Steak Burritos

This is a new recipe for me - but I think it sounds awesome!

2 flank steaks (about 1 pound each)
2 envelopes taco seasoning
1 med. onion, chopped
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
10 flour tortillas (8 in.)
1 1/2 cup (6 oz.) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups plum tomatoes, chopped and seeded
3/4 cup sour cream

Cut steaks in half; rub with taco seasoning. Place in crock pot coated with cooking spray. Top with onion, chilies and vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove steaks and cool slightly; shred meat with two forks. Return to slow cooker; heat through. Spoon about 1/2 cup meat mixture down center of each tortilla. Top with cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream. Fold ends and sides over filling.

Love Me

Banana Salad

This recipe is a lot like my banana pudding with peanuts recipe - which is an absolute all-time favorite of mine.

But this particular recipe uses a homemade pudding - interesting. It is a recipe I uncovered in a cookbook that Brian's Grandma White gave me.

In my opinion you can't go wrong with bananas and ground peanuts - no matter if your pudding is cooked or instant. It is bound to be good!

1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1 egg
1 tsp. vinegar
1 (8oz.) can Spanish peanuts, ground
4-5 bananas, sliced

Cook first 4 ingredients until thick. Remove from heat. Add vinegar and cool.

Layer sliced bananas, pudding, and peanuts. Repeat layers.

Chill before serving.

Love Me

Cheddar and Pea Tossed Salad

Nothing says spring like peas! I love fresh, sweet peas - especially in a salad.

5 cups ready to serve salad greens
1 med. cucumber, sliced
1 med. tomato, sliced
1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper

In large bowl combine salad greens, cucumber, tomato, cheese, and peas.

In a pint size canning jar combine oil, vinegar, sugar, onion powder, salt and pepper; shake well. Drizzle over salad and toss gently.

Love Me

4/26/10 Menu

I am going to use the crock pot a couple of times this week. Hopefully the rain will stop and I can spend some time outside!

Monday - spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, salad
Tuesday - ham steaks, augratin potatoes, green beans, pineapple upside down cake
Wednesday - pork fritter sandwiches, mac-n-cheese before church
Thursday - crock-roasted chicken with rotisserie rub, potatoes, cheddar and pea tossed salad
Friday - steak burritos, chips and salsa (from Chili's), banana salad
Saturday - french toast with bacon (breakfast)
Sunday - eat out after church - I never did get the Chinese I was craving!

Recipes I will highlight this week: cheddar and pea tossed salad, banana salad, and steak burritos.

Love Me

Dreaming in green

This is a Jadite mug similar to the one that
my great grandpa, Pop, used to drink coffee.
I would love to have one to drink my morning coffee out of -
just to think of him!
I will have to save my pennies
because I haven't seen one for less than $45.00!

Jadite measuring cups. I love them!
But I doubt I will be measuring with them any time soon -
I saw these at a nearby antique mall for a whopping $235.00!

Jadite batter bowl. Possibly my favorite.
This would look awesome on my kitchen counter!
Compared to everything else it seems like a pretty good deal -
not quite as pricey at $55.00.

If you like Jadite - check out this blog and her corresponding
Etsy shop.

Love Me

Starbucks nesting tea cups

How fun are these! These adorable nesting tea cups from Starbucks are on my Mother's Day wish list!

I can think of lots of uses for these sweet little cuties - everything from tea as intended to cozy bowls for warm cooked pudding or small servings of cereal.

Stackable cuteness!

Love Me

Lemon-scented Kitchen hand soap

I am in love with lemon scented products right now. Citrus scents have a way of invigorating me - somehow lifting my spirits.

I use Lemon Joy dish soap and keep Bodycology lemon-scented kitchen hand soap handy as well. I love the clean smell of lemons!

It is funny how small things like hand soap can bring such pleasure.

Love Me

Glass nesting prep bowls

Megan bought me these for my birthday, and I absolutely love them. I collect bowls - especially nesting bowls - but these are not only cute they are super useful!

The uses are limitless:

beat eggs
serve small portions of pudding
premeasure dry ingredients when baking
serve salsa or other dip
pretend you have your own cooking show on the Food Network!

