Taco Pan Pizza

There are two foods that we really really love in our house.

First we love, tacos. Basically we kind of exist on them. We are never far from throwing ourselves a little fiesta. Anytime you can pair dinner with guacamole, salsa, and chips it is a good things. So tacos grace our table frequently.

Another favorite in our house, is probably a favorite in the majority of households with four boys, or kids, or anyone who likes to eat. The second favorite in our house is the oh-so-popular pizza. Sometimes we order in. Sometimes we do take and bake. Other times we make our own. Truth be told, there is even occasionally the frozen variety in full, bagel bite, or roll form.

So when a taco and a pizza fall in love, what do you get?

Well Taco Pan Pizza of course.

Of course.

This pizza is delicious! The cornbread crust adds just the right sweetness and texture. The crust may have been one of my favorite parts. This Taco Pan Pizza was a big hit with the family. I mean I kind of knew it would be because of the you know pizza and taco thing.

If your family like tacos and pizza, then I would highly recommend you make this Taco Pan Pizza. Seriously SOO yummy.

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Oatmeal White Chocolate Craisin Cookies

I first tried these Oatmeal White Chocolate Craisin Cookies years ago. In fact, every time I had them they were made by the same person. One of my favorite people to be exact. So because of that, these cookies quickly became one of my favorites.

These cookies are so soft and chewy. Since the base of the cookie is brown sugar, the cookies are richer. The craisins add the perfect sweet tart combination. Man I really love craisins. They make just about everything better.

We just baked up a batch of these to give out to the boys' church teachers as part of our Christmas of Kindness 2014 (follow along with our Christmas of Kindness on Instagram- @larissa_anotherday). They are great Christmas cookies because they are different than the typical Christmas cookie.

Oh, and not that it should matter, but these cookies are also pretty.

Seriously you should go and make yourself some.  While you are at it make some for your neighbors. They will probably take out your trash and clean off your windshield forever.

Printable Recipe HERE

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Spicy Cashew: Slow Cooker Saturday

I cannot take credit for these delightfully yummy cashews. This recipe comes to you thanks to The Hubs. Over a month ago The Hubs came home with a bag full of cashews from the bulk section of our favorite grocery store. He declared he was making Slow Cooker Spicy Cashews.

Okay husband. That sounds great. Scratch that. That sounds delicious.

This guy I am married to often introduces me to the yummiest food. However, not matter how hard he tries, I am never going to willing eat peas. Sorry dude.

Back to the cashews. These cashews has just the right amount of kick. The spices work together for this great smoky heat. And even though I know it shouldn't matter, the spices also give the cashews the prettiest color.

These cashews are done and ready to eat in under an hour and a half. They also store great. These cashews also make a great gift. Put them in a mason jar. Add a label. Write a note. You know something like, "We are nuts about you." You know how I like a gift with a cheesy saying.

Get Printable Recipe HERE

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Family Favorite Chicken Recipes

We eat a lot of chicken around our house. Therefore, we use a lot of different chicken recipes. The family favorites are ones that are easy and quick to throw together (that would be for the benefit of the mom) and full of yummy flavor (that would be for the kiddos).

On this Recipe Thursday, I decided to share a few of our Family Favorite Chicken Recipes with you all. Half of these recipes are also SLOW COOKER recipes. S'rsly people. These recipes are keepers. If your family eats chicken like our family eats chicken then I would suggest you pin some of these recipes.

In no particular order, here are some of our family favorite chicken recipes.

Slow Cooker Philly Cheese Chicken Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken Sliders

Thai Chicken Pizza

Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Chicken Sandwiches

Mango BBQ Chicken Salad

Chicken Carbonara with Spinach

Slow Cooker Mango Chicken 

Oh man. Now I am hungry. We really do love chicken over here. I am always looking for new recipes to try in hopes of adding to our favorites list. If you have a favorite family chicken recipe, share the link in the comment section. I will love you forever.

Also, if you guys go through chicken like we do, then I have a secret for you.

