TIP: I messed up my ingredients for a recipe...

Now what do I do?

1st- - Freak out! (I would never do that! lol.)

2nd- - Look at allrecipes.com and click on Ingredients,

type in the ingredients that I actually put in my bowl...

(I have used this tool when I don't have a lot on hand, too,

and need to find a recipe that I can make with what's on hand.

Or even when I forgot to pick up an ingredient for a recipe

I was attempting to make. See??! We all make mistakes cooking.)

3rd- - Make "Plan B" recipe and accept

all the complimentsthat flow...

and pretend that this was the original gameplan!

Today- - I started to make a coffee cake for breakfast,

and added 2 TBSP. of baking soda... instead of the called for

- - you guessed it- -

baking POWDER!

{Oh how I hate that I seem to mix those 2 up more than I'd like to admit.}

Instead- - I made a whole ton of oatmeal butterscotch/choco chip cookies.

And you know what?!

That just might've been a better.

Because we're going to give a few to each of our friends

we pass a Valentine out to in the next few days. :)

Recipe: Green Chile Chili

Green Chile Chili... nope that's not a typo. :)

This recipe won 2nd place IN TEXAS in a chili cookoff!
That's how good it is. Woohoo!
Take note- - this one is spicy.

If you haven't noticed, I've got a thing for green chile,

having lived in New Mexico for 7 years where they produce

tons of green chiles every year.

My favorite green chiles are Big Jims.

There are a lot of varieties,

and when I lived in "the land of Enchantment",

I used to buy 20 lb. bags full, have them roasted,

peel them myself, and divide them into freezer bags.

But in this recipe,

I just used the frozen, pre-roasted/peeled/and chopped

chiles you can usually find in the freezer dept,

probably depending on where you live.

If not, then you can use a can of chopped green chiles.

No biggie.

The other thing I really like about the recipe is it uses turkey.

Great for that "eat healthier" new year's resolution. :)

Without further ado... Here's the recipe.

Green Chile Chili

Ingredients:

-1 lb. ground turkey

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-salt to taste

-1 1/2 cups green chiles chopped

-1 medium onion, chopped

-2 cans cream of mushroom soup

-2 cans nacho cheese soup

-2 cans cream of broccoli soup

-2 cans Rotel tomatoes

-2 cups salsa

-2 cans water

-2 Tbsp. sage

-2 Tbsp. chili powder

1. Brown turkey with onion, garlic, and salt.

2. Add other ingredients and simmer until desired thickness.

Recipe: Homemade Yogurt- - {a science experiment, too!!}

For some reason when people would tell me,

"Oh, I make my own yogurt."

I had this idea that it was really hard to do,

and well, rather strange.

Well, was I ever wrong!

This was so much fun to make.

My kids enjoyed watching me,

and seeing the results- -

so it kind of doubled as a science experiment--

since we watched the Alton Brown YouTube videos

before making it.

Those were humorous, but informative on the science level.

My friend Rachel posted this recipe to her blog,

and I pretty much did a similar version.

Here's what I did:

Pour 8 cups of milk in a crockpot.

Turn it on low for 2 1/2 hours- - set your timer-- it's easier that way. 

Then turn it off, unplug it, and let it sit for 3 hours- - set that timer!

Then add 1/2-1 cup of Greek yogurt, and 1/2-1 cup of honey or sugar.

Stir it all in, and replace the lid to the crockpot.

Then, warm up a heating pad, and cover it with a towel or blanket.

Make sure it's covered really tight.

Set your timer for 8-10 hours, and let it sit.

That was the hardest part for me.

I wanted the results-  NOW- for Pete's sake! 

And here's how it turned out!!

Thick. Delicious. And perfect.

Don't stir in the "whey" liquid, you can either drain it, or just leave it.

Also, only put your fruit in when you're ready to eat it,

not before storing it, as the fruit can make it runny.

ENJOY!

Recipe: Cherry Pie with Almond Crumb Topping

I normally like to share my "own" recipes here.

But over the Thanksgiving holiday,

I tried a new recipe I found on TastyKitchen...

Cherry Pie with Almond Crumb Topping.

To say it was the best cherry pie I've ever had

would be an understatement!

However, it is a rather humble looking pie.

