Oh SO Delicioso!

Lemon Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Thu, 31 May 2012 18:35:00 +0000

Lemon Bars are something I remember as being a "grown-up" dessert when I was a kid. My mom would make them occasionally and I don't remember particularly liking them. Funny how as you grow up so does your taste. Now that I'm an adult I love lemon desserts - and lemon bars are at the top of the list!

2 cups Flour

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

2 TBSP Cornstarch

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup butter

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (or bottled is fine too)

1/4 cup heavy cream, half and half, or milk

powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 cake pan with foil, leaving two ends long. Spray the foil with non-stick spray. Combine flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt. Using a pastry blender blend in the butter until is resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture into the bottom of you pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are golden.

With a hand or stand mixer mix the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and cream until well combined. Pour over hot crust and return to oven for 18-20 minutes. Let completely cool on wire rack. Once cooled lift the entire thing out of the pan using the long ends of the foil as handles. Cut into squares, sprinkle with powdered sugar and refrigerate in a covered container.

Homemade Chipotle Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Sun, 27 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

One of the things I love about eating at a place like Baja Fresh or Rubios is the Chipotle Salsa. I love smooth, pureed salsa with lots of flavor and kick. This salsa recipe is just that! My husband loved this stuff and requested that it be made again - that is always a good sign!

1 can (14 oz) Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 whole jalapeno, chopped

4 chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 2 tsp of the adobo sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 bunch of cilantro

1 lime, juiced

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree. Transfer to a container and refrigerate.

Vegetarian Mexican Stuffed Peppers

noreply@blogger.com (Steve and Stephanie) — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:00 +0000

My husband recently read a book that inspired him to completely change his diet.

I'm talking green smoothies with a million different greens (bok choy? seriously?), no dairy, only 1 cup of 100% whole wheat grains daily (did you know that a food product only needs 51% whole wheat grain to label itself as 'whole wheat'?), the occasional lean meat, and obviously no sweets or fat.

Good for him, right?

Not good for wifey.

Bad for wifey....

Dinners have been challenging to say the least, and I've certainly missed some of my favorite foods!

BUT, there is a bright side people.

I'm like master chef-reinvented. Booyeah.

Here, I present my own version of Stuffed Peppers!

I'm sure you heard about the quinoa hype, and I'm officially converted. It's basically identical to brown rice on steroids. More protein, more fiber, tastes great, it's pretty much amazing.

First, you want to throw half of a diced onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 c quinoa (rinsed), and 1 c chicken broth in a saucepan.

Bring it to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes uncovered.

Turn the heat off, cover, and let sit 15 minutes.

While the quinoa's cooking, throw a can of black beans (rinsed), a can of green chilies, 2 tomatoes, 1 c corn, and cilantro in a bowl. Make it look pretty.

Because this is what your daily cooking looks like, right?

Fluff said quinoa with a fork and stir it into the bowl of veggie and protein goodness.

Season mixture with cumin, chili powder, and cayenne.

You can add cheese into this mixture here to make the whole pepper full of cheesiness, but I just sprinkle it on top at the end.

Slice tops off and insides out of your bell peppers (I did two, this recipe makes enough for four) and rinse. Cover with a damp paper towel or two, set on a plate and microwave 2 minutes to soften them.

After they've been nooked, fill peppers with quinoa mixture.

For the sauce, I used a can of tomato sauce and seasoned it with cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and onion powder. Place sauce in pan, top with peppers.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Top with cheese, sour cream, whatever suits your Vegetarian Mexican fancy!

Spniach Artichoke Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Chad and Carly) — Tue, 22 May 2012 21:50:00 +0000

I am always looking for new delicious pasta recipes that can be filling and made within a 30 minutes and this one I found on ioawgirleats.com and she adapted it from Pioneer Woman! It really is so good and easy to make even if you don't normally cook! Enjoy!

Creamy Artichoke Pasta for Two

{Print this Recipe!}

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

salt & pepper

2 green onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can whole artichoke hearts, drained & quartered

1/2 can petite diced tomatoes with juice

1/4 cup half & half

1/4 cup chicken broth

6oz dry long pasta, like fettuccini or spaghetti

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in salted, boiling water. Drain and return to the hot pot.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green onions, salt and pepper, then sauté until slightly softened, ~2 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.

3. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes into the skillet. Season with a bit more salt and pepper, then cook for 8 minutes, stirring every so often. Add in half & half and chicken broth, then cook for 30 more seconds.

4. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the cooked pasta then add in the tomato artichoke sauce. Stir to combine, and serve!

Chicken and Pasta with Peanut Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Sun, 20 May 2012 16:14:00 +0000

If you want a meal that literally takes minutes to prepare - this is your dish! Jim and I love toe at this and it is a cinch to whip up! The only thing you have to cook is the pasta! This has been a long time favorite at our house!

Ingredients

6 ounces dried fettuccine or linguine

1 cups snow peas

1 cup cooked chicken strips (I like to use part of a roitisserrie chicken)

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh pineapple or one 8-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained

1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice or lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Place the snow peas and chicken in a large colander. Pour hot cooking liquid from pasta over pea pods and chicken in colander; drain well. Return pasta, pea pods, and chicken to the hot pan. Add pineapple.

2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small saucepan stir chicken broth into peanut butter. Heat and stir with a whisk until peanut butter melts. Stir in soy sauce, lime juice, red pepper, and garlic; heat through.

3. Add sauce to the pasta mixture. Gently stir to coat pasta with sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Strawberry Coconut Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Steve and Stephanie) — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Easter is one of those holidays where you always look forward to your mom's ham, potatoes, green beans and rolls. YUM! My family's in Texas, so our friends here are our second family.

We had a little shindig to celebrate, and I signed up to bring dessert.

Because I love dessert like a fat kid loves cake...

I found this cake here and knew I had to make it!

Sadly, I didn't take any pics during the baking process, so just use your imagination.

But seriously, this cake is BOMB.

And quite the impressive-looking cake, so make it!

1 (18.5 oz) box white cake mix

4 T strawberry jello powder

2 T flour

1 t baking powder

2 T sugar

3/4 c canola oil

4 eggs

1/4 c water

1/2 c pureed strawberries

1 t vanilla

1/2 t coconut extract

1/2 c fresh strawberries, diced

1 c coconut, shredded finely in food processor

sliced strawberries for filling

shredded coconut to make it pretty

strawberries to make it pretty

Mix dry ingredients in bowl, then mix in oil, eggs, water, pureed strawberries, vanilla and coconut extracts. Don't overmix!!! This will ruin your moist, delicious cake.

Stir in diced strawberries and shredded coconut.

Pour into two greased and floured 8 or 9-inch round pans and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick is clean when inserted and cake perimeter is pulling away from pan.

Leave cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Then do that cool trick where you put a cooling rack on the top of the cake pan and flip it over onto the cooling rack in one fluid motion. Continue to cool completely.

Make the icing:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c butter, softened

32 oz. powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter, add in vanilla, slowly beat in powdered sugar. BAM. Done.

Place one cake layer on serving plate or cake stand. Ice top of first layer, top with sliced strawberries. Add second layer of cake and frost top and sides of complete cake.

Now here's the tricky part.

Coat entire cake with shredded coconut.

Not gonna lie, it was quite the messy process, but then you clean it up, garnish with strawberries, and voila!

Then you slice into it and everybody's jaw drops

because of how pretty it is and how amazing it tastes.

Bob's Guacamole

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Sat, 12 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

My husband, Jim, grew up in a town in northern San Diego called Fallbrook. The town is known for its avocado groves. They claim the title of "The Avocado Capitol of the Country." They even have an avocado festival there each year. So -people that grew up there probably know a thing or two about avocados. :) Jim's brother, Bob, makes this guacamole and it's awesome! I hate having big chunks of onion or cilantro in my guac so this recipe is right up my alley! You get all the flavor without the chunks! Thanks Bob for a great recipe!

2 Large Avocados

1/4 Onion

1 Serrano Chili Pepper, seeds removed

1 Lime

1 Large Roma Tomato

Salt to Taste

1. In a Blender puree juice from lime, onion, serrano chili (seeds removed) and 1/3 of the tomato.

2. Pour Mixutre into a bowl and add avocados

3. Pulse remaining tomato in blender until chopped. Add to bowl and stir/mash to desired consistency. I like to use a potato masher.

