This is a recipe for an amazing cleaner! I used it in the shower and in the bathroom sinks. Let me tell you....they sparkle!!!! We have a glass door on the shower and it always gets scummy :) but this stuff cut right through it.
Take one cup of white vinegar and heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Pour it in a spray bottle and add in one cup of plain and simple, blue, Dawn dish soap. Carefully rock it back and forth to mix it without making too many bubbles.
I sprayed this all over my shower walls and glass door. I let it sit for a few minutes and used a soft scrub pad (like the kind made to scrub a glass cooktop). Gently scrub down the walls, but you don't need much scrubbing power for this, it really comes off good. Then rinse!
This cleaner made my sinks shine too!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
World's Best Broccoli
For dinner the other night I made some shrimp with tortellini and broccoli on the side. I have to share....because it was AHHH-MAZING!!!
The shrimp and pasta was simple stuff. I sliced lemon and put it in a pie plate, covered it with shrimp and then sprinkled it with dry Italian dressing mix. Baked it for 15 minutes or so. Then I cooked the cheese tortellini and added our favorite spaghetti sauce. The trick to this....add in a couple heaping tablespoons of Philadelphia cooking cream. You can use original (this is what I had this time), or Italian cheese, or tomato basil. They are all good. My family loves it!!
Now for the BONUS! I like broccoli but I don't buy it often. I found a recipe somewhere online and tweaked it a little bit (of course, because unless I'm baking I never follow the recipe exactly!). Now I am thinking I need to buy more broccoli. :)
Here it is:
2 bunches of broccoli
3 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper
1 lemon
I cut the broccoli into big pieces. If you wash it, make sure it is completely dry or it will not cook right. Place the broccoli on a cookie sheet with sides. Coat it in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Slice the garlic and mix with broccoli. I used my Pampered Chef garlic slicer and it slices so thin, it's perfect. Roast it in the oven on 425 for about 20 minutes. Wait there's more!
Take it out of the oven. Zest the lemon over the broccoli and then squeeze the juice of the lemon on top (don't go overboard with the juice). Serve and enjoy!
This is the most amazing broccoli in my opinion. I hope you try it. Let me know what you think!!
This is not a beautiful picture but it sure makes up for it in taste!
The shrimp and pasta was simple stuff. I sliced lemon and put it in a pie plate, covered it with shrimp and then sprinkled it with dry Italian dressing mix. Baked it for 15 minutes or so. Then I cooked the cheese tortellini and added our favorite spaghetti sauce. The trick to this....add in a couple heaping tablespoons of Philadelphia cooking cream. You can use original (this is what I had this time), or Italian cheese, or tomato basil. They are all good. My family loves it!!
Now for the BONUS! I like broccoli but I don't buy it often. I found a recipe somewhere online and tweaked it a little bit (of course, because unless I'm baking I never follow the recipe exactly!). Now I am thinking I need to buy more broccoli. :)
Here it is:
2 bunches of broccoli
3 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper
1 lemon
I cut the broccoli into big pieces. If you wash it, make sure it is completely dry or it will not cook right. Place the broccoli on a cookie sheet with sides. Coat it in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Slice the garlic and mix with broccoli. I used my Pampered Chef garlic slicer and it slices so thin, it's perfect. Roast it in the oven on 425 for about 20 minutes. Wait there's more!
Take it out of the oven. Zest the lemon over the broccoli and then squeeze the juice of the lemon on top (don't go overboard with the juice). Serve and enjoy!
This is the most amazing broccoli in my opinion. I hope you try it. Let me know what you think!!
This is not a beautiful picture but it sure makes up for it in taste!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Crockpot Chicken Parmesan & Garlic Bread
This was so easy to put together and tasted just as good as going through the trouble to make chicken parm the real way. My hubby is a pro chicken parm maker :) and he loved this! The whole family loved it!