Looks can be deceiving. :)

My mom insisted that I share the recipe with her,

and I know a few other cherry pie lovers out there.

So I figured I'd type it out,

with my own adaptations.

(Used brown sugar in the topping,

and used a graham cracker crust,

as well as canned tart cherries instead of fresh.)

Here it is!

Ingredients:

•1 Graham Cracker Crust

•4 cups Cherries, Or 3 cans red tart cherries, drained

•4 Tablespoons Corn Starch (I used flour whisked into a little juice)
•½ cups Sugar (can Adjust Based On Cherry Sweetness)
•1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
•⅛ teaspoons Salt
•1 teaspoon Almond Extract
•1 Tablespoon Flour, For Sprinkling Onto Crust
Topping:
•½ cups Flour
•½ cups Brown sugar
•⅓ cups Oats
•1 cup Almonds, Sliced
•6 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
•½ teaspoons Almond Extract
•Couple shakes of both pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon
•1 pinch Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Make the pie filling: Combine cherries, cornstarch (or flour paste), sugar, lemon juice, salt, and almond extract gently in a bowl.
3. Place bottom crust in pie plate, and spread 1 Tablespoon of flour on the bottom crust. This will help prevent the bottom crust from getting soggy.
4. Spoon filling into the bottom crust.
5. Make the topping: Combine the flour, sugar, oats, almonds, butter, extract, cinnamon and salt, and mix until moistened. If it seems a little dry for you, add an extra Tablespoon of butter.
6. Sprinkle the crumbs onto the pie as uniformly as you can, giving the best coverage that you can. Gently pat the crumbs into place.
7. Bake at 375 for 1 hour. Put an aluminum shield on the crust about halfway through.
8. Let cool completely on rack.

Enjoy!!

Linking up to:
Tatertots&Jello Weekend WrapUp Party!

Honey Crunch Pecan Pie

You need to make this recipe for Pecan Pie.

Seriously!

I'm not a huge fan of pecan pie,

but this one, I will fight over that last piece for.

So, if you haven't made your pecan pie yet for Thanksgiving,

print off this recipe.

You can thank me later. :)

Honey Crunch Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

-Refrigerated Pie Crust, or a homemade crust (uncooked)

Filling-4 eggs, lightly beaten

-1/4 cup packed brown sugar

-1/4 cup white sugar

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 cup light corn syrup

- 2 Tbsp. butter, melted

- 1 tsp. vanilla

- 1 cup chopped pecans

Topping

- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

- 3 Tbsp butter

- 3 Tbsp honey

- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Directions

1. Place pie crust in pie shell & flute the edges. Do not bake. Preheat oven to 350.

2. For filling: Combine eggs, brown sugar, sugar, salt, corn syrup, 2 Tbsp butter, vanilla & nuts. Mix well. Spoon into unbaked pie crust.

3. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cover edges of pastry with foil or pie shield. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven.

4. For topping: Combine brown sugar, butter, honey in medium saucepan. Cook 2-3 minutes on medium heat until sugar is dissolved & butter is melted. Remove from heat. Add nuts. Stir until coated. Spoon evenly over pie. Cover edge of pastry again.

5. Bake at 350 for 10-20 minutes until topping is bubbly and golden brown. Cool to room temp before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thanksgiving Traditions

It's the week of Thanksgiving!!

We are so excited in our home,

because this is our favorite holiday.

There are many reasons why this is our favorite.

1. It's an American holiday.

2. It's a Christian holiday.

3. It is a holiday that we've built traditions for our family to enjoy.

We try to make our Thanksgiving memorable in these ways:

• We start the day off with a family brunch- all of us sitting at the table, focusing on Thanksgiving at the very start of the day with prayer and reading Psalm 100. We also listen to a small portion of the CD that came with our book "Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember" from FamilyLife, which is so wonderful- I can not recommend this resource enough. It gives the history of Thanksgiving, stories, and soft Thanksgiving music. (Tip: see my recipe below for a perfect brunch casserole to prepare the night before.)
• For the kids: we try to catch a parade, and the dog show on TV, and we also let the kiddos play and get some energy out. I also make sure to have a few crafty things for them to do that go along with the Thanksgiving theme. The entire day is not spent solemly, I assure you! :)
• I make sure to have a beautiful, thoughtful "tablescape" prepared- if you have fine linens, china, crystal, silver, etc... make sure to use them; if you don't, like me, use the best you have. My husband usually starts a fire in the fireplace- which adds an even cozier feel to our home. We love all the special touches to this day so much!!

