We've been trying some new recipes around here lately.  Here's a few of the good ones for you to enjoy also...  Be sure to click on the links to go directly to the recipes.

We enjoyed having some family in town over the weekend, and had planned to have a nice dinner together on Saturday night with a few extra in attendance.  I try NOT to have desserts in the house, but thought that 10 of us could probably polish off a regular size dessert at one meal and I wouldn't have to be concerned with the tempting leftovers.  So, I began to search the cabinets for ingredients and ideas.  My Betty Crocker cookbook is a standard go-to for recipes around here and I already had it out to make the main dish.  As I looked through the desserts section, there was a recipe for Boston Cream Pie, and I just happened to have all the ingredients.  So, I mixed up the cake part, baked it, cooled it according to the recipe instructions and dumped it out of the pan....literally....

It's a good day week for soup....  Here's a few I'm hoping to try and hope you might enjoy them also...

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What's your favorite soup recipe??

This is probably going to be link-overload, but I have tried some really fun and delicious recipes lately that I wanted to share.  As I mentioned previously, I am trying to make more and more things from scratch...  I have found that it doesn't always save money and certainly doesn't always save time, but often it tastes better and is healthier.  There are seasons when I can make more things from scratch and seasons where it is better if I just buy things.  But, here's what I've been trying over the last several months...

Easy Blender Salsa (Easy is RIGHT!  I make this almost weekly!)

Chocolate Syrup (This is a slightly different consistency than store-bought, but I love it!)

Evaporated Milk (This was a recipe emergency...so convenient!)

Ranch Dressing

Healthier Ranch Dressing (use spices from above mix...)

Italian Dressing Mix (haven't actually made dressing, just the mix for other recipes)

Stovetop Granola

Baked Granola

Wheat Thins (These are easier than I thought they would be...just roll them REALLY thin!)

Cheese Crackers (Claimed to be like Cheez-Its...more like cheese straws in cracker form - YUMMY!)

Fruit Snacks (my daughter loved these!)

Jello Popsicles (these have an interesting consistency...I prefer fruit juice)

Granola Bars

More Granola Bars (these taste more like dessert!)

Pumpkin Butter (Super Easy!)

Cinnamon Raisin Bread (I actually did this in my bread machine and baked it in the oven!  Amazing!!)

I make most of our bread, and those recipes aren't online so I can't link to them, but I will work on getting them typed up on my printable recipe page -- I've made white bread (blech!), wheat bread, light wheat bread, sourdough bread, and my latest favorite is a rich wheat sourdough bread.  It has a secret ingredient that makes all the difference!  The whole concept of sourdough bread kind of grosses me out a little bit, but the end product sure is tasty!

Pizza Crust (not my favorite, but it's pretty good.  I didn't pin/save my favorite and my only hope is that I printed it....and it's somewhere in my pile of printed recipes!  I also make a biscuit type crust sometimes.)

Tortillas

English Muffins

I happen to live in a house with a child who would happily live on muffins alone, so we regularly have some sort of muffins in our house for breakfast/snacking.  I'm constantly looking for healthy(er?) recipes for those muffins, so check my recipes page and pinterest board for what sweet breads we're trying out around here.

I also make a double batch of pancakes or waffles when we have them and put the extras in the freezer.  I just lay them in a freezer bag, and we pop them in the toaster or toaster oven when we're ready to fix them.

Taco Seasoning is very simple to make -- I have a recipe from a friend in a church cookbook which I can try to get typed us as well, but a quick google, pinterest, or allrecipes search should bring up some good results.

Blackening Seasoning

Brownie Mix

Instant Oatmeal Packets

I also make cornbread from scratch (the sweet kind so it tastes like the Jiffy box mix).  I had no idea how simple it is to make, and I just keep a bag of cornmeal in my pantry.  This is the recipe I use.

A friend recently gave me a copy of this book and it is a very valuable resource...if you are able to get a copy, I highly recommend it.  I made the vanilla pudding and vanilla ice cream from it last week.

Lots of sauces and seasonings are easy to make and don't require adding too many items to your pantry.  I recently discovered that BBQ sauce is relatively easy to make....just need to work on my vinegar measurements...too much the first time.

You may remember my post about Stretching a Chicken, and I continue to do that to make my own chicken broth, and I save beef broth as well from when I cook a roast.  My freezer was so full of broth that I have stopped making any for right now and it kills me to throw out the chicken bones without making broth from them!

I've talked before about shopping at Costco, and I continue to purchase basic pantry items there.  Most of my baking supplies come from there, and I've started purchasing canned tomatoes/tomato sauce there as well.  We certainly don't use up the huge can in a timely manner, but I've had no problems freezing the leftovers for the next time I need them.  The tomato sauce is used in recipes, for pizzas, and spaghetti, and the tomatoes are used in ALL sorts of things, including salsa, italian dishes, and other recipes that call for diced tomatoes.

