Homemade Garlic and Honey Pizza, {and} Cinnamon Sugar Breadsticks

Pizza
Ingredients:
3 C Unbleached Flour
1/3 C Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbl Sugar
1 C cold water
1 package Active Dry Yeast
{toppings} Minced garlic, EVOO, Cheese, Honey


Instructions:
1. In a bowl, combine flour, yeast, oil, salt and sugar. Slowly add water.
2. Mix the dough for 2-3 minutes or until the flour pulls away from the bowl.
3. Add a little more flour, or until it is no longer sticky
4. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl and let it rise until it doubles in size
5. Then divide the dough in half, and form each dough ball into a thin crust
6. Best to do this by hand, but you can use a rolling pin for thinner crust
7. Grease a pan or pizza stone, and pour a little flour onto the pan and place your crust on top
8. {here you can add any marinara, or toppings you like}
9. for the honey/garlic pizza, drizzle some EVOO onto the crust.
10. Sprinkle about 3-4 minced garlic cloves onto the crust
11. Then pour liberal amounts of your favorite cheeses {parmesan, mozzerella}
12. And lastly drizzle honey all over the top, {I used probably 3 tbl}
13. Then bake in a 450 degree, until it is nice and golden brown, about 12 minutes

Cinnamon Sugar Breadsticks:
So with the dough I made for the pizza, I took one dough ball to make the honey garlic pizza, and the other ball for the dessert pizza.
You will also need:
2-3 Tbl Butter
2 Tbl Cinnamon
1/3 C Sugar

1. Roll or spread out to form a rectangular crust
2. Grease a pan and lay crust onto pan
3. Brush about 2 tbl of butter all over the crust
4. Mix the cinnamon and sugar until combined, and sprinkle all over crust
5. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes

                                                                                          

Chewy, {non crumbly} Granola Bars

I have tried so many granola bar recipes, and they always seem to crumble, and not stick together, which is not the best when you are eating them in class, or on the go, and they crumble all over the car :/ So I was ectastic to find this recipe!

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup packed light Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Honey
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) of Butter
3 Cups Low-Fat Granola Mix (I used a medly that had sliver almonds, and dried fruit)
1/2 Cup Golden Raisins
2 tsp Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips


Instructions:
1. Combine the brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and butter in a medium sized saucepan
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat; simmer for 2 minutes or until all the sugar is dissolved
3. Combine all the dry ingredients {except Chocolate Chips}, and pour them into the sauce pan with the liquid mixture, stir until well combined.
4. Pour into a 9X9 pan; press chocolate chips on top of the mixture
5. Refrigerate for 2 hours, and then cut into bars


                                                                                        

Glazed Salmon

I finally found an easy and delicious way to make salmon!

Ingredients:
1/4 C Brown Sugar
2 Tbs low-sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tbs Teriyaki Sauce
1 Tbs Onion Powder
A sprinkle of herbs: basil and parsely
4 pieces skinless Salmon Fillet (wild caught salmon is the best for you)
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:
1. Thaw out your salmon fillets
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Mix in a medium sized bowl, the brown sugar, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, onion powder, herbs and S&P
4. Grab a cookie sheet with rimmed edges. Lay a piece of tinfoil across the width and another piece across the length. Make sure there is plenty of overhang--you'll see why later
5. Place your fillets in the middle of your tinfoil, and pour the sauce all over, covering the fillets
6. Wrap up the tinfoil so it makes a little tent over the fillets. It will provide lots of steam inside.
7. Put it in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. Open the foil and make sure it is cooked. The fish should be opaque and flake easy with a fork.


Can be served over rice.
                                                                                    

Honey-Glazed Chicken with Mango Salsa

Ingredients:
2 Boneless-skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Cups White Rice
3 Tbs Soy Sauce
3 Tbs Honey
2 Tbs Lime Juice
1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
1 Tbs Ginger
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Salsa:
1 Large Mango, diced
1/4 C fresh Cilantro
1/2 Red Pepper, diced
3 Tbs Lime Juice
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Instructions:
1. Thaw your chicken breasts, trim off excess fat, and marinate chicken with Soy Sauce, Honey, Garlic, Ginger, Lime juice and Salt and Pepper. I marinated my chicken breasts for about 3 hours.
2. When you are ready to cook, turn your oven to broil. Place the chicken breasts on a sprayed pan, and pour any leftover marinade over the chicken. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, and then flip to the other side and cook an additional 15 minutes, until browning, and make sure to check if the chicken is cooked thoroughly by cutting through the middle of the chicken breast.
3. Meanwhile, as the chicken cooks, prepare your salsa. Toss together the mango, cilantro, red pepper, lime juice, and red pepper flakes. Set aside to let the flavors mix.
4. Serve the chicken over cooked white rice, and top generously with the mango salsa.