As you can see, I have a centerpiece, candles,

chargers, pretty napkins & plates,

and use what I can to make it a little more special than usual.

• I also put 5 pieces of corn or candy corn (I ran out of corn the year {2007!!} I took this photo, so I used pecans instead!) to signify the 5 kernels of corn that were rationed out to the pilgrims during their difficult winters. We take turns going around the table when dinner is served giving thanks for 5 different things that we're thankful for... and I write them down in a book. It's fun to go back and look at what we give thanks for each year.
• Along those lines, a new tradition I plan to incorporate this year is a tablecloth with everyone's names that attended and the year... as I blogged about here.
• Before dinner is served, everyone gets themselves dressed in their "comfortable Sunday dress", meaning a skirt & sweater, or khakis & collared shirt, etc... so that we keep it more special than our typical family dinners. With the kids, I just make sure they start the day off in a cute outfit, sometimes something I purchased or made just for that day- but something they can play in too.
• For the food for dinner, my little tradition includes the standard fare, as well as some family tradition dishes that aren't standard. :) And every year, I try one new side dish, and one new pie. We always enjoy deciding whether something I've tried is a winner, or whether it will not go on the menu next year.
• While we eat, I play the soft music in the background, and we try to have conversation flowing that is thoughtful, appreciative, and enjoyable.
• After dinner, of course, the guys watch football, the ladies do a little clean-up, and we relax after it's all done.
• At the end of the day, we sing a song like Amazing Grace, or some other special hymn just to end that day on a grateful note.

I know all the stuff we do may seem like a lot, and require some preparation and thought past what many might want to do. For us, it has become a tradition that we look forward to when we have the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving in our home. It's a day we set aside just to reflect, show appreciation, give thanks for the blessings God has given, and enjoy our family.

On a side note, we try to block out the materialism of "Black Friday" as much as possible since it seems a little counter-productive to what we hope to accomplish on this day. Not to say we don't look at those ads the days before or after Thanksgiving, but we don't usually get crazy about it on Thanksgiving Day. It helps us keep our focus.

Recipe for Breakfast Brunch Casserole

(This is the best "french toast" type casserole we've ever had!)

Toffee Apple Breakfast Pudding

Ingredients:

1 loaf French Bread, cubed

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled & chopped

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 3/4 cup milk, divided

1 tsp. almond extract

1/2 cup toffee bits

5 eggs

Directions:

1. Place 1/2 bread cubes in greased 13x9 dish. Top with apples.

2. Combine: Cream Cheese, Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup milk, and almond extract. Beat until smooth. Stir in toffee bits. Spread over apples.

3. Top with remaining bread cubes.

4. Whisk eggs, 1 1/2 cup milk. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover & refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

5. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes- until set. Cover with foil last 10 minutes to prevent from overbrowning.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!!

Recipe: Shenandoah Valley Apple Cake

My son wanted an "apple caramel" cake for his birthday.

I thought about that one for a while,

then realized that I have a recipe for a cake

that fit that description,

and used to make it all the time because it was so good!

This is one of those cakes my mom used to make

when we were growing up.

It's not overly apple tasting,

even though there's plenty of apples in it.

It's more of a moist, buttery, caramel cake.

It's definitely a yummy cake!

Perfect for fall & winter gatherings.

Shenandoah Valley Apple Cake

Ingredients:

-1 cup cooking oil (canola or vegetable)

-2 cup sugar

-3 eggs

-1 1/4 tsp vanilla

-2 cup flour

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp baking soda

-3 cups apples (peeled, cored and diced)

(Optional 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans)

ICING:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Beat oil, sugar, eggs & vanilla for 3 minutes on medium speed.

2. Sift flour, salt & baking soda, then gradually add to mixture.

3. Stir diced apples into mixture.

4. Pour mixture into 13x9 pan, and bake for 45 minutes.

5. On medium heat, bring butter, brown sugar & milk to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour over baked cake.

ENJOY!

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

This pie recipe was a 1st prize winning recipe at our Fall Fest this year!!!

Woohoo.

Every year at Thanksgiving I make a minimum of 8 pies.

