PMS Cookies

 Ok so I found this recipe on pinterest, and it's awesome! ( I modified some of the measurements a little bit though...) It has choc. chips, peanut butter chips, pretzels and sea salt in it....it makes for a really good combo!! :)

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of flour
                    1/2 tsp. salt
                     1/4 tsp. baking soda
                   1/2 cup butter, softened
                    1/2 cup brown sugar
                    1/3 cup sugar
                     1 egg , beaten
                     1 tsp. vanilla
                    3/4 cup choc. chips
                   1/2 cup peanut butter chips
                   3/4 cup of broken up pretzel pieces
                   Sea salt
                   Parchment paper

Directions: In medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In larger bowl, beat butter and sugars together on medium speed until fluffy. Slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla. Beat to combine. Add the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in choc. chips, peanut butter chips, and pretzels.
   Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
   Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with the parchment paper. Scoop out round tablespoon size balls. Press it down just a little bit, and sprinkle each one with sea salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
  *makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Pizza in a Loaf

This recipe is awesome! A great twist on pizza. If you love pizza (honestly...who doesn't....) you will love this. It's baked in a loaf and served with pizza sauce to dip it in...yummy!

Ingredients: 16oz. of ground italian sausage
                  1  green pepper
                   1 onion
                  1 tsp. minced garlic
                  1 french bread dough (in the refrigerated section)
                  crushed red pepper
                  chilli powder
                  1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
                  2 T. butter, softened
                  1 tsp. garlic powder
                 Pizza sauce for dipping

        Directions:  Brown sausage. Then add onion, green pepper, and minced garlic until soft.
                       Preheat oven to 350. Grease a baking sheet.
                    Flour a surface and roll out dough into about a 12x8 rectangle. Sprinkle it with a little bit of chilli powder and crushed red pepper. Then, spoon the meat mixture onto the dough. *Layer it across the longest side of dough, and only take up about 1/3 of the space on the dough. Pile it "up" so you have room to roll it up. Then, layer the cheese next to the meat. Leave a little bit of room on each end so you can seal it.
     Roll it up starting with the meat side. Gently roll it into a tube shape, then seal the ends and place seam down on the greased sheet. Fold the ends under slightly to seal.
   Bake 25 minutes. Add garlic powder and butter and brush over top and return to oven for 5 more minutes. Serve it with pizza sauce.

Stuffed Peppers

I love stuffed peppers! Healthy and easy to make.

Ingredients: 6 bell peppers (any color you like)
                   olive oil
                   1 onion, chopped
                   1 T. minced garlic
                  pkg. of ground turkey (1 lb.)
                 2 cups of cooked brown rice *get the 90 second bag they sell to make this easier!*
                  1 1/2 t. ground cumin
                1 t. cinnamon
                   1 t. sea salt (regular salt is just fine too)
                  throw some pepper in there!...I don't measure...just a couple good shakes
                 1 (14oz. can) of italian stewed tomatoes (cut them up)
                 1/2 cup of craisins
                 1 (14oz. can) of mexican corn

Directions:  Preheat oven to 425.
         Heat some olive oil in a large pan. Add Garlic and onion and cook until soft. While that's going wash your peppers off and cut the top off and "gut" the inside. Cut a little of the bottom of the peppers too so they can stand up without falling.
         Then, add the ground turkey to the onions and garlic and cook until meat is done. Then, add cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, corn, tomatoes, craisins, and cooked rice. Stir until well combined. Remove from heat. Place peppers in a 9x13 baking dish. Stuff with meat mixture, mounding slightly. Drizzle tops and sides of each pepper with olive oil. Put tops back on peppers and cover tightly with foil.
     Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

Beef and Veggie Soup

This is a hearty soup...packed with beef, potatoes and good veggies. I actually found the recipe in my hubby's muscle magazine (why I was reading that, I don't know...haha) but I just changed a few things to it.

