Black Bean Salsa

YIPPEE! Let the summer begin! The kids are out of school, it's finally starting to warm up outside, and it hasn't even rained here for a few days. Best of all...my garden is finally all planted!
One of my favorite things about having a garden is so I can have fresh salsa and pico de gallo all summer. It's soooo much better with fresh tomatoes and cilantro.
I have several different recipes that we like, but this is probably my fave. I ♥♥♥ salsa with lime, so I added it and cumin to the original recipe that I had and this is where it ended up. Mmmm...can't wait 'til those maters start ripenin' in my garden!

Black Bean Salsa
3/4 to 1 cup of your favorite bottled Italian dressing (I use Kraft Free Zesty Italian, but any kind will work.)
1 Tbs cumin
2 to 3 Tbs lime juice
1 tsp salt
4 to 6 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 to 2 avocados, diced
1 can or 1 1/2 cups corn, drained (Fresh cooked corn is REALLY good here too.)
1 can black beans, rinsed
Cilantro as desired (I use about 1/4 cup)

Just mix everything together and eat with your favorite tortilla chips...or with chicken...or with fish (I like Tillapia)...or on a taco...or whatever way you can imagine.
It tastes best after it has sat in the fridge for an hour or so, but I usually have kids staring at me with chips in their little hands before it ever makes it that far. But hey, if it gets 'em to eat veggies, they can dig right in. Yup, I'm just fine with that...'cause I'm usually right there with 'em. Ü

Here's what's on the menu here this week...
MONDAY - Buffalo Sticky Finger Wraps, Broccoli Salad, Honeydew Melon
TUESDAY - Pasta Carbonara, Green Salad, Bread Sticks
WEDNESDAY - Leftover Buffet
THURSDAY - Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Honey Glazed Carrots
FRIDAY - French Toast, Sausage, Fruit Salad
SATURDAY - BBQ Little Smokies, Sliced Potatoes, Fresh Veggies & Dip
SUNDAY - Roast Beef, Smashed Potatoes, Steamed Veggies, Sour Dough Bread

Have a great week everybody!

Menu Monday - Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Wow...my little wanna' be cooking blog just hit 1000 viewers today. I know that doesn't sound like much, but it still makes me feel good. Ü  Thanks to everyone who keeps coming back! Hopefully you're enjoying some of my recipes.
The recipe I want to share today is probably one that most people have heard of by now, but out there somewhere, is someone looking for that quick, throw it together meal. I love this one because it's pretty versatile and it really doesn't get much easier than this.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
1 16 oz pkg frozen meatballs or homemade meatballs (depends on what I have in the freezer)
1  12 oz bottle chili sauce
1  18 oz jar grape jelly (or 16 oz can jellied cranberry sauce if you want your sauce more tangy)

Combine jelly and chili sauce in a crock pot set on high heat. Mix in the meatballs. Cook on high for 1 - 2 hours or low for up to 6 hours. We love to serve them over rice.

It doesn't get much easier than that! I've also made them in a pan on the stove top and cooked until the meatballs were heated through and they still tasted great. I've also used Popcorn Chicken in place of the meatballs and the kids loved it! (Just don't cook as long.) This is definitely one quick meal I always try to have in my pantry/freezer for those days when the menu plan just isn't going to happen. And I never have to worry about the picky eaters...there's rarely any leftovers!

Here's the menu for this week...
MONDAY - Chicken Alfredo, Green Salad, Bread
TUESDAY - Orange Chicken, Teriyaki Rice, Mixed Veggies
WEDNESDAY - Leftovers
THURSDAY - Spaghetti, Green Salad, Garlic Bread
FRIDAY - French Toast Casserole, Fresh Fruit
SATURDAY - Loaded Beef Nachos
SUNDAY - Beef Chuck Roast, Smashed Potatoes, Brown Sugar Carrots, Rolls

Have a great week!!

