Speaking of Waffles...

...I have the very,VERY best recipe ever.

1. It's a whole grain recipe with NO sugar or nasty, yucky stuff.
2. It's super filling.
3. It's delicious. Absolutely delicious.
4. Even my super, duper picky eater loves them.



Oatmeal Waffles

3 c. quick oats (or old-fashioned oats, put through a blender)
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 t. cinnamon
pinch of salt

Combine together then add:

3 T. oil (I prefer using applesauce)
2 eggs
2 T. honey
2 c. buttermilk

Your batter will look like this:

(Just like regular, cooked oatmeal.)

Cook in waffle iron. Yield: 12-14 6" waffles

You can go ahead and eat these with regular, boring old maple syrup,
but if you want to truly appreciate the taste and soak it all in,
for added yumminess (and to completely obliterate ALL healthy qualities of the waffles), top with this amazingly addictive

HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK SYRUP!

Mmmmm....

My Very Favorite PINTEREST Recipe....EVER!!!

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe of any sort.

For those of you who follow me at ALL,
you know how I LOVE to cook!
It's one of my very favorite past times.
Right up there with writing music and running and reading...
Seriously.

So, naturally,
I try nearly every PINTEREST recipe I find.
(or at least I try to try them.)

QUESTION: Have you found a KILLER PINTEREST recipe you can share with me? Pretty, pretty please leave me a link...PLEASE!?!?!

Today I want to share with you
a recipe that has forever changed our family!
We can no longer be satisfied with boring old pork chops.
THIS is why!

Double Crunch Honey Glazed Pork Chops
(photo courtesy of rockrecipes.blogspot.com via Pinterest)

NOW do you understand!!!!!

So, now I'd like to share this aMAZing recipe with you.
Visit
HERE
for the recipe.

A couple hints upon cooking this:
1. Cook more than you'll think you need. Trust me. You'll thank me for this later.
2. Don't forget to turn the pork chops down and cook them on the lower temp. They'll turn out SO much moister. It'll save your pork chop's bacon! (get it?....pork chop...bacon...!?!)
3. I've used either canola oil and vegetable shortening. I actually prefer the taste/texture that the shortening leaves, but both are amazingly good.

Seriously, the BEST and the EASIEST Cheeseball Recipe...EVER!

It's CHEESEBALL season!!!
(random, I know.)

But I'm a "chip and dip" sorta gal.

Actually, I'm an "anything and dip" sorta gal.
I just love me a good dip.

SOOOO...

when I tasted this amazing cheeseball,
I absolutely sprouted wings!
I was in heaven.

Then I introduced it to my husband's family.
And now, of course,
it is THE most requested dish
at any of the holiday get-togethers!

My favorite part?
You smash it together with your hands!
So. Much. Fun.
PLUS, it takes about 10 minutes.
That's all.

Disclaimer: I will use the term "smoosh" throughout this recipe. I don't actually know if it's a real word, but to me it means "to smash and squish in a way that it makes it really, really, really well blended"

Cheeseball

2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup finely diced pastrami lunchmeat
(I like to use the cheap Western Family or Buddig brands)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely sliced green onions
(I'm a sucker for dried chives, personally, so I use 1/4 c. of them instead)
1 to 1 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans

With hands (that have been washed with soap and water and dried and not touched anything in between....:), smoosh together cheeses. When well combined, add pastrami and veggies. Smoosh all together really good. Shape into a ball and roll into pecans.

Chill.
Eat.
Enjoy.

Glazed Doughnut Muffins...you'll thank me for this...I promise...

I love to cook.

I love to share.
I love to share what I cook.
Therefore,
I share one of my FAVORITE recipes ever with you!

It's not so very um, healthy, though.
But it IS amazingly delicious
and the ALL the kids gobble them.
Even my picky one.
And so does everyone else who I make these for.
So it MUST be worth sharing!

I actually found this on
www.pinterest.com

(disclaimer: if you've never checked out pinterest,
right NOW would be a REALLY great time...
but only if you're an
"I love to spend time feeling inspired
and looking at amazing ideas that someone else has created
that I really want to mimic or imitate
or just keep on file for a rainy day"
sort of person.)

Which I happen to be.

So..
it was here on pinterest.com
that I found this super easy, most cherished recipe:

Glazed Doughnut
Muffins

(photo/recipe courtesy of www.sweetpeaskitchen.com)

Instructions for getting this recipe:

1. Click HERE to get to my pinterest page!
THEN
2. Click the sweetpeaskitchen.com
link above the right hand corner of the picture.
3. Make, eat, enjoy!
4. Drop one off at my house so I can enjoy, too.
Thanks.

French Onion Soup

I CRAVE this stuff...

French Onion Soup

1/4 Cup butter
3 Medium white onions, sliced
3 14-ounce cans beef broth
1 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder
3 Tablespoons Kraft grated parmesan cheese
6 to 12 slices French bread
6 Slices Swiss cheese
6 Slices mozzarella cheese
6 Tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

Saute onion in melted butter until onions begin to brown and are transparent.Add beef broth, salt and garlic powder. Bring to boil and reduc heat and simmer uncovered 1 hour. Add grated parmesan cheese during the last 10 minutes of simmer time.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast French bread slices until they begin to brown, about 10-12 minutes. Remove toast and set aside.

