We made it to March and Loaded Broccoli

Whew.... we made it!!  I didn't think we would, but March is here...spring flowers, green grass, warmer days, and lots of sunshine!!!  I survived another winter...no small miracle. 
While Texas hasn't had the horrid winter weather like so many of our northern neighbors, we have had our typical amount of cold and wet, but this year just seems to be more soggy than most or I just don't tolerate the cold and wet like I did when I was younger.  Come on fresh pretty new flowering baskets for my porch and the smell of fresh cut grass. :)

As typical Texans, my family needs sunshine and warm temps!  We NEED to be able to get outside and move around, however the past few days we have been stuck inside looking at each other and EATING.  It's about to get really ugly if we have to continue flipping channels to find something we can all agree on or figure out what we can all agree on to eat. Way - too - much - family - togetherness! 

This weekend, I tried a new quick-fix broccoli recipe... Loaded Broccoli... oh yes, this is a keeper! Super easy and super quick to fix.  Of course as with any recipe, I always add my own little touches and extra spices because I find that most people eat food that is just too bland for my family's salt-addicted, salsa craving, and pepper-phenom tastes. 

I've attached the recipe below just as I found it, but please experiment and add more or less of whatever floats your family's boat.  This really is a keeper of a recipe and I would venture to guess that this just might replace our typical broccoli and cheese casserole that is served at every family holiday gathering (bleck...so sick of that).   This recipe and other greats can be found on https://www.facebook.com/just1courtney.

LOADED BROCCOLI
Low carb!!!!
...

Ingredients:
4-5 small bunches of fresh broccoli cut into bite size pieces
( Approx: 4-6 cups)
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Sour Cream
6-8 Slices bacon cooked and cut into bite size pieces
1 Bag Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese (two cups) or cheese of your choice.
3-4 Tbs chopped fresh chives
Directions:
Steam or Boil Broccoli Pieces ( I boiled for 10 minutes)
Drain and Let cool
Mix together Mayonnaise, Sour Cream, 1 cup of the Shredded Cheese and half of cut up Bacon, and placed in baking dish that was lightly sprayed with non stick spray,
Top with remaining cheese and bacon pieces.
Cook in oven 400° for 10- 15 minutes until cheese is melted
Top with chopped Chives and serve! ENJOY!!

I added some chopped garlic and diced onions, along with garlic salt, course ground pepper, and even a touch of dried parsley. Also, I never boil broccoli because you lose so many nutrients when boiled, but I did steam my fresh broccoli and it was awesome.   Very yummy and went great with our grilled burgers and other fixings we had prepared for lunch.

Let me know what your plans are for freshening up your porches, decks, and entry ways for spring.  I'm ready to clean out the cobwebs and brighten up the porch with some splashes of color and life!

Oh... I almost forgot... Happy 179th Birthday to Texas! 

Coffee Cake

Do you remember many years ago when folks would spend their Sunday afternoon visiting with their family or neighbors for the few hours between the Sunday morning and Sunday evening church service? Well I do... now how old does that make me feel?

My grandmother and her sisters would always have some sort of dessert ready to serve. It was a part of their weekly routine to have something yummy prepared for whomever might drop by for the obligatory afternoon coffee break.

One of the recipes I remember enjoying was a coffee cake. It wasn't until I was about 12 yrs old that I finally got up the nerve to try a serving. I was convinced that it was made using coffee, which is something that even to this day I have not acquired the taste for. Just for future reference, coffee cake really doesn't go well with coke or sweet tea, but milk is a great combination and of course the ever popular coffee!

The past few weeks I've had a hankering for coffee cake so I enlisted the help of my mother to find my Maw-Maw's coffee cake recipe. This is what she was able to come up with:

1 pkg active dry yeast

2 1/2 cups packaged biscuit mix

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbl spoon cinnamon

Any type of fruit you like ie...blueberries, sliced apples, peaches, pears

*Soften 1 pkg active dry yeast in 3/4 cup warm water

*Stir in 2 1/2 cups of packaged biscuit mix (Bisquick), beat vigorously 2 or 3 mins

*Turn out on surface well dusted with biscuit mix. Knead until smooth, about 25 strokes.

*Butter sides and bottom of cake pan and sprinkle with sugar.

*Place dough in an, pressing out until it touches the sides.

*Let rise in warm place until double (about 1 hr)

*With thumb, punch deep holes/indention in dough every 2 inches, leaving 1 3/4 margin around edge of pan.

*Pour 1/2 cup of Heavy Whipping Cream over dough.

*Fill the thumb 'wells' with the fruit of your choice.

*Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top.

*Bake in hot oven - 400*- 15-20 mins or until done.

You'll notice I used fresh blueberries because I happened to have a fresh package that I needed to do something with, before they ruined. I remember my grandmother using pears and figs, probably because those are what she had on hand, at the time. I think the next time I make it, I will use some peaches -but really now.... how can you go wrong with any sort of fruit, mixed with heavy whipping cream, sugar, and cinnamon?

My food photography isn't great, but you get the idea! Next time I'll have to make a larger coffee cake - there's not any left!

