nacho mama

my lovely hubby and i and our sweet peyton-girl took a little walk to the nearest hy-vee last week in hopes of creating the world's most delicious nachos. and delicious they were. we hit it out of the park...these babies were too good not to share. check this out:

we spread out some santitas corn chips (thanks for the recommendation, IGE!) on the bottom of the pan, then smothered the chips in shredded Fontina cheese. this cheese is a little on the pricey side, but, oh, so creamy and worth the extra money. next up was some chopped red onion, some jalapenos and some fresh cilantro. the last ingredient is the kicker. we layered some thinly sliced pieces of capicola over the top. capicola is spicey, italian ham that brandon and i used in a recipe one time and fell in love. we like to use it in pasta dishes and on pizza too...and now, nachos!

while baking (at 425 degrees), i whipped up some simple and fresh guacamole:
-one avacado
-the juice from half a lime
-one or two cloves of garlic (you decide....garlic breath never hurt anyone, right?)
-salt to taste

mash it all together and test it with a few chips....delish! my sister showed me how to make guac this way five years ago during my three week stay in costa rica. i swear that it never tastes as good as it did during that vacation. everything tastes better in costa rica, i guess....except for the cheese....don't eat the cheese.

try this recipe. it's quick and easy and perfect for friday nights in front of the tube. you won't regret it!

Fresh & Easy

I'm not sure what to call this recipe...it's a really yummy-throw whatever you got in your cupboard-chicken salad. I got it from my mom, so here's the kudos to momma! It is seriously so simple, yet tastes so delicious and is a great summer meal option.

Ingredients:
*Chicken (I usually cook mine in the crock-pot the day that I'm making the chicken salad, and shred it. Use whatever amount you want--the more you make, obviously the more chicken salad you will end up with! There are no specific measurements to this recipe!)
*Whatever you want to throw in (nuts, grapes, craisins, water chestnuts, raisins, celery, etc...I'll show you what I put in mine this time around)
*Ranch dressing (until desired consistency...not too dry, not too saturated)...Ranch makes everything better, right?!
*Buns (my family loves it on croissants!!)

Here's pics of my most recent time of making it...(sorry they're so dark. I don't have very good lighting in my kitchen. I promise you it looks better in person and that it is very delicious!)

The chicken after it was cooked and shredded....ready for more ingredients to be added!

Craisins...

Cashews...

Water chestnuts (drained)...

 

 Grapes (halved)...

HyVee brand is just fine!

 Before adding the dressing...

After adding the Ranch...

And after completely mixing! I forgot to take a picture of it on an actual bun!

See how easy it is?! It is great leftover too...you can eat on it for quite a while! Pair it with chips and dip, fruit, etc., and it makes for such an easy-breezy, summer meal!

Let me know if you make it! Enjoy :)

Memorial Day Gooey Goody

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

I don't know about you, but it's been a great weekend filled with family, food, and fun. I think I'm pretty pooped, and so is Hurley as he's passed out while I'm typing this.

I forgot to tell you guys that Hurley turned one on the 26th! I can't believe my baby is already one! Seriously, if I get this sentimental about my puppy, what in the world kind of wreck am I going to be when I am a mom to human babies! 

Anyway, I know that Maggie just posted a cookie recipe (which I am dying to try-aren't you?! I mean come on...how can you get much better than Nutella cookies?!), but I have to give you a recipe that has just made it's way into my family's heart and is going to stay for a while!

Maggie actually made them for the dessert portion of our house tour, and that's when my sister, mom, and I fell in love. She got them originally from Iowa Girl Eats website, and it's also posted on our good friend's blog Eating, Exploring & Enjoying. Both have awesome pictures (sorry, I didn't take the time to take pics), so please head on over to one of those sites to check out the pics!

Anyway, I decided to make them for an extended family get together this weekend, and I kid you not they were gone in like seconds. I was glad I had doubled the recipe!

Here's the recipe (taken from Iowa Girl Eats) with my added comments:

Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies 

Yield: 24 cookies (I would recommend at least doubling the recipe, if not more!)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
24 rolos
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla then mix until combined.
2. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt & cocoa powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three batches, mixing well between each batch. Chill dough for 1 hour in the fridge or 20-30 minutes in the freezer. (I had to keep my dough longer in the freezer...basically you just need to get it cold enough so that it's easy to work with, otherwise it's so sticky it's impossible to wrap around the Rolos!)
3. Scoop out ~1 Tablespoon dough and wrap it around a Rolo candy (I rolled it again to work it back into a ball, which kept it together nicely and made rolling in the sugar easier). Roll dough in sugar and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, rotating pan half way through. Enjoy!


Seriously, this recipe is so simple, yet you feel like you've really made something fancy with the gooey caramel on the inside! Let me know if you decide to try them (you should).    :)

Meat your new favorite recipe!

