook on Low 7-9
hours. When cooking time is done,
prepare cheese sauce by melting
butter over medium-high heat in
saucepan; whisk in flour to form a
paste. Slowly stir in milk while
whisking until smooth. Bring to a
simmer 4-6 minutes until sauce
thickens enough to coat the back
of a spoon. Remove from heat;
stir in cheese until melted &
smooth then stir into chili.
Continue to heat another
15 minutes.

(recipe: crockpotgourmet.net)
———————————————

Italian Meatball Soup
(crockpot)

1 T. olive oil
2 medium carrots, diced small
2 celery stalks, diced small
1 small onion, diced small
2 T. tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (16 oz) can beef stock
1 1/2 C. water
1 lb. cooked cocktail-size Italian
meatballs
1/4 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
–
Add all ingredients (except oil) to
crockpot; stir well to combine. Cover &
heat on Low 4-6 hours (or High 3-4
hours). Serves 6

NOTE: recipe calls for 1 1/2 C. water-
for a thicker soup, omit water

(recipe: itsyummi.com)
—————————————

Turkey Tetrazzini

(half of a 16 oz) box Spaghetti noodles
3 T. butter, divided
2 C. cooked, chopped turkey
1 C. mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
salt/pepper
1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 C. milk
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 C. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 T. Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Cook spaghetti noodles accordg.
to pkg. directions; drain & place in
a 3 qt. casserole dish sprayed with
nonstick spray  (or 7 X 11″pan). Add
1 T. butter to noodles & toss to coat.
In hot skillet add 2 T. butter – melt then
add mushrooms & onions (salt & pepper,
a little, if desired). Saute over medium-
high heat until onions are translucent.
Add soup & milk; whisk to combine. Add
poultry seasoning & dry mustard, stir to
combine. Stir in cheese; once cheese melts,
remove pan from heat. Sprinkle chopped
turkey & cheese over noodles in prepared
dish then pour sauce from skillet on top.
Sprinkle top with 1 C. mozzarella cheese &
1 T. Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle parsley on top
& bake, uncovered, 30 minutes until cheese
is melted & sides are bubbly. Serves 6

(recipe: jamiecooksitup.net)
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2-Minute Hawaiian Pie

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple,
undrained
1 (6 serving) box instant vanilla
pudding mix
8 oz. sour cream
1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust
1 (8 oz) can pineapple slices
8 maraschino cherries
1/2 C. sweetened, flaked coconut
1 small container Cool Whip (for
piping)
–
In large bowl combine crushed pineapple,
dry pudding mix & sour cream; mix until
combined then spoon into pie crust.
Decorate top with pineapple slices &
cherries; sprinkle top with coconut. Pipe
on Cool Whip (if desired) Cover & chill
at least 2 hours before serving.

(recipe: goingfabulous.com)
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“Better than Olive Garden” Alfredo
Sauce

3 T. unsalted butter
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 C. mozzarella cheese
1 (12 oz) box angel hair pasta
–
Melt butter in medium saucepan with
olive oil over medium-low heat. Add
garlic, cream, white pepper – bring to
simmer, stirring often. Add Parm cheese
& simmer 8-10 minutes until sauce has
thickened & is smooth. When sauce
has thickened, add Mozz. cheese & stir
utnil smooth – stir FREQUENTLY.
While sauce cooks, boil noodles 3-5 minutes.
Drain pasta & place on serving plates;
spoon sauce over pasta. Serves 4-6

(recipe: food.com)
———————————————-

Crockpot Pierogie Casserole

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
8 medium baking potatoes, peeled/
cut into chunks
1/4 C. milk
1/4 C. butter
2 C. mild or sharp Cheddar cheese,
shredded
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 medium onions, sliced
1 T. butter
2 C. ricotta cheese
1 lb. bacon
–
Garnish: sour cream & chopped
chives
–
Cook noodles accordg. to pkg
directions; drain/rinse & place on a
lightly greased baking sheet. Cover
with waxed paper until ready to use.
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Place bacon on a foil lined baking
sheet & bake until cooked but still
soft, about 15-20 minutes; drain on
paper towels & cool; cut into small
pieces. Place cut potatoes in pot of
cold water; bring to boil & cook until
tender. In a skillet melt 1 T. butter &
saute sliced onions until slightly
caramelized. Drain potatoes & place
in large mixing bowl. Mash potatoes
with butter, milk, salt/pepper until
smooth; mix in Cheddar cheese. Spray
a large crockpot insides with nonstick
spray. Place 3 lasagna noodles on bottom
of crockpot; spread 1 C. ricotta on top
of noodles. Spread 1/3 of potato mixture
on top of ricotta, place 3 more noodles
on top & repeat layering. Place last 3
noodles on top, then potatoes, bacon,
onions (no ricotta). Cover & cook on Low
2 hours. Serve with sour cream & chives

(recipe:allfreeslowcookerrecipes.com)
—————————————–

Crockpot Beef & Barley Soup

1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 – 1 1/2 lb. beef stew meat,
cubed
2 medium carrots, diced small
2 celery stalks, diced small
1 medium zucchini * diced small
4 C. beef stock
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 C. barley
1/2 tsp. dry thyme
1/2 tsp.dry rosemary
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
–
1/2 C. fresh parsley, finely chopped,
garnish (optional)
–
Place chopped onion in microwave-
safe shallow dish, mix in 1 T. olive
oil & microwave 2 minutes until
onions are translucent. Mix all
ingredients (except parsley) &
place in crockpot. Cover & cook on
High 3 hours (or Low 6 hours). Add
chopped parsley & serve.

* You can substitute: 1 red bell
pepper, chopped/1 C. broccoli
florets/ or any other veggie you choose

NOTE: If you want to add some richness
to the soup, mix 1 T. margarine with
1 T. flour & microwave 1 minute; pour
into soup & mix well.

(recipe: saltandpaprika.com)
———————————————

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

1 1/4 C. granulated sugar, divided
1 C. flour
1/2 C. cocoa, divided
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. milk
1/3 C. unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1 1/4 C. hot water
–
vanilla ice cream, for serving
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Heat a pot of water on the stove
to very hot (just under a simmer).
In large bowl, using elec. mixer,
combine 3/4 C. gran. sugar, flour,
1/4 C. cocoa, baking powder &
salt. Stir in milk, melted butter &
mix until smooth. Pour batter into
a lightly grease 2 qt. ceramic dish
or a 9″ square baking pan sprayed
with nonstick spray; spread evenly.
In small bowl, stir remaining 1/2 C.
gran. sugar, brown sugar, 1/4 C.
cocoa; mix well. Sprinkle mixture
evenly over batter in pan. Pour the
hot water over the top – DO NOT
STIR! Bake 35-40 minutes if using
a dish (or 30-35 minutes if using
9″X9″ pan) or until center is
almost set. Remove from oven &
let stand 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, spoon cake into
individual serving bowls, making
sure to spoon the fudgy sauce from
bottom of pan over the top of the
cake. Add a scoop of vanilla ice
cream if desired; serve immediately.
Serves 8

(recipe: afamilyfeast.com)

=============================

Last night I made a homemade chicken
pot pie – my own recipe. Sometimes
when I write about things I cook a
few readers will ask for the recipe – this
is one of those “I MADE IT UP” things.
I’ll attempt to re-create
=======================
Pam’s Chicken Pot Pie

1 1/2 – 2 C. cooked chicken*
2 cans chicken or turkey gravy
2 boxes refrigerated pie crusts,
(they come 2 to a box)
1 (16 oz.) bag frozen mixed
vegetables (peas, corn, carrots
& green beans)
1 (32 oz.) bag froz. mixed veg
(same as above)
1/2 (14 oz) bag frozen “South-
western blend” chopped onions,
red & green peppers
salt/pepper
garlic powder
Worcestershire sauce
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Remove pie crusts from box &
wrappers – allow to reach
room temp. (I forgot to do that
last night & the dough was
tearing big time). In very large
bowl or soup pot mix chicken,
froz. vegs & onion/pepper blend,
salt/pepper, garlic powder &
Worc. sauce until well blended.
Spray a 9 X 13″ pan with nonstick
spray. Unroll pie dough & lay
in prepared dish, cutting to fit
dish. (this takes a little time,
you have to cut strips to make sure
the sides are fully covered in dough,
forming the bottom crust. Spoon
meat/veg mixture into crust, smoothing
to make even. Top with rest of crust,
again cutting & pressing together to
form a top crust. (you WILL have
leftover dough). Cut slits in top
crust, spray crust with nonstick
spray; cover with foil.  Bake 1 1/2
hours, remove foil & bake another
1/2 hour until top crust is brown.
Allow to sit 10 minutes before
cutting. Serves 8

*cooked chicken – you can use
rotisserie, any leftover cooked
chicken or turkey or (in a pinch)
I use frozen fajita chicken strips,
cut into bite-sized pieces.
=====================

Just confirmed we ARE having my special needs
group tonight – temps are going to be around
16 degrees, but there’s no wind, so it’s a “Go” –
sigh.

Try to stay warm, enjoy some cocoa (with
marshmallows, of course!) and maybe a
little ‘treat’ . . . mini candybar, cookie,
etc. (can you tell I’m in the mood for a
treat?).

Hugs;

Pammie

It’s Monday Again!

Here we are at the beginning of another week; finally finished baby afghan #1 (still have one more to assemble – need to crochet 6 more white squares, then I can sew it all together/crochet the border & I’m done). When I first thought of creating this blanket I was planning on all ‘colored’ squares, but when I put laid out some in a row they just looked too ‘busy/cluttered’, so I reverted to using the white squares as offsets to the design. I also decided on using 35 squares for a complete blanket instead of the original 40 squares – this left me with 4 squares leftover. What to do with them? I didn’t want to waste them or throw them away, so I came up with an alternative – make them into two chilcdrens scarves for the homeless shelter project (see below)

First blanket done – I might vary the color of yarn for the border on the second one – we’ll see

–

As you can see, they are folded up – each are long enough for a child’s scarf

================

If you know me, you know I need stimulation/variety in my crafting – with one blanket done and the next one not due until September, I’m tempted to start another/different baby blanket. There are SO MANY patterns that call to me, but there is one in particular that I’ve been wanting to try. It’s for a Advanced knitter and uses what is called: “Short Rows”; I’ve never done that before so it’s always been a daunting project – I usually end up, in frustration, putting the pattern back in my folder. I belong to several knitting groups on Facebook and today a lady posted her recent knitting project: “The Ten Stitch Blanket” (the pattern I’d like to ‘try’). The one thing I didn’t think of before was to check YouTube for a video which might teach me how to do this! There IS a video – in fact there are about five! Not exactly sure if I’m going to ‘try/attempt’ this, but we’ll see. Here’s the photo of (one of) the afghan pattern:

This is not the best photo of the pattern – basically it’s a sort of square-sided Roman Spiral. I’ve seen it done in different yarns – this photo has some varied yarns, but mostly looks like it was done with variegated yarn. We’ll see where this goes – you KNOW I’m sort of fickle when it comes to deciding my next project – soooo many patterns, so little time!

