Happy 15th Anniversary to us :D

we had NO money to buy gifts or go out so hubby made us a delicious meal here at home, steaks from the grill, baked potatoes, ceasar salad, I made guacamole and also some duncan hines decadent carrot cake cupcakes (pic coming later) It was all so yummy. Who says going out to a resteraunt is better lol

Sugar Doughnut Muffins

To Try

http://ldylvbgr.blogspot.com/

Paula's Southern Fried Chicken Legs

Thank you Heidi from Tried and True for this recipe, your pics are so much prettier than mine :D my first batch was purrty, second batch too dark lol

PAULA'S SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN LEGS
Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
2 1/2 lb chicken, cut into pieces
2 cup self-rising flour
1 cup hot red pepper sauce
3 eggs

Heat the oil to 350 degrees in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.
In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange (about 1 cup). Season the chicken with the House Seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour. Place the chicken in the preheated oil and fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer than white meat. Approximate cooking time is 13 to 14 minutes for dark meat and 8 to 10 minutes for white meat.

Tuna Macaroni Salad

as you can see I added some chopped tomatoes, sorry for the bad pic it is really good though :D


Tuna Macaroni Salad

thanks to Shawn at
Try it you might like it blog

4 c elbow noodles, cooked and cooled (about 2 1/2 C uncooked)
1 c mayo or dressing (I used mayo)
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped (I only used about 1/2 hubby gets the worst breath lol)
1 large can of tuna (12 oz) (I used 2 5 oz cans)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp celery seed *completely optional*

Mix all ingredients. Chill for at least 4 hours. You may need to add more mayo after it has sat, as it tends to soak it up. Just mix it in and you are good to go.

You will be tempted to eat it right away, and it is good, but if you wait it is GREAT. I normally let it sit in the fridge for a day. Also, my entire family uses a dash of Worcestershire (Lea & Perrins) on theirs. I can vouch that it makes it *that much* better- TRY IT, YOU MIGHT LIKE IT!

Chocolate Mug Cake

Recipe found at Homespun Cottage Blog

I will be trying this one today :D


CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE 1 coffee mug 4 tablespoons flour (that's plain flour, not self-rising) 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons baking cocoa 1 egg 3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) some nuts (optional) Small splash of vanilla 1. Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. 2. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. 3. Add the chocolate chips (optional) and vanilla; mix again. 4. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! 5. Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. 6. EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to share!) Top with ice cream or cool whip....Enjoy!!

4/22 Lasagna

Lasagna

1 lb ground beef
2 6 oz cans tomato sauce
2 cans water
1 C sliced fresh mushrooms
1 t garlic (I use 2 or 3 fresh cloves)
1 t salt
pepper
3 C cottage cheese
10oz package of lasagna noodles
1 lb shredded mozzarella

Brown your burger and add garlic in while cooking. Add in your tomato sauce and water,sliced mushrooms and salt and pepper. I add in more garlic at this point if it isnt garlicky enough.

Layer in a 9x13 inch pan

put down a little sauce just enough to coat the bottom to help it from sticking.

Layer of noodles

plop on some cottage cheese and spread it out

next mozzarella cheese

then again noodles, sauce, cottage cheese and then mozzarella.

Layer until your pan is full and end with mozzarella cheese

Bake at 375 for 30 mins or til heated through and cheese is melted

I Heart Betty Crocker

I Wanted to make something quick and easy for hubby to eat this morn and found a box of Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffins in the pantry. Whipped them up and they are YUMMY, I know I should learn to make them from scratch but hey! These did the trick. Real blueberries too :D yummo

Do you have any favorite box mixes that you use?

Western Mac

Sorry for the awful and blurry pic. I should have added some chopped tomatoes to this.Dont overcook your noodles because you dont want them soggy.

WESTERN MAC FOR ONE DISH LOVERS

1 pkg. macaroni & cheese dinner
1/2 c. sliced celery
1/4 c. chopped onion
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1 lb. can whole kernel corn
1/2 c. water
Dash pepper

Prepare cheese dinner as directed. Brown meat, celery, green pepper and onion and cook until tender. Stir in corn (drained), tomato paste, water, salt and pepper. Add cheese dinner, mix well. Pour in 2 quart casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

To Try Soon

Moms Potato Hamburger Casserole

http://tried-and-truecookingwithheidi.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-moms-hamburger-casserole.html


ohh man this looks so yummy, going to have to give it a try, had to blog it so I dont lose it :D

http://noblepig.com/2009/02/10/she-said-it-was-the-best.aspx

Another to try Brown Bag Burritos

http://tried-and-truecookingwithheidi.blogspot.com/2009/04/brown-bag-burritos.html

Ohhh found another for Taco Burgers :D

http://tried-and-truecookingwithheidi.blogspot.com/2009/04/taco-joes.html

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes w/ Ham

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes & Ham
Recipe from Tina at Mommys Kitchen
I added a little extra cheese to the top, hubby said this is a stick to your ribs kinda meal :D Im thinking it would be good with green onions, maybe a little more sour cream and Ummm maybe bread crumbs on top but of course.. that adds LOTS of calories lol

5 cups peeled russet potatoes, sliced thinly
1 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup. sour cream
1-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb. chopped ham


Peel and wash the potatoes. Slice them as thin as you can get them. If you slice them thick, they will take much longer to bake and nothing is worse than a crunchy potato. Next, mix together the soup, cheese, and sour cream. Chop the onion finely. Mix together well. Add in the potatoes and mix. Pour into a well-greased casserole dish. Bake, covered, in a 350 preheated oven for one hour. In the meantime, chop your ham.Remove dish from oven and add the ham, mixing well. Potatoes will start to really stick, so make sure to scrape them from the sides at this time as well. Cover and put back in the oven for 30-60 more minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Remove from the oven.

