Easy Peach Cobbler

This has to be the best desert I have made to date. Peach cobbler is something you grow up knowing about in the south and eating on a regular basis but as I got older and moved to the west coast it honestly just slipped out of my mind just how delicious it really is.

I had been seeing these different recipes on Pinterest about cobblers and asked Eric one night how he felt about it and his response was “I’ve never had it” immediately I was like “WHAT?!?! You are kidding” he was dead serious. Now I couldn’t let him go the rest of his life never having cobbler so the next day after I found the recipe I’m going to share and I got the ingredients and put it together. After anxiously waiting for it to cool down I put some in a bowl with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream and he went to town.

Now if you know Eric you know he has a poker face and would never dare give away whether or not he actually likes something so I poked and prodded and finally came to the conclusion he really liked it. The 2nd time I made it for him it was even more evident he liked it and now it’s my “go to” dessert when fresh peaches are around at the store. I also made this recipe recently for his sister and brother-in-law and while his sister didn’t care for the texture she said the flavor was good and well Matt loved it as I figured he would since he likes food in general 😛 

PLEASE make sure you use fresh peaches I couldn’t imagine canned or frozen peaches would be near as good as the fresh ones. As with any baking it’s best to not substitute or change the ingredients so stick with the recipe to get the results. Enjoy!

’til next time, 

Crys

• Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk

• 4 cups fresh peach slices
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Preparation

Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).

Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler warm or cool.

Read More: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/easy-peach-cobbler-10000000257827/

Ratatouille

This recipe is great when you’re trying to watch your calories because it makes a lot at once and virtually you can eat as much of it as you want and still be within your calorie count and when you add some protein like a grilled chicken breast you won’t even know you’re eating all this food that’s good for you!

Obviously using the red, yellow and green bell peppers will make the dish pop with color and provide a few different types of flavors but it’s not necessary to use each color if you’re watching your budget because I know the red and yellow peppers can be costly if the store doesn’t have a sale going on. Also, fresh basil is nice but not necessary if you already have some dried in your cabinet so you can substitute 2 teaspoons of dried basil for the fresh. I also went a step further and added about 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to add a little spice. I could see a hot pepper chopped and cooked in this as well (maybe something I’ll try next time I make it). 

’til next time,

Crys

• Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
• Hands-on:45 Minutes
• Total:45 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 pound zucchini
• 1/2 pound yellow squash
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 small eggplant (about 1 lb.), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation

1. Cut first 5 ingredients into 1-inch pieces.

2. Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or just until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes and next 2 ingredients, and sauté 8 to 10 minutes or just until eggplant begins to soften. Stir in bell peppers, zucchini, and squash; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and liquid is slightly reduced. Stir in basil. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and sauté 3 minutes.

Read More: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/ratatouille-50400000118333/

3 Parter: Spicy Honey Chicken, KFC copycat coleslaw, twice baked potato

The night I made this meal I think I was being over ambitious! Fortunately I had the coleslaw left over from the meal the night before but just with the twice baked potatoes and chicken it was a lot of work for one meal but let me tell you it WAS worth it. The spicy honey chicken is from another blogger that pinned the recipe onto pinterest as well as the KFC slaw. The chicken is fairly simple and you probably already have the majority of the ingredients in your pantry. I did substitute the fresh garlic for garlic powder as well as eliminate the coriander because I didn’t have any. I don’t really think that by doing either messed with the integrity of the dish because the main star is the honey! A few years ago I wouldn’t have touched a dish like this because I would have thought honey wouldn’t be good and would be too sweet for my liking but man let me tell you it’s delish on this chicken recipe.

As for the coleslaw I stuck with the exact ingredients/measurements and it really does taste like KFC’s slaw. One batch usually lasts a few meals so I make it at the beginning of the week and incorporate it into a few dishes that saves on time, effort and money for the rest of the week.

On a side note: Did you know that you can freeze any left over buttermilk? Buttermilk isn’t exactly easy to find nor is it cheap here on the west coast so when I found a little article about freezing left over buttermilk I tried it with the left over milk from this first time I tried this recipe and I used some of the frozen milk already to make pancakes and a 2nd making of the coleslaw. It doesn’t ruin the milk at all you just have to remember to sit out the milk the night before you want to use it so it’s thawed. I put my left over milk in 1 cup portions in small mason jars but I have seen online that you can freeze it in ice cube trays as well.