We buy our chicken through Zaycon Foods. They sell amazing food in bulk at great prices. I have done a post about it HERE. Zaycon Food's top seller is their chicken. This chicken is the best. THE best. I buy it and freeze it and sometimes can it. 

Well guys, right now their chicken event is happening. You seriously need to go and order yourself some chicken. It is $1.89 a pound. Say what!?!?

That is right, $1.89. The most reasonable price for such a high quality chicken. If you have ordered from them in the past, you know what I am talking about. If you haven't, well what are you waiting for?

Head over to Zaycon Foods and order some chicken.

Order some chicken and then give one, two, or all of these recipes a go.

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Cinnamon Banana Muffins

We like our bananas around here. Most of the time we just eat them up. Occasionally a bunch will get by us. When the bananas are past eating, the boys start begging for me to bake something. Sometimes we make Frosted Banana Bars or Double Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Lately we have been making the bread version of these muffins. I really liked the bread version of these muffins, but I am gonna be honest, it was a little high maintenance. Each time I made the recipe the loaves always turned out different. I knew the flavor was there, and just needed a better way to show it off.

Well, these Cinnamon Banana Muffins are the better way to show it off.

These muffins are spectacular! I have always loved anything with a crumb topping. Okay not anything, I am pretty sure if you put crumb topping on peas I would still not like them. I digress.

Another thing I love is cinnamon chips.

These muffins are packed with cinnamon chips.

The recipe makes a ton. Which frankly is good because I am pretty sure my boys each ate two before I was even done baking them all. I guess they couldn't help themselves. They weren't the only ones...I may have had a few myself. The whole family gave me two thumbs up. That says a lot, because yes they are known to give me two thumbs down accompanied with "Eww" and "Mom, this is not the best thing you have made."

So if you have a bunch of bananas just taking up space on your counter, I think you should make these.

Cinnamon Banana Muffins
yields 3-4 dozen

 crumb topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

bread:
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
6 ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16oz) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups flour
1 package cinnamon chips (I use Hershey's brand)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare the crumb topping by cutting the butter into the brown sugar and flour, creating a crumb topping. Set aside.

Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray, then sprinkle a teaspoon's worth of the cinnamon sugar mixture into tins.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda.

Slowly mix the flour mixture into the bowl of the mixer. Add in about 1 1/2 cups at a time. Mix until completely combined.

Then mix in the cinnamon chips.

Fill each cup 3/4th the way full. Then sprinkle some of the crumb mixture over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the muffin tin. To remove from the tins, run a knife around the edge of each cup. Then gently lift each muffin out.

Now eat up and enjoy yourself!

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Cauliflower Fried Rice

I know what you are thinking? You are thinking that this looks like some delightful fried rice and I must have accidentally typed in cauliflower in the title. However, I am here to tell you that while you are right about this being delightfully yummy fried rice I did not mess up on inserting cauliflower into the title.

For, in fact, this is indeed Cauliflower Fried Rice and there is not one grain of actual rice used in this recipe. Even though the rice is missing, the flavor is not. You know what else isn't missing? Vegetables! Lots and lots of vegetables. Seriously, this is the best dish to sneak in those vegetables. My kiddos totally ate this up, none the wiser.

Well, Oldest knew so he said he could tell, but I think that is only because he knew my sneaky tricks. The others who were kept in the dark about the veggies gobbled it down with no complaints. Thanks to the shredded chicken mixed into this Cauliflower Fried Rice it was a complete meal in a bowl.

I do want to clarify that the cauliflower in this dish doesn't mimic the exact taste of rice. I just want to be honest with you. However, the texture is super similar and even though it doesn't taste like rice, the flavor is awesome. Again, this was a hit with the family and I kind of felt like Super Mom for a minute realizing how many vegetables I just got my kids to eat. Woot!

You won't be sorry you gave this a try. Yum!

Cauliflower Fried Rice
adapted from Skinny Taste

1 head of cauliflower, rinsed
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 egg whites
2 eggs
salt
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
5 green onions, sliced and divided white and green
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 cups shredded chicken
 
First, remove the core from the cauliflower and then let it dry completely. Chop the head of cauliflower into florets. Place half of the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower has the texture of rice. Repeat with the rest of cauliflower.