1Tbs olive oil
Italian bread crumbs
Grated parmesan
Salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Jar of your fav spaghetti sauce
Pasta
Pour the olive oil into the crockpot. Mix the salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Coat the chicken in egg and then the bread crumb mixture. Place chicken in the crockpot in the oil. Top chicken with a little bit of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the chicken and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4 hours. Eat with spaghetti noodles and Parmesan cheese on top.
-------------------------------------------
Pull Apart Garlic Bread
1 can of refrigerated biscuits
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning
Half stick butter
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 and melt the butter in a bundt pan in the oven. Cut each biscuit into fourths. Mix a little bit of Italian seasoning, garlic powder and cheese in a bowl (I just eyeballed it, there is no science to this, just don't overdo the garlic). Roll the biscuit pieces in the mixture and then layer them in the melted butter in the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes until the biscuits are done.
Voila! Yum-o!
Oh and don't mind the paper plates :) it was paper plate night at our house!
1Tbs olive oil
Italian bread crumbs
Grated parmesan
Salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Jar of your fav spaghetti sauce
Pasta
Pour the olive oil into the crockpot. Mix the salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Coat the chicken in egg and then the bread crumb mixture. Place chicken in the crockpot in the oil. Top chicken with a little bit of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the chicken and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4 hours. Eat with spaghetti noodles and Parmesan cheese on top.
-------------------------------------------
Pull Apart Garlic Bread
1 can of refrigerated biscuits
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning
Half stick butter
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 and melt the butter in a bundt pan in the oven. Cut each biscuit into fourths. Mix a little bit of Italian seasoning, garlic powder and cheese in a bowl (I just eyeballed it, there is no science to this, just don't overdo the garlic). Roll the biscuit pieces in the mixture and then layer them in the melted butter in the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes until the biscuits are done.
Voila! Yum-o!
Oh and don't mind the paper plates :) it was paper plate night at our house!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Nanny's French Toast: with a twist
The last couple posts I was trying to catch up and post some of the things I had cooked and taken pictures of. But this is actually from today! :)
I ate breakfast with my nanny today and she made some delish french toast. I know my nanny is a good cook, I learned a lot from her over the years, but when she first told me about her new french toast I was skeptical.
We went to the farmer's market and each got a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. I also got an Israel melon (if you have never tried it you should, they are amazing!). I had a piece of her french toast and one with the fresh cinnamon raisin bread.
Now I will tell you how she made it 😃
She used cheddar cheese bread from Walmart, I think the brand is marketside pantry? Cut a thick slice, dip it in a mixture of beaten egg and milk as usual. Cook in a hot skillet........and put a small handful of shredded cheddar on top while it's cooking. Yup, I know what you are thinking...."french toast and cheese?!" But trust me, it is good! When she gave me my piece of cheese french toast she told me to put some peach jam on it (which I had made with more fresh peaches and taken to her, glad she is eating it up). I was, again, kind of puzzled. The thought of the flavors didn't mesh well in my head. She was right though, it was really good.
Oh yeah, the fresh cinnamon raisin bread from Coy's Bakery made good french bread too, but I just put syrup on that one!
I ate breakfast with my nanny today and she made some delish french toast. I know my nanny is a good cook, I learned a lot from her over the years, but when she first told me about her new french toast I was skeptical.
We went to the farmer's market and each got a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. I also got an Israel melon (if you have never tried it you should, they are amazing!). I had a piece of her french toast and one with the fresh cinnamon raisin bread.
Now I will tell you how she made it 😃
She used cheddar cheese bread from Walmart, I think the brand is marketside pantry? Cut a thick slice, dip it in a mixture of beaten egg and milk as usual. Cook in a hot skillet........and put a small handful of shredded cheddar on top while it's cooking. Yup, I know what you are thinking...."french toast and cheese?!" But trust me, it is good! When she gave me my piece of cheese french toast she told me to put some peach jam on it (which I had made with more fresh peaches and taken to her, glad she is eating it up). I was, again, kind of puzzled. The thought of the flavors didn't mesh well in my head. She was right though, it was really good.
Oh yeah, the fresh cinnamon raisin bread from Coy's Bakery made good french bread too, but I just put syrup on that one!