5. Add salt to taste

Cranberry Chicken Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:01:00 +0000

My mom buys a chicken salad from a store called Great Harvest up in Utah. I always look forward to eating that stuff. It is simple and delicious. If you're like me, you don't like crunchy celery or onions in your chicken salad - and the Great Harvest chicken salad is free from any unwanted crunch. Well...we don't have a Great Harvest here in California and occasionally I get a craving for that yummy salad. So - I decided to take a stab at re-creating it, and I think it's pretty darn close!

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1 cup mayo

1 1/2 TBSP cider vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

pinch of sugar

Toss all ingredients in a bowl until combined. You can serve immediately of let it chill in the fridge so all of the flavors mingle. Serve on a bed of lettuce, a roll, crackers, sliced bread, or on its own!

Lets entice

noreply@blogger.com (Desarae Fowler) — Sun, 06 May 2012 23:04:00 +0000

Here are some recipes that have been updated with pictures. I hope it entices you to make them!!!
I LOVE this chicken tiki masala recipe that steph posted a while ago. We didn't have good pictures, and it had been a coons age since made it, so I put it on my menu :)

{Click on the title to go to the original recipe}

Chicken Tikki Masala

Confession- Amy posted these pork chops a long time ago too. and I NEVER made them. She told me they were wonderful, I put it on my menu and bought everything for it....and failed. didn't make it. what kind of a friend am I,
Well I'm proud to announce, Amy, that I did make it. I made it for a big group of people. I used nice thick Costco pork chops (bone-in) fried them up (a little too fried) and baked their little hearts out.
they were SOO GOOD. tender, juicy, and the gravy was my FAVORITE. there wasn't enough gravy in the pan. next time I need to double the savory gravy. it made the cake.

Baked Pork Chops

Aubrey's Famous Green Enchiladas
our whole family (grandpa included) loves these! they needed a better picture. I don't know if this is the one. we may need a different. the enchilada sauce is more creamier

Green Enchiladas

And finally, have you ever had German pancakes? They are a simple and fun little adventure to try. Perfect for the lazy morning and late breakfast kinda day. Drizzle your favorite syrup over and enjoy.

German Pancakes

Tomatillo Chicken Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

You might remember the original tomatillo chicken recipe...

Well I just took that sweet thing to the next level. Normally I make it into a burrito with some rice and cheese, sour cream and all the good stuff. Love it. But I LOVED this.

I made the chicken and simply placed it over some Baby Arugula, added in some Grape Tomatoes, Shredded Carrots, Cilantro then.. Drizzled lime all over. Oh my. Tasty tenderness. {My mouth is watering}

And, I don't know if you notice but look at the ingredients~ Holy Lean-ness!! and I'm not even on a diet {should be but not}. Seriously go for the Arugula ~ 0.39 percent of the flavor is packed in that stuff.

And for those of you (me) that are too lazy to click on the link to go back to the original recipe here it is.

6 chicken breasts

1 medium onion chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp oregano

1tsp salt

1tsp pepper

T lemon juice

1C tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)

1.5C sour cream

Combine everything (except sour cream) in a crock-pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. When done shred chicken and add sour cream. Serve the chicken and sauce in tortillas.

OR Add on top of salad as described above.

Enjoy and try not to think about how healthy your being!

Cheesy Corn Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:33:00 +0000

A few years back I was having dinner at a friends house. She whipped up these yummy cornbread muffins and ever since I've been hooked! This is a semi-homemade recipe because it uses the Jiffy Mix as the base. The muffins are moist and flavorful, and the recipe is so easy! There are perfect alongside any dinner.

1 C milk

1 C low-fat cottage cheese

2 eggs

½ C packed cheddar cheese (about 2 oz.)

2 pkg (8.5 oz. each) corn muffin mix

1) Preheat 400. Line 18 muffin cups. Combine milk, cottage cheese and eggs in large bowl.Use an electric mixer to blend on medium speed 1-2 min.

2) Stir in cheddar cheese, then stir in muffin mix just until blended. Don’t over mix

3) Bake 13-15 min. or til light brown and clean toothpick

White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:27:00 +0000

White Chocolate Raspberry Cookie

When I was in college a good friend of mine made these cookies. They were in a cookbook called Passion For Chocolate. If I could find that cookbook I would buy it in a heartbeat! I remember her sending me home with a plate of these and I remember eating the whole plate in the car! They are that good! I thought about these cookies long after devouring that plate in my car...so much and I searched for the recipe online. I tracked this down on Better Homes and Gardens. I'm pretty sure it's the same recipe. I have been making these cookies for years and I have yet to meet a person who doesn't love them.

