A Day in Paradise

This year's ladies meeting theme was, "A Day in Paradise". It was one of our best decorated themes, by far! However, it was a lot of work! Our initial menu for the meeting was the Cafe Rio Pork Salad. However, due to last minute budget cuts, we had to change the menu. Coming up with something three days before the meeting, added a little extra stress--all my planning went down the drain. We decided on Chicken Kabobs, Baked Potatoes, Salad, and Hawaiian Rolls. For dessert, we had a choice of cheesecake or pound cake with fresh berries. On the Kabobs we put: chicken (that I marinated in teriyaki sauce), red onion, green bell pepper, mushrooms, pineapple, and cherry tomatoes. I won't call it a complete disaster, but it wasn't one of my shining moments of my cooking career. For one, it was my first time making kabobs. Secondly, I had to leave the cooking up to a few 20-something guys on the grill. Thirdly, it was a LOT of tedious work getting it ready. So, if you are looking to do a luau theme for over 100 people (we had about 130), don't choose kabobs unless you have a LOT of help. Lesson learned!


We borrowed a huge umbrella from the local home improvement store to be our centerpiece for the platform. It added a really nice touch.

This was the registration area as you entered the church. The pergola was a lot of work to put up and take apart, but it really was the 'wow factor' when you entered.

All over the gym walls, we had the nets and leis along with several driftwood signs painted with exotic location names on them. The ladies did a really good job putting it all together.

The sand on the table was a nice touch, along with shells and miniature beach lounge chairs.

Cheesesteak Pizza

1 small green pepper, thinly sliced
1 small sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, halved and sliced
1 teaspoons canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 prebaked 12-inch pizza crust
3/4 cup pizza sauce
2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded provolone cheese, divided
1 cup shredded or julienned cooked roast beef
1/3 cup banana pepper rings
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

In a large skillet, saute the peppers, mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
Place crust on an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Spread pizza sauce over crust and dot with cream cheese. Sprinkle with 1 cup provolone cheese. Top with pepper mixture, beef, pepper rings and remaining provolone cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and oregano.
Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Note: It's important to slice the peppers and onions very thinly, otherwise, it will be messy to serve and eat. Also, I couldn't find shredded provolone cheese, so I bought a package that was sliced and layered it on. It worked great. For the roast beef, I used regular lunch meat that I shredded beforehand.

I made two pizzas with this recipe. I doubled all the ingredients, except the peppers, onions, and mushrooms. The size of the peppers and onion I used, I had plenty to split between two crusts. Super yummy!

Chicken Tamale Casserole

As you may have already figured out, I really like to cook casseroles. I found this recipe awhile back and finally got around to trying it. I tweaked a few things and it turned out fantastic! This one is a definite keeper. It was so easy and would be great to make when company is coming over. So delicious!


1 1/2 cups shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream


Preheat oven to 400°. Combine 1/2 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Shredded Beef Tacos

I've been lagging on my posting lately. Please forgive me. I have been cooking, I promise. And while there have been no major cooking disasters, there haven't been any cooking triumphs, either. Nothing worthy enough of a blog post.
But here's one I really liked this week. Shredded Beef Tacos. Yummy. A lot of people like to make tacos or mexican night every week. It's an easy meal to make that each family member can tailor to their own tastes. Today's recipe is a nice twist on tacos. The same good stuff, but with a little jazz added to it!

3-4 lb. chuck roast
1 medium onion, sliced into rings
2 pkg. taco seasoning
1/4 c. of water
Flour Tortillas

Put the roast into a crock pot. Cover with onion rings, one package of taco seasoning, and water. Cook on low for 8 hours (or on high for four hours), or until tender. Shred beef with two forks and add remaining package of taco seasoning (I only used half the package). Stir together, add a little water if needed, and cover. Cook on high for another half hour, or so. I used this time to prep all my taco toppings.

For our toppings:
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Pico de Gallo (Wal Mart has some in the produce section that is super yummy)
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
Sour Cream

These were super yummy and made taco night seem not quite so boring! Try this, you will not be disappointed!

Never underestimate the power of good equipment

I have been married for 12 years and have never owned a whole set of really good knives. I have a few pieces from Cutco and those have been really good to me. However, the few of those that I have are serrated. And when it comes to chopping certain veggies, trimming meat, and doing several other things, those type of knives just don't work, no matter how good they are! So, since I'm on a Wal-Mart budget, I went there and found a really nice chef's knife from Chicago Cutlery. I spent about $20 on it, but now that I have it, I don't know what I ever did without it! I've been flying through my chopping, cutting and prepping in half the normal amount of time it used to take me!
If you aren't a good cook, maybe you just need better tools.

Here are a few things I've thought of that every cook needs to have:

!. Cutting Board and Good Knives: If you can't get a whole set of knives, then start with the basics (i.e. paring knife, chef's knife, serrated bread knife, 6 inch chopping knife). Look for knives that are made from one piece of metal, they'll be sturdier and last longer.

2. Mixing Bowls: They're not just for mixing. You'll use these for a LOT of things. FInd a set that comes with three or four different sizes to nest inside each other.

3. Measuring Cups and Spoons: A 2 cup pyrex measuring cup is a must, along with a set of nesting cups (1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup) and spoons (1 Tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1/4 teaspoon).

4. A good set of pots and pans. These are worth the splurge, because they will last you a lifetime if you take good care of them.

