Key Lime Tarts

I made these tarts for my sister in law's wedding shower and they were so delicious! I love anything lime or lemon and these turned out SUPER limey, so tart and yum, plus they are really cute.

Key Lime Tarts

10 mini graham cracker crusts* (available near the regular graham cracker crusts in the baking aisle)

5 egg yolks

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Around 1/2 c. lime juice. Fresh key lime juice is best, then regular lime juice, then bottled key lime juice. If you’re going to use bottled regular lime juice, don’t. Honestly, I’m too lazy to juice those tiny little key limes, so I just juice regular limes and call it a day.

2 drops green food coloring (optional and rather controversial in the world of Key Lime Pie purists. If you don’t add it, your pies will be more authentic, but also on the yellow side. I normally don’t bother with it, but since it’s Green Week, I lived on the edge a little.)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks,
sweetened condensed milk, and lime juice
 Distribute evenly among graham cracker crusts (I used my cookie scoop to make sure things were equal). Place tart pans on a baking sheet

and bake in preheated oven 10-11 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature, then chill in fridge until ready to serve.

Before serving, add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. Light a coconut candle, turn on your ceiling fan, close your eyes, and pretend that cockroach you found this morning was in Key West instead of, say, Louisiana.

Egg Salad BLT's

Egg Salad BLT’s
Our Best Bites recipe adapted from Cooking Light 
 

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
8 hard boiled eggs
4 Rolls, (or 8 slices peasant bread/firm sandwich bread), toasted
8 bacon slices, cooked
8 slices tomato
4 large lettuce leaves

*if you like it extra tangy, add a teaspoon of vinegar too.

1. Combine mayo, sour cream, green onions, Dijon, salt, pepper, and lemon in a medium bowl. Stir to combine well.

 

2. Coarsely chop eggs and add to mayo mixture. Stir gently to combine.

3. Arrange rolls or bread on work surface. Top each bread slice with about 1/2 cup egg mixture, 2 bacon slices, 2 tomato slices, a lettuce leaf, and top half of roll. Serve sandwich immediately.

Cowboy Quesadilla's

I made these tonight and loved them! So simple, I had everything on hand that the recipe called for (which is my FAVORITE thing, not having to go to the store for recipes!) I whipped them up and they were so delicious. I didn't really follow the measurements, just kind of eyed it, I did 1 C. of rice, 1 can of black beans and then a little more of everything else and it turned out great!

Cowboy Quesadillas
Recipe by Our Best Bites
1/2 C white rice
1/3 C black beans
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/3 C fresh frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
2/3 C diced tomato
3 Tbs sliced green onion
1 1/2 C shredded cheese (any type or combo you like)
1/4 C bbq sauce
6 small tortillas (fajita size, about 6″)

Dipping Sauce
equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing


Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, green onion and shredded cheese.  Add bbq sauce and stir to combine.  Place about 1/3 C of mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over to close.

Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove top.  When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray, or drizzle with canola or olive oil.  Place quesadillas in pan and cook for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp.  Flip and repeat on opposite side.  Cool for a few minutes and then serve with BBQ-Ranch dipping sauce. 

White Bean Chili

I got this from my friend Paige's family recipe blog. I about died, it's SO GOOD! So perfect for a cold spring day.

1/2 lg onion chopped

3 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
3 cans chicken broth
1 sm can diced green chili's
3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cayenne
4 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic
1 cup sour cream
2 cups grated monterey jack cheese

1 can diced tomatoes (BEST part in my opinion, it's not called for but I LOVED adding them)
In large pan, cook the chopped onion in a little olive oil. Cook until done.
Add remaining ingredients, simmer about 30 min.

When ready, stir in sour cream and cheese, or sprinkle cheese in each bowl, I also added some cilantro and chips. MMMMM

Apple Dip

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
heath - to your liking (I used the chocolate covered heath and I like A LOT! :)

mix above ingredients with an electric mixer.

Eat with Green apples

Greek Chicken Pita Pockets

I made these last night and I'm STILL thinking about them! They are SOOOO good you must make them asap! I LOVE Greek food and I found this recipe in my recipe folder, not sure where I got it, plus I love using the crockpot

1 pkg pocket pitas
2 t white vinegar
Juice of one lemon
1 1/2 T dried oregano
2 t dried thyme
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 C water
1/2 C olive oil
1 t rosemary
1 T chicken base or bouillon
6-8 chicken breasts (I used about 10-12 tenders and worked fine)
3 tomatoes, diced into chunks
lettuce, shredded (I didn't shred mine)
1/2 large yellow onion (optional, i don't like raw onion)
1 C feta cheese BEST PART!!!!