Combine the eggs and the egg whites in a small bowl and beat with a fork. Season with salt.

Spray a wok with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook them like scrambled eggs. Remove and set aside.

Add sesame oil to the wok. Saute the onions, scallion whites, garlic, peas, and carrots until soft. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Raise the heat to medium high and and then add in the cauliflower rice. Add in the soy sauce. Mix and cover. Let it cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in the egg and the chicken. Stir. Remove from heat and then mix in the green parts of the green onions. Mix in more soy sauce if needed.

Serve immediately.

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Glazed Lime Cookies

If these cookies were people, these Glazed Lime Cookies would be the classiest bunch of them all. Well maybe not as classy and ladylike as macarons, but these could be her almost as lovely friend from grade school.

These Glazed Lime Cookies are light and just crispy enough. They are refreshingly sweet and perfectly enhanced by the lime. They are summer in cookie form people. I know I often categorize my food by seasons, but I just can't seem to help getting immersed in the food of the season.

We use lime a lot in this house. Funny story, once we had some friends over for dinner...that isn't the funny part. We did our customary meal planning. We gathered up a few of our favorite recipes that we felt all coordinated together. It was only after making the dinner and moments before they arrived that we realized that FOUR of the things we made all had the name LIME in it. Hehehe. I guess we really do like lime. The whole night was lime-tastice. You won't hear me complaining.

So yes, we like limes. I had been wanting to try this recipe for awhile. I have had this recipe for years (like we are talking 10) and I just kept putting it off. Story of my life. Finally decided to add the ingredients to my grocery list, because that is like writing it in stone don't you know.

Then I made them. Then I ate them. Then I ate some more. I really rather liked them.

I will say this, they are a little more grown up of a cookie. My Little Men only like them so-so. Also, if you make cookies for the cookie dough, well this isn't really the recipe for you. This is definitely a needs to be in baked and glazed cookie form to be enjoyed at its best.

With all that being said, I also don't want to scare you off from these delightful cookies. They really are something special and are not your typical cookie. Like I said, they are way more sophisticated than your average chocolate chip. Good news though is that they don't require tons of work like a fore mentioned macarons.

Give these lovely cookies a try. Oh, and when you read that there is 1 cup of corn meal in them, yes that is correct. It seems weird I know, but trust me these cookies are not weird they are uniquely surprising and marvelous.

See.

Glazed Lime Cookies

cookie:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
4 teaspoons lime zest
2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup corn meal

glaze:
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
8 Tablespoons lime juice
2 1/2 teaspoon lime zest

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add in egg and beat until incorporated. Then add in the lime zest, lime juice, orange zest, and almond extract. Mix until blended. Add in the flour and the corn meal. Mix well. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheets with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with corn meal. Shape dough into 1" balls. Place on cookie sheet about 3" a part. Dip the bottom of a glass in corn meal. Using the glass, flatten the cookies to 1/4" thickness. Bake 14-16 minutes or until the cookies are light brown around the edges. Remove the cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool completely.

To make the glaze combine the powdered sugar, lime juice, and lime zest. Stir until smooth. Place the cooking rack with the cookies on it over a sheet of wax paper. Pour the lime glaze evenly over the cookies. Let the glaze set.

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Strawberry Lemonade Cookies

Oh guys, we are pretty much in the season of lemons. Eek. I am so excited. I have shared my 2014 lemon excitement already when I shared a recipe for Lemon Cheesecake Pie a few weeks ago.

Now with the sun shinning, the freshly mowed grass smell, later days, and school almost out for the Summer bring on the lemons. Bring it.

Just after my love of all things lemon, is my love of all thing Strawberry Lemonade. How can a person not love something that combines strawberries and lemons?!
 
So I kind of had to make up a cookie recipe for Strawberry Lemonade Cookies. Then I kind of had to eat half a dozen cookies.

They were that yummy.

Pretty and yummy.
 

