Bacon Ranch Baby Pepper Poppers

Okay! I am FINALLY getting around to posting recipes from last weekend's trip to Buck Island. I made several different little appetizers, but the one that was totally my own creation was this one. I'll post links to the other yummy snacks I made as well, though.
I went back and forth ALL DAY the day before our sail trying to decide what to stuff these peppers with, and ultimately I decided that since it was going to be a hot day in the sun that it would be great to have something cool to snack on. I think that a spicy southwest cold popper would also be great as a variation on this recipe. So, swap the ranch packet for taco seasoning, garnish with black olive, etc. Anyway, you can most definitely make this recipe your own :)

What You Need

1 lb package of baby sweet peppers, halved lengthwise & w/seeds & ribs removed
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup bacon bits (I used fakin' --Bacos)
1 packet ranch dressing mix

What You Do

Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, ranch packet, and bacon bits. Put the mixture into a ziplock bag. Cut the tip off of one corner, and pipe into the peppers. Chill for one hour or more before serving. And, done!

*I did use a Wilton piping tip (2A) for mine
*I had leftover "stuffing," which makes a great veggie dip ~or~ you could stuff celery as well

Final note is that I also made smoked salmon and dill cream cheese dip as well as Double Peanut Butter Paisley Brownies

Happy Meatball Day! Meatballs & Stuffed Mushrooms Recipes Included

So when I cook, I like to be able to freeze some extra to make my life easier later. I told the girls that yesterday was "Meatball Day," and they got really excited. The funny thing is that I was letting them know that it was meatball day so that they were aware that our social/screen/sugar detox was continuing and that I would be consumed for at least half the day making meatballs. They thought it was a holiday; and so I figured, why not?! Why does Meatball Day have to be boring and time consuming and not at all fun? Good idea, girls! So to make it an actual holiday, I thought we could include some homeschool activities that were meatball themed, namely Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. I thought we'd read the book since it was one of the first books I ever bought for their library, and then we'd do some printable activities that coincided with that and/or the movie(s) while I was making actual meatballs. The only problem was that the book went missing :-/ ...So, I did get some printables for them, which I'll link for you guys if you're interested in doing this with your littles. There is also a YouTube vid of the book, but that also kinda defeated the purpose of my screen detox. (I caved later anyway, but whatevs.)

Okay so on Meatball Day, which is now a household holiday, I always make a large batch of spaghetti sauce (aka gravy for some weird Italians whom I will never understand). That's step 1. I use a slow cooker, and the sauce cooks ALL. DAY. LONG. It's never the same, so I can't even give you a recipe. I start with a Classico Tomato & Basil base and then add whatever I have and/or want. I will say one thing I learned years ago from one of the families I was a nanny for was to use white beans (Cannellini) for an extra protein boost and a nice texture variety. Dig it. So first thing I do is get that started, and then I move on to the meatballs.

Mamamia Mama's AMAZE-Meatballs Recipe

What You Need

-1.5ish lbs 90% lean ground beef
-1 lb ground pork
-1 lb ground turkey
10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
1 egg
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/2 to 1 head of garlic, minced (Depends on the size of the head and also how much you like garlic)

What You Do

-Preheat your oven to 375. Yep, that's right. I said oven. The way to decrease some fat in your meatballs is to bake them. Also it's a lot less messy, and I find that they are cooked more evenly.
-Okay, so then you mix the meats together with the spinach and minced garlic until it's pretty evenly distributed. Use your hands. Then add in the egg and same thing, knead it all together by hand. Then add the Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Once everything is all mixed nice and evenly, you can start forming the balls and placing them on a greased (or not) cookie sheet. I've done it both ways, and it doesn't really seem to make much difference. I make mine 1 Tbs each. Not a heaping Tablespoon either. This is such the perfect size, honestly!
-Once you fill up a cookie sheet (I fit 20-24 per sheet), bake them for 20 minutes...and done! I can get about 80 meatballs out of one batch, divide them up however you like into freezer bags and dump the first batch into your sauce to finish cooking all day long :)
**I also use these meatballs for Meatball Stroganoff, and they are amaze-meatballs. Even though they have a mild Italian flavoring, they really are incredibly versatile. I promise you will love them

Okay so that takes me about 3-4 hours start to finish to do an entire batch of them, and while I was working on that, I had the monsters working on their Meatball Day themed printables:

http://flash.sonypictures.com/downloads/homevideo/sonywonder/cloudy/dvdrom/cloudy_maze.pdf (hardest maze EVER, I am pretty sure, so that should keep them busy for awhile)
http://flash.sonypictures.com/downloads/homevideo/sonywonder/cloudy/flintsfamilyfuncenter/cloudy_word_scramble.pdf

Some of them were too advanced really for their age, but they still enjoyed coloring the pictures :) The maze is totally ridiculous. Lol

Later in the day, I went back to finish the appetizer for this amazing holiday: Stuffed Mushrooms. I couldn't find a recipe that I really liked start to finish, so I combined some different ones and did my own thing, which I am happy to share with you!

