Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares :)

I know, i know.. its Wednesday not Tuesday. I was so busy yesterday I apologize :( but I am here now! Update on the weight loss--- I have lost 10lbs!! :) So i have to lose 10 more in a month to win the competition.... kinda getting nervous! My husband has to lose 9lbs!! This might be a close race!!

I decided I would post a healthy baked treat today since I never post dessert like things!
I got this recipe from http://gingerbreadbagels.com/2011/03/22/peanut-butter-banana-oatmeal-squares/
and she uses this for a breakfast. I feel it can be a good breakfast or a good dessert.

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares!! 

Sorry for the bad pics....

 

 

 

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oat
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (i just used sea salt)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large mashed banana
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions
Mix together the quick cooking oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt and ground cinnamon.
Add in the vanilla extract, milk and egg. Mix the ingredients together.
Then add in the mashed banana and peanut butter. Combine all of the ingredients.
Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8 by 8 inch metal baking pan. ( i did mine in a different pan i do not have an 8x8)
Bake at 350 F degrees for 20 minutes.
Cut into squares and enjoy!


As you can see this is a very easy quick thing to make!!


Her blog shows amazing pictures of every step! However the only thing in her picture that was different then how my turned out... is hers look thin and crispy like... however they puff up like brownies or cake. Mine did turn out kind of dry but you can spread a thin layer of peanut butter on the top and drink a glass of a milk with it and they are great!! Plus the bonus of knowing they are not horrible for you!!  ( i apologize for the bad pics)



Enjoy!!!

Gouda, Onion Pizza

Hello again! Man Tuesdays sure come quick doing this blog!! Well for today I am posting a pretty easy pizza recipe that I got off of Recipe.com Magazine.

If you are looking for a fun date night idea please check out my other blog tierradawn.blogspot.com and if you happen to draw the letter G you can make this easy, inexpensive meal for dinner!!

Gouda Red Onion Pizza

 

• 2  Tbsp olive oil
• 1  large red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• 1  Tbsp. snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/4  tsp. salt
• 1/4  tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1  Tbsp. cornmeal (didnt use this)
• 1  10- to 13.8-oz. package refrigerated pizza dough (i used a pkged Boboli pizza crust cause we love them)
• 8  oz. Gouda or Edam cheese, shredded (2 cups) (i used smoked Gouda, ive never cooked or used gouda before.. probably my new favorite!)

   

   Directions

  1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion. Cook until onion is tender but not brown, stirring often (5 to 7 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in thyme, salt and black pepper; set aside. (So i was trying just to hurry and so I forgot to saute the onions and just put them on the pizza which turned out good but next time ill saute them!)

  2. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with the cornmeal. Pat pizza dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle on the baking sheet. Brush pizza dough with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle pizza dough with cheese to within 1/2 inch of edges. Spoon onion mixture over the cheese.

  3. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degrees F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden. Cut into 12 pieces. Makes 12 appetizers.

   

  Here is how i did it: ( i have a tendency to take a recipe and totally change it!)

  So I used a Boboli Pizza Crust and I turned my oven onto 375 degrees. While it was heating up I put 2 Tbsp of olive oil on the crust, then I diced about 4-6 cloves of garlic and spread on the crust. I then cut up the red onion and placed it on the pizza. I decided to cut Cherry Tomatoes in half and place on the pizza. I then put the fresh thyme on the pizza. Sprinkled the whole pizza with Salt and Pepper. I sprinkled the Gouda Cheese all over the pizza and baked in the over for about 15 minutes. 

  It was a fabulous pizza and great for left overs. We paired it with a salad with vinaigrette dressing.  (however i forgot to take a picture of that, sorry!)

  Next time I will saute the onions!! 

  
  

  

  Enjoy!!!