These cookies make me happy. They are perfectly chewy with the right hints of strawberry and lemon. They are Summer in cookie form.

In fact, when I baked these up the Little Men were playing outside in the sunshine. Birds were chirping. Lawn mowers were running. My yard was full of bicycles, balls, and shoes. There was laughter and shouting.

The sounds of summer.

When the boys were done playing, the cookies were waiting for them.  They happily devoured these Strawberry Lemonade Cookies. They were a hit.

Give a try.

Strawberry Lemonade Cookies
makes about 2 dozen
 
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3.4oz strawberry Jello pudding mix, dry
zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs and the vanilla. Then mix in the lemon juice.

In another smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and strawberry pudding mix. Add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until well incorporated. Then add in the lemon zest.

Using a cookie scoop, drop scoops about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a cookie rack.

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Make a Cake Mix Taste Homemade

I wish I were a skilled baker. I most especially wish I were a skilled cake baker. Now don't get me wrong, I have constructed some decent cakes in the past. When my two oldest were younger I went all out making their cakes. However, they were not especially spectacularly baked.

I could construct and decorate a cake decently, but the cake baking itself was just eh, so-so.

Fast forward several cakes, a few parties, and realizing that we always had left over cake, and I eventually just stuck with making cupcakes for birthday parties.

Occasionally though, I still want to make a small birthday cake.

Like for Little's Robot Birthday Party, for example.

I shared the Robot Birthday Party details yesterday. This party came together in under a week. Basically, I was WAY behind, and I wanted the making of the cake to not take up too much time. So I scratched off making a birthday cake from scratch off my list...hehehe.

However, cake mixes from a box don't offer the density and structure that a good from scratch cake does.

Did you know that you can use a cake mix as your base and with just a few extra ingredients you can make it more like a homemade cake?

Well, you can.

Bam.

Mind blown!

I have actually tried a few recipes that claim to achieve this "from scratch" cake mix. I have been disappointed many times, not really getting the results I wanted.

I finally found the perfect recipe to create this Make a Cake Mix Taste Homemade. Perfect, I tell you.  Don't judge the recipe by my less-than-perfect decorating. The cake was great, and it all started with a regular old store bought cake mix.

Make a Cake Mix Taste Homemade
midget momma

1 box cake mix (I used vanilla)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
dash of salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the wet ingredients. Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Then add in the rest of the dry ingredients and mix the batter for two minutes.

Pour the batter halfway up a prepared pan (or 2/3 full cupcake tins).

Bake at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the pan. Then, while keeping the oven door closed turn up the heat to 325 and cook for the same time.

Cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on a cake rack.

Now go on out and make yourself a not-so-from-scratch from scratch cake.

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Parmesan Bow-Tie Pasta with Ham, Leeks and Peas--My Weekly Menu Plan with All You Magazine

‘This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and All You Magazine, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #lifeforless http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV.”

As a busy mom of four always hungry Little Men and one regular Hubby Man, I am always on the look out for super yummy meals that I can make for a good price and that I can whip up really quickly.

Recently I went to a great source for family and budget friendly recipes, my latest issue of All You Magazine. After running to the oh-so-lovely and forever-my-favorite-store Target to grab the April edition, I poured over all the recipes.

I found a TON of recipes that I instantly wanted to try. One of my favorite set of recipes was the Feed Your Family: 1 Week, 5 Easy Meals.

I picked a few and put them into my Weekly Menu Plan.

The first recipe I tried was this awesome Parmesan Bow-Tie Pasta with Ham, Leeks, and Peas.

 Instant crowd pleaser for my hungry rowdy crowd.

The meal came together SO easy. I mean like WAY easy. I put it all together quick enough that the villagers didn't have hardly any time to raise a famished riot. Then once the villagers were happily devouring their food there was not a single word to be heard. Okay, maybe there were a couple of muffled sounds between bites. After all they are rowdy boys.

I didn't alter the recipe at all. This pasta dish turned out perfectly and it will make it on to the Weekly Menu Plan again. We also made the Baked Chicken Spring Rolls.

Man those were tasty as well.