Ingredients:
                    Package of stew meat (it comes chopped up)
                    About 7 red potatoes (the magazine calls them "new" potatoes...I have never heard this. But they are the small potatoes...you know what I'm talking about.)
                     1 onion
                    Carrots ( about 15 baby carrots, chopped)
                    Beef stock (32 oz)
                    Broccoli ( I cheat and get these frozen...just a small pkg.) You can also substitute this for peas...my husband hates pees, so I did broccoli.
                    1 1/2 cups water
                    salt n' pepper to taste
                    1 tsp. minced garlic (if you don't have this item...don't worry it's still good without it)

Directions: In a large pot brown the meat with olive oil until brown on all sides over medium heat. While it's browning, cut up your potatoes, carrots and onion into small/medium pieces. Then, when meat is browned add the beef stock, water, potatoes, carrots, salt n' pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until potatoes and carrots are soft. (about 15 minutes...) Then, add the onion. While all that's simmering microwave the broccoli and add to soup when done. :)

  Servings is about 8-10 people.

Taco Casserole

This is a great casserole! It's easy and kids love it too...I've fed this to my niece and nephews before. (I told them it was nachos....) They liked it!

Ingredients: 1 lb. of ground turkey
                    1 onion, chopped
                    2 packages of shredded cheese
                    1 can of mexican corn, drained
                    Jar of salsa - about 3 cups worth (I used the black bean and corn salsa, but you can choose your favorite)
                   1 bag of tortilla chips (8 oz. bag) I get the wheat ones
                   Foil

                   Directions: Brown the meat and drain. Then, take away from stove top and add the salsa, onion, and corn. (make sure you drain the corn) Stir it up until mixed well. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Layer half of the chips on the bottom of the greased pan. I crunch them up just a little bit, but keep them in big pieces for the most part. Then, put a layer of the meat mixture, and then cheese (I use an entire bag for each layer...I know some people may think that's an absurd amount of cheese....so use to your desire.) Then, do one more layer of chips, meat mixture and end with cheese. Then, cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

     * A handy tip! You can freeze this meal ahead of time! Just do everything the same, but after you cover with foil, put it in the freezer. Then, when ready to bake , do it at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.

Breakfast Tacos

Who doesn't love tacos? These are really easy breakfast tacos that are good morning or night!

Ingredients:
                   Turkey sausage (I get the turkey sausage crumbles that are already crumbled for you...find it in any grocery store by the bacon)
                   1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
                   5 eggs
                   1 onion
                   shredded cheese
                   taco sauce
                   small soft tortillas

Directions:
                   Cook the turkey sausage in a pan with the beans (drained and rinsed) I always add a little touch of olive oil to it too. In another pan, cook the eggs until scrambled well. Get a tortilla and scoop in the meat/bean mixture, then add your eggs, then add all your toppings (onion, taco sauce, shredded cheese) How easy is that? And it's very good!
  *This makes about 6-8 pretty good sized tacos*

S'Mores Martini

What better way to enter the fall time than a S'mores Martini?! So yummy!
 
Ingredients:
                  Chocolate syrup
                  Graham crackers, crushed
                 1 oz. chocolate vodka
                  1 oz. coffee liqueur
                 1 oz. vanilla vodka
                  1 oz. heavy cream
                     ice

Directions:
                Dip rim of martini glass in chocolate syrup, then into crushed graham crackers. Chill in freezer until ready to use. Pour ingredients into shaker bottle with ice and shake until mixed well.
          *If you have kids....or don't feel like a "grown up" drink, or are pregnant you can still make this! (kinda...haha) Make the rim of a glass the same way and just add MILK!! cute and yummy.  :)

Cheesy Chicken and Veggie Soup

This is MY FAVORITE soup ever!! It's creamy, cheesy goodness! If you like O'Charley's soup then you will love this soup too!!!