I know... I know... one day I post about weight loss products and the next day I post about cake...go figure? It's no wonder I'm not doing so well with losing weight? LOL

My recent adventure ....

In Canning BEANS!!!

Can you believe I actually did it? I can't!

I still look at the finished product and can't believe that I did it... all by myself... well sorta? I did have to make a couple of frantic phone calls to my grandmother in the rehab center to make sure that I was on track and sure enough - it all worked out!

My biggest fear was that the pressure canner/cooker was going to blow up; I've always been scared to death of those things! Even as a small child, I would watch my mother use her pressure cooker to cook chicken or pinto beans and then when it was time to release the pressure or remove the lid - I was in another room!

I convinced Briley that snapping beans was fun and she decided to show a little pity on me and snap a few. Yes, that's my husband's leg in the back ground with his beer sitting on the ground - I took advantage of him too..... while we all sat on the front porch and snapped beans we enjoyed a little summer afternoon rain shower! A very quaint afternoon.

Next up was the boiling of jars and lids - good thing I swiped this big roasting pan from my Mom's house a few years ago - shhh... don't tell her! She still thinks she lost it in her last move! (Wink....Wink....)

In just under 4 hours I had finished canning green pinto beans and had a whopping 18 pint jars to proudly show off...and that I did! I promptly sent my mom a text message with a picture of all of the jars of beans so she could show my grandmother at the rehab center.

I feel like the torch has been passed to me - well the pressure cooker/canner torch, that is! My grandmother also gave me her instruction/recipe booklet with her many many years of handwritten notes in the margins! I will cherish those hand written notes for many many years to come!

I'm no longer scared of the pressure cooker/canner - so watch out! You just never know what my next canning adventure is going to be? I think I hear Salsa calling my name!

Patio Pizza

This was an easy to prepare dish that would be great on a hot Spring/Summer day! My household isn't much on eating heavy pizzas that are laden with tomato sauce and meats, so I wanted to find another use for the packaged pizza dough I had stored in my pantry (you know... it was one of those food warehouse deals that I thought was a great deal... not so much!).

I've been trying to find healthier and tastier alternatives to just plopping down a bowl of green beans or corn and I'm proud to say that this was a definite crowd pleaser among my finicky bunch. The veggies used are simply what I happened to have on hand and I'm new to this whole veggie pizza thing, so I'm sure there are lots of other alternatives that are just as tasty.

I promise – if you love fresh veggies –you will love this fresh twist on pizza!

Patio Pizza

* 1 quick fix package of pizza dough (Just add water and stir kind)
* 1 bell pepper sliced – your choice of red/yellow/green
* 1 zucchini, peeled and cubed
* 1 yellow squash, peeled and cubed
* 10 small grape tomatoes, sliced
* 2 scallions (green onions), diced
* 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese (or whatever kind you like)
* 2 tbl spoons of olive oil
* Fresh Parsley, Chives, Garlic, Oregano (as you like)

Prepare the pizza dough according to package instructions.
Once you have the dough spread out on the cooking tray, spread the olive oil evenly on top of dough.
Now you are ready to start piling on your veggie toppings, in no particular order.
Next add your various fresh herbs and seasoning.
When you have all of your veggies and herbs in place, top with fresh grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake in oven according to the pizza dough instructions.

My family couldn’t get enough and next time I need to make a 2 pizzas.

**Thanks so much to those of you that left me comments on my front porch! I am going to address the 'red door' idea with my husband! I know he's going to need a bit of persuasion when it comes to painting, but I'm not giving up!!! LOL I've wanted a red front door for YEARS....your suggestions have motivated me to PAINT! I'm going to start working on adding more colors to the porch and I'm going to a few antique/junk stores this weekend between my daughter's softball games, to see if I can find any cute tables or accessories that I can paint and use. Hopefully I will have some Before and After pictures to share in a few weeks!

This weekend, Briley and I stumbled across this wonderful vendor's booth at the Canton Trade Days. It just so happened that she and I were a tad bit hungry, so the idea of free samples was quite appealing! Let me just tell ya'... this stuff was great! The company is Company's Comin' and they specialize is quick meal starters, such as mixes for soups, dips, and casseroles.

After a few minutes of sampling and taste testing, we agreed on four of their soup mixes and last night for dinner, we served the Baha Chicken Soup! YUMMY!

(Pictures taken from their website)

I've never really been big on these sort of meal starters or the almost homemade products, but these were very flavorful and currently I am at a stage in my life where quick and easy are way more appealing to me than cheap...if you know what I mean?

Briley enjoyed the Baha Soup so much last night, that she asked for the leftovers in her lunch at school today!

If you run across a Company's Comin' vendor at your next craft fair or swap meet, give them a taste! You won't be disappointed.


**Come back tomorrow to see the other great items we brought home from Trade Days. Oh, and I promise to move away from so many pig posts!**

Alfredo Sauce

Now don't die of shock, but yes I'm posting another recipe. A GREAT recipe, if I do say so myself. I have no idea where this originated, but it was passed along to me from a co-worker and it was so easy and tasted wonderful.