Menu Monday - Broccoli Salad

I'm sure getting excited for summer. It's so nice to have a more relaxed schedule everyday, the kids can play outside, hardly a cough can be heard and I get to change my menu up a bit with some cool and refreshing comfort foods. Broccoli salad is one of my favorites during the summer and luckily I've been getting broccoli in my Bountiful Basket orders lately, so I've already made it twice to get us in the mood for summer even though it's having a hard time even acting like spring around here lately. Another plus to this simple salad is that my kids love it. Even The Trail Boss, who claims to hate broccoli, will eat it. That makes it a winner in my book!

BROCCOLI SALAD

1-2 bunches broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces (I blanch them to brighten the color)

1/2 red onion, diced

1 1/2 cup cheddar-Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 lb diced bacon, cooked and drained

1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds*

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use light)

1/4 cup sugar (I've substituted Splenda before and I could taste much difference)

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Mix dressing and combine with remaining ingredients. It tastes best after it's been able to chill in the fridge for a while, but we don't always wait that long. Ü

*To toast the almonds, put them in a non stick pan and sprinkle about 1 Tbs of sugar over the top. Cook over about medium to med. high heat until the sugar starts to melt and almonds start to turn a golden brown. Move them around in the pan a bit so they don't burn.

Now for Menu Monday...I know I'm a few days late, but Buckaroo #3 hasn't felt very good for a few days and has been attached to my side (or my lap if he's having his way) and neither of us has had much sleep. But, better late than, roght?

MONDAY - Crunchy Asian Chicken Wraps, Fresh Fruit

TUESDAY - Baked Penne with Mozzarella, Green Salad, Cheesy Bread Sticks

WEDNESDAY - Leftovers

THURSDAY - Sloppy Joes, Pasta Salad, Fresh Veggies/Dip

FRIDAY - Breakfast Burritos, Fresh Fruit

SATURDAY - Homemade Corn dogs, Onion Rings, Fresh Veggies/Dip

SUNDAY - Chicken Pot Pies, Spinach Salad, Fluffy Jell-o

Hope everyone has a wonderful MOTHER'S DAY!

Pineapple Mango Salsa and Sticky Buffalo Chicken

Pineapple Mango Salsa and Sticky Buffalo Chicken
When I went to pick up my Bountiful Basket order Saturday morning, I was a little worried about the 7 mangoes I was taking home. I had no idea what I was going to do with them all. So, I started searching Tasty Kitchen for mango recipes and found one that I knew I wanted to try. It was Pineapple Mango Salsa from The Pioneer Woman and Oh. My. Goodness. It was sooo good! I added an extra mango just because I was a little worried about them going bad before I could use them all, but we liked it so much I think I'm going to make more for an Easter get together this weekend. Go check out that there link and make ya some Pineapple Mango Salsa....yum! If you have a favorite way to use mango, give me a holler! I'd love some more ideas :)

The other day I realized that I had promised Buckaroo #1 that I would share the recipe for his favorite chicken right now. He loves his Sticky Buffalo Chicken and wishes I would make it every week. He doesn't usually like anything with any kind of a kick to it, so I was really surprised that he liked it so much. Maybe I'll start sneaking in a little more heat each time I make it and see if I can spice him up just a bit. Ü
I love how easy this recipe is...

Sticky Buffalo Chicken
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce- add more or less if ya want to
1 lb breaded chicken tenders (At my local grocery store, the meat dept sells bulk "chicken fritters" and they are more bite size pieces.)

Bake or fry the chicken according to the instructions on the package. (Just so ya know, I bake mine.)
In a sauce pan, combine the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring until the brown sugar dissolves. Cook about 15-20 minutes until it starts to thicken.
When the chicken is done, transfer it into a large bowl and pour the sauce over the top. Carefully toss the chicken to make sure all the pieces are coated with the sauce.
Serve with extra sauce, ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
Tasty stuff I tell ya!