  
  

Quick Easy Tomato Basil Pasta

Hello everyone!!! So i super apologize for not blogging last week. I was extremely busy and just spaced it! So i hope you have all had a great couple of weeks and a great mothers day!! My husband brought home flowers because i am a mom to our dogs! :) He is cute!
So on Saturday the 12th I was in a cooking competition called the Fud Fued and made Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I will give you all the recipe sometime. I entered in the appetizer category and received third place!!! A couple of the judges were The Food Nanny from BYUtv and Judge Jaxon who owns a cooking school in Park City. So it is kind of fun who they get. Last year I made chicken egg rolls and got third place as well. I received some fun prizes that i am excited to use :) All in all it was a fun experience that my husband. mom, step dad, aunt and a couple of friends were able to enjoy with me!
On the weight loss I have lost 6-7 pounds. I need to kick it in gear!!! Yesterday I started noticing where i might be losing weight...... ITS THE LAST PLACE I WANNA LOSE WEIGHT!!...... but oh well.

Anyway on to the recipe for today.... I have made a bunch of recipes in the past few weeks that i am so excited to share with you and some horrible ones i will share so you know not to try them!! But last nights dinner was sooooooo good I couldnt wait till today to blog about it......

Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Serves Two (i always cook way to much pasta so i got enough for 3-4)
1 Large, ripe tomato (2 cups roughly chopped, 1 1/2 cups blended)
1/2 Cup Raw Cashews
1 Tbs Tomato Paste ( i did two TBSP)
1/4 Cup Water

2 Tbs Olive Oil
2-4 Cloves Garlic, minced, optional

6 Ounces (ish) Whole Wheat Spaghetti

1 tsp Salt
2-3 Tbs Wine or Water, optional
1-2 tsp Freshly Cracked, Coarse Black Pepper
1 Large Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Once boiling add pasta.
Core the tomato, then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin and all. Add cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend until very smooth. (seriously blend for awhile)
Add olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn.
Pour sauce from the blender into the saute pan and bring to a simmer.
Add salt and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If desired add wine/water to thin out the sauce. ( i did 3 Tbsp of wine, it cooks out)
Taste and season more if necessary.
Let simmer until pasta is finished cooking. (my pasta was done way before, so i drained it and let it sit)
Once pasta is cooked, drain.
Add pasta to the saute pan with black pepper and freshly chopped basil leaves. Toss to coat. Serve immediately, garnishing with more pepper and basil.
(i added a handful of parmesan cheese :/......)

So i was really nervous with this because my mom and i tried making a tomato basil soup with chopped on almonds and it was just soo chunky we couldnt handle it. So this sauce being made with cashews i was nervous... because even after i blended awhile it was still slightly chunky. WELL, the cooking it 4-5 minutes makes it soft and it was DELICIOUS!! My husband and I both ate it so fast!! 

Just ate the leftovers for lunch and it was soooo delicious!! Im so excited about this recipe!!  

We had ours with chicken that was marinated in a Lawreys Tuscan Dried Tomato Herbs and some Asparagus :)

Fruit Salad with a Honey Cinnamon Drizzle!!

Happy Tuesday everyone!! Hope you all had a great week! I went to Idaho and had a great time. Spent Saturday with Jessica! That was fun! For all you Idaho people who know this place we went to Big Judds Saturday night.... (it was my cheat on diet meal, cause i mean come on.. its Big Judds!!) I ate the burger so fast you would have thought its been months since i had a meal!
Anyway I am back to eating healthy and working out :) I told my mom last night that i am officially addicted to working out!! :) Im going every day this week except Friday cause it is date night :)
So i get back from Idaho yesterday and go to work out. Im debating on weighing myself, afraid of what the scale will say.... Well according to that scale Ive lost another pound!! So I have lost about 5-6 lbs now! I was in shock! I called Jessica to inform her that Big Judds didnt ruin everything! She was happy for me.

So for this competition we are all about at a tie right now of a weight loss of around 6lbs! So the pressure is building! Simon asked me last night what if we do not get to 20lb weight loss by July 1st... Im unsure of what we will do with the competition... extend the date? increase the lb limit to lose? I just dont know!

alright alright... I will get to posting a recipe now... Since you have all waited patiently for that delicious looking fruit salad I will post that recipe.