Cucumber Cream Sauce
1 cucumber, peeled and grated
2 small plain yogurts (or about 1 1/2 c.)
2 T mayo (don't use fat free won't taste as good)
Juice of one lemon
1 1/2 T dried dill (i used dill weed and seemed just fine)
salt & pepper
1 t garlic powder

For added flavor in your pita you can add Ken's Lite Ceasar dressing. I didn't but i'm sure it's delicious!

place chicken breasts, olive oil, rosemary, chicken base, lemon juice, thyme, oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper, and water in a crock pot. Cook on med high heat for 4-6 hrs or until tender. When cooked, shred chicken into large chunks. For cucumber sauce add the above ingredients and chill. In the pita pocket put the chicken, cucumber sauce, tomatoes, feta and lettuce. MMMM! Serve with an extra squirt of lemon, YUM!!!

Funfetti Cookies

We all know and love this recipe, but just in case,,,,

1 Box of funfetti cake mix

1/3 C of oil

2 Eggs

Rainbow chip FROSTING!!!

Mix cake mix eggs and oil in bowl, roll into 1 inch balls and squish down with bottom of cup. Bake 325 for 6-8 min. Frost and enjoy!

Rice Krispie Ice Cream Crunch

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cubes butter
1 cup coconut
3 cups rice krispies
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (opt)
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream (softened a bit)

Directions:
1-melt together butter and sugar.
2-mix in coconut, nuts and cereal.
3 pat 1/2 of the mixture into a 9x13 pan.
4-spread the softened ice cream over the mixture.
5-Add remaining cereal mixture over the top and freeze until firm.
6-serve with hot fudge, Carmel, or raspberry or strawberry pie filling.

Creamy Pear Jello

1 large pkg Jello (lime, raspberry, strawberry are our favorite)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 large can of pears, with the juice
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 pt whipping cream (not whipped)

Directions:
1-Mix jello with boiling water until dissolved.
2-In blender, blend pears with the juice and cream cheese until smooth.
3-Then pour into the jello and stir.
3-Pour in whipping cream, stir and refrigerate till set about 3-4 hours.

This is soo good and creamy!

Chicken Salad

2 cups tiny shell macaroni
3 cups cooked and diced chicken (I like rotisserie chicken)
2 Tbs green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups celery diced small
11 oz mandarin oranges
1 1/2 cups grapes, halved
sm. can pineapple tidbits
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 tsp salt1 1/4 cup cool whip (I use more!)
3/4 cup mayo

Cook macaroni according to package. Mix with everything except mayo and cool whip. Refrigerate for 4 hours (or any amount of time will do.) Then mix in cool whip and mayo.
Serve on croissants.

Gingerbread Pancakes

Dry ingredients:
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 cup white flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground clove

Wet ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
2 Tbs oil

Directions:
Mix dry and wet separately, then mix together just until blended.
Cook then top with syrup or warm peach or apple pie filling. We like it topped with peach pie filling and powdered sugar!
Makes 8-10 pancakes

An extra Healthier Version:
use all whole wheat flour, replace brown sugar with molasses, use skim milk or water, 2 egg whites instead of 1 whole egg and replace oil with 2 Tbs unsweetened apple sauce.

TIPS:
my sister-in-law Natalie made this for Trenton for Christmas one year. She packaged up all the dry ingredients together (she doubled the recipe) and then gave him a jar of her homemade peach pie filling. It was AMAZING! Perfect Christmas gift for someone.

Fat Free Baked Potato Fries

6 medium potatoes (baked, peeled, and wedged)
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp powdered Ranch dressing mis
1 tsp. salt
canola oil spray

Directions:
1-preheat oven to broil at 500 degrees
2-spray a cookie sheet generously with cooking spray
3-lay potatoes on sheet and coat each wedge with spray
4-mix all the spices together and sprinkle all over
5-broil for about 20 min, stirring them every 5 min.

Tips: I like to bake my potatoes in the morning or the day before adn place in the fridge. Then I let them sit out at room temperature for a bit, makes it easy to cut and then doesn't take so much time to make them ubti fries for dinner.

Thick Chicken Noodle Soup

I LOVE this Chicken Noodle Soup, I especially love it the next day because its even thicker! I got the recipe from an older lady in my old ward. I love her wisdom and friendship. Who knew I could be such good friends with someone who could be my grandma. Thats probably why I love her so much, she could be my grandma.

4-5 frozen chicken breasts
2-3 1/2 qts water
2 tsp salt
3 lrg carrots diced
2-3 celery ribs chopped
1 medium onion diced small
2 tsp poultry seasoning (if you don't have it you can substitute 3-4 chicken boullion cubes)
1 Tbls chopped parsley
3 cups noodles
1/2 cup flour
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter/marg

-Put chicken, water and salt in pot and boil until tender.
-take out chicken and add carrots, celery, onion, seasoing, and parsley cook until partially done, 15 min or so.
-Add noodles and cook according to package about 10 min.
-Add chicken back in and then mix the flour and milk together and pour into pot to thicken the soup.
-Cut up the butter, place in pot and stir till all blended and melted.