I love that they have family friendly recipes with a grocery list that went with it.

Not only was I inspired by these yummy recipes from All You Magazine, but I was also inspired to put together a Weekly Menu Plan printable. One I can print out and hang on my fridge.

I typed up my weekly menu onto a blank form.

Blank Weekly Menu Plan download

I know this Parmesan Bow-Tie  Pasta with Ham, Leeks, and Peas will make it back in our menu rotation very soon.

Parmesan Bow-Tie with Ham, Leeks, and Peas
All You Magazine

salt and pepper
12 oz bow-tie pasta
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek, white and light green parts, chopped
2 cups frozen peas
1 cup half and half
4 oz deli ham, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add in the peas and half and half and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in ham. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta, reserving some pasta water. Add the pasta into the skillet along with the cheese and toss to coat. Add some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta seems dry.

Serve immediately with  more Parmesan.

I am telling you, you need to try this recipe out. You should also try the Baked Chicken Spring Rolls. Heck, all the recipes in the April All You Magazine look amazing.

Run to Target, like I have to really tell you to do that. So go to Target, like I know you want to anyway, and pick up the April issue of All You Magazine. Print off your $1 off coupon HERE (while supplies last).

Also, since we all love Target how about a little giveaway. You know like a $50 gift card to Target giveaway. Feel free to jump up and down. I won't judge. I mean $50 gift card to Target...that is awesome. AWESOME!

Enter to win below.

Entry-Form

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Avocado Brownies

Yes, you read that right. That delightful photo of some pretty yummy looking brownies does say AVOCADO Brownies. That definitely means that there is avocado in those there brownies.

Now, don't "p'shaw" me just yet. Let me tell you how fabulous these brownies are before you question my sanity of actually baking brownies with avocado in them.

These brownies are fabulous. They are dense. They are rich. They taste nothing like avocados.

No don't get me wrong, I like avocados. Actually I like them a whole bunch. I however, do not want my brownies to really taste like an avocado.

However, that wonderful denseness and richness I mentioned earlier is due in large part to those sneaky avocados.

I understand that you might be skeptical. I was a little too. Just a little. However, there was one in our house that was really skeptical. In fact he was so skeptical that I had to force him to try some. I had to force my kid to eat a brownie.

Wow. I never thought that would happen.

He took one bite. He chewed that one bite slowly with a lot of trepidation. Then he finally smiled at me and said,

"Mom! I can't taste the avocado! I think they are magic!"

Why yes, yes Little Mister they are magical and they made these brownies to die for.

The other great thing about baking your brownies with some avocado is that you can convince yourself they are healthy because you know, you cooked them with vegetables.

I will speak the truth and then not again.

These brownies are just as delightfully indulgent as regular brownies and are not really any healthier for you. Like maybe a smidge and that is all.

Now with that being said, you can promptly ignore that truth and go back to the whole these brownies are healthy way of thinking and without guilt help yourself to two.

That is what I would do.

Avocado Brownies
adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 cup extra dark chocolate chips
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/2 avocado, mashed
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup extra dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.

Add the 1 cup extra dark chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate, and the butter to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute at 50%. Stir. Then microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time until the chocolate is smooth. Add in the mashed avocado and cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

In a another bowl, lightly whisk the eggs until slightly frothy. Then whisk in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add in the chocolate mixture. Whisk to combine. Stir in the flour with a spatula.

Pour the batter into the 8x8 pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of extra dark chocolate chips evenly over the top.

Bake the brownies for 35 minutes, or until the a toothpick test comes out almost clean. They are better slightly underdone then too done.

Allow the pan of brownies to cook on a wire rack. Pull out the brownies by the parchment paper. Cut up into squares.

Happy Recipe Thursday and happy eating!

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Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup {Slow Cooker Saturday}

Welcome to Slow Cooker Saturday! Would you like a side of soup with your grilled cheese croutons? Sounds good to me.

Er..I mean a side of grilled cheese croutons with your soup. Yeah, that is what I meant.