==================

 Mediterranean Pasta Toss

1 (9 oz) pkg. refrigerated cheese
ravioli
1 C. frozen cut green beans, thawed
1 C. cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 C. creamy Caesar salad dressing
3 T. shredded Parmesan cheese
–
Cook ravioli accordg. to pkg. directions,
adding green beans during last 3 minutes
of cooking; drain. In a large serving bowl
combine ravioli mixture, tomatoes &
pepper. Add dressing; toss to coat then
sprinkle with cheese. Makes 4 servings.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
———————————–

S’Mores Muddy Buddies

6 C. Golden Graham cereal, divided
1 C. semisweet chocolate chips,
divided
1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
1 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. marshmallow bits
–
Pour 5 C. cereal into a large ziploc bag.
Place 3/4 C. chocolate chips & peanut
butter into a microwaveable bowl; micro-
wave in 30 second intervals until completely
melted & stir to combine. Pour mixture
over cereal in bag, seal & shake until
cereal is evenly coated with mixture. Add
powdered sugar, seal & shake until cereal
is coated with sugar. Pour mixture into a
large mixing bowl. Add remaining 1 C.
cereal, 1/4 C. chocolate chips & marsh-
mallow bits; stir & serve.

(recipe: julieseastandtreats.com)
——————————————–

Crispy Crab Nuggets

Oil, for frying
1 lb. fresh crab meat
3 slices white bread, crust removed
(or packaged bread crumbs)
1 egg, beaten
1 T. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. Old Bay seasoning
1 T. parsley, chopped
–
Place breadcrumbs in food
processor; pulse until they are
‘fine’. In large bowl mix egg,
mayonnaise, mustard, Worc. sauce,
parsley & Old Bay. Add bread
crumbs & crab meat; mix by hand
to avoid breaking up too many
lumps. (You may need to bread
up the very large lumps however,
so the crab balls will stay together).
Shape into 24 balls; fry in batches
in hot oil until golden brown, turning
once. Drain on paper towels & serve
with your favorite sauce.

(recipe:Facebook)
——————————-

2-ingredient Pancakes

1 banana, cut up
2 eggs
–
Place ingredients in bowl; mash well
until a frothy texture. Place a little oil
on hot skillet; pour onto skillet in
pancake form; flip once. Makes

enough for 1 -2 people.

(recipe: tiphero.com)
———————————

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

1 1/2 C. cubed, cooked chicken breast
1 1/2 C. picante sauce, divided
1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 C. chopped green onion, divided
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
1 T. butter, melted
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In small bowl combine chicken, 3/4
C. picante sauce, cheese, 1/4 C. onions,
cumin & oregano. Spoon 1/2 C. mixture
down center of each tortilla. Fold sides &
ends over filling & roll up. Place, seam-
side down, in 15 X 10 X 1 inch baking
dish sprayed with nonstick spray; brush
tops with butter. Bake, uncovered, 20-25
or until heated through. Top with
remaining picante sauce & onions.
Serves 6

(recipe: tasteof home.com)
—————————————-

Taco Corn Bread Squares

1 (8.5 oz) pkg. corn bread/muffin
mix (like Jiffy mix)
1 egg
1/3 C. milk
2 1/2 C. cooked Taco-seasoned meat*
1 pkg. dry taco seasoning mix
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 (8 oz) C. sour cream
1 1/2 C. shredded Mexican cheese
blend, divided
1/4 C. chopped onion
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 C. shredded lettuce
1 (2 1/2 oz) can sliced black
olives, drained
–
* 1 pkg. dry taco seasoning mix
Cook hamburger; drain grease.
Mix dry taco seasoning mix with
3/4 C. water & pour onto meat-
mix & cook until liquid is absorbed.

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In large bowl combine corn bread
mix, egg & milk until blended; spread
into a greased 9″ square baking dish.
Bake 15 minutes. Combine taco meat &
beans; spread over corn bread. Combine
sour cream, 1 C. cheese & onion; spread
over meat mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes
until heated through & cheese is melted.
Sprinkle with tomato, lettuce, olives &
remaining cheese. Serves 4-6

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
—————————————–

Crockpot Fajitas

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken
breasts
1 (15 oz) can black beans,
rinsed/drained
1 medium green pepper, cut into
strips
1 large onion, sliced
1 1/2 C. picante sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
12 (6 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
2 C. (8 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
–
Optional toppings:
thinly sliced green onions
chopped tomatoes
sour cream
–
Place chicken in 4 qt crockpot; add
black beans, peppers & onion. In small
bowl mix picante sauce, garlic powder
& cumin; pour over top. Cover & cook
on Low 4-5 hours until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken & cool slightly. Shred
meat using 2 forks; return meat to
crockpot & heat through. Serve with
warm tortillas, cheese & your choice
of toppings. Makes 6 servings.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
————————————-

Lemon Red Potatoes
(crockpot)

1 1/2 lb. medium red potatoes
1/4 C. water
1/4 C. butter, melted
3 T. minced fresh parsley
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. minced chives
salt/pepper, to taste
–
Cut a strip of peel from around the
middle of each potato. Place
potatoes & water in 3 qt. crockpot;
cover & cook on High 2 1/2 – 3 hours
until tender (do not overcook); drain.
In small bowl combine butter, parsley,
lemon juice & chives; pour over potatoes
& toss to coat. Season with salt & pepper.
Makes 6 servings.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
—————————–

Easy Apple Cake

5-7 apples, peeled/cored/sliced thin
1 (9 oz) box yellow cake mix
2 T. sugar
1 T. ground cinnamon
1 stick butter
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9 X 13″ pan with nonstick spray.
Place apples in pan & sprinkle with
dry cake mix. Combine sugar & cinnamon;
sprinkle over cake mix. Melt butter &
drizzle over top. Bake 30 minutes or until
golden brown.
Can be served with ice cream, if desired

(recipe: Courtney Luper – Facebook)
===================

Gas prices around here have jumped again –
yesterday my ‘cheap’ station (Clark) had
regular gas at $2.96/9 – that’s a 20 cents-per-
gallon jump in a few days! Crazy stuff (I still
have about a quarter tank – sure am hoping
it will drop before I HAVE to get more.

Still working at losing that 7 pounds – just
trying less food/some exercise (walking). So
far, since last Wed. I’ve dropped 4.2 lb. I’m
WELL aware that, if I don’t keep at it, I can
gain those back QUICKLY! Just trying to see
how far I can go with this. At one time, about
8 years ago, I lost 50 lbs (but that was under
fear after being diagnosed Type 2 diabetic.)
I’m still diabetic, but still “No meds, just diet &
exercise”. Over the years I have let up on my
diet (read that: eating ice cream/chips/stuff
I shouldn’t eat) to where my A1C (the test
used to determine blood sugars) has slowly
crept up to the “start meds’ level. Let’s just
say “I’m a CHICKEN” when it comes to going
on diabetic meds; have done a lot of reading
and know that, usually, when you start those
you don’t come off them – ever. There could
be some that do, I just have not heard of it.
Because I’m pretty SURE that the next visit
with my GP will start ‘the conversation’ about
me going on meds, I’m attempting to do an
end-run on this. I do know that losing weight
CAN drop your A1C levels (did it before – when
I was MUCH younger) I’m hoping this will be
the case this time – we’ll see. Diabetic meds
are not bad – I just don’t want to get on the
‘slipper slope’ if I don’t HAVE to. Diabetes
is a scary disease – I have several good friends
that are going through some frightening
struggles right now: sores that don’t heal
being the main one (one is in the hospital
now -for the second time in a few months
because BOTH of his feet developed sores
that wouldn’t heal – really SCARY stuff!).
It’s a struggle – one part of me (the ‘little
kid’ side) says: “I’m an ADULT! I can eat
WHATEVER I want! Then there’s my
TRUE adult side who says: “Yes, but do YOU
want to be in the same boat as your
friends? In a hospital? For WEEKS?”
I’m a ‘foodie’ that LOVES food – I just have
to ‘put my big girl panties on’ and DEAL
with the fact that I CAN NOT eat whatever
I want – and adjust the AMOUNT of foods
I DO eat! Not a fun thing – but the alternative
is much worse, right?

Our weather has been WET/WET/WET! It’s
rained every day for a good 3-4 days now;
not all the time, sometimes in just a sprinkle
but it’s WET out there! I was going to take
the photo of the baby blanket on our
picnic table but it’s too darned wet! On the
other hand, my Mother’s Day planter is
going ‘great guns’ – the chives are really
tall! YAY! My bright red geraniums are really
flourishing – love that flower, makes me
happy just seeing the bright colors.

Well, friends, now that I’ve written an
Epic Novel instead of a post, I’ll close
for now.

Enjoy your day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Another beautiful day!

You all know how I kind of have a habit of ‘attempting/trying’ NEW THINGS? Well, the photo above is a blanket made of knit MITERED squares – I tried doing this a few years ago and did not succeed very well – YEP, gonna try it again. This time I’m going to make the squares small, using various baby & sport-weight yarns; object – make a baby blanket for the Detroit Vet’s Baby Shower using up my tons of scrap yarns! We’ll see how this proceeds. Also currently working on knitting up more baby headbands for the Baby Shower – another great ‘scrap yarn’ project.

(These are some of the baby headbands I did for last year’s baby shower)

I like doing these because it takes me about an hour, all totaled to make one and not very much yarn – quick/fun project! Still plugging away at the crocheted yellow “Diagonal Box Stitch” afghan – just started on the decrease part.

