Brownie Bliss

Welcome the darling Melissa as our Guest Chef this week!! She has provided this divine recipe for a "straight to the hips" love affair (I'm told)!! Melissa is a mother to 3 beautiful boys and comes up with brownie recipes in her spare time..hehe! Thanks for sharing, I will be giving this recipe a whirl soon!

this picture is not the best, but when a certain 4 year old plays with the setting on your camera and you don't know how to figure out what buttons he pushed, this is the result..slightly blurry!

bliss from brownies:

1 box brownie mix (follow directions) or use a homemade brownie recipe you like

1. 3 minutes before the brownies are done, take them out of the oven and place a layer of mini marshmallows on top. Put back in the oven until the timer goes off.

2. In a double boiler or sauce pan melt together:

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter (creamy, the cheap stuff works the best)

1 and 1/2 cups rice crispy cereal

2-3 Tablespoons of butter

3. pour over brownies when out of oven, make sure to cover all of the melted marshmallows and then place brownies the fridge to set up for a few hours.

Favorite Pasta Salad

Welcome, welcome to our first timer guest chef....CHARLENE! Charlene is a recent Utahn after many years of making us smile in Arizona. We miss her & her funny jokes. She is a mother to 3 bouncing boys & likes to make pasta salad in her spare time (hehehe)! Lucky for us she decided to share! Now that it's offically hit the 100's here, pasta salad and grilled anything sounds delicious! Thanks for stopping by Char, hope to see you in AZ soon!

I love pasta salads, especially in the summer time. This recipe is one that I got from my sister-in-law and it is by far my favorite! Hope you like it :)

favorite pasta salad:

1 pkg 16 oz Cooked Penne pasta (or whatever you have on hand)

1 small Can sliced black olives

1 Chopped green pepper

1 Chopped red pepper

1 Can Marinated artichoke hearts, drained

2 C Broccoli florets

1 can Baby corn, drained and chopped (usually in the Oriental/Japanese food section)

6-8 oz Feta cheese

1/2 Red onion, finely chopped

1 T Salt

1 T Dry mustard

1/3 C Apple Cider vinegar

3/4 C Vegetable oil

3/4 C Sugar

1 T Poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Mix all salad ingredients in large bowl.

2. Whisk salt, mustard, vinegar, oil, sugar and poppy seeds.

3. Pour over salad. Toss and refrigerate.

*Serves probably 8-10 people

your guest chef,

Charlene

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

It's my wonderful little sister Kallie guest chefing again! She's days away from delivering her 2nd baby but is whipping up masterpieces in the kitchen to share with us! Hope these mexican food dishes chuck you into labor K, and you have little baby Brooks before the 21st!

(My pictures are not the best, but you get the idea)

I found this amazing Cafe Rio Sweet Pork recipe with all the sides at Favorite Family Recipes. We tried it for our Mother's Day dinner and everyone LOVED it! My hubby told me several times with a huge smile that it was exactly like the real thing. Even my 2 year old said it was really good.

It's a little time consuming but worth it. You could make everything the day before and warm it up to serve and it would be fantastic. I personally liked the rice better the second day because it wasn't as sticky. The beans have a lot of juice so serve them with a slotted spoon. We used the Costco uncooked flour tortillas to serve everything in. It was great as a burrito or salad! Enjoy!

sweet pork:
2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork roast)
3 cans Coke (36oz.) (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

1. Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add 1 ½ cans of coke (18oz.) and 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

2. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

3. In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

4. Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!
for the sauce (burritos):
1 small can diced chilies
1 7 oz. can Salsa Verde
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt


cilantro-lime rice:
1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

1. In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

black beans:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

1. In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

your guest chef,

Kallie

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

Shocker! Another guest chef came willingly! Welcome Ms. Talia & her divine recipe! Talia is a mother to 2 little boys & a baby girl fresh from the oven! She has somehow found the time to contribute a recipe for some delightfullness for the rest of us, maybe a good dessert idea for Mother's Day this Sunday! Thanks for sharing Talia!

not yo mama's banana pudding:

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

6 to 8 bananas sliced

2 C. milk

1 (5 0z) box instant french vanilla pudding

1 (8oz) cream cheese softened

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12oz) whipped topping thawed or or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

1. Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with cookies and a layer of bananas.