Finally, I've been dabbling in some homemade cleaners/household products and so far I've liked what I've made...

Dishwasher Cleaner

Shower/Tub Cleaner

Window/Glass Cleaner

Hair Detangler

Alright -- enough for now.  I'm all linked out. :)  One more plug for my Tried and True board on pinterest, where I'm regularly pinning the things we try.

What homemade things are you making?

Yesterday was one of those days where I thought I'd tackle a few small projects and be done in a relatively short amount of time.  8 hours later (and really, really sore feet!), I finally finished.  Whoa.

I grocery shop for two weeks at a time.  That sounds like I spend two weeks shopping.  I go grocery shopping every other week.  There.  That's better.  This saves me both money and time and I'm happy about both of those.  I also make a lot of what we eat from scratch.  We're pretty much getting to the point that anything we eat is either whole food (by that I mean fruits, veggies, meats/protein) or homemade.  There are still a few exceptions, but they are becoming the (very small) minority.  What all of this means is that I usually have a baking/cooking day once every two weeks where I try to make a lot of the things we will need for the next week or two, and then I just fill in with other things when time allows.  I hope to be able to share the recipes (and pictures...since I have a cutey-patootey-helper!) for future baking days on a regular basis in order to encourage and inspire you all to have your own baking days.  For me, being in the kitchen is relaxing, even with 4 things going on at once and my helper underfoot.  I have my mom and great-aunts to thank for that.  I know for some it is not, but I hope that whichever side you land on, you will at least find a recipe or something from these posts that is helpful for you.

Today, I was having camera issues again (shocker!), so I don't have any pictures that are worth posting, but I will try to link to the recipes that I made, and you can look at the original pictures on those sites.  Note that today was a longer-than-normal day for this sort of thing...normally we are only in the kitchen for 3-4 hours at a time.

Easy Homemade Flour Tortillas

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Chicken Salad with Grapes (no recipe...just toss it all in)

Hard-boiled Eggs (to go in my tossed salad lunches)

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Granola (altered recipe slightly with fruit/nuts)

Homemade Wheat Thins

Homemade Cheese Crackers

Brownie Bites

No-Knead Bread (which I plan to bake today in my crock pot...stay tuned...)

Fiesta Lime Rice

And, can I just say that I loved being able to move 6, yes SIX pins to my Tried and True board on pinterest?!?!? :-)

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Forgive me, folks.  I just haven't taken the time to post these last few days.  I attribute this to lack of desire to spend too much time at my computer, warm temperatures making it really FEEL like summer so I gravitate towards summer activities (usually involving water!), the realization that my little girl is growing quickly and I'll have plenty of time to blog when she's grown and gone, very few "must-do's" this week allowing me to spend more time doing fun things with said little girl, and then I had to go and read these articles:




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This is a strange post - you have been warned.  I ate salsa for breakfast...corn salsa...a pinterest find.  You can see the original recipe here, and my changes are as follows: no scallion/cilantro - substituted fresh chives, basil, and parsley, added a can of black beans, and used regular chili powder instead of chipotle.  It is so-amazing-I-can't-stop-going-back-to-the-fridge-for-more-eat-it-with-a-spoon-good.


Day 1: Eat only fruit, but NO bananas.


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Total Time: 30 minutes (or longer if you're talking with your bestie and sippin' some wine...just sayin')
Makes 4 servings... ahem...riiiiiiiiight

3 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed
1 T. canola oil (I used vegetable)
1/4 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. pepper
3/4 lb. sea scallops, thawed
4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped (I used turkey bacon)
8 oz trinity mix (fresh diced tomatoes, onions, bell peppers)
1 T. blackening seasoning (recipe below)
1/2 cup half and half
1 T. chives, coarsely chopped (optional)

Removed corn husks and silks; slice kernels off cobs (2-3 cups) into medium bowl.  Scrape cobs with back of knife to release remaining juices.

Preheat large saute pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes.  Season scallops with salt and pepper.  Place oil in pan, then add scallops; cook 1-2minutes on each side or until golden opaque, and firm.  Remove pan from heat; transfer scallops to plate and cover to keep warm.

Cut bacon into small pieces (using kitchen shears) while adding to same pan (wash hands); cook 3-4 minutes or until crisp.  Drain bacon fat, reserving one tablespoon in pan.  Stir in trinity mix; cook 2-3 minutes or until soft.  Combine blackening seasoning, half and half, and corn; add to pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 3-4 more minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.  Transfer corn mixture to serving dish; top with scallops and chives.  Serve.

(original recipe from Publix quarterly publication)


Blackening Seasoning
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. black pepper
1 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (unless you LOVE spicy, I would cut this back considerably!)
1 T. paprika
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 t. oregano


Next up...a few pinterest finds made for a lovely Saturday evening dinner on the deck...

1 1/2 t. garlic salt
2-4 T. chopped cilantro (not cilantro fans around here)
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