The Basic Crepe

I never think to post the basic type recipes on here, but they are definitely just as important as all the new things I make!  I really have never been one for making crepes...not sure why!  We just get in our pancake routine and have been stuck for a while.  

These are phenomenal, and I love all the options you can do with them.  This time we filled ours up with Nutella and strawberries.  With a little whip cream on top, you can't go wrong with this yummy breakfast :)

Basic Crepes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
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• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. 
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• Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
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• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. 
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• Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
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• Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad

Visit me on over at Kiki Creates today for a few ideas on how to use up some of your stockpile pantry items!  

It's BBQ season time!  We had our first cookout with friends this last weekend, and so I was able to try out a new salad recipe :)  This one is great, reminded me a lot of the yummy Broccoli Salad our family loves.  The pasta in it was great, and the pecans were perfect.  It gets me excited to try out some more summertime salads :)  

Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.

Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

Recipe Source:  My Recipes

Butter Rolls

Easter dinner 'round these parts consisted of honey mustard glazed ham, crash hot potatoes, asparagus, deviled eggs, and these yummy rolls (with a helping of strawberry shortcake for dessert :)  


For holidays like Easter, it is fun to make everything from scratch...even when it is so much more convenient to grab a bag of rolls from the store (give me a few decades...when I am cooking for more people I may change my mind!).   These rolls were great with a little jam on top, and have a nice buttery flavor.  


The rolls do harden up after a while, so are best if served straight from the oven.  I had another one for lunch today, and about 20 seconds in the microwave is all it needed to soften up and taste fabulous :)


Butter Rolls
1 pkg yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 C warm water
1 C milk
1/2 C butter
1 tsp salt
1/3 C sugar
3 eggs
4 1/2 C flour
1/2 C butter, melted for dipping


In a small pan bring milk to a boil and add butter and salt. Turn off heat and allow butter to melt.  Cool in refrigerator until it comes to room temperature.


In a small bowl dissolve yeast in warm water and add 1 tsp sugar. Allow to proof.


In another larger bowl beat 3 eggs; add 1/3 C sugar and mix together.  Add cooled milk and yeast to egg mixture.  Add flour, one cup at a time beating with mixer constantly. This will be slightly thicker than cake batter.  Cover batter with a towel and allow to rise until double.


Grease counter top and place dough on counter. Do not add more flour unless it is just too sticky to handle.  Form dough into small, 1 inch size balls.  Melt 1/2 C butter and dip each ball into butter before placing in pan. Put three balls into each muffin tin to form cloverleaf rolls.  Let rise until double.


Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.


Recipe Source: Your Home Based Mom

Classic Deviled Eggs

• Gotta love an old classic.  I don't know why I never think to make deviled eggs any other time of the year but Easter time, but I should try making these yummy things a few time a year!  There are so many different varieties I ran into while searching for a recipe...southwest, bacon and cheddar, cream cheese filled...all sounded great!

I made these as a request by my hubby, and he approved :)  I definitely ate more than my share.  Better get back to that diet tomorrow...

• Classic Deviled Eggs
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• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Smoked Spanish paprika, for garnish

Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with enough water that there's 1 1/2 inches of water above the eggs. Heat on high until water begins to boil, then cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and leave covered for 14 minutes, then rinse under cold water continuously for 1 minute.

Crack egg shells and carefully peel under cool running water. Gently dry with paper towels. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise, removing yolks to a medium bowl, and placing the whites on a serving platter. Mash the yolks into a fine crumble using a fork. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

Evenly disperse heaping teaspoons of the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

Recipe Source: Food Network

Bunny Bait

 Say hello to Easter snacking at its finest!  There is something about combining sweet and salty ingredients that is just phenomenal.  This fits the bill if you are sweet/salty kind of guy/gal.  It is a fun recipe and can easily be switched up to create a fun snack for any holiday.  We'll call this one bunny bait.  

Bunny Bait


1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels, or 2 bags tender white popcorn
12 oz. Plain Vanilla Candy Melts, such as Wilton (or almond bark, or white chocolate candy coating)
1 1/3 cups pretzel squares, broken into pieces
1 12 oz. bag plain Milk Chocolate M&Ms or Mini M&Ms (for Bunny Bait use pastel M&Ms)
Multicolored Sprinkles, about 1/4 - 1/3 of a 2 oz. container

Pop popcorn in a popcorn popper into a large bowl (or alternately in the microwave if using microwave bags of popcorn) according to manufactures directions.  Remove any unpopped popcorn kernels.  Toss in broken pretzel pieces and M&Ms.  

