Grilled Aparagus

This asparagus was absolutely amazing! So, so yummy. There isn't really a recipe for this... So, I will just tell you what I did. First I cut off the bottom inch or so of the stems. Then I layed them out in a single layer and coated each of them with olive oil. I have an olive oil mister, which made this super easy to just lightly spray them. But since most people don't have those, you could just drizzle a little olive oil on them, then toss them around to coat them.You don't want to drench them, just lightly coat them. Then all that you need to do is season them however you want. I only used salt to season ours. Lay them in a single layer on a hot grill and cook them until they are crisp-tender. That's all there is to it. Easy and Yummy.

Shredding Chicken

A few days ago, I was making these Baked Chicken Taquitos and was about to shred all of the chicken with a fork, when I had this vague remembrance of my friend Aly leaving a comment on this recipe, saying that she had heard you could shred chicken with a hand mixer. So I decided to try it out. I had sauteed my chicken in a little bit of olive oil. I just took it straight from the saute pan, and put it all into my KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment. I turned it on the lowest speed, and Wah Lah! It was perfectly shredded in just a few seconds. It was seriously amazing! So here is to no more shredding by hand!

 Before

After

Asparagus and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Have I mentioned how much I love asparagus? The other day I was searching on allrecipes.com for something new to do with asparagus and I came across this recipe. I was excited to try it. I changed a few things from the original recipe, mostly because some of the reviews of the recipe said it turned out a little dry. So I added a little bit of mayo to the outside of each roll, and they ended up super moist and very flavorful. My husband made some kind of statement about it being something like you would see in a pricey restaurant. I will definitely take that as a compliment! And I will definitely be making this again!

Asparagus and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
16 asparagus spears, bottom 1-2 inches cut off
about 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste
about 1/4 cup mayonnaise
bread crumbs (regular or panko. I used panko, but the original recipe calls for regular)
garlic salt

Place each chicken breast between two sheet of parchment paper, or in a large ziplock baggie. Pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet or rolling pin until it is all at an even thickness, and about 1/4 of an inch thick. Salt and pepper the chicken, then place 4 spears of asparagus and about 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese down the center of each chicken breast. Roll up chicken around the asparagus tightly. Place each chicken breast, seam side down, on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with Pam (or equivalent). Spread a thin layer of mayo all over the top and sides of each piece of chicken. Then sprinkle garlic salt on each piece. Finish by sprinkling a good amount of bread crumbs on each piece. Place in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until chicken is completely done.

Cheesy Broccoli Rice

A few days ago, my stinking cute and practically-perfect-in-every-way friend Aly posted this recipe on her blog. I saw it that morning, and immediately knew my family would love it. And one of the things I noticed and loved about it, is that I always have all the ingredients on hand. So I made it that very night.
When I put in on the table my 8 year old said "I do not like that", and I said "um, first of all, you have never had it, and second of all, you love broccoli, rice, cheese and ranch, so why do you think you don't like it?" She attempted to tell me that she liked all those thing, but just not all together. Oh, really? Long story short, she had 3 servings of it and didn't eat anything else on her plate. My family loved this. I am so excited to have another super easy, can make at the last minute with out any planning, side dish that will go with about anything, side dish. Was that a run-on sentence? Or just really bad grammar?
As you can see here, Aly made these super cute by putting individual serving into a muffin tin. I decided to make it in a casserole dish, (you know, my super cute one that my hubby gave me for Christmas?) because I was doubling it (which, by the way, even after doubling it, we had no leftovers) and thought it would be easier. So feel free to do it either way. Thanks Aly for a recipe that could potentially change my life! (Kinda like this one did).

Cheesy Broccoli Rice

1 cup Minute White Rice, uncooked
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli, thawed, drained (I added a little more than this)
2/3 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar, but any will work)
1/4 cup ranch dressing
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Prepare rice as directed on package, but use the chicken broth instead of water. Place cooked rice in a large mixing bowl. Cool slightly. Stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. Spoon mixture into a greased casserole dish (or muffin tins). Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until lightly browned.

Pumpkin Bars

Last summer my cousin's wife Cathy brought these amazing pumpkin bars to our Rigby Family Reunion. I seriously had never had a pumpkin bar as good as they were. I fell in love with them and I'm pretty sure that I ate 3 or 4 of them that day. I let her know that I really wanted the recipe for them, and about a week later it showed up in the mail. I was delightfully delighted!
Well, for some crazy, unexplainable reason, it took me 7 months to get around to actually making them. Who the heck knows why! But then, I made up for lost time and made 3 pans of these in 1 week. I tell no lie. 3 in a week! Now, don't worry, my little family didn't eat all 3 pans. Each of them were shared. But we definitely ate our fair share of them, and they were soooooo good. You don't need to wait until the fall to make this pumpkin recipe. Make it RIGHT NOW! They are amazing. Make sure you make the creamy, dreamy frosting with them. You can't substitute anything else! Promise me that you will NEVER put a can of store bought frosting on these delicious pumpkin pieces of heaven.

Pumpkin Bars

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)

Blend together sugar, oil, and eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add can of pumpkin and mix well again. Put batter in a sheet pan that has been sprayed well. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool completely, then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar

Mix together well until light and fluffy.