Yep!

I like to imagine myself as Martha Stewart for a day. :)

Since I make so many,

I usually try to make 1 or 2 new recipes every year.

And since our church's Fall Festival was this past weekend,

I decided to try the new recipe a few weeks early!

You are going  LOOOOVE this pie!

I adapted the recipe from a cheesecake recipe,

and it turned out perfectly to make 2 pies.

{When entering a contest, make sure to have a back up-

just in case something doesn't work out...

or like us, so you get to devour your hard work afterwards! }

As a side note, this is not a "beginner level" pie. Sorry.

And you need to prepare this pie about 24 hours ahead of time.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake:

Ingredients:

-1 extra large graham cracker crust, or deep dish pie shell

   (**bake pie shell for 6 min. in 350 degree oven**)

-12 oz  cream cheese

-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 white sugar
-3 large eggs
-1 cup solid-pack pumpkin, canned
-1/2 tsp. cinnamon*
-1/2 tsp. nutmeg*
-1/4 tsp. cloves*
-1/4 tsp. allspice*
* or use 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
-1/2 cup heavy cream


Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugars and blend. Scrape bowl with a plastic spatula to avoid lumps. Add eggs, one at a time, blend in and scrape the bowl after each addition. Blend in pumpkin and spices. Blend in heavy cream. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until center just sets. Cool. Chill.

Chocolate Mousse:
Ingredients:
-1 cup heavy cream
-1/2 cup semisweet chocolate
-3 egg yolks
-1/2 cup white sugar
-1 tbsp. water

Directions:
Whip heavy cream to medium peak. Set aside. Melt chocolate over double boiler. Set aside. Whip yolks until pale. Boil sugar and water to 245 F. (If you do not have a candy thermometer, use a teaspoon to spoon out some of the syrup and drop it into ice water. A soft ball of sugar should form in the ice water.) Pour the hot sugar into the yolks while whipping, and continue whipping to cool. Add 1/4 of the whipped cream to the cooled yolk mixture. Add the chocolate. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Pour on top of the pumpkin cheesecake and freeze for 24 hours.

Ganache:
Ingredients:
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-4 tbsp. unsalted butter
-1/2 cup+ semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
In a small saucepot, bring the cream and butter to a boil. Pour over chopped chocolate, and stir until smooth.
Refrigerate until serving time.

The only picture I have of me getting my blue ribbon. :)

Added to:

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Recipe: Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger & Honey Lime Chicken on the GRILL!

I made both of these recipes almost every week

this summer, and still going in the fall too!

And since I just have the ingredients just jotted

on a piece of paper on my desk...

I figured I'd better hurry up & write these on the blog,

so I don't forget for next summer.

AND, so y'all can give it a whirl sometime too!

1st up: My own take on a turkey burger.

I love the turkey burgers at Ruby Tuesdays.

But I'm not a big fan of the ones you can buy in

the freezer department, kwim?

**And I was able to convert a few picky eaters

in my family who don't like _____ into liking these!**

So, I decided to get a bunch of my fave ingredients together

and created a

Spinach & Feta Turkey Hamburger

Ingredients:
-Half Pound Turkey, Half Pound Ground Beef
-3/4 cup Bread Crumbs, Italian style
-2 eggs
-1 large handful of spinach, chopped
-1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled finely
-1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
-2 Tbsp Garlic finely minced, or equiv. garlic powder
-Lawry's Season Salt, couple good shakes
-Montreal Steak Seasoning, couple good shakes
-Palmful of dried rosemary, crushed
Topping:
-Provolone cheese
-Spicy Ranch dressing from Hidden Valley
-Buns (we prefer the thin ones, but whatever works for you)

Directions:
1. Put turkey, ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, spinach, feta cheese & worcestershire sauce (& garlic if using fresh minced) in large mixing bowl.
2. In small mixing bowl, combine (garlic if using powder), Lawry's, Montreal, rosemary.
3. Using hands, mix meat mixture in large bowl, then once combined, add seasoning & using hands, combine again until mixed thoroughly.
4. Make patties, and put on grill until cooked through, flipping at least once.
5. Put provolone on top at the end, then top with a little spicy Ranch and put it in a bun. You're done!

