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I know that there aren't a lot of readers right now, but I would love to hear from you if you have made something on here. Good or bad, I'll try not to cry too much. LOL. Seriously, I would love to know how it turned out for someone else. Thanks!

Stovetop Baked Beans

1 lb hamburger meat

1 large can of Bush's Baked beans (original or maple)

1 small onion

1 small bell pepper (optional)

1 palm-ful of brown sugar

1 TBL oil

Saute onion and pepper in the oil. Add the ground beef and brown. Then add the beans and the brown sugar and continue to cook until heated through. (the brown sugar is to your taste, if you like it sweeter, then add more. I usually just use grab a handful. Pretty exact, I know)

Fresh Creamed Corn

Several fresh ears of corn, shucked

1 pint Whipping cream

1 TBL Bacon grease or Crisco

4 TBL Butter

Salt and pepper

Cut the corn off the cob and scrape with a fork to get all the "corn juice" to make about 3 cups. Heat the grease in a large frying pan, then add corn. Cook for several minutes then add a little of the cream, stirring often. This will require some watching. Add the cream as needed, when the mixture becomes dry. Continue adding whipping cream and stirring until the corn is cooked, approximately 25 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken with Basil and Prosciutto

4 boneless chicken breasts

about 1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated.

4 Tbl flour

4 tsp olive oil

2 Tbl fresh basil

8 very thin slices of Prosciutto

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 Tbl butter

Pound chicken breasts until about double in size. Cut in half.

Thinly slice basil, set aside.

Place cheese in shallow dish with 3 Tbl of the flour and mix.

Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in frying pan.

Lay a piece of chicken in cheese mixture to coat one side. Sprinkle basil on breast, then press one slice of prosciutto onto basil, folding to fit, if needed. Turn to coat other side. Repeat with all of the chicken breasts. Place in frying pan, prosciutto side down. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook an addition 45 seconds, until golden brown. Remove when done.

Once all the chicken is done, immediately add the chicken broth, remaining 2 Tbl flour and stir to remove bits on pan. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter and stir until melted. Pour over chicken and serve with pasta or rice.

Cheesy Cheddar Crackers (cheese straws without the straw shape)

8 OZ Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (2 cups)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

Garnishes : chopped fresh parsley, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds.

Process cheese, butter, flour, cayenne, and salt in a food processor until it forms a ball. Divide in half. Roll each half on a lightly floured surface into a 10-in log. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or up to a week. Heat oven to 350'. Cut 1/4 in slices. Place about 1 in apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with one or of the garnishes. Bake 12-15 minutes or until set and edges are golden brown. Remove immediately to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or freezer for 3 months.

Shrimp and Grits

2 1/2 cups water

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups quick cooking grits

1/2 cup Parmesan

2 - 3 cups chicken broth

6 slices of bacon, chopped

1 lb shrimp

1 clove garlic

1 medium onion

1 TBL flour

1 TBL Parsley

Cook grits according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crispy, then crumble. (When a recipe calls for chopped cooked bacon, I usually cut my bacon first. Just my preference). Remove from grease. Saute onion and garlic in bacon fat until crispy. Add shrimp and cook until no longer translucent. Remove shrimp. Cook flour lightly to make a roux, then add broth and cream and cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Place shrimp back into pan, add parsley and mix. Place grits in bowl and top with shrimp and gravy. Garnish with additional parsley.

Meatball Soup

**this is adapted from a recipe on The Food Network website. Basically, I substituted frozen meatballs for freshly made. Much easier and faster and still very good. I also made it in a crockpot**

2 TBL olive oil

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands, with their juice

2 TBL tomato paste

2 (14 oz) cans reduced-sodium beef broth

1 pkg frozen Italian meatballs

1/2 cup ditalini or other small pasta shape for soups

3 cups baby spinach leaves

2 TBL chopped fresh basil leaves

Saute onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Place all ingredients except basil into crock pot and set on low until meatballs are heated through. Add basil right before serving.

Caribbean Rice

2 Cups long grain rice

2 TBL Cilantro

1 can coconut milk

1 can of chicken broth

olive oil

Juice of one lime

Heat olive oil in pan. Cook rice in oil until lightly browned. Carefully add coconut milk and chicken broth, bring back to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 14 minutes or until all of liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice and fluff with a fork.

