My Kind of Cooking

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Natural Peanut Butter

2012-02-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

This could be my last blog post. The Food Police may be knocking on my door at any minute to arrest me for what I am about to confess...I don't like natural peanut butter!

I know it my be shocking to you, and the hate comments will probably fill my email, but it is true. I think natural peanut butter has a gritty consistency and it leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. I know the oil separation is a natural occurrence, but I always make a mess when I try to stir the stuff.

I can't help it, I love the creamy smooth sweet taste of the processed stuff I grew up eating. I have tried tricking myself into liking the natural peanut butter by smothering it with jelly, but it doesn't help.

I may not like natural peanut butter, but my sister Shelley does, and she shared this tip with me.

Once you open natural peanut butter, it spoils quicker than other types of commercial peanut butter. A little trick she learned to help keep it fresher longer is to keep it in the refrigerator upside down. It will last up to four months that way.

What type of peanut butter do you like?

Stop back by on Friday for my,
Pecan Pullapart recipe!

WISHING YOU A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to

win a copy of my cookbook,

MY KIND OF COOKING, and cute kitchen towels!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Cheesy Pullaparts

2012-02-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

Cheesy Pullaparts

1 (8 ounce) can crescent rolls
3 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a cutting board with parchment paper. Unroll crescent rolls, do not separate into triangles. Press the seams together. Brush 2 tablespoons of butter over dough.

Sprinkle garlic powder over top.

Sprinkle cheese over top of dough.

Cut into 3/4 inch strips.

Cut each strip in half.

Spray 4 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spay. Criss cross 8 dough pieces in each muffin cup. Place 4 in the bottom, cheese side up.

Flip the last 4 pieces upside down, so most off the cheese is on the inside.

Brush the top layer with remaining butter.

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 4 Pullaparts.

I love garlic bread! Especially if there is cheese on it. This recipe has all the flavors I love in garlic bread, wrapped up in a cute little package!

When I was in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, I had these pullaparts at a restaurant, and knew I had to go home and recreate the recipe.

I like to stay in for Valentine's Day. I hate to wait in long lines at the restaurant. Instead we are going to grill up a couple of steaks along with foil packets of sliced potatoes and vegetables. I plan to toss together a salad and make a batch of the Cheesy Pullaparts.

I am still working on what to serve for dessert. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to

win a copy of my cookbook,

MY KIND OF COOKING, and cute kitchen towels!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Substituting Herbs

2012-02-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

I have had a hard time finding fresh herbs in the grocery store; and when I do find them, they don't look fresh. So, I have had to substitute dried herbs for fresh in my soup and stew recipes.

As a general rule, I substitute 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs. Whether I am adding fresh herbs or dried herbs, to my soup and stew recipes, I always add them during the last 10 minutes of the cooking time. Herbs added to soup or stew, begin to lose much of their flavor after cooking for more than 15 minutes.

Check back on Friday for my,

Cheesy Pullaparts recipe!

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to

win a copy of my cookbook,

MY KIND OF COOKING, and cute kitchen towels!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Hamburger Cupcakes

2012-02-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

Hamburger Cupcakes

1 (18.3 ounce) box brownie mix, plus ingredients listed on box
1 (15.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix, plus ingredients listed on box
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 (6 ounce) tube red frosting
1 (6 ounce) tube yellow frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownies according to package directions.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. Spread brownie batter in cookie sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Cool.

Pull the brownies off of the aluminum foil. Place on a cutting board. Cut brownies with biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter.

Prepare cake according to package directions.

Spray muffin cups with cooking spray. Fill muffin cups 1/2 full. I like to use my cookie scoop to make uniformed cupcakes.

Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.

Cool cut in half.

Place brownie round on bottom half of the cupcake.

Spread red frosting over brownie.

Spread yellow frosting over red frosting.

Place top of cupcake over frosting. Makes 28 cupcakes.

A friend at church made these cute cupcakes a few months back. He makes fabulous cakes and baked goods. Of course his version of the Hamburger Cupcakes was much more complicated than mine. His cupcakes and brownies did not come from a box, and he used fondant to make cheese, and dyed coconut to look like lettuce.

I wish I had time to do that, but I have to take shortcuts when I cook, because we are so busy. Along with the Creamy Caramel Dip recipe, I am taking a batch of these Hamburger Cupcakes to the Super Bowl party we are attending.

I love football! And even though my team didn't make it to the big game, I can't wait to watch it. Are you going to watch the Super Bowl? If you are, which team are you rooting for?

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, She also has a great Giveaway on her blog! Stop by and check it out. You'll be happy you did!

Giveaway!

2012-01-31T03:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the winner of the Joy Bauer's Food Cures book, Jamie!

In February, I will be giving away a copy of my cookbook, MY KIND OF COOKING, and three dishtowels.

MY KIND OF COOKING, cookbook has over 500 yummy recipes using only 3, 4, or 5 ingredients. It has everything from appetizers to desserts and everything in between. It also includes slow-cooker recipes!

Along with the cookbook, are three dishtowels. I feel in love with these cute little towels. There is an old wife's tale that says, a rooster in your kitchen is good luck. And who couldn't use a little good luck?

The rules for the Giveaway are super easy.

1. You must follow my blog with Google Friend Connect or Facebook.

2. Leave a comment on this post.

Bonus: If you follow both with Google Friend Connect and with Facebook, mention that in your comment to receive an extra entry in the drawing. If you don't follow on them, it is not too late to start!

A winner will be drawn on February 28th. Good Luck!

On Friday, I will be posting my

Hamburger Cupcake recipe!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, She also has a great Giveaway on her blog! Stop by and check it out. You'll be happy you did!

Creamy Caramel Dip

2012-01-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

Creamy Caramel Dip

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 (7 ounce) container Marshmallow Creme
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

In large bowl, whip cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add marshmallow creme and caramel ice cream topping. Mix well.

Serve with fruit and or cookies.

At first glance, you may think this is going to be way too sweet, but it is not. The cream cheese mellows out the sweetness from the marshmallow creme and the caramel ice cream topping.

My husband loves this dip. He literally licks the bowl, he likes it so much. I plan to bring it to the Super Bowl party we are having at my friends house. It is a nice change from nachos and chili dogs.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to win the

Joy Bauer's Food Cures Book!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, She also has a great Giveaway on her blog! Stop by and check it out. You'll be happy you did!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Cream Cheese

2012-01-24T03:00:00.000-08:00

Cream cheese is one of my favorite ingredients to use in recipes. Not only does it make decedent desserts, but it also makes sauces taste richer and creamier. I could go on and on about how I like to cook with cream cheese, but instead I will get right to the cooking tip.