Stuffed Mushrooms

What You Need

2 packages of stuffer mushrooms, separated stems from caps (rinsed of dirt and patted dry)
1/2 head of garlic (or 4 large cloves), minced
3 Tbs butter
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1-2 Tbs water
1/2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 cup (ish) shredded Italian cheese of your choice (I used Asiago this time, which I also used in the meatballs in place of the Parmesan)
*You can totally half this recipe, but I just have a problem cooking in small amounts*

What You Do

-Arrange the caps of the mushrooms on a greased cookie sheet, round side down
-Cut the hard end off the stems and then finely chop them
-Melt butter in a skillet on med/high heat, I added a couple dashes of sage as well, then add the mushroom/garlic mixture and Worcestershire and saute for 3-5 minutes until they are tender but not completely cooked through
-Remove from heat, and mix the breadcrumbs and the mushroom mixture in a bowl. Add water to get a stuffing-like texture, and then spoon that mixture into the mushroom caps.
-Top with your cheese of choice
-Bake for 20 minutes at 350
-Fall in love ;)

When that's all finished, serve it up with your awesome sauce and spaghetti! 

We did end up watching Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs while eating spaghetti and meatballs, too. Yes, I completely caved on the screen detox for that moment. But I mean, the holiday just wouldn't have been complete otherwise! So there you have it, Meatball Day for the masses ;) Now, go celebrate!

Til next time,
Xoxo Xile

Rule Breakin' Cajun Shrimp Alfredo w/Vegetable Sauté

Hello, my friends! Today I broke a rule. The rule is generally that on grocery day, there is no cooking. Anyone who shops at 3 stores for a family of 4 or more can surely understand this rule, right? I mean, we spend all day buying food...and then when you get home you have no desire to put the stuff away, let alone actually cook any of it! Well, seeing as how cooking is a pretty therapeutic activity for me, I decided to break the mold today and cook up some dinner. That, and I couldn't fit everything in the freezer. :p

I decided to make Cajun shrimp Alfredo for a couple of reasons: 1. I have been craving Alfredo for at least 2 weeks, and 2. I couldn't fit the shrimp in the freezer. Also, I had gotten some really beautiful sweet peppers today that were begging to be eaten.

Okay so let's get the downside out of this right out of the gate, k? You will have a ridiculous amount of dishes for this one, folks. I don't have a dishwasher, so this is a major thumbs down for me, but it was most definitely worth the elbow grease in the end. Apart from that, your family and your taste buds will be forever thankful that you came across this little recipe; promise.

What You Need

For the Alfredo
Pasta of your choice (penne was mine)
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick of butter
2 cups milk
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

For the shrimp:
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled & deveined, tail OFF
Cajun seasoning of your choice (I used Tony Chachere's Original Creole). It's like Frank's Red Hot: I put that shit on everything)
Garlic salt
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 head of garlic, minced
Old Bay Seasoning

For the veggies:
Veggies of choice (1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 1 onion)
2(ish) Tbs olive oil
Cajun seasoning to taste
1/2 head of garlic, minced
1/2 stick of butter

What You Do

Prep:
For the veggies, I sliced the peppers and onions thinly and then tossed them in some olive oil to coat them evenly. Then add the Cajun seasoning to taste. I had to go super light on this because my girls don't like too much spice.
For the shrimp, make sure your shrimp doesn't have tails, please! Rinse them off, and then toss them in a nice mix of Old Bay, Cajun spice, and garlic salt. Let the veggies and the shrimp "marinate" for about an hour while you take care of children, do laundry, feed animals, and maybe run the vacuum. Or play Candy Crush. Whichever works for you ;)

When you're ready to do the cooking, start with boiling the water for the pasta. Cook as directed.

While that's going, melt the cream cheese and the butter for the Alfredo in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk it together until it's nice and smooth, then add the milk. Once that mixture is hot (not boiling though), add the parmesan cheese and whisk again until it's smooth. Pop it on the back burner on low heat while you get down to business with the shrimp.

In a saute pan, melt 1/2 stick of butter and then toss in half the garlic. Cook that until it becomes really aromatic on med/high heat, and add the shrimp. DO NOT overcook the shrimp! You want them to be pink on both sides, but depending on the size, it'll take about 5 minutes to cook them. Take them out as they are done and put them in a bowl to the side and cover it to keep them warm. Now, same pan, add another 1/2 stick of butter, the other half of the minced garlic. Same story, cook it until it's aromatic, and then add your veggies. Cook them on med/high to high heat for a few minutes until they are a nice texture but not overcooked. And that's IT!

I served everything a la carte, but you can certainly mix it all together as well. And then add additional Cajun seasoning if you went mild for the kids of the house ;) Also, I would have loved to have had a green pepper and/or some mushrooms in that mix of veggies, but my little monsters don't dig the mushrooms so much, and that yellow pepper was just calling my name! And a final note is that I use that Alfredo sauce as a STAPLE. Do NOT keep buying that jarred crap. I feel like I've posted the recipe somewhere else in this blog, but it wasn't readily accessible, so it's here again (or here for the first time if I'm having a Mommy Brain moment).

Bon apetit!

Til next time,
XoXo Xile

Broccoli Chicken Cheddar Stuffed Crescent Braid

Broccoli Chicken Cheddar Stuffed Crescent Braid

What You Need:

*1 package Pillsbury Crescent Roll dough (seamless is easier but unnecessary)

*1 cup pre-cooked shredded chicken (you can use canned chicken, but I didn't)
*1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

*1 cup cut broccoli (I thawed frozen broccoli florets)

* 1/2 can cream of condensed cream of chicken soup

What You Do:

*If you use seamless crescent roll dough, roll it out, and cut it like THIS. If you don't use the seamless dough (I didn't have seamless), roll the dough up into a ball, work it to remove the cuts, and roll it back out to a somewhat rectangular shape and THEN cut it.