Chicken with Mango Salsa

6 boneless chicken breasts

2 mangoes - chopped

Juice of one orange

Juice of 2 Limes

2 cups of chopped pineapple with juice

2 TBL chopped cilantro

1 - 2 peppers (your choice, however spicy you like it) - chopped

1/4 cup red onion - chopped

Mix all ingredients except chicken together. Place have of mixture in bag with Chicken and marinate for 2-4 hours. Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and bake on 350' for 30 minutes. Serve with remaining Mango Salsa.

Chicken Pot Pie

2 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts at room temperature

1 cup of cut up cooked chicken (this is a great way to use leftover chicken)

2 carrots, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1/2 cup onions, diced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup of frozen hash browns

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

olive oil

Saute carrots, celery, and onions until almost tender until done. Mix everything together in a bowl. Unroll one pie crust and line a baking dish (pie pan, casserole, whatever you want). Add ingredients. Top with remaining pie crust. Cut a couple of slits in the top to vent. Bake at 350' until brown on top, about 30 minutes.

Some notes:

I don't always make it this way. This is a great recipe that you can take and make your own. You can use frozen vegetables, instead of frozen. You can use all fresh vegetables. Try par-boiling a chopped potato and adding. If you don't like mushrooms, use 2 cans of cream of chicken. If you like mushrooms, add fresh mushrooms. You could top with biscuits or crescent roll dough instead of another pie crust. The possibilities are endless.

Smothered Pork Chops

4 - 6 pork chops (any kind, with or without bones. I prefer bones, they seem to be juicier)

1 container of button mushrooms - sliced

1 large onion - sliced (not rings, just in strips)

1 cup of Sangria

1/2 cup of Vodka

1 TBL flour

1 box of chicken broth

olive oil

rice

Brown pork chops in about 1 TBL of olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside. Saute onions until browned, remove from pan. Saute mushrooms until brown (you may need to add some olive oil, if needed). Add Sangria and Vodka and deglaze pan. Reduce liquid. Add flour and cook for about 1 minute. Add about half of the chicken broth and stir well. Return pork chops and onions and cook until pork chops are tender, adding chicken broth as needed (about 30 minutes). Sauce should be thickened. Serve over rice.

Cilantro and Lime grilled shrimp

1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
2/3 cup of cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno chopped
2 cloves of garlic
juice of 2 limes
1/3 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, and lime juice. Whisk mixture as you slowly add the olive oil, continue to whisk until well incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the shrimp and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Soak wooden skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Place shrimp on skewers and grill on medium heat until done.

Hot Wings

Chicken wings
Red Hot sauce
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp pepper flakes
1 stick of butter
Flour
1 egg, beaten with a little milk
Oil for frying
Blue Cheese
celery sticks

If wings are frozen, let defrost. Dredge wings in egg mixture, then flour. Set aside until oil is preheated to 375'. Fry wings until crispy and done. While wings are frying, melt butter in sauce pan, then add cayenne pepper, and pepper flakes. Mix well and remove from heat. When wings are done, place them in a plastic bowl with a lid and add the sauce. Close the lid and mix well. Be very careful, the hot food can cause the lid to pop off. Serve with blue cheese and celery sticks.

Ella's Surprise Cupcakes

1 Box of Swiss Chocolate cake mix
Pomegranate applesauce or raspberry applesauce
1/3 cup chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate frosting

Prepare cake mix according to directions on box, except substitute pomegranate applesauce for vegetable oil. After cake is mixed add chocolate chips. Pour cake mix into cupcakes and bake according to directions. After they have cooled, frost with chocolate icing.

Blueberry and Mascarpone Turnovers

This is not my recipe, this is from the Giada De Laurentiis on the FoodNetwork

1/2 cup Mascarpone Cheese, at room temperature
2 TBL sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries
2 (9 in) refrigerated pie crusts
1 egg, beaten
vegetable oil for frying

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the cheese, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Stir in the blueberries.

Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut the pie dough into 12 circles. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg. Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cheese mixture in the center of the dough. Fold the dough in half to enclose the filling and pinch the edges to seal. Using the tines of a fork, gently crimp the sealed edges. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
While the pastry is chilling: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Fry the turnovers for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar while still hot. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Tabbouleh

1 cup couscous
1 cup of cherry tomatoes cut into fourths
1 large English cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp salt
3/4 cup of lemon juice
1/3 cup of olive oil

Make couscous according to package directions, set aside to cool. In a mixing bowl, combine cooled couscous, and remaining ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Before serving mix well. Makes about 8 servings.