Either way, both the soup and the grilled cheese croutons are kind of fabulous.

At our house we love ourselves some tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I really wanted to try and make a snazzier version of our typical open a can tomato soup. Yes, I just said we like our tomato soup from the can. I am not ashamed of it.

Back to the snazzy version of tomato soup. I decided to try a tomato basil version that you can make in the slow cooker, and then I got all crazy and I decided that grilled cheese croutons were needed.

The tomato soup just hung out all day in the slow cooker making my house smell divine.

Once it was ready and just waiting to be eaten, I whipped up some grilled cheese croutons. I highly recommend making these if you make this soup. They are kind of like soul mates and it would be cruel to keep them a part.

I like to make our grilled cheese sandwiches with this extra divine and extra special gourmet butter.

Chef Shamy Gourmet Garlic Butter is kind of ridiculous. It should probably be a part of your life immediately.

To make the grilled cheese croutons, simply gather up some good old white bread, some American cheese slices, and this butter.

Drop a spoonful of butter into a hot skillet.

Once it melts add in the bread and cheese (in sandwich form of course). Cook one side until golden brown. Add in a bit more butter and then flip the sandwich and cook the other side until it is golden and the cheese is melted.

Keep on making sandwiches. I recommend making one per person.

Then cut the sandwiches up in cubes. Give them time to set out and dry a bit. Only for like 15-20 minutes. I set them on a cookie sheet and just let them get dry and a teeny bit crunchy. You can let them set out longer, but I like mine still a little chewy.

Now they are all croutony and ready to go on top of some Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup.

YUM!!

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup
adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking

1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 Tablespoons caramelized tomato paste**
2 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

**To make the tomato paste, saute 1 8oz can of tomato paste in a skillet with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the tomato paste until it reduces slightly and turns a deep red.

Heat up some olive oil  in saute pan. Add in diced onion into the pan and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic, basil, and oregano and cook for another minute. Slowly stir in flour and cook for another minute while stirring constantly.

Take off the heat and transfer it to a slow cooker. Add in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, broth, honey, and salt. Stir and cover. Cook on low for 5-7 hours.

Remove the lid and turn to high. At this point, use an immersion blender and blend the soup until it is smooth and creamy. Add in the heavy cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 10 minutes on high without the lid.

Serve in a bowl topped with grilled cheese croutons.

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Zuppa Toscana

This winter my favorite soup, Italian Wedding Soup has been challenged by this recipe for Zuppas Toscana. I LUHHHVE it. Like so much. Previous to this winter I had never tried it. I had not even ever had the original version at Olive Garden.

Shock. Gasp.

No I do not live under a rock. I just never go to Olive Garden. Okay, so I hardly ever get out. Ha!

There were so many people telling me I needed to try it, that I gave into peer pressure and I decided to finally make Zuppas Toscana. 

Friends, I slurped it greedily out of my bowl and then I proceeded to lick my bowl. Then I had another bowl and repeated the previous process. Then I had another bowl the next day for lunch. People, that means I ate it for leftovers. You know me and leftovers. So...that is basically my must-eat-this-it-will-be-heavenly stamp of approval.

This soup has Italian sausage, potatoes, spinach, and bacon. Basically a few of my dearest loves are all in this soup. Only the most divine ingredients for me. Seriously it is no wonder I love this soup.

This soup is hearty enough for winter, but light enough to be made in all the other seasons. This is an all year kind of soup. If you have never made it, then I very strongly recommend the recipe for this bowl of goodness.

So let's recap shall we--

-never had Zuppas Toscana before

-made it

-loved it

-had it for leftovers

-if you haven't had it, make it

That is it in a nutshell.

Enjoy friends!

Zuppa Toscana

adapted from The Recipe Critic

5-6 pieces of bacon, cut up

4 potatoes

6 cups chicken broth

1 onion, finely diced

1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 lb mild Italian sausage

2 cups heavy cream

2 1/2 cups roughly chopped spinach

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a frying pan. Remove pieces once they are cooked, but before they are really crispy. Set aside on a paper towel. 