2. In a bowl, combine the milk & the pudding mix and blend with a electric mixer.
3. In another bowl, combine the cream cheese & sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
4. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
5. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until blended.
6. Pour the mixture over the cookies and the bananas & then add another layer of cookies.

7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*This is a Paula Dean recipe so you know it's gonna be DELISH! ENJOY!

your guest chef,

Talia

Impossibly Easy Chicken Pot Pie

SURPRISE, Surprise!! We have a guest chef!! Introducing the always funny Monda! Monda has 3 little girls & makes jewelry & furniture & who knows what else :) She's multi-talented as you will see with her delicious sounding recipe for chicken pot pie! Go check out her other endeavors, click here. Thanks for stopping by Monda, you did not disappoint!

I decided to put myself out there and be subjected to the snickering and criticism of the blogging world.

On Monday night we had friends over for GAME 5 of the Phoenix Suns playoffs and I made chicken pot pie. The fans went crazy....even the super picky 8 yr.old we call Abbi. Well... maybe not crazy but she did manage to eat more than 2 bites and didn't do her usual choke and gag routine. I hope your fans like it as much as mine did.

impossibly easy chicken pot pie:

1 2/3 cups of Green Giant frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup cut up cooked chicken
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup of milk
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix vegetables, chicken and soup,in ungreased glass pie plate. 9x1 1/4 inches.
2. Stir together remaining ingredients with fork until blended. Pour on top of chicken mixture.
3. Bake 30 mins. or until golden brown.

That is the OFFICIAL recipe: I doubled the recipe because it says it serves 6. Yeah right !! I used 3 large chicken breast cooked in my pressure cooker.(because it's super fast) and I also added potatoes, salt, pepper and garlic. If the mixture looks thick add milk or water depending on your tastes or diet.

I asked the fans to let me take a picture of the meal on a plate but this is all I was able to get. The crowd was getting restless. Guess it looked a little better before we cut into it. Oh well... it was good and the fam wants it again. So Monday night, not only were the Suns a winner so was I.
your guest chef,
Monda

Stromboli

Guest Chef Time Ladies!
Today our guest chef is my dear friend Stephanie! Stephanie is a fantastic mother to 4 children & a very talented photographer! Lucky for us, she has finally given into my constant nagging (hehehe) & given us her secret recipe for Stromboli!! My mouth is watering already! Seriously, look at that picture! I know I'll be adding this to my menu this week! Thanks Steph!
Here is a super easy recipe for a yummy finger food appetizer or if you want it as a meal, just cut them into bigger slices! Here's what you'll need:

stromboli:

Can of pizza dough (or if you're really talented, make the pizza dough yourself. But trust me, the refrigerated dough makes it so much quicker!)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 egg yolks
1 cup or more of mozzarella cheese
Whatever toppings you like!

1. Spread out your pizza dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Mix the other ingredients (except for the toppings) and spread over the dough. Top with cheese and your toppings. My kids are very plain pizza eaters. Half of them like cheese only, the other half require pepperoni. But I've had it with ham and pineapple or sausage and that is yummy too!

2. Roll up your pizza dough:

3. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Just watch it until it turns golden brown like this. Once you take it out of the oven, brush with butter.

And here's what the gooey inside looks like:

If you want to serve it as an appetizer, you can slice it up like so:

Oh yes - and it's yummy to dip it in ranch or pizza sauce. Enjoy!

your guest chef,

Steph

Teriyaki Chicken

Guest Chef time............
This week my youngest sister Heather has graced us with her presence & brought along a fantastic recipe for Teriyaki Chicken! Heather lives in Utah with her ever funny husband Jared & cute as a button 1 year old (Monday) daughter Livee & works as a dental hygienist a couple of days a week. SO glad to have her guest chef-ing!