Deviled Eggs

Had to make hubby some deviled eggs with the Easter eggs we colored, I mixed the yolks with some mayo, brown mustard, salt and pepper. Put it all in a sandwich bag and cut the tip, then squeezed it into each little egg half, he LOVES deviled eggs..Um he may be sleeping on the couch tonight because of them LMAO

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Fresh Strawberry Pie

from a Southern Plate

Fresh Strawberry Pie

* 1 C sugar
* 1 C Water
* 3 T strawberry gelatin mix
* 1 Pint Fresh Strawberries
* 3 Heaping Tablespoons Cornstarch
* 1 pie crust, cooked and cooled

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and dry gelatin mix by stirring well. Add water and cook until thick and clear over medium high heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Set aside and let cool. Wash and hull strawberries, cut in half and arrange over pie crust. When filling is cool, pour over strawberries and chill pie until ready to serve. Serve with whipped cream.

Easter Dinner

Happy Easter

Ham..yes its a cheap water packed ham but a ham just the same lol

Scalloped potatoes with thyme and bay

soft baked french bread (not made by me lol)

salad

devilled eggs

pics later :D

Perfect Microwave Rice Revisited

Ive posted this one before but the other night I needed some rice in a hurry so I brought back out this recipe :D LOVE IT

For those of you (that are like me lol) that dont like to babysit rice while its cooking on the stove this is the perfect recipe for doing it in the microwave.

Perfect Microwave Rice

2 C long grain rice
3 1/2 C water or stock
1 1/2 teaspoon butter or oil
Salt n Pepper

Place ingredients in a large glass bowl. Microwave on high for 10 minutes uncovered. Then set it to med/low and microwave uncovered for 15 minutes more. Do not stir rice at any time during cooking process. Season with salt and pepper and fluff with fork just before serving

works great, you can add spices, different kinds of broths etc..

Bobby's Goulash

and some with cheese :D


Paula Deens Son Bobby's Goulash

I used 2lb of ground beef, no turkey

I would add a little less salt and only boil the noodles for 15 mins next time, they got a little too soft for my taste. I think some mushrooms or corn in it would be good too.



* 2 pounds lean ground beef
* 1 pound ground turkey
* 2 large onions, chopped
* 3 cups water
* 1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
* 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
* 3 bay leaves
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
* 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
* 2 cups dried elbow macaroni

Directions

In a Dutch oven, saute the ground beef and ground turkey over medium-high heat, until no pink remains. Break up meat while sauteing; spoon off any grease. Add the onions to the pot and saute until they are tender about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, along with the tomato sauce, tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, House Seasoning, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves and allow the mixture to sit about 30 minutes more before serving.
House Seasoning:

* 1 cup salt
* 1/4 cup black pepper
* 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Free Campbells Tomato Seeds

Go here to get yours

http://www.helpgrowyoursoup.com/

also remember to donate, you will get seeds, I got mine today :D

Crock Pot Salisbury Steak

A link to the blog where I found this recipe

Got this simmering in the crockpot right now, I need to make some potatoes for the gravy yummy, I will post pics

Make sure to go to the link for the recipe and also great pics of the whole process

To Try Strawberry Pie

gotta get hubby to get me some strawberries :D

http://www.southernplate.com/2009/04/fresh-strawberry-pie.html

Country Casserole

Hubby says this one is a KEEPER :D I suggest going to Christy's blog and seeing her wonderful photos, I will post one of mine tomorrow, my camera is dead tonight :(

Southern Plate

Country Casserole

2 cups small shell pasta, cooked and drained
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, cooked and drained
2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
One can French fried onions, divided
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (can use canned chicken)
1 can cream of chicken soup
¼ cup milk
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine everything in a large bowl, reserving half of the cheese and half of the onions for topping later. Spoon into 9×13 casserole dish. Bake for twenty five minutes. Top with remaining onions and cheese, bake until cheese is melted, about five minutes more.
Freezing options: Instead of freezing this in your casserole dish, simply spoon it into a gallon ziploc bag. Lay the bag flat so that it will thaw out quicker and place it in your freezer. On the day you want it, take it out the night before and refrigerate or place in fridge that morning.
If you forget to do all of this, no sweat! Just microwave the bag until it thaws just a bit, pour into your casserole, and bake!
To bake a casserole that is still frozen, simply place in the oven while the oven preheats. This allows the casserole to thaw quickly and then bake to perfection!

Peanut Butter Choc Chip Brownies

Recipe found here My Tasty Treasures

Peanut Butter Brownies

1 stick butter
3/4 C peanut butter
1 3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 C chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch pan. Melt butter in a 4 quart pot, after the butter is melted
Take pot of the heat. Add peanut butter , and stir until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs with spoon
stir until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well blended. Stir in Chocolate Chips.
Spread in prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until tops is golden brown

Sauces

to try Enchilada Sauce

http://happytobeathome.net/enchilada-sauce/

Taco Seasoning Mix

http://happytobeathome.net/taco-seasoning/

Going to try today

Hoe Cake by Southern Plate

http://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/my-mothers-southern-hoe-cake-recipe.html

Really good but I needed to cook a few mins longer and add some salt, maybe even a teaspoon of sugar, hubby suggested maybe using bacon grease? Hmm will have to try it, I fumbled it trying to get it out of the pan waaahh