Love Me

Pampered Chef Micro Cookers

Pampered Chef Micro Cooker

I don't own a lot of Pampered Chef items - in fact, since I dropped a cast iron skillet on my Pampered Chef pizza stone (oops!) the Pampered Chef Micro Cooker (large and small) are the only Pampered Chef items I own.

But I use them absolutely every day and thanks to Angel - whose party I bought them at and who told me about browning hamburger from a frozen state in 5 minutes - they have become my best go to kitchen gadgets.

How I use them:

- I use the small cooker every morning to make poached eggs (they taste like boiled eggs only they are flat). Crack two eggs into small cooker sprayed with Pam. Cook on high 1 1/2 minutes. Viola! Easy, healthy breakfast.

- I use the larger cooker to brown ground beef. Frozen to browned in 5 minutes! Use the chopper to break the meat up halfway through the cooking time and then once done. I love it that the lids have the strainer holes. Talk about easy!

- I use the larger cooker to microwave potatoes. Just place in cooker and use the potato button on the microwave. The cooker helps hold in the moisture and makes a much more moist potato.

- Forget buying expense steamer bags for vegetables. I use both the small and large cooker (depending on how much I am cooking) to steam vegetables. Fresh and tasty!

Don't overlook these awesome cookers at the next Pampered Chef party you go to - they aren't fancy, but they work great and are easy to clean!

Love Me

4/19/10 Menu

Busy week . . .

. . . aren't they all?

Monday - clean out the refrigerator/left overs
Tuesday - meatball subs, cole slaw, chips, pickles, brownies
Wednesday - chicken tenders, applesauce before church
Thursday - chili with corn chips, cheese and sour cream
Friday - Brian and I date night!
Saturday - chicken pot pie, mashed potatoes, green beans, applesauce brownies
Sunday - spaghetti and meatballs, California blend veggies with alfredo sauce

Instead of highlighting recipes this week - I will highlight three kitchen items I use every day and wouldn't want to live without!

Love Me

Pink Salad

This is a perfect side dish when serving a light spring supper.

1 small can crushed pineapple
1 pkg. (4 serving) cherry, strawberry or raspberry jello (of course sugar free works well)
1 (12 oz.) container Cool Whip
1/2 pt. small curd cottage cheese
2-3 cups miniature marshmallows

Heat pineapple in a small saucepan; stir in the jello until dissolved. Cool in refrigerator.

Combine Cool Whip and cottage cheese. Add the cooled jello mixture. Mix well. Fold in the marshmallows.

Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Love Me

Key Lime Pie (WW version)

I stopped by my parents house on Sunday afternoon and my mom was whipping up this pie. It is super quick and easy, and by using sugar free jello and light Cool Whip and yogurt it is great for those dieting or with diabetes - like me and my dad!

1 graham cracker crust
1 box (4 serving) sugar free lime jello
1/2 of a small carton of Cool Whip
2 Light Key Lime yogurt cups

Mix jello with 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until well dissolved. Put in refrigerator to chill until slightly set.

Mix Cool Whip with yogurt. Add chilled but still soft jello. Mix well. Pour into graham cracker crust. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Oh my! Think of the possibilities of this pie: any kind of jello with its corresponding yogurt. It could be a guiltless pie filled spring!

Love Me

Hamburger Vegetable Soup

(I think these frozen chopped onions are a life saver.
I hate chopping onions and with these for most recipes
I don't have to.)

I have several vegetable soup recipes - and I like them all. But this recipe is so very simple and basic it may be my favorite.

This soup does have one pound of ground beef in it which makes it very filling. The ground beef also makes it a little more palatable for those who don't prefer the cabbage instead of meat version and a little cheaper than the nicer cut of beef versions.

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups diced peeled potatoes
1 (1 lb) pkg frozen mixed vegetables
3 cups water
2 (10 1/2 oz.) cans condensed beef broth (not ready-to serve broth)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

In a large skillet brown ground beef (seasoned with salt and pepper) and onion over medium-high heat until beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain well.