A chef friend of mine gave me a couple of tips for when I use cream cheese in a recipe. He said to always use cream cheese at room temperature. That's not a new tip; my mom taught me that one, and I am sure yours did too. The chef also said to beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy, before you add it to your recipe. Don't add eggs or other ingredients, just beat it by it's self.

Measure the room temperature cream cheese before you whip it. After it is whipped, you will not get a correct measurement, and it could affect your recipe.

Do you have any other cream cheese tips you could share?

Check back on Friday for my,

Creamy Caramel Dip recipe.

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to win the

Joy Bauer's Food Cures Book!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, She also has a great Giveaway on her blog! Stop by and check it out. You'll be happy you did!

New Mexico Breakfast Strata

2012-01-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

New Mexico Breakfast Strata

1 pound bacon
1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
1 (16 ounce) loaf French bread, cubed
1 (16 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chile
2 cups milk
12 eggs

Cook and crumble bacon and sausage in separate skillets. Drain grease.

Coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange sausage in the bottom of baking pan. Spread half of the bread cubes over sausage.

Arrange the bacon over bread.

Sprinkle cheese over bacon. Spread green chile over cheese. Arrange remaining bread cubes over top.

In a large bowl, combine milk and eggs. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Pour egg mixture evenly over top.

Push bread down into pan.

Cover with aluminum foil. Place in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 30 minutes.

Remove foil. Bake an additional 30 minutes.

If you like breakfast burritos, then you are going to love this recipe. It has all of those delicious southwestern flavors, wrapped up in one dish, that you can prepare the night before.

This recipe is on the mild side. The green chiles that are in it, add pepper flavor, but not the pepper heat. If you walk on the wild side, it is easy to spice this recipe up. We like to top the strata with salsa. You could also serve it with slice jalapenos to give it an extra kick, or even swap out the green chile for your favorite chile pepper.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to win the

Joy Bauer's Food Cures Book!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, She also has a great Giveaway on her blog! Stop by and check it out. You'll be happy you did!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Chopping Bacon

2012-01-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

I think everyone has at least one task in the kitchen that they do not enjoy doing. For me, it is chopping bacon. I hate it! The bacon is greasy and it moves around on the cutting board as I try to slice it. There had to be an easier way to do this.

I had just finished using my kitchen shears to cut up some herbs, so I grabbed them and decided to try it on the bacon. It worked great! Now I only use my kitchen shears to cut the bacon into the size I need. I cut it right into the skillet that I will be using to fry it in. It is so easy! You get perfect cuts and less mess by using this method.

Sometimes I stack the bacon and other times I just get it straight from the package.Then I chop away with my kitchen shears.

Which kitchen task do you enjoy doing the least?

Stop back by on Friday for my,

New Mexico Breakfast Strata

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to win the

Joy Bauer's Food Cures Book!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Baked Rosemary Chicken

2012-01-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

Baked Rosemary Chicken

4 pounds whole chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary and garlic salt. Mix well. Set aside.

Place the lemon that you juiced for the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in the cavity of the chicken. If you are using fresh rosemary, add a few sprigs to the cavity also.

Place chicken in a roasting pan and rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over chicken.

Bake chicken for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Brush the rosemary mixture over chicken.

Bake an additional 15 minutes.

Have you ever purchased a roasted chicken from the grocery store, get it home, and have to scape the herbs off of the top of the chicken, because the herbs were burnt and bitter? By brushing the rosemary mixture over the chicken and baking it for only 15 minutes, you add flavor to your chicken, and keep the herbs tasting fresh and delicious.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to win the

Joy Bauer's Food Cures Book!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, She also has a great Giveaway on her blog! Stop by and check it out. You'll be happy you did!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Rosemary

2012-01-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of fresh Rosemary left after making the Rosemary Chicken recipe. I figured if I had some Rosemary leftover, that maybe there was others who also had leftover Rosemary or other herbs too. I typically do one of three things with leftover herbs.

1. I will freeze them. I remove the leaves from the stem. Place them in a ziplock bag and pop them in the freezer. You can also fill up an ice cube tray with olive oil and the herbs. Freeze them, then put them in ziplock bags.

2. Another option I use for leftover herbs, is to dry them in the microwave. I wrote a post about how to do it last year called, Drying Fresh Herbs.

3. My other option is to use the leftover herbs in another recipe. That is what I did with the Rosemary.

Check Back on Friday for my,

Baked Rosemary Chicken recipe.

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to win the

Joy Bauer's Food Cures Book!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, She also has a great Giveaway on her blog! Stop by and check it out. You'll be happy you did!

Rosemary Chicken

2012-01-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

Joy Bauer's Food Cures: Rosemary Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless chicken cutlets, pounded to 1/8" thick (I used chicken tenders)
kosher salt

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat or heat an out door grill.

In a small bowl, mix the oil, rosemary, paprika, chili powder, and pepper.

Rub the spice mixture over the chicken and season with salt.

Grill the chicken, turning once, for 8 minutes, or until no longer pink and the juices run clear.

Per serving: 227 calories, 40 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 98 mg cholesterol, 263 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

It was hard to pick just one recipe from, Joy Bauer's Food Cures book. The recipes are all easy and sound delicious. I finally settled on, Rosemary Chicken, and was excited to get the ingredients and begin cooking.

When I arrived at our local grocery store, they were almost out of chicken. I was shocked! All they had was a package of cut up chicken pieces and one lonely package of chicken tenders. That seems to be a problem I am running into more and more. Stores are just not ordering enough stock.

I didn't have time to go to another store, so I settled for the chicken tenders. It turned out perfect. The chicken was full of flavor without being spicy. I will be making this recipe again!

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.

Enter my Giveaway for your chance to win the

Joy Bauer's Food Cures Book!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, She also has a great Giveaway on her blog! Stop by and check it out. You'll be happy you did!

Giveaway: Joy Bauer's Food Cures Book

2012-01-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

This book is incredible! It is like getting five books in one. It has something for everyone. From losing weight to feeling and looking good, this book covers it all in easy to understand and navigate text. There are recipes and tips and FAQS throughout the book.

Joy Bauer is the author of seven books on food and nutrition, including two New York Times bestsellers. She is the resident nutrition expert for the Today show and Yahoo.com, and a contributing editor to Parade and Woman’s Day magazines. She has built one of the largest, most advanced nutrition centers in the country and is official nutrionist to the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. She lives in New York City with her husband and three children.

Overview: Comprehensively updated with cutting-edge research and expertise from one of the country’s foremost nutritionists, Joy Bauer’s Food Cures shows you how common health concerns- from beauty issues to life-threatening diseases- can be managed, treated, and sometimes even cured by the foods you eat. Inside you will find easy-to-follow 4-step food prescriptions, customizable and convenient meal plans, and delicious recipes for your favorite meals and snacks. With Joy’s wisdom and practical, medically sound advice, you will learn how to use food as nature’s ultimate medicine.