*Place it on a baking sheet (ungreased)

*In a bowl, mix together the chicken, broccoli, cheese, and chicken soup

*Spread the mix evenly along the middle of the dough (the part that is not cut), and then criss-cross the dough to make it look like a braid while wrapping up the filling

*Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, until the crust is a nice golden brown

This recipe is an adaptation of THIS one :) 

Your Best Cheese Balls

So Thanksgiving is either a love it or hate it kinda day in my life. And I'm sure it's the same for a lot of people, right? I mean, family dynamics can be incredibly challenging, and mix that with 17 cooks in the same kitchen, and it's kinda a recipe for disaster. Since having children, our Thanksgivings have been all over the board from amazing to not so memorable. Yesterday took the cake for most amazing Thanksgiving ever. 

We spent the day with some of our best friends in the entire world with a beautiful view of Buck Island, laughing, singing, cooking, drinking, and just being overall merry. By the time we sat down to dinner, we had a total of 5 dogs, 4 children, and 6 adults in attendance. The munchkins said these really odd "prayers" before eating, which Zen captured on video (yay!). One of our friends made the turkey and gravy; Zen was responsible for mashed potatoes, stuffing, and corn. J made an appetizer that was pretty bangin', and I did the green bean casserole, desserts, mulled cider, and apps for snacking while we were waiting for dinner. 

I was actually pretty impressed with myself. I am not sure why, but it's always surprising when I make a stellar dish. Most especially, though, I was proud that I was able to bake desserts. Baking has always been a challenge for me, so the idea that I'm getting the hang of it is really exciting. 

Anyway, this entry is all about cheese. One of my very favorite things to make for a party is a cheese ball. Why? Well, because it's incredibly simple, and it's just about guaranteed to get you a million compliments. I did 3 flavors for Thanksgiving yesterday: Bacon Ranch, Greek, and Taco. So, I'll go through each one and then at the end let you know a very basic equation for making ANY cheese ball you could ever dream up :)

Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball

What You Need:

2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

1 brick cream cheese (8 oz)

1/4 c bacon bits

1 packet dry ranch dressing

1/2 c French's fried onions, crushed

What You Do:

*Toss everything except the fried onions in a bowl

*Mix with your hands until all the ingredients are combined evenly

*Roll into a ball shape

*In a ziplock bag, pound out the onions until they are crushed to the texture you like. Then pour it out on a piece of wax paper

*Roll the cheese ball in the onions until evenly coated

*Stick it in the fridge for a couple hours to set up

*Serve with your favorite crackers

Greek Cheese Ball

What You Need:

2 c crumbled feta cheese

1 brick cream cheese (8 oz)

1/4 c roasted red pepper, diced

1/4 c cucumber, diced

1/4 c kalamata olives, diced

1/2 tsp dill

1/2 c pita chips, crushed

What You Do:

*In a bowl, mix the cheeses by hand together until evenly combined

*Add peppers, cucumber, and olives, mix until evenly combined

*Sprinkle in dill and mix until evenly combined

*Roll into a ball shape

*In a ziplock bag, pound pita chips until crushed to desired texture

*Pour crushed pita chips onto a piece of wax paper

*Roll cheese ball in pita chips until evenly coated

*Pop it in the fridge to set up for a couple hours

*Serve with pita chips, pita bread, and/or your favorite crackers...or on cucumbers!

Taco Cheese Ball

What You Need:

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 brick cream cheese (8 oz)

1/4 c black olives, chopped

1/4 c green onion or chives

1 Tbs taco seasoning

1/2 tsp smoked paprika 

1/2 c tortilla chips, crushed

What You Do:

*In a mixing bowl, combine cheeses. It's just easiest to do this by hand

*Add olives and green onion and mix until evenly dispersed

*Add seasonings and mix until even

*Shape into a ball

*In a ziplock bag, pound out tortilla chips to desired consistency. Pour onto a sheet of wax paper

*Roll cheese ball in crushed chips until evenly coated

*Put in fridge for a couple hours to set

 *Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite crackers!

So there you have it! Those are 3 different flavors of cheese balls you can make for your next gathering that are sure to impress. The very basic thing about any cheese ball is combining a brick of cream cheese with another shredded (or crumbled) cheese. So the ratio is 1 brick of cream cheese to 2 cups of shredded cheese. Roll into a ball, and then you can choose your coating. I am not a big fan of using nuts to coat my cheese balls, but of course you can do whatever you want! 

As a final note, here are some links to the desserts I did yesterday, as they turned out SO well that it would be a shame not to share them with you! 

*Gingerbread Cookies*

*Urban Legend Chocolate Chip Cookies*

*Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dump-cake*

From my home to yours, Happy Holidays!

xoxo

-Xile

Are You Kidding Me?! Bangin' Barbecue Chicken Chili

We are approaching major desperation at this point. This is Day 5 of Stateside sickness trampling our house and wrecking our week...ie. I haven't been to the beach in an obscene amount of time for living on an island; nearly 2 weeks. Feel sorry for me. Really, I know it's probably 21 below zero where you are reading this, winter storm Bozeman is kicking your ass, and there is no amount of coffee in the world that will keep you warm. For that I'm sorry, but just remember that our little island is always here for you whenever you may need it. :)

Tonight's post is about chili though, so that should help warm your toesies and your bellies at least. From my girls, they have commented, "Are you kidding me?! It's delicious!!" And "Mommy, you are the best chef ever." If it gets my children's approval, it's a winner in this house.