Fruit Salad with a Honey Cinnamon Drizzle

Ingredients

2 cups cantaloupe, chopped
1 cup strawberries, chopped
1 cup blueberries, chopped
2 kiwis, chopped
1 banana, sliced ( I did not put the banana in it. I was afraid if we could not eat it all the banana would go brown.)
1 cup honeydew melon
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon honey
1-2 teaspoons poppy seeds
dash of cinnamon (optional)

Directions

Combine cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, kiwis and banana in a medium sized serving bowl. Add the honeydew, lime juice and honey to your blender and pulse or purée until smooth.( I was very skeptical of pureeing the honeydew.. but wow!!)

Add poppy seeds and cinnamon and lightly pulse until combined.

Toss dressing with fruit.

Chill for 2 hours before serving.

For just two of us we had a ton left over... Ate it for breakfast the next day and dinner again.

You probably won’t have leftovers, but if you do…

Save them in the fridge for the next morning, and make a fabulous green smoothie! Add a cup of this salad to your blender, along with 2 cups of spinach and 1/2 cup cauliflower (optional). Add 8 oz. water and a few ice cubes. Push the smoothie button and enjoy! ( didnt have the ingredients to try this) 

This was a huge hit with my husband and myself. I am planning to make it for big gatherings and stuff to. Very very good! 

 Hope you all enjoy!! I have been cooking away and have many meals and things to share with you! Cant wait!! 

Tierra 

Black Bean Mango Wraps (Tuesday with Tierra)

Well hello everyone!!
So guess what?! I made it to the grocery store and have been making some healthy recipes!!
And..... I have gone down a pant size in my work slacks!! :) :) It can be frustrating because I have not lost much weight (3-4lbs) but yet clothes are fitting better so everyone says i must be losing inches! But how the heck can you lose inches and not weight... it makes no sense to me! The amazing thing is the confidence you gain from working out and just how good it makes you feel!

So the recipe I bring to you today is from mckennagordon.com it is called Black Bean Mango Salsa Wraps.... I have to say eating healthy doesnt mean its gross. Some things i have made i dont love but other things have been fantastic!
well first ill admit mine didnt have mango in it :( we bought some but it was not ripe enough.. i was really sad but we didnt want to go back to the store. (and to be honest we dont know how to tell if mango is ripe)... So here is the recipe....

Black Bean Mango Salsa

Serves 4
299 calories
11g Fat
47g Carbs
7g Protein
8g Fiber

Ingredients

1 avocado
2 limes, juiced (it was wayyy to much lime for me but im wondering if the mango would have been in it if that would have helped)
2 mangos (sadly, didnt have any in mine)
1 can black beans (15 oz)
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (i dont like cilantro)

 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional ingredients as sides
whole wheat tortillas

 greek yogurt (to spread inside tortilla before filling)
chicken breast (to go inside wrap with filling)      (we did add chicken in ours! YUM)
salsa (for added flavor – inside the wrap or for dipping)

Directions

Cut avocado into cubes. Add to a medium sized mixing bowl and squeeze limes into bowl. Lightly stir to coat avocados in lime juice to keep them from turning brown. Chop mangoes into cubes and add to avocado bowl. Add black beans and cilantro. Drizzle olive oil over contents of bowl and gently stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I did all of this a couple hours before eating to make the flavors blend)

Fill whole wheat tortillas with mixture and serve.

 Optionally, before filling tortillas, spread with greek yogurt, tomato salsa, and/or a layer of chicken breast strips.

I made a delicious fruit salad to go with it that you can see in the pics but you will just have to wait till next week to get it!! Or go to Mckennagordon.com 

 MMM i want to go eat one right now!! and doesnt that fruit look delish!? Just wait till you see what the sauce on it is!! A 100% healthy sauce!! :)

Enjoy! 