Before I get to carried away posting recipes, here's what I have on the menu this week...
MONDAY - Chicken Bow Tie Salad
TUESDAY - Evil Chicken and Rice, Green Beans
WEDNESDAY - Leftover Buffet
THURSDAY - Joyce Gale Casserole, Green Salad
FRIDAY - Belgian Waffles with Fresh Fruit and Whipped Cream
SATURDAY - Easter Picnic with family
SUNDAY - Easter dinner

Have a fun holiday weekend!

Menu Monday and a Breakfast Parfait

I know that there are a lot of kids out there who could eat cold cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Buckaroo #3 would AND snack on it all day, if I let him. Buckaroo #1 on the other hand is very pick about eating so much cold cereal. He freaks if it gets too soggy. But breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? I'm not saying that cold cereal bad. It totally has a place on my menu. Monday mornings are always a pain at our house, so cold cereal it is. Thursday mornings, Buckaroo #1 has to be to school 45 minutes earlier than Buckaroo #2 for guitar lessons, so it's a cold cereal day. Then we have Saturday. Once again it is on my menu as a backup if mom hasn't rolled out of bed yet and they need to get their own breakfast. (Although, most Saturdays The Trail Boss makes them their favorite, Ham and Egg Sandwiches.) As for the rest of the days of the week, I try to mix it up a little, but still keep it simple. I used to feel a little bad about feeding them frozen or prepackaged stuff, but they take a healthy home lunch 4 out of 5 days, a balanced dinner at home and healthy snacks, so I try not to feel to guilty about it. Besides, my sanity is a bit more important when I'm trying to get everybody off to school on time! :)

Here's what a typical week of breakfasts look like on my menu...
MONDAY -Cold Cereal, Fresh Fruit
TUESDAY -Frozen Waffles (cut into strips for dipping) or leftover Pancakes or French Toast, Syrup, Fruit
WEDNESDAY -Instant Oatmeal, Fruit
THURSDAY -Cold Cereal, Fresh Fruit
FRIDAY -Fruit, Granola and Yogurt Parfait or Yogurt, Fresh Fruit and Toast
SATURDAY -Cold Cereal, Fresh Fruit
SUNDAY -Hot Cooked Breakfast

Their favorite new addition to the menu is the Breakfast Parfait. It a fun, healthy way to change things up a bit. It's also EASY to throw together when you make a little assembly line. Change the flavor of the yogurt, the granola/cereal or the fruit and it can be a whole new creation each time. Here's a pic of one of The Trail Boss and Buckaroo #2's favorite combinations.

It has Mandarin Oranges, Sunbelt Berry Basics cereal and Vanilla Yogurt. Buckaroo #1 and The Littlest Cowgirl like sliced Bananas, Sunbelt Banana Nut Granola cereal and Yogurt. There's just so many possibilities!

Give it a try and let me know what your favorite combinations are!

Menu Monday - Short & Sweet

This is going to be sorta' short & sweet today. Short because as I was getting ready to walk the two oldest Buckaroos to school last Thursday, I tripped over one of the dogs trying to catch the other one before he ran out of the gate. To make a long story short, I'm now wearing a splint on my right hand and typing has turned out to be pretty awkward and time consuming.

So here's a peek at what I have on the menu this week...
MONDAY - Tortellini Alfredo, Green Salad, Garlic Bread
TUESDAY - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Tomato Soup
WEDNESDAY - Leftover Buffet
THURSDAY - Pizza
FRIDAY - Ham Cheese Mini Frittatas, Fresh Fruit
SATURDAY - Sticky Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries, Fresh Veggies & Dip
SUNDAY - Chicken Cordon Bleu, Alfredo Pasta, Green Salad, Rolls

Now for the sweet... One night The Trail Boss decided that he was needing a sweet snack. He called his mom, made a few scribbles on a piece of paper and then whipped up this yummy little treat.

