Delicious Tuna Melts!

I make this often for myself for a quick lunch. I can't ever just leave a traditiona recipe alone, so I jazz it up a bit ;) Enjoy!

Jazzy Tuna Melts

~can of tuna, drained

~Horseradish sauce (I used Kraft brand, but you could just use a bunch of packets of Arby's horsey Sauce. I won't tell) or mayo and horseradish mixed together to taste

~Onion powder

~Chilli Powder

~Seasoning Salt

~Mayonaise or miricle whip

~Sweethot mustard (I use Beaver Brand)

~pickles, sliced

~white cheese (I use Velvetta Slices in Queso Blanco)

~Bread

~Butter spread


Simply mix all the ingredients (except for the cheese, bread, butter spread & pickles) together to taste.

Spread butter spread on two slices of bread. place one down in a flat pan and put about a 1/2 inch of tuna mix on bread. Top with cheese slice and pickles.

Cook on med heat and flip. It's done when each side is golden brown and cheese is melted!

Serve up with some more pickles!

Easy Enchiladas!

I love this meal. I am all about cheap, fast and easy-peasy meals!

This one is super easy and fairly cheap and you get a lot of it!

First, lets talk about the ingredients you will need:


~One can of re-fried beans

~About 2-2 1/2 lbs chicken breasts (you could also use thighs, I just prefer breasts)

~1 small can of black olives

~1 large can of enchilada sauce, your preference

~A drizzle of cooking oil

~Large tortillas, 10-12

~Shredded cheese

~Green onions

~Tomatoes

~Sour Cream


1. Start by poaching the chicken breasts, cooling them (this could even be done the night before to speed up the process) and shredding. Place in a pan to brown with a drizzle of oil. Pre-heat oven to 375

2. Add the can of re-fried beans. Combine with the chicken. It may be hard to do, so add about 2 tablespoons sour cream and a little bit of enchilada sauce to make it easier to mix. Add olives.

3. Put about a 1/3 cup of mixture in a tortilla, add some cheese and roll up like a burrito. Place it in a cake pan. I use my trusty glass cake pan for this. Make sure you have sprayed or oiled the bottom to prevent sticking. Do this until you have a full pan.

4. Drizzle the enchiladas with the enchilada sauce, top with a generous helping of cheese. Top with aluminum foil.

5. While it bakes, (about 20 minutes or less depending on your oven), cube tomatoes and cut up green onions.

6. Bake until cheese is melted and it looks piping hot, with sauce boiling. Turn on broiler and remove foil. Allow to crisp up for just a few minutes. Keep an eye on it!

Pull your enchiladas, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Place on plate and top with green onions, tomatoes and sour cream! YUM!

TIP:
This is a very good way to use up leftover turkey at Thanksgiving! I just shred some bird and use it in place of the chicken. My husband loves it!


Click Here to print this recipe out!

Homemade Pancakes and a trick!

So I made homemade pancakes this morning and wanted to share my recipe with my readers. Also, I wanted to share a trick so you can be drawing like an artist when it comes to pancake shapes! This is also great for doing cooking with the kiddos.

Super Yummy Pancakes:
3 Cups Flour
3 tablespoons sugar (I use Spenda because I am diabetic and it comes out fine)
2 tablespoons baking powder
Dash of salt
3 eggs
2 1/4 Cups milk
3/4 cup melted margerine




Sift all the dry ingredients together and then slowly add the eggs. Whisk together and add the milk and margerine.








To make some awesome shapes, try this trick:

Save a squeezeable ketchup bottle and wash and dry well. Add your pancake batter to it using a funnel. Replace cap and draw till your heart's content. What makes it fun is if you have a couple bottles and add food coloring to different batches of batter. Now you have colors! Have fun!

Julie Anne Rhodes Review

As a chef, I enjoy reading the wisdom of others in the kitchen. I love anything to do with food. You could call me a foodie, or you could just say I love to eat. Either way, I loved JuliAnneRhodes.com

The website is set up by a Personal Chef who wants to share her secrets that help you become more efficient in the kitchen and become a better cook. Premium members get to utilize the 'Personal Chef Approach' section.


There are some free parts of the website and there is a paid section as well.