Tierra

Tuesday With Tierra

Hey Everyone! I know i disappeared forever ago and then Jessica has too. I promise you we have not forgotten about you all!!
My husband and I finally got a PC so now it is much more comfortable for me to use the computer and type then it was on my laptop or cell phone.
Anyway not to disappoint any of you, but I do not have a recipe for this post. I wanted to update you all that we have not just disappeared off the face of the earth and to explain that my posts from here on out (well one can hope) are all going to be healthy recipes.
My husband and parents are on a goal to lose 20lbs by July 1st. They recently built a gym in there basement, so now one must also eat healthier too.
I have already lost about 3-4lbs in 3 weeks. So that is an awesome feeling! I have the ultimate goal of losing 70lbs!!! Wish me luck!!
So I thought I would come post on this blog to let you all know what you should be expected to see from me in the next weeks to come..... (plus kinda adds the pressure knowing people are waiting)

I found this FANTASTIC website called mckennagordon.com and it is all Healthy Recipes that sound amazing! So i have made myself a shopping list and now comes the hard part of getting my butt to the grocery store! (i despise shopping, specially healthy shopping, its expensive!!)
If all goes well and i make it to the store you will all be able to join this journey with me of eating healthy and losing weight.

The recipes I will be making are: Healthy Potato Chips using Sweet Potatoes, Thai Lettuce Wraps using Cauliflower (which im nervous of because im not a fan of cauliflower), Healthy Pasta with a cream sauce, Poppy See Fruit Salad with a Honey Cinnamon Drizzle, Chicken Dijon with a Honey Glaze, Raw Tomato Basil Soup, Black Bean Mango Salsa Wraps, Taco Salad!!! MMmmm my saliva glands are justa pumping!! A few other recipes not from mckennagordon.com will be Coconut Chicken with warm honey mustard vinagrette, Over Night Fridge Berry Oatmeal, Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares!!

Phew I think im going to be busy in the kitchen!!
So bring on the healthy food, working out, calorie counter app on cell phone!!
Im so excited to have you all join the journey with me!!

See you soon!!

Tierra

Friday with Tierra!

Hey all!! I know I disappeared there for a long while! Im sure you were all just so worried... lol.. Well I am alive... I got so busy with work that I kept forgetting and the next thing you know a couple months has gone by! I sincerely apologize!
Sorry for letting you down Jessica but I am going to do my best to start back up on Tuesdays. Since we got smart phones I never get on the computer and currently our internet isnt wireless so I havent been getting on as much. Anyway i know excuses excuses!

Well today I am gonna share a recipe I got off of pinterest.com. It is such a simple fast, easy snack!

Pretzel Bites!
http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=932

Ingredients

5-10 thawed Rhodes Rolls (1 roll makes 4 bites)
1/2 cup melted butter
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture (1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon)
1/2 cup finely graded parmesan cheese

Directions

Once Rolls are thawed take a sharp knife and cut into four pieces like your cutting a pizza.
Get a medium sized sauce pan and bring water to a boil. Plop no more then 10 pieces into the boiling water for about 45 seconds. They will puff up. Use a slotted spoon to take them out and placed on a cookie sheet with a paper towel laid down to soak up the excess water. They might deflate a little but not to worry it will all work out!
Once you are all done with that place them on a greased cookie sheet and put in the oven to bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until golden brown. (Now i have a gas stove so the heat comes from the bottom and not the top. So they did not all get golden brown and you have to watch the bottoms so they dont burn. In my oven it only took about 10 minutes)
While that is baking melt the 1/2 cup of butter and put in a big ziploc baggy. Also put the Cinnamon Sugar mixture in another big ziploc baggy.
When bites are done first put them in the butter, seal the bag and shake!!! Then add into the Cinnamon Sugar, seal the bag, and shake!! Use tongs to take them out and place on a plate.
You can also do just plain ones with butter and sea salt!
You can also shake them in a bag with butter, Parmesan and garlic. Which I did but the Parmesan was not the right kind so didnt work but my husband liked them!

A couple of different sauces to use from that blog are: (I made the vanilla glaze one which was great but i did not do the cheese one. My friend who was with me made a glaze with just powdered sugar and orange juice!! It was my favorite!!)

VANILLA GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Combine sugar, milk, butter and vanilla and mix well.

CHEDDAR DIP

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 1/2 to 2 cups of grated Cheddar Cheese.

Melt the butter in a med. size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until blended, and

butter has turned lightly golden brown. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thickened slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar Cheese until smooth and all of the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper. Shake a few red pepper flakes into sauce for added zing!