8 ounces white chocolate baking bar

1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

3 ounces white baking bar

1. Chop 4 ounces of the white baking bar; set aside. In a heavy small saucepan, melt the remaining 4 ounces white baking bar over low heat while stirring constantly; cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until softened. Add the sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and melted white baking bar until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Stir in the 4 ounces of chopped white baking bar.

3. Drop dough from a rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around edges. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.

4. About 1 hour before serving, melt the raspberry jam in a small saucepan over low heat. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of jam onto the top of each cookie. In a heavy small saucepan combine the 3 ounces white baking bar. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Drizzle each cookie with some of the melted mixture. I use a fork to drizzle the chocolate. If necessary, refrigerate cookies about 15 minutes to firm chocolate. Makes about 48 cookies.

Make-Ahead Tip:Bake the cookies as directed; cool completely. Do not add jam and melted mixture. Place cookies in a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Before serving, thaw for 15 minutes. Decorate as directed.

Gluten Free Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

You know when you just need something fresh, fast and delicious?

You've found it!

Gluten Free Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos.

A new favorite around my house.

These tacos are fresh, fast and delicious!

They are also a whole food dinner, nothing processed.

Also, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, no added sugar, vegetarian and vegan.

So this is a meal that will keep all your guests happy and even please the pickiest eater.

Gluten Free Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

2 yams (I know that it's titled sweet potato, but the yams are so much better!), peel and cut into small cubes

1 T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. chili flakes

2 T. lime juice

2 cups (about 1/4) shredded cabbage, green or purple, or both!

1/4 cup diced onion

2 T. chopped cilantro

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 t. salt

1 t. olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 t. ground cumin

1 -15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 T. lime juice

Corn tortillas

Cubed avocado

To make the sweet potatoes:

Preheat oven to 400.

Place cubed yams in resealable bag.

Mix together olive oil, salt, chili flakes, lime juice. Pour over the top of the yams.

Shake the bag to coat the yams.

Drizzle a cookie sheet with olive oil and rotate pan to make a light layer of oil. Pour the yams out on top of the oil and spread out to a single layer.

Roast for 40 minutes, tossing the yams about halfway through. Cook until the yams are toasty, golden brown.

While the yams are in the oven, place cabbage, onion, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Add lime juice and salt. Toss to coat. Set aside. The cabbage will soften while the potatoes finish cooking.

Next, heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add onions and cook until transluscent. Add ground cumin and stir until you can smell it. Add beans and lime juice. Cook until heated through.

Heat up corn tortillas in a frying pan until soft, about a minute per side.

To assemble tacos:

Place roasted yams in a corn tortilla. Top with beans and cabbage mixture. Sprinkle on avocado chunks. Roll up and enjoy!

Taco Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:55:00 +0000

Every time I make this soup I am amazed at how easy it is, and by how good it is! On one occasion I was cooking this soup in the crock pot while my carpets were being cleaned. After the carpet cleaner was finished he informed me how cruel it was to be making such a delicious smelling meal while he was laboring away, ha ha.

This soup is great topped with cheese, avocado tortilla chips, sour cream, or any other topping you desire! This meal also freezes great! You can put all of the ingredients in a gallon sized ziplock and tuck it in your freezer for a fast future meal.

Ingredients

1 LB ground beef

1/2 chopped onion

1 15oz can stewed tomatoes

1 15oz can tomato sauce

1 15oz can pinto beans

1 15oz can kidney beans

1 15oz can corn

1 envelope taco seasoning

Directions

1. Brown beef along with onion in a large pot, drain fat.

2. Add canned items, including the liquids. Add seasoning.

3. Simmer 20 minutes.

4. Serve topped with tortilla chips, sour cream, grated cheese, and avocado.

This also works great in the crock pot!

Stuffed French Toast

noreply@blogger.com (Jivin' Johnson's) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:04:00 +0000

Stuffed French toast is an easy & fun way to spice up the normal french toast breakfast.