Just typing that recipe up made me go make sure I have the ingredients in the fridge, because we're having that tonight! YUM. I love these burgers sooo much. You will too, promise, even with all the weird sounding ingredients... I've converted a few picky eaters in my family with this one. :)

2nd up: Honey Lime Chicken

This one is super easy, but you do have to marinade it. I usually try to do it in the morning, or sometimes I forget & marinade it for just an hour. It tastes better the longer it marinades, but it's still pretty good without marinading as long, too- in case you're like me. :)

Ingredients:
-4-6 chicken breasts, or 10-12 tenderloins
-Zest of one lime, then 1/2 cup of lime juice
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1/2 cup cilantro or sometimes I use parsley, or even a couple tablespoons of rosemary
-2 Tbsp Honey
-2 Tbsp White Vinegar
-2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
-Lawry's Season Salt, couple shakes
-1 large gallon ziplock bag or a container to marinade the meat in

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a mixing bowl. Whisk all ingredients until mixed well.
2. Put chicken in ziplock bag or container, then add the marinade. Marinade for 6 hours or so.
3. Grill! Easy peasy. Yummy to my tummy. Try it, you'll like it.

If I can drum up pictures from this summer (cuz I know I took some, I just have to find them), I will add to this post. :) Enjoy!

Recipe Share Party: C'mon & Share a Recipe Y'all!

Thank You

to all who participated last week!

Wonderful recipes!!
I can't wait to give them a try.



My Pick of the Week

from the recipes shared

 last week goes to...

Homemade Pesto at The Dinner for Two Project!

I love her cooking methods,

and the suggestions she makes,

and she gives some great tips too!

I adore pesto, too, and if you've never tried it- -

go check out her recipe, and give it a whirl this weekend!

Thank you for the recipe!

Go ahead and grab a Featured Button if you'd like:

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So, what've y'all been cooking & baking up this past week?

I can't wait to hear about it!!

and hopefully see a picture of it too,

so I can get good & hungry.

 Put that Recipe Share button in your post, or a link back
 so we can keep more recipe friends coming over & sharing, too. :)

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Looking forward to the recipes this week! Happy Cooking, y'all!

Recipe: Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

When I found this recipe in the brochure

from the blueberry farm we went to,

I thought it sounded like a cheesecake.

So that's what I was expecting.

And it SO was not.

In fact, it was way better than that

(for a summer pie, anyways).

{I could die a happy woman eating cheesecake by the way.}

It was lighter & creamier,

and rather refreshing.

And using the fresh blueberries, WOW!

They just burst in your mouth perfectly.

So here's the recipe.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

Ingredients:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sugar, plus 1 Tbsp flour (I used 3/4 c sugar!)

2 c. sour cream

1 1/2 c. blueberries (I used a few more-like 2 c.)

1 Tbsp. sugar

9" graham cracker crust

(I also used the zest of one lemon- which really added to it!)

Directions:

1. Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, & sugar/flour mixture.

2. Fold in blueberries, pour into crust, top with 1 Tbsp sugar.

3. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool & chill for 2 hours.

Recipe: Peach Blueberry Pie

As you'll see in my upcoming post this weekend,

we went blueberry picking Monday.

I am loving having all these patches & orchards around.

It's wonderful to pick your own produce,

and bake, cook, create with it!

And look how gorgeous these berries are!

So, I decided I wanted to try a Peach Blueberry Pie.

They served it at the little store where we picked

blueberries, and it looked like a really delicious combo.

After having had 1 & 1/2 slivers of pie tonight...

I can assure you-

It Is!

I made it a little extra special by putting cut-out hearts on, too. :)

You can find the recipe

over at Better Homes and Gardens, HERE.

I did make a few alterations to my creation.

I wanted blueberry peach pie...

and so I used 2 cups blueberries, and 4 c. peaches.

(Instead of 1c.BB & 5 c. P, as suggested).

I added another 1/2 c. white sugar

and instead of 1/3 c. brown sugar used 1/2 c.

 to the peaches & blueberries,

because I knew my peaches weren't that sweet.

I really wished I had used some fresh peaches instead.

Also, I realized after I got going that

I don't use cornstarch, and thus,

I do not own cornstarch.

"Necessity is the mother of invention".

I had a box of Minute Tapioca...

so I added 1/4 cup + to the peach/blueberries,

and let it sit for 15 minutes.