If you go to her blog it shows really good pictures of step by step process. You will notice some differences between her steps and mine just find whatever works for you!!

A couple days later I went to pretzelmaker and got some pretzel bites! And to be honest I really enjoyed these ones wayyy better! I do plan to find a pretzel bite recipe making my own dough but this is such a nice easy fast way to make a snack!Sorry for the lame picture lol. We made these at night and the lighting in my house is horrible. So go check out the pics on the other blog! They are great~ (Going clockwise from the left are Cinnamon sugar, parm and garlic and butter and salt)
This was such a fun girls activity!


Enjoy!!

Tuesday with Tierra (Pepperoni Pinwheels)

Hello Everyone! What another great Tuesday :D I hope everyone is having a great summer! I havent been doing much, I got a job as I mentioned in previous blogs so therefore I have made myself available all summer.
This blog I decided to do another easy meal.... I know during Summer that sometimes we all get so busy we dont have much time to throw together a dinner. Well this one is a favorite, and after a long 13 hour shift at work its so nice to come home and throw this together.
Pepperoni Pinwheels..basically Pizza Bites! Now i will type the original recipe then in a different color some alterations i did.

Pepperoni Pinwheels
from taste of home best recipes magazine

You will Need:
1/2 C diced Pepperoni (this was not near enough for me, i like pepperoni)
1/2 C shredded mozz cheese (really any kind of cheese works)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 egg seperated ( i did the egg thing the first time, kinda stupid. the yolk just kind of makes it so that it stays together.. so the second time i just used marinara sauce. Then sprayed the tops with Pam... works great)
1 tube crescent rolls.

Directions:

1: In a small bow, combine pepperoni, cheese, oregano and egg yolk. In another small bowl, whisk egg white until foamy; set aside. Separate crescent dough into four rectangles ;seal perforations.

2: Spread pepperoni mixture over each rectangle withing 1/4 inch of edges. Roll up like Jelly Roll style , then cut into 4-6 pieces.

3: Place cute side down on greased baking sheets;brush tops with egg white. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve Warm.


Serve with Salad or Pasta! :D

Enjoy!!

Tuesday with Tierra! (Grilled Bacon Mozz Pesto Sandwich)

Ooops!! So i scheduled this post to go on tuesday but instead i wrote the wrong date for today!!! Sorry guys!!!!
Tuesday again! I feel like since i started doing these Tuesday with Tierras, time has been going sooo much faster!! Anyway so I actually am writing this on Monday because i work from 6am to 6pm or so tomorrow and then Im usually so exaushted I cant even think! lol
So this sandwich I found on the website Pinterest, on there however it was a grilled panini but in my mind there is not much difference, so I just used bread.
Anyway when I saw this, I thought to myself.... Bacon.... Mozzerela..... Pesto!!!!! Ummm Yes Please! I call this the Adult Grilled Cheese.

The Adult Grilled Cheese
Found a picture on Pinterest and went from there

You will need:
4-6 slices of bread (depending on how many sandwiches you want)
8-12 slices of the bacon (i like bacon, so i put at least 4 slices of bacon per sandwich)
1-2 C Mozz Cheese (i also love cheese, so i put at least 1/4 C to 1/2 C cheese on each sandwich)
2-4 Tbsp Pesto (i put a tablespoon or so on each sandwich, Pesto can be very strong so put at much or little as you want)

Directions:
1: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Lay out the bacon on the sheet and put in the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked to your desire. (My sister in law showed me this way o f cooking bacon besides frying it, cause i hate the splatter and this way i dont have to worry about it!! :D)
2: Lay out the slices of bread and put Pesto on one slice per sandwich, then lay out the cooked bacon on top of the pesto, and finally the Mozz cheese. Put the other slice on top of that!
3: Now i cook my grilled cheese sandwiches on my George Forman cause i like the golden even brown it cooks and it kind of smushes it like a panini. However I am sure cooking it on that stove or however you make grilled cheese's it would work. Just cook till golden brown and cheese is melted!