Enjoy!

German Pancakes or "Couches"

 

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 Tbls butter

 Put the butter in a 9x13in pan and place in the over while the oven preheats to 450. You want the pan hot and the butter melted and sizzling.

While thats preheating and melting, mix the eggs, milk, flour, and salt together. Then pour in the pan over the melted butter.  Cook for 18-20 min. The pancakes will rise and bubble up to look like a couch. Thats why we call them "couches". 

Serve with syrup or jam and powder sugar. We have these almost once a week for dinner. Its my, "I dont' know what to make for dinner" recipe.

Creamy Wild Rice and Tomato Basil Soup

3T butter

3 T olive oil

1 med onion chopped (I dice my small)

2-16oz cans diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth (I use a bit more, only if needed)

1/2 cups zanarans long grain wild rice

pinch of salt and pepper

2 T fresh basil

4 cups whipping cream

Heat butter, oil, onion, and carrots about 10 min still soft. Add everything except for whipping cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hr. Add more broth if needed at this time. Remove from heat and add whipping cream. Enjoy!

This is one of my favorite Fall soups, its not low fat thats for sure but its so good!!!! You could serve it with grilled cheese but believe me its filling enough on its own.

Sour Cream Enchilada's

I got this recipe from my friend Paige and I LOVE it, I make it at least once a month.

So easy and so delicious!

2 cans cream of chicken

1 4 oz can diced green chilies (I put in 2)

about 8-10 chicken tenders or 4-5 chicken breasts

1 1/2 C. sour cream

3 C grated cheese

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

tortillas (I like to use corn)

Cook chicken and shred (I like to dice into bite size pieces)

Mix together ingredients and fill tortillas with mixture

Spread some of the mixture on bottom of 9x13 pan, I also like to spread some on top of enchiladas, then sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake on 350 for 30 min.

ENJOY! mmmm

Sammy's Salsa

Even though I got this recipe from my dear friend Florence that I used to work with at McKay Dee we call it Sammy's Salsa cause I always make it and it's AMAZING!

(I have never made it for MY family, I'll have to next get together!)

1 yellow bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

cilantro

green onion

1 can of corn DRAINED

1 can of black beans DRAINED

1 can of hominy DRAINED

1 bottle of Hendrickson's salad dressing

Chop up the cilantro, green onion and bell peppers (Don't use green they really don't all taste the same!) I don't ever measure the cilantro or green onion, just do it to taste, I use LOTS of cilantro, almost the whole bunch, use about 1/2 of the bunch of onions.  Combine with corn, beans, and hominy in large bowl.  Add about half the bottle of Hendrickson's dressing.

The beauty of this "salsa" is that you can add whatever you want to it, I've added fresh tomatoes, avocado, and the original recipe doesn't call for hominy but I love it.  The Hendrickson's dressing is also my FAVE.

ENJOY!!!

Philly Spaghetti

I love this recipe because it's so EASY and FAST and I pretty much always have the ingredients on hand which is so important to me I HATE having to run to the store for just a few things for a recipe.

1/2 lb (1/2 pkg) of spaghetti noodles

4 oz (1/2 cube) of cream cheese (I use the less fat kind)

24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce

1 lb of ground beef

THAT'S IT!

Brown the ground beef. Drain, add spaghetti sauce and cream cheese.

Stir and cook on med until well blended. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles with some parmesan cheese mmm mmm!

After the first time I made this Erik told me "You can make that again."

Zesty Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken over Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless skinless, chicken breasts (I used 4 and they were big and frozen)

1 (12 oz) bottle BBQ sauce (I use Famous Dave's Sweet and Zesty)

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbls Worcestershire Sauce

Directions: 
1-Place frozen chicken in crock pot.
2- In a bowl combine the BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire Sauce, mix and pour over chicken
3-Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
4-about the last hour, shred chicken with two forks and mix with the sauce.
5-serve over baked potatoes with sour cream, green onions, and broccoli for the side.

This is soooo yummy! I couldn't stop eating it or thinking about it. We gave it 5 stars!!!!
It would also make great BBQ chicken or pork sandwiches, salad, or pizza!

Crock Pot Herbed Tomato Artichoke Chicken with Fettucine

This is what I'm making for tonight!  Hope it's good!

3/4 lb chicken breast (i did about 8 tenders)

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained (I got a can of med. hearts, I think it would be better to have small ones)

1/3 C chopped onion

1/2 C chicken broth

3 T quick-cooking tapioca

2 t curry powder

1 t dried parsley flakes

1 t basil

1 t thyme

1/4 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

Cooked fettuccine noodles

Combine all ingredients in crockpot EXCEPT noodle.  Mix thoroughly, cover and cook on low for 6 hrs or high for 3 1/2. Serve over fettucine.