Lately I’m attempting another ‘new’ project – loading all the (TONS) of photos of my Knit group from 2007 to the present onto the new Facebook Groups page. Just finished wrapping up 2011 if that gives you any idea of the magnitude of this one. I quick copied the photos just before closing the MeetUp.com site – attempting to make note of the dates/names/etc. of each one – this is NOT a fun thing to do but needs to be done. Am plugging away on this one, about an hour a day, so far. Tomorrow is the FIRST group meeting with (perhaps) new people who asked to join the group on Facebook. The old Meetup group (after I’d pared it down a LOT) numbered 90 – the new site is now UP to 38 people; I’d MUCH rather have people listed in my group who will actually SHOW UP for meetings! Most of the people listed on Meetup NEVER came to a meeting. When I first began paring down the member list I started at 138 people; from that I left people I knew and anyone who’d signed up in 2015 – that ended me up with 90. Anxious to see how many show up tomorrow. Oh! I also added a “Yarn Swap” to the mix to tomorrow – that’s when you bring in anything pertaining to knit/crochet that you no longer use/need and then take any item(s) you see that you might want! Yarn, needles/hooks/books/patterns – anything! What’s fun for me is sometimes people bring in little balls of yarn that they don’t want and usually no one else wants them, either! Score for me! Little balls of yarn can be used for baby hat brims, tiny crocheted flowers for the baby headbands – I FIND uses for them!

Started getting the details nailed down for Log Cabin Days (June 27/28); this is the first year my ladies will have a chance to SELL any items they have created. A few of the ladies participate in various craft shows throughout the year and they’re excited for this opportunity – no ‘vendor fees’ – just bring a table, sign and set up! (Of course, THEY are responsible for any monies/sales, etc.)

==============

Pecan Cheesecake Squares

Shortbread Layer:
1 1/2 C. flour
3/4 C. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 C. butter, softened
1/2 C. finely chopped pecans

Cheesecake layer:
2 (8 oz, ea) pkgs cream cheese,
softened
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Pecan Pie Layer:

3/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C. light corn syrup
1/3 C. butter, melted/cooled slightly
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. pecans
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Shortbread layer:
In medium bowl combine flour & 3/4
C. brown sugar; using a pastry blender,
cut in butter until mixture resembles
coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/2 C. pecans;
press mixture evenly into bottom of a
greased 9″ X 13″ pan. Bake 10
minutes, remove from oven & cool
slightly, about 10 minutes.

Cheesecake layer:
Place cream cheese in bowl of stand
mixer fitted with paddle attachment &
beat at medium speed until smooth.
Beat in sugar; add milk & vanilla-beat
until combined. Pour cream cheese
mixture over cooled shortbread layer.
Bake 15 minutes, remove from oven &
cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

Pecan Pie layer:
In medium bowl combine remaining
3/4 C. brown sugar, corn syrup & melted
butter; gently stir in eggs, salt & 1/2 tsp.
vanilla. Stir in pecans; pour mixture over
cooled cheesecake layer. Bake 35-40
minutes until center is set & pecan pie
layer is a rich brown color.

(recipe: positivelysplendid.com)
————————————–

Homemade Ranch Dressing
(entire bottle only 1.75 grams
fat & 255 calories)

1 C. Dannon oikos plain Greek yogurt
1 packet Hidden Valley ranch dressing
mix
1/2 C. 1% milk
–
Whisk together, chill 1 hour before using.
Pour into mason jar & use.

(recipe: Mike Suddaby-Facebook)
——————————

5-Ingredient Baked Tilappia

4 (6-8 oz, ea) tilapia fillets
salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 lime, finely grated zest & juice
2 T. butter
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Spray a large cast iron pan with
nonstick butter-flavored spray.
Rinse fish & pat dry; place in pan;
season each fillet with salt/pepper &
lime zest & juice. Add a pat of butter
to each fillet & cook in oven 8-12
minutes. Serves 4

(recipe: foodnetwork.com)
———————————–

Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo

1 lb. fettuccine
1 T. olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pints cremini mushrooms, thinly
sliced, divided
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 C. milk
1/2 C. finely grated Parmesan cheese
–
Cook fettuccine accordg. to pkg. directions,
to al dente (6-8 minutes); drain.
Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
Add onion & garlic, saute until onion is
translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add mushrooms,
season with salt/pepper & cook, stirring
frequently, until mushrooms are very soft
& golden brown (10-12 minutes). Remove
about 1/3 of mushroom mixture & reserve.
Add milk & bring to simmer. Use an
immersion blender to puree the sauce until
smooth (or transfer to regular blender &
puree until smooth). Stir in Parmesan.
Add cooked pasta to pot & toss to coat with
sauce.
To serve pasta, transfer portions to plates &
top with 1/4 C. reserved sauteed mushroom
mixture. Serve immediately. Serves 4-6

(recipe: purewow.com)
——————————————

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

1 lb. chicken, cooked/shredded
1 (6 oz) box wild rice with seasonings
1/2 C. sour cream
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Prepared wild rice accordg. to pkg.
directions. In large bowl mix together
sour cream, soup, onion flakes, garlic
salt/pepper. Stir in chicken & wild
rice; place in 8 X 8″ baking dish
sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake
30 minutes. Serves 6

(recipe: julieseatsandtreats.com)
—————————————-

Baked Meatballs

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 C. milk
1 small onion, minced
1/2 C. rice (uncooked)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 C. fine bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 C. water
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In large bowl whisk egg & milk
together. Mix in hamburger, rice,
salt/pepper, bread crumbs &
allspice. Shape mixture into 9
meatballs. Place in 2 qt casserole
dish sprayed with nonstick spray.
Mix soup, water & Worc. sauce;
pour over meatballs. Bake
1 hour 25 minutes. Makes 9 meatballs.

(recipe: julieseatsandtreats.com)
———————————

Strawberry Patch Salad

1 (4 serving size) pkg. strawberry Jell-O
1 C. boiling water
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen sweetened straw-
berries in syrup, thawed
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1 C. sour cream
–
In large bowl dissolve Jell-O in boiling
water; stir in strawberries & their
syrup, pineapple, banana & pecans until
well mixed. Spoon half mixture into a
8 X 8″ square baking dish. Chill 1 hour or
until set; reserve the remaining Jell-O
mixture at room temp. When chilled
Jell-0 is set, spread top with sour cream
then top with reserved Jell-O mixture.
Cover & chill at least 3 hours before
serving.
Serves 6
(recipe: mrfood.com)

=======================

I had a lovely Mother’s Day – very quiet! No
phone calls at all (amazing!); even got a text
H. M. Day greeting from one of our helpers
in my special needs group. All three sons
had to work; middle son came over in the
afternoon bringing ‘leftovers’ from the
brunch he worked: about 7 Danish and
a box of smoked salmon slices! (I really
wasn’t sure if I’d like the salmon – I don’t
really care for any smoked foods, but this
was very smooth/tender and yummy!) It
was all I could do to NOT eat the entire
box at one time!  Husband asked me what
I wanted for lunch and I mentioned a local
chicken place with ‘to die for’ chicken, so
we brought home Chicken King broasted
chicken, broasted diced potatoes, coleslaw
and BBQ’d spareribs – a FEAST! He decided
that since we weren’t sure if the boys
would stop over, he doubled the order –
FOOD FOR TONIGHT, TOO! YUMMY!
Got kissed on the top of the head by youngest
this morning with a “Happy Day AFTER
Mother’s Day, Mom!” – it doesn’t get any
better than this! I’ve never been one to
expect gifts for this day so it’s just nice to
have my kids wish me a good day.

That’s the ‘scoop’ from here, currently. It’s
76 degrees F, sunny & breezy with an 80%
chance of thunderstorms later this afternoon
& evening. I had the windows open for the
breeze, but had to close them due to it feeling
too humid – now husband has the air conditioning
on – oh well . . .

Have a GREAT/SUPER/WONDERFUL day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Slowly learning!

Day Two of new cell phone – slowly learning how to use it. Husband figured out how to download my favorite ringtone: Hallelujah Chorus – finally. For some weird reason that’s the only one that catches my attention if my cell rings while I’m out (I’ve tried others; they seem to fade into the background noise/music in stores and I just don’t realize it’s MY phone ringing!). Figured out how to change the ‘wallpaper’ on the opening screen, learning how to use the keyboard for texting (not as bad as I thought it would be) – sent a few texts to my son – getting there, slowly! (Last night I was ready to throw it against the wall just to see it smash, that’s how frustrated I was!)  By the way, thanks to all who sent comments yesterday – it’s good to know that there are others out there that dislike new technology as much as I do!

==================

4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars

2 eggs
2 C. peanut butter
2 C. sugar
1 c. milk chocolate chips
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix first 3 ingredients well; press into
a 9 X 13″ pan. Top with choc. chips.
Bake 17-20 minutes. Do not over bake.
Let cool & cut into bars.

(recipe: Mike Suddaby-Facebook)
—————————–

Garlic Lemon Pasta & Shrimp

6 T. butter (or 4 T. olive oil & 2 T.
butter if you want to lighten the recipe)
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
3/4 C. white wine
2-3 T. fresh chopped parsley
(save a little for topping at end)
2 large (2-3 small) chopped fresh garlic
1 lb. fresh or frozen large peeled/deveined
shrimp thawed
3/4 lb thin spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine
2 T. chopped red onion
2 T. fresh grated Parmesan (& some for
topping)
–
Melt butter on Low-medium heat. Saute
lemon zest, garlic & onion a few minutes;
turn heat to High. Add wine & cook 5-10
minutes to burn off alcohol. Add Parm.
cheese; reduce heat to Low-medium.
Cook pasta accordg. to pkg. directions –
cook to al dente. Add shrimp to garlic
mixture when pasta is about half done
cooking. Add half of fresh parsley to
shrimp mixture; strain pasta.
When shrimp has turn from gray to pink
add pasta & toss until hot & all shrimp
are pink. Do not overcook shrimp; they
are at their peak as soon as they turn
pink. Top mixture with fresh parsley
& Parm. cheese – serve hot.

(recipe: allfood.recipes)
—————————————-

Bacon Ranch Fried Cabbage

1 head cabbage
1/2 lb. cooked bacon, chopped
1 white onion
1 envelope dry Ranch salad dressing
2 T. olive oil
–
After cooking bacon, set aside. Chop onion &
caramelize in olive oil in pan. Add chopped
cabbage to onions in pan; cover & let cook
down a bit. Add dry ranch dressing mix &
bacon-continue cooking to desired
doneness.

