Herbed Chicken Parmesan

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon butter
1 jar tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese

Preheat broiler.

Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.

Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour the sauce over chicken. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese. Broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serve over Angel Hair Pasta. This is DELICIOUS!

Baked Oatmeal

I have never had anything like this before in my life. I am not even an oatmeal fan. However, I was looking for something to add into the morning breakfast rotation for the kids. This is amazing! It comes out somewhat like the consistency of a soft, moist granola. You could eat it plain, with a spoon. But, I spooned it into a bowl and stirred in a little milk with it. It was really great! I'm going to store it in the fridge and in the morning try to microwave individual servings with a little milk and see how it turns out. A whole recipe will last us several days if it works like I hope. Try this, you will not be disappointed!

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

I had this several years ago at a friends house and instantly fell in love with it! It is a bit time consuming, but it is well worth the effort! Some of the items you could easily make ahead of time to save on preparation time. Also, some of the items you could buy pre-made (like the black beans, pico, and guacamole). You also could use crushed up corn chips instead of frying the tortillas strips. But if you take all the shortcuts, you won't come out with the same great dish. But whatever you do, don't skip the pork, rice, and dressing recipes. They are what make it!

Café Rio pork
6 lbs. pork
1 16 oz. bottle of salsa
1 can coke
2 c. brown sugar

Place pork in crock pot and fill it 1⁄2 way up the pork with water. Cook on High for 5 hours. Drain off water. Cut pork in thirds. Mix together sauce remaining ingredients and put on top of pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave it on low until ready to serve.

Café Rio Dressing (the best ever)
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet
I cup buttermilk
I cup mayo
2 tomatillos (remove husks and dice)
1⁄2 bunch of cilantro
1/2-1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 -1 small jalapeño, seeds removed

Use a food processor or blender to blend all the ingredients well. Store in air tight container and refrigerate.

Cafe Rio rice
In sauce pan sauté:
2 TB butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic

In large pot bring to a boil:
6 2/3 cups water
8 tsp. Chicken bullion
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. Cumin
2 small can diced green chilies
1 TB lime juice
1/2 tsp salt

Add onion and garlic to boiling water. Add 3 cups long grain rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.


Black Beans [I just used a can of black beans without anything else, but this recipe looks good too]
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Pico de Gallo
Chop & mix:
4 tomatoes
1/4 purple onion
1/4 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. Lime
1 tsp. Salt

Guacamole
2 ripe avocados gently mashed
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp course salt
1-2 chopped tomatoes
1/4 chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 TB lime juice

Lettuce
Red & Green leaf lettuce, shredded

Crispy Strips
I use a pizza cutter to cut tortillas into strips and then fry them.



Salad Order
Warm tortilla
Shredded colby & monterey jack cheese
Pork
Rice
Beans
Lettuce
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Cilantro
Parmesan Cheese
Crispy chips
Dressing

You can also serve with a wedge if lime.

Mile-High Sandwich Round

1 (1-pound) round loaf bread
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dried italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 small green pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 stalk of celery, sliced
1 T. olive oil
1 pound of sliced deli ham
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar-mozzarella cheese blend

Slice off top 1/4 of bread loaf: set aside. Hollow out bottom, leaving a 1/2 inch shell.
Combine mayo, italian seasoning and pepper. Brush half of mixture inside bread shell. Set aside bread shell and remaining mayo mixture.
Cook onion, green pepper, and celery in oil in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes or until tender.
Arrange half of ham in bread shell, and top with half of vegetable mixture; sprinkle with half of cheese. Top with remaining ham; spread remaining mayo mixture over ham. Top with remaining vegetable mixture and cheese. Replace bread top, wrap in foil, and bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Cut into six wedges and serve immediately. This is a very messy sandwich and you may need a knife and fork to eat it, but it is well worth the mess!

Sausage Stuffed French Loaf

I found this in one of my many Southern Living cookbooks. I collect cookbooks, you know. And the Southern Living ones happen to be my favorite! I'm not a big sausage fan, but Chad really likes it. Having the mix of ground beef and sausage seems to tame the taste down a bit. So it makes both of us happy. This big sandwich is man-sized for a man-sized appetite. When we eat this, I usually serve it with a good, cool, cucumber-tomato salad and some chips. It makes for a nice summer-time meal that pleases everybody (even the kiddos)!
And please take note: I took pictures this time!