                                                                                      

Super Easy Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

This is a great weeknight meal that you can throw into the crock pot and make your house smell nice and yummy!

Ingredients:
1-2 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 bottle of your fave BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1/2 C of Ketchup
1 clove of Garlic, minced
2 Tbl Onion Powder
2 Tbl Dijon Mustard
A few shakes of hot sauce
4-6 Hamburger Buns


Instructions:
1. De-frost your chicken, and place it in the crock pot
2. Pour the BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, and onion powder and garlic over the chicken
3. Set the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours (my crock pot cooks extremely fast, so it took about 2 1/2 hours)
4. Make sure the chicken is cooked through, and shred the chicken with 2 forks, and then cook for another 30 minutes
5. Layer the chicken on the hamburger buns, and voila!

I served it with mashed potatoes, and some baby carrots and apple wedges

                                                                                  

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta

Ingredients:
2 Large Chicken Breasts
2 C Corn Flakes
1/2 C Italian bread crumbs
1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Egg
4 Tbl Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 12 oz package Bowtie noodles- (I used garden rotini, because we didn't have bowtie)

Sauce:
1/2 cube of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 Can cream of mushroom soup or chicken
1 C Chicken Broth
1/2 C milk

Fresh Parsley, chopped

Instructions:
1. Place corn flakes in a ziploc bag, seal bag, and roll several times over bag until it forms bread crumbs, mix with the italian bread crumbs
2. Add the salt to the flour and place in a bowl, place egg in separate bowl and whisk, and place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. There will be 3 separate bowls for the breading of the chicken
3. De-frost your chicken breasts, and trim off excess fat. Then dip each breast first in the egg, then the flour, and lastly in the bread crumbs
3. Place chicken breasts in a large skillet with the EVOO over medium heat
4. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over chicken breasts, and cook about 5 minutes on each side, just until it starts to brown
5. Then cover the pan, and let cook for another 7 minutes. When fully cooked, remove the chicken and cover in foil
6. In another pan, pour the chicken broth, cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and milk. Cook over medium heat, using a whisk to stir. Should only take about 3 minutes for it to thicken up.
7. Pour sauce over the cooked pasta. Slice the chicken into nice strips and lay on top of pasta, garnish with parsley
                                                                                 

Fake Betty Crocker Brownie Mix

 

Ingredients:

1 C Sugar

1/2 C Flour

1/3 C Cocoa

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

Chocolate Chips (optional)

Instructions: 

1. Whisk all the ingredients together and pour into a zip loc bag. 

2. On the bag, write the instructions: 

           Add: 2 eggs, 1/2 C Oil, 1 tsp Vanilla. 

           Bake at 350 Degrees for 20-25 minutes in a 9X9 pan

I make about 2-3 of them and store them in our pantry. They will store well for about 6 months. It is great for quick desserts when people come over, or when you don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen and need a quick chocolate retreat!

From the blog: Fake it Frugal

                                                                                    

Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic {The only way we'll eat green beans}

Ingredients:
1 lb Green Beans
1 Tbl Extra-Virgin Olive oil
3 Tbl Butter
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tbl Lemon Zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
1. Throw some salt into a large pot of water and bring to a boil
2. Throw the green beans in the water until bright green in color, and tender and crisp, 2 minutes
3. Drain and shock in a bowl of ice water (this prevents it from cooking longer)
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and the butter
5. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant
6. Next add the beans and continue to saute until coated in butter and heated through, 5 minutes
7. Add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper

From the recipe on FoodNetwork

                                                                            

Cheesy Biscuit bombs

These are not the most healthy biscuits, but they are the most delicious biscuits!! I found them on Pinterest and let me tell you, they did not disappoint!!


Ingredients:
1 Container Pillsbury Grand Flaky Biscuits
Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 C Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Oregano or Italian Seasoning
Pinch of salt

Instructions:
1. Open the biscuits, and roll them out so they are stretched and flattened
2. Place 2, 2" slices of mozzarella cheese in the middle of the flattened biscuit
3. Pull the sides up over the cheese to form a ball and place seam side down on a greased pan
4. Brush them with the evoo
5. Sprinkle the parmesan and seasoning over the top
6. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and firm


                                        Enjoy!