Turn on broiler

Using oven-safe soup bowls, add 1 cup of soup to each bowl. Place 1 or 2 slices of toast to cover the top of the soup and top toast with slice of Swiss cheese. Follow with a slice of mozzarella. then sprinkle 1 tablespoon shredded parmesan on top of mozzarella.

Place soup bowls on a baking sheet and broil until cheese begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Fruit Salsa

I have TWO websites that I loooooove to cook from:
Meals4Moms
and
RealMomKitchen

Both use totally practical ingredients. I love them both.

Here's a super yummy, somewhat healthy, kid-friendly recipe I've used for the past few years since discovering it on the RealMomKitchen site.
This recipe uses fresh cinnamon tortilla crisps, but we also love it with saltines and white tortilla chips. Mmmm...mmmmm...

Enjoy!

(photo courtesy of Realmomkitchen.com)
Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

• 1 kiwi, peeled and diced
• 1 Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and diced
• 4 oz. raspberries
• 8 oz. of strawberries, diced
• 1 Tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor (I used my strawberry freezer jam)
• 10 small flour tortillas (the fajita size that’s about 7 inches)
• 4 Tablespoons melted butter (or butter flavored cooking spray)
• 2 cups cinnamon sugar

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3.Coat one side of each flour tortilla with melted butter (or butter flavored cooking spray). Sprinkle tortillas with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Using a pizza cutter, cut each tortilla in half and then cut each half into 4 wedges. Arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. (if using cooking spray, spray tortillas again with cooking spray).
4.Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture. Best when made and eaten the same day otherwise the fruit gives off so too much juice and it gets runny.
Serves around 5-6.

Hummus

I like hummus.

I didn't used to.

I used to think it was gross and flavorless, nasty and pastey and blech!

BUT,

after trying several different types,

I feel like I have finally concocted a delish recipe for the stuff.

You're welcome.

Hummus

1 can chick peas: a.k.a. garbonzo beans (drained)
1/2 c. plain yogurt (do not confuse with vanilla yogurt.

Speaking from experience, that would be very, very bad...)

2 T. lemon juice

2 t. olive oil

1 t. water

3 t. minced garlic (or 3 crushed garlic cloves)

1 t. dried parsley

3/4 t. cumin

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

Put all inside a food processor or blender and blend till smooth. Pour into serving bowl and sprinkle with additional parsley. Though it's really good enough to eat by the spoonful, it's probably best to NOT. Maybe try eating it with some veggies or whole grain crackers or even some fococcia bread or something else healthy like that.

Seriously, the YUMMIEST recipe ever!!!

I have discovered what could possibly be labeled as, well, as the title so blatantly described it, "The YUMMIEST Recipe Ever!!!" It's delish, low-calorie, easy to fix (it really took me a total of 8 minutes to put together!!!), healthy AND has normal ingredients! I cannot wait any longer to share it with the entire world...so without further ado...here it is:

Asian Lettuce Wraps
(PF Changs has these too, but mine are WAY cheaper...)

(photo courtesy of Gourmet Kosher Cooking: the recipe did NOT come from them, though...)

1 red bell pepper, diced (I didn't have one and mine turned out just fine...)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 cup green onions, sliced (I used 1/8 cup dried chives...)
1 tbsp. grated ginger root
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cloves crushed garlic
1/3 cup Hoisen sauce (found in the Asian food section of the grocery store)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 head iceburg lettuce, core removed
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 cup rice noodles

Saute red pepper in olive oil. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink. Drain and return to pan. Add green onions, ginger root, red pepper flakes and garlic cloves. Cook for 1 minute. Add Hoisen and soy sauce. Cook for another minute. Roll in lettuce leaves and sprinkle with almonds and rice noodles. I DARE you to stop at just one!

Disclaimer:
I am NOT responsible for any side effects, including:
tonsil-tingling, excessive smiling, messy mouths or late-night cravings.

Give it a try and let me know what you think: Does this deserve "YUMMIEST recipe ever" status or not...

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

So, anyone who knows me, knows that one of my passions in life is to discover great-tasting recipes. I have quite a collection of recipes. I love to create good food, with normal ingredients. Every now and again, I'm gonna post a recipe that I love. Let's begin today.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into strips or bite-sized pieces
6 slices deli ham
3/4 cup shredded white cheese (mozzerella, italian blend or swiss are by far the best!)
1/2 sleeve round crackers (i.e. Ritz), finely smashed
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 T. flour
2 T. chicken bouillion
cooked brown rice

Preheat oven to 350. In 9x13 pan, arrange chicken pieces. Place ham on top and sprinkle cheese on top of that. Evenly spread crackers on top. Cover with tin foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

In saucepan melt butter. In separate container, mix flour and cream until NOT lumpy. Pour into melted butter and add bouillion. Whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened.

To serve, spoon chicken over rice and top with sauce. Mmmmm....mmmmmm.....mmmmmm.