That worked out perfectly.

Ingredients

-2 Recipes Single-Crust Pie Pastry, see recipe, or 2 rolled refrigerated unbaked piecust (15-oz. pkg.)

-5 cups peeled, sliced fresh peaches or frozen peach slices, thawed

-1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

-1/3 cup packed brown sugar

-2 Tbsp. cornstarch

-2 Tbsp. bourbon, (optional)

-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

-2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare pastries. Line 9-inch pie plate with one crust. Trim edge of crust to 1/2 inch beyond pie plates. Set aside.

2. In large bowl combine peaches, blueberries, 1/3 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, bourbon, and cinnamon. Place filling in prepared crust. On lightly floured surface, roll remaining crust to circle 12 inches in diameter. Cut in 1-inch-wide strips. Weave strips over filling in lattice pattern. Press strip ends into bottom pastry. Fold bottom pastry over strips' ends; seal and crimp. Sprinkle lattice with 2 tablespoons brown sugar.
3. Cover edges with foil. Bake on baking sheet 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 25 minutes more or until filling is thickened and crust is golden. Cool on rack. Makes 8 servings.

We really enjoyed this pie!!

I think you will too, if you try it.

And since it only uses 1-2 cups of blueberries,

it's not quite as expensive to make...

but doesn't lack on blueberry flavor.

Recipe Share Party: C'mon & Share a Recipe Y'all!

Wow! It's Thursday again.

It seems like that week went by really fast.

I've been working on finding good blueberry recipes,

since our family went blueberry picking last Monday.

Hoping to get a recipe up to share for the party!

What have y'all been cooking up lately?

I have to tell y'all.

The recipes lately have been amazing.

I have got a lot of recipes that I'm dying to try,

most of them from this very Recipe Share Party!

Thank y'all so much for the awesome recipes.

My two faves from the past 2 weeks are:

Grilled Chicken Rio Grande from Nancy's Daily Dish.

And, no... I didn't choose it just because it reminded me of

my beloved New Mexico. :)

It just looked like one of those amazing meals

that are so much fun to serve when guests are coming.

And also, this past week,

Debbi Does Dinner... Healthy

shared Chicken Souvlaki Gyro Style.

Umm... YUM!

I've got a thing going for Greek right now.

Totally giving this one a try, too.

Y'all go ahead and grab a featured button, if you'd like!

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And what have y'all been cooking & baking up this past week?

I can't wait to hear about it!!

The Party will be open until Saturday at midnight.

 Put that Recipe Share button in your post, or a link back
 so we can keep more recipe friends coming over & sharing, too. :)

<center><a title="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" href="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums/af296/mikesarah00/Blog%20Backgrounds%20Pics%20Etc/RecipeShareButton42010copy-1.jpg" /></a></center> Looking forward to the recipes this week! Happy Cooking, y'all!

Recipe Share Party!

Got a recipe?
Great!
Because it's the Recipe Share Party today!
C'mon & share a recipe y'all.

Last week we had so many wonderful recipes shared,

and I know that this week's will not disappoint either.
Thank you to all who participated in the party last week!

I'll be featuring this week's pick as well as last week's pick
in the next Recipe Share Party post,
since I'm with our church's teens at summer camp this week.

What have y'all been cooking & baking up this past week?

I can't wait to hear about it!!

The Party will be open until Saturday at midnight.

 Put that Recipe Share button in your post, or a link back
 so we can keep more recipe friends coming over & sharing, too. :)

<center><a title="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" href="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums/af296/mikesarah00/Blog%20Backgrounds%20Pics%20Etc/RecipeShareButton42010copy-1.jpg" /></a></center> Looking forward to the recipes this week! Happy Cooking, y'all!

Hey, Friends! Got a recipe to share?
I hope so, because it's Recipe Share Party time again!

Top Chef was NOT inspiring last night.
So, I will not go on & on about it this week. :)
Instead, I'll go on & on about all y'all!
Thank you to all who participated in the party last week!

There were a lot of great recipes,
including some really healthy recipes...
and I really am glad to start collecting those.
I want to get healthier, and have been
on-again, off-again working on that this year.

My Pick of the Week from the recipes shared

last week goes to...