The rules for the Giveaway are super easy.

1. You must follow my blog with Google Friend Connect or Facebook.

2. Leave a comment on this post.

Bonus: If you follow both with Google Friend Connect and with Facebook, mention that in your comment to receive an extra entry in the drawing. If you don't, it is not too late to start!

A winner will be drawn on January 31st. Good Luck!

Check back on Friday for Joy's

Rosemary Chicken recipe.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Top 10 Recipes of 2011

2011-12-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

My husband Stan and I

Picking just ten recipes from all of the posts in 2011 was really hard for me. After staring at my blog for over an hour, I finally gave up and in listed the help of my husband, Stan.

Here are Stan's picks for the Top 10 Recipes of 2011:

10. Italian Sausage Sandwiches

We didn't agree on this one. Stan wanted this sandwich to be number one on the list and I wanted to put my Slow Cooker Taco Soup recipe as number 10.

We compromised and put the Italian Sausage Sandwich as number ten, besides it is a great sandwich.

9. Roasted Potatoes
A perfect side dish to almost any meal.

8. Banana Chimichangas
One of my all time favorite desserts.

7. Mango Salad
A unique crowd pleasing salad to take to your next potluck.

6. Mini Lasagnas
An easy twist to a classic dish.

5. Slow Cooker Lava Cake
A simple shortcut way to make a Lava Cake.

4. Blueberry Strata
A yummy breakfast that will make you go back for seconds.

3. Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Mexican Coleslaw
A tasty slow cooker meal.

2. Pretzel Toffee
Stan's favorite treat!

1. Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins with Strawberry Butter
Two great recipes your sure to love.

Stop back by on Tuesday for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: My Favorite Tip of 2011

2011-12-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe 2011 is coming to an end. This year has just flown by for me! Out of all of my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks posts for this year, below is my favortie. It is the easiest way to clean your contact grill.

The weather in New Mexico, the last week has been cold and snowy. I usually grill out all year long, but when the temperature dips to -9 degrees, it is time for me to move the grilling inside.

Typically, I spray the grill with cooking spray before I cook on it. If I forget, I use this tip:

Clean your contact grill the easy way; after you finish grilling up a tasty meal, while the grill is still hot, unplug the grill, and place several damp paper towels on the grill then close the lid. While you eat, the steam from the wet paper towels will loosen baked on food. Making clean up a breeze.

Check Back on Friday, for my list of

Top Ten Recipes of 2011

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

My niece Calli

Wishing you and your loved ones a very

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

XOXO,

Linda

Mocha Pudding

2011-12-23T03:28:00.000-08:00

Mocha Pudding

6 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup French vanilla flavored coffee drink powder
2 (5.9 ounce) boxes instant chocolate pudding mix
8 tablespoons whipped topping

In small bowl, pour 1/4 cup milk. Microwave 40 seconds or until hot. Add coffee drink powder. Mix well.

In medium bowl, combine 6 cups milk, coffee mixture, and pudding mix.

Whisk 2 minutes.

Pour into small coffee mugs or serving dish.

Top with whipped topping.

Top with chocolate if desired.

Refrigerate until time to serve. Makes 8 servings.

This pudding has a a delicious combination of creamy chocolate pudding and a hint of coffee. If you like a strong coffee flavor, just add a little more coffee powder to the hot milk. Prepared as above, it has a mild coffee flavor that will please even the non-coffee lovers in your life.

You can have this recipe ready in just a few quick minutes. It gives a surprising twist to traditional chocolate pudding.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Muffin Trick

2011-12-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins & Strawberry Butter

I occasionally get distracted when I cook and bake. According to my husband, Stan, I always get distracted when I cook or bake. What can I say, between the phone, email, blogs, my husband, and our dog Buddy, there are lots of things to catch my attention.

Our Dog Buddy

We enjoy having muffins for breakfast at our house. But, one thing I hate about muffins is how quickly the bottoms of them can burn.

My phone rang one day just as I was making a batch of muffins. I chatted and laughed with my sister as I filled the muffin pan with batter and popped it in the oven. Too many minutes later, I remembered I had muffins in the oven.

In a panic I pulled them out; just knowing the bottoms would be very brown. To my surprise, they were perfect.

As I cleaned up the muffin pan, I found the reason why they didn't over bake on the bottom. I had two muffin pans stacked together making a do-it-yourself air bake muffin pan. By stacking the pans, I had created a pocket of air that protected the bottom of the muffins.

Now when I bake muffins, I make sure to stack the muffin pans together, so I can talk all I want and not ruin breakfast. I also use this trick when I bake cupcakes.

See Stan, sometimes good things happen when I am distracted!

Check back of Friday,

for my Mocha Pudding recipe.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Slow Cooker Chocolate Covered Peanuts

2011-12-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

Slow Cooker Chocolate Covered Peanuts

1 (24 ounce) package chocolate flavored almond bark, break into pieces
1(12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts

In slow cooker, place chocolate almond bark

and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Cover with a lid.

Cook on low 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes until melted.

Add peanuts.

Mix well.

Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper to cool.

Cleaning Tip

I hate to clean hardened chocolate out of my slow cooker. To make clean up easier, while the slow cooker is still warm, I wipe the inside of the slow cooker with paper towel. Then clean up is no big deal.

Don't let the unassuming ingredients fool you. This recipe is simple, but packed with so much flavor, people won't believe that it only has three little ingredients.

Pack it up and put it in a basket, and you have a delicious gift for the foodie in your family.

This recipe can be found in my cookbook called, MY KIND OF COOKING.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Stop Burning the Cookies

2011-12-13T02:00:00.000-08:00

Cookies can go from almost done to burnt, in a flash. Carryover cooking can help prevent a cookie disaster. When I would bake cookies with my mom, she would always remove the cookies from the oven just before they were done. Then she would leave them on the hot baking sheet to cool, before transferring them to a wire rack. The heat from the pan would continue to bake the cookies. This also allowed the baking sheet to cool, helping to reduce the chance that the next batch of cookies would burn.

I still use that tip from my mom when I bake cookies. But, I also use insulated baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, to help guarantee perfect cookies every time.

Check back on Friday for my,

Slow Cooker Chocolate Covered Peanut recipe.

It only has 3 ingredients!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Candy

2011-12-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Candy

1 (1pound) package vanilla flavored Almond bark, broken into pieces
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 (6 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, add vanilla bark. Microwave on high 2 minutes.

Add peanut butter to melted vanilla bark.

Mix Well.

Spread on wax paper or parchment paper lined baking sheet.

In another medium bowl, add chocolate chips. Microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes.

Pour melted chocolate over peanut butter mixture.

With a butter knife, make swirls to combine slightly.