CARAMEL POPCORN
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup mini marshmallows
2 qts popped popcorn (we used 2 bags of Jiffy Pop Homemade style popcorn)
2 cups mini marshmallows
Nuts, M&Ms, Chocolate Chips, Butterscotch Chips or whatever other fun add-ins you can come up with.
(We used mini M&Ms)

Place butter and brown sugar in a large glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir and add 1 cup mini marshmallows. Microwave for 1 more minute.
In a large bowl, combine popcorn, 2 cups mini marshmallows and whatever else you decided to throw in.
Pour syrup over popcorn and mix lightly.
At this point the recipe says to shape into balls, but ours has never made it that far. There's always too many little hands grabbing at the bowl.
Have fun with this one next time you're lookin' for an easy Sweet Treat!

HOT, HOT, HOT...HOT CHOCOLATE

When I married The Trail Boss, I found out his Grandma held the secret recipe to what I think is the best Hot Chocolate I've ever burnt my tongue on. It's so worth the effort to actually make my own mix. Not that it takes much effort, because it's really pretty easy. It's just not as easy as tearing open a little paper pouch full of brown powder. Nasty! Especially the ones with the little hard chunks they try to pass off for marshmallows. Of course I did tweak it a bit (imagine that), but it was only to try to get rid of a few extra calories. But I promise it is still just as good as Grandma's!

Grandma's Hot Chocolate Mix

7 cups Powdered Milk (I really like Morning Moo because it's not so grainy.)
4 cups Powdered Sugar
2 cups Chocolate Nestle Quick
2 1/4 cups Fat Free Non-Dairy Creamer

Combine all together in a large bowl and mix well.
You can add about 1/2 cup of the chocolate with 1 cup of hot water OR add the whole recipe to 3 gallons of hot water to make a crowd super warm and happy.
Top with whipped cream or real marshmallows.
Sip slowly and enjoy!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

Ahhhh, fall...I love the smell, the colors, the cooler weather and of course soup. Or in this case CHILI! One of my friends brought this recipe for one of our first Recipe Club dinners and it was so good. I hadn't ever tried Chicken Chili before and was totally hooked. It was chunky but creamy and oh so good!
When I made it at home, I just threw it together in my Crock Pot and it was super easy, something I would consider a Lickity Split meal in a Crock Pot or on the stove top. The best part is that when I made it for my family...they ate it. Woo Hoo! 
If you have a favorite chili recipe that you're willing to share, leave me a comment. I'd love to try it out. (Plus, then I would know if anyone is reading my craziness here. Hehe!)
Enjoy the CHILI!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

1 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 cup Onion, diced
2 cans Great Northern Beans, undrained
2 cups Chicken (or turkey), cooked and diced
2 cups Chicken Broth
3/4 cup Salsa, (Use your favorite. You can also adjust your heat/spice this way.)
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Celery Salt
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add onions and cook until tender.
Add remaining ingredients, except cheese.
Heat on medium, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a simmer.
Add cheese one handful at at time, stirring to let it melt.
And you're done.

To make in a Crock Pot, I started cooking the onions and added the all but the cheese while they were sizzling away. I like to dice and cook a whole bunch of chicken breasts at one and then divide it up to keep handy in the freezer, so I just tossed in a few cups of that. Then I let it cook on low for a while just to heat it through, then I turned it to warm until dinner time. Soooo easy. Gotta love it!

FRESH SALSA

For some reason, I never have a problem growing tomatoes. In fact I always have an over abundance of them each year. I decided this year I wasn't going to let them go to waste and had really good intentions of canning salsa, spaghetti sauce and enchilada sauce with my little red friends. But then my past interfered. I HATED canning when I was younger. It was hot, sticky and messy. I wasn't very excited to get started. Especially with the thought of The Littlest Cowgirl and Buckaroo #4 trying to "help"! So once again, I chickened out was left trying to figure out what to do with them. (The tomatoes, not the kids.)
I started researching a few ideas on the Internet and decided to make salsa...and freeze it. I know it sounds weird, but I found out that it should only make it a little bit "juicier". I think maybe I can deal with a little extra juice in my salsa if I don't have to go through the whole canning process. I also decided to use my own fresh salsa recipe and to use my food processor instead of cutting it all by hand. The result was a delicious, restaurant style salsa. I usually prefer my salsa a little chunkier, but everybody else around here said they liked this a lot better. So I guess it all worked out in the end.