(recipe: Courtney Luper – Facebook)
——————————

Fiesta Zucchini Salad

2 zucchini, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, coarsely
chopped
1 C. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 C. frozen corn, thawed
1/4 C. chopped red onion
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1/2 C. Italian dressing
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
–
In large bowl combine zucchini,
celery, bell pepper, tomatoes,
corn, onion & basil; mix well. In
small bowl combine dressing, sugar,
salt/pepper; mix well – pour over
vegetable mixture & toss to coat
evenly. Serve OR cover & chill
until ready to serve. Serves 6

(recipe: mrfood.com)
——————————-

Marinated Greek Chicken
(crockpot)

2 lb. chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) container plain Greek
yogurt
2 T. olive oil
4 T. garlic powder
1 T. oregano
1/4 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
–
In bowl, mix yogurt & all
spices. Add chicken breasts
to a gallon-sized ziplock freezer
bag. Pour yogurt mixture over
chicken & seal bag. Mix chicken
& yogurt around then marinate
overnight in fridge. Empty
contents of bag into crockpot.
Cook, on Low, 4-6 hours.

(recipe: crockpotladies.com)
————————————

Mexican Chicken Casserole

3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts,
cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 C. thick salsa
2 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 tomato, chopped
2 (6 inch) tortillas
1/2 C. Mexican-style shredded Four cheese
divided (Kraft)
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Cook & stir chicken & cumin in nonstick skillet
sprayed with nonstick spray on medium heat
2 minutes. Add peppers; cook 2 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Stir in salsa, cook 2 minutes. Add
cream cheese, cook 2 minutes or until melted.
Stir in beans & tomatoes. Spread 1/3 of mixture
onto bottom of 8 inch square baking dish; cover
with 1 tortilla & half each of remaining chicken
mixture & shredded cheese. Top with remaining
tortilla & chicken mixture; cover. Bake 20 minutes
or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining
shredded cheese; bake, uncovered, 5 minutes or
until cheese is melted. Serves 4

(recipe: Kraft foods)
————————————

Caramel Butterscotch Crockpot Cake

1 (16.5 oz) box Duncan Hines Caramel
Cake mix
1 stick plus 2 T. butter
1/2 C. milk
1 c. butterscotch chips
1 3/4 C. boiling water
caramel ice cream sauce, for drizzling
–
Preheat crockpot by placing on Low 10-15
minutes before making cake. Reserve 1 C.
of cake mix; set aside. Melt stick of butter.
Place remaining cake mix in large bowl; pour
in melted butter & 1/2 C. milk; stir until most
of lumps are out and batter is thick & smooth;
pour batter into crockpot. Use a spoon or
spatula to spread evenly across bottom of
crockpot. Sprinkle butterscotch chips on top.
(optional: you can drizzle about 1/4 C. caramel
if you wish). Place 1 C. reserved cake mix in
medium shallow bowl; melt 2 T. butter in
microwave. Pour melted butter & boiling water
together; stir until well mixed. Pour this mixture
over rest of cake in crockpot. Cook cake 2 hours
until set in middle.
If it takes longer than 2 hours, you can turn up
heat to High for 30 minutes until middle is set,
then turn back down to warm.
Serve with ice cream & drizzle additional caramel
sauce over top.

(recipe: bsugarmama.com)
———————————-

Roasted Parmesan Zucchini Spears

4 medium zucchini
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Cut zucchini into quarters lengthwise.
Line a baking sheet with foil & place
zucchini on sheet; drizzle with olive
oil. Sprinkle on grated Parm. and
any other spices you might like. Bake
12-15 minutes. Set oven to broil &
broil last 2 minutes until cheese is
more brown.

(recipe: Mike Suddaby-Facebook)
—————————————

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

1/2 C. butter, softened
3/4 C. sugar
1 egg
2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. chopped fresh strawberries
3 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Cream butter & sugar together;
add egg – mix well. Sift flour,
baking powder & salt in small
bowl; add flour mixture & milk,
alternately, to butter mixture. Add
vanilla; gently stir in strawberries.
Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake
20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins

(recipe: Homeofmyheart-Facebook)
===================

Our weather is a bit cool (56) and cloudy,
supposed to rain on & off – that’s OK, it’s
Spring and the flowers & bushes need it.

Noticed yesterday our gas prices are back down a
bit: Sunday they were $2.59/9 and yesterday back
down to $2.49/9 – so that’s good.

Hope you’re having a nice day – remember to not
let the immediate troubles/problems take hold of
you – sort of like that old saying: “Don’t sweat the
small stuff . . . and it’s ALL small stuff!”

Hugs;

Pammie

Miscellaneous Monday Musings

Happy Monday!

It’s a lovely WARM (49 degrees F.) day here – the sun is shining brightly making me want to CLEAN (again – in lieu of nephew’s coming Thursday.) Husband & I started out the day with a visit to our Financial Advisor, then a quick lunch at IHOP (Yum!). I tried their Garden Omelet – lots of fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and lots of Cheddar cheese (with a few sausages, for good luck!) One thing I’ve noticed when ‘out & about’ – so many various ways people eat/act/behave when out in public. I guess I’m a bit ‘old fashioned’ but, to me, it’s rude to talk on your cell phone while sitting with another person at a meal (just sayin’); or treating your server like your paid slave and then throwing some money at them when you’re done (Oh, here ya go) – sorry, I’m on a rant here. While eating with my husband I remembered many, MANY years ago when I got my first job as a telephone operator at Michigan Bell Telephone Company. My Business Advisor at our high school took me aside and told me that I was working for a very prestigious company (back then the Customer Business Office was in our building) and we had to look and act like professionals while at work. He talked about my ‘dress’ and mentioned comportment (something RARELY mentioned these days). I remember feeling a bit mortified (had I done something untowards?) That got me to hitting the school library for books on how a lady walks, talks, eats, sits, etc. – remember good old Emily Post? I absorbed her books! Today while eating I remembered one of the ‘rules of eating’: Never cut more than three bites of anything at a time and always take one bite, lay your fork down, chew the food, THEN pick up the fork and continue. That’s just ONE of her rules – I’m sure, now days, NONE of that flies (unless you’re part of the Royal Family somewhere!) Reminds me of one of my favorite TV programs: “Downton Abbey” – the main family in that program is rather upper class English and watching them at a meal/banquet reminds me of all I read as a girl. If you’d like some amusing reading, try reading some of Emily Post’s books!

=================

Orange Juice Cake

1 (16.5 oz) box yellow cake mix
1 (4 serving size) orange Jello
3/4 C. vegetable oil
1 C. orange juice
4 eggs
–
Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Spray a 10″ Bundt or tube pan with
nonstick spray; set aside. In medium
bowl using elec. mixer on medium
speed, beat all ingredients 2 minutes
or until well mixed; pour batter into
prepared pan. Bake 50-55 minutes or
until a wooden toothpick inserted
in center comes out clean. Let cool
slightly then invert onto a wire rack
to cool completely. Serve or cover
until ready to serve.

Glaze:
1 C. confectioners sugar
2 T. orange juice
zest of 1 orange
–
Mix confect. sugar & orange juice
together & drizzle over cake. Sprinkle
orange zest on top.

(recipe: mrfood.com)
——————————-

Easy Chicken/Zucchini Saute

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms
1 medium zucchini
1 medium onion
olive oil
6 chicken cutlets
2 T. flour
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 T. balsamic vinegar (or 3 T.
red wine vinegar)
1/2 tsp. salt
–
About 45 minutes before serving thickly
slice mushrooms & zucchini, chop onion.
In a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat
using 1 T. hot olive oil, cook zucchini until
crisp-tender & lightly browned, remove
to plate. In same skillet, using 1 more T.
oil, cook mushrooms until browned, remove
to plate. Coat chicken with flour; in same
skillet, in 2 T. hot oil, cook chicken until
lightly browned & juices run clear when
pierced, about 10 minutes. Remove to bowl
with mushrooms. In skillet drippings, over
medium heat, cook onion until tender &
browned; stir in 1/2 C. water. Return chicken
mixture to skillet; add tomatoes, vinegar &
salt. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to Low &
simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add zucchini &
heat. Serves 6

(recipe: allfood.recipes)
———————————–
Crockpot Chili Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 (15 oz,ea) cans chili with or/wo
beans
1 (15 1/4 oz) can whole kernel corn
1 (15 oz) frozen pkg. mixed vegetables
2 (14.5 oz, ea) cans (Red Gold) diced
tomatoes with garlic/onion
1 (10 3/4 oz) can tomato soup
2 C. beef broth or water
–
Garnish: sour cream, shredded
Cheddar Cheese
–
Brown ground beef & onion in a
skillet over medium heat; drain &
pour into crockpot. Add all other
ingredients (liquid & all) and broth/
water; stir. Cover & cook on Low 4
hours. Serve with garnishes of your
choice. Serves 10-12

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)
————————————

French Onion Pork Chop Skillet

6 boneless pork chops (1 1/2 lb,
1/2 inch thick each)
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 (6 oz) pkg. stuffing mix for chicken
1 1/2 C. hot water
1 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded
–
Cook chops & onions in large nonstick
skillet on medium-high heat 8 minutes,
turning chops & stirring after 4 minutes.
(Chops will not be done). Remove chops
from skillet; cook onions an additional
5 minutes until golden brown, stirring
frequently. Stir in Worc. sauce; return
chops to skillet; spoon onion mixture
over chops. Combine stuffing mix &
water; spoon around edges of skillet.
Top chops & stuffing with cheese; cover
& cook 5 minutes until cheese is melted
& chops are done. Remove from heat,
let stand 3 minutes before serving.
Serves 6

(recipe: Kraft recipes)
———————————

Praline Apple Crisp
(crockpot)

6 Granny Smith or Braeburn apples,
cored/sliced
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. oats (old fashioned OR quick)
1/3 C. brown sugar, packed
1/4 C. flour
1/2 C. chilled butter, diced
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C. toffee bits
–
Sprinkle apples with cinnamon;
place in greased crockpot. Combine
remaining ingredients (except
toffee bits & nuts) until crumbly;
sprinkle mixture over apples & top
with toffee bits & nuts. Cook on
Low 4-6 hours. Serves 10

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)
——————————-

 Taco Pie

refrigerated pie crust
1 lb. ground beef
1 pouch taco seasoning mix
1/2 C. chopped onion
1/2 C. salsa
1 C. lettuce, shredded
1 medium tomato, diced
1 C. sharp Cheddar cheese,
shredded
–
Optional garnishes:
sour cream
shredded cheese
chopped tomatoes
sliced olives
guacamole
–

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Pat pie crust into glass pie pan;
sprinkle with a pinch of taco
seasoning mix; bake 7-10 minutes
until it just begins to brown. In
medium skillet cook beef & onions
until beef is browned & cooked
through; drain. Add salsa & all
remaining taco seasoning; cook
3-4 minutes- pour mixture into
pie crust & top with shredded
cheese. Bake 15 minutes until
crust is golden brown. Let
cool 5 minutes; top with your
choice of optional garnishes.