Cool. Cut or break into pieces.

This is one of our favorite candies. If you like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, then you will love this recipe too. It is also super quick to make. From start to finish, it will only take you about five minutes.

This year when I went to buy my baking supplies, I noticed they had a different size vanilla flavored bark. Instead of the one pound package, they now had a twenty four ounce package. If you run into the same problem at your store, change the recipe to:

1 (24 ounce) package vanilla flavored almond bark, break into pieces

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Follow the instructions as listed above.

This recipe can be found in my cookbook called, MY KIND OF COOKING.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Mailing Cookies

2011-12-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

When my son was in college, I mailed him a lot of cookies! His favorite, is my oatmeal cookie. I tried several different ways to mail the cookies. I finally settled on mailing the cookies in microwave plain flavor popcorn. They protected the cookies without adding changing or add other flavors to the them.

Make sure you wrap your cookies in plastic wrap or put them in a cookie tin first. Then settle them in the middle of the popcorn, completely covering the cookies on all sides.

How do you mail your cookies?

Check back on Friday, for my

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Candy.

You will love it!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Biscochitos

2011-12-02T19:48:00.001-08:00

Biscochitos

1 (16.5 ounce)package refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1/2 teaspoonanise seed

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoonscinnamon

Place thepackage of sugar cookie dough on the counter and let sit until it comes to roomtemperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine cookie dough and anise seed. Mix well with an electric mixer.

In a small bowl, combine sugar andcinnamon.

Mix well. Using a cookie scoop, arrange cookie dough 2inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Dip the bottom of a glass in the cinnamon andsugar mixture,(wet the bottom of the glass with water, the first time you dipit in the cinnamon mixture).

Press thebottom of the glass onto the cookie dough, flattening it slightly. Repeat process on all cookies.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until edges aregolden brown. Makes 1 dozen cookies.

I live in New Mexico, and was really excited when I learned that the Biscochitois the official state cookie of New Mexico. It is also called a Mexican Christmas Cookie. Whatever you call it, I call it delicious!

What does the Biscochito taste like? Well, if a Snickerdoodle cookie and licoricemarried and had a baby, it would be the Biscochito. The sweet cookie, topped with cinnamon andsugar, is complimented by the rich taste of licorice, that is not overpowering, it is just flavor enhancing.

Traditionallywhen this recipe is made, they use lard with some kind of liquor mixed in. Then they roll them out and cut the doughinto shapes, just like you would with sugar cookies. Like you, I am very busy and I have to useshortcuts when I cook, because there just never seems to be enough time in theday. For this recipe, was able to cut the ingredients down from 11 ingredients to only four, and I bypassed the rolling andcutting out of the cookie dough, saving not only time but also clean up.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

My friend, Pam, of, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, is taking some time off from blogging. But she has incredible recipes in her archives!

Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-29T02:00:00.000-08:00

The winner of the giveaway for Stephen's cookbook is: Happier than a Pig in Mud

Please email me at: mykindofcooking@gmail.com

with your name and address and I will forward them to Stephen so he can mail your cookbook to you.

Visit Stephen's blog, The Obsessive Chef.

Check back on Friday, for an easy and delicious

Mexican Christmas cookie recipe called, Biscochitos!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

My friend, Pam, of, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, is taking some time off from blogging. But she has incredible recipes in her archives!

Italian Sausage Sandwiches

2011-11-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

Italian Sausage Sandwiches

1 pound Italian sausage
2 hoagie buns
1/2 cup mild or hot banana pepper rings
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Form Italian sausage to fit hoagie buns. In large skillet, fry Italian sausage until cooked through.

Place hoagie buns under the broiler and toast until golden brown. Remove from oven and place sausage patties on bottom part of the buns.

Arrange peppers over top of sausage patties.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top.

Broil until cheese melts and is golden brown. Makes 2 servings

This super simple sandwich is one of my husband's favorites. The spicy sausage, with the sweet pickled pepper rings, and the melted mozzarella cheese, all on a toasted bun, is a combination my husband thinks can't be beat. I have tried to talk him into making changes to the sandwich, but he has asked me not to "mess" with his sandwich, so I guess I will leave it just like it is.

The winner of the Giveaway for Stephen's cookbook

will be announced on Tuesaday

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Chopping Tomatoes

2011-11-22T02:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when my husband, Stan, goes to the store for me he will come back with an ingredient that is close, but not exactly what I asked for. There are so many different types of canned tomatoes, the guy can't be blamed for getting mixed up about what I need.

If I get canned whole tomatoes by mistake, and I needed chopped or diced tomatoes, I pull out my kitchen shears and cut up the tomatoes while they are still in the can. It is quick and easy and there is no mess.

Check back on Friday for my

husband's favorite sandwich recipe,

Italian Sausage Sandwiches

Be sure to enter the Giveaway for Stephen's cookbook!

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Turkey on Biscuits

2011-11-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

Turkey on Biscuits
My version of Stephen's recipe.

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped cooked turkey
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons cornstarch
refrigerated biscuits

In large skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in butter over medium high heat until onions are translucent.

Add garlic. Saute until lightly golden brown.

Add turkey, chicken stock, and peas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low.

In small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/3 cup cold water. Mix well. Cook until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.

My friend Stephen, aka The Obsessive Chef, has published his cookbook, A Cook's Books for Cooks. I am one of the lucky bloggers who received a copy of his book to use for a giveaway. The cookbook is so full of delicious recipes, it made finding just one to make for this post a difficult task.

I finally decided on his, Chick on Biscuits, recipe. At the urging of, Stephen, I change the recipe to fit my family. My husband loves biscuits and gravy, and this recipe is a nice change from the traditional biscuits and gravy recipe that I make with the leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Below is Stephen's original recipe.

Be sure to enter the Giveaway for Stephen's cookbook!

Chick on Biscuits

By Stephen Crout

This is kind of retro – back to what I was served many a timeafter getting home

from Sunday school and church.

2 cups of shredded cooked chicken

3 cups chicken broth (it can be from you poaching bird parts)

½ can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (optional – I hadthem in the fridge)

½ onion roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

2/3 package of frozen peas and pearl onions partially thawed

3 Tbs butter (divided 2/1)

2 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in water

Chopped flat leaf parsley or cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Yourfavorite refrigerator biscuits from the supermarket

Bake the biscuits according to package directions.

Begin by bringing the broth to a simmer and reducing it byperhaps 1/3. The best

way to decide how far to go with the reduction is to taste it.You’ll know when it’s

ready. But don’t add any salt until the reduction is complete.

In a pot big enough to add all the ingredients and still be ableto stir it easily melt 2

Tbs of the butter. At this point you will add some of thecornstarch mixture. It will

change the thickness of the liquid very quickly, so add onlywhat you need. You

have to decide for yourself when it’s thick enough.