5. Lastly, a timer! Don't assume you'll remember when to take it out. Especially if you have children. They suck every last brain cell out of your head and cause you to forget things you never thought you'd forget. Trust me.

Marinated Ranch Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil

Combine the dressing mix, vinegar, and olive oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken and toss to coat thoroughly. Marinate in refrigerator overnight, turning bag a few times. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Broil on high (or grill it, if you prefer) for 10-15 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle.

This chicken was SO moist and flavorful. A super easy recipe that you will not regret making!! I actually left in in the fridge for two nights, and it still turned out fantastic. This will be a new favorite with my family!

Amish Breakfast Casserole

1 pound sliced bacon, diced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
6 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
1-1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion until bacon is crisp; drain. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Super Yummy! A nice twist on a hash brown casserole for a breakfast or brunch. I actually made it for dinner one night and served it with a salad and some croissants.

Rich and Cheesy Macaroni

My husband is a macaroni and cheese connoisseur. Because of that fact, I am constantly trying new macaroni and cheese recipes. I made this recipe last night, and he was in heaven! He said it was his most favorite I've made so far. So, here it is. It is delicious, if I do say so myself.

2-1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups milk
8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1-1/3 cups cottage cheese
2/3 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Place in a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, salt and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Reduce heat; stir in American cheese until melted. Stir in cottage cheese and sour cream. Pour over macaroni. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Melt remaining butter and toss with bread crumbs; sprinkle over top.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Fried Mustard Cubed Steaks

This was one of those recipes that as I was making it, I felt it was going to be a horrible mistake. But, boy was I wrong! This was so delicious and the meat was so tender! Everyone in the family enjoyed it. I promise, you will not be disappointed!

1 bottle of Dijon mustard (I used the WalMart brand)
1-1/4 cups water
6 beef cubed steaks (1/3 pound each)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Oil for frying

In a large resealable bag, combine mustard and water; add steaks. Seal bag and turn to coat; let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and discard marinade.
In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dip steaks in flour mixture. In an electric skillet, heat 1/4 in. of oil to 375°.
Fry steaks, two at a time, for 3-4 minutes on each side or until crisp and lightly browned.

Chunky Chicken Soup

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch strips
2 teaspoons canola oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup half-and-half cream

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown chicken in oil or until no longer pink. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, celery and corn. In a large bowl, whisk the soup, broth and dill until blended; stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in peas and cream.
Cover and cook 30 minutes longer or until heated through. Very good on a cold day! I'm normally not a fan of 'cream of potato' soup, but it works very well in the soup. I also think this would be an excellent filling for chicken pot pie.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalepeno Peppers

8 large jalapeno peppers
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's)
8 bacon strips

Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise; remove seeds and center membranes. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and Cajun seasoning. Stuff about 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls into each pepper half.
Cut bacon strips in half widthwise. In a large skillet, cook bacon until partially cooked. Wrap a bacon piece around each pepper; secure with a toothpick.
Place on a wire rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Discard toothpicks. Serve immediately.

These are not really spicy, at all. And they are VERY addictive! So double the batch because everyone will love these!

Buffalo Style Catfish Strips

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed cornflakes
1 pound catfish fillets, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
Cooking spray
1/3 cup hot sauce (I prefer Frank Jr.'s)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon butter


Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Place cornflakes in a shallow dish. Working with 1 fish strip at a time, dredge in flour mixture. Dip in egg whites; dredge in cornflakes. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining fish strips, flour mixture, egg whites, and cornflakes.

Lightly coat fish strips with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until done, turning once.

Combine hot sauce, pepper sauce, and Worcestershire in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Drizzle hot sauce mixture over fish. Serve with ranch dressing, celery, and carrots.

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

I don't know if you've ever visited the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site, but it is well worth the time it takes to browse. There are so many delicious recipes. I also ordered her recipe book and these cinnamon rolls are really delicious. They make a very good gift for neighbors, pastors, mailmen, etc. They make a big batch, so be prepared for a big mess and lots to hand out, or eat in the closet by yourself (not that I'd ever do that).




1 quart Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

MAPLE FROSTING:
1 bag Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
½ cups Milk
¼ cups Melted Butter
¼ cups Brewed Coffee
⅛ teaspoons Salt

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.
After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).
When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.
Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.
Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.
For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.

Jambalaya

6 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup chopped celery
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pound cubed cooked ham
1/2 pound cubed cooked chicken
1/2 pound cubed smoked sausage
2 (14.5 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, with liquid
2 cups beef broth
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 cups uncooked white rice

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add celery, bell pepper, and onion to the bacon drippings, and cook until tender.
Add the ham, chicken and sausage to the pot, and pour in the tomatoes, beef broth and chicken broth. Season with thyme and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and add the rice. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
Stir in the bacon just before serving, and heat through.

Serve with a good, hearty bread and a salad and you've got an amazing meal that everyone will love!

Makes about 8 generous servings.

Mini Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 (6 ounce) package butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.
Sift together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, butter, and pumpkin in a separate bowl. Mix the flour mixture with the egg mixture. Stir in the butterscotch chips; pour into each cup of the muffin pan to about 3/4 full.
Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

If you don't lick the batter bowl clean, then you should get about 48 mini muffins. These are heavenly! You must try them right now. Get off the computer and go make them. NOW!