(recipe: Facebook)
—————————

Creamy Chicken/Mushroom Pasta

2 T. oil
2 chicken breasts, diced
1 C. mushrooms, sliced
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. whipped cream
pasta of your choice
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed chili pepper
–
In large pan place oil, garlic & chili;
heat until hot; add chicken to pan –
cook until browned. Add mushrooms
& heat until tender. Cook pasta accordg.
to pkg. directions (al dente). Mix cream
cheese & whipped cream; place in pan &
let simmer 5 minutes until all ingredients
are heated through. (add pepper for
seasoning). Drain pasta; add to pan with
other ingredients – mix together.
Serves 2

(recipe: allfood.recipes)
——————————–

Crazy Cake

(this used to be called “Wacky Cake”)

1 1/2 C. flour
3 T. cocoa (unsweetened)
1 C. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
5 T. vegetable oil
1 C. water
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix first 5 ingredients in a greased
8″ square baking pan. Make 3
depressions in the dry ingredients –
two small, one larger. Pour vinegar
in one, vanilla in another and
vegetable oil in the third; pour water
over all – mix until smooth. Bake 35
minutes; check with toothpick for
doneness.

(recipe: sweetlittlebluebird.com)
=================

Still working on “The Afghan Project” – came upon
a rather confusing situation last night; it seems I’d
forgotten how to crochet Granny Squares! Got
Round 1 done just fine, but then couldn’t exactly
remember how to go from there! Went on YouTube
and that was almost my undoing – watched a good
six videos and they all did it differently than I did/do!

Finally, today, I went back on YouTube
and found a video by a young man who
does it the way I USED to – YAY!!!

Started planning out the third panel last night; I have panel #1 done, Panel #2 is ‘in the works’,
but couldn’t quite figure out how to configure #3.
You see, what’s left of the knit panels I was given
is a really MESSED UP panel – it’s too narrow at one
end and way too wide at the other, filled (every
2-3 feet or so) with patched up bits, holes, spots
where the dog had slobbered (which discolors the
yarn – tried washing it, no luck). What to do? I
finally have decided that I’m going to unravel
the yarn and COPY her pattern myself, knitting the
needed sections – it will be the same pattern, same
yarn, but without all the mess (hopefully!) We’ll
see how that comes out. Another ‘decision’, so to
speak: I’ve decided that IF the lady asks me how
much $$$ do I think my work is worth I’m going to
say $50.00 – I think that’s fair; we’ll see. This is WAY
more work than I’d envisioned, so I guess you’d say
it’s a “Labor of Love” (although right now I’m not
LOVING it much!).

Our gas prices are down to $2.19/9 – WahHOO!

Have a great, ENJOYABLE day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Trying to Sort it Out!

Today is a nice, quiet day – a little gloomy outside and around 22 degrees, but I don’t plan on going out, so that’s fine. No new snow – roads/walkways clear so it’s good walking or driving – MY KIND OF WINTER!

Today is also the day I/we (middle son & I) decided to tackle OBAMACARE for him, as this Saturday is the last day he is covered on our insurance. He has a friend who said he’d lead him through filling it out – well, let’s just say he sort of led him to the site; as to filling it out – guess who struggled through that! UGH! We submitted it – now it’s ‘wait & see’. I will have to go back to re-schedule a radiology esophagus test for him that was scheduled for Feb 2; I re-scheduled for 2 weeks later NOT KNOWING that Obamacare can take 30 – 45 days to go through! Double UGH!

Today is also the day I went back to the baby afghan pattern I started yesterday and RIPPED OUT 5 rows of knitting because I hadn’t counted right for the beginning row. Yep, you guessed it – TRIPLE UGH! Took me a while to get the hang of the pattern, after discovering about 12+ rows into it that I needed to do the OTHER Yarn Over. I knit in a rather strange way – it’s technically called “Continental Combined” – there aren’t many of us who do this method, hence it becomes a lot of ‘guess-work’ on my part. If I do a yarn over with the yarn back-to-front, sometimes – I repeat SOMETIMES it will make a little ‘hole’ (which is the desired effect) – it depends on the pattern. If I do the ‘other’ way of Yarn Over: Yarn Front to back, it will achieve the same results – SOMETIMES! (again, depends on the pattern-if done WRONG you end up with NO HOLE). Of course, was I thinking about that while struggling to get the hang of this pattern? Why, NO – of course not! Like I said, I stopped to glance at my work a good 12+ rows into it only to discover that I didn’t HAVE any holes like I was supposed to! (yep – another Ugh), so from there on I did the Yarn Over the opposite way and it worked. I AM a perfectionist BUT in this case I just plain decided to just keep going and not worry about it. While playing with this pattern, since I decided to only go with two yarn colors instead of three, I had to adjust the pattern that way, too – more ‘playing with the pattern’. For those of you who might decide to actually KNIT this pattern – go with the pattern AS IT IS WRITTEN, USING 3 COLORS (anything else will only confuse you.) I posted the site for this pattern on the last blog entry, if you’re interested. It’s a really cute pattern and it does make the cute little swag bottom – oh, what the hey – I’ll post it again:

Click to access SB711_001.pdf

(well, looks like I can’t copy the photo right now – if you want to see it, go to my last post, Thankful Tuesday – sorry)

================

Crockpot Taco Cheese Dip

1 (32 oz) pkg. Velveeta, cubed
into small cubes
2 pkgs. dry taco seasoning mix
1 lb ground beef
1 (15 oz) can refried beans
–
Tortilla chips (or ‘Scoops’ dipping
chips) – for dipping
–
Brown ground beef; drain. Stir in
taco seasoning pkgs (without water)
& place in crockpot. Place Velveeta
cubes in crockpot; add refried beans
& stir. Cover & cook on Low, stirring
frequently. Once cheese is melted &
mixture is heated through, turn heat
to ‘Warm’ & serve.

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)
————————————

Bacon Cheddar Potato Cakes

3 slices bacon
4 C. cold, leftover mashed potatoes
2 eggs
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
–
Place bacon in large, deep skillet;
cook over medium-high heat, turning
occasionally until evenly browned &
crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove
bacon, crumble; set aside. Leave
drippings in skillet; mix potatoes,
eggs, onion powder, salt/pepper in
a bowl. Stir in bacon & cheese; form
mixture into 8 patties. Heat bacon
drippings over medium heat; pan-fry
patties in drippings until crisp on each
side, about 4 minutes per side.

(recipe: facebook)
———————————-

Southwest Egg Rolls

1/2 C. ranch salad dressing
1/2 C. chopped fresh cilantro,
divided
1 1/4 C. chopped, cooked chicken
1 1/2 C. Mexican-style finely
shredded Four Cheese (Kraft)
1 C. canned black beans, rinsed
1 C. frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 C. chopped red pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
1 egg, beaten
2 T. oil
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Mix ranch dressing & 1/4 C. cilantro;
refrigerate until ready to use. Mix
remaining cilantro, chicken, cheese,
beans, corn, peppers & cumin. Spoon
chicken mixture down centers of
tortillas. Fold in opposite sides of each
tortilla, then roll up, starting at bottom
edge. Brush top edge of tortilla with
egg; press into egg roll to seal. Place,
seam-sides down, onto baking sheet;
brush tops with oil. Bake 20 minutes or
until golden brown. Cut each diagonally
into thirds. Serve with dressing mixture.
Makes 24 servings

Note; You can also add 1 T. fresh lime
juice to dressing mixture before
refrigerating.
Rolls can be assembled ahead of time:
do not brush with oil. Wrap individually
in plastic wrap; refrigerate up to 24
hours. When ready to serve, brush
with oil, bake as directed.

(recipe: Kraft foods)
————————————

Cheesecake Brownies

1 (9 X 13 pan size) 19-21 oz
box. brownie mix
1/2 C. applesauce
3 egg whites, divided
1/4 C. water
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese,
softened
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. flour
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix brownie mix, applesauce,
2 egg whites & water until
blended; pour into 9 X 13 pan
sprayed with nonstick spray.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour
& remaining egg white using
elec. mixer until blended; spoon
over brownie batter in pan; swirl
top gently with knife. Bake
28-30 minutes until toothpick
inserted into center comes out
with fudgy crumbs (do not
over bake) Cool completely.
Makes 32 servings

Mocha Cheesecake Brownies:
Prepare as directed above, mixing
2 T. instant coffee with the water
before using to prepare brownie
batter.

(recipe: Kraft foods)
——————————-

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 C. diced cooked chicken
3 C. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies,
undrained
1 pkg. flour or corn tortillas
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 (19 oz) can enchilada sauce
1/4 C. medium green onion, sliced
(optional garnish)
—————————-
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Grease 9 X 13 casserole dish. Mix chicken,
cheese & chilies in a bowl. Add a few
spoonfuls of enchilada sauce to bottom of
casserole dish; spread evenly over dish.
Layer 3 tortillas on top of sauce, making
sure entire bottom of dish and part of
sides are completely covered by tortillas.
(You can cut them to fit). Spread about
1/2 can refried beans on top of tortillas,
then half chicken mixture, then half
enchilada sauce. Add 3 more tortillas
on top, follow by rest of beans & chicken
mixture. Place 2 tortillas on top of this
layer, overlapping a bit, then add rest
of the enchilada sauce. Finish by
sprinkling rest of cheese (1 1/2 C.)
on top. Cover with foil & bake 45-55
minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with
green onions, if desired. Let dish
stand about 5 minutes before serving.

(recipe: 12tomatoes.com)
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Warm PBJ Dip

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese,
cubed
3/4 C. creamy peanut butter
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip (DO
NOT thaw)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. strawberry jam
–
Serve with: vanilla wafers or
other plain cookies
–
Microwave cream cheese in large
microwaveable bowl on High 30
seconds; stir until creamy. Add
peanut butter & Cool Whip;
microwave 1 1/2 minutes &
stir until blended. Spoon mixture
into a serving bowl; top with
small spoonfuls of jam & swirl
gently with a knife. Makes
22 (2 T. each) servings

(recipe: Kraft foods)
———————————-

Warren’s Chicken Bites
(appetizers-chicken wrapped
with bacon/jalapenos & cream
cheese!)