Add some salt and black pepper (keep tasting along the way) anddissolve the

remaining Tbs of butter in it.

While all this has been going on you can have been partiallycooking the peas and

onions in the microwave. Mostly you just want to get it thawedand warmed up a

bit. It needs very little cooking. Add the garbanzos, peas andonions, chicken (and

anything else you’ve got that sounds good) to the gravy mixtureand get it all

thoroughly hot.

Give it a final taste test, spoon the mixture over halvedbiscuits in heated wide

bowls, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, garnish with somechopped parsley or

cilantro and serve.

This tastes so 50's! I think I'm leaning toward being a retrocook. Now if I can only

find aplace to buy retros.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Giveaway!

2011-11-15T02:00:00.000-08:00

This is a cookbook which is perhaps unlike any other you have ever read. It almost has a plot! It reads like fiction. It's full of mouthiness, according to the author, Stephen Crout of the The Obsessive Chef blog, and he likes to think of it as wit. You may not agree with everything, Stephen, has put in the book, but if you love to read cookbooks, then you will enjoy this book. Mixed in with the stories, are helpful cooking tips, and delicious creative recipes.

Stephen's, goal with this cookbook is to inspire you to think out of the box, and get creative in the kitchen. Along with his incredible recipes, are lists of ingredients without the exact amount needed, so you can experiment and create a recipe that is fitting to your taste, not his.

He has been advocating in recent years: don't be a slave to anything in the kitchen. Use what you have and make what you want. It's no big deal!

If you would like to purchase a copy of Stephen's cookbook,
click this link: https://www.createspace.com/3695950

Giveaway Details

It is easy to have a chance to win a copy of Stephen's cookbook.

1. Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (The box is on the right side of the blog, click the "Follow" button) or "Like" my Facebook page.

2. Leave a comment on this post.

The winner will be picked randomly and announced on Monday, November 28th.

Stephen told me to take one of his recipes and recreate it, so for Friday's recipe that is just what I did.

Check back on Friday

for my version of one of Stephen's recipes.

Turkey on Biscuits,

it is a great after Thanksgiving leftover recipe!

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Cranberry Turkey Casserole

2011-11-11T02:00:00.000-08:00

Cranberry Turkey or Chicken Casserole

4 cups cooked bow-tie pasta
2 cups cooked diced turkey or chicken
2 (15 ounce) jars Alfredo sauce
1 cup dried cranberries, plus extra for garnish
2/3 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, plus extra for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a baking dish, combine all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with dried cranberries and pine nuts or slivered almonds.

My friend, Deana, entered this recipe in one of my contests at the Iowa State Fair. When I saw the cranberries, I knew it would be perfect for an after Thanksgiving recipe. Deana used chicken in her original recipe; I changed it to turkey.

I love Thanksgiving leftovers, but after a couple of meals of the same thing, it is time to change it up. Cranberry Turkey Casserole, is a delicious way to do that. The cranberries add a sweet contrast to the savory ingredients in the recipe.

I also swap turkey for chicken in my most popular recipe, Green Chile Chicken Pasta.

Another recipe that I like to make with leftover turkey is my Layered Turkey Enchilada recipe.

Below are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

Apple Stuffing

No Bake Pumpkin Pie

Frozen Harvest Pie

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes

Pumpkin Pancakes

Check back on Tuesday for details

about a new Giveaway!

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Thanksgiving Tips to Make Your Day Easier

2011-11-08T02:00:00.000-08:00

Frozen Harvest Pie

I love Thanksgiving! A whole day centered around being thankful for all the blessings in our lives. Being surrounded by family and friends, as we all stuff our faces with yummy comfort food.

I use the tips below to help me spend more time with family and friends, instead of being stuck in the kitchen, missing all of the fun.

Thanksgiving Tips to Make Your Day Easier

1. Shop Early. Stores already have the items you need for a great Thanksgiving meal on the shelves and they are typically on sale.

2. Start cooking now. Cook and freeze as many of the desserts and side dishes as you can. If a dish cannot be frozen, prepare as much as you can a day or two ahead of time.

3. Use disposable pans. There is no shame in using pans that you can cook in, then toss in the trash for easier clean up. You can transfer the cooked food into pretty dishes for serving if you prefer.

4. Use your slow cooker. A lot of dishes can be cooked in the slow cooker. By using it, you will free up space on the stove top or in the oven.

Sweet Potatoes Two Ways

5. Spread the load. Ask your guests to bring a dish. Be specific about what you want them to bring. If you do not assign a dish for them to bring, you could end up with 5 trays of cut up vegetables.

6. Set the table the night before. Get your kids and spouse to help with this one. Many hands make light work.

7. Keep the kids occupied. Cover the table with paper and have crayons on the table for the kids to get creative with. One year, I forgot to get paper to cover the kids table with, so instead I took birthday wrapping paper and turned it over so the white backing was showing, then I taped it to the table. It worked great!

Italian Pinwheels

8. Have appetizers ready for the early birds. No matter how often you stress the time for people to be there, you know someone is going to show up early. Have a few light and easy snacks to hold them over. Fresh fruit, veggie tray, cheese and crackers, etc.

Clean As You Go

9. Clean as you go! By doing this, you will have more time to spend with your guests.

10. Have fun and remember what the day is really about!

On Friday, I will be posting a fantastic

Thanksgiving leftover recipe called,

Cranberry Turkey Casserole.

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

2011-11-04T02:00:00.000-08:00

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

2 pounds ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) packet taco seasoning
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans mild chili beans
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Mexican style stewed tomatoes

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain the grease. Add to a 4 quart slow cooker.

Add the remaining ingredients. Add 1 cup of water. Mix well.

Cover with a lid. Cook on low 4 to 6 hours.

On Wednesday nights, I experiment, I mean I cook, for the youth group at our church. Last week one of the kids asked me to make Taco Soup, so that is what I did. The kids all loved the soup, and said I am going to have a hard time topping the meal next week.

This soup is mild enough for your whole family to enjoy. The corn gives the soup the flavor of a corn tortilla. But to make it even more like a taco, I cut corn tortillas into strips. You can skip this step and just leave the corn tortilla strips off, or use store bought tortilla chips instead.

I fried the corn tortilla strips in a small amount of oil until they were golden brown.

I drained the tortilla chips on paper towel. The strips were light and crisp.

Next, I arranged the tortilla strips on top of my Taco Soup, and sprinkled cheese over the strips, and put a dollop of sour cream on top.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Thanksgiving Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Soup Tips & Tricks

2011-11-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

I love soup! I eat it all year long. But as the weather turns cooler, soup is on the menu more frequently at our house. Below are a few tips for soup that my mom taught me, and I thought I would pass them on to you, just in case you are a soup lover too.