OK, so that was a little cheesy but I am absolutely giddy about a recipe I found on For the Love of Cooking about a year ago.  Seriously... it's amazing.  Even though it's been rainy around these parts lately, Jer and I have found the time to grill this favorite meal of ours.  Whenever I buy the ingredients for Carne Asada, he goes completely bonkers and starts drooling all over... well, sort of ;)

Carne Asada Tacos

Taken directly from For the Love of Cooking Blog

*My comments are in bold*

Carne Asada Marinade:

• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs of flank steak
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1-2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 limes, juiced
• 4-5 cloves garlic minced

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine all ingredients with flank steak and mix really well. Let marinate for at least 6 hours - overnight if you can.  Seriously, the longer the better.  You have NEVER tasted meat this flavorful!

Grill steak until desired degree of doneness.  Don't overcook the steak.  I think my husband grills it for about 5-6 mins on each side.  LET SIT FOR AT LEAST 5-10 MINUTES! Once the meat has cooled, slice ACROSS grain into small chunks. You MUST let the meat sit!

FYI, One package of flank steak makes enough to eat for about 3 adults.  We had four share these tacos before and I think two of us had to go with only one taco.  

Other Ingredients:

• Corn tortillas
• Cotija cheese (Mexican cheese that is worth getting because it's really great on all Mexican dishes & salads)
• Guacamole 
• Roasted Tomato Salsa 
• Onion, Lime & Cilantro relish 

Cook tortillas (dry) in a hot pan for 45-60 seconds on each side. You want them soft & pliable. Add meat, cheese, salsa, onion & top with guacamole. You will LOVE these tacos.

Go to the original Carne Asada recipe to see her other recipes for what to put on the tacos.  IMO, the meat is so good you barely need to add anything on the tacos. We've made her homemade guac before though and it's awesome. I had cheese and salsa on mine the other night and still felt like it masked the insanely good flavor of the meat too much.  The steak would be good on a salad or seriously anything.  My husband would eat it everyday of his life for every meal if he had to... and I probably could too ;)  

Bear Creek Soup

I know with the gorgeous weather we've been having the last thing on your menus is probably soup. But, I've been meaning to post about this for a while and unfortunately, it looks like we're back to colder weather for a little while longer...summer is coming soon, I promise!

This soup is something my mother told me about. It is so quick and easy and yummy, and also makes a good amount! So if you're looking for something that fits this discription, you've got it!

You see the instructions on the top that says, "just add water"? Yup, that's basically all you do! I know a lot of people are leery of soups made from a powdery mix, but you don't have to be with this!


Although it probably is good just "as is", my family likes to add a little bit for extra taste...what you might ask?

Bacon, potatoes, and green onions. The back of the bag also suggests adding sour cream and cheese for more of a loaded baked potato feel, I suppose. I think it's cheesy enough, and the onions and bacon add the perfect touch to make it even better! The extra added potatoes are just for a little bit more "umph" and consistency.

Here's a look at the work in progress:

 The soup gets thicker as it simmers.

Eric basting the breadsticks we got to go with it. They are so yummy and simple too! Simply brush with some butter,

add some Kosher/Sea salt,

and taa-daa! The finished product:

Haha, now that I look at this picture, I see that breadstick had maybe a little too much salt on it :) But we did brush some off and that's what's so great about breadsticks...just brush it off if you got a little too "salt happy"!

I got the soup from HyVee but I think I heard someone say they've seen it at Wal-Mart too. I can't say anything about any of the other soups in that brand because I've never tried them, but this one is good!

Let me know if you give it a try!

Lemon Cookies FULL Recipe!

Last week, I posted about my Aunt's fabulous lemon cookies that I begged you to make.  A little after I posted the recipe, I realized it was incomplete.  Here it is in all of it's lemon glory:

Aunt Amy's Fabulous Lemon Cookies

I box Moist Supreme lemon cake mix (I've used other brands)
2 eggs
1/3 veggie oil
Granulated sugar
Creamy Supreme Lemon Frosting
Granule sugar
* Don't buy Betty Crocker cake mix-- the cookies don't turn out as well.

Heat oven to 375*. Mix cake mix, eggs and oil.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased sheet.  Place sugar in bowl/dish and flatten cookies to 1/4 inch thickness.  

Bake for 5-7 mins. Cool 1 minute then remove from sheet.  (It is important to cool 1 min before removing.  If you do it too soon they will be too soft and will break.  If you cool too long on the sheet they will stick and you will have to chisel with a spatula to remove.) After moving, let cookies cool completely before frosting. 