Melt Vanilla Candy Melts in a microwave safe bowl on HIGH power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.  Drizzle half of melted chips over popcorn mixture, then stir, tossing gently a few times with a rubber spatula.  Then drizzle remaining half of melted chips over popcorn, and gently stir mixture until evenly coated (don't over stir though or your sprinkles wont stick if the white chips begin to set and harden).  Pour mixture into a single layer onto wax paper.  Sprinkle entire mixture evenly with sprinkles before vanilla chips set.  Allow to cool and harden, then gently break into pieces and store in an airtight container. 

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Try some variations....

Valentines....Cupid Crunch

Switch out he pastel M&Ms for red, white, and pink ones.  Or take out the M&Ms altogether and put in conversation hearts.  Use red and white sprinkles. Another thing that would be good is to put in some gummy cinnamon hearts AFTER the chocolate has set.

Christmas...Rudolph Crunch

Use red and green M&Ms.  Add in some broken up pieces of peppermint candycanes.  Or using some Oreos that have green or red centers would be cute, too.  Use red and green sprinkles.

St. Patty's...Leprechaun Lure

Switch out the M&Ms for green and yellow ones.  Use green and yellow sprinkles.  Breaking up a few Oreos that have green centers would be cute, too. 

4th of July...Patriotic Crunch

Use 6 oz red M&Ms and 6 oz blue M&Ms (available at craft stores)
Use multicolored red, blue and white sprinkles mix
Optional - sprinkle with red Poprocks candy once chocolate has almost set (so they don't just dissolve)

Halloween...Monster Bait

Use the brown and orange M&Ms.  Use orange centered Oreos, broken up.  Use black and orange sprinkles.

Thanksgiving...Gobble Crunch
Use 12 oz. Reese's Pieces in place of M&Ms
Use brown, yellow, orange, red sprinkles

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter with your families!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

It comes as no surprise that I am sharing another Buffalo chicken recipe...it is definitely one of my favorite flavors of all-time!  

We are getting ready to move across the country (again), and I am trying to clean out my pantry, freezer, and refrigerator so we don't have to lug so much across the country or fill our garbage can with completely edible food!  

I bought this Knorr rice a while back when it was on sale, and wasn't really sure what I would serve with it...but it said Buffalo chicken on it, so I had to!  I turned the package over and the recipe on the back actually sounded good, so we gave it a try.  My hubby and I both thought it tasted great.  It also helped me get rid of that half-gone bag of chicken tenders in the back of my fridge!  Enjoy :)

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

1 package Knorr® Rice Sides™ - Buffalo Chicken Flavor
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium red or green bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. lime or lemon juice (optional)
1 package (12 oz.) chicken tenders or nuggets, prepared according to package directions
2 to 3 Tbsp. cayenne pepper sauce
8 (6-in.) corn or flour tortillas, heated

Prepare Knorr® Rice Sides™ - Buffalo Chicken according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook peppers with onion, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in lime juice and cook 1 minute.

Toss hot chicken with cayenne pepper sauce. Evenly divide rice, vegetables and chicken onto tortillas and fold taco-style. Serve, if desired, with your favorite taco toppings (my hubby liked a little drizzle of blue cheese dressing).

Recipe Source:Knorr

Copycat California Pizza Kitchen Thai Chicken Pizza

I love copycat recipes!  There is something so fun about being able to re-create some of your favorite recipes from a restaurant and save a lot of money while doing it!  Some of our greatest memories here in Ohio is with friends having Cafe Rio nights.  When we found an amazing recipe for Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, my hubby was so excited (it's the only soup I've ever seen him excited about.)  It is just plain fun :)


I honestly can't say that I have ever had this pizza from the California Pizza Kitchen...I am usually partial to their yummy salads.  Maybe next time I'll have to try this to compare because it was dang good!  It may be a bit spicy for the kiddos, so you may have to have another option for them...but you need to try this!

