A Feast

Tonight, I made a feast!!!  I found a Stuffed Pepper recipe last year, from Giada De Laurentiis, and made it all the time...then I forgot about it.  I found it not too long ago and I forgot how yummy it was.  When I make it, I use 4 different colors of peppers and it looks beautiful!  When I make it, I don't make the sauce and I use Craisens instead of Currents. 
We also had Zucchini Fries, from Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine, and chicken cooked in a Merlot sauce then topped with a Merlot gravy...oh my heavens!!!  The chicken was soo juicy and the sauce was to die for.  I'm sad I used the last of the sauce for this dinner. :(  The fries are also delicious.  They have so much flavor with the Italian Seasoning in it and Parmesan Cheese.  And of course, the bread crumbs in the mix provide a nice crunch.  I hope you try this and love it as much as we do.  A great summer recipe after hitting up the farmer's market!!

Texas...na...Oklahoma Sheet Cake

My family has made this cake, well, for as long as I can remember.  We should call it the Oklahoma Sheet Cake, but...well...I think I will from now on.  Introducing the Oklahoma Sheet Cake!!!

This delicious cake just melts in your mouth!!  It is so heavenly and light and creamy with the perfect amount of pecans.  However, in my book you an never have too many pecans. :)  This was the first time I made it, back in March, for The Hubby's birthday.  My mother has always made it and this year, I decided to give it a try.  It came out divine!!!!  He was very pleased and it did not take long for us to finish it off.  It is perfect warm, but gets even better for breakfast the next day!  A slice of this and a cup of coffee, you are good to go for the whole day!  The recipe my family has used for years is also the same one Pioneer Woman uses so I will link to hers.  I hope you give it a try.  It sounds a little difficult, and scary, to make but is really very easy.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I. 

I think I will have to make one for no reason at all...wait, it is a holiday.  Even better!

Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

Tonight I made a delicious stir-fry.  I have never had much luck when it comes to making stir-fries and this one was easy.  You can't mess it up.  It had so much flavor and and meat came out perfect.  It is easy to overcook the meat, but I took it out just a little under what I like and it ended up perfect!!  The Hubby was digging in before I set his plate on the table.  Right from the start, the kitchen smelt wonderful.  This is a must try!

Ingredients:

3 T cornstarch

1/2 c water, plus
2 T water
1/2 t garlic powder (I didn't have any so I chopped up 1 garlic)

1 lb boneless round steak cut into 3 inch strips

2 T vegetable oil

4 c broccoli florets (I used frozen)

1 small onion, diced

1/3 c soy sauce

2 T brown sugar

1 t ground ginger

hot cooked rice

Directions:

In a bowl, comvne2 T cornstarch, 2 T water and garlic powder until smooth.  Toss in the sliced steak to coat. 

In a large skillet or wok over med high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 T oil until beef is at desired doneness.  Remove from heat.

Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.  Return beef to skillet.

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth.  Add to pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. 

Serve with rice.

Fun Day

So, I am cooking my way through The Pioneer Woman's cookbook and who should be in Ohio this weekend...Ree Drummond. aka The Pioneer Woman!!!!  Some of my girlfriends and I went to Columbus to meet her today.  What a fun day it was.  We got there early so we could get our tickets and not wait FOREVER, then headed to Target (because The Baby wet out his diaper), lunch, and then we met PW.  I was so excited.  We had a great time.  She is so beautiful and so nice.  Oh how I wish we were friends!

Me with Ree Drummond

The girls with PW

The Baby waiting...

Burgers and Brats

What better way to spend a wonderful day, weather and the day in general, than to end it with a cookout!  I invited two of my friends and their boys over for a play date and as the day went on, we called the husbands and said we are cooking out.  It was such a great way to spend an odd, warm February day.  The boys got to play outside while the men grilled and the ladies stayed in with the babies and chatted while sipping wine.  I am SO ready for Spring!!!  Too bad it's supposed to get cold again.  At least we have a taste of what is near to come! :)

Valentine Dinner

For dinner tonight I made Pioneer Woman's Spicy Pulled Pork.  Tonight I used a different pork cut and it was not as tasty.  So, fyi, don't use the rib!!  I used shoulder meat last time and it was delicious!!!  For dessert, I made a speacial treat, Pioneer Woman's Red Velvet Cake.  But, since it was Valentine's Day, I made it pink. 

I took a picture of the cake before, but it didn't take for some reason.  I used heart pans and red sprinkles on top.  So pretty! :)

Fruity Chicken Pita and Corn Salad

We had a delicious dinner tonight with friends.  One of The Boys friends came over for a play date/dinner.  It was nice to see them play so well and get to catch up with one of my friends.  I slow-cooked some chicken and offered spinach, grapes, craisens and a pita.  To go along with it we had a delicious Corn Salad from Pioneer Woman (you can find the recipe under my recipe page).  It was such a fresh tasting salad.  I really enjoyed it as a salsa.  I can't wait to try this dish in the summer with fresh veggies.  I think it would be heavenly! :)

This is my friends take home dish.  It was soooo good!!!!