Soup Tips & Tricks

1. With today's pop top style of soup cans, this tip is a little harder to use, but it is still a good tip to know. When using condensed soup, shake the can, and then open it up from the bottom. The soup will slide right out and you won't have to use a spoon to remove the soup from the can.

2. If you are out of cream for your soup or don't have enough, substitute with milk and add a little flour to make it a thicker consistency.

3. If your soup is too salty, add a couple of slices of apple or raw potato to your soup. Let simmer for a few minutes, then discard the apple or potato slices.

4. If you add too much garlic to your soup, put dry parsley flakes in a teal ball and add it to the soup to soak up the extra garlic. The garlic will be attracted to the parsley. Discard the parsley after several minutes of being in the soup.

5. Never boil your soup. Simmering keeps the flavors intact.

6. If you are making a clear noodle soup, cook your noodles, then drain and rinse the noodles before adding them to your soup. Starch in the noodles will make it cloudy if you add them to your soup with out draining and rinsing them first.

7. Soup is always better if it is made the day before you serve it.

What is your favorite soup? Do you have any tips you could share?

Congratulations to the Winner of the Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway,
Ashley of What Does a Songbird Sing!

On Friday, I will be posting my

Slow Cooker Taco Soup recipe.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Mini Lasagna

2011-10-28T02:00:00.000-08:00

Mini Lasagna

1 (16 ounce) box lasagna noodles
1 pound ground beef
1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (16 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup ricotta cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare lasagna noodles according to package direction. Drain. Set aside.

In large skillet, brown ground beef over medium high heat. Drain grease from pan. Add 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce to the ground beef. Mix well.

Cut the curly edges off of the lasagna noodles.

Cut lasagna noodles in half.

Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Spoon 1 tablespoon spaghetti sauce in bottom of muffin cup.

Arrange 2 lasagna noodle pieces in muffin cup forming an X.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of meat mixture in center of crossed noodles.

Spoon 1 teaspoon ricotta cheese over meat mixture.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese over ricotta cheese.

Fold the ends of the lasagna noodles over each other.

Flip the lasagna noodle packet over, so the seams are on the bottom.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of spaghetti sauce over top of Mini Lasagna.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 18 Mini Lasagnas.

I have seen recipes for personal sizes lasagna on several blogs. The recipes all contained ingredients that my husband would not like in his lasagna, so I decided to make up my own version. This recipe has all of the traditional lasagna flavors wrapped up in a cute little package. My husband loved the Mini Lasagnas, and as my official taste tester, he says the recipe is a keeper.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Don't forget to leave a comment on the

Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway post for your chance to win

Tate's Cookbook & Cookies!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday Tip: Keep Your Pumpkins from Getting Mushy

2011-10-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

(My niece Calli)

It is time to carve pumpkins at our house. The pumpkin always starts out looking great. Well, if not great, at least the kids like them.

After a couple of days, they start to get soft and mushy. That happens when air comes in contact with the cleaned out, inside flesh of the pumpkin, allowing bacteria to grow. To slow that process down, I spray the inside of my hallowed out pumpkins with first aid antiseptic spray.

The spray keeps my pumpkin looking fresh for several extra days.

Don't eat your pumpkin after it has been treated with the antiseptic spray

On Friday, I will be posting my,

Mini Lasagna recipe!

Don't forget to leave a comment on the

Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway post for your chance to win

Tate's Cookbook & Cookies!

My friend Pam, made the Lemon Pound Cake recipe from the cookbook and she says it is the best pound cake recipe ever!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Heartwarming Oat Biscuits

2011-10-21T02:00:00.000-08:00

Heartwarming Oat Biscuits

1 1/2 self-raising flour
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg

Topping

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl, combine flour, oats, and sugar. Mix well.

Add buttermilk, butter, and egg. Mixuntil just combined. Do not overmix.

Drop mixture by tablespoons onto anungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart.

I like to use a cookie scoop to drop the biscuit dough onto the baking sheet.

Form the dough into the shape of a biscuit. Insmall bowl, combine topping ingredients. Mix well. Brush butter mixture ontop of biscuits.

Bake 16 to 18minutes. Makes 14 biscuits.

This biscuit recipe is a family favorite. We often have it for breakfast with a nice cup of hot tea or coffee. It is slightly sweet, with a hearty oat flavor that reminds me of an oatmeal cookie, but without the guilt that comes from actually eating a cookie for breakfast. It is perfect for those cool mornings that are now upon us. It not only warms the kitchen, it also fills it with the comforting aroma of fresh baked goodness.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Don't forget to leave a comment on the
Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway post for your chance to win
Tate's Cookbook & Cookies!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Biscuit Tips

2011-10-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

With the weather turning cooler, my oven is coming back into use. We love biscuits, but always seem to have leftovers, so I use tip number five a lot.

Biscuit Tips:

1. To create a rich golden brown color when you make biscuits or rolls, add a teaspoon of sugar to the dry ingredients. It helps the crust caramelize.

2. Dip your biscuit cutter in flour, before you use it to cut biscuits from the dough. This will keep the cutter from sticking to the dough.

3. When you cut the biscuits out, don't twist the cutter. If you twist the cutter, it will seal the edges of the biscuits, keeping them from rising high.

4. Don't over stir your dough, it will make the biscuits tough.

5. To reheat biscuits or rolls, sprinkle them lightly with water and wrap them in aluminum foil. Place them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.

On Friday, I will be posting my,

Heartwarming Oat Biscuits.

Don't forget to leave a comment on the

Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway post for your chance to win

Tate's Cookbook & Cookies!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Lynn's Rockin' Roast

2011-10-14T02:00:00.000-08:00

Lynn's Rockin' Roast

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pound roast
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (1 ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
1 1/2 cups (12 ounce can) cherry cola or regular cola
1 onion, sliced thick

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place roast in slow cooker. In medium bowl, combine mushroom soup, onion soup mix, and cherry cola. Mix well.

Pour soup mixture over roast. Pepper to taste.

Arrange onion over top. Cover with lid.

Cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

This recipe came from a listener of my "Fast Food Friday" show on the Passion Radio Network. Lynn, email me 9 delicious recipes. My husband loves roast, so I picked her "Lynn's Rockin' Roast" to prepare first. All of Lynn's delectable recipes are posted under the "Share Your Recipes" tab.

Lynn said, she always uses Cherry Coke when she makes this recipe, so that is what I did. Not only was this roast super easy to prepare, but the Cherry Coke added an interesting twist. It was a huge hit at my house! The cola made the roast so tender you could cut it with a fork and the onion gravy was a savory delight.

Lynn, my husband Stan says, "Your roast really is rockin'!" And he wants to know what can you do with a chicken?

