FOODIE FRIDAY - woo hoo!

Man, I love Fridays! Not only because it's the end of the week and I get a break from work, but because I finally have time to try some new recipes that take a little longer to cook. During the week, I try to keep things under 30 minutes....45 at the most. I just don't have to time to cook and usually do my experimenting on the weekend. I don't mind spending 1-2 hours in the kitchen if I actually have time to spare!

This weekend, I won't be doing too much cooking. I must admit, sometimes I just need a break, so I am kind of looking forward to it. Tonight, Jarrett is actually attempting to cook me dinner. I am excited, but slightly nervous. Jarrett does not cook. In fact, in the year we've been married, he's only attempted to cook one time. That was quite exciting! He gets Friday's off, so one Friday afternoon, I got a phone call asking if we had any meat at the house. Since we usually go out with friends on Fridays, I hadn't thawed any meat out, but I told him there was come chicken and ground turkey (we don't eat ground beef) in the freezer that he could thaw out. "Well, how do you thaw something out?" he asked. So I explained to him how to thaw something in the microwave and hung up. A little while later, I got another call from him asking where he could find "the thing that you pour noodles in to get rid of the water." And again, a little while later, "This turkey is not turning brown. Is something wrong with it?" Ha! I got home to find some Velveeta Mac & Cheese and ground turkey...no seasoning, not mixed together, nothing! I wasn't sure what to do. I wanted to laugh, and I am sure I did. I happily put my unseasoned ground meat on my plate alongside my mac & cheese and sat at the table. Jarrett took a bite first, declaring that it was nasty. I ran to cabinet at the grabbed the Seasoning Salt...thank goodness for this..it's a cure ALL! I poured some on our turkey, and mixed it with the mac & cheese. It was actually good! Jarrett still refused to eat it, but not me. I enjoyed it. It wasn't the best meal I have ever had, but so sweet of him to try! So, we'll see what tonight has in store. I have a feeling we'll be eating steak and potatoes...who knows though, he might surprise me.

Instead of sharing a recipe today, I want to share my absolute favorite baking dishes. These are SO cute and can go straight from the oven to the table to serve from.

They are great for making all kinds of casseroles or dips, really anything. The built in handles are my favorite thing about them. It's so easy to get them out of the oven (especially with my RR Moppine). I highly recommend them! They come in a few different colors - orange, lime green, and yellow for sure. There may be more. You can order them online from rachaelray.com. Bed, Bath and Beyond also carries them. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Bye for now - hopefully I'll live after tonight's dinner to tell another tale.

It's Foodie Friday Again - WOOO!

Nothing makes me happier than food. I really do love to grocery shop, love to cook and love to eat! I used to have aspirations of owning my own restaurant and now of being the Next Food Network Star. You could see me with my own television show, couldn't you? I mean, I would prefer if only blind people ate my food - I can't make anything LOOK good, but most everything I make smells and tastes good, for sure!

I have eaten Mexican food almost every day this week. I generally eat it about once a week and something Italian for the rest of the week (much to Jarrett's chagrin), but this week for whatever reason, I've wanted Mexican. I have been playing around with different stuff - mastered chicken quesadillas (or case-of-dias as little Jack calls it!). So I've taken your typical Chicken Fajitas and kicked them up a bit. Here's the recipe

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:
4 flour tortillas, heated
1 package fajita seasoning
2 onions, sliced
3 chicked breasts, cut into 1-in. pieces
2 green peppers, sliced
1 package fresh portobello mushrooms
1 can pineapple chunks
4 slices bacon, cooked and sliced into 1-in. pieces
Montery Jack cheese
Optional - zuchini

Follow directions on fajita mix packet.
Add chicken, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and zuchini.
Simmer until chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender.
Add pineapple and bacon to the pan and stir in.
Lay tortilla flat and add cheese, then the mixture.
Fold and enjoy!

Foodie Friday

It's been a while since I've posted. I've been a little busy with life, but can always make room for food! I am sharing a recipe today in honor of Father's Day.

I am SUCH a Daddy's girl! My Dad and I are extremely close, and have been all my life. I love and respect him so much. When I was in elementary school, he'd drop me off in the morning and everyday would say, "I love you. Make 100s!" And I would, because I didn't want to disappoint him. We'd play baseball and basketball together, laugh at my older sisters together, and he even once got me to try golf!

I love my Dad for small, seemingly unimportant moments like laughing at Merle Haggard's Okie from Muskogee. I love my Dad for sending me off to Tuscaloosa, Alabama sight unseen, out of state tuition looming, and telling me we'd figure it out later. I love him for coming to all my high school softball and soccer games in and out of town. I love him because he is a good, Christian man, taught me morals and values, and made me live up to them (and want to). I love my Dad because he is a clean freak and perfectionist, just like me!

I also love my Dad because at a very young age, he had me cooking with him. Because of him, I don't know how to measure, have become extremely creative in the kitchen, and discovered that I love food I never thought I would. While I don't bake, there are two desserts that I CAN make, Cheesecake and Boiled Chocolate Cookies. Dad and I always make them together, and I must say, we're super good at it. Happy Father's Day!

Boiled Chocolate Cookies - by far, my favorite cookies ever

Ingredients
⅓ c. Cocoa

1 stick butter (melted)

½ c. Chunky Peanut Butter

2 c. Sugar

½ c. Milk

2½ c. Quick Oats

1. Mix milk, cocoa and butter together. Bring to boil and let boil for exactly 3 minutes.

2. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter and oatmeal.

3. Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper and let cool to room temperature

Foodie Friday

Okay, so in honor of my favorite thing to do, COOK, I thought I would start doing Foodie Fridays to share some of my favorite recipes, kitchen stuff and ideas.

In case you don't know, Rachael Ray is my hero. I love everything about her, even her awful catch phrases like EVOO and YUM-O! So, I think it's only appropriate to start with a jazzed up version of my all time favorite Rachael Ray recipe (and one I could honestly eat every day), Cowboy Spaghetti.

If you've ever been to my house around dinner time, you've more than likely been lucky enough to try this marvelous meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Pasta (I love rigatoni....the sauce gets all in the middle of it! But any kind will do)
• 5 slices Bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lb. Ground Turkey (or Sirloin)
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• Hot Sauce (as much as you’d like -I put A LOT)
• Worcestershire Sauce (as much as you’d like - I put A LOT here, too!)
• 2 cans Fire Roasted tomatoes or original Rotel Tomatoes
• 8 oz. Cheddar Cheese
• Optional ingredients: Mushrooms, green peppers, black olives

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente. Drain.

Heat a deep skillet over Med-High heat. Add EVOO and bacon. Brown the bacon and remove from pan. Add the meat and brown it. Add onions, garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire and bacon (and and optional ingredients) to the pan. Cook 5-6 minutes to let the flavors combine, then stir in the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the cooked spaghetti to the meat sauce and put cheese on top.

ENJOY!