Greek Pasta

Another non-recipe from me.

You'll need:

Angel hair pasta

Marinated artichoke hearts, chopped, and the liquid it comes in

Sun dried tomatoes

Feta cheese

2-3 cloves garlic

Salt

While the pasta is cooking, chop the artichoke hearts (they usually come quartered). Pour some of the liquid from the artichoke hearts in a large skillet on medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté until cooked. Drain the pasta and add to the cooked garlic. Mix in more of the liquid from the artichoke hearts and add the sun dried tomatoes, chopped artichoke hearts and salt. Cook until heated through then add the feta cheese just before serving. I didn't measure any of the ingredients, I just added them until I thought it looked and tasted good.

This would probably be good with some grilled chicken but I made this for our "meatless night".

Southwest Sliders

These mini burgers are fun, especially for kids, although you may want to skip the chipotle mayo for the little ones. I don't have a recipe so I'll just tell you what I do.

You'll need:

Ground beef

Pepperjack cheese

Mayo

Chipotle peppers

Bacon

Lettuce

Tomato

Mini hamburger buns

I found mini buns by Sara Lee at the store but if you can't find them you can cut regular-size buns with a round cookie cutter. Or you could just make regular-size burgers, but we think sliders are more fun.

Mix up and cook your ground beef however you like it for hamburgers, but shape it into small patties. I like to season mine with garlic and onion powders, salt, pepper, ketchup and worcestershire sauce. Just before they are done cooking, top them with a slice of pepperjack cheese so it melts.

Mix together 1/4 cup mayo with 1-2 (or more if you like it really spicy) chipotle peppers, chopped. They come in a small can in the "hispanic foods" aisle. I like to take out the seeds so they're not quite so hot.

Spread the mayo on the mini buns and add your sliders. Top with lettuce, tomato and crispy bacon.

Now eat 2 or 3 of them :)

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I found yet another "keeper" and thought I'd pass it on...
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Source: My Kitchen Cafe
Serves 4-6
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (make sure it's REALLY lean, I use elk meat, and it works great)
3/4 cup quick oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Form into about 12 balls, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in a casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly. Heat in a small saucepan until combined and sugar is dissolved and pour over meatballs. (This dish is not overly abundant on sauce so if you enjoy things a bit saucier, double the sauce ingredients. ***I actually triple it, but save about a third to pour on meatballs when there is about three minutes left of cooking time. This way the sauce doesn't get hot enough to caramelize into the yummy stuff that coats the meatball, leaving it a tad bit runny to pour on our rice!)

Chick Parmesan

I found this recipe in one of my brother's cook books. It is so delicious and fairly easy to do, so I thought I would share. It's also pretty healthy.

You will need:
2 chicken breast
2 tsp oil
1.5 C of pasta sauce
.5 C mozzarella cheese
2 Tb Parmesan cheese

Brown chicken in oil over medium heat. Add sauce inn bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and broil in the oven for 3 minutes.

I put this over the top of some spaghetti squash and I loved it. I am a huge pasta fan, so I am glad that I found a healthy alternative.

To cook a spaghetti squash in the oven, cut in length wise. Scoop out the insides. Place some water in it. Wrap it in tin foil and bake at 350 for until soft.

Perfect One Bowl Brownies

I must admit, after reading the name of this recipe, I was a bit skeptical. Perfect??? I mean, that's a lot to live up to. I had BIG expectations while whippin' these up. And guess what?!?! They are pretty dang near PERFECT!!! (I have no words to describe my devotion to the batter of these babies...I'm salivating just thinking of it....deadly, folks, deadly!!!) Here's how to bake up a batch of these beauties:

Perfect One Bowl Brownies

Source: The Sister's Cafe

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
4 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips (or just sprinkle a handful on top-and the picture posted does not have these on the scrumptious little squares, for some reason I was OUT of them that day!!!)
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl melt butter in microwave, then stir in oil, sugar and cocoa. With a wooden spoon stir in the remainder of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Spread into a 9x13 pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. If your toothpick comes out clean you have cooked them too long! DO NOT OVERCOOK! ***I have made these probably a dozen times (don't judge me) since finding this recipe and it took me three times to cook them just right. My tip to you is to take them out when you think "they need just a little bit longer...." Don't do it! Take them out then!!! They are way better a little underdone than done or, heaven forbid, over done!!! Good Luck!

Candied Chicken

I am always on the look out for easy and delicious dinner ideas. After trying this one, and seeing the way my husband and kids practically INHALED it, I'm putting it on my "keeper" list!

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Put in crock pot. In a bowl, mix:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. onion, diced (I didn't have an onion so I used a little minced onion and it was great)

3/4 c. water

1/4 t. salt

Pour over chicken. Cook 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 on low.

I've tried this recipe twice, once served over rice, and once on buns for sandwiches, and they were equally inhaled!

{Boston Cream Pie Cake}

Look "YUMMY" up in the dictionary...You'll find this recipe! :)

1 yellow cake, baked in 9 in rounds (follow package directions)

1 lg. vanilla pudding (follow package directions)

Glaze:

4 T. butter

6 T. cocoa

4 T. water

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

In saucepan on low heat, stir constantly until thickened but not boiling. Remove and add vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar. Drizzle on cake.

Cut each round in half, making four thin rounds. Layer cake and pudding (cake, then pudding, cake, more pudding, cake, even more pudding, cake). Top with glaze. ENJOY!