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Don't forget to leave a comment on the
Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway post for your chance to win
Tate's Cookbook & Cookies!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway!

2011-10-11T02:00:00.000-08:00

Tate's Bake Shop is giving away three packages of their Tate's Bake Shop award winning Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Cookies and a Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook autographed by Kathleen King!

The Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Cookies won GOLD in the Cookie Category in the 2011 sofi Awards, presented at the Fancy Food Show (known as the Oscars for the specialty food industry) in Washington, DC.

The cookies are crisp and buttery, rich but not overwhelming, they simpley melt in your mouth. And just one is never enough!

The cookbook has 125 of their very best recipes from the Southampton's favorite bakeshop. There are incredible cookies, cakes, pies, muffins, and bread recipes. It's a cookbook you can't put down. You will have a hard time trying to decide which tasty recipe to make first.

There are several ways to enter the Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway. I recommend using all of them, for more chances to win.

1. Leaveme a comment telling me that you follow my blog, through Google Friend Connect(there is a box on my sidebar that says, Followers).

2. Become a Fan of My Kind of Cooking Facebook page ( there is a box on my sidebar), and leave a comment telling me you "Like" the My Kind of Cooking facebook page.

3. Becomea fan of Tate's Bake Shop Facebook Fan page, and leave me aseparate comment telling me you have done that.

4. Follow Tate's Bake Shop on Twitter, and leave a separate comment telling me you have done that.

Youhave until midnight, MST, on October 29th, to enter the Giveaway. Thewinner will be picked by random.org and announced on October 30th.

Tate's is offering the readers of, "My Kind of Cooking," 15% off of any order placed during the month of October.

Go to their website: www.tatesbakeshop.com

Enter the discount code: COOKIE

Last Christmas I ordered cookies from the Tate's Bake Shop website. It not only made Christmas shopping easier for me, but everyone who received the cookies were thrilled with their gift! This year, I already have 3 cookbooks and 2 gift packs on my list.

On Friday, I will be posting a

Rockin' Roast slow cooker recipe.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Cottage Cheese Cake

2011-10-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

Cottage Cheese Cake

1 (18 1/4 ounce) package yellow cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 pounds cottage cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well.

Add cottage cheese. Mix well.

Spoon cottage cheese mixture over cake batter. Do not mix. Bake 1 hour.

Cool before serving.

Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Refrigerate cake until time to serve.

This cake is a delicious combination of custard and cake. Don't let the cottage cheese scare you. It adds a wonderful taste and texture to the dessert. It is not an overly sweet cake; which is why it is one of my husband Stan's favorite desserts.

Custard is one of those things you either love it or hate it. We fell in love with custard on our first trip to South Africa. Everyday of our stay, we had tea and a custard like dessert called, Milk Tart.

My husband had mentioned that he loved Milk Tart, so everywhere we went friends had a Milk Tart waiting for him. We ate so much of it that I am surprised we still love it.

Don't forget to leave a comment on Tuesday's post for your chance to

Win a $20 Amazon Voucher!

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

My Favorite Uses for Cooking Spray and a $20 Amazon Voucher

2011-10-04T02:00:00.000-08:00

I love Pam Cooking Spray! There is always a can in my cupboard. It is an amazing product. You can not only use it in the kitchen, but also around the house. Below are a few of my favorite uses for the cooking spray.

Cooking Spray Uses

1. Spray the inside of your slow cooker for easier clean up.

2. Spray the bowl and plastic wrap with cooking spray before proofing yeast dough. It makes it easier to remove the dough from the bowl and prevents the plastic wrap from sticking to the dough.

3. Spray your measuring cups before you measure honey and other sticky foods.

4. Spray your cheese grater with Pam to make clean up easier.

5. Spray cookie cutters so the dough won't stick.

6. Use it to take gum out of hair. Spray the gum and hair around it with cooking spay. With a little work, the gum will come right out.

7. Clean paint and grease from your hands. Spray hands liberally with cooking spray, work in, rinse. Wash with soap and water.

8. Coat the shower door with a thin layer of cooking spray. Wait a few minutes and wash off with soap and water. The oil in the cooking spray dissolves the soap scum buildup and lime deposits.

9. Spray squeaky door hinges with cooking spray.

10. Spray a bike chain with cooking spray.

11. Spray both sides of your snow shovel with cooking spay to keep the snow from sticking to it.

12. Spray your satellite dish with cooking spray to keep snow from building up in it.

What are your favorite uses for cooking spray?

How would you like a $20 Amazon Voucher?

I am so excited! I was visited by the Appliances Online Fairy Hobmother, and she gave me a $20 Amazon Voucher!

For your chance to be visited by the Appliances Online Fairy Hobmother, and your own $20 Amazon Voucher, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post!

Spot by and visit the Appliances Online site!

On Friday, I will be posting my

Cottage Cheese Cake recipe!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole

2011-09-30T02:00:00.000-08:00

Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole

3 to 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 (15 ounce) can evaporated milk
2 cups macaroni, uncooked
3/4 cup sour cream

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray for easy clean up. In slow cooker, combine chicken, cream of mushroom soup, evaporated milk, and macaroni. Mix well. Cover with lid. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Add in sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Makes 6 servings.

When I opened the door after being gone all day, I was met with the a delicious aroma of a home cooked meal. This recipe tastes like chicken stroganoff. It is creamy and hardy and was waiting for me when I got home.

I love slow cooker recipes that are quick to prepare. For this recipe, I cut up the chicken the night before, and place it back in the refrigerator. I gathered all the ingredients needed for the recipe (that don't need to be refrigerated) and put them on the counter, along with the slow cooker and all of the utensils that are needed to prepare it. By doing this, it takes only five minutes of prep time in the morning, to create a tasty family pleasing meal.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tostones and Nicaragua

2011-09-27T02:00:00.000-08:00

Tostones AKA Flattened Fried Plantains

2 plantains
Oil for frying
Salt

Slice plantains into 1 inch pieces.

Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a large skillet. Heat over medium high heat. When oil is heated, add plantain pieces. Fry 2 minutes on each side. Remove plantain pieces to paper towel.

Place plantain pieces on a cutting board. Flatted plantains with the bottom of a glass or ramekin.

Place the plantains back in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Salt to taste.

I just returned from a mission trip with, Passion Play Ministries International, to Nicaragua. While we were there, we ate Tostones with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for the occasional snack. I think the Tostones are a little bland by themselves, so we would spoon a little salsa on them to add some flavor.

Have you ever seen the movie, "Romancing the Stone"? Nicaragua reminded me of that movie.

We traveled on roads that were steep and narrow. We even drove through a stream that was around 80 feet wide.

On the way back down the mountain, just as we crossed this stream, it began to rain. I have never seen it rain so hard, for so long. If we hadn't crossed the stream before the rain hit, we would have been stuck sleeping in the van all night on that steep narrow road. The stream becomes too high to cross when it rains.