Microwave about 1/2 cup of the frosting for 15 secs and drizzle on cooled cookies. (I put the frosting fresh from the jar into a baggie, cut a tiny hole in it, and pipe swirls on the cookies.) After drizzling every three cookies or so, sprinkle with sugar on the fresh frosting.  (I used the large granule sugar from the baking/spice isle at Walmart.) If you wait too long the frosting will be dried and the sugar won't stick.

Make sure to use the granule sugar on top-- the crunch of the sugar combined with the smooth lemon flavor creates the perfect combination of textures.  My Aunt does the frosting swirls and it looks so cute with the sugar.  These cookies are perfect for spring and are seriously some of THE BEST COOKIES I've ever had!

apple crisp deliciousness

here's a yummy recipe to try if you have time....i had been craving apple crisp for a few weeks (since Brandon and i watched something about it on the food network channel), so i thought i would have a go at it. this is huge for me, because if i am going to spend time making homemade dessert, it's gotta have chocolate in it.

well not this time..


here the recipe i followed:

Carmel Apple Crisp

	Filling		Topping
8-10	large granny smith apples; peeled, cored and sliced	2	cups brown sugar
2	Tbs. lemon juice	2	cups flour
2/3	cup sugar	1	cup instant oatmeal
1/3	cup flour	1/2	cup chopped walnuts
2	tsp. ground cinnamon	1	cup butter; melted
3/4	tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4	tsp. ground cloves
3/4	tsp. salt
1	(12 oz.) jar carmel sauce

In a buttered 12" Dutch oven add apples and lemon juice; stir to coat apples. In a separate dish combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt; stir to mix. Pour dry ingredients over apples and stir until apples are well coated. Spread out apples and pour carmel sauce over the top. In a medium bowl combine brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, and walnuts; stir to mix. Using a fork mix in melted butter to form coarse crumbs. Spread topping evenly over apples. Cover Dutch oven and bake using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 16-18 briquettes top for 60 minutes.

 and now for the pictures....
happy wednesday!

this bad boy is my pampered chef apple peeler. saved  me at least 30 minutes of peeling and slicing!

right outta the oven. all the caramel had bubbled up and risen to the top.....uhg, SO GOOD.

add a little ice cream....and voila!

Peppermint Please!

Mmmmm...peppermint. If there is ONE flavor that's associated with this glorious time of year, this would have to be it! Three of my favorite peppermint flavored things...Nestle Peppermint Mocha Creamer, Blue Bunny Peppermint Stick Ice Cream, and my mom's peppermint candy she used to make every Christmas.

Let me back up a little.

I used to HATE coffee. My two lovely friends here loved it, which made it no fun for me when I felt like an outsider every time someone mentioned a coffee shop! A little insight into my sweet friends...one time they did everything they could to convince me to try Tiramisu and PROMISED me that I would love it. I don't remember how they did it, but they did. They tricked me, and despite my hesitations I fell for their deception to try Tiramisu! WORST.dessert.EVER Needless to say they got a good laugh at the face I made and I never forgave them :) Just kidding. But they do still enjoy teasing me about it today.

I eventually found a love for Chai which sufficed for my lack of love for coffee and gave me a small glimmer of hope for the future (and something to make me not feel completely like a loser when I walked into a coffee shop!). And then I met Peppermint Mocha. The perfect combination of flavor--mocha, peppermint, and coffee--who knew?! I now enjoy a variety of coffee flavors (thanks to this guy!), but nothing will ever take the place of my sweet Peppermint Mocha.

And then there's peppermint ice cream. Ohhh, Baskin Robbins has THE BEST!! You have to go try it. I know it's hard to pull yourself out of your house when it's this cold outside (especially to go get ice cream!), but trust me it's worth it. Plus, this time of year they have it in cartons, so there's no excuse to not go and get some and take it home when you can savor it while wrapped in a warm blanket or sitting cozily next to the fire. If you can't get to Baskin Robbins, Blue Bunny Peppermint Stick will do...

And last, but not least, my mom's peppermint candy. Always looked forward to it. She doesn't make it anymore, and part of the reason is that she used to get the ingredients from a specialty candy shop.

Here's the basics:
-Ingredients: peppermints (or candy canes) and almond bark.
-Simply break up the peppermints into pieces (mom said just put it in a paper bag and hammer the poor things to death!)
-Then melt the almond bark, pour over a sheet pan (aluminum foil helps here) and sprinkle the mint pieces into it and wait for it to harden.
-After it's hardened, break the almond bark into pieces, and there you have it folks--peppermint candy!

It's yummy and so festive looking with white, red, and green! I have never made it and wish I could get specialty ingredients from a candy store (maybe I can....anyone have any suggestions?!), but I am sure it is still good nonetheless.

Hope I've tickled your taste buds :) Go enjoy some peppermint peeps!