Wednesday, June 26, 2013

{Recipe} Quick Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie



Chicken Pot Pie is just one of those comfort meals.  It sticks to the ribs and comforts the soul.  This version is quick and easy.  I always have pie pastry in my freezer which I think is the best invention since sliced bread! 



And speaking of pot pie...are you a Duck Dynasty fan?  If so, you gotta love Uncle Si.  This has to be one of the funniest things...


Funny!  Right?


Enjoy!



Quick Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie
by Wende Rickett


Ingredients
  • 2 cans cream of chicken soup (I used fat free)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 tsp garlic
  • 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 lb frozen mixed veggies, thawed
  • 3 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced
  • 2 tbsp. milk
  • 2 pie pastry, if frozen, thawed
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a round 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray.
3. Place pie crust in the dish pressing the dough all the way up the sides to the rim.
4. Combine soups, milk (I didn't measure out the milk, just filled the empty soup can to the top), garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper.
5. Add vegetables. (Mine were still frozen so I threw them in the microwave for 2 minutes and then added them to the soup mixture.)
6. Add chicken breasts, stirring until well combined.
7. Pour mixture into the casserole dish.
8. Unroll second pie crust and place on top of the dish. Crimp the two crusts sealing the pie. I also used a fork and pressed them together.
9. Cut four slits into the top crust to allow the pie to vent.
10. Brush milk on the top crust and place in the oven.
11. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
12. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
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Saturday, January 5, 2013

{Recipe} Spicy Sausage Pasta




I am always looking for fast and easy weeknight meals.  This super tasty dish fits all the requirements and then some.  Not only is it fast and easy, but it is a one pot meal.  Perfect for weeknights!  

I found this recipe at the blog of  Kevin and Amanda.  I have tried several of the recipes on their blog, like Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken.  I adapted this recipe a bit to make a bit more to feed my family of five.  

Enjoy!


Spicy Sausage Pasta 
by Wende Rickett

Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lb smoked sausage, sliced into coins
  • 1.5 cups diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 24 oz low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1-10 oz can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
  • 1 -10 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 12 oz penne pasta
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
  • 1 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking.
Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir.
Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low.
Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese.
Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions.
Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.
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*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday







Tuesday, January 1, 2013

{Recipe} Gooey Hot Cocoa Cookies


 I love a good cookie and this one is fantastic!  I slightly adapted the recipe from Baked Bree.  I wanted my cookies to have a gooey chocolaty middle so I used Hershey's Chocolate Baking Melts.  Have you seen these baking melts?  They are more like chocolate wafers and they are perfect for stuffing inside a cookie. They took my cookie over the top.

 I made these for my family to try and they loved them.  They are a perfect cookie for a cup of hot cocoa or even a glass of milk.

Enjoy!

Gooey Hot Cocoa Cookies
by Wende Rickett


Ingredients
  • 2 sticks room temperature butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 1/4 cups flour
  • 4 packages Hot Chocolate Mix (not sugar free)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup marshmallow bits
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • baking melts
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
  3. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla beating until well combined.
  5. Place flour, hot cocoa mix, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  6. Slowly add to the wet ingredients along with white chips until just combined.
  7. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
  8. Using your thumb, press a well into each cookie.
  9. Place two baking melts into the well of each cookie.
  10. Place another scoop of cookie dough on top and press edges gently.
  11. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are just golden brown.
  12. Allow cookies to cool on pan 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year!


 
 
Happy New Year!
 
I hope you all had a blessed holiday!  We were so busy during this holiday season with parties, fun and family.
 
 
 
 
We were so busy that once we slowed down we took a long winter's nap.  We have enjoyed the past week of doing nothing....well, I did climb Mount Washmore...it took me two days, but I scaled the peak.  The problem with getting all your laundry done is that you run out of hangers.
 
It has been ages since I posted anything on my blog.  One of my New Year resolutions is to somehow balance life and blogging, which I have found very difficult to do.   I am trying to organize my house, job and life to leave more time for me to blog because  I have missed baking and sharing recipes. 
 
I love the beginning of a new year...it always brings such promise and hope. 
May you have a blessed new year filled with happiness, love, family and lots of baking!
 
Bring on 2013!
 





Monday, August 20, 2012

{#73} Must Try Tuesday: August 21, 2012

I took a few weeks off from my blog to take some time to enjoy the last few weeks of summer with my family.  We start school next week so I thought this week I would share some breakfast recipes I found.  I hope to give my kids some better options for breakfast and these recipes look awesome.

Enjoy!

Great Harvest Cinnaburst Copycat Bread @ Rae Gun Ramblings

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Banana Bread @ 8 Weeks to a Better You

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Cinnamon Sugar Scones @ The Midwestern Wife

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Mini German Pancakes @ Real Mom Kitchen

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Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes @ Prevention RD

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Banana Bread Pancakes @ Bliss

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Egg and Ham Muffins @ Beyer Beware

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Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes @ Feastie
Source: feastie.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Buffins @ A Flock in the City

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Easy Crock Pot Greek Yogurt @ Over at Julie's

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Recipe: Nutella Filled Sugar Cookie Cups



Earlier this summer, I was looking for a recipe to take to a bake sale and cake walk.  I wanted something different that didn't require a lot of time.  As I was looking through some of my favorite blogs, I came across this recipe on The Sweet Spot and knew instantly that this was the recipe I was looking for.   I could have easily used a tube of refrigerated sugar cookie dough to make this  really easy, but I decided to go the extra step and make Paige's sugar cookie recipe.  