The secret to chili I think is not to have too much of a recipe, as chili is a lot about using what you have and improvising where you need. I didn't buy enough ground beef this last grocery round, so I thought I'd attempt a chicken chili. I hadn't made one since King's work chili cook-off a few years ago, where they disqualified me because he didn't make it. Basically, it was a bunch of dudes and me...and they refused to let a woman win, even though it was obvious that mine was the tastiest ;) SO, my point here is to use what you have, add what flavors suit your household, and maybe just use this recipe as a guideline rather than a Bible.

Here we go!

What You Need:

5-6 quart crock pot
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (it took me 2)
1/2 c your favorite BBQ sauce
2 14.5 oz cans diced chili tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 cans chili beans w/sauce (I used mild)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, diced
1 head garlic, minced
chili powder to taste
cumin to taste
Optional: sour cream, shredded cheddar, & chives for garnish

What You Do:

*Slow cook your chicken on low. Put it in the crock and pour your barbecue sauce on top. Walk away. For like 4 hours...Do some laundry or crack open a bottle of bubbly. Celebrate because crock pot cooking is an AMAZING gift to moms everywhere!
*Once the chicken is cooked through, take it out and shred it, toss it back in the crock and make sure it's all coated in barbecue sauce.
*Dump in the rest of your ingredients. Walk away again for another 4+ hours, vacuum, clean a dish...clean up a mess or 17. THE END!!!! Okay, so I mixed it every so often and taste tested a few times to make sure that I didn't under or over spice it.

Apart from that, this is exactly why I adore my crock pot. It should really be called the crack pot in our house, although that may have some connotations that are all-too-inappropriate for a mother of 2...or anyone, for that matter. Anyway, you get the point. I try to cook in my crock as often as humanly possible for a couple of reasons: 1. It's super easy and low maintenance. 2. It doesn't heat up my kitchen like the oven/stove. That's important when you live in the Caribbean.

Finally, I served it with these cornbread muffins, which I will be making once a week I think. Skip the Jiffy. Seriously, it's probably loaded with all kinds of crap chemicals and preservatives, and these muffins were lovely and didn't have that weird aftertaste. And for someone who is barely capable of baking, it wasn't all that difficult. I did follow some of the suggestions from the reviews and made sure to really cream the butter/sugar and also let the milk/cornmeal sit for several minutes before mixing it together with the other ingredients. AND I used canned corn. It's better.

Bon appetit, friends!

Honey Soy Ginger Shrimp Star-Fry

In our house, each time we make a grocery trip, I let everyone choose their favorite meal to be made. Princess' favorite is "shrimp star fry." That's shrimp STIR fry for those who don't understand kidspeak. Regardless, it is always the most expensive, but the most delectable meal of the grocery round. AND I've never actually written down any sort of recipe for it. So again, the girls are challenging me to put some ingredients and measurements down so that they (and YOU) can replicate it down the road.

A note about stir fry is that you don't necessarily HAVE to use the same veggies that I use this time, as most of the time my veggies vary. Use seasonal veggies to your advantage, and this way you can make this special treat year-round. In addition to that, this marinade is easily adapted to other meats, so you aren't even confined to shrimp (especially if it's uber expensive). Try chicken or pork instead, or even just use this glaze for salmon or mahi. I like things to be versatile because I never know what I'm going to be missing in my kitchen that particular day ;)

What You Need:

Honey Soy Ginger Marinade
1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 c honey
2 tsp Sriracha
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1-2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Stir Fry
Tempura oil, a splash or 2
2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled, tail-off
1 large zucchini, sliced into manageable pieces
1 large yellow squash, sliced
8 oz snow peas (pea pods)
2-3 large carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 head of red cabbage, sliced
1 head garlic, diced or sliced thinly (basically everything I cook has abundant garlic)
1 can water chestnuts, sliced

What You Do:

*Make up your marinade
*Put just enough on the shrimp to evenly coat all of them; put in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. Don't over-marinate the shrimp. 30 minutes is plenty, promise! Set the rest of the marinade in the fridge to use a bit later
*Once you're ready to prepare the main dish, heat your skillet/wok with a splash or 2 of tempura oil. First cook the shrimp and set them aside.
*Add another round of tempura oil, and add your garlic. Next I added carrots since they take the longest and let them cook for a couple minutes. Then add in your squash, zucchini, & onions. Then add in the rest of your marinade. Let that cook down for a few more minutes and then add the water chestnuts and snow peas. Finally, add in the cabbage, as it cooks the quickest. Mix it all around, and you have the prettiest stir-fry you've ever seen!
*Serve it with your favorite rice, topped with the shrimp -or- mix the shrimp back in at the end

Fancy Schmancy Goat Cheese, Spinach, & Porcini Stuffed Chicken

In an effort to give my girls the ability to cook like mommy when they grow up, at their request I have made an extreme effort to blog recipes for as many meals as I can. Tonight's meal they turned up their noses at, but I honestly didn't even care. More for me! They are still sniffly, and this is when I allow them to eat anything that they will actually eat. Tonight they chose pub mix & left-over sweet & sour pork. Cest la vie

Let's get to it, shall we?