The twice baked potatoes I saw one weekend when I was watching Home for Dinner with Jamie Deen and actually the whole meal he did looked delicious but I decided to just try the potato for now. Don’t you just love all the Deens? I like how both Jamie and Bobby have taken what they’ve learned from their mamma and made it their own with Bobby’s show being about making Paula’s dishes healthier and Jamie’s show about having dinner made and actually eating it at a table with his family. Does this happen in any household anymore?? Sidetracked…let’s get back to the food instead of my obsession with the Deens 🙂 

I think if you decide to make just 1 of these 3 recipes you’ll be completely satisfied 🙂

’til next time,

Crys

Spicy Honey Chicken:

Ingredients:

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs (you could use breasts as well but thighs stay more moist)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Rub:
2 teaspoons granulated garlic (you can sub 1 teaspoon garlic powder here)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Glaze:
1/2 cup Honey
1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar

Instructions:
Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.

Use kitchen shears to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it’s not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the honey glaze for later after the chicken has cooked to pour on right before serving. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

I’m gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It’s sugar, and it’s gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It’s totally worth it once you taste this stuff.

If you don’t have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!

KFC Copycat Slaw:

Ingredients

DRESSING:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

SLAW:

• 1 head of cabbage
• 1 medium carrot (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons minced onion

Instructions

1. Chop cabbage into chunks and run through your food processor, or chop fine.
2. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large bowl, whisk well.
3. Combine cabbage, carrots, and onion and toss well. Pour dressing over the slaw and turn to coat well.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to allow the cabbage to soak up the marinade. Overnight is best.

Cheddar and Bacon Twice Baked Potatoes:

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon
• 6 large russet potatoes, well-scrubbed and dried
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 4 ounces grated sharp Cheddar (1 cup)
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Lay the bacon on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 25 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet to a paper-towel-lined plate. Crumble once cooled.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake the potatoes until crisp on the outside and completely cooked through, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Use a paring knife to cut a canoe shape from the top of each potato. Discard the top. Use a small spoon to remove the flesh from the potatoes to a bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch shell.

Reserve a small sprinkling of the cheese and green onions.

Mash the potatoes with the sour cream, butter, cheese, green onions, and some salt and pepper. Add the potato filling evenly back to the skins, dividing equally. Sprinkle each potato with the reserved cheese and green onions. Place each potato back on the baking sheet and bake until heated through and golden, about 25 minutes.

Read More: http://amandascookin.com/2010/06/kfc-coleslaw-recipe.html , http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/05/girl-who-didnt-eat-everything.html , http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-deen/cheddar-and-bacon-twice-baked-potatoes-recipe/index.html

Easy cheesecake recipe

While this recipe is full of flavor I’d have to give it 2 out of 5 stars on the consistency alone if I were rating it. It’s only a few ingredients and really easy to put together and is great if you want to make a quick and easy desert to serve for the family but the consistency is more of a pudding pie instead of a cheesecake.

It’s difficult to pull it out of the cake pan and on to your plate without the filling falling apart so I’m not so sure the photo that is posted on the site with recipe is the actual recipe made because mine was nowhere close to being that firm. At any rate if your looking for flavor and you’re on a budget this might be the best recipe when you really just want that good cheesecake flavor. UPDATE: Eric decided to put this in the freezer and I have to say it got that cheesecake texture.

’til next time,

Crys

Easy Cheesecake #1

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker pie crust

8 ounce package soft cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces Cool Whip, slightly thawed

Easy Cheesecake Recipe #1 Directions:

1. Beat cream cheese until smooth, add sugar and mix well. Add sour cream and vanilla, mix well. Fold in Cool Whip.

2. Spoon into pie crust and chill for 4 hours.

;

;

Read More: http://www.momswhothink.com/cheesecake-recipes/easy-cheesecake-recipe.html

Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Ginger Cookies

Last November I got my latest edition of Rachel Ray’s magazine and decided to try to make these for Eric’s family Thanksgiving dinner while visiting Oregon so his sister and I started baking these and IF you read the entire recipe through and understand it (I did not at first but didn’t realize this until I was mid-recipe) they are pretty easy to make. There really isn’t much you can change in this recipe and everyone will enjoy them at least that’s what the family said. Enjoy!