Keeping my kids away from these was hard because they love anything Nutella so much that when one of them won the cake walk, out of all the wonderful goodies there, she chose these little delightful cups of goodness. 

Enjoy!



Nutella Filled Sugar Cookie Cups

by Paige @ The Sweet Spot
Ingredients
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Nutella
  • toffee bits, optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Spray a mini muffin pan generously with cooking spray.
  3. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder; set aside.
  4. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.
  5. Beat in egg and vanilla.
  6. Gradually stir dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
  7. Roll dough into walnut sized balls and place them in the muffin pan.
  8. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden.
  9. Let cool for one minute then take a teaspoon size measuring spoon and press down making an indention on each cookie cup.
  10. Fill with Nutella and top with toffee bits, if using.
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Monday, August 6, 2012

Back to School: Bento Boxes/Lunches


We are about three weeks away from the start of school and that has me in back to school prepping mode.  One out of three of my children is ready for school to start.  My oldest daughter LOVES school and like me, she loves to walk down the aisles filled with school supplies.  I love the smell of new pencils, paper, folders....I know....completely weird.

Last school year, I started working at my children's school the last three months.  During those months, my children ate school lunches, not my proudest mommy moment.  I have been at home with my kids for eight years so going back to work got us out of our normal routines and we were just trying to make it through the end of the school year.  I am returning to work at the school, but this year, I am planning on making their lunches.

I have been pinning, reading blogs and trying new recipes to make packing lunches easier.  I have found some super looking recipes and ideas.  I don't know about you, but I am fascinated with bento boxes.  Some look very time consuming but I have a found a few that could possible be a quick alternative. I also am sharing some of our family favorites that my kids love to have for lunch.


Family Favorites
Quick and Healthy Homemade Potato Chips

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Herb Cream Cheese Stuffed Pitas

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Mac and Cheese Cupcakes

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Homemade Yogurt

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Oh So Tasty Bean Salad

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New Recipes to Try

Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups

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Pizzas in a Sleeping Bag

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Roast Beef and Cheddar Rollups

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Cheddar and Apple Sandwich

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Chicken Potpie Empandas

~~~~
Mini Corn Dog Muffins

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi

~~~~
Chick-fil-A Bites with Honey Mustard Sauce

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Cucumber Feta Rolls

~~~~
Broccoli Cheese Bites

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Bento Boxes
Ladybug Bento Box
Source: google.de via Wende on Pinterest

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Pizzette Bento

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Monkey Lunch

~~~~
Flowery Bento Box

~~~~
Angry Birds Bento Box
Source: google.de via Wende on Pinterest

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Chicken Dunk Lunchables


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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Recipe: Apple Dumplings



I have been wanting to make Apple Dumplings for some time now when I saw the recipe posted on The Pioneer Woman's blog several years ago.  I finally had the opportunity to do so and OMG!  Why....why....did it take so long for me to do so is beyond me.  These dumplings are so beyond good...they are warm and comforting yummy good.  The only change that I made to the original recipe was replacing the Mountain Dew with Sprite.  Come Fall, I will be making these again...and again....and again....

Enjoy!



Apple Dumplings

by Ree Drummond/The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
  • 2 whole Granny Smith apples
  • 2-8 oz cans crescent rolls
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • cinnamon, to taste
  • 1-12 oz can lemon lime soda (Sprite)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Generously butter a 9x13" pan.
  3. Peel and core apples.
  4. Cut each apple into 8 slices each.
  5. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll.
  6. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir.
  7. Add vanilla, stir and pour entire mixture over apples.
  8. Pour lemon lime soda around the edges of the pan.
  9. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 40 minutes.
  10. Serve with ice cream and sauce from the pan.
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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

{#72} Must Try Tuesday: July 24, 2012

Whew!  VBS is over!  After weeks of hard work, stress and fun, last week was the best VBS that our church hosted.  It was high energy and the kids LOVED it!  My kids are still singing and dancing and telling me all the things they learned from the bible.

Now it is time to sit back, relax and enjoy the last few weeks of summer before school starts.  This week the theme is chocolate!  Yummy, delicious, smooth, sweet chocolate....

Enjoy!



Chocolate Malt Brownie Parfaits in a Jar @ A Spicy Perspective

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Peanut Butter Balls @ Baby Gizmo

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Dutch Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips @ DebbieSweets

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Chocolate Bowls @ Just One Mommy Trying

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars

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Crispy Nutella Cookies @ Welcome to the Good Life

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Grasshopper Mint Chocolate Bark @ Brown Eyed Baker

~~~~~
Chocolate Chip Wontons @ Bizzy Bakes




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