8 chicken tenders or breast
cutlets, flattened & cut in half
2 (3 oz ea) pkgs. cream cheese,
softened
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded/finely
chopped
16 slices bacon
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Top each piece of chicken with
1 tsp. cream cheese & 1/4 tsp.
chopped jalapeno; roll up each
filling-covered chicken piece &
wrap with 1 slice bacon, securing
with a toothpick. Transfer to baking
sheet & place in oven 20 minutes,
flipping halfway through baking
time. Makes 16 ‘bites’

NOTE: these can also be cooking on
a outdoor grill; grill 8-10 minutes,
turning once.

(recipe: foodnetwork.com)
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Big Game Pizza Ball

24 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. cream cheese, softened
7 T. olive oil
2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
6 oz. tomato sauce
4 oz. pepperoni, sliced thin
–
pita bread, cut into points,
lightly toasted (for dipping)
–
Place all ingredients (except
tomato sauce, pepperoni &
pita bread) in a food processor.
Process until smooth. Shape
mixture into a ball and, using
your hands, shape/carve out
a center ‘well’. Place tomato
sauce in the well. Place pepperoni
slices on outside of ‘bowl’, sort
of like shingles. Serve with pita
points for dipping. Makes 15
snack servings.

(recipe: foodnetwork.com)
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Ham & Bean Soup

1 C. dry Navy beans
8 C. water, divided
1/2 C. chopped celery
2/3 C. chopped carrots
1 C. chopped onion
6 oz. cooked ham, cubed
1 tsp. bouillon or soup base
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
pepper, to taste
–
Bring beans & 4 C. water to boil in
large pot; reduce heat & simmer,
uncovered, 2 minutes. Remove
from heat, cover & soak 1 hour.
Drain & rinse. Add remaining
water & rest of ingredients. Bring
to a boil then reduce heat to
simmer. Cook 1 1/4 hours, covered.
Remove bay leaves & discard. Stir
well; mashing some beans to thicken
soup. Serves 4

(recipe: goodenessgracious.com)
=================

Hope your day is going well;
tonight’s dinner is

Chicken Parmesan –
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
I buy boneless, skinless
chicken breasts (try finding big, thick
ones) then cut them in half width-wise
and cook them on the George Foreman.
When they’re done cooking, I open a jar
of spaghetti sauce, pour a little on the
bottom of a 9″ X 13″ pan then lay the
chicken on top. Pour the rest of the
spag. sauce over top, sprinkle a 8 oz.
bag of shredded Parmesan cheese (or
Parm/Mozzarella cheeses) then bake
about 40-45 minutes to get it all hot
and the cheese melted. Serves 4+

Enjoy your day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Feelin’ Groovy!

(to quote Donovan; singer from the 70’s) Today is the start of a NEW DAY! Last night we had several quick power failures (less than 5 minutes each) then at around 10 p.m. the entire block went down and didn’t come up until around 5 a.m.! Yippee – sigh. Oh well – guess I needed more sleep, eh? Husband decided to drive around to see if he could spot the ‘problem’ – turns out there was a downed wire sparking & catching the grass on fire with a fire truck on the way – ah, the excitement.

Got up today and went back to looking for clothing for next year’s Log Cabin Days; happened to stumble upon a site that hand-makes colonial clothing – CHEAP! I had already ‘planned out’ (that means I decided upon, but did not yet order) a white blouse and skirt (skirt is white which I would have to dye – not looking forward to that). On this new site they have aprons ($10!) and long ladies skirts in 5 colors; I just wrote them to inquire if I could see the 5 colors (and it also said Prints!). Placed a bid on Ebay for ladies cotton Mary Jane shoes (new) – we’ll see how that goes (so far, no other bids – 4 days to go). I’m excited about this ‘venture’ – it’s got me thinking of what color the skirt should be and, in turn, what color should I knit the shawl in. Found three patterns to knit or crochet a snood – read them over last night but just wasn’t in the mood. Haven’t really decided colors yet: skirt in either green or blue & then matching shawl; snood – either white or black. (Just got a email response from the lady who will be making the skirt – talk about FAST! I’m chosing a Kelly green solid cotton for the skirt, and plain white cotton for the apron – she sent me the link to the various cloth materials and colors (had trouble deciding between Forrest Green & Kelly, but I think Kelly will stand out better under the white apron – VANITY, thy name is PAM!) With the skirt color chosen, now I can go onto finding a proper green yarn to make the shawl!  Turns out her company is located up north in my state! Bonus!!!

===================

Grilled Zucchini with Teriyaki
Sauce

2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
2 tsp. cooking oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 C. Teriyaki Stir Fry sauce/marinade
(La Choy)
–
Spray cold grate of grill with grilling
spray. Prepare grill for medium heat.
Brush cut sides of zucchini with oil;
sprinkle with salt & pepper. Grill cut
sides down 10 minutes or until tender.
Turn zucchini over; brush with teriyaki
sauce; grill 2 minutes longer.
Makes 4 servings (1 half zucchini,each)

(recipe: readyseteat.com)
———————————-

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
(dressing contains raw egg)
–

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
12 C. torn romaine lettuce
1 egg
3 T. olive oil
1/4 C. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. spicy brown mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
–
Spray cold grate of grill with grilling spray.
Preheat grill to medium heat. Place chicken
on grate; cover with lid & grill 10 minutes or
until no longer pink in center (165 degrees F.);
turning after 5 minutes. Cool chicken 10 minutes
then cut into strips. Place lettuce in large bowl;
add chicken & mix lightly. Mix egg, oil, lemon juice,
garlic, mustard, salt & pepper in small bowl with
wire whisk until well blended. Pour over salad; toss
to coat & serve immediately. Serves 6, about 2 C. each

(recipe: readyseteat.com)
——————————————

Creamy Tortilla Wrap-ups

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 C. refried beans
1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro
1 (16 oz) jar thick & chunky
mild salsa
–
Mix cream cheese & garlic powder
until blended. Spread tortillas with
beans, then cream cheese mixture.
Top with cilantro; roll up tightly. Wrap
each individual tortilla roll in plastic
wrap & refrigerate 30 minutes. Cut
each roll into 10 slices. Serve with
salsa. Serves 15

(recipe: Kraft recipes)
—————————–

 Dijon-Corn Bread Stuffed Chicken

2 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 C. margarine or butter, divided
1 1/2 C. water
1/4 C. Dijon mustard, divided
1 1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves, divided
1 (6 oz) pkg. cornbread stuffing mix
1 broiler-fryer chicken (3 1/2 lb)
 -
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Cook & stir mushrooms in 2 T. margarine
in medium saucepan on medium-high
heat 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in water,
3 T. mustard & 1/4 tsp. thyme; bring to boil.
Remove from heat; stir in stuffing mix & spoon
loosely into body cavity of chicken. Tie legs to 
tail; twist wing tips under back. Place chicken,
breast-side up, on wire rack in shallow roasting
pan. Melt remaining margarine; mix with 
remaining mustard & thyme. Brush over 
chicken; cover loosely with foil. Bake 1 hour
45 minutes or until chicken is done 
(165 degrees F.) removing foil for last 45 
minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before carving. 
Serves 6
 
NOTE: can also prepare stuffing mixture in 1 qt.
 casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Add
 to oven last 20 minutes of chicken baking time
 
(recipe: Kraft foods)

 ------------------------------------ 

Baked Chili Cheese Spread 

2 T. cornmeal 
1 T. chili powder 
3 (8 oz, ea) pkgs. cream cheese, 
softened 
2 large eggs 
2 tsp. garlic powder 
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 
2 (4 oz. ea) cans diced green chilies 
1 C. sliced green onions, divided 
1 jar salsa 
2 C. Cheddar cheese, shredded &
divided 
tortilla chips for dipping - 
-
Preheat oven 325 degrees F. 
Heavily grease bottom of 9" springform pan. 
Combine cornmeal & chili powder; sprinkle 
over bottom & side of prepared pan. Beat 
cream cheese, eggs, garlic powder & 
cumin in large mixer bowl until smooth. 
Stir in chilies & 1/2 C. green onion; 
pour half of batter into pan. Spoon 1 C. 
salsa over top of batter; sprinkle 
1 1/2 C. Cheddar cheese over salsa. 
Spread remaining batter over top of 
cheese. Bake 55-60 minutes or until 
edges are set but center still moves 
slightly. Cool completely in pan on 
wire rack; remove side of springform 
pan. Spread remaining salsa over top; 
sprinkle with remaining cheese & green 
onion, serve with tortilla chips. 

(recipe: recipelion.com) 
---------------------------
 Creamy Corn/Broccoli Bake 

3/4 C. coarsely crumbled saltine 
crackers, divided 
3 T. butter, melted 
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen chopped 
broccoli, thawed/drained 
1 (14 1/2 oz) can creamy-style corn 
1 egg, beaten 
1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese 
1/2 tsp. onion powder 
1/2 tsp. black pepper 
- 
Preheat oven 350 degrees F. 
Spray 1 1/2 Qt. baking dish with 
nonstick spray. In large bowl, 
combine cracker crumbs & melted 
butter; mix well Reserve 1/3 C. 
mixture; set aside. Add remaining 
ingredients to bowl; mix well & 
spoon into prepared dish. Sprinkle 
top with reserved cracker mixture. 
Bake 40-45 minutes or until heated 
through & top is golden. 
Serves 6 

(recipe: mrfood.com) 
--------------------------------

Frozen Raspberry Cream Squares

–

2 C. vanilla wafer crumbs 1/4 C. butter or

margarine, melted

2 c. frozen red raspberries

1 C. Half & Half

3/4 C. sugar

1 C. sour cream 

–

In small bowl toss together wafers &

butter; press half mixture in bottom of

8 X 8 pan; sprinkle with raspberries.

In medium bowl whisk together half &

Half & sugar until sugar dissolves.

Gradually whisk in sour cream; pour over

berries. Sprinkle top with remaining

crumbs; cover & freeze at least 3 hours

or until firm. Makes 9 servings Let stand

at room temperature for 15 minutes

before cutting into squares.

