Homemade Jalapeño Ranch Dip

One of my favorite Texas restaurants is Chuy's. Thankfully, they can be found outside Texas too--Atlanta & Birmingham just to name a couple locations.

One of my favorite items at Chuy's is the jalapeño ranch dip. It's a creamy dip with a nice spicy kick to it. Its great on any of their salads or to pour over their Chuychanga (chimichanga). And, I warn you, it's  totally addicting!

Well, I been given a few jalapeño ranch dip recipes, but the one I share today is my favorite, not to mention the healthiest of all the recipes. It's simple and packed with flavor. Honestly, its just as addicting as the real deal.

Ingredients:
-8 oz lite cream cheese (room temp)
-16 oz lite sour cream
-1 package of dry Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Salad Dressing Mix. (buttermilk is the best)
-1 6oz can of jalapeño (and some of the juice)
-1/2 bunch of cilantro

Directions: 
Throw all ingredients into the blender. Blend for a couple minutes until well mixed. Depending on the consistency you prefer, you can add more or less of the jalapenos juice to your liking. I use some of the juice, but not all of it. It's best after it sits for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

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A New Cookie Favorite!

Quick Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last week, we had family in for the weekend. I usually try to have a sweet treat on hand when we have guest. I looked around my pantry and realized I had a box of yellow cake mix, but wasn't really in the cake mood. So, I pulled out one my favorite dessert cookbooks, the "Easy-to-Bake Cookbook."

The "Easy-to Bake Cookbook" is a great go too. The book is filled with recipes for breads, cakes, cookies, brownies and pies. Most of the recipes start with a prepared dough or cake mix. Then, you throw in a few extras and ta-dah a delicious "homemade" knock off.

We made the "Quick Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie." They turned out amazing! So good, that I made a second batch. The cookie was full of flavor and chewy. Plus, how can one go wrong with a combo like peanut butter and chocolate chip. Match made in heaven! Mmmm.

Quick Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients:
-1 package Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Classic Yellow Cake Mix
-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
-1/2 cup butter, softened
-2 eggs
-1cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease cookie sheet.

2. Combine cake mix, peanut butter, butter and eggs in large mixing bowl. Mix at low to medium speed with electric mixer until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheets. Remove to cooling racks.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Hints: -crunchy peanut butter may be substituted for regular.

Ham & Broccoli Ring

Here’s another fun, cheap, and quick kid friendly meal. This one I borrowed from my mother-in-law. It’s yummy. I did change it up a bit…for the kids! This is probably the only way I can get Levi to eat “trees” (broccoli). Four simply ingredients and 10 minute prep time. I will say, you can us more of less of  the items to your liking.
Ingredients:
1 cup cubed ham
1 (16oz) bag of frozen cut broccoli (not pictured, I only used half a bag)
1 to 1.5 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 can crescent rolls
Directions:
--Steam broccoli to tender
--The cube ham I had on hand was large. I add it and the fresh steamed broccoli to my food processor. The,I pulsed it a few times. If your using the cut broccoli it doesn't really need chopping, but since I’m feeding a young toddler I chose to chop the ham and broccoli up pretty good. 
--In a large bowl, place the broccoli and ham mix. Add 1 cup of cheese. Mix well.

--Arrange crescent triangles with wide sides touching to form a ring! I think it looks like the sun or a flower.

--Spoon mixture on wide part of triangle. I like to sprinkle a little more cheese over the top.
--Now, its time to fold. Fold the small points over pinching them to the base.

--Bake 350* for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cheesy Bow-Tie Pasta

Last night, was one of those meals I prepared just by using what I had on hand. I wanted to cook something different and easy for the kids. In the end, I created a cheesy bow-tie pasta with ham. The kids LOVED it. Shelby will eat anything (praying that sticks!!). Levi is doing much better with branching out and trying new foods. However, he’s still not wild about some foods due to texture—pasta being one of them. At times he’ll eat it and other times he won’t touch it. I never really know until we get ready to eat. Last night was a good night. Not only did Levi love this meal, he asked for seconds thirds!!
So, I thought I’d share this little recipe. Its cheap! It’s easy! Colorful and well rounded! Nothing to fancy about it. Like I said, I just opened the cabinets and fridge and threw some things together. 
Ingredients:
Half a box of bow tie pasta
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/3 can of milk
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen sliced carrots
handful of large cubed ham

Directions:
1-Prepare pasta as instructed on the box and drain.
2-While pasta is cooking, brown cubed ham in a skillet. (I did this because my ham was frozen).
3-Steam peas and carrots. (I had separate bags of these in the freezer. I ended up steaming my carrots separately because I need to finely chop them after they cooked).
4-Empty cream of chicken soup into a small pan. Add 1/3 can of milk, and the cheese. Heat over medium-low, stirring often. If too thick, add a little more milk. Reduce heat to low once cheese is melted.
5-Place cooked cubed ham and carrots in food processor. Pulse a few time until right size is acquired. I did this so Shelby would be able to eat this meal with no problem. You cold omit this step.
6-In a large bowl, mix together the pasta and cheese sauce. Next, add the steam veggies and ham. stir well. Serve!