In the free version of the website, readers will see:

~a free Inside Dish Newsletter and a slew of free recipes


Premium Members get to utilize:

~Weekly Menu Plan

~Premium recipes

~How-to videos

~Online forum to discuss things with other members

~A member profile

~The Inside Dish Newsletter (including archived issues!)

~Access to "Dear Jewels", where you can ask questions to the chef herself!


Personally, I loved the info provided on the website, although for some reason I found it slightly hard to navigate. I suppose I just needed to maybe play around a bit more with it and I would have gotten the hang of it. I enjoyed the layout and color scheme and I loved the features of the premium membership. I also think it is affordable when you consider how much a person could save following the tips and menu plans laid out.


Julie Anne Rhodes is offering one lucky reader a chance to win a free month subscription to her website!  Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below!

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Crispy Breaded Chicken Strips

A favorite around my house is my Crispy Breaded Chicken Strips.

One thing about me that will probably start to get on my reader's nerves is the fact that I hardly ever measure anything and I cook based on taste and visualization.

I can only estimate how much of each ingredient I use, so proceed knowing that :)


Crispy Breaded Chicken Strips

* 3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

* 1 cup of cornmeal

* 2 cups flour

* 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

* dash of salt

* Pepper

* Garlic powder

* onion powder

* Chilli pepper

* Milk

* Vegetable or Canola oil


1. Thin slice the chicken breasts. There should be two for each breast.

2. In a bowl, put about a cup of milk. In a seperate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.

3. In a 10 or 12 inch skillet, heat about an inch of oil on med high.

4. Dip each breast in the milk, then coat well in the dry mixture. Gently dip back in the milk and then second coat it in the dry mix.

5. When the oil is heated enough, gently place in the oil, turning when one side is browned well.

6. Make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly by checking the inside is at 165 degrees.


This is served well with my Magical Mashed potatoes!

Enjoy!

For a Printable version of this recipe click HERE

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Review and GIVEAWAY!

As someone who loves to cook, I was excited to get to try Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut oil. I know that coconut oil can really add some awesome flavor to a dish!

I was given a 32 oz size to review and I was very pleased when my first recipe with it tastes absolutely awesome!

Tropical Traditions makes their coconut oil the 'old fashioned way' with family producers in the Philippines using methods passed down for generations.

I decided to make a pot roast and then make tacos from the meat. I first made a roast, in water with a dash of ginger in it.

After it simmered all day in the crock pot, the time had come to use my Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil. I put a tablespoon in a skillet, on low heat. I allowed it to turn from a hard fat into an oil and then I added shredded pot roast to it. The aroma was amazing. I then added taco seasonings to it and a bit of tomato paste.

It was absolutely delicious. The roast soaked up the oil and it gave it a wonderful taste. I added green leaf lettuce, black beans and a bit of mango-pineapple salsa. What a treat! My husband was drooling!

Tropical Traditions is offering one reader a chance to win!

Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below!

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Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Cook'n recipe organizer Giveaway!

As an avid cook and a "foodie", I have tons of recipes littering my kitchen. I often run out of ideas as well.

Don't you ever get tired of Spaghetti and Tacos at home? I know I do!

Here comes Cook'n to the rescue! One of the coolest features of Cook'n is the recipe search feature. You can literally sit down with no idea what to make for dinner and just put in a few keywords and Cook'n will help you figure it out in seconds!

Cook'n is like 5 programs in one!




*It's a recipe organizer. You can input your own recipes into it and Cook'n will organize them for you!

*It's a recipe database search engine. Just plug in a few keywords and find hundreds of recipes in one click!

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*It's a grocery shopping assistant. Cook'n will organize your weekly shopping list down to the isle!

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Busy Families NEED the Cook'n software!

Cook'n offers WEEKLY prize giveaways on their Facebook fanpage!

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Please consider getting Cook'n. With today's busy families and economy, Cook'n can help save you time and money! And there is nothing to lose. Cook'n has a 200% guarantee. Can you believe it?


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Cook'n would like to generously offer my readers a chance to win a FREE copy of thier software! Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below! If you can't see the form, click "Read More" and GOOD LUCK!




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Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Today's Guest post comes from Sensibly Sara! Her blog has wonderful giveaways, reviews, recipes, organization tips and much more!