 

(recipe: kellogg)

——————————-

Easy Chicken Fajitas
(crockpot)
–
1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, cut into
1/2″ wide strips
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
3 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
–
soft flour tortillas or pita pockets
*see below for condiments
–
Lightly spray insides of crockpot with
nonstick spray. Layer onions in bottom.
In medium bowl combine lemon juice,
oregano, cumin & chili powder; add
chicken & toss well to coat. Pour
mixture over onion in crockpot. Cover &
cook on Low 6 1/2 – 7 1/2 hours. Stir in
pepper strips; cook on Low for an
additional 30 minutes.

Suggested Condiments:
guacamole, sour cream, shredded
lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa

(recipe: Richard-Slowcooker Digest)
—————

 Summer Strawberry Cobbler

 1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned &
 sliced into thick slices
 3 T. granulated sugar
 2 T. butter, softened
 1 C. _self-rising_ flour
 3/4 C. granulated sugar
 1 C. milk
 -
 Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
 Place sliced strawberries in 9 X 9
 baking dish sprayed with nonstick
 spray. Sprinkle strawberries with 3
 T. sugar; toss to coat & dot berries
 with small pieces of softened butter.
 In a bowl, mix flour, 3/4 C. sugar &
 milk until just combined*. Pour
 batter over strawberries. Bake 1 hour
 until lightly golden brown & berries
 are bubbly.
 
 *if you mix too much cobbler will
 turn out rubbery
 
 (recipe: thekitchenismyplayground.com)

 ------------------------------ 

Apparently my server isn't happy with the
way I post my recipes (it's driving me
nuts - I 'paste' the recipe, it comes
out BILLBOARD sized! Too huge to read
OR too small - sigh!)
Going to quit while I'm ahead on this
one-hope to find more 'summer' recipes
for your Fourth celebration. Yesterday
I bought spareribs to cook in the 
crockpot (they come out really tender)
and red-skinned potato salad - YUM!

Hugs;

Pammie

Our weather has been tolerable-
in the mid 70's (and with the
Air Conditioning working now-
VERY tolerable!) Looking at 
the next few days, it's mostly
cloudy and NO RAIN! YAY!

Happy Friday to you!

Another gorgeous Spring day – temps at 65 right now, sunny and a lovely bright blue sky – what could be better? Our grandson just went with the other grandmother for the rest of the day; it helps when we have him for half the day and they get him the other half! He had fun playing a new Lego video game my husband bought him and then he & I had fun wrestling (it’s his favorite thing – more like a tickling, wrestling, silly fun time.) It wears me out but we both enjoy it (Lord, help me when he gets bigger!)

Earlier found me on the ‘net attempting to find a crochet pattern I spotted last night on Pinterest; I’m not much for crochet, but this one was a variation on Broomstick Lace, except you don’t have to use the HUGE broomstick to make it! Very clever, I thought – only problem: the two sites that had it were ‘complicated’ – one was only photos of the steps (which I didn’t seem to be able to follow correctly) and the other was all in Russian! I looked & looked on Pinterest and Ravelry (my two go-to sites for anything knit/crochet) but was not able to find that particular pattern. Husband heard me grumbling and decided to do his own search; he just typed in what I was saying as a description of the stitch: “Broomstick Lace only smaller”. Low and behold – he found it! There are two videos on Youtube which feature it and it’s called: “Peacock Eye”. (if I had known the NAME of that particular pattern I could have done further research – but that was out of my realm of discovery.) YAY, HUSBAND!!! Quite simply, it looks like this:

This all goes back to my constant curiosity for new things/stitches/patterns. (I’m almost done with the current baby blanket and thought I’d like to find a pattern I might like to do for the next one – hence the ‘search’.) Ah, the fun of discovery – yes?

===============

Creamy Zucchini & Spinach Rigatoni

3 C. (1/2 of 16 oz pkg) rigatoni pasta,
uncooked
1 tsp. oil
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. flour
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 C. chicken broth
4 oz. (1/2 of 8 oz pkg) cream cheese,
cubed
1 (6 oz) pkg. baby spinach leaves
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese,
divided
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Cook pasta in large saucepan as
directed on pkg, omitting salt. Heat
oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add
zucchini, mushrooms & garlic; cook &
stir 3-4 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-
tender. Add flour & seasonings; cook &
stir 1 minute. Stir in broth, cook & stir
2-3 minutes or until thickened. Add cream
cheese; cook & stir 2-3 minutes or until
melted. Drain pasta; return to pan. Add
zucchini mixture, spinach, Parmesan &
1/2 C. mozzarella; mix lightly. Spoon into
a 2 qt casserole dish sprayed with nonstick
spray. Top with remaining mozzarella. Bake
10 minutes or until mozzarella is melted.
Serves 6, 1 1/3 C. each

(recipe: Kraft foods)
—————————–

Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars

1/2 C. butter
1 (2 layer) box yellow cake mix
2 eggs, divided
2 (8 oz, ea) pkgs. cream cheese,
softened
1/2 C. sguar
1 T. zest & 3 T. lemon juice
2 1/2 C. fresh blueberries
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Line a 9 X 13 pan with foil, with
ends extending over sides. Melt
butter in large microwaveable bowl
on High 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until
melted. Add dry cake mix & 1 egg;
beat with elec. mixture until
blended. Press 2/3 rds of dough onto
bottom of prepared pan. Beat cream
cheese & sugar with mixer until
blended. Add remaining egg, zest &
juice; mix well. Pour over crust; top
with blueberries. Pinch small pieces
of remaining dough between fingers;
press lightly into cream cheese layer.
Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until
a toothpick inserted into center comes
out clean. Cool completely. Use foil
‘handles’ to lift dessert from pan before
cutting into bars.

NOTE: for best resuts, refrigerate bars
before cutting into bars.

(recipe: Kraft recipes)
——————————

Parmesan Bites
(appetizers)

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 C. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 (8 oz, ea) cans refrigerated crescent
dinner rolls
1 red pepper, chopped
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Beat cream cheese & 3/4 C. Parm. cheese
with elec. mixer until well blended.
Separate dough into 8 rectangles; seal
seams. Spread with cream cheese
mixture, top with peppers & parsley.
Fold each rectanble lengthwise into
thirds to enclose filling; cut into
4 squares. Place, seam-sides down, on
baking sheet & top with remaining
Parmesan. Bake 13-15 minutes until
golden brown. Makes 32.

(recipe: Kraft foods)
———————————–

Chinese Cabbage Salad

2 1/2 lb. nappa cabbage
5 green onions, sliced
3 pkgs. ramen noodles
1/2 C. butter
1/4 C. sliced almonds
1/4 C. sesame seeds

Dressing:
3/4 C. canola oil
3 T. peanut butter (smooth)
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
–
Cut stem end off cabbage – discard.
Thinly slice rest of head & place in
large bowl. Add green onions to bowl.
Place ramen noodles (without flavor
packet) into a large ziplock bag. Pound
noodles into small pieces with a meat
tenderizer. Heat a large skillet over
medium-high heat. Melt butter & add
almonds, sesame seeds & ramen noodle
pieces. Cook mixture, stirring frequently,
until all turns toasty brown. Set aside to
cool. Place peanut butter in glass measuring
cup. Pour canola oil into cup (on top of
peanut butter) Total measurement should
be 3/4 C. Place peanut butter/oil mixture
in microwave & heat 30 seconds; stir until
all is dissolved. Into medium saucepan pour
sugar, peanut butter/oil mixture, soy sauce &
rice vinegar; bring to a rolling boil over medium-
high heat. Let it boil hard 1 minute, then set
aside to cool.
When you are ready to serve the salad, toss
cabbage & green onions with crunchy ramen
mixture then pour dressing over top to coat.
Serve immediately. Serves 15

(recipe: jamiecooksitup.net)
———————————

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

1/4 C. olive oil
1 bunch asparagus
1 bunch broccoli
2-4 yellow squash
2-4 zucchini squash
1 medium onion
1 bell pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp white pepper
(any other seasonings of your choice)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Cut asparagus into bite sized pieces;
cut broccoli into same sizes. Wash &
cut up squashes. Cut onion & bell
pepper into long thin strips. Place all
veggies into a large mixing bowl. Mix
olive oil & all seasonings with a whisk;
pour mixture over veggies & toss to
coat well. Line a cookie sheet with foil;
spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add
veggies; spreading evenly over pan. Cover
with another sheet of foil. Bake about
30 minutes – check for doneness.

(recipe: Debbie-justapinch.com)
————————–

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

4 Russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4″
thick slices
1 onion, sliced into rings
salt & pepper, to taste
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. milk
1 1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Butter a 1 qt. baking dish. Layer 1/2 of
potatoes on bottom of dish; top with
slices of onion & remaining potatoes.
Season with salt & pepper, to taste. In
medium-sized saucepan, melt butter over
medium heat then mix in flour & salt,
stirring constantly with a whisk for 1
minute. Stir in milk; cook until mixture
has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once,
continue stirring until melted, about 30-60
seconds. Pour cheese mixture over potatoes.
Cover dish with foil & bake 1 1/2 hours.

(recipe: Rhonda G-Marys Recipe Exchange)
———————————-

Bacon-Cheeseburger Roll-Up

1 lb. lean ground beef
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 lb. (8 oz) Velveeta, cut into 1/2″
cubes
1 (13.8 oz) pkg. refrigerated pizza crust
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Brown meat with bacon & onions in large
skillet over medium-high heat; drain. Return
meat mixture to skillet. Add Velveeta; cook
5 minutes or until melted, stirring frequently.
Cool 10 minutes. Unroll pizza dough onto baking
sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Press into
15 X 8″ rectangle; top with meat mixture. Roll
up, starting on one long side. Rearrange if
necessary so roll is seam-side down. Bake 20-25
minutes or until golden brown. Makes 6 servings.

Serve with your favorite condiments: dill pickle
slices, mustard, ketchup, sliced tomatoes, salsa
cheese slices

(recipe: Kraft foods)
————————————————–
Peanut Butter Cups

16 oz semi-sweet or milk chocolate,
chopped (or use chips)
2 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
–
In a small glass bowl, heat half of chocolate
in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Remove
from the microwave once the chips begin to
slightly melt. Use a fork to stir until smooth,
using the heat of the chocolate to melt the
remaining chips entirely. If needed, re-heat
in 10 second intervals until smooth. DO NOT
over heat the chocolate, as it will burn and seize.

Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers. Spoon a
small amount (about 2 teaspoons) of chocolate
into the bottom of each paper. Tap the pan on
your counter top to help smooth and spread the
chocolate. Place the pan in the freezer for 15
minutes to harden the chocolate. Meanwhile,
prepare the peanut butter.