Cranberry Pork Roast

Thought I'd share a very tasty recipe with you. Its one of our winter favorites! This little recipe is very simple and loaded with flavor. The meat is sweet without being over the top sweet, tender and moist! This is a slow cook crock pot recipe. You will need a 4 quart crock pot for this meal. Just load the slow cooker and forget about it--now, that's my kind of cooking.

Only four ingredients:

• 2-3 lb Pork Roast (or beef)
• 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes or 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 (16oz) can of whole cranberry sauce

Directions:

1. Place the meat in the crock pot. 
2. Sprinkle onion flakes over meat. 
3. Add the soy sauce. 
4. Then, pour the entire can of cranberry sauce over top. 

Done! That's all there is to it. Easy, right?! For all you who love to improvise as you cook...as tempting as it might be, do not add any water or other liquid to the crock pot. As the meat cooks, it will make more than enough liquid. No worries of it being dry. Trust me!

Cooking time:

low for 7-9 hours
high 5-6 hours

Personally, I usually plan so I can cook it on low. The meat turns out tender and just falls apart. If  you do cook the meat on high, just break the meat up a bit during the last hour of cooking. This should help the tenderness of the meat as well as enhance the flavor. 

Once the meat is done and plated, I pour the remaining sauce into a gravy bowl. You can also make a gravy, but we prefer just the cranberry au jus sauce. Serve with mash potatoes or new potatoes. Throw in a green and you've got a very satisfying comfort meal.

enjoy!

New Recipes!

In the past 2 weeks, I’ve tried out 4 new recipes. We were getting bored with our staple meals. So, I’ve been stepping out in to the unknown and cooking new things. Still trying to keep things simple and cheap. We have found some new favorites: Chicken Parmesan, Meatball Subs and Curry Spaghetti.
Here’s the recipe for the Curry Spaghetti. If you like curry you’ll enjoy this. If your not a fan of curry, I’d say still worth trying because it has a great Italian flare to it too. Cooks up nice and hearty!
Ingredients
1 large onion
7 to 8 mushrooms
3 small sweet peppers or 1 large red or yellow pepper
1 tomato
5 stripes bacon cup into 1/4 wide strips. (I used precooked bacon)
1.5 lbs of ground turkey
Celery Salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash original
1 jar of Classico Florentine Spinach and Cheese Sauce
1 box of thin spaghetti cooked in water with salt, olive oil and Italian seasoning.
Getting Started:
slice and dice onion, mushroom, pepper and tomato


In a nonstick pan (w/out butter or oil) fry bacon till golden. Then, add onion cook until golden. Add peppers and cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms cook for 3 minutes. Set aside on lowest heat possible.

In another pan, add ground turkey. Add celery salt, curry and Mrs. Dash to the turkey. Brown, drain, return to pan.

Pour Classico Florentine Spinach and Cheese Sauce over cooked ground turkey. Add tomato

Now mix veggies from other pan in with ground turkey. Makes a thick sauce.

Pour over pasta and serve!

Soup, Soup, Soup...I Love Soup!

Recreating a little taste of home: Spinach Tortellini

As many of you know I grew up in Panama City, Florida. There are so many great little off beat places to find a great meal. There's Tally-Ho, Gyro Cafe, Jimmy's Diner, and Coram's just to name a few. However, one of my favorite places is tucked away in a little shopping center on 23rd street-- Gwendolyn's Homemade Ice Cream. Don't be mislead by the name. Yes, they serve many wonderful flavors of ice cream and even pies, but there's more to Gwendolyn's than ice cream and pie. If you ask me, the real treasures are found at lunch time! On any day of the week, Gwendolyn's is a busy little place. On the menu you'll find the soups of the day and a variety of croissant sandwiches!

During my college days, my roommate and I would eat there weekly! To this day I still crave their Spinach Tortellini! I would order a bowl of tortellini and a chicken salad sandwich, which came on a fresh flaky buttery croissant. The soup is fresh, rich and filling. The chicken salad sandwich melts in your mouth! So amazing! Add in a large glass of southern sweet tea and its heaven!

When fall/winter roll around I start desiring soups. This always makes me think about Gwendolyn's Tortellini Soup. I've been playing around with a recipe that satisfies my craving. I made a big ole pot of it last week to kick off Fall.

If your in PC and haven't experienced Gwendolyn's, do so. You wont be disappointed. If your visiting PC, Gwendolyn's is a great little family place that is worth checking out.

SPINACH TORTELLINI SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

½ teaspoon rosemary

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can (16oz) chick peas-drained and rinsed

1 box (32oz) chicken broth

1 box of frozen spinach

1 cup water

1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes –undrained

1 package (9oz) Cheese Tortellini

DIRECTIONS:

1-Heat oil over medium heat, add rosemary and garlic. Sautee for 2 or 3 minutes.

2-Add chicken broth and water. Bring to a light boil.

3-Add spinach, peas and pasta. Bring back to a light boil and then reduce to medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes.

4-Add in diced tomatoes, undrained. Cook for another 5 minutes

5-Take 2 cups of soup mixture and puree in a blender.—don’t puree any of the tortellini, pull pasta out if any got in the 2 cups of mixture. Add them back to the soup. Puree and add mixture back to soup.

6-Simmer (low) for 15 or 20 minutes to marry flavors and pasta is cooked.

7-Sever w/ French bread or croissants

** Sometimes I throw in a little Parmesan Cheese ( 1/3 cup or less) in step four.