Superbowl

Superbowl party food is a tradition at our house. We don't usually have anyone over, it's only the family. My kids have come to look forward to the menu for Superbowl Sunday. They absolutely love "party food". This year since Brad is overseas, it will just be the four of us, but the menu will still be just as good as it always is. On the menu today; Tabbouleh, hot wings, nachos, grilled shrimp, cupcakes, mozzarella sticks, and blueberry and mascarpone turnovers. I can't wait to try the turnovers!

Best ever panini

Bread (a word about bread later)
Nutella
Butter

The bread should be the good kind that you get from the bakery in your grocery store. I prefer Ciabatta or a round Italian loaf. I like to have the bakery slice it for me. butter the outsides of 2 slices of bread. Spread the Nutella on the inside pieces. Heat your Panini pan or skillet. if you don't have a panini press, then place a brick covered in aluminum or a smaller heavy pan on top of the sandwich to weigh it down. Repeat on the other side. This is one of the best things ever. My kids love when I ask if they want a grilled chocolate sandwich.

Turkey Noodle Bake

2 cups chopped turkey
1/2 pkg of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of sweat peas
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 small package of Parmesan cheese (or any Italian cheese mix)
1 pkg of egg noodles

Prepare noodles according to package. Mix turkey, cream cheese, peas, and soup. When noodles are done, put into casserole dish and add mixture. Mix well. Top with cheese. Cook on 350' until heated through and cheese is melted.

Black Bean Tortillas

1 TBL olive oil
2 small Jalapenos finely diced
1/4 cup bell pepper finely diced
1/4 cup onion finely diced
2 cans of black beans drained
1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese at room temperature
2 TBL chopped cilantro
Tortillas

Saute jalapenos, peppers, and onions in Olive oil until translucent. Add beans, and cream cheese. Cook over med heat until cream cheese melts and is mixed thoroughly. Remove from heat, mix in cilantro. Heat tortillas. Fill tortillas and enjoy.

BBQ Pot Roast

1 rib roast
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1 pkg of button mushrooms - quartered
1 med onion - diced
1 small bag (1 lb) of baby carrots
Rice


Add first 6 ingredients to a slow cooker. Set on low for approximately 6 hours, until meat is fork tender. Serve over rice.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

4-6 Chicken thighs

1 8 oz pkg of mushrooms - thickly sliced

1 garlic clove - minced

1 cup wine

extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbl fresh parsley

1/2 tsp celery seed

2 Tbl dijon mustard

4 oz cream cheese

1 pint whipping cream

1 Tbl butter

Heat oven to 350'. Generously season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat about 1 Tbl olive oil in oven proof skillet. Brown chicken on both sides. Bake in oven until chicken is done throughout. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Saute garlic and mushrooms. Add wine and deglaze pan. Cook until reduced in half. Add celery seed, dijon, cream, and cream cheese. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 3 minutes more. Add parsley and chicken. Turn off heat, let sit for 5 minutes. Add butter, mix once it melts. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve over noodles. I used Spaetzle.

A word about the testers/tasters

I will be adding comments to all the recipes, good or bad. The maximum will be 4 thumbs up (unless we have company). Ella is somewhat picky. She is a visual eater, so if it doesn't look good, she doesn't like it. She will usually try it, but even if she likes it, she won't admit it. I'm not sure where she gets that from. LOL. So, 3 kids and myself = 4 thumbs. We also have a new kitten that hasn't quite learned the rule about staying off the table. So, on occasion, I may include him in the rating.

If anyone tries any of my recipes, I would love some feedback.

Ham and Cheese Grit casserole

Ingredients:

4 Cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Cup quick cooking grits
2 Cups diced ham
1 Cup cheese (any kind, I used a cheddar/montery blend)
3 Tbl butter
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
dash tobasco
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350'

Directions:
Combine water, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce temperature, slowly stir in grits. Cover and simmer, stirrin frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in ham, cheese, butter, Worcestershire, and Tobasco. Temper the eggs, then add to the mixture. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish approximately 9 x 12. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

Makes about 4 servings.