’til next time,

Crys

36 SERVINGS PREP: 1 HR(PLUS CHILLING) BAKE: 30 MINS

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks  (8 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 36 miniature peanut butter cups, such as Reeses, chilled
• Confectioners sugar, for rolling

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Whisk in the ginger, cinnamon, pepper and salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on high speed until smooth, light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Beat in the egg for 30 seconds, then mix in the molasses. Scrape down the bowl. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Using the wrap to help, form the dough into a disk and seal tightly. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment. Working with 1 tbsp. of dough at a time, mold the dough around each peanut butter cup to enclose completely. Place 12 dough balls on each of the prepared pans. Bake until the tops are just set and slightly cracked, 12 to 14 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Roll the cookies in the confectioners sugar, then return to the rack to cool completely. Roll the cookies in the confectioners sugar again before serving.

Read More: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/dessert-recipes/peaunut-butter-cup-stuffed-ginger-cookies

Marinara sauce

I’m about to share a staple that should be in your kitchen at all times! I’ve made the original recipe mine so I can’t even remember where I even found it or anything.

I make a big batch of this sauce and I use it with a ton of things it’s so versatile. Spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, lasagna sauce, insert any Italian dish here.

I also change up the spices I use from time to time to give it a change in taste so it’s really easy to spice it to your liking. It’s not only easy to make but you will see its cheaper than jarred sauce in the store. I also will make hamburger meat and mix in the sauce so when I’m ready to make spaghetti I just need to make noodles and heat up sauce. Enjoy!

’til next time,

Crys

Ingredients:
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/3 cup of diced onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup white wine (anything cheap works and can be reused for batch after batch just re-cork)
3-4 garlic cloves
Handful of fresh parsley (you can also use dried Italian seasonings)
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne

Place tomatoes, tomato paste, whole garlic cloves, spices and parsley in food processor (if you have a small processor do in batches overfilling will cause a disastrous mess) and pulse until you get the consistency that you like (some like chunky and some like thin sauce). Heat oil in pot and place onions and and sautée 3-4 minutes then place the sauce mix in pot (be careful because it will splatter if pan is hot so have a splatter shield of some kind handy. Add 1/2 cup white wine reduce heat to med-low and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Once you’re done let it cool completely an place in mason jars and either freeze or put in fridge.

Frozen Breakfast Burritos

Ever wish on those mornings you are in a rush to get the kids to school, get to work or running errands you could find the time cook a home cooked breakfast for you, your kids or hubby/wife?

I found this gem of a recipe on Pinterest and decided I must try it since Eric is a huge fan of breakfast burritos. I’ve taken the concept of this recipe and completely made it mine by not only simplifying it but adding/taking away things that work for our taste.

The recipe calls for 2 pounds of red potatoes cut up and cooked and while this would be the complete home made way to do it, it is time consuming and dirty’s up extra dishes that really aren’t necessary. I can usually find the store brand frozen O’Brien potatoes for not much more than a bag of potatoes and it cuts down the time to chop, prep and cook the potatoes and uses one pan and utensil. Also, it calls for sausage, ham and bacon and really all of those meats are great if you like them and aren’t budget conscious but I have found added the bacon plus a little extra is more than enough and we don’t miss the rest of the meat it calls for.

These little yummies have gotten the most requests out of anything I’ve ever cooked Eric digs them and even decides to get in and help make them and clean up the mess they make. Oh..WARNING: they do require a lot of dishes so be prepared for cleaning.

’til next time,

Crys

Ingredients:

1 lb breakfast sausage
1 lb bacon
1 cup chopped ham
2 pound of red potatoes, cubed into bite size pieces
16 oz cheese (any kind you like)
24 soft taco tortillas (I used flour)
12 eggs, extra large
1/2 c milk
1/3 c olive oil
1 tsp each: Emeril’s Seasoning, Seasoning Salt or any seasoning you prefer
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook bacon. (see my post on How To Bake Bacon)

2. Brown the sausage.

3. Fry up the ham.

4. Preheat oven to 450.

5. Dry cubed potatoes with a towel to eliminate any extra water.

6. Toss the potatoes with 1/3 c olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Use additional seasoning (such as Emeril’s or Seasoning Salt) if desired.