Enchiladas

I was so excited to get back into cooking my way through The Pioneer Woman Cooks today. Thanks to some friends, I found great substitute for cheese and milk.  Tonight, I made PW's Enchiladas.  As always, they were super easy to make.  However, I think I like mine better.  They were a little to much.  I like my tortillas to be a little more crispy around the edges and not really saturated in sauce.  They were still very good.  She calls for hamburger, but I always use chicken in mine and, honestly, I didn't look at the recipe until the chicken was cooked and shredded.  :)  I served our enchiladas with brown rice.
I was surprised at how well the cheese came out and tasted just like regular cheese.  Thanks to a friend, I found a great little store that sells organic and dairy-free foods, Healthy Alternative.  I really enjoyed browsing the aisles looking at all the yummy food.  (Now I'm hungry)  Anyways, I think I am going to be okay with trying this dairy-free thing now that I found ways to adjust my cooking.  I wasn't so sure the other day.  I was in need of chocolate and wasn't sure I would make it.  :0  I think this will work...at least for the next 3 weeks!

 

Sausage and Hash

We had another staple dinner tonight, Sausage and Hashbrowns.  This is one of My Hubby's favorite meals, I don't mind it because it is so easy and The Boy would eat it all if I let him. 

1 Sausage link

1/3 package Hashbrows

Warm sausage in skillet then add the hashbrowns and brown. 

What could be easier.  I add a little salt to mine and the hubby has his with ketchup.  Either way, you can't go wrong.

Taco Soup's For Dinner

Tonight was definitely a soup night.  Since I am just starting my dairy free eating, I decided to make Taco Soup.  The only thing I will be missing on my soup will be the shredded cheddar cheese. :(  It is so cold and icy out, we need something warm for our bellies.  This is also one of The Boy's favorite meals.  He doesn't touch the meat but eats ALL the beans and corn.  I am so glad he likes his veggies, especially since I don't do a good job serving them regularly.  I am serving my soup with Beer Bread tonight, to help clean up all the yummy goodness. :)

Rib-Eye Steak

Tonight we had yet another delicious meal...Rib-Eye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce and Onion Strings.   Boy was it good.  Again, I am not a fan of onions, but there was very little in the sauce and the whiskey added a whole new level.  It was delicious.  The Onion Strings were also very good for someone who doesn't like onions.  I just sliced them VERY thin and let 'em fry!  What's better than that!!!  The Hubby was very pleased with this meal. 

Tomato Soup Game Night

Last night was game night with some of my girlfriends.  These nights are always a blast.  We talk about the most random things and laugh so hard.  I was sure we were going to wake the boys, but it would have been worth it.  For game night, I made Tomato Soup, Beer Bread, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and a friend made Artichoke Dip.  It was all soooo good.  I ate way to much...and laughed way to hard.  We didn't even get to games we were too busy chatting. 
Anyways, the soup was delicious and super easy to put together.  You literally dump it all in and bring to a boil.  You can't mess this up.  I promise!  Try it and you will love it.  (The other dishes can be found under Recipes)  Enjoy!!!

MM Sandwich

Tonight's dinner was MM Favorite Sandwich.  It was very tasty and I am not a fan of onions.  I took the big strings out of my sandwich and it was still very yummy.  The Hubby loved it because it had meat and onions.  I was waiting for him to say, "You know what would make this perfect...mushrooms." YUCK!  I do not cook with mushroom much, unless I can easily take them out.  I served these sandwiches with Twice Baked Potatoes.  I have never made those before and they were surprisingly easily and delicious!  Again, I was so ready to eat I forgot to get a picture of our sandwich, but I did get one of the potatoes.  Tomorrow, leftover potatoes and Tomato Soup.  Sounds great for these cold days.

Calzone

Tonight I made Calzone's!!!  Boy were they yummy!!!  All I did was make some pizza crust, brown some hamburger and sausage, add some tomatoes and cheese and bake at 450 for 15 minutes.  I also drizzled EVOO on top before baking along with some Parmesan cheese.  They were SO good.  The only problem I ran into was letting the dough rise.  My thermostat has decided to not communicate with the heater so I had a cold kitchen, and house.  It's hard to let dough rise in a cold house.  If that should happen to you, turn the over to 200 then turn off when temp is reached and place dough in there for an hour or two. 
To go along with the Calzone, I served a side of marinara sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.  It made about 8 big Calzone's so we have enough for tomorrow.  I love meals that mean I don't have to cook the next night.  Makes life a little easier.

Spicy Pulled Pork

Last night we had a delicious Spicy Pulled Pork, from Pioneer Women, drizzled in the sauce it roasted in, along with limes squeezed on top and warm tortillas.  I was floating around the house all day as the pork roasted away in my oven.  Then when it was time to eat, the pork just melted in my mouth.  It was so juicy and tender and the sauce was amazing.  My husband, of course, can't eat anything without BBQ sauce.  So, he added that to his tortilla.  In my opinion, it was perfect without any extras.  This would be great with a pitcher of Frozen Margarita's. :)

Meatball Subs

Tonight we had a comfort dinner in our house...meatball subs.  Except tonight, I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe for meatballs.  I am cooking my way through her cookbook The Pioneer Woman and I am almost done.  So far, we have been VERY pleased with her meals.  I think she and I would be such great friends.  We both have ranching in our families, both in Oklahoma, and we love to cook.  She will be in my state next month and I hope to meet her. 
Anyways, I made her meatballs and then sliced some deli rolls and stuffed them with 5-6 meatballs.  I then topped with mozzarella and cheddar cheese, only because I ran out of mozzarella, and broiled them until the cheese melted.  They were outstanding!  (Sorry no picture...I was too hungry and dug right in.  Next time I will post one.  Here is a picture of the Pioneer Woman's.  Just imagine them in a deli roll with melted cheese all on top.  YUM!!!)