Creamy Jalapeño Ranch Dressing
There is a restaurant around here called Chuy's that has this amazing jalapeño ranch "dip". I found this recipe online and it is exact!! It does make quite a bit but I have split the recipe in half before. It is good on salad, like taco salad or southwest style salad with chicken or just with tortilla chips as a dip.
You need:
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not buttermilk)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, wash and dice the tomatillos
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (if you don't like spicy, remove the seeds)
Mix all ingredients together in the blender until smooth. Store in the refrigerator if not eaten right away.
You need:
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not buttermilk)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, wash and dice the tomatillos
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (if you don't like spicy, remove the seeds)
Mix all ingredients together in the blender until smooth. Store in the refrigerator if not eaten right away.
Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops
I needed something quick and easy to make the other day and pork chops sounded good. I don't have pictures this time but here it goes:
In my crockpot bowl I mixed together:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of water
2 pkts of dry ranch dressing mix
Salt and pepper
Then I put all my pork chops down into the mixture to cover them. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. We ate this with steamed rice and it was yummy! The pork chops were very tender (I used boneless, about 1/2" thick).
In my crockpot bowl I mixed together:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of water
2 pkts of dry ranch dressing mix
Salt and pepper
Then I put all my pork chops down into the mixture to cover them. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. We ate this with steamed rice and it was yummy! The pork chops were very tender (I used boneless, about 1/2" thick).
Fresh Fruit Hand Pies
I made some very good peach and plum hand pies a couple weeks ago. Again, the fresh fruit came from my wonderful hubby. The plums were tiny and you would have to eat the whole handful to feel like you had eaten a plum :) so I cut them up for pie. It made two plum and four peach (they were white peaches so they were super sweet) pies.
I found this on pinterest but of course I modified it a little bit like always:
Cream Cheese Pastry
(courtesy of Kraft foods)
2 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter or margarine
Put in a food processor and pulse all ingredients, (then divide into two portions if you are using it as a double pie crust) (I wrapped it up as one piece of dough)
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours until firm.
Here is how to make the little pies:
1 recipe for pie crust as above
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup fresh fruit
1 egg beaten
Preheat oven to 400. I divided the dough into 6 parts and rolled out each one into a circle (maybe 6", you don't want it so thin that it breaks and won't hold the juice in). Then in a small bowl combine fruit with sugar and cornstarch. Spoon 2 tbsp of fruit mixture onto half of the circle of pie crust. Fold over to make a half circle (see pictures). Using the tines of a fork, crimp the edges of the pie so it will stay together. Prick the top of your hand pie with a fork to vent. Brush the top of each pie with egg. Bake them on a cookie sheet sprayed with non stick spray for 15-20 minutes at 400.
Cool and pass them around....they don't last long!
(Here is the link I found on pinterest, I do not follow this blog, I simply got the recipe off pinterest :) http://homeiswheretheboatis.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/pocket-plum-pies/
I found this on pinterest but of course I modified it a little bit like always:
Cream Cheese Pastry
(courtesy of Kraft foods)
2 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter or margarine
Put in a food processor and pulse all ingredients, (then divide into two portions if you are using it as a double pie crust) (I wrapped it up as one piece of dough)
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours until firm.
Here is how to make the little pies:
1 recipe for pie crust as above
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup fresh fruit
1 egg beaten
Preheat oven to 400. I divided the dough into 6 parts and rolled out each one into a circle (maybe 6", you don't want it so thin that it breaks and won't hold the juice in). Then in a small bowl combine fruit with sugar and cornstarch. Spoon 2 tbsp of fruit mixture onto half of the circle of pie crust. Fold over to make a half circle (see pictures). Using the tines of a fork, crimp the edges of the pie so it will stay together. Prick the top of your hand pie with a fork to vent. Brush the top of each pie with egg. Bake them on a cookie sheet sprayed with non stick spray for 15-20 minutes at 400.
Cool and pass them around....they don't last long!