Mac and Cheese

My friends in Tennessee would be ashamed to know that I have never made homemade mac and cheese and I have never served Mac and Cheese as a side dish. What was I thinking? After making this yummy cheesiness, I totally understand why southerners love their mac and cheese.
I was a little afraid that my kids would protest against it because it didn't look like the stuff from the box that they have eaten for many a lunches. But they loved it. My six year old had three helpings and asked for 4, but I figured that 3 was enough.
Doesn't it look so good in that adorable baking dish? That was a Christmas present from my hubby. It is so stinking cute! I really heart it.

Mac and Cheese

8 oz Penne Pasta, cooked and drained
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4-1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
about 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Melt butter in saute pan over med heat. Whisk in flour to make a roux. Slowly add milk and stir constantly until it thickens up. Slowly add cheeses as you keep stirring. Add salt and pepper. Fold cheese sauce into the noodles. Put into a buttered or sprayed casserole dish. Sprinkle a little bit of cheese over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.

I doubled the recipe, but would have had plenty for my family of 6 without doubling it. We had a ton left over.

Beef Stroganoff in the Crock Pot

This is one of those super easy throw-it-in-the-crock-pot-and-forget-about-it recipes that I really like. No prep needed. The original recipe came from Allrecipes.com, but, as usual, I added a few things to this. It was a hit with the family and will be made again! Make sure when you make this that you get the Golden Mushroom soup... which is very different from Cream of Mushroom soup. Don't substitute!

Beef Stroganoff

2 pounds cubed beef (stew meat)
1 can Golden Mushroom soup
1 can French Onion Soup
1 cup water
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 8oz. brick of cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream

Mix all ingredients, except cream cheese and sour cream, in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. About 30 minutes before serving place cream cheese and sour cream in crock pot. Stir to mix in before serving. Serve over hot, cooked egg noodles.

Pizza Pinwheels

This was a fun and easy dinner that everyone enjoyed. The best way to explain these is that they are like cinnamon rolls, but pizza instead. I had great intentions of making my own pizza dough for these, but when I was grocery shopping a little voice in my head told me that buying the cans of Pillsbury Pizza Dough would be a whole lot easier, and that is what I did. I had never bought that kind of pizza dough before, and wasn't too surprised when it tasted just like the canned biscuits. Next time I make these I will make the dough, however, for a quick meal, the canned dough worked out great.
A big thanks to my friend and neighbor Sasha who saved my hide with a jar of spaghetti sauce. While these were in the oven, I ran down to my storage room to grab a jar, only to realize that I didn't have any! Guh! Thanks again Sasha!
FYI, I had no idea how much to make. I used three cans of pizza dough. Each can made about 12 rolls. That was obviously WAY too much for my family of six. Two cans would have been plenty! Also, I used the "thin crust" cans of dough.

Pizza Pinwheels

Pizza Dough
Cheese
Pizza toppings
Marinara sauce for dipping

Roll out dough into a triangle. Top the dough with cheese and whatever pizza toppings you would like. Starting with the long side of the rectangle, roll up the dough into a long log. Use a sharp knife to slice the log into about 1 inch slices. Place slices on a cookie sheet that has either been sprayed, has parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the pinwheels start to turn golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce (and for my family, Ranch dressing) for dipping.

Some Kind of Asian Something

So, I have been looking in my local grocery stores for a long time to find Pad Thai Rice Noodles, and couldn't find them anywhere. Well, I finally found them at a store that I rarely ever shop at. I was really excited to cook with them, but couldn't find a recipe that sounded fantastic to me. So I ended up just doing my own thing and throwing stuff in that I thought would be good... and it was! After we ate, and loved it, I hurried to write down everything I put in it so that it could be recreated. I just don't know what to call it though.....

Some Kind of Asian Something

1 1/2 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 8oz. package Pad Thai Rice Noodles
1/2 cup carrots, matchstick sliced
1 cup zucchini, quartered then sliced
2 cups fresh broccoli flowerettes

1/3 cup soy sauce

3-4 tbsp pure sesame oil

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp garlic powder (I was out of garlic cloves or I would have used 3 or 4 minced cloves instead)

4 Tbsp water

Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic powder, and water, set aside. Place noodles in a bowl of hot water to soak for 7 or 8 minutes. Meanwhile, stir-fry the chicken in a little oil,  for a few minutes, then add carrots. After a couple more minutes add the broccoli and zucchini. Continue to cook these until chicken is done and veggies are crisp-tender. Drain noodles and add them to the pan, stirring them into the chicken/veggies. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then add the soy sauce mixture to the pan. Continue to stir-fry until all of the noodles, chicken, and veggies are coated in the sauce. Serve.

Hot Chocolate Bar

I was in charge of my family Christmas party this year. Because there are a bunch of us, we had the party at our church building. We had a fun dinner of all appetizers, then we watched the movie "Tangled" on a big screen with a projector. I rented a big popcorn machine and had tons of candy on hand for the movie. It was a whole lot of fun. It was a nice and relaxing evening for everyone during such a busy time of year.
I also had a Hot Chocolate Bar which everyone seemed to love. I saw the idea on Pinterest, and knew it would be a really fun addition to the party. Here is a list of what I included on the bar:

• Stephens Hot Chocolate Mix
• Stephens Cider mix (because my mom can't have chocolate)
• Mini Marshmallows
• Mini Peppermint Marshmallows
• Cans of Whipped Cream
• Chocolate Chips
• Crushed Andes Mints
• Crushed Candy Canes
• Crushed Whoppers
• Crushed Heath Candy Bars
• Rolos