 Copycat California Pizza Kitchen Thai Chicken Pizza




1 ball pizza dough (see recipe below)
Olive oil, for brushing
¼ cup sweet Asian chili sauce, plus extra for drizzling
1 shallot, thinly sliced
½ large zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3-4 tbsp. chopped peanuts
2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. minced fresh basil (optional)


To make the pizza, increase the oven temperature to 500˚ F and preheat a pizza stone.  Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round.  Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.  Spread the chili sauce over the crust in an even layer.  Layer with the shallot, zucchini, red pepper flakes, shredded chicken, and cheese.


Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.  Sprinkle evenly with the peanuts, cilantro, and basil before slicing and serving.


Recipe Source:  Annie's Eats


Pizza Dough

1 c warm water, divided
1 tsp sugar
1/4 oz package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp.)
3 Tbsp oil (olive oil or vegetable)
2 ½-3 c flour
1 tsp salt

Put warm water in bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast and let proof for 1o minutes. Stir in rest of ingredients. Mix until a ball, knead 10 minutes. Put additional oil in bowl and let rise in oil bowl for 1 ½ hours.

Big Kahuna Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich

We busted out the grill for the first time this year!  Nothing is better than food from off the grill.  From March to October I bet we use the grill AT LEAST 4 times a week, otherwise I am a crockpot girl.  I can't stand the heat from the oven!  So be watching for lots of yummy grill recipes in the coming months :)


I was hoping this sandwich was as good as it sounded.  It was!  I love it when that happens :)  The teriyaki sauce with the brown sugar was fabulous on both the pineapple and chicken.  The pepperjack cheese gave a good kick as well.  Can't complain, dinner was great!


Big Kahuna Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich



4 chicken breasts
1 bottle Teriyaki sauce (we used Lawry’s brand)
3/4 c. brown sugar
4 slices deli ham
1 can sliced pineapple (or you can use fresh which would be even better)
4 slices Pepper Jack cheese
4 large hamburger buns


Pound chicken breasts until they are about 1/4″ thick all around. Place in a large Ziploc bag. Combine Teriyaki sauce and brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Add 1/2 of the mixture to the bag with the chicken and seal tightly. Place bag in refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours. Separate remaining Teriyaki mixture into 2 separate bowls (to prevent cross contamination use 2 separate brushes too)– one for the pineapple, one for the chicken. Open pineapple can and save a little of the juice in a bowl. Place chicken and pineapple on the grill (medium heat).


Recipe Source:  Favorite Family Recipes

Pork Chops with Pineapple Fried Rice

(pic from The Pioneer Woman)

I LOVE it when pork chops are on sale...I buy up quite a few packages when they are.  Since my hubby needs a break from my love of chicken every now and again, pork chops are a great way to switch things up a bit. Combine the chops with delightful Asian flavors and this scrumptious rice and dinner is served!  Pineapples are so delicious right now, so take advantage and make this, heck...why not tonight?!

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of this myself, but I had some serious lighting issues when I was taking pictures of this lovely meal last night.  I'll try again next time I make it, but didn't want to wait for then to share this yummy meal!  Enjoy :)

Pork Chops with Pineapple Fried Rice

1/2 whole Pineapple, Cut Into Spears And Skewered

2 cups White Or Brown Rice, Cooked

6 whole Pork Chops

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Peanut Oil Or Canola Oil

1 whole Large Onion, Sliced

6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (more To Taste, Or If More Liquid Is Needed)

1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Tablespoon Sriracha, Or Other Hot Sauce

Salt To Taste

3 cloves Minced Garlic

2 whole Eggs

1 jar (small) Drained Pimentos

1-1/2 cup Frozen Peas

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (additional)

Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Grill or saute pineapple spears until they have good marks/color on the outside. Slice, then set aside.

(Note: soak wooden skewers in water for a few hours first.)

Heat butter and oil over medium high heat, then add the pork chops to the pan. Saute on both sides until they have nice color.

Throw in the sliced onions and work them into the crevices between the chops. Shake the pan and move the onions around and let them cook for a good couple of minutes.

When the onions are starting to soften, add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, and hot sauce. Shake the pan, stir it around, and let it cook and bubble up for a good couple of minutes until the pork chops are completely cooked and the sauce is thicker. Remove the pork chops to a bowl, then let the sauce bubble up and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Pour it over the pork chops. Set aside.