Mango & Avacado Salsa over at inspired2cook.
Oh that just sounds like such a fresh combination of ingredients,
and someone commented on her post about
adding it to grilled chicken or salmon wraps. Genius!!
Thank you so much for sharing that recipe.
Go ahead and grab a Featured Button if you'd like!

<center><a title="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" href="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums/af296/mikesarah00/Blog%20Backgrounds%20Pics%20Etc/RecipeShareFeatureButtoncopy-1.jpg" /></a></center> 

And what have y'all been cooking & baking up this past week?

I can't wait to hear about it!!

The Party will be open until Saturday at midnight.

 Put that Recipe Share button in your post, or a link back
 so we can keep more recipe friends coming over & sharing, too. :)

<center><a title="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" href="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums/af296/mikesarah00/Blog%20Backgrounds%20Pics%20Etc/RecipeShareButton42010copy-1.jpg" /></a></center> Looking forward to the recipes this week! Happy Cooking, y'all!

Recipe Share: Guest post from Nana!

Do y'all have a Nana in your family?

Since my mother-in-law's name is Nancy,

we started calling her Nan...

then the kids were born...

and our kiddos call her Nana now!

I love that. :)

I always wanted a grandma named "Nana". lol.

Now my kids have one.

So while we visited down in the Bayou

with my in-laws a few weeks ago,

we made one of my favorite of Nana's desserts-

"Lemon Lush".

Just the name is fun & yummy sounding.

I've had this dessert lots of times!

But for some reason it's been a while

since we'd had it.

I guess there's just too many good desserts

to choose from. :)

So I asked if she & I could make it,

and I could share it on my blog with y'all.

And if our little taste tester licking the beater isn't enough

prompting for y'all to try it...

Just take my word for it.

You're going to like it!

Here's what Nana wrote for y'all:

(Don't you just love well-used, hand-written recipes? They're the best.)

My friend Janet Gray from Canton, IL, shared this delicious dessert recipe with me many years ago:

Lemon Lush

CRUST:
-1 1/2 cups flour
-1 1/2 sticks softened butter
-1/2 cup chopped nuts
Mix the above ingredients together and press in bottome of 9''x 13" pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until light brown. Let cool.

FILLING 1:
-1 cup of powdered sugar
-8 oz. softened cream cheese
-1 cup of whipped topping (Cool Whip)
Blend together the above ingredients and spread on cooled crust.

FILLING 2:
-2 pkgs. lemon instant pudding
-3 cups of milk
Blend together and beat until thickened. Spread on Filling 1.

TOPPING:
Top with more whipped topping and garnish with nuts (optional).

This is a great summer dessert, perfect to take to potlucks and picnics! You may substitute chocolate instant pudding for the lemon.


**Thanks, Nana for sharing the recipe! It's one of my favorites, and I hope it will become one of yours too. Enjoy!

Recipe Share Party: C'mon & Share a Recipe Y'all!

It's Thursday again... Recipe Share Party time!

Did y'all watch Top Chef last night?
I get inspired by watching it.
I think that I would've been kicked off
the 1st elimination round of the quickfire challenge. lol.
Peeling potatoes is not one of my specialties. :)

Thank you to all who participated in the party last week!

It sure is fun & interesting to see what others create

in their kitchens.

My Pick of the Week from the recipes shared

last week goes to...

Oriental Chicken Salad at Recipes for Moms!

Looks like a great summer side for a cookout.
And I'll bet a bunch of y'all are going to be doing just that
this Father's Day weekend.
Go ahead and grab a Featured Button if you'd like!

<center><a title="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" href="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums/af296/mikesarah00/Blog%20Backgrounds%20Pics%20Etc/RecipeShareFeatureButtoncopy-1.jpg" /></a></center> 

So, what've y'all been cooking & baking up this past week?

I can't wait to hear about it!!

and hopefully see a picture of it too,

so I can get good & hungry.
The Party will be open until Saturday at midnight.

 Put that Recipe Share button in your post, or a link back
 so we can keep more recipe friends coming over & sharing, too. :)

<center><a title="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" href="http://www.harriganhowdy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums/af296/mikesarah00/Blog%20Backgrounds%20Pics%20Etc/RecipeShareButton42010copy-1.jpg" /></a></center> Looking forward to the recipes this week! Happy Cooking, y'all!