Fresh Salsa
5-6 tomatoes, chopped ( I usually like Romas the best, but you can use what you have on hand)
4 green onion, chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced 1 small can diced chilies
2 Tbs lime juice (it has to be lime, not lemon)
1 tsp cumin (or more if you'd like)
Salt to taste
Cilantro (optional)
Jalapeno peppers (optional)

Like I said, you can cut it all by hand or use a food processor depending on how chunky you like it.

ANGEL HAIR with BROWN BUTTER & MIZITHRA CHEESE

Around here most any kind of noodle is a pretty safe bet. Buckaroo #4 is the only one who doesn't care for them much, which I always thought was a little strange since sometimes it was all the other 3 would eat when they were that small.
One of our favorite ways to do pasta is with a SIMPLE Brown Butter and Mizithra cheese on top. ---Mizithra cheese is a traditional Greek, unpasteurized fresh cheese made with milk and whey from sheep and/or goats.--- Just in case ya were wonderin'. :)
But honestly, how can you go wrong with butter? And the sweet, creamy flavor of the Mizithra with the saltiness of the browned butter are sooo good together. I also ♥♥♥ the fact that there are only 3 ingredients. Unless you want to throw in a clove of pressed garlic, which is also delish. (Mmmm...my mouth is watering.)
Buckaroo #1 would eat it for every meal if I let him. So you definitely need to give this a try.
By the way, you can find the Mizithra in the specialty cheeses. It's not super cheap, but a little goes a long way and it stays good for quite a while. So worth it!

1 cup butter
Mizithra cheese
Angel Hair pasta (or whatever you prefer, I used thin spaghetti in this pic)


Cut 2 sticks of butter into 8 pieces and place in a 2-quart sauce pan. Place the pan of butter on a burner on medium heat. Bring butter to a slow boil (about 5 minutes).
Once the butter begins to boil, stir constantly to prevent residue from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the butter cooks, it will start to foam and rise. Keep on stirring, otherwise the butter foam could overflow (about 5 minutes) and catch fire.
Once the butter stops foaming and rising, cook until it's sort of an amber color (about 1 to 2 minutes). It will have a yummy caramel smell.
Turn off the heat and take the pan off the burner. Let the sediment settle to the bottom of the pan for a few minutes.

Pour the brown butter through a strainer into a small bowl. Try not to disturb the residue at the bottom of the pan. 
Boil your Angel Hair until Al Dente. Drain the pasta and divide into servings. I use a small grater and put about a Tbs of cheese on each serving and then pour some of the brown butter over the top.
(A little of both goes a long way.)
Enjoy!

Menu Monday for September 6 to September 12

WOW!

With school starting and the holiday weekend sneaking up so fast, I totally forgot to post a recipe last week. Sooo, since I feel guilty...and because I know you probably have weeks like that too...and because I love the simplicity of this one, I'm gonna share a secret recipe with ya for

Kinda' Like Chicken 'n' Dumplings

For my family I use...
4 cans of Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup (we like Campbell's or Western Family)
1 soup can of water
1 can Pilsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits (any brand or size will work though)

Cook soup over medium-high heat. While you're waiting for the soup to heat up, cut the biscuits into fourths. When soup is almost boiling, turn down to medium-low heat and slowly drop biscuits one by one into the hot soup. Dip them with a spoon so they get covered well in the warm broth. Cook for 15-20 or until biscuits are cooked through. Serve warm.

Be careful, it takes a while to cool down. I never wait long enough and always burn my tongue. :/
I took this to a sick friend once, and they actually thought it was homemade. Haha. Yeah, she were really that sick. But it IS quick and tasty...great for a super busy day.