What You Need:

Toothpicks (This was the toughest ingredient for me to find here on island)
Cooking spray (I used grapeseed oil in my PC Kitchen Spritzer)
Aluminum foil
Boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded out with a meat mallet to about 1/4" thick (I had 3 available)
Italian seasoning blend
8-16 oz porcini (baby bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced
Fresh basil
Baby spinach
Goat cheese
Breadcrumbs (I used Italian, but you can also use Panko, whatever you have on hand)
Asparagus, trimmed

What You Do:

*Preheat oven to 350
*Lay out chicken breasts on aluminum foil that has been sprayed with a bit of cooking spray. Layer the mushrooms, then basil to taste (I didn't completely cover the chicken with basil since I used fresh), spinach leaves, and finally goat cheese.
*Fold up tightly and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and a bit of Italian seasoning
*Bake for about 45 minutes, turning it over about halfway through.

Bonus side dish!
*Arrange asparagus in a 9x13" baking dish and drizzle with olive oil -or- spray with your cooking spray
*Add the rest of your porcini mushrooms on top of the asparagus, and again spray it or drizzle with oil
*Sprinkle with Italian seasoning blend and, if you have it, Parmesan cheese
*Halfway through the chicken baking, toss your asparagus in the oven too. This way, they'll be done at the same time

Make sure to remove the toothpicks before serving ;) And enjoy!

Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole

There's nothing like waking up in the morning, knowing exactly what you're going to make for breakfast, right? This morning I got up early, and I wanted to give King a chance to sleep in since he was up until almost 3 am. My little Monster was up most of the night coughing, and the Princess was pretty sniffly and miserable herself. That said, it was a quiet morning in our house, and I was really excited to try a new recipe that I found on Pinterest for these adorable spinach & cheese egg muffins. Much to my chagrin, I don't have a muffin pan. So that nixed that pretty quickly. I had to laugh at myself because it's so perfectly me not to have something that is a major requirement for a dish that I went to all the trouble of getting all of the ingredients for from the store and even having ZenMother pick up the spinach for me that I couldn't get at the grocery stores I went to the other day. #IslandGirlProblems ...I digress. The point is that I had to adjust my plans, but I still wanted to make something impressive. And so, I give you:

Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole

What You Need:

NOT a muffin pan ;) but instead, a 9x13" baking pan

Cooking spray of your choice

More than likely, a cup of coffee or 2 (Add a little Velvet Cinn if you wanna get wild ;)

1/4 c of butter

1 medium size onion, diced (I used sweet yellow)

16 oz mushrooms, sliced

2-4 potatoes, quartered, then thinly sliced (I used my  PC Simple Slicer set on 2)

12 large eggs

1/4 c milk (you can substitute water if you're out of milk, like I usually am)

1-2 c fresh baby spinach, enough to make one layer in the pan

4-8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you have is fine)

What You Do:

*Brew your coffee. It's early, and your kids are going to be up any minute, if they aren't already. 

*Turn on a nice wake-up playlist such as Brazilian Radio on Pandora

*Grease your baking dish, and preheat your oven to 350

*Melt the butter in a skillet on high heat; add in your diced onion

*Once the onion begins to look translucent, add in the mushrooms. Turn your heat down to medium. Saute for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms have cooked fully. Then, remove them from the heat.

*While the veggies are being sauteed, arrange your potato slices on the bottom of the greased pan in an even layer

*Mix your eggs & milk (or water) in your favorite fashion. I love my NutriBullet and think EVERYONE should have one. Mixing all of the eggs and milk took me all of 10 seconds. It actually took me longer to crack all of the eggs. 

*Arrange the spinach in a second layer on top of the potatoes

*Pour the egg mixture in next, making sure it's evenly dispersed throughout the pan

*Add the sauteed veggies in next, again making sure it's all evenly dispersed

*Top with the cheese

*Cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes

*Take it out, remove the foil and bake for about another 20-30 minutes, long enough for the edges to brown and the cheese to get good and melty, maybe even slightly brown

Voila! 

This makes about 12 servings.

As always, let me know if you love it, tweak it, or hate it! 

xoxo

-Xile

Roasted Garlic & Chive Mashed Potatoes

I have been terrified of homemade mashed potatoes for years upon years. Everyone talks about getting the butter/milk ratio just right, gummy and sticky fails, and I am telling you this one worked for me on the first go, screw-ups and all...That has to mean something.

What You Need:

5 lbs of your fave potatoes (I used red)
1/2 c butter (I used salted sweet cream)
1 1/2 c milk (the fattier, the creamier your potatoes will be)
2-4 heads of fresh roasted garlic
Olive oil
1 handful of fresh-cut chives
pepper to taste

What You Do:

*Preheat oven to 400
*Pour a glass of white; I'm thinking like a Sauvignon Blanc or a nice Chardonnay. A bit of inspirational music from Michael Buble could be helpful. Cue: Pandora
*Prepare your garlic: peel off the excess skin on your heads of garlic, and trim off the head about 1/4 inch to expose each clove. Drizzle olive oil over the exposed surface and allow to penetrate the cloves. It will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1-2 tsp per head. Wrap it together in foil, and bake it for 45-60 minutes on the middle rack. It's going to smell amazeballs. Enjoy it!
*Dice your potatoes, evenly sized, and put them in a big 'ol pan with enough water to cover them. I basically filled my dutch oven pan, and it worked out just fine. Bring them to a boil...Take care of your kids and forget about them until they nearly boil over; check them..Place a wooden spoon across the pan so they don't wreck your glass cook-top, and wait until they are slightly firm but break apart easily (about 20 minutes). Then drain them and pop them in a big mixing bowl.
*Right about now you will begin to remember that you are also roasting garlic. It smells soooo good that it inspires your husband to clean the bathroom. Check on it, but don't get overzealous. The longer it roasts, the better. Just don't let it burn. And that's pretty difficult, even while you're drinking wine. When you feel like it's uber soft and smelly, go ahead and pull it out of the oven.
*In a saucepan, add your milk and butter. Your garlic will have cooled enough by now to add it to the potatoes. I just squeezed it out right into the potatoes, and I might have tasted a bit that was left on my fingers ;)
*When you forget that you were supposed to only allow the butter to just melt, realize that the entire thing is about to boil over, and remove it from the heat. Let it set for a couple minutes while you begin to mash the potatoes just ever so slightly in the big giant bowl. I used my Pampered Chef Mix-N-Chop (AMAZING tool). Once the overly heated butter/milk mixture has cooled, add it to the potatoes slowly and use a hand mixer to blend it all together. Throw in a handful of chives, pepper to taste, and mix just a bit more.

THAT'S IT!!! Super easy mashed potatoes that aren't scary!

Please comment if you make them, how it works for your family and if you have any tweaks to share!

xoxo
-Xile

Pancakes for People Who Don't Like Pancakes: Apple Pecan Pancake Bake

I have been on a mission to make pancakes that *I* like for most of my life. I am just not a fan of them. I feel like they're overrated, having restaurants named after them and such. I mean, I know that waffles have restaurants named after them, too, but seriously...pancakes aren't that amazing...until today, that is. Today, even those of us who don't care for pancakes are going to lose their minds in an orgasmic food coma. Or maybe not, but I can promise that even pancake skeptics will love this recipe that is perfect for fall brunches!

What You Need:

2 cups flour (better for bread is awesome. Don't use whole wheat flour because it's too heavy)
2 Tbs white sugar
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs baking powder
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 small or 1 large granny smith apple (don't use a red or golden delicious. You need something a bit tart), sliced thinly
1 c pecans, chopped
An indefinite amount of cinnamon (whatever you are comfortable with, I used close to probably 2 Tbs)
A dash of nutmeg
A dash of ginger

Your favorite syrup
Butter

What You Do:

*Preheat your oven to 350.
*Pour yourself a mimosa, and turn on Pandora ;)
*Mix your dry ingredients together. I put enough cinnamon to change the color of the mix to a beige-y color. It's really impossible to measure, but go with your gut. Then add your wet ingredients and mix until it's nice and smooth.
*Add your apples and pecans and mix a bit more until it's even
*Pour into a greased 9x13" baking pan of your choice.
*Pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes, until you can stick a toothpick/knife in the center and it comes out clean. The edges will start to be a bit brown

Serve topped with a bit of butter and your favorite syrup. I swear, I don't like pancakes, and this stuff is incredible. Let me know how it turns out for you!

-xoxo
Xile

Goddess-Worthy Sweet & Sour Pork Tenderloin

Hi there, it's me! I'm still alive and well out floating in the Caribbean Sea. Okay, well, I mean...I am on an island that is floating. Anyway, I know it's been forever, but that's what you get when it comes to me ;) Today I'm going to make everyone in your house love you by giving you a recipe for amazing sweet & sour pork.

I cannot tell a lie: this recipe is adapted from this one, BUT I made enough changes that I thought it worthy of posting my own. So let's get to it!

This recipe will give you at least 6 servings, depending on how many boys/men you have in your house that like to go back for more. That said, here's what you are going to need:

1.5 lbs of pork tenderloin, trimmed of the fat
An undisclosed and indefinite amount of Simply Asia® Sweet Ginger Garlic Seasoning
⅔c ketchup
⅓c rice vinegar (seasoned or plain, I used plain)
2 cans (20 oz)of pineapple chunks drained, save the juice & make sure it's pineapple juice, NOT heavy or light syrup. ew.
¼c brown sugar (dark or light, whichever you have)
2-4 tsp of Sriracha® I used only 2 because I have young ladies that can't agree on how much spice they prefer
2 tsp soy sauce
A splash of Sesame Tempura oil
2 tbs butter (REAL butter, people, no margarine)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped and separated white part from green
1 head of fresh garlic, sliced paper thin. Alternatively, you can mince it, but I prefer it shaved --don't be lazy and use a jar, please ;)
1 sweet onion, diced
2 green peppers, I like to dice them large
1 red pepper, also diced large
2 cups rice of your choice (We used Jasmine white rice)

Here's what you do:

*Prepare your pork. (HAHAHA, okay I'm immature) Using a meat tenderizer, pound out the meat until it's about 1 inch thick. Coat it with the Asian seasoning on both sides, then slice it up into manageable pieces, maybe about half an inch thick and 1.5-2" in length. Toss it in a bowl in the fridge to marinate for a couple hours. It's not major, but it will definitely add flavor.
*Prepare the initial sauce mix. In a bowl, whisk together the ketchup, rice vinegar, pineapple juice (NOT syrup!) from the canned pineapple, Sriracha, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Pour a splash (just enough to coat) of that into your pork marinade. 
*Now is a good time to start your rice. I like to make mine in the microwave with my super awesome Pampered Chef rice cooker so that it's done before I forget in the midst of making the meal that I forgot to make it. 2 cups of dry rice will give you 4 cups of prepared rice. If you need instructions on how to make rice, please see the package on whatever rice you bought :p
*Have a glass of wine. Turn on your favorite Pandora station and jam out for a minute or 2. Remember that you have to chop all the veggies, jam out some more, and then put everything in the fridge until you're ready to cook the pork and put everything together. Maybe have a second glass of wine, who knows?! 
*Heat your favorite tempura oil in your wok or a very large skillet...like probably 14" or so. Toss some more of that Asian seasoning in with the oil. What can I say, I'm addicted! Once it's nice and hot, stir fry the pork. This will take about 5 minutes probably. Do NOT overcook the pork. It's going to keep cooking a little while later. Take it out and put it aside in a big mixing bowl. Drain whatever grease and oil is in the pan and saute your veggies (sweet onion, green/red peppers) for a couple minutes until they have a bright color. Seriously like 3-4 minutes tops. Toss the veggies in the same bowl with the mostly cooked pork. 
*Brown your butter over medium heat and once it begins to brown...toss in the pineapple. Cook the pineapple over medium/high heat until it's a beautiful golden yellow and more opaque. Add your initial sauce mixture, along with your sliced garlic and the white part of the green onion. Reduce your heat to medium/low and let it simmer until the garlic is translucent. Then add the pork and veggies back to the pan and heat it through.
*Serve it over your rice with a green onion garnish. 

Remember to let me know how your family enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!

xoxo
-Xile

Bacon Crusted Mac & Cheese...The REAL Way to a Man's Heart

What You Need:

12 oz center cut bacon

2 8 oz blocks of cheese (I used Helluva Good Pepperjack & Medium Cheddar)

12 oz can of Evaporated milk (the higher the fat content, the creamier the dish, but I usually use 2%)

Your favorite box of pasta (My girls chose "flowers" ie. Fiori)

Olive oil of your choosing, just a few dashes

A covered baking dish (The one pictured is 2½ quarts) coated with your fave cooking spray

A colander (aka the thing you use to drain your pasta, not to be confused with a calendar, which might come in handy when choosing the next time you're going to make this stellar meal)

A cheese grater

What You Do:

All right, you are going to end up using three burners on your stovetop if it's electric. If it's gas, commence gloating now. Anyway, first I start cooking the bacon since it takes a bajillion years. I cook it on the stovetop, and you should, too. Here's why. You need that small amount of bacon grease to flavor your mac & cheese. Using center cut bacon, you won't have nearly as much fat, and that is a good thing all around. Trust me. Your waist will thank you later. So, long story short, start cooking your bacon in the biggest skillet you have. Medium to medium-high heat is best, and I usually start a bit lower and work my way up.

Now you can start boiling water for your pasta. Simultaneously (and this might be difficult for the multi-tasking challenged), preheat your oven to 350º. P.S. Your bacon is still sizzling. 

In between waiting for your water to boil and waiting 17 years for the bacon to cook, you want to shred your cheese. I shred mine into 2 separate bowls and pop them back into the fridge while I am standing around watching the pot that's never going to boil and the bacon that's never going to be done. ;-)

When your water comes to a rolling boil, toss in a dash of olive oil and let it get to a boil again. THEN dump the pasta in. Give it a good stir, and cook as you ordinarily would. Here's the trick, though. A lot of times when you bake pasta dishes, the pasta comes out mushy and gross by the time it comes out of the oven. How does one avoid this, you ask? Well, only cook it to FIRM. Most directions will give you instructions for "firm," "al dente," and "tender." The first marker is what you want to hit. 

So once your pasta is finished cooking (and your bacon isn't), pop it in the colander and rinse with hot water. I suppose the temperature of the water doesn't really matter, though, since you will be baking it anyway. Just a habit. Leave it in the sink while you make your cheese sauce, k? 

So, I usually boil the water on the back burner because it's bigger and away from the little hands who like to reach up from out of nowhere and attempt to burn their little fingers. K, so when I do the sauce part, it's too far to reach to the back burner, so I use a front burner. Anyway, heat up the evaporated milk, and then dump in your first round of cheese. Stir on the constant until it's melted, and then add your second cheese. Repeat, and once everything is blended together, add in your pasta. Mix it all up, and then pour the entire mixture into your baking dish. 

By now, your bacon should finally be done...or at least close. It doesn't have to be completely finished cooking, as it will continue to sizzle while you bake it. So once your cheesy pasta is settled into its new home (the baking dish), arrange your strips of bacon on top. Then drizzle the bacon drippings on top. Cover the baking dish, pop it in the oven, and set a timer for 30 minutes. In the meantime, I am usually making several bows...but you don't have to do that. ;-) Maybe fold a load of towels or reprimand a kid or two while you wait. 

Once the 30 minutes is up, remove the lid, and bake it for about another 10 minutes, or until your bacon looks like you want it to look. Some people like charred bacon, and others don't. A good rule of thumb is 10 minutes though. 