Baked Oatmeal:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups oats (quick or old fashioned), uncooked*
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In medium bowl combine milk, eggs, oil and vanilla; mix well. Set aside.
In 8×8 square casserole pan, combine oats, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add to liquid ingredients in bowl; blend well. Let stand about 15 minutes.
Bake, uncovered, 35 to 45 minutes or until center is almost dry and firm to the touch. Cool slightly before serving.

**I got this recipe from a friend, but I am a rule-breaker and use heavy whipping cream in place of milk. You can make it either way.

Full Disclosure from Sara: I was not compensated for this post. I am sharing one of our favorite breakfast recipes (I did NOT create it, I merely altered it) because I thought you’d like it! :)

Crock Pot Creamy Italian Chicken recipe

I wanted to share with you this wonderful recipe from my bloggy friend at Life with Captain Fussy Buckets. It is for a crock post recipe and I know everyone could always use more of those for those busy nights!

Crock Pot Creamy Italian Chicken recipe

4-6 chicken breasts

1 cup water

1 package dry Italian seasoning/dressing mix

1 block cream cheese (we use fat free or reduced fat)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

rice or pasta

directions:

Put chicken, water, and seasoning/dressing mix on high for three hours.

After chicken is cooked, add soup and cream cheese. (I cut the chicken into smaller pieces at this point)

• Cook another hour, stirring two or three times.

Serve over rice or pasta.

Make sure you go visit Dena at Life with Captain Fussybuckets for more great recipes, giveaways and great reading :)

Skillet Bacon Jam Review

Have you ever heard of Skillet Bacon Jam?

I hadn't either until I was given the opportunity to review it.

I must say, at first, I was a bit intimidated by it. I was unsure what to eat it with, how it would taste and what in the world it was for. The first night I opened it, I let my husband smell it and he accidentally dumped the "juice" onto his shirt. He smelled like "bacon goo" as he called it after that.

The look of it ain't too pretty, but it's one of those things that looks scary, but if you give it a chance, it really is a hidden gem in the food world.

Because I was short on time, I didn't have time to really try one of the recipes the website for the Skillet Bacon Jam offers, but I decided it might taste good as a topping on steak instead of the usual steak sauce.

POW! I was right. I added it to the top of my steak just before it was done and let it's juices mix with the steak and it was EXCELLENT! It has a tangy, sweet and smokey taste that really compliments the meat.

I look forward to trying it in other things. I am thinking next time I will do double pork and add it to some ground pork and make pork cube steaks. My mouth is watering already.

To purchase Skillet Bacon Jam and see the wonderful recipes that it goes good with, please visit www.skilletbaconjam.com 

For Inquires, please send a message to eat@skilletstreetfood.com








I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I was getting tired of eating the same old thing around here so I decided to play around in the kitchen. I came up with this recipe the other night and wanted to share it with my readers.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

You will need:


* 1 box of non-long type pasta such as farfalle


* 1 container of Philadelphia Cream cheese's "Cooking Cream" I used Italian herbs and cheese flavor


* 1 1/4 cups shredded swiss cheese


* 1 ham steak, around 1 lb in size, cooked and cubed


* 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed


* Panko or bread crumbs


How to:

1. Start the water to boil for the noodles, combine the ham and chicken together in a bowl. set aside.

2. When noodles are cooked al dente (al dente means "to the tooth". It is a french term that means the pasta is almost fully cooked) and drained, add the meat.

3. Add the cooking cream and a splash of milk to the pasta/meat. Combine gently as to not break up the pasta.

4. In a baking dish, (I used a glass cake pan), spray the inside with non-stick spray. Add the mixture. 

5. Top with a layer of panko/breadcrumbs and cheese. 

6. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 15 minuets or until cheese is melted on top and the mixture is sizzling. When cheese is melted, turn on broil and let it get brown and crispy. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn!

SERVE and enjoy!

You might also think about adding a veggie. I think asparagus might go lovely next time with this!

Two Kitchen appliances you need to consider buying

This post is a bit different from other reviews. I was not given these products to test and try out. This is simply me telling you about two small appliances I have had for years that have been surprisingly very helpful around my home.

I was skeptical when I bought both. I didn't think they were worth it at the time I bought them. I didn't think we would use them enough. I figured they would just go into storage after a few uses and be forgotten to collect dust. My husband was the one who convinced me.