In a large stock pan add browned ground beef as well as all remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 18-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Love Me

Strawberry and Kiwi Tart

Temperatures in the 80's and it is April! Makes me want to serve something light and fruity with supper tonight!

Dough for one pie crust
1 pint strawberries, washed and sliced
2 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup apple jelly

Place pie dough in bottom of spring form pan or on the bottom of a sprayed large round cake pan. Using a fork, poke holes in the crust. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned. Allow crust to cool completely then transfer to a pretty plate.

Heat apricot preserves until boiling; stir well. Spread onto cooled pie crust.

Arranged sliced strawberries and kiwi on top.

Heat apple jelly until boiling; stir well. Pour over fruit.

Chill for one hour. Cut as you would a pie and serve with a dollop of Cool Whip if desired.

Love Me

4/12/10 Menu

Joel leaves Tuesday at 5:30 am to head to Bob Jones University in South Carolina for AACS National Fine Arts Competition. Brian and I chaperoned the Nationals trip the last two years - 2008 Megan's senior year and 2009 Levi's senior year.

I hate that we aren't going this year but I don't hate that I am not spending the week sleeping on a bunk in a crowded dorm room. As much as I hate to admit it, I am definitely not a teenager anymore.

It will most likely be a quieter week at home with a little less running.

Monday - biscuits and gravy, strawberry and kiwi pizza
Tuesday - vegetable soup, patty melts, key lime pie
Wednesday - pork fritter sandwiches and California blend vegetables before church
Thursday - pulled pork sandwiches, broccoli salad, pink salad
Friday - Joel gets home! spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, salad, angel food cake
Saturday - California baked beans and cottage cheese, chips, applesauce brownies
Sunday - Eat out. I am thinking Chinese. Maybe an early Mother's Day treat?

Recipes I will highlight this week: strawberry and kiwi tart, key lime pie (WW version), pink salad, and vegetable soup

Coconut Cream Pie

I am experiencing technical difficulties at Farmer's Daughter Cooks. I cannot for the life of me find my coconut cream pie recipe!

I will continue searching and promptly post the recipe as soon as it turns up!

Love Me

Virginia's Ham Salad (sandwich spread)

I have been promising this recipe for a while now but have not posted it because I wanted to have pictures to go with it.

Pictures of sweet Virginia as well as pictures of the whole yummy process. But I have decided to go ahead without pictures for now and add them later.

But first a little background on this amazing ham salad and its inventor.

Virginia is one of my BFFs. She and her family go to church with us - Robby, Virginia, Troy and Beth - the whole gang.

Virginia truly has the gift of hospitality. She is such a blessing to me personally as well as to my preacher hubby and the whole entire church.

And she makes ham salad/sandwich spread that is more addictive to me than crack. Although I have thankfully never been addicted to crack, I am pretty sure that my previous sentence is true.

1 pound of bologna
1 pkg (24 slices) wrapped processed cheese (like the kind you put on a bologna sandwich)
3 hard boiled eggs
1 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
Miracle Whip (1 small jar)

Using your meat grinder, grind bologna, unwrapped cheese, eggs, and relish into large bowl. Mix well with spoon.

Add Miracle Whip to desired taste and preferred consistency. Refrigerate.

Serve on whiter than white bread (you know the kind that sticks to the roof of your mouth) and experience sandwich spready goodness at its finest!

Love Me (and Virginia)

4/5/10 Menu

We have left over ham from Resurrection Sunday.

I hate to say it but I am not a real ham fan. So, I really don't want to have ham every night for supper this week, but I really don't want to throw any of it out either.

I hate to throw away food. That is why my pants are tight.

Monday - Papa John's pizza while watching the Butler game!
Tuesday - chicken fettuccine, California blend vegetables, brownies
Wednesday - fresh green beans with red potatoes and ham
Thursday - pulled pork BBQ, baked beans, cottage cheese
Friday - bean burritos with lettuce and sour cream, home made salsa with chips, angel food cake with strawberries
Saturday - spinach quiche, hash brown potatoes, applesauce
Sunday - venison round steak, buttered potatoes, relish tray, fruit pizza

Recipes I will highlight this week: Virginia's ham salad, coconut cream pie, and fruit pizza.