Ingredients:
10-14 slices of bread.......I prefer to use a cinnamon chip/swirl
6-8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Freezer Jam any flavor strawberry, raspberry, peach, apricot,etc
Fresh fruit

Directions:
Heat the griddle to 375
Crack the eggs into a medium size mixing bowl, beat the eggs until all yokes are broken. Mix in the milk until well blended pour mixture into a flat bottom casserole dish (or a plate). Set aside.

Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar until well blended it will be thick. If you want it to taste more like cream cheese use less powdered sugar. I prefer it to be sweet. Set aside

Take your sliced bread and dip in in your egg mix, dip both side let the excess drain off and put it on your hot griddle. Cook, flip, cook. When it is done stack it on a plate until all pieces of french toast are cooked.

Take two slices and put cream cheese mix on one piece put the other piece on top (like a sandwich) and pour jam over top serve warm topped with fresh fruit. For my little kids I put the jam in the middle it is slightly less messy! :)

Side note......you can cut your french toast into any shape using a cookie cutter, hence the hearts for valentines day.

Hunger Hits Home

noreply@blogger.com (Desarae Fowler) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:18:00 +0000

Last night I attended the red carpet premier of the Food Networks Hunger Hit's Home Documentary.

(all thanks to The Sassy Saver!)
This night was all about raising the public awareness of the astounding number of children, in our own powerful country, who go daysssssssss without eating.
The night started out with a red carpet- where come celebrities talked to us, "the press" about their thoughts on the matter.
Then there was drinking and socializing...... I did get to talk to Melissa D'Arbian. I watched her season of the food network star. I wanted her to win- and was so happy when she did!! the Potato Au'gratin recipe on this blog is inspired from her!! I told her so :)
Then we moved into the theatre. There were thanks given, and thoughts about making movie- and we watched.
The documentary was very good- it did educate me , and introduce me to programs I was unaware of, but I also felt it had its own political agenda that I don't necessarily agree with. It did kind of drive me crazy- and as I thought of it on the car ride home I thought- Christ would help these people regardless of the silly politics, and in the end, the problem is still the same- kids are hungry and we all can do something to help that. WE ALL can do something. no hungry kids! I am as strapped for money, and time as the rest of you are but this really had made me decide to make an effort and just plain do it. I mean, once a month donating some food or service is not a big deal. If your wealthy- of course just writing a check and putting it in the mail is a whole lot easier, but I'm not wealthy. ha :)

This movie will air on Saturday at 8/7c and will be available online at 9. Here is the link:

Food Network Share our Strength

I do encourage you to watch it. I hope you walk away with the feeling and desire to serve the community. We can do good. We- you- can make a difference.

no hungry kids.

Now...the fun part. goofy pictures and celebrities!!

(for a more in-depth discussion on this part- you can go to my blog)

Brandon Tyler Russell

(Smitty, Tosh O.)

Keven Eubanks

(used to be on tonight show)

Tenille Houston

(GCB, Bad Girls)

Neely's

(Down home with the Neely's)

Ian Shive

(Award Winning Nature Photographer)

Jennifer Freeman

(my wife and kids)

Clement von Franckenstein

(The Five-Year Engagement, Take Me Home Tonight

Cauliflower Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:51:00 +0000

If you're like me you love a good soup, but for some reason my husband hates soup...so whenever I have a chance to make it for someone else - I do! A while back a friend was coming to visit for a day of crafting, so I decided to make a yummy soup and side salad. I got this recipe from thepioneerwoman.com. It is a bit of an indulgence, but so worth it!

1 stick Butter, Divided
½ whole Onion, Finely Diced
1 whole Carrot Finely Diced
1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced
1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)
2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Milk
1 cup Half-and-half
2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste
1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.

Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.

Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Serve immediately.

Toffee Apple Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 06:52:00 +0000

If you want to feel like you've died and gone to heaven - make this stuff and eat it. Oh man it is so good! I could literally eat this with a spoon and skip the apple! I have never met anyone would didn't just want to gobble this dip up.

1 block of cream cheese, softened

1 cup brown sugar

2 Heath bars, crumbled

Green Apples, sliced

Stir cream cheese and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy. Stir in Heath Bar crumbles. Serve with sliced green apples.