The first one is a popcorn popper. I personally have The Presto PopLite popper.




I used to always make microwave popcorn, but I honestly do not think I have made any of that in years. We have owned our machine for over 5 years. It is still running great after this time and I use it at least on a weekly basis. It is great for living frugally and living a healthy lifestyle. It pops with hot air, so you do not need to add oils. You can top it with anything you can think of!

Cost-wise, it is much cheaper than buying bags of microwave popcorn. We get probably 10-12 bowls of popcorn out of a standard bag of kernels that only costs 2-3 dollars.




The second appliance that we use more than I thought we would is the rice cooker. We have the Black and Decker 16 cup rice cooker.



This cooker came with a steam basket and scoop. What is so great about it is it allows you to simply fill the cooker and turn it on and forget it. It does all the work. No more watching water boil, adding rice, stirring etc. Withe the steam basket, you can steam your fresh veggies along with your rice taking you less time and less space in the kitchen.

I used to always buy rice mixes from the store and do rice that way. Those are loaded with sodium and preservatives. Now, I just add rice and instead of water, I add chicken or beef broth and some seasonings. Rice is so much cheaper (especially if you buy it in bulk!) than rice mixes and just like with the popcorn popper, you can make any flavor rice you want.

Secret Spaghetti Sauce

This recipe will be a bit different. I will not completely give away my secret, but I will tell you what is in it. Test it out for yourself and adjust the ingredients to your liking.

Chrissie's Secret Spaghetti Sauce

Tomato Puree

Canned or fresh diced tomatoes

Fresh mushrooms, sliced

Italian seasonings

Brown Sugar

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Shredded cheese

Browned ground beef or turkey


I will give you a hint..add a little then adjust.

Cj's Mystery bars

Today, I have a guest poster. She is a fellow Montana blogger and wanted to share her recipe with my readers. Please show her some love by visiting her blog and by leaving some comments here.

Please also vote for Cj's Recipe!

All you have to do is LIKE the Cook'n fan page and Like Give oh Giveaway's recipe for mystery bars. She'd really appreciate your help! Thanks! If she wins, she wants to give it away on her blog! Remember, just like the comment made by Give oh Giveaway!



Without further adieu here is my bloggy friend, Cj, from Give Oh Giveaway :)




Hello! I am Cj from Give oh Giveaway. I am a stay at home Mommy of 3 little girls under the age of 5. I love to coupon, do reviews & giveaways and LOVE to bake! My hubby always jokes, "Don’t eat a cookie Cj makes!", because honestly I can’t make cookies even if it was to save my life…but I have developed a talent for baking pies and bars.


The recipe below is called Mystery Bars, as a child growing up in Las Vegas my family of 10 would make the 1200 mile drive to middle-of-no-where Montana to my Grandparents farm house for Christmas. Grandma Santa (yep, that is her real name, not a nickname) would be prepared with dozens of these awesome bars. They were our favorite Christmas treat! Every time I asked her what they were made of she would always answer….”It is a mystery” and wink at me! She would send some home with us every year, but they never made it Idaho border. We eventually moved to Montana and I luckily got to spend many hours in the kitchen with Grandma Santa baking mystery bars and learning all her secrets! I want to share with you my family’s favorite tradition and I hope you love them as much as we do!


Mystery Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Butter (margarine won't work)
1 bag of Chocolate chips (or 2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
40 saltine crackers



Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray well with PAM (easy clean-up). Line crackers side by side on cookie sheet until it covers the whole pan. Boil brown sugar and real butter over medium heat (stir often) until it reaches rolling boil. After it reaches a rolling boil, time for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour and spread over crackers. Place in oven for 8 minutes. Turn off oven, remove from cookie sheet from oven. Let rest for 30 seconds. Press crackers back into place with wooden spoon as best you can. Sprinkle choc. chips over top and place in TURNED OFF oven for 2 minutes. Take out and spread melted chocolate chips. Sprinkle with nuts (optional)



Let cool and break up (with hands or wood spoon) into pieces. DO NOT CUT with knife; you will get foil pieces in your bars. For quick cooling, place on hot pads in freezer of fridge until hard. Store in airtight container in fridge or freezer. This recipe is a great make ahead of time, freeze and thaw later dessert! Will last up to 3 months if stored in airtight container with wax paper between layers of cookies. So yummy too! Blow your quests away with this inexpensive but tasty treat!

