Easy Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake

I love a good recipe that has lots of flavor and is quick to cook. My hubby and I both work full time so there are many days that we have to rush for dinner. 

So here is the perfect recipe to use if you are in a bind too!

You will need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup of uncooked rice

1 1/2 cup of water

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

Shredded cheese

Combine the soups, uncooked rice, paprika and black pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Pour mixture into a 13x9 inch baking dish. Place the chicken on top of the mixture. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with additional paprika and black pepper. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until chicken is done. When the chicken is done remove from oven and sprinkle the top of the chicken with cheese. Let it set for a few minutes to cool before serving.

Easy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

With the holiday around the corner this easily becomes one of the busiest times of the year. So let me impart on you one of the easiest cookie recipes to use. My grandmother has been doing this for years and now we have finally figured it out! My brother asked her a few years ago about her peanut butter cup cookies and she said there wasn't a "recipe" but just a few quick steps.

You will need:

a tube of peanut butter cookie dough

peanut butter cups

mini muffin pan

mini muffin foils

1. Preheat the oven according to the peanut butter cookie dough tube

2. Fill the muffin pan with the foils and put a scoop of peanut butter cookie dough in each one.

3. Bake according to the directions.

4. When the cookies are done carefully put the peanut butter cups in the middle and let them cool in order for them to set.

Voila! You're done! Easy peasy!!

So whether you need to make last minute cookies for your kid's school party or for a holiday party at the house this one is a favorite and so easy!

Enjoy!

Tye Dye Cupcakes, Party and More!!

Awhile back I wrote about ideas for doing birthday parties and how to make them inexpensive but still fun. Well today we had Taylor's 8th birthday party and that is exactly what I did!

We did a painting party so I got all the supplies from Micheal's. I was able to get 10 8x10 canvas for them to paint for 12 bucks (with a 40% off coupon). The paint was $1 a bottle (I got 8 bottles) and the paintbrushes were 6 bucks for about 20 different ones. 

I had some leftover party stuff (paper plates and napkins) so I went to the store and got some more party stuff on clearance and paid a total of 12 bucks for 16 cups, plastic tablecloth, party poppers, goodie bags, blow pops, and lip gloss (for the goodie bags!). I also got some balloons for 6 bucks.

I spent a good portion of money on food since I didn't have time to make much more than the cupcakes. I got a HUGE fruit platter for 20 bucks, ham spinach wraps for 7 bucks, a dozen deviled eggs for 4 bucks and capri sun drinks for 6 bucks.

Then I made the cupcakes at home and frosted them with a can of rainbow chip frosting (2.39). I saw a cool tye dye cake in one of the family magazines for Arkansas and decided I would try it for the cupcakes! 

It is super easy to do all you need is cake batter and food coloring. First make the batter according to the directions on the box. Then divide the batter up equally into 6 different bowls (or however many colors you want in your cupcakes). Then follow the directions on the back of the food coloring on how to make the different colors.

 

When you have done that then you will scoop each color into the cupcake wrappers. There really is no wrong way to do this part. You can take and spoon the mixture one right over the other or you can randomly spoon it into the wrappers. 

Bake them in the oven for 20-24 minutes. Let them cool and then top them with frosting!

It so very easy to have a fun birthday party that doesn't hurt the bank!!

Copycat Starbucks Recipes

My friends over at Military Wives Savings put out some copycat Starbucks recipes the other day!

While I don't drink coffee or anything like that (gasp! I know!) I definitely wanted to share the recipes with you all. Besides imagine how much money you can save by making your own favorite drinks-- AND you don't have to wait in the long lines before work!

 

Starbucks Caramel Macchiato Blended

2 fl oz brewed Starbucks espresso, use Starbucks Original whole bean espresso coffee

8 ice cubes

1 C whole milk

2 tbsp half and half

2 tbsp Torani vanilla syrup

2-3 tbsp of a thick buttery rich caramel syrup 

4 tbsp Reddi-Whip topping, heavy cream version

1. Brew your Starbucks double shot espresso first.

2. Fill a tall glass with ice but leave about 2 inches from the top

3. Fill the glass with 1 C ice cold whole milk

4. Pour in your 2 tbsp of half and half or heavy cream

5. Add 2 tbsp of Torano vanilla syrup to the glass

6. Add 2 fl oz of Starbucks brewed espresso shot over the milk

7. Drizzle the 2 tbsp of caramel syrup inside the glass

8. Top with whip cream and then drizzle more caramel syrup over the whip cream.

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha

3 tbsp powdered baking cocoa

3 tbsp warm water

1 1/2 tbsp Torani Peppermint Syrup (not the extract)

4 oz espresso, use Starbucks Original whole bean espresso coffee

12 oz steamed milk 

whipped cream

red sugar crystals or chocolate sprinkles

1. Combine 3 tbsp baking cocoa with 3 tbsp warm water to make a rich syrup and pour into a 16 oz mug.

2. Add espresso

3. Add peppermint syrup

4. Steam milk and add to remainder of cup

5. Garnish with whipped cream and crystals or sprinkles

Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha

2 shots espresso, use Starbucks Original whole bean espresso coffee

3 scoops of Ghiradelli Ground White Chocolate Powder

16 oz steamed milk

whipped cream

1. Combine the white chocolate powder as directed on package and pour into a 16 oz mug. 

2. Add espresso

3. Steam milk and add to remainder of cup

4. Garnish with whipped cream

[Source: food.com]

My husband and the Story of the Cheesecake Baking Fail!