Chocolate dipped cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:15:00 +0000

This recipe is from Pioneer Woman, but they were so fun and easy to make I just had to post it here!

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookies:

2 sticks salted butter, slightly softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 whole egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces white almond bark (4 squares)
4 ounces chocolate almond bark (4 squares)

Dipping Bar:

Chocolate covered candy, such as M&M's, chopped
Chocolate covered toffee bars, such as Skor Toffee Bars, chopped
Chocolate sprinkles
Other variations: different candy bars, chopped; different varieties of sprinkles; different chopped nuts

Directions

For the cookies: Cream the butter with the powdered sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt, and mix together until the dough comes together. Place plastic wrap on the surface of the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with baking mats or parchment.

Roll out the cookie dough and cut out the cookies using a rectangular cookie cutter, re-rolling the scraps in ord

er to use as much of the dough as possible. Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, in batches if necessary, being careful not to burn. Cookies will remain the same general size and shape after they bake.

Remove from the oven and place the cookies on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely.

Melt the almond barks in separate bowls in the microwave. Dip half of each cookie into the white almond bark and half into the chocolate bark. Immediately sprinkle or press toppings from the Dipping Bar over both sides of the cookies. Gently set on parchment paper or another nonstick surface and allow to cool before serving.

These ones were made for Valentines day, but they'd be perfect in an egg shape for Easter. And did I mention they are delicious? Yum!

Pepperoni Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Kadee) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:07:00 +0000

There is a restaurant in San Diego called Sammy's Wood-fired Pizza. While their pizza is good, the thing that I always look forward to eating there is their pepperoni salad. It is one of those things that you think about after you've left the restaurant and crave for the next few days.

Now that I no longer live in the San Diego area I had to re-create this salad to satisfy my craving. Take my word for it - this is such a fun, fresh tasting, and yummy salad! It pairs perfectly with a delivered pizza, or with italian food. It's also great on its own for a tasty lunch.

Ingredients

1 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 jar of calamata olives, pitted and halved

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1 package of pepperoni, sliced in half

4 tablespoons fresh Basil, chopped

your favorite bottled or homemade italian dressing

Combine all ingredients and toss until combined.

Sweet Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Desarae Fowler) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

This was our book club late night snack a few months back. We all loved it and begged Melissa for the recipe, which she graciously handed over. Thanks Melissa :)

I'm NOT a black bean type a person. I just don't love 'em, thats all. When I'm at cafe rio, I hold the bean and double the rice. I'm telling you this, because I love this salsa, and it has black beans. So, if you are like me and ask to hold the beans I say to you- try out this salsa

ALSO- I had never bought a mango, IN MY LIFE, until I bought it for this recipe. How do you cut them up?

*I added onions....not much, just a little. I liked it!

Sweet Salsa

2 cans of black beans (drained)
1 can of corn (drained)
1 can of diced tomatoes (you can use plain or fire roasted is also good) OR 2 ripe tomatoes diced
1 diced avocado
1 diced mango (pineapple is also great if you don't have mango)
chopped cilantro (about 1/2 a bunch)
squeeze of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of Italian Dressing

*1/4 of a largish onion
sprinkle with garlic salt and stir

Great with scoop chips! Enjoy!!

Healthy Macaroni and Cheese ++ WINNER!!

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 05:52:00 +0000

Thank you all so much for those who participated in our mini-giveaway!! We love all the comments and new followers! We have some pretty awesome fans ;) Now for the exciting part, the lucky duck that gets the fabulous flower napkin rings. {I'm jealous!!}

AND the 9th Comment was !!...... KRISTIN!!! yay! So excited for my home girl!! Now you need to drive to Cali to claim your prize! (J/K just come visit) Thanks Kristin for participating and showing some love!

And for good times I'll finally share one of my favorite recipes. A good friend introduced me to this recipe a few years ago and I instantly fell in love and have been fixing it regularly ever since~ I think it has evolved to my taste as well!

Healthy Macaroni and Cheese... yes.. healthy. No creams or butter in this baby. And this can feed basically the coast guard it makes so much!

Oh.. and I should mention my kids LOVE this.

