I’ve been working on perfecting this side dish for years. I’ve finally found the best method to make tasty potatoes cooked all the way through and crispy on the outside.
I cut each potato into 16 pieces, so they cook up faster.
Roasted Potatoes
Stars of the recipe:
small potatoes (We like yellow potatoes.), cut into smaller pieces (I cut them into 16ths)
extra virgin olive oil (Enough to coat the potatoes.)
Spice (Use your favorite spices ~ I like seasoning salt.)
Steps:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut up the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl.
Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes. (You only want enough to coat each potato).
Sprinkle the potatoes with spices.
Mix up the potatoes, olive oil, and spices. (I use clean hands to do this.) Make sure each piece of potato has olive oil on it.
Place a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Sprinkle more seasoning on the potatoes.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the potatoes over once while baking.
We had this for dinner on Monday. When I asked Hubby if he liked it, he told me that it was rude to talk with their mouth full. I take it that he liked it a lot.
Paprika Chicken
Stars of the recipe:
3 lbs chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
2 onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tomato, chopped (You can also use diced tomatoes in the can.)
oil as needed
1 green pepper, chopped
1 3/4 c. chicken broth, divided
2 Tbsp. paprika
1 C. sour cream
Steps:
In a large pot, saute the onion, garlic, and green pepper in oil until soft. Add the paprika and mix well.
Add the chicken, tomato, and 1 cup of chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to low to simmer.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.
Add remaining chicken broth and sour cream, stir to mix, and serve immediately over rice or egg noodles.
I love cookies. They are one of my favorite desserts. Like a Lay’s Chip, you can’t eat just one.
So last week, when Cookies and Cups posted a recipe for Peanut Butter Cups Chocolate Cookies, I knew I needed to try it to put it in my growing cookie recipe “file.” These cookies were so easy to make with only four ingredients.
Everyone who has tried the cookies has given them a thumbs up. They are extremely moist, which is a plus.
1 Chocolate cake mix (I used Devil’s Food cake because that’s what I had at the house.)
2 Lrg. Eggs
1/3 cup of Canola Oil
1 8 oz. bag of Reese’s Minis
Steps:
Preheat oven to 350°
With your mixer, beat cake mix, oil, and eggs until combined.
Pour in the entire bag of Reese’s Minis.
Mix on low until Reese’s are evenly incorporated.
Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2″ apart. Cookies will spread. (I used pan release from my local candy /cake supply store instead.)
All you need is five ingredients ~ six if you include the topping. So it’s perfect for the pantry challenge.
I found this recipe while various blogs had a countdown to 2012. Each day they posted their top recipes in different categories. Recipe Shoebox listed this as one of their top recipes in the dessert category. It looked so easy that I made it for New Year’s Eve. Hubby and I enjoyed it, and over the next few days, I finished the whole cheesecake. It was so delicious.
Last summer, my aunt left me a message on Facebook about Tropical Smoothie giving away a free smoothie if you came in with flip-flops. The boys and I jumped on that deal. As a result, the Imaginative One fell in love with the strawberry banana smoothie (I don’t remember its real name). Once I got the smoothie maker, the Imaginative One and I decided to try to recreate the smoothie. I had to add a little of this, and a little of that before the Imaginative One gave his seal of approval.
These are not exactly like the smoothies from Tropical Smoothie, but they are similar.
“Tropical Smoothie” Smoothie
Stars of the recipe:
1/2 of a banana
1/2 c. frozen cut-up strawberries
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. Sugar or sugar substitute
2 Tbsp. to 1/4 c. of yogurt – Greek or otherwise
1/4 to 1/2 c. of milk
Steps:
Put all of the ingredients in a blender or smoothie blender cup.
Whenever I tell the boys I made something from scratch, the Wee One replies, “Scratch the box.”
These brownies are made from scratch and are the best I’ve tasted. They are easy to whip up and use items found in my pantry.:) You can adapt them to your liking. Today I had Andes’ peppermint chips left over from my Christmas baking. I decided to put a handful or two in the batter and use peppermint extract instead of vanilla. I love the chocolate and mint flavor, so I can’t wait to have them after dinner.
Here are some recipes that can be made from items in your pantry.
Breakfasts
Instant Oatmeal Mix – Add any add-in you want, and you have a delicious breakfast
Fruit Smoothie – Use any frozen fruit on hand, juice, or even yogurt. Be as creative as you like.
Lunch:
Sloppy Joes – As long as you have some hamburger in your house, you can whip up some sloppy joes. If you have enough time, you can make homemade hamburger buns to eat the Sloppy Joes. Save some of those sloppy joes for a Sloppy Joe pizza later.
Dinner:
Baked Spaghetti – Again, you can use whatever meat you have in your fridge or freezer. Use whatever cheese you have in your fridge – maybe not bleu cheese. If the cheese is not shredded, shred it yourself.
Ranch Chicken Legs – As long as you have chicken (it doesn’t have to be just legs – use chicken breasts or thighs), Bisquick or something similar, and a dry ranch dressing packet (or the ingredients to make your own), you can cook this simple main dish.
Taco Crescent Bake – You can switch this to cooked chicken or ground turkey. You can try different cheeses. This is a great main dish. Don’t have tortilla chips but have tortillas; make your own chips.
Orange Chicken – I usually keep the ingredients for this simple dish in the freezer (popcorn chicken) and pantry (orange sauce) for an easy meal.
Crockpot Ribs – You can use this same method for chicken or a pork roast. Use whatever barbecue sauce you have on hand.
Spanish-style chicken noodle soup – This recipe calls for raw chicken. I’ve made it with cooked chicken. You can use frozen corn or canned corn. You can use dried black beans or canned black beans. If you use dried beans, make sure you prep them beforehand.