(Here is the link I found on pinterest, I do not follow this blog, I simply got the recipe off pinterest :) http://homeiswheretheboatis.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/pocket-plum-pies/
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Simple Peach Cobbler
My husband brings me home fresh peaches and plums from some trees close to his work. He knows I absolutely LOVE peaches! The ones I had were getting pretty ripe so I needed to either eat them all up :) or make something good! I decided on cobbler, it's quick and easy....and really good.
I grew up eating this yummy cobbler. To me, this is cobbler! Everyone has a different interpretation of a cobbler. Some like it with pie crust on top. How does your family make cobbler?
To make this simple cobbler:
You need:
3 Tbs butter
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
About three cups of fruit
(fresh or canned)
** I used fresh peaches, peeled and cut them up. I used the juice that accumulated in the bowl also. If you use canned peaches, drain about half the juice but add the rest in the cobbler with the fruit.
Preheat oven to 375. Melt the butter in a baking dish, 8x8 is good. Mix the bisquick, sugar and milk together. Pour the mixture over the melted butter. Do not stir! Drop the peaches evenly over the batter, do not stir. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. The batter will look browned and will rise up over the fruit to look like a "cobbled" road. (if you are having company, double the recipe and use a 9x13" pan....this stuff is eaten up quickly)
Yum yum!
(in the after picture, mine is kind of brown around the edges because I used a smaller pan. I won't do that next time :)
I grew up eating this yummy cobbler. To me, this is cobbler! Everyone has a different interpretation of a cobbler. Some like it with pie crust on top. How does your family make cobbler?
To make this simple cobbler:
You need:
3 Tbs butter
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
About three cups of fruit
(fresh or canned)
** I used fresh peaches, peeled and cut them up. I used the juice that accumulated in the bowl also. If you use canned peaches, drain about half the juice but add the rest in the cobbler with the fruit.
Preheat oven to 375. Melt the butter in a baking dish, 8x8 is good. Mix the bisquick, sugar and milk together. Pour the mixture over the melted butter. Do not stir! Drop the peaches evenly over the batter, do not stir. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. The batter will look browned and will rise up over the fruit to look like a "cobbled" road. (if you are having company, double the recipe and use a 9x13" pan....this stuff is eaten up quickly)
Yum yum!
(in the after picture, mine is kind of brown around the edges because I used a smaller pan. I won't do that next time :)
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Chicken Penne al Fresco
One night last week I made this wonderful dinner, that everyone LOVED. I love using my Deep Covered Baker from Pampered Chef. The recipe is in the box with all my cookbooks in storage still. But I found the recipe on pinterest from here: http://www.bigbearswife.com/2011/01/grilled-chicken-penne-al-fresco-from.html?m=1
I like that it uses fresh ingredients. Our grill is also still in storage, so I sautéed the chicken with garlic in a hot skillet. Also, I do not use the wine that it calls for. We do not drink wine (or any alcohol for that matter) so I do not cook with it. I just used more chicken broth in its place. It is simple and easy and that's what I like! All the family liked it so that is always a plus.
I like that it uses fresh ingredients. Our grill is also still in storage, so I sautéed the chicken with garlic in a hot skillet. Also, I do not use the wine that it calls for. We do not drink wine (or any alcohol for that matter) so I do not cook with it. I just used more chicken broth in its place. It is simple and easy and that's what I like! All the family liked it so that is always a plus.
Friday, May 11, 2012
First Things First...
Welcome to my blog! I must say, I don't really know what I am doing, but, I will figure it out.
About me:
I am a wife, a stepmom and I work full time. I love to cook and bake. This is just a place for me to share things I have made since I first started cooking, things I have learned from family and friends, and new adventures I like to try out along the way.
I hope you enjoy the recipes!
Shayla
About me:
I am a wife, a stepmom and I work full time. I love to cook and bake. This is just a place for me to share things I have made since I first started cooking, things I have learned from family and friends, and new adventures I like to try out along the way.
I hope you enjoy the recipes!
Shayla
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