And that's all she wrote, folks! I know it's long, drawn out instructions, but hey, I like to keep it interesting around here. I'd love to hear your feedback, your tweaks, etc. So let me know if you tried this and what you think!

*S*

The Best Thing Since Microwave S'mores: The S'mortini

Well friends, I have done it yet again. What, you ask? Well, I've come up with an amazing recipe for something you just won't be able to live without this summer! I mean, I know it's an American tradition to make s'mores around the campfire, but let's face it. Once you hit 21, they start to lose their novelty. So, here's what I suggest instead.

The S'mortini

What You'll Need

Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow flavored vodka

White Creme de cocoa (that's the clear one, folks)

Chocolate syrup

graham cracker crumbs

What You Do

Rim the martini glass with chocolate sauce, and you can drip some into the glass as well to make it look pretty. Rim the glass with the graham cracker crumbs. Shake equal parts of the vodka and creme de cocoa over ice. Strain it into the glass, and drop a few mini marshmallows for garnish. ENJOY!

Pink Lemonade Fruit Dip

Pink Lemonade Fruit Dip

So, if you are looking for a recipe for the best fruit dip you've ever tasted, you've come to the right place! I was looking for a fruit dip that would be similar to one I had been coerced into making for a Tastefully Simple party (BLECH) only 1000% better. Well, leave it to me to come up with it on my own! 

What You'll Need

8 oz whipped cream cheese

8 oz low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 packet Pink Lemonade Kool-Aid

¼ cup sugar

Blend it all together, and chill it in the fridge for an hour pre-party. Serve with all of your favorite fruits!

Not Your Mama's Chicken Salad

Curried Chicken Salad

What You Need:

1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 celery stick

1/4 c chopped walnuts

1/4 c dried cranberries

1/2 c mayo w/olive oil

Curry powder

What To Do:

Get up in the morning and make yourself a cup of coffee. Then get out your slow cooker (aka crock pot) and put the chicken in. Pour about 1/4 c water in as well, just to make sure the chicken doesn't stick & burn. Cover the chicken with a dusting of curry powder. I use quite a bit, but you can do as much or as little as you like. Turn your slow cooker on low for about 4 hours (though cooking times vary). Halfway through, flip the chicken & dust with a bit more curry powder (you CAN skip this step, though it adds more flavor). When the chicken is done, it will fall apart. So take it out and pop it into a bowl big enough to mix all the ingredients. Shred the chicken. Add the cranberries, walnuts & celery. Add the mayo & mix it up. Add enough curry powder to tint the mixture yellow. Pop it in the fridge to chill...and enjoy!

**Please note: ALL of my measurements are approximate. I don't believe in measuring when it comes to cooking...I'm not that great at math. So please just use those measurements as a starting point!

Enchiladasagna: What Happens When Mexico & Italy Make Babies

What You'll Need:

1 package of corn tortillas

1 can refried beans

1 can black beans, drained

2 cans red enchilada sauce

1 16 oz tub of sour cream

1 lb ground beef, preferably lean

Shredded cheese, LOTS of it (2-3 8 oz packages)

1 16 oz jar of your favorite salsa

1 small onion, diced

taco seasoning

Fresh cilantro

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 350. Spray your pan with your favorite cooking spray, I used a 9 x 13 dish. Saute the onion along with browning the ground beef, add taco seasoning to taste. Once the beef is nearly done, add the salsa and the black beans and bring it to a simmer. Turn off the heat. Pour enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Cut the tortillas in half (I used a pizza cutter), and spread refried beans on the tortilla halves that are on the bottom layer. Cover it with a layer of cheese. Start the next layer by using the corn tortillas to cover your first layer. Add the meat mixture on top of the tortillas & cover with the remaining enchilada sauce from the first can & some from the second can. Layer more tortilla halves, top with remaining meat mixture, more sauce, and a good, thick layer of cheese. Bake it covered for 30 minutes. Pop it out of the oven, top it with the sour cream & bake for another 10 minutes. Top with fresh cilantro garnish & a side of guacamole. I promise your family will love you for this meal. PROMISE.

Boozey Spring Break & Summer Fave: Margarita Float

 Start your Spring Break off right with a Margarita float! I told my girls one day that I was sippin' on one, and they were quite intrigued! Apparently, this is quite a novel idea, so I hope you all enjoy! It could become your go-to summer bev.

 Lime sherbet (3 scoops)

1.5 oz tequila of your choice

1 oz Triple sec

Equal parts of your favorite non-alcoholic margarita mix & bubbly bev of your choice.

I used Lime seltzer, but you can make it more boozey by using champagne, or you can also use 7up, etc.

**BONUS**

 This recipe can also be modified to use as a Margarita punch for parties!

Semi-Homemade Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

These are my Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

You'll need:

1 box white cake mix (& required ingredients)

 1 packet Raspberry Jello

1-1.5 cups mini chocolate chips

Frosting of your choice

To make:

Follow the directions to prepare the cake mix, adding in the Jello packet with the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips to the batter once it's nice and smooth, and pour into your baking cups. Bake as directed. I pipe the frosting on and actually make my own buttercream frosting, which is super simple as well. You don't have to do that, though. You can use whatever frosting you'd like. If you choose a vanilla buttercream, you can add a few drops of red food coloring to make it pink -OR- You can use a chocolate frosting and garnish with a fresh raspberry :-) 

Happy baking!