Add a small amount of oil to the same pan (without cleaning it) and return it to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir it around, then crack in the eggs and immediately stir them to scramble them a bit. Add peas, pineapple, pimentos, and a couple of tablespoons (additional) soy sauce. Add cooked rice and stir it around to cook for a couple of minutes.

To serve, pile rice on a plate, then top with a pork chops and onions from the sauce. Drizzle a little bit of sauce over the top.

Recipe Source:  Pioneer Woman

Kale Chips

In thinking about St. Patty's Day this week, I wanted to share a yummy green treat that is NOT sweet.  I am in the middle of a Biggest Loser competition, and am trying to limit my intake of junk as a whole.  The meals I eat are generally quite healthy, but in between those meals, I am a snacker.  I have been trying to be better about not doing so, but sometimes you just need a little something.


These kale chips are an amazing alternative to chips.  You can spice them up with many different flavors, and they are still crispy and fulfills my cravings for the tempting salty snack. So experiment with these, find your favorite flavors....I'd love to hear them :)


A few facts about the ingredients in this recipe...
Kale is full if antioxidants, is anti-inflammatory and packed with several vitamins. Olive oil is a healthy fat that helps with cholesterol and blood pressure and has many nutritional benefits and sea salt is alkalizing to the body and contains many essential minerals.  You can't go wrong!  


After looking at the many health benefits of kale, I plan on finding a lot more recipes to use it in!


Kale Chips



Buy 1-2 bunches of kale from the grocery store, local market or farmer's market and refrigerate until ready to use.


Wash the kale and dry it, if you have a salad spinner that would probably work great, otherwise pat dry.  Pull leaves of the stalks into chip sizes and place in large bowl.  Get your oil, salt & seasoning and pour or shake while in bowl and mix well with your hands.  Place on a baking sheet and put into the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Shake sheet and if the kale is crisp, place on a plate and enjoy!


Recipe Source: Keeper of the Home

Egg Salad BLT

I've begun to start thinking about Easter, and yummy hardboiled eggs :)  I am hoping to find some new yummy ways to use up those Easter eggs after the kids have colored them.  I am thinking yummy salads, deviled eggs, and have found a few that sound strange, but may try them anyhow.  Here's my first one for the season ;)

This turned out really yummy and me and my hubby both liked them (we left out the tomato, because we both think they are yucky..so technically we had a BL sandwich!). Enjoy.

  

Egg Salad BLT

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
8 hard boiled eggs
4 Rolls, (or 8 slices peasant bread/firm sandwich bread), toasted
8 bacon slices, cooked
8 slices tomato
4 large lettuce leaves

*if you like it extra tangy, add a teaspoon of vinegar too.

1. Combine mayo, sour cream, green onions,Dijon, salt, pepper, and lemon in a medium bowl.Stir to combine well.

2. Coarsely chop eggs and add to mayo mixture. Stir gently to combine.

3. Arrange rolls or bread on work surface. Top each bread slice with about 1/2 cup egg mixture, 2 bacon slices, 2 tomato slices, a lettuce leaf, and top half of roll. Serve sandwich immediately.

Recipe Source:  Our Best Bites

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

• Last night I was sitting on the couch with my hubby, and he said, "You know what sounds really good is no bake cookies," or "poop" cookies as he referred to them as a child.  I headed downstairs and sure enough, I had some oats.  When I came back upstairs I told him "Ask, and ye shall receive!"  20 minutes later these cookies were cooling on the counter and he was taken back to his childhood (and mine for that matter!)
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• It's fun to make those childhood favorites that bring back lots of memories :)  It's one of those recipes I am sure to find in any ward or neighborhood cookbook, because everyone loves them and reminds them of years past.  Enjoy!
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• Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
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• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a full boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.
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• Recipe Source:  Allrecipes

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

First off, just want to let you know I am sharing some yummy lemony dessert recipes on over at Kiki Creates today, go check them out!

These tasty treats won LDS Living's cookie contest, and for great reason!  They are easy to make and taste phenomenal!  I would take a few plates over to my neighbors, otherwise, you'll probably eat them all yourself :)

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

From: Lauren Brennan; laurenslatest.com