Enjoy!!! I know my husband and I did a lot!! :D

Tuesday with Tierra! (Cheesy Bacon Penne)

Hello All!!! I hope you all had a fabulous 4th of July! I would like to apologize for not posting a blog last week, as Jessica explained I had worked for 13-14 hours and was exhausted. I will do my best to schedule blogs now lol However, thank you Jessica for posting a blog in my place!! :D
This weeks blog is amazing! It became a new favorite of mine and my hubbys!
I found this recipe in Taste of Home 100 Best Recipes and let me tell you so far so good out of the recipes I have tried in there.
Now I love Mac and Cheese. I am like a little kid with how much I love Mac and Cheese, but I am pretty picky about it. I have tried making many different kinds to find that perfect homemade cheese sauce and I think I might have finally found the perfect sauce and shoot add bacon to it and BAM! it is bound to be awesome! lol
Cheesy Bacon Penne
4-6 Servings

You Will Need:
2 C uncooked penne pasta
1 Garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp pepper
2 C milk
3 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C crumbled cooked bacon

Directions:
1:Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2: Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter for 1 minute. Stir in flour and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in 2 cups of cheese until melted. Remove from the heat.

3: Drain pasta; add pasta and 1/3 C bacon to cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.



Enjoy!!

Tuesday with Tierra! (Saltine Cracker Snack)

Can you believe it is already Tuesday again?! How time flies! Well this particular post has been a snack that I have loved for years. When I lived in Rigby a very close family to me made this snack all the time. It is the perfect combination of salt but yet sweet.
Now i dont quite know the exact name of this snack so I just call it the Saltine Cracker Snack. Now dont hate this snack right off the bat cause it may seem weird and you might be thinking how could I possibly like that... Give it a chance! Trust me you will not be let down!

Saltine Cracker Snack
By: Denise Bowcutt

You will need:
1-2 pkgs of saltine crackers
1 C butter
1 C brown sugar
1 Bag Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
Grease cookie sheet and lay out saltine crackers
In a medium sauce pan boil together brown sugar and butter together for 3 minutes.
Pour over the saltine crackers so that all the crackers are covered equally.
Bake for 5 minutes or until bubbling.
Melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan and then pour over the caramelized crackers. Spread evenly.
Cool until the chocolate has become firm. (You may put this in the freezer for 5-10 minutes if you just cannot wait any longer for this yummy goodness!)

Enjoy!!

Tuesday with Tierra (Macaroni Salad)

Hello Again!! What a beautiful Tuesday! So today I am going to be posting a Macaroni Salad recipe. Now let me tell you this is not like any Macaroni salad you have ever had. Its not like when you go to the deli. No this salad has a sweet taste to it. I actually made it at Jessica's Baby Shower and it was such a hit! My cousin Brook actually said she thinks its a cross between a Potato Salad and a Macaroni Salad.
Now this salad is kind of time consuming but totally worth it! My husband can eat platefuls of it, no exaggeration!

Macaroni Salad
Originated from my husbands grandmother, and then my mother in law, and then again changed by me lol

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup vinegar
1 cup water
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
Dash celery seed
4 cups small or medium shell macaroni
⅓ cup sweet pickle, chopped
⅓ cup bell pepper, chopped (i do not use this)
⅓ cup green olives, chopped ( i do not use this)
⅓ cup sweet onion, finely chopped (i do not use this)
4 hard-cooked eggs, chilled
½ lb. meaty bacon, fried and crumbled
4 oz. chopped pimientos, drained ( i do not use this)
Mayonnaise ( i do not use this)
Paprika

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine sugar, ground mustard, flour, salt, vinegar, and water. Stir until thickened.
Meanwhile beat 3 eggs in a small bowl and pour part of the boiled mixture in with the eggs stirring briskly. Once mixed well pour back into the saucepan. Then stir in butter and celery seed. Chill. ( You want to cook the egg but stirring briskly makes it so that the egg wont chunk up, if it does slightly thats okay)

Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain. Rinse in cool water. Chill.