Ingredients:
                     1/2 bag of frozen hashbrowns (the small cubed kind!)
                     32 oz. of chicken broth
                      pkg. of frozen mixed veggies
                      1 onion chopped
                       salt  (a couple good dashes)
                      pepper (a couple good dashes)
                     2 cans of cream of chicken soup
                     12oz. of velveeta cheese
                      Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3)

Directions:   Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a big pot with a lid. In the meantime, cut the fat off your chicken and boil in water until done. After the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat simmering for about 15 minutes. Then, stir in the 2 cans of soup and the velveeta cheese until melted. Cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces. (meat scissors make it really easy) then add to the soup. So Yummy!!

Fruit Parfait with Angel food cake

This dessert is easy and refreshing! Great for a last minute throw together. It literally takes 5 minutes.

Ingredients: 1 cup of cool whip (thawed out)
                    1 pkg. of jello vanilla instant pudding
                   1 can (20 oz. ) of crushed pineapple (don't drain it)
                   angel food cake (I get the little individual ones)
                   2 kinds of your favorite berries (I use strawberries and blueberries)

Directions:  Mix the pineapple and the dry pudding mix. Then, stir in the cool whip. Refrigerate it while you cut up your fruit. Then, get the angel food cake and top with the pudding mixture, then top with the fruit. :) If you wanna be fancy you can put it in a martini glass like me. It makes it pretty. :)

Banana Bread

This recipe is nice, because most likely you will already have all the ingredients in your house. :)

Ingredients:   3 bananas (wait until they are getting old and more mushy)
                      2 eggs, beaten
                      3/4 cup brown sugar
                      1 stick of butter (don't substitute margarine!)
                     1/4 tsp. salt
                      1 tsp. baking soda
                    2 cups of flour
                 *sugar and cinnamon*optional

                     Directions:
                                        Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease loaf pan. Combine wet items first (I use a fork...makes it easier to mash up the bananas) , then add the dry ingredients. cook about 45 min. to an hour.
       *Once it's done and I pull it out of oven I put butter on top and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top*

*It's also good with nuts :)

Chocolate Explosion!

This is such an easy dessert and it is sooooo good! My niece Michelle helped me name it. :) It's like a chocolate turnover, but we liked the name chocolate explosion better. :)

Ingredients:
             1 Can of refrigerated crescents (make sure they are just plain butter flavor and not like garlic or something)
             Powdered Sugar
             Hershey's Kisses

Directions:
           Preheat oven to 350. Use an ungreased cookie sheet. Put 3-4 hershey kisses in each crescent and roll up like you normally would. Bake for about 10-13 minutes or until done. Immediately out of oven roll them in powdered sugar so it sticks. Done! So good! :)


*I know that picture isn't the best....but there's chocolate inside there!

Spinach Turkey Burgers

There is nothing better than a big ol' cheeseburger with fries and a coke.....but sometimes it's nice to have a healthier alternative to a burger. These are so good!

Ingredients: 1 pound of ground white turkey meat
                    1 egg
                     1 onion
                    Bag of baby spinach (chopped up finely) use about 1/2 of the bag
                    minced garlic (if you have it on hand...no big deal if ya don't)
                   Worstershire sauce ( I'm not even going to try and spell it right!)

Directions: In a big bowl mix the raw ground turkey meat with egg, chopped onion, spinach, garlic, and worstershire sauce (I just put a couple squirts in there.) *I use a handy chopper thing I have to really get the onion and spinach chopped finely* Then, just patty them up into burgers. (makes about 5) Cook on stove (I used a griddle pan) make sure to put a little olive oil down first so it doesn't stick. Top with cheese and anything else you want on it. serve on a bun. done!! :)

Eclair Cake

This is seriously the easiest dessert to make! A great last minute idea, and always a hit. :)

Ingredients:
              1 box of graham crackers
               4 cups of milk
              2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
              1 (16oz.) container of cool whip (thaw it when you get home)
             1 (16oz.) container of chocolate frosting



Directions:

        Get a 9x13 pan and line bottom with graham crackers. In a large bowl, combine milk and pudding mix. Then, add the cool whip. Spread layer over graham crackers then continue layering until you reach the top of pan. Put the frosting in the microwave (uncovered) for 1 minute. Then, spread over top of pudding. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Yummy!!