Peel the potatoes. Slice each potato in half lengthwise and then cut each half into 1/4" slices. Add the chicken stock to a large pot. Bring the broth to a boil. Add the potatoes into the boiling broth.

As the potatoes cook, saute the Italian sausage into a pan. Cook just short of being completely cooked. Drain off the fat. Add in the garlic and onion. Saute the mixture together until the sausage is golden and the onions are translucent. 

Once the potatoes are tender, add in the sausage mixture and the spinach. Let the mixture boil for a couple of minutes. Long enough for the spinach to start to wilt.

Reduce the heat and add in the cream, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook until the soup is heated through.

Top with bacon and serve.

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Raspberry Coconut Bars

We lived in Ohio for 5 1/2 years. We have been gone for 2 1/2. CRAZY.

I had an awesome group of friends in the great OH. There were lots of girls nights out and girls nights in. There was frequent dinner trips to PF Changs. There were Just Dance dance parties. There was hanging out "just cause we need a break". Our kids played together. Oldest is still betrothed to one of my favorite friend's oldest lovely lady.

We will make that happen.

Why all the nostalgia? Hey I am prone to be all reflective and sappy. Actually, it happens quite frequently. I think it is due to my increasing in years. Haha!

These lovely Raspberry Coconut Bars make me think of Ohio. I first had it at a recipe exchange I had in Ohio. In fact, I think it might have been my very first social thing I ever did in Ohio. These recipe exchanges happened for about a year. We would come and bring a yummy dish and have the recipe available to hand out. Sometimes we had themes. Some of my favorite recipes have come from these recipe exchanges.

My friend brought this dessert. I remember really liking it. I grabbed a copy of her recipe and I tucked it away with all my other recipes.

I never made it. Until now that is.

I do that ALL the time. This recipe made it through my twice a year weeding out process. I just kept skipping over it. I partly blame Pinterest. Since the recipe was on paper and not online, I never saw it.

Finally I am done passing it over. The Raspberry Coconut Bars have been made. The Raspberry Coconut Bars have been eaten. The Raspberry Coconut Bars have been enjoyed!!

Yes, they have.

                     

Raspberry Coconut Bars

2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
2 2/3 cups flaked coconut
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup milk chocolate chip
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the graham cracker crumb, sugar, and melted butter for the crust. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Spread the crust mixture evenly into the parchment-lined pan. Press the crumbs into the pan until it is compact.

Sprinkle the coconut over the crust. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the coconut.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Cool slightly. Spread the jam over the bars. Chill for 3-4 hours.

Melt the chocolate in small Ziploc bags. This will take just over a minute. Cut a hole in the tip of each bag. Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the chilled bars. Drizzle milk chocolate first in one direction and then white chocolate second in the other direction.

Let the chocolate set up a bit. Remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into bars.

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Slow Cooker Kahlua Pork (Slow Cooker Saturday)

It has been three and a half years since The Hubs and I went to Hawaii. We both dream of that tropical trip daily. That time we spent in Hawaii really was magical. We had never been to Hawaii before. When people told us it was paradise and we would love it, they were not exaggerating.

We felt the kiss of paradise the minute we set foot out of the airport. The fact that we were 5 hours off our internal clock didn't matter. We felt instantly rejuvenated. Paradise I tell you. Glorious paradise. Pretty much every minute of the trip from that point until we got back on the plane to head home was like that.

In addition to the magical sand and surf, the food was insane. AHHH. Insane, people! Of course the highlight of many a meal was Kahlua Pork. Our very favorite meal was a Kahlua Pork Quesadilla with Guava BBQ Sauce (be looking for that recipe very soon). Seriously, it was sauce all over your face, fingers, and bathing suit good. I will elaborate more on our divine quesadilla experience when I share the recipe with you.

Today, we are talking about the Kahlua Pork. In order for us to copy cat the quesadilla we loved so much, we had to start with a killer Kahlua Pork recipe.

Well, wam bam thank ya ma'am. We have it.