1 (1 pound) loaf French bread
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fennel seed
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 garlic clove, minced



In a skillet, brown beef, sausage and onion; drain.


Cut off ends of loaf; set ends aside. Hollow out center of loaf with a long serrated bread knife, leaving a 1/2 inch shell. In a food processor or blender, process bread crumbs until coarse; set aside 1 cup. (Discard remaining crumbs or save for another use.)


Stir in reserved crumbs, cheese, egg, parsley, mustard, pepper, salt and fennel; mix well.


Spoon meat mixture into shell; replace loaf ends, securing with wooden toothpicks. Melt butter in saucepan. Add garlic; cook about 1 minute. Brush butter mixture over loaf. Wrap loaf in aluminum foil, leaving open slightly on top; place loaf on baking sheet.


Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until loaf is heated and cheese melts. Slice into 6 servings.

Poppy Seed Chicken Menu for a BIG crowd

I have made this many times for my family and we have always enjoyed it. One day I brought it to school for leftovers and my friend Bobbie tried it. She loved it and immediately asked me to change the menu of the ladies meeting from roast beef to the chicken. I was a little leery of doing it in such a massive quantity, but it turned out to be a big hit. All 175 ladies loved it!

40 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into cubes
7-50 oz. cans of cream of chicken soup
13 lb. sour cream
3/4 c. poppy seed
24 sleeves of Ritz crackers, crushed
24 sticks of butter, melted
20 lb. of rice, cooked

Mix chicken, soup, sour cream, and poppy seeds in a BIG bowl (or several batches). Divide evenly among 8 steam table pans. Sprinkle with crushed crackers. You will use about 3 sleeves per pan. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until crackers are slightly browned on top. Serve over top of rice. This recipe will serve about 200 people.

With the chicken, we served green beans (8-6 lb. cans), Sister Schubert rolls (7 bags of 30 rolls), and salad (6-3lb. bags). I also made about 5 gallons of tea and lemonade with bottled water. For dessert we had strawberries over pound cake with whipped cream.

The Best Brownie Recipe by FAR!

I like fudgy brownies. I am not known for my brownie making skills. In fact, when I do make brownies they either turn out hard as rocks or totally under-baked. I found this recipe on the box of baking chocolate I had hanging out in the pantry. I won't even tell you why I suddenly got a hankerin' for brownies at 9:00 at night. However, this recipe turned out to be heaven sent. It is better than any box mix or any other recipe I've tried in the past. They turned out perfectly fudgy, just like I like! One day, I will stop being lazy and I will start taking pictures to add to my posts. That would really be helpful. However, until that day, you'll just have to trust me on this. Make these brownies!

4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
3/4 cups butter or margarine (1 1/2-sticks)
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extraxt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9- by 13-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan to form handles. Grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on High for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar, stirring until well blended. Beat in eggs (one at a time) and vanilla until well blended. Add flour and nuts, and stir to incorporate. Stop stirring when no traces of flour remain. Spread in prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few fudgy crumbs. Do NOT overbake. (It's better to underbake brownies than to overbake them.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles. Cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature or frozen for up to 2 months..

Makes about 24 brownies.

Baked Potato Pizza

You have GOT to try this! It was delicious! We have a hole-in-the-wall joint in Evansville called, "The Slice" and they make a version of this. So I did some experimenting and came up with my own! It was very good and pretty close to the original. You could easily make your own homemade pizza crust, but I'm not a professional, so Jiffy mix is what I used.

* 1 (6.5 ounce) package pizza crust mix
* 3 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
* 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1/2 package of dry ranch salad dressing mix
* 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
* 3 green onions, chopped
* 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare crust according to package directions. Press dough into a lightly greased 14-in. pizza pan; build up edges slightly. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5-6 minutes or until crust is firm and begins to brown.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-in. cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasoning. Add potatoes and toss. Mix sour cream and dry ranch mix. Spread sour cream mixture over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Those of you that know me, know that I love all things buffalo. I crave it constantly. I think if my stomach would allow it, I'd eat it at every meal. The other teachers at school make fun of me because I add hot sauce to everything. Maybe it's those cajun roots that are deep inside of me. Whatever the reason, this is a good recipe. I found it in an old Taste of Home Magazine and it is now at the top of my list. It actually wan't too spicy. My 7 year old is following in my footsteps and she even liked it. However, if you're kids are not as brave as mine, you could easily leave a few of the chicken strips out after frying them and just not dip them in the buffalo sauce. Theirs would be just plain chicken wraps. And that's ok, too. But buffalo style sure is good!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each), cut into strips
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 spinach tortillas (10 inches)--I actually used Mission Brand Jalepeno-Cheddar Wraps
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing

Directions:
In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Place buttermilk in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in buttermilk, then roll in flour mixture.
In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Drain on paper towels.
In a small bowl, combine hot pepper sauce and butter. Dip chicken strips into mixture, coating both sides. Place chicken in the center of each tortilla. Layer with the lettuce, cheese and tomatoes; drizzle with salad dressing. Bring up sides of tortillas; secure with toothpicks if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Sloppy Joes for a crowd

5 pounds lean ground beef
1-1/4 cups chopped onion
1-1/4 cups chopped green bell pepper
2-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
3 cups ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
2. Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve on hamburger buns.

Makes about 32 sloppy joes

My new favorite Banana Bread

1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

One loaf we ate right away. The second loaf we are savoring each morning for breakfast this week. The rest, I wrapped tightly and froze. You HAVE to make this. It is DELICIOUS! It is, by far, the best banana bread recipe I've ever made! Eat your heart out, Southern Living!

Chipotle Bean Burritos

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
3 tablespoons refrigerated fresh salsa
6 (10-inch) reduced-fat flour tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 3)
1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
6 tablespoons light sour cream

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chile powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.

2. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

I found this in an old Cooking Light magazine. At first, I thought I'd have a hard time finding the chipotle chile powder. However, I found it very easily in the spice section at our local Wal-Mart. But I guess you could easily use regular chili powder if you wanted. But the chipotle gives it a smokier, spicier flavor. And don't let the 1/2 tsp. amount fool you. More than that and it would be too spicy.
I was a tad leary at first when I made this, because Chad is usually not a fan of meatless meals. But he didn't even notice it was missing. The burritos are very filling and both kids even like it, too! This recipe is a good one for the budget and one that is a definite keeper!

Red Velvet Cake Balls

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
2 packages chocolate bark, regular or white chocolate (I usually buy one of each and then do half of the balls white and half regular. You probably won't use it all.)
wax paper

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl. Mix the crumbled cake thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.) Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.) Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package. I prefer to use a double boiler on the stove, that way the chocolate doesn't get hard. I start with about half the package and add squares as needed. My cousin, Lori, puts a glass bowl in an electric skillet, then pours water in the skillet. She simmers the chocolate in the glass bowl and it stays soft that way, as well. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

I found this recipe over at Bakerella's sight. I'm not a big baker, but these tasty little balls are so easy, even I can do it! If you make these one time for any party or get together, you'll never be allowed to show up again without them!

You can easily substitute a different flavored cake mix if you'd like.

Crock Pot Meatloaf

Who knew you could make meatloaf in the crockpot? Not me! But I made this the other day and it turned out heavenly! You should try it. And soon.

* 2 eggs
* 3/4 cup milk
* 2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
* 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
* 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
* 1/4 cup ketchup
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well (mixture will be moist.) Shape into a round loaf; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon over the meat loaf. Cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Cooking when counting calories

In December, I went for a checkup to a new doctor and we discussed some different things going on with my body. Along with some other recommendations, she told me I needed to add in more vegetables to our diet. Well, duh! Who doesn't? So after the first of the year, I decided to be more careful in what I cook. Mainly trying to count calories and stay within the 2,000 calorie recommendation as well as making healthier choices. So we've started small steps like: not buying soft drinks for home, switching to whole wheat bread, switching to skim milk, and cutting out the fatty snacks like chips and cookies. One of the websites that was very helpful in getting started was the USDA. It gives lots of recipes and meal planners to get you started.
My main complaint so far is that cooking is just not as fun anymore! Having a meat and two vegetables with a salad is only so interesting after awhile. I will say that I am even more prepared than I ever have been before. I've been spending one day getting everything ready for the week. Then during the week, I just have to grab things and go! I don't know how long it will last, but it has been fun giving it a try!