And they have no idea they are eating carrots :)

Secret Ingredients:

1/4th of a red onion chopped
1 cup shredded carrots (I don't shred mine, I buy shredded. But you can just chop up some carrots about 1/2 C regular chopped carrots)
1/4 cup Arborio Rice
16 oz. Chicken or Veggie Stock
11/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese (Some times I like to mix and match cheese~ Mix in a bit of pepper jack for some real fun)
Salt to taste!
Noodles!

(I use a whole package because the sauce goes so far, usually a 16 oz pkg or more of elbow macaroni ) About the noodles.. you can be real healthy here and choose whole grain. Yum. If I know I am going to be making it a fun kid friendly night I chose some crazy shaped noodle as shown. That night was the first time we sang the Wheels on the Bus at dinner!

To make: In a large sauce pan boil stock, onion, carrots, and rice until rice is tender, about 15 mins. When done, remove from heat to cool for a minute or two then add to blender and puree til smooth. Here's where it gets real tasty. Add in cheese. Blend again til smooth. Pour over cooked macaroni and serve!

I hope you enjoy. { and don't spill the beans to the kids, it will be our little secret }

GiveAway!!

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:00:00 +0000

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Yes yes!! Happy St. Patty's Day~ We are doing a mini-GiveAway!

What's the occasion? Our AwEsoMe recipe index. Just completed this last week and we are tickled pink about it! It is now so much more convenient to find your favorite recipe. Just click on the {Recipe Index} Tab above! Here at ohsodelicioso, we think even small victories are worth celebrating.

We are giving away some classy and fun napkin rings from Pier One Imports! Love that store.

Aren't they just beautiful?

Someone will soon be having their spring dining with four of these little works of art. It could be you?!

Like I said, this is nothing huge, just a small fun celebration! So the rules are simple and sweet!

Become a follower and leave a comment on this post confirming your addition as a follower! Easy as our Apple Pie!

EDIT: If you are already a follower and want to be included then leave a comment about one of your favorite recipes!

Join the fun!

Giveaway will end Sat. March 24th at 7am PT.

Beef Bulgogi

noreply@blogger.com (Desarae Fowler) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:28:00 +0000

We live on the Korean side of town. Our neighbors are Korean, our school mates are Korean- the paper work sent home in school folders has instructions on the back in Korean, our stores are Korean, we are surrounded by quiet, intelligent Korean's. So why not try Korean food?
At Sydney's school there is a school barbecue coming up- on the menu is Beef Bulgogi. Nate saw the flyer over the weekend and decided the HE, himself, wanted to make Beef Bulgogi. He researched some recipes and made a quick shopping trip. Then he marinated the meat and BBQ'd it. It was so yummy, and really very simple.
We paired it with rice, fresh green beans and a few won tons

Here is what he did:
1 lb flank steak thinly sliced
(while flank steak is an good cut, it is also pricey. feel free to browse your steak section and get a 1 lb steak that looks good for a lesser price tag)
5 T soy sauce
2 T red wine vinegar
2 1/2 T sugar (brown or white)
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 T sesame seed oil
2 T sesame seeds
2 T minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Combine above ingredients in gallon size bag (or shallow dish)
refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight

heat grill to high,
quickly grill beef on hot grill till slightly charred and cooked through on both sides. About 2-4 minutes per side.

our pic, the night of...

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Chad and Carly) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 03:02:00 +0000

Do you ever have those days where there is nothing in the fridge and you don't have time to go to the grocery store to get the ingredients needed for a particular kind of dinner? I have them ALL the time and this recipe is my go to meal for last minute planning. Why? Because you almost always have all the ingredients in your pantry!

Here is the recipe: Serves about 6-8 adults

4 cans Black Beans (do not drain)

1 8 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

3/4 cube of vegetable bouillon (If you're not vegetarian chicken broth works)

1/2 a package of taco seasoning

1 yellow onion (chopped)

4 carrots (diced)

garlic (to taste)

Directions:

Saute your garlic and onions until the onions turn translucent. Add your carrots and saute for about 3 minutes. Pour in all four cans of black beans. Do not drain. Stir. Pour in both kinds of tomato sauces. Stir. Add vegetable bouillon and taco seasoning. Stir. Let cook on medium low for about 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Garnish with avocado and sour cream

I promise it is filling and sooooo yummy. My husband is not vegetarian so he had some chicken breasts as well. Enjoy!