How do you make a killer Kahlua Pork. Well you have to cook it slow, aka for a long, long time. Now I don't have a pit, or a spit or anything like that. Ya know what I do have though, I have a pretty nice little slow cooker.

After the pork and the slow cooker hang out for, oh you know, like 18 hours, you have a Kahlua Pork that will blow your mind and your taste buds.

We have made this Kahlua Pork like lots and lots of times. The Hubs might dream of it fort nightly. We typically pair it with Coconut Rice and sometimes some Coleslaw.

The ingredients themselves are few and simple. Pork. Salt. Liquid Smoke. That hardest part is having to sit in your house smelling all the yumminess to come but knowing you have quite a bit to wait.

The recipe also makes plenty for left overs or to use in another recipe...oh I don't know like Kahlua Pork Quesidillas with Guava BBQ  Sauce.

Thanks for letting me reminisce about Hawaii for a bit on this Slow Cooker Saturday. Don't have a trip to Hawaii planned anytime soon? Ya, me neither. Put on a bathing suit, roll out a beach towel, play some island music, and dish yourself up a plate of Kahlua Pork. I know it isn't the same, but at least you get to eat something yummy.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Kahlua Pork

6-7 lb pork butt roast
3 Tablespoons coarse sea salt
3 Tablespoons hickory liquid smoke

Puncture the pork roast all over with a large fork. Combine the sea salt and liquid smoke in a bowl. Rub the mixture all over the meat. Place the roast in slow cooker. Cook on low for 18-20 hours. Half way through cooking time, turn the pork over. Cover and cook the remaining time.

Remove pork from liquid. Remove excess fat. Shred the pork and set aside. Strain the fat from the liquid and set the liquid aside. Add the pork back into the now empty slow cooker. Add in a small amount of the reserved liquid as needed to moisten the pork.

Serve with Coconut Rice and Coleslaw.

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Thirty Handmade Days, Whipperberry, The Idea Room,
The 36th Avenue

White Chicken Chili (Slow Cooker Saturday)

I love chicken chili. True story.

I like that it is lighter than regular chili. I like that it has taco or Mexican seasonings. I like myself some lime and cumin. Yes I do.

I used to have an old faithful White Chicken Chili recipe. Well, it wasn't really a recipe, it was a season packet and the instructions per that packet. Still good, just not really a recipe. We loved it, but we haven't had it in years. Years I tell you.

First, because we kind of outgrew it. Is it weird to outgrow a recipe? I hope not. I mean I hope every day that The Hubs has outgrown his boxed mac and cheese made with cream of chicken soup and peas. Thus far, he has not. I still love him. He can have his mac and cheese and peas.

Another reason we haven't had it in years, the seasoning packets are not as easy to find.

So White Chicken Chili left our culinary lives. So sad. So, so sad.

I kind of wanted it to come back.

So I developed this White Chicken Chili recipe using all my favorite ingredients. Did you catch the whole lime and cumin hint earlier?

Oh White Chicken Chili, thanks for showing back up in my life. Oh and by the way, thanks for showing up in a slow cooker. You know how I love my slow cooker. I super like this chili. Super duper like.

This chili is spicy, but not hot. It is full of flavor, but is not overpowering. This is a chicken chili that will warm you up on a Winter day, but is light enough for a Summer afternoon. It pairs up great with Monterrey Jack cheese (my favorite cheese by the way) and a couple slices of avocado.

Since this recipe is made in a slow cooker, there is little prep to do. Especially if you use a rotisserie chicken. Then the slow cooker does the cooking and you can take a nap. Or at least wish you were taking a nap.

Here is another Slow Cooker Saturday with my new favorite White Chicken Chili.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Printable Recipe

4 cups cooked shredded chicken
1-2 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth
3 (15 oz) cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet dry ranch mix
3 Tablespoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
sour cream
avocado, sliced

In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil. Add in the peppers, onion, and garlic. Stir frequently until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the cooked veggies, the chicken, broth, beans, ranch mix, and cayenne pepper to a slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve with Monterrey Jack cheese, sour cream, and avocado slices.

Go HERE for other Slow Cooker Recipes.

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