Loaded Beef and Bean Burritos

Ingredients:
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Dried leaf oregano
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Can (16oz) Refried Beans
1 C Enchilada Sauce
6 Flour Tortillas
Shredded Lettuce
Shredded Cheese ( we used Colby Jack )
1 Tomato, diced
Brown Rice
3 Tbl butter

Instructions:
1. In a large skillet, cook the beef and garlic over medium heat, about 10 minutes.
2. Drain well
3. Add Chili Powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper, simmer for 10 minutes
4. Add refried beans and half of enchilada sauce, heat through
5. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes
6. Cook the brown rice, and throw in the butter and some chili powder and/or cumin
7. Spoon beef and bean mixture and rice onto a tortilla, roll tightly and place seam side down on a plate. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, and lettuce. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top


Makes about 6 burritos.

 I like to double the recipe and roll extra burritos in a paper towel, and then tinfoil, and then place in a ziploc bag and put them in the freezer, for quick, on the run snacks.

                                                                         

{The Perfect} Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, ever since we've been married, I've {attempted} to make several batches of chocolate chip cookies, and they have ALL resulted in a big, blob of a greasy mess! Epic fail every time! So sad! So, my sweet husband got his mom's wonderful recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookies. We tried them and they were a success! Ours did not raise as much as they should, but I think that is because we didn't use REAL butter. [next time ;)] But I loved this recipe! ----thanks Linda!

           

Linda's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
in large bowl or mixer combine:

2 C room temperature butter (may substitute half with Nucoa)
2 C white sugar
2 C brown sugar

cream these together until they are smooth then add:

4 extra large eggs (or five medium)

blend well then slowly add:

2 T real vanilla
1 T salt (scant - or not quite)
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
6 cups flour

chocolate chips - 1 bag or more - as desired

line baking sheet with parchment paper for best results

bake six large cookies to a sheet - 375 degrees for 13 minutes - makes about three dozen large cookies (people rave about these the most)

for small cookies bake 12 to a sheet at 400 degrees for 9 minutes - makes about six dozen
                                                                                        

Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

This turned out pretty good!

I bought a 1 pound thin cut pork tenderloin for about 6$. I found a pretty good marinade recipe and tweaked it a little. I marinated my pork for about 9 hours, but next time I make it, I think I will let it marinade overnight, so total about 16 hours until I cook it. I think it will add even more flavor to it!

Here is the marinade recipe:
1/4 Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3-4 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Ginger
3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
2 or 3 drops of hot sauce

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients into a ziploc bag and marinate up to 24 hours. Before putting it on the grill, I cut off any excess fat on the edges. We just grilled it on our little George Foreman, it took about 7-8 minutes to grill. We had to flip it once to get the lines to grill on both sides.

And here are my little pork tenderloins marinating... yummy.... !

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots:
Ingredients:
1/2 of a bag of Baby Carrots
1/2 C brown sugar
4-5 tbsp. butter

Instructions:
Steam the carrots for about 20 minutes. Then sprinkle on brown sugar and place cut up pieces of the butter on top of the carrots. Let steam for about 5 or 6 more minutes until you can poke a fork smoothly into the carrots.


Creamy Mashed Potatoes:
Ingredients:
6-8 Medium sized potatoes
1 Stick of butter (sliced into little pieces)
4 oz Cream Cheese (1/2 of a package)
1/2 C milk
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions: 
I washed and peeled the potatoes, and then diced them and placed them into a boiling pot of water. Let them boil for about 30 minutes, or until you can easily poke a fork through them. You want to make sure to boil them long enough or you will end up with chunky mashed potatoes. Once they are cooked all the way, pour out the water until drained all the way. Set back on the stove and start to mash the potatoes. I started using a beater. Then put it the butter, beat until smooth. Then add the cream cheese and milk and beat a little more. And then I added the powder and salt and pepper.

 And there it is! A nice, yummy, full meal! We served apple wedges as well. All around I thought it turned out pretty good! 

                                                                                                                 

Loaded Potato (casserole)

This is a Pinterest recipe, and a husband's favorite! He asks for it all the time!

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast-diced
8-10 medium potatoes, 1/2 in. cubes
1/3 C. Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Tbs. Pepper
2 Tbs. Garlic Powder
6 Tbs. Hot Sauce- I used Frank's Hot Sauce
2 C. Shredded Cheese, Mozzarella and Cheddar
1 C. Crumbled Bacon
1 C. Green onion, chopped

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 500 F.
2. In a large bowl, mix olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and hot sauce. Stir well. Add the cubed potatoes and combine
3. Spray a 9X13 baking pan, and spread coated potatoes in the pan
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes
5. Coat chicken with the left over sauce
6. Once potatoes are cooked, add the chicken, lower oven to 400 F. Put garnishes on top. Bake for 15 minute until chicken is cooked. And enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

Fruit and Spinach (yes, spinach) Smoothie

So, Landon and I love our smoothies. We will have them probably 4 or 5 times a week! We love them especially because they are so versatile and you can put in whatever you want. We will buy fresh fruit and then I will slice some and put them in ziploc bags and freeze them and use them for smoothies.