A few days ago I posted a recipe to Cottage Cheese Banana Pancakes...those were a wonderful success! Well in the article that Bodybuilding.com had the recipe in, it had a bunch of other recipes to use cottage cheese and a "healthy" cheesecake was in there. My hubby is a HUGE fan of cheesecake but obviously we don't eat it too much because it doesn't quite fit with our healthier eating habits AND because I have never made one (gasp! I know!). 

So he saw the recipe and decided he had to try it out. Now he has had the recipe for about a week and finally we had all the ingredients for it after I made a trip to the store last night so he was beyond excited to make it.Like seriously all I have heard all week long is about this cheesecake and how much he wants to make it. 

So after dinner he follows the directions and it goes into the oven for the 80 minutes to bake. We were watching tv and I hear the oven ding for the one minute left alarm. One minute left...I am sure he could hardly stand it!

So I see him get up to take the cheesecake out of the oven when it finally is done. And then I hear "Oh crap!" Now my first thought is that he is pulling a prank on me to get me to jump up and run into the kitchen. So I casually stroll in and I see that the cheesecake is done alright...just not how it is supposed to turn out.

So disappointed! I think he is secretly crying inside!

Feel bad for the guy!

So all last night until we went to bed all I heard about is how he really wanted some cheesecake. He has yet to wake up today but I am sure I will hear all about it today too! So sad!

Shepherd's Pie made easy!

Man I love finding easy and quick recipes to make! During the week I seriously could use about 6 more hours in each day to get everything done so if I can find a quick recipe then that is just an added bonus.

I have had this recipe for awhile and I have been tweaking it and I think I finally have it it the way I like it. So here is what you need-

Ingredients:

1 lb ground meat
1 green pepper
1/4 cup onions

1 C peas or carrots

1 tbsp ketchup

1 can cream of mushroom

salt and pepper to taste

5 or 6 potatoes
milk
garlic salt
butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brown ground beef, green peppers and onions. Drain fat. While browning the ground beef cook potatoes til they are ready to mash
3. Add the ketchup, cream of mushroom, and peas or carrots.
4. Mash potatoes in a mixer and add desired amount of milk, garlic salt and butter. I don't ever know how much I add because I just add until it is just right.
5. In an 8x8 baking dish pour the ground beef mixture on bottom and then completely cover the top with the potatoes.
6. Cook in oven for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned.

*Note: You can use a bag of fake potatoes if you want but I have found that real mashed potatoes taste MUCH better!!

Cottage Cheese Banana Pancakes

Yes...I know what you are thinking...sounds gross! Let me assure you 110% that they are completely awesome! My husband and I for the past year have been trying to eat cleaner and healthier and we came across this recipe on Bodybuilding.com this week and I'm pretty sure it is now my favorite breakfast item.

Here's how to make it:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 banana 

Topping

• 1 tbsp. natural peanut butter
• 1/2 banana

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients and one half of banana until smooth.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray lightly with cooking spray.
3. Pour the batter onto the skillet in medium sized circles and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles form on the edges.
4. Flip and then cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove from skillet and top with extra peanut butter and sliced banana before serving.
6. (We added cinnamon and sugar-free maple syrup for a little extra flavor!)

The best part is that it shows you the nutritional values you are getting when you make this meal.

 Yummm!!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

For the longest time I was always unsure of how to cook with chicken. My husband has always been a red meat and potatoes kind of guy so I never really made anything with chicken. Well within in the past 2 years we have really started to eat more chicken so I have been trying to find easy no fail recipes for chicken and I found the grand winner!

Crockpot chicken tacos is probably one of the easiest recipes I have made but it is SO good! I found it on Chocolate Therapy through Pinterest and with the whopping three main ingredients I figured it couldn't get more simpler. 

Ingredients:

package of boneless skinless chicken breasts. The original recipe calls for 6 pieces of chicken but I used 3 chicken breasts and that was more than enough!

Taco Seasoning (I used the chicken taco seasoning)

One 16oz jar of salsa

Put everything into the crockpot and either cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours (closer to 4 hours). When it is done the chicken will literally shred apart with a fork.

Use tortillas and load them with your favorite toppings for the tacos: sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, etc.

I had enough leftover for lunch for the next 2 days and it was just as good as the first time. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!!