In a small bowl, beat together peanut butter,
butter and confectioners sugar until smooth and
fluffy. Remove the pan from the freezer, and spoon
a small amount of peanut butter on chocolate layer.
Again, tap on counter top to level and spread the
peanut butter. Return the pan to the freezer and
allow to harden for about 15 minutes.

Repeat the first step and melt the remaining
chocolate in the same manner. Spoon the top
chocolate layer over the peanut butter and
return to freezer.

(recipe: Facebook)
——————————————-

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

2 lb. (32 oz) chicken breasts, boneless/skinless
1 C. salsa
1 C. petite diced canned tomatoes
2 T. taco seasoning
1 C. diced onion, diced fine
1/2 C. celery, diced fine
1/2 C. carrots, diced fine
3 T. sour cream
–
Place chicken in crockpot; sprinkle taco
seasoning over, then layer vegetables &
salsa on top. Pour 1/2 C. water over mixture.
Cook on Low 6-8 hours. Meat is cooked when it
shreds or reaches an internal temperature of
165 degrees F. When ready to serve, break up
chicken with two forks, then stir in sour cream.
Makes 8 (1 Cup) servings.

(recipe: Ron & Jean-slowcooker digest)
===================

I must apologize for the size of the fonts above – my server seems to want

to have ‘issues’ with the size of the letters I post on recipes! Go

figure! (you can see the double spacing on these lines, as well –

not sure what’s going on but it’s irritating!

Don’t have any special plans for this holiday weekend; will

probably post more recipes for you. Our weather report says

it’s supposed to be nice all weekend, so those people with

picnics or outdoor activities will be extra happy!

 

Enjoy your day;

Hugs;

Pammie

 

Grandson-sittin’ Friday

It’s a chilly, rainy day (46 degrees F); got an early phone call asking if we could take our grandson for the whole day – he was too sick to go to school. Sure – not a problem. He just went home with his other grandma, then his mom will pick him up. He was pretty good about ‘resting’ – watched TV, drew a few pictures but mostly rested. (His dad gave specific instructions: “NO Games!”). We didn’t have anything particular going on – I was thinking of checking out the Kroger gas station over by his house (about 25 min. away) to see their gas prices, but since I stayed home, that’s OK, too. Our recent prices are $3.79/9 – I would be happy to find something a little lower.

===================

Crockpot Blueberry Breakfast
Casserole

1 loaf French bread, cubed
1 (16 oz) pkg. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened & cubed
1 C. sour cream
2/3 C. brown sugar
3/4 C. milk
1/2 C. maple syrup
10 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
–
Line crockpot with crockpot liner or spray
inside of crockpot with nonstick spray. Add
cubed French bread; sprinkle blueberries on
top of bread. In a bowl, using an elec. mixer,
mix remaining ingredients. Pour mixture
over blueberries. Cook on Low 4 hours.

(recipe: Crockpot Ladies)
—————————————-

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

2 C. cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 T. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. tomato paste
4 C. chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can seasoned diced tomatoes
1 1/2 C. cooked rice
2 T. sour cream
–
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium
heat; add onion, peppers, garlic, salt &
pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until tender.
Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 minutes. Add
broth & diced tomatoes; bring to boil. Stir
in cooked/shredded chicken & rice; simmer
15 minutes or until slightly reduced & fragrant.
Season to taste; garnish each bowl with a
dollop of sour cream when serving.
Serves 4 (2 C. each)

(recipe: Perdue.com)
———————————-

Buffalo Chicken/Black Bean Quesadillas

2 C. boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
cooked & shredded
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 C. sour cream
1/4 C. Buffalo sauce
4 large (10″) flour tortillas
2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
2 green onions, thinly sliced
–
Combine cooked/shredded chicken, beans,
sour cream & Buffalo sauce in nonstick
skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring
often, 5-7 minutes or until heated through.
Lay tortillas out on clean surface; mix
cheese with green onions. Sprinkle half
on ONE side of each tortilla. Divide filling
evenly over cheese & top with remaining
cheese. Fold tortilla to close. Place a non-
stick skillet over medium heat & spray
lightly with nonstick spray. Heat each
quesadilla 2-3 minutes per side in skillet
or until cheese is melted & tortillas are
golden. Serve with sour cream on side.
Serves 4

Tip: You can also use this idea as a
Nacho Platter: Place tortilla chips on
a platter & scatter chicken mixture over
chips; top with cheese & bake until
cheese is melted.

(recipe: Perdue.com)
————————————–

Easy Creamy Chicken

2 large chicken breasts, each cut in half to make
4 pieces
1 C. heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
couple dashes cayenne pepper,
to taste
2 T. butter
–
Combine seasonings in a small bowl,
mix to combine. Coat all sides of
chicken with seasoning mix. Melt 1
T. butter in large skillet on medium-
high heat. Once butter is melted &
skillet is hot, place chicken in pan. Cook
about 5 minutes then turn over, cook
another 5 minutes on other side or
until juices run clear and chicken is
cooked through. Add remaining 1 T.
butter & heavy cream, mixing to combine.
Reduce heat to medium-low; let chicken
simmer until sauce has thickened, about
10 minutes.
(recipe: littlebcooks.blogspot.com)
—————————————

Cheesy Ham & Hashbrown Casserole

1 (32 oz) pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes
8 oz. cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 oz,ea) cans cream of potato soup
1 (16 oz) tub sour cream
2 C. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Lightly grease 9 X 13 pan. In large bowl, mix
has browns, ham, soup, sour cream & cheese.
Spread evenly into prepared dish; sprinkle top
with Parmesan cheese. Bake 1 hour or until
bubbly & lightly browned. Serve immediately.

(recipe: Rhonda G-Marys Recipe Exchange)
————————
Italian Green Beans

2 T. minced dried onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 medium tomato, cut up & smashed
1/4 C. water
1/2 T. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. green beans (fresh or frozen)
–
Mix all ingredients except green beans, in
a saucepan. Bring to boil, cover & cook on
Low 30 minutes. Cook green beans when
getting close to serving time. Drain beans,
return to pan & add tomato & spices
mixture. Cook until vegetables are heated
through, then serve.

(recipe: allergyfreetestkitchen.com)
———————————-

Savory Apple Pinwheels

 
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 apples, any kind, cored & chopped
1/2 bunch chives, chopped
1 1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
3 dashes ground black pepper
1/2 C. cashews, chopped
-
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Unroll crescent dough, cut into quarters,
pinching seams together. Mix rest of 
ingredients together. Spread apple
mixture on dough to about 1/4 inch from
edge of dough. Roll up & pinch seam. Cut
into 6 slices, using serrated knife. Place
on baking sheet; bake 15 minutes or until
golden brown. Makes 6 rolls.

(recipe: Melissa - justapinch.com)
--------------------------------
Crispy Parmesan Oven Fries-
6 russet potatoes
2 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
4 T. Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
 -
Preheat oven 425 degrees
Wash potatoes, slice into 5-6 half-inch
slices. Divide slices in half & lay each 
half face-down in a stack. Slice each 
stack into 4-5 half inch slices. Toss 
potatoes in large bowl with 2 T. olive 
oil, making sure they all get coated. 
Crush seasonings between your fingers 
& sprinkle over top of potatoes;
add salt & pepper, then sprinkle 
Parmesan cheese over top. Toss all 
together, making sure every potato 
gets some coating. Spray 2 large cookie
sheets with nonstick cooking spray; lay 
potatoes out evenly. Bake 20 minutes, 
stirring once or twice while they cook. 
When crispy on outside and soft on the 
inside they are done. Serves 7-8
 
(recipe: Jamiecooksitup.net)
 -----------------------------------------

1 box Duncan Hines Supreme Strawberry cake mix
 (egg, water, oil on back of cake mix box)
 2 (10 oz, ea) boxes frozen strawberries in syrup
 1 C. cold milk
 1 (3.5 oz) box vanilla instant pudding mix
 1 (3.5 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
 1 pint fresh strawberries (tops removed/cut in half, thawed)
 1/3 C. chopped pecans (optional)
 -
 Prepare cake mix as directed on box; pour batter into
 greased 9 X 13 pan; bake according to pkg. directions.
 Let cake cool 100% then using the handle of a wooden
 spoon, poke rows of holes all over cake. Place thawed
 strawberries with syrup in food processor or blender;
 pulse/blend until a slushy consistency; pour mixture
 over cake, spread out evenly & let soak in. Place 1 C.
 cold milk & instant pudding mix in bowl, mix until it
 thickens; fold in thawed Cool Whip. Spread mixture 
 evenly over cake. Place cut fresh strawberry halves
 on cake in rows, then sprinkle with chopped nuts 
 (if using). Refrigerate cake 4 hours.
 
 (recipe: facebook-crystalandcomp.com)
==================================

Not much going on lately; found a really cute
knit pattern for making a little bunny toy - 
I'm working on knitting it up before posting
a photo (she said, hoping it comes out as 
cute as the one I saw on Pinterest!) I'm still
plowing through my (deceased) friend's stuff-
have it organized into batches now; now it's
just finding people I know who actually DO
some of the crafts I have. As I've mentioned
before, whatever I can't find a home for
will be donated to the local Senior Center;
they can either distribute the items or
sell them in their Spring Rummage Sale. I'm
amazed at just how versatile my friend was, in
SO many crafts! She was a expert knitter, crocheter,
Tunisian crochet, Monk's cloth 'embroidery (if
you can call that embroidery), liquid embroidery/
regular embroidery, Candlewicking (a type of
sewing/embroidery), quilting, sewing, and punch-kit 
wall hangings! That's quite a variety of skills!
Looking forward to handing off some of these
materials so that people can use them; she 
would have been happy to know they are being
used.

How are you doing post-Easter dinner? Still have 
leftover ham? We do! I'm thinking of cutting what's
left off the bone and freezing it for another time.
I really like ham, but after awhile you start
looking for 'other' dinner meats! Tonight we're 
having Potatoes O'Brien (ground beef, hash brown 
potatoes with red & green peppers, onions) cooked
in a skillet, then covered in sharp Cheddar cheese);
it's a favorite around here.

Hope you're enjoying your day - remember to take
a little time for yourself: a cup of tea/coffee, 
maybe read a little in a good book, perhaps a 
little of the leftover Easter candy (she said,
knowing she shouldn't have it, but loving it,
anyway!).

Hugs;
  
Pammie