7. Roast for 30 minutes until golden brown. Start checking at 20 minutes.

8. Wisk 12 eggs and 1/2 c milk in a bowl until well combined.

9. Heat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray (or melt 1 Tbls butter) over medium heat.

10. Spray skillet and add egg mixture.

11. Cook eggs,stirring occasionally until eggs are set.

12. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

13. Place 5-10 tortillas on a plate.

14. Cover with a wet paper towel.

15. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power.

16. This should be your last step. Heat the tortillas in batches.

17. Set up an assembly line with all the ingredients.

18. Place the tortillas on a large baking sheet or cutting board,.

19. Build your burritos:
– cheese
– eggs
– potatoes
– meat

20. Fold in the sides of the tortilla.

21. Roll burrito up.

22. Pat firmly on top of the burrito making sure the seam is on the bottom.

23. Make sure the burrito is tightly rolled.

Let’s freeze these burritos:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place burritos on the sheet, seam side down.

3. Press down on the burritos again lightly making sure that the edges are tucked in.

4. Place baking sheet in the freezer for an hour to flash freeze the burritos.

5. Remove from freezer and wrap burritos in plastic wrap individually.

6. Place in a ziploc bag.

7. I ended up with 24 burritos.

To heat the burritos:
1. Remove plastic wrap.
2. Wrap burrito in wet paper towel.
3. Heat for 3 minutes on 50% power.
4. Serve with fresh salsa – yummy!

Read More: http://www.momontimeout.com/2011/08/breakfast-burrito-bonanza.html

Adobo Chicken

Adobo chicken has to be one of the easiest and cheapest recipes that I’ve ever made! Chicken thighs you can usually find in the family pack for maybe $5 or $6 and while this recipe calls for 8 thighs I only use 4 but keep the rest of the recipe the same (we like to have the sauce it’s cooked in left over to pour on top of it) so what I usually do is freeze the rest of the pack of the chicken in 4 thigh packs and just take out of freezer on the days I want to be “lazy” domestic chick and thaw while I’m at work. It’s also good to keep the ingredients for this on hand when you’re watching your budget.

Another thing I can say is for some reason I always forget to add the bay leaf to the recipe. I’ve probably remembered it once the first time I made it but I can say that I don’t miss the flavor from it since there are a lot of strong flavors already in the recipe so if you don’t already have bay leaves in your cabinet I wouldn’t say you need to spend the extra money for them just for this recipe.

’til next time,

Crys

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Instructions:

1. 1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently.
2. 2. Return chicken to pan. Add soy sauce and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 12 minutes. Uncover and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is done and sauce thickens. Discard bay leaf. Serve over rice.

Read More: http://www.cookinglight.com/m/food/top-rated-recipes/best-budget-recipes-00412000074866/page23.html

Copycat Bourbon Street Chicken

The bourbon street chicken has become a common dish in my house. At first I was a little afraid to make this because it seems to have a lot sugar in it with the brown sugar plus the sugar from the apple juice since I’m not a fan of overly sweet food as a main meal, but I was wrong. 

It’s easy to make and really inexpensive and I’ll tell you it’s really good! I bought a bottle of apple juice for the first time I cooked it and I’m still using the juice on the recipe like 2 months late and I still have almost half left! The main investment in the whole dish after you buy the original ingredients will be the chicken. I have modified the dish by adding steamed vegetables. I just buy a bag of frozen stir fry veggies and keep on hand and add to it. I’ve found it prevents me from eating a lot of rice. 

’til next time,

Crys

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds bonless skinless chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove; crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger grated
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch; (if thick sauce desired)

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large skillet.

Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.

Remove chicken.

Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well blended and dissolved.

Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.

Serve over hot rice.

Read More: http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/201809/Bourbon-Street-Chicken

www.pepperplate.com

I wanted to share this site with everyone because I’ve grown to love it. Basically with pepperplate you can save recipes, create shopping lists and use the meal planner.

It’s free to create an account and has an app for both iPhone and iPad and I bet they have one for android too.

This is great most importantly for being able to remember everything on your list. Have you ever taken the time to create a shopping list and left it at home?? Drives me nuts! This will help with issues like that! It syncs on all devices so you can create the list on your computer and pull it up on your phone and vise versa. The website/app is worth testing out!

’til next time,

Crys