The food in Nicaragua was delicious!

We went to a restaurant one day for fresh fish. The server showed you the fish before it was cooked.

The fish was served with sauteed onions and tomatoes on it.

It was also served with the head on it.

It was one scary looking fish when it was cooked! Everyone who ordered the fresh fish, loved it. I tried a bite of the fish off of my friend's plate. It was tasty, but I just don't like to eat a fish with it's head still attached. It creeps me out! The glassy eyes staring at you as you munch away at it... YUCK!

This was not our first mission trip,

so my husband Stan and I

ordered our fish breaded

and fried.

One night for dinner, we ate beef skewers that were cooked on a grill made from a tire rim.

The beef had been marinated in fruit juice and spices. It was tender and full of flavor. I think we all went back for seconds, and a few went back for thirds.

On Friday, I will be posting my
Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole recipe.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Buffalo Chicken Soup

2011-09-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

Buffalo Chicken Soup

3 cups shredded cooked chicken
3 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
4 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup hot wing sauce

In large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe can be found on page 55 in
MY KIND OF COOKING COOKBOOK.

I have been traveling since the end of July. Currently I am in Nicaragua. As I was thinking about what to post while I was out of the country, I decided to go back to the first few posts that I made when I began my blog.

I created this recipe to be on the mild side of spicy. For me, the spice in the soup is perfect. Lots of flavor but mild enough to please almost anyone. My husband likes lots of spice so I add extra hot wing sauce to his bowl of soup.

Serving Tip:
I like to serve this soup with a dollop of sour cream on top of each bowl and slightly crushed tortilla chips.

Time Saving Tip:
If you don't have time to cook chicken needed for a recipe, purchase a cooked rotisserie chicken.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tortellini Toss

2011-09-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

Tortellini Toss

1 (9 ounce)package refrigerated cheese filled tortellini
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked crumbled
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Prepare tortellini according to package directions. In large saucepan, combine whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, bacon, and Italian seasoning. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Add tortellini. Toss to Coat. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe can be found on page 126 in

MY KIND OF COOKING COOKBOOK.

I have been traveling since the end of July. Currently I am in Nicaragua. As I was thinking about what to post while I was out of the country, I decided to go back to the first few posts that I made when I began my blog.

This recipe is one of my families favorite dinners. It has bacon, so you know it is going to be good!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Fruit & Nut Yogurt Parfait

2011-09-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

Fruit & Nut Yogurt Parfait

1 (2 ounce) package chopped walnuts
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
1 apple, chopped
1/2 cup sliced in half grapes

In small skillet, saute walnuts, butter, and sugar over medium heat 2 minutes.

Spread on parchment paper. Cool.

In two glasses, layer equal amount of ingredients. Makes 2 servings.

One of my guilty pleasures is the Fruit and Walnut Snack at Mc Donald's. I just love the combination of fresh apples and grapes, with yogurt and sugared walnuts. This recipe allows me to have it anytime I am craving it, without having to make a run to the golden arches.

I am currently in Nicaragua, so I will be slow adding the comments left on the blog. I really enjoy reading your comments and I thank you so much for taking the time to leave them!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Yogurt - It's Not Just For Breakfast!

2011-09-13T02:00:00.000-08:00

I love yogurt! Fresh fruit, granola, and yogurt, is one of my favorite breakfasts. Sometimes I purchase too much yogurt and need to use it up before it expires. Below are a few of the ways I use yogurt in recipes.

1. I make an easy and tasty guacamole by mashing an avocado with plain yogurt. I add Rotel diced tomatoes and green chile, to taste. Mix well

2. Make an iced latte with vanilla flavored yogurt, strong coffee, ice, and sugar or sweetener. Place the ingredients in a blender, and blend until the desired consistency.

3. I make a potato topper with plain Greek yogurt, chives, and green onion.

4. If you need buttermilk for a recipe, combine 2/3 cup of plain yogurt and 1/3 cup of milk. Mix well. Let stand 5 minutes before adding to your recipe.

5. I add yogurt to my tuna salad. Substitute 1/2 of the mayonnaise with plain yogurt.

6. I use plain yogurt instead of mayonnaise or sour cream when making a dip.

7. Lighten up a recipe by substituting half of the oil or shortening with 3/4 the amount of yogurt. Example: If a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, use 1/2 cup of oil and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of yogurt.

8. Replace part of the butter in a recipe. Instead of using 1 cup butter, use 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup of yogurt.

How do you use yogurt?

On Friday, I will be posting my

Fruit & Nut Yogurt Parfait recipe.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Pizza Nibblers

2011-09-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

Pizza Nibblers

4 saltine crackers
2 teaspoons pizza sauce
3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
4 slices pepperoni

Place 4 crackers in a microwaveable plate. Spread pizza sauce over crackers.

(My niece Emily)

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over pizza sauce.

Top with pepperoni.

Microwave for 30 seconds, or until cheese has melted.

This is my niece, Emily's, favorite after school snack. She loves to cook, and this is an easy recipe for her to make by herself.

Kids are not the only ones who love Pizza Nibblers. It tastes like a fresh baked slice of pizza. The cracker turns into a thin crust for your choice of toppings. It is a perfect snack for when you get a case of the munchies, and crave something quick and hardy.

My sister, Shelley, is very creative in the kitchen. She loves to make meals special, so when I saw PBJ on a stick at the Iowa State Fair, I knew it was an idea she would love.

My niece, Miley, started preschool last week. My sister made the peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a stick for her lunch after her first day of school. Shelley, added sliced strawberries and bananas to the grapes and the sandwich to make it extra special for, Miley.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Alligator Bites & Tiger Sauce

2011-09-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

I love to try new foods! Whenever I travel, one of my favorite things to do is try the local cuisine. You can really tell a lot about the place you are visiting by the food they eat.

I am visiting my family in Florida, and usually that means we eat a lot of fresh seafood cooked in every way imaginable.

Fried seafood, grilled seafood, boiled seafood; I could go on and on, but I am afraid I would begin sounding like Bubba in the Forrest Gump movie.

One of my families favorite appetizers is, Alligator Bites. They slice the tail section of the alligator into bite size pieces, dip them in a batter, than deep fry them.

The alligator meat is tender and juicy and I hate to say it, but it tastes like chicken. Isn't it strange how unusual food typically tastes like chicken. They serve the Alligator Bites with a sweet, spicy, and slightly sour sauce called, Tiger Sauce.

What is the most unique food item you have eaten?

On Friday, I will be posting a after school snack

that not only your kids will love but you will too!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog, Bo's Bowl. Not only does he host great giveaways, his recipes are incredible! One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, for more great recipes! Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!