*1 stick of salted butter (NOT MARGARINE)

*1 quart of heavy whipping cream

*2 eggs yolks, beaten

*1 1/2 cups of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

*1/8 cup of fresh chopped parsley

*1 tbsp of garlic powder

In large skillet melt butter with heavy whipping cream, then when the butter is melted add the 2 egg yolks and stir until the consistency starts to firm up a bit.

Next sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic powder. Continue to cook over low heat and stirring occasionally.

This entire process only takes about 10 minutes and then it is ready to pour over your cooked fettuccine noodles. I also accessorized my own personal plate with a few slices of fresh tomato from my back yard, and it was awesome!!!

I had hoped that there would be some leftovers for me to bring in for lunch today, but NO.... not a drop was left! I guess it met with everyone's approval?

Try it... it beats the pants off of those bottled versions you can buy at the grocery store!

Doritos Casserole? Anyone?

See this evil grin, I was beginning to think we were all going to be poisoned by Doritos?

Let me start this story off correctly..... Yesterday Brit announces that she has learned to make a Doritos Casserole and she wanted to prepare dinner for us. Hmmm??? Okay? I'm surprised, pleased and a bit worried, but I'm not going to show my emotions - I don't want to ruin anything that might work out in my favor! (Wink... Wink)

So.... Brit gives me her list of ingredients, which luckily I keep on hand anyway and all I had to pick up was the bag of Doritos.

**Before you even give this recipe any considerations, let me first warn you.... this is a typical college student - comfort food - casserole. It is HIGH in sodium, HIGH in fat, HIGH is calories, and HIGH in Carbs....this is NOT for the weak or the dieting!! LOL **

(I'm an equal opportunity brand shopper - I buy whichever brand is on sale!)

• Brown about a 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef and season with garlic, onions, salt, and pepper. I usually saute my onions and garlic with my beef, but I just let her do her thing and she used the powdered version. Worked out just fine.
  
• Heat up the two cans of cream-of-whatever


• Grate about a pound of cheese


• Open one can of ranch style beans


• Crush and entire bad of Nacho Cheese Doritos.
  
• Layer the casserole dish with half of the crushed Doritos and next layer with cooked ground beef, then the cream of whatever soups, next comes the ranch style beans (NOT DRAINED) and finally use the rest of the bag of crushed Doritos and top with a Mountain of grated cheese.


• Bake in a 375* oven - covered with foil - for about 40 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Then... Eat up! Oh, and for added flavor you can use some ranch dressing to top it all off with (Bailey and Brit said it was great) or you can use hot sauce. Briley and I just ate it plain and we thought it was great that way. Your choice!

You can see by the pictures of Bailey and Briley that they were very happy with their sister's culinary skills... well, okay.... it was just a one dish wonder, but we aren't going to argue over semantics!

Brit's come a long way from boxed mac n' cheese! LOL Maybe this is the beginning of something bigger to come... maybe she'll start experimenting with other dishes. You can bet that I'm not going to do anything to discourage her at this point, I welcome the help in the kitchen!

I had to capture this moment on film because no one really knows if we will ever see her standing over a stove again? Seriously... this is huge novelty in my house - she's the TV Dinner Queen!

Ahhh... Tuesday...NO? It feels like a MONDAY!!

Even though it is actually Tuesday, my gang and I had a super hard time getting out of bed this morning! I am so glad that we are almost out of school - the hectic pace can slow down an itty bitty bit! (I'm dreaming here...)

We did the Memorial Day Weekend with friends and festivities involving parties and cookouts - desserts and the most fabulous Tres Leches cake I've ever tasted. (well okay, I've never tasted one before, but I'm a believer - NOW) This cake was to die for.... YUMMY! Of course I cornered our hostess for the recipe and I am going to give it a whirl - This was the closest picture I could find on google, so you get the gist of it! This was the most perfect light cake for the heat of the day. It was just sweat enough to fill that urge for cake and light enough to not make you sick in the heat of the day.. ya' know? :)

I am officially in the mood to start trying out new summer recipes and new smoothie drinks!

I'm even ready to get my ice tea maker out from under the cabinet and place it in its official 'spot' on the kitchen cabinet - LOL -It's summer time, don't ya' know?

Heres the recipe for the Tres Leches Cake

*1 yellow or white boxed cake mix

prepared by package instructions (except for the water amt)

use 1/2 as much water as the recipe calls for and substitute pinapple juice for the rest

*Bake cake as directed

*Mix together one can of Evaporated Milk

one can of Condensed Milk

one cup of heavy whipping cream (mmm.... I need to wipe the drool from my chin)

**can also use coconut milk in this mixture**

*Pour milk mixture on top of cake and let cool overnight in fridge.

*Next day, cover cake in whipped cream and garnish with fruit (strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges...etc...)

Let me know what you think of this recipe if you give it a try?

Or what other variations of a light summer cake you have? I'd like to find cake/pie recipes that use wine coolers in the ingredients! As tasty as those are, surely someone has baked with them?