Lemonade Cake

 Ms. Kris recently passed away due to Covid but she made THE BEST Lemonade Cake. Enjoy!  

Nacho Recipe

Little Bits of Realfood is one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram. I feel like we're besties even though I've never met her- she just gets me ya know?! She shared this Nacho recipe and it's such an easy lunch or dinner.

Duane's Crepes

Growing up, my dad would make these every weekend. He used to cook sausage links and cut them up and sprinkle them into my pancakes. He's the best. :-)

Harry requests these crepes now. They are wonderful paired with his father's homemade syrup.

Duane's Crepes:

5 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups flour

3 cups milk (to suite)

2 oz melted butter

Enjoy!

:-P

Popovers!

Popovers!

3 tablespoons melted butter- divided

2 eggs

1 cup milk- microwave for 30 seconds

1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 400

Use a pastry brush to coat muffin tin with butter

Put the tin in the oven for 5 minutes

Meanwhile...

Mix the eggs

Add warm milk and blend

Add the flour, remaining butter, a perhaps a pinch of salt

Pour into warmed muffin tin

Bake until golden- about 35 minutes

Enjoy!

Harry's Fried Rice

1/2- 1 whole chicken breast.

Take the Garlic, onion, pepper, and sesame oil and...

Put it in the electric skillet.

Cut the chicken.

Cook the rice or take the pre- made rice out of the freezer.

Cook the chicken with the sesame sauce, garlic, onion and pepper mix.

Once the chicken is done...

Put it in a bowl and set aside.

Put frozen veggies in the electric skillet and cook.

Add the chicken back in. Mix together for flavor.

Put in a bowl and set aside.

Put rice in the electric skillet.

Warm rice. Add the chicken and veggies.

If you want, split the pan in half to cook eggs.

Add soy sauce to the rice.

YUM! Seriously delicious! 

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Ingredients:

Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage or Beef Meatballs or a mix of sausage and ground beef :-)
Spaghetti Noodles
4 1/3 cups water
1 jar of Spaghetti Sauce

Directions:

Saute the meat, drain, and set aside

Add water

Add Spaghetti Noodles... break in half and alternate the angle with each handful

Press the noodles down to make sure all the noodles get some water on them. They don't need to stay in the water, but they do need to be wet.

Add the meat- DO NOT STIR

Pour the pasta sauce on top- DO NOT STIR

Pressure cook for 4 minutes

Naturally release for 5 minutes

Use tongs to stir and pick apart any stuck pieces

Wait 5 minutes and then enjoy!

Once it's cooked, you stir it and...

It will look like this! Delicious!!

Easy Peasy Dinner Time

Taco Beans and Rice

Black Beans
Tomato Sauce
Rice
Taco Seasoning
Heat up in a sauce pan


Hard Boiled Eggs

5 minutes on high pressure
5 minutes natural release
Release steam
5 minute ice water bath
Perfect EVERY TIME!

Kale Quinoa

Quinoa
Kale
Garlic
Honey 

Shredded Chicken

Sweet Potato Tacos

Sweet Potato
Corn
Black Beans
Green mixture
Avocado
Cheese- goat, feta... whatever :-)
A little drizzle of Sriracha Ranch

Leah's Soup

My sister made soup for Harry and I over the winter and it was delicious. I tried making it yesterday, and Harry and I could not stop raving about it.

Leah's Soup

Brown Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
Drain and mix with Flour

Wash, peel and cut potatoes

Put sausage and potatoes in pot

Add Chicken Stock

Add spices

Once the potatoes have cooked turn to low

Add up to 3/4ths milk, cheese, and kale

You can turn the stove off and eat right away.
I let mine sit for 20-30 minutes and it was nice and thick!

 

THE BEST LASAGNA!!!

About a month ago, Harry and I were having friends over. We were going to cook a roast like we do every Sunday but last minute, I changed my mind. I wanted to make my famous Lasagna. Seriously, everyone LOVES it. I went to grab the recipe and it was missing. I couldn't find it anywhere in the kitchen. I yelled at Harry because he loves a clean and tidy house so naturally, he was the one who threw it away. Sorry! That evening, I was able to create a list of the ingredients from memory. I was determined to make the Lasagna for our guests and I did although Harry was very nervous about it. The lasagna turned out well. Harry thought it had too many vegetables but is there such a thing?

Fast forward to yesterday, I was scrolling through the blog and came across my Random post. This was a long post because I had a broken laptop. Nothing was organized. I almost stopped reading but then, I found it. It was like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It was glowing. It was... MY LASAGNA RECIPE!!! I cannot tell you how excited I was. It was amazing. Best day ever!!