To chilled macaroni, add chopped vegetables. Chill until ready to serve.
Just before serving, combine half of amount of dressing desired with equal amount mayonnaise. Fold into macaroni mixture. Stir in three chopped eggs, pimientos, and the bacon, folding gently. Slice one egg for garnish. Sprinkle surface of salad with paprika. (Keep in mind i do not do that mayo part, I dont feel like it needs it. However, my mom in law thinks it makes it not as sweet. So try both and figure out what you like.)

So as you can see there are a few steps to this.. but if you work it out where you make the sauce and pasta in the morning (which does not take long at all) then two of the steps are out of the way.
The cook the bacon and boil some eggs. Cut up whatever veggies you want in it and then when comes dinner time you can just throw it all together!


Enjoy!!! :D

Tuesday With Tierra! (Fish Tacos)

Hello All!! Isnt it a beautiful Tuesday?! Finally! Well I just realized I am in Utah so maybe it isnt nice in Idaho.
Anywho, now I used to think fish tacos sounded horrible... who would combine fish and mexican food?! Well i finally decided to try one at Rubios and wow! I fell in love and became an addict on where to find the best fish tacos! Then I thought... well why dont I learn to make my own?! What a brilliant idea! The tricky part was finding a recipe that had the White Sauce that I have noticed on most the Fish Taco's I have eaten... cause most people just use tarter sauce, and I did not want tarter sauce.
Finally, I found an amazing recipe on Allrecipes.com So when I find a recipe on the internet I also read a lot of the reviews to get what other people suggest when making it.
So i will begin by giving you the original recipe and then tell you what I did.

Original Fish Taco Recipe by Allrecipes.com
prep time: 40 min cook time: 20 min ready to eat: 1 hour

You will need:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup beer (the alcohol will cook out, I did find some places that said you can use club soda instead, but that the yeast in the beer is what the key thing is)
  
• 
  
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (i did not use this)
  
• 1 teaspoon minced capers (i did not use this)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed (i used 1/2tsp of parsley instead, dill weed is expensive)
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 
  
• 1 quart oil for frying
• 1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions (i used tilapia instead, its cheaper and was fantastic)
  
• 1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas (i used white corn tortillas cause i like them better)
  
• 1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded

Directions: (in the picture: this was our line up of things, fish cut up, dipped in flour, dipper in beer batter, into deep fryer, and out onto plate lol)

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Directions

1. To make beer batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (don't worry about a few lumps).
2. To make white sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and mayonnaise. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.(or season with just the things i did and make this earlier in the day and refrigerate, helps the seasonings to blend together)
   
3. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

1. Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas; not too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, and white sauce.
2. I also got some fresh salsa and sliced up limes for the fish tacos.
   
3. I served these with some rice.
   

As you can see in the picture the fish was huge for the tortillas, so my second taco i sliced the fish in half, long ways, and it was perfect! Along with the cabbage, white sauce, salsa and lime juice squeezed on there... this was a little piece of heaven!!

Will definitely make these again!! You can even just make the Beer Battered Fish and make homemade fries with it and some tarter sauce. Voila! Fish and Chips! lol My husband liked the batter so much he thinks i should try it on chicken lol We will see!

Enjoy!!!

Tuesday With Tierra! (Pasta Alfredo)

Welcome back to the second recipe by Tuesday with Tierra. Now this particular recipe is one of my favorites! I absolutely love Alfredo! The only downfall is how much butter and cream there is so unfortunately I cannot have this every day like I would like but it is fantastic!

This recipe stemmed from my sister-in-law and then my mother-in-law and now I have revised it to make it mine :D

Pasta Alfredo

You will need:

16 oz pasta
3/4 cup butter
1 cup cream
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tsp parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup diced onion

1: In a medium sauce pan bring water to a boil and add in the 16 oz pasta, boil till tender.
2: While the pasta is boiling saute onion till tender, in the butter on a large frying pan.
3: Add in garlic to the frying pan when the onions are almost tender and do not let the garlic get to brown.
4: When the butter is melted and bowling add in the cream and bring to boil. Once it is brought to a boil, boil for about 5 minutes and the sauce should thicken.
5: Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce.
6: Mix in parsley, parm cheese, and pepper. Mix well!