 

                       

Ingredients:
2 Handfuls of Spinach
handful of strawberries
1 Banana
1 C whole wheat oatmeal
2 C Milk


Instructions:
I always put the spinach into the blender first, I think it's easier to blend that way. And then I throw in anything else and blend until smooth! Super easy, a good way to get your fruit intake, and so yummy!

*We have also used, pineapple, mango, peaches, oranges, blueberries, yogurt, etc. You can add anything you want really. And if we don't have fresh fruit, I will use canned fruit and it is just as good!

Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 Pound ground beef
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 C. bell pepper sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 15oz can black beans/or pinto beans
1 Tbsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Paprika
pinch of pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 C. diced tomatoes
6 large tortillas
16 oz Salsa
1 C Colby Jack Cheese
1 C sliced olives
1 Can Enchilada Sauce
Sour Cream


Instructions:
Cook the ground beef in a skillet, once it is cooked, add the bell pepper, garlic, beans, tomatoes, cumin, paprika, pepper and salt. I also added a few drops of hot sauce ( my hubby loves food with lots of heat ). In a 9X13 baking dish, pour a small layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Fill each tortilla with the meat and bean mixture, and fold up tortilla like a burrito. Place each enchilada snug in the baking dish. We fit 6 enchiladas in one pan. Once they are fit into pan, pour another cup or two of the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Then top with as much cheese as you'd like and then add the olives on top. Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 20-25 minutes. Top with sour cream.

Serve with fruit; we had apple wedges.

Beef and Broccoli with Brown rice

Ingredients:
1 Pound Beef Stew Meat ( or 1 pound beef chuck roast)
1 C Beef Stock
1/2 C soy sauce
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Sesame oil
3 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cooled sauce from the crock pot after being cooked
2-3 C fresh broccoli florets
2 C Brown/ or white Rice

Instructions:
Place beef chunks into crock pot, add the beef stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic. Set the crock pot to cook about 6-8 hours. My crock pot cooks super fast, so it probably took 4 hours on high. But just depends on your crock pot. Once it is all cooked, take out the 2 tbsp. of sauce and mix in a small bowl with the cornstarch. It should start to thicken, if not you can put it on the stove and warm it until it is thicker. Pour the sauce back into the crockpot, and add the broccoli florets. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes. The sauce needs to boil to get thicker, once it has thickened and the broccoli is cooked, it is ready to eat! I also threw on some red bell pepper for some added flavor. Serve with warm rice.

Bon Appetit!

Cinnamon French Toast and Strawberries

Landon and I had these for breakfast on a Sunday morning. I love Sunday mornings, because it is pretty much the one day out of the week that we can eat breakfast together. And this was the perfect breakfast to share, yum!

Servings: 4

Ingredients; 

Whole wheat/ or white bread slices

2-3 Eggs

2 tsp. cinnamon

Strawberries, sliced

Powdered Sugar

Instructions:

Spray a skillet, and beat the eggs together and cinnamon. Dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture, covered both sides, and then cook on the skillet until just brown. Serve with strawberry slices, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. 

      

                                                     Bon Appetit!

Chicken Fajitas and Spanish Rice

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbl. chopped garlic
1 tbl. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 red/yellow or green pepper-sliced
1 diced tomato
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6-8 flour or corn tortillas
Toppings:
salsa
cilantro
sour cream
Colby jack cheese
diced tomatoes
refried pinto beans

Instructions:
Cut chicken into long, thin slices, and marinate the chicken in the oil, garlic, juice, chili powder and either cumin or paprika. Marinate for a few hours, during the day. Then when when it's time to eat, slice the bell peppers and toss them into a skillet with oil and add some chili powder; sauté for 3-5 minutes. Dice the tomatoes. Next saute the marinated chicken until cooked through. Warm tortillas on a skillet. Serve the chicken on tortillas with any toppings you wish and service with spanish rice.



Spanish Rice:
Ingredients:
2 C Brown Rice (You can also use white rice)
4 C Chicken stock and water ( I did 2 cups stock, 2 cups water)
1/2 C diced tomatoes
1/4 bell pepper
2 tbsp onion ( I just used onion powder )
6 Tbsp. butter
1 tbsp chili powder


Just throw everything into your slow cooker or rice cooker.

Normally brown rice cooks for about 45 minutes to an hour. I started mine a little late and we had to wait awhile for the rice to be ready :/ So I would just set it to cook in the morning, and then it can keep warm until you're ready to eat!

I also served apple wedges.

My First Post!

I have created a foodie blog! I love to be in the kitchen and to try new recipes, so here I will be documenting all my successes and fails in the kitchen!


                                                             Bon Appetit!