Sorry for taking so long to finally make a decent meal :) here it is. Easiest meal ever!

teriyaki chicken:

Chicken breasts (i cut mine in half)
Teriyaki sauce (i use a 30 minute marinade)
Pineapple slices
Muenster cheese

1. Marinate chicken in teriyaki sauce for 30-60 minutes.
2. Put chicken & marinade into pan & bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes uncovered.

3. Remove from oven & place one pineapple slice, then one slice of muenster cheese on top of each piece of chicken. Put back in oven until cheese melts.
4. Serve with rice and veggies & extra teriyaki sauce. I always use extra pineapple-it is sooo good. This is our FAVORITE chicken! Enjoy!

Your Guest Chef,
Heather

Honey Lemon Chicken

It's Guest Chef time again & lo & behold it's my adorable little pregnant sister Kallie again! This looks really delish & I know I'll be trying it soon! Leave a comment on the blog when you're ready to delight us with one of your recipes! Your old, boring recipe is NEW & EXCITING to the rest of us so don't be shy & share your easy or difficult dessert, cookie, appetizer, main dish or soup recipe with us!

My family loves this chicken and it's healthy too! Even the 2 year old ate it with out ANY whining.

honey lemon chicken:

5 chicken breast halves

1/3 C. Honey
1/4 C. Lemon Juice
2 tsp. dried Rosemary leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper

Combine honey, lemon juice, rosemary and crushed red pepper. Pour over chicken and baked uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

My tips:

• I like to turn my chicken over half way through the cooking time.
• I only use 1/2 tsp. of rosemary, because I'm not a huge fan of it.
• The last 5 minutes of cooking I drizzle a little extra honey on top of the chicken to give it a little crust.

I love to have leftovers because this chicken and sauce is amazing in a salad. I like to add just a drop of ranch for the creamy texture and use the honey sauce for the rest of the dressing.

your guest chef,
Kallie

Jamaican Jerk Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Today I am proud to present our VERY FIRST EVER

Guest Chef......my little (& sweeter) sister Kallie!!!

Kallie lives in Utah with her husband McKay & their adorable 2 year old daughter Addison. Kallie is due in June with their 2nd baby...a BOY! Thank you Kallie for Guest Chef-ing! It looks delish! Hope you'll come again!

(Er, I tried to make the picture look as delicious as I could)

This is what the family had last night. Even Addison ate it without complaining (the chips might have helped a little). It smells fantastic while it is cooking. The meat is a little more sweet then spicy, which I like. It is one of the easiest crock pot recipes; all you need is 6 ingredients and buns!

jamaican jerk pulled pork sandwiches:

2 1/2 lbs. pork boneless shoulder
1 tbsp. Jamaican Jerk seasoning (I use Caribbean style jerk)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup cola
2 cups barbecue sauce
8 sandwich buns

1. If pork comes in netting or is tied, do not remove. Spray crock pot with cooking spray (or use a crock pot bag - best thing ever!). Rub jerk seasoning over pork; sprinkle with thyme. Place pork in cooker. Sprinkle with onion. Pour cola over pork.

2. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours. (My pork was done in 7 hours)

3. Remove pork from cooker; place on cutting board. Remove juices from cooker and reserve 1/2 cup. Remove netting or strings and pull pork into shreds.

4. Pour barbeque sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved juices into the crock pot. Add pork mix well. Cover and increase the heat to High for 30 to 45 minutes until it's heated through.

5. Serve on sandwich buns and enjoy!

FYI - this freezes really well. I cooked a 4 lb. pork last night so I'm freezing the leftovers for 2 meals later. If you buy a big shoulder roast you can cut it to size and rub the jerk seasoning and thyme on it and freeze it so you don't have to touch it twice before you cook it.

your guest chef,
Kallie