Serve on plates and Enjoy!

A nice addition to the pasta is Chicken. Take 1 chicken breast and add to a crock pot with 1 cup water. Season with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or until able to pull apart. Then mix in with the pasta and sauce.

Check back next week for another Awesome Recipe!!

Tuesday With Tierra! (Fruit Salsa)

Fruit Salsa
By Cara Horton

While I was in Texas enjoying the nice warm weather in comparison to the weather we have around here, hehe, I got to help my sister-in-law make Fruit Salsa. Now just the name makes me kind of excited because I love fruit and am always up for new ways to eat fruit.
We made it for an appetizer for Mothers Day and I think i ate half the bowl!! (but its fruit so thats okay right?)
So I know now is the time for strawberries so thought I would post this and also even though it may not feel like summer, summer get togethers, like family reunions, are right around the corner!

Anyway, You will need:

Cinnamon Chips:
4 (7-inch) flour tortillas
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Melted Butter

Salsa:
2 medium Granny Smith apples
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped
1 small orange
1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar give or take (this will be for taste, so as much or as little as you would like)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

For cinnamon chips, lightly coat with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon in flour/sugar shaker; sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; place in single layer on cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Remove to cooling rack; cool completely.

For salsa, peel, core, and slice apples. Dice Apples into small pieces, you can use a food processor. Slice strawberries and chop kiwi, into small pieces. Place fruit in 1 quart bowl. Cut orange and lemon in half then squeeze the juice over the cut fruit. Add in the sugar to taste. Mix Well!

Serve with cinnamon chips.

This lasted for a few days. I learned that the citrus of the orange and lemon make it so the apple doesn't turn brown, hmmm interesting. I learn something new every day!

Enjoy!!
Thanks for joining me on my first recipe with Tuesday With Tierra! Come back next week for a great Dinner dish!

Tuesdays with Tierra: Welcome, Tierra!

As I mentioned yesterday, I am welcoming a wonderful addition to this cooking blog! Her name is Tierra and she's my cousin. She loves to cook {and I have to tell ya, that's pretty hilarious! You'll see the details of why below.} and she has graciously agreed to post some of her great recipes from time to time! We've created a new installment called "Tuesdays with Tierra" and we're both super excited about it! This week, you get a formal introduction to this super cute cousin of mine and then we get to look forward to her recipes! Here's the sweet intro she has written up for us:

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Why do you cook?
~ I would say there are two reasons 1: I love the satisfaction of making a tasty meal or a baked good for my husband, family and friends :D 2: When I am having a bad day or am stressed about my studies cooking/baking is a fun way to get my mind off things.

What is your favorite thing to cook?
~My new recent thing I like to cook is Chicken Pesto or Alfredo Pizza

Five Fun or Random Facts About You:
1. I used to hate cooking. It was a chore to even help Jessica make Swedish Pancakes lol
2. I used to hate reading and it is my third love. 1- my husband of course 2- cooking 3- reading lol
3. Im obsessed with pictures, I have pics everywhere in my house
4. I hate getting my face wet. Yes, you are correct in thinking I do not get my face wet in the shower; when I'm swimming and doing the front stroke I will keep my head out of the water lol
5. One of my biggest pet peeves is people not spelling correctly. I am horrible at grammar but spelling has always been my strong suit. I won the spelling bee in 5th grade and won a scooter! :D

What is your desired super-power?
~ I would love to be able to read minds.

What is your favorite dish?
I am in love with my chicken pesto pizza, homemade chicken egg rolls, and maple-glazed pork

Your blog:
The Ashcrofts


~ I am 21 years old, married to an amazing man for 1 1/2 years, and just graduated college with Associate Degree of Applied Science in Nursing. In other words I am currently studying to take my state boards to become a registered nurse! That's all about me! I look forward to sharing some of my recipes whether they are borrowed ones or my own.

* * *        * * *        * * *

See, isn't she fun? She and I share some of the same loves {cooking, reading, families} and we also share the same hatred of getting our faces wet! Maybe it's a family thing? Anyway, I am so excited to have her joining us in all our cooking adventures! Welcome, Tierra!