You can visit Cj's blog, Give Oh Giveaway here: http://www.giveohgiveaway.blogspot.com/

Also, please make sure to stop by her Facebook Fanpage and "Like" it!

You can also follow Cj on twitter!

Magical Mashed Potatoes

Ok, so they aren't technically magical, but they are pretty darn good and always get eaten up in my house. Feel privileged. I am sharing my secret! (My husband calls them "love potatoes" because he says the reason they are so good is because of the amount of love I put into them-goof.)

picture from flickr by Nisha A


Chrissie's Magical Mashed Potatoes

(Makes a huge post of mashed potatoes-I never really paid attention to how many servings, but my best guess is 10-12)

10-12 Medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half

Onion powder

Garlic Powder

about a cup of ranch dressing

1/2 cup milk

2 cups shredded cheese

2 Tbsp dried chives

salt

white pepper





Pretty simple:

1. Boil potatoes until soft, but not super mushy and drain. Put back into pot.

2. Hand mash (not with a mixer) to break up larger chunks. Add cheese and mash together.

3. Add milk and ranch

4. hand mash or use a mixer (I always hand mash-I like a chunkier texture with my mashed potatoes, not a puree)

5. Add a dash of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and add chives. Mix well and adjust to your tastes.


My family thinks these are so good they don't even need gravy, but you are welcome to eat with gravy :)

Lasagna Rolls

I really like this fun take on lasagna. It is easy to serve, great for kids to help with and wonderful for a potluck because it's individually set up :)

Lasagna Rolls:

You will need:

*a package of lasagna noodles

*1 cup of frozen spinach

*1 brick of neufchatel cheese (like cream cheese, only lower in fat)

*1 large jar of pasta sauce (I used A Spinach marinara from barilla) or equal amount of homemade sauce

*1 lb Ground Turkey

*Non-stck spray

*3/4 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese

*1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

*Garlic powder

*Italian seasoning mix


1. Brown ground turkey and start the noodles boiling. Par-cook the noodles. You do not want them too mushy, but they need to be cooked enough to be pliable. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. After the turkey is browned, add it to a bowl and add the nuefchatel cheese, frozen spinach, half the Parmesan, a sprinkling of garlic powder and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning. Mash it until it makes a paste.

3. Take a noodle and lay it out on a plate. Put a tablespoon of paste inside and roll it up. Place in coated baking dish. I used a large glass cake pan. (13 x 9). Repeat until the pan is full and add your jarred pasta sauce on top.

4. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and the rest of the Parmesan on top. Cover with tin foil. Put in oven for 15-20 minuets,checking. It is done when the cheese is melted and the sauce is boiling and heated through. Take off foil and turn on broiler to brown cheese. This should only take 5 minuets or so. Keep an eye on it.

5. Let cool for 5-10 minuets and serve!

Here is my Daughter, Jaeda, 9, helping out in the kitchen :)

Broccoli Cheese Potato soup

My husband really loves my homemade soup, so I made him some tonight. Just doin' my usual-making it up as I go. That's the beauty of soup; you can do that! Soup is also great because you can use whatever you have and use up leftovers or odds and ends.

Wanted to share the recipe with my readers. Enjoy <3 Broccoli Cheese Potato Soup

You will need:

~7-8 medium sized potatoes

~48 oz Chicken or vegetable broth/stock

~2 bags broccoli or broccoli/Cauliflower mix (frozen)

~1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

~2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

~1 stick butter

~1/4 cup flour

~spices: white pepper, salt, Muchi curry, onion powder


1. Peel and wash potatoes.

2. Cube potatoes and start broth boiling. Add potatoes to broth/stock and partially cook on boiling.

3. When potatoes are boiling, make a roux. A roux is a thickener for soups and sauces made from flour and a fat, usually butter. To do so, melt butter on med heat, in a separate pan and slowly add the flour, whisking as you go until it is the consistency of wet sand.

4. Whisk the roux into the soup, slowly. Add a dash or salt, white pepper, muchi curry and onion powder to taste.

5. Add the broccoli ad stir, add the cheese and whisk.

6. Add the whipping cream slowly, while whisking in.

Top with Cheese and enjoy :)