I do not follow this recipe to a T. The only meat I use is Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage and Bacon (the 30 second microwave kind). I do not measure my veggies although Harry would probably appreciate it if I did. I do my own thing with the spices- I throw in whatever and its always turned out well. I do not make the Porcini- Parmesan Sauce. I HATE that sauce so I skip that. I add shredded cheese between each layer instead. Perhaps someday I'll create my own recipe but for now, this will do. Enjoy!!

The Best Cookies Ever!

So Little Bits of Real Food aka Kelsey has a cookie recipe that I am OBSESSED with. The dough is phenomenal. I'm not going to lie, I make these cookies so I can stuff my face with dough.

Her Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate cookies are my favorite. I prefer them frozen and sometimes I chop up my M&Ms in the blender and sometimes I don't... 

I'm serious, you need to make these cookies! 

C'mon, do it. TONIGHT. 

**These cookies do not flatten while cooking so you must flatten them beforehand.**

All done!

Egg Rolls Recipe

One of my parents makes the best Egg Rolls!

Ms. Chrissy and I are obsessed!

Here's the recipe that I follow.

You can get most of your ingredients at Cub Foods.

I normally buy my Eggroll wraps and the thin Vermicelli Noodles from the Asian store on University Avenue and 81st.

Picture of the Vermicelli Noodle

Cheesy Hot Pepper Preserve Spread (Recipe)

I used Peach flavored, but you can use any. It makes a lot so if there are only two of you, it's a good idea to cut it in half.

Enjoy this DELICIOUS appetizer!

Baklava Recipe

16oz phyllo dough          

1 cup butter

---filling

1lb chopped nuts (I did 2/3rds walnuts 1/3^rd pistachios)

1 teaspoon cinnamon   

----sauce

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup honey

Oven @ 350

Butter the bottom and sides of a 13x9 pan

Chop nuts/food processor to small pieces, toss with cinnamon.

Unroll thawed phyllo dough, keep covered with damp towel to prevent drying out.

Place two sheets of phyllo in pan, and brush thoroughly with butter, repeat until you have 8 layered sheets.

Butter top and then Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of nut mixture, top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go.

The top layer should be 6-8 sheets deep.(or go until you run out of nuts/or real estate)

layer 4-6 sheets of just butter and dough for the top.

Cut into diamonds or squares, all the way to the bottom of the pan.

Bake for about 50 mins until baklava is golden and crisp

While baklava is baking, add water and sugar to sauce pan and bring to boil until sugar is fully dissolved, reduce heat to medium and add vanilla extract and honey. Simmer about 10mins (you can add the zest of a lemon with the van extract and honey as well for a lighter bright sauce, just don’t add it until the last 2-5mins of the simmer)

Let cool on stove until baklava is out of oven

Removed baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over entire dessert, let cool.

Freezes well (1-2 months)(covered and wrapped up).

Leave it uncovered at room temp(5ish days) (gets soggy if you cover it up)

Hello Pumpkin and a bonus Brussel Sprout Bowl

Happy Fall, ya'11!

Caramel Bars

Spinach Bars

Ingredients:

- 4 T Butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 Cup Flour
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 t Baking Powder
- 1 10 oz pkg Frozen Spinach thawed, drained, squeezed dry
- 1 small Onion chopped finely
- 6 strips of crisp Bacon
- 1 Pound Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Cup Durkee Fried Onion Rings, crushed

Directions:

- Heat oven to 350.
- Melt butter in 9x13 inch baking pan.
- In mixing bowl, mix together eggs, flour, milk, and baking powder until smooth.
- Stir in spinach, onion, finely crumbled bacon, and cheese.
- Pour into pan.
- Sprinkle with crushed onion rings.
- Bake 30- 35 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool slightly.
- Cut in small squares for appetizers.

Tip:

- This recipe reheats well.

Grilled Chicken Panzanella

- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut into half- circles
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt (nonfat)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil

Dessert Fruit Pizza

Recipe: 

• 1 boxed brownies mix (follow directions on back of box)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Bananas
• lemon juice
• Diced strawberries
• Blueberries 

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 12-inch round pizza pan with nonstick spray; set aside. (We split our batter up and made 2 smaller pies.) 

Follow brownie mix directions on the back of the box. 

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled brownie round. Slice the bananas and sprinkle with lemon juice to preserve the coloring. Place the banana slices evenly over the top of the cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with strawberries and blueberries.  

Note to self: Next time, add more berries!! It was delicious, but too cream cheesy for me!