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Just like most other moms I know I am always running around wishing there was an additional 6 hours in the day to get everything done that I need to. Sometimes I barely have time to throw a good dinner together so I am constantly looking for quick 30 minutes or less meals to make. Well I have one to share that I love and perfected myself.

I had found a few Chicken and Dumplings recipes online but none of them were really quick like I wanted but I few had some ingredients that if thrown together would be pretty quick.

So here you go!

You will need:

1 1/2 lb of chicken

2 cans cream of chicken

1 can chicken broth (low sodium or sodium free)

garlic salt

1-2 cups of frozen peas and carrots

Bisquick (I use Heart Smart Bisquick)

Milk

8x8 glass baking dish 

 

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. Boil the chicken until thoroughly cooked through. 

2. In another pot combine the 2 cans of cream of chicken and pour HALF the can of chicken broth in. Turn on the heat to medium.  From there mix it together and continue to add more chicken broth depending on how thick or thin you want the sauce. I usually add anywhere from a half to 3/4 of the broth. Add the peas and carrots. Add some garlic salt. I don't put in a specific amount I just dash it in until I like how much has been added. Stir all together til it is mixed thoroughly.

3. Once the chicken has been cooked, cut the chicken up into bite size pieces and add it to the chicken sauce.

4. Pour the chicken and chicken sauce into the 8x8 baking dish. 

5. Follow the recipe on the side of the bisquick box for dumplings. If you don't have it, this is it:

combine 2/3 cup of bisquick with 3 tablespoons of milk. I have found that 3 tablespoons isn't enough and will usually add another one. Feel free to add as many more tablespoons as you need depending on how thick you want your dumplings.

*I also double the dumpling recipe otherwise you only get about 4-5 dumplings.

6. Spoon out dumplings and put it on top of the chicken mixture in the baking dish.

7. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and remove. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes about 4-5 servings.

I made this last night and didn't make as much as the recipe called (I only used one can of cream of chicken) because my husband isn't home so my daughter and I won't eat as much as if he were here. But otherwise the chicken mixture will come almost to the top of the baking dish.

Cake Pops!!

Cake Pops! 

I really don't need to write anything else because the pictures say everything but I will just say they are delicious and oh so bad because I want to eat them all!

So I have never made them until I tried this recipe and it really is a no fail easy recipe to use. 

A few weeks ago my best friend came down to visit from Atlanta and her and my 7 year old made some cake pops for a friend that is deployed. Unfortunately I didn't partake in making them with them so I figured I would try out the recipe she used and see how it went.

She used the recipe from this site How to Make Cake Pops. 

The only variation I made from this recipe is that I used the whole jar of icing instead of just half. A coworker of mine also used this same recipe and she also just the whole jar too.

 Melt the chocolate in one bowl.

 Put the sticks in the formed balls. You can dip the stick in the chocolate first but when I tried it I didn't see a difference than just sticking the stick in normally. Let them set for just a second and then dip the ball in the chocolate.

 Add some sprinkles for color.

They are super delicious and the only way to know for sure is to make them yourself!

Korean Beef Bulgogi

About 6 years ago I was stationed in Korea for a year and that was my first time to eat Beef Bulgogi and it was love at first bite! It really isn't that hard to make the longest part is letting it marinate. I found a really easy recipe on my favorite site All Recipes for new recipes to try out.

So first here is the link to the recipe that I used Beef Bulgogi.

 Cut the flank steak into THIN slices...I mean THIN!!!

Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl.

 Then pour it over the steak and make sure all the steak is covered in it.

Allow it to marinate for 24 hours! I did it from 9am to 5pm and I for sure next time will marinate it longer!

The only deviation I made from the original recipe is that I used brown sugar instead of white sugar and it was perfect!

Of course I was extremely excited to eat the bulgogi that I forgot to take a picture of my final product but it looks just like the others on the site and it tastes sooooo good!!

Snickerdoodles

One of my most favorite cookies to make this time of year is Snickerdoodles. They are a classic cookie that is really easy to make and is always a favorite! I turn to my favorite cookbook the Better Homes and Garden cookbook for the recipe. Here is a link to their cookbook online as well for the recipe.  http://www.bhg.com/recipe/desserts/snickerdoodles/
Here is what you are going to need:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup of sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 

2. In a small mixing bowl combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Makes about 36 cookies. 

Stuffed Peppers!!

One of my most favorite things to do is try new recipes. Now that I have two kids at home a quick but good recipe is always a plus. So I went to my favorite website www.allrecipes.com and looked at some of the stuffed pepper recipes. I found an awesome one too!
The only change that I think I will do next time is also add some italian seasoning to the beef/rice mixture that goes into the stuffed peppers because it was really tasty mixed with the tomato sauce on top.
So here is the direct link for the Stuffed Peppers recipe because if you are half as busy as I am then this recipe will be perfect to make! 


So this isn't the picture of my peppers because we were in so hungry that I didn't have a chance to take one but this is pretty much what they looked like! Some cheese on top sounds good too!