Here's my menu for this week:
Monday - Sorta Like Chicken 'n' Dumplings
Tuesday - Cap'n Crunch Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries, Green Salad
Wednesday - Buckaroo #1 is helping me make Tater Tot Taco Salad (from Better Than Burgers)
Thursday - Leftover Buffet
Friday - Mushroom Swiss Burgers, Onion Rings, Baby Carrots
Saturday - Breakfast Casserole ( new recipe)
Sunday - Swedish Meatballs, Rice, Beets, Rolls

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Cheese Toast

If something had cheese on it or in it, it's pretty much a guarantee that my family will eat it.

This toast is so yummy and easy. It's a great addition to any meal. It reminds me of the kind you get at Sizzler.

You will need:

1 loaf Texas Toast

1 cube butter, softened

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (I just use the stuff in the green can)

1/4 - 1/2 tsp garlic salt (depending on how much you like)

Mix butter, cheese and garlic salt. Spread some on each slice of toast (don't be shy). Place in cookie sheet and put under broiler until toast starts to brown and the buttery cheese is all melted. Serve warm.

I've tried using a clove of pressed garlic instead of garlic salt and it was just as good. It just depends on if you're a garlic lover or not. Hope ya like it!

My mom has a HUGE blackberry bush in her backyard that sadly, no one ever really uses to make anything special, except maybe jam every few years or so. The horses sure like 'em though.

Buckaroo #2 LOVES to just sit and eat the blackberries right then and there. (He reminds me of a little bear.) He watches those blossoms all summer just waiting...waiting...waiting....I think it drives the poor kid crazy somedays. I don't know how many shirts he's stained up with the darn things.

Well, once a month I get together with a group of friends to eat, share recipes and just enjoy being kid free for a few hours. So, since there was a bunch of blackberries that need to get used and because I have a really good recipe for cobbler, I decided to take a Blackberry Cobbler to share.

I've made it with with the frozen mixed berries from Costco before and it was really good. But, the fresh berries were SOOO MUCH BETTER!

My poor family only got to have a few bites of what was left when I got home. I thought saw a little tear in Buckarro #2's big blue eyes when he saw that there wasn't much left. He wasn't too happy since he'd helped pick all those berries. (We won't talk about how many he probably ate while he was picking though.)

Blackberry Cobbler

1 cup All-Purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar (I usually use Splenda)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter (1 cube)

2 cups blackberries (or whatever fruit you want to use)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice up your butterand put it in the baking dish. Place it in the oven to melt while you mix the rest of your ingredients.

Combine the flour, baking powser, salt, sugar, and milk together. It might look a bit lumpy. Pour the batter into the baking dish when the butter had all melted and then the blackberries can go in. DON'T STIR IT TOGETHER!

Bake for about 40 minutes, depending on your oven. The top will get golden brown and start to pull away from the sides of the dish.

I usually double the batter because I really like the cakey part.

You could to it with some whipped cream or ice cream if you can wait long enough too get that far.

Hopefully we can go get enough berries to make one more cobbler before they're all gone for the summer so Buckaroo #2 can be happy with me again.

Skillet Cordon Bleu

Well, I've been thinking about doing a blog with my favorite recipies for a while now. Hopefully I can keep up with posting a few each week. I might even try to be helpful and post my weekly menu for those of you who get stuck in a dinner rut.


So, here we go...


There's one meal at our house that is sure to please everyone. I've done a bit of tweaking over the years but it has always been one that doesn't get left on anyone's plate. It's called Skillet Chicken Cordon Bleu. We usually have salad or green beans on the side and sometimes Garlic Toast. Hopefully you'll like it as much as we do.



SKILLET CHICKEN CORDON BLEU


1 lb diced chicken

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups diced ham

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese - Sometimes I add a little more...just 'cause they like it.

Salt and pepper to taste.


Cook diced chicken until juices run clear. Add ham, soup, cheese, salt and pepper. Cook on medium low until cheese is melted.

Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Pretty easy, huh? My family LOVES this stuff. It freezes pretty well too, if you're one that likes to double up a recipe and freeze it for later. I don't have a picture -sorry- but I'll try to do pictures with my recipes from now on.

If ya' like it, leave me a comment so I know someone is actually reading my little blog. Thanks for checkin' it out! :)