Eazy Mealz

Crunchy Bean Salad

2012-01-17T21:46:00.003-06:00

This is the way the salad recipe was given to me, but I put stars by the things I don't include when I make it.

3 celery stalks, diced
1 yellow pepper **
1 medium apple, diced
1 small red onion *
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained *
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Splenda (I used more like 2 tbsp)
1/2 tsp salt *
freshly ground pepper *
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped *

In large bowl combine celery, yellow pepper, onion, apple and beans. Toss with the vinegar, olive oil, Splenda, salt and pepper. Top with chopped cilantro.

** I used a red pepper and a green pepper- not a yellow.

Eazy Shoyu Chicken

2011-09-03T22:01:00.002-05:00

Shoyu chicken is a super eazy, super yummy, family fave!!

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. chicken drumsticks (about 10-12 pieces)
1 cup soy sauce
1-2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar (I use Splenda.)

Put chicken legs in crockpot. Mix other ingredients together in a measuring cup. Pour evenly over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours. Takes great with rice or on thin spaghetti noodles.

Slow Cooker Lasagna (Weight Watchers)

2011-09-02T13:33:00.003-05:00

I found this recipe in a Weight Watchers booklet I was looking at. And surprisingly IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!

1 lb. uncooked lean ground beef (7% fat)
1 small chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
15 oz. canned tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheeses, divided
6 item(s) dry lasagna noodles, no-cook
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, strong-flavored like Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.
Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Remove cover; turn off heat and season to taste, if desired. (original recipe said 4 to 6--- that makes the noodles soggy.)
In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes. Yields 1/6th of dish per serving.

"Sacred Heart Diet" Soup

2011-08-28T22:16:00.003-05:00

So, I discovered this "diet" online called the "Sacred Heart Diet." I'm not suggesting you do the diet, but I made the soup and I think it is DELISH! And it's super low calorie-- like 75 calories per cup (or less...) So, I thought I would share the recipe. :)

1 or 2 cans of stewed tomatoes
3 plus large green onions
1 large can of beef broth (no fat)
1 pkg. Lipton Soup mix (chicken noodle)
1 bunch of celery
2 cans green beans
2 lbs. Carrots
2 Green Peppers

Season with salt, pepper curry, parsley, if desired, or bouillon, hot or Worcestershire sauce-- I don't add any of this. Cut veggies in small to medium pieces. Cover with water. Boil fast for 10 minutes. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook until veggies are tender.Enjoy!!

Venison quesadillas

2011-01-03T08:42:00.002-06:00

My husband's co-worker brought us a ton of ground venison. I was a little nervous to eat deer. I'm not sure why-- it just seemed mean. haha Anyway, I got over it and finally browned some on the stove. When I tasted it was I was amazed at how GOOD it was!!! It reminded me of this little hole-in-the-wall Mexican cafe in a town I used to live in. So, I decided to make some quesadillas!! Obviously you can replace the venison with beef or chicken, or just leave out meat all together, but the venison tasted awesome.

Warm you griddle or frying pan.

Ingredients
Tortillas
Avocados
Quesadilla cheese mix
Browned venison

--Sprinkle cheese, add a few slices of avocado and a spoon full of venison. Close in half. Cook on griddle for 2 minutes, while one side becomes crisp and slightly browned. Then flip to other side and allow that side to brown and become crisp as well. ENJOY!!

Recipe Sharing Idea

2010-12-20T00:07:00.001-06:00

This isn't a recipe post exactly, but just thought I'd give a few cool ideas for sharing recipes or maybe even a gift idea!! At Printrunner.com you can make all kinds of things. They do flyer printing and sticker printing. But what I thought might be a really neat, original Christmas gift idea was a calendar with a recipe on each month! You could totally utilize the calendar printing available from Printrunner.com and make a calendar with a fave recipe on each month. I think that would be such a neat idea! You could include pictures of the final products... So cool!! Sticker printing could come in handy when sending out Christmas cards. You could put your favorite holiday recipe on a sticker and share it so easily in your Christmas cards. The holidays are about sharing and what better way to show you care than by sharing something special to you. :)

Mini Crescent Rolls

2010-12-07T09:16:00.003-06:00

This is my son's new favorite breakfast!!!

Prep Time 15 min.
Total time 30 min.
Makes 48 snacks

INGREDIENTS

2 cans (8 0z. each) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
48 cocktail-sized smoked link sausages or hot dogs (from 16 oz package)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 375*. Unroll both cans of the dough; separate into 16 triangles. Cut each triangle lengthwise into 3 narrow triangles.
Place sausage on shortest side of each triangle. Roll up each, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling into opposite point; place point side down on 2 ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown, switching position of cookie sheets halfway thru baking. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Crescent Bacon-Cheddar Pinwheels

2010-12-07T08:59:00.002-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to host a Pillsbury Get-Together. They supplied me the ingredients and recipes for me to share with a few friends. That was fun, but I wanted to share the recipes here on my recipe blog as well. They sent me four to use and this one was my family's fave.

Prep time 15 min.
Total time 35 min.
Makes 16 appetizers

INGREDIENTS

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz.) Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations seamless dough sheet
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
1/4 cup cooked real bacon pieces or 4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz.)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 4 medium)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350*
If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 2 long rectangles. Press each into 12x4-inch rectangles, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut lengthwise into 2 long rectangles. Press each into 12x4-inch rectangle.
Spread dressing over each rectangle to edges. Sprinkle each with bacon, cheddar cheese and onions.
Starting with one short side, roll each rectangle to edges; press edge to seal. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

ENJOY!!!

Avocado Mac n Cheese

2010-09-05T15:21:00.007-05:00

I didn't think this sound very good from the name, but I WAS WRONG!! It's a yummy, fun twist on regular mac n cheese. :)

Avocado Mac n Cheese from Avocados from Mexico:

Ingredients:
8 ounces wagon wheel pasta

3/4 cup skim milk

1 fully ripened avocado from Mexico, halved pitted, peeled and diced

1/2 cup thawed frozen peas

3/4 cup diced sharp white cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
In large sauce pot, cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat milk until hot; remove from heat, set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of the avocado for later use. When pasta is almost cooked, in blender, combine remaining avocado, the peas, cheese and lemon juice; gradually add hot milk; blend until smooth. Drain pasta; return to sauce pot. Stir in cheese sauce; add remaining 1/2 cup diced avocado; toss gently.

Avocado Quesadillas n' Dip

2010-09-05T14:15:00.004-05:00

I had the opportunity to try out 2 new recipes that are available on the website Avocados from Mexico. They sent me the recipes and 6 perfect avocados and by "perfect" I mean DELICIOUS!! You MUST check out their website because they have so much info about avocados, great recipes and even a coloring page for the kids.

The first recipe I tried was Avocados Quesadillas n'Dip.

Avocado Quesadillas n' Dip

Ingredients:
1 fully ripened avocado from Mexico, halved, pitted and peeled
1/3 cup prepared ranch salad dressing
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas, any flavor
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup corn kernels
Raw veggies

Preparation:
Chop half of the avocado.

To prepare Avocado Dip: In bowl of food processor, combine chopped avocado with ranch dressing; process until smooth; transfer to small serving bowl; set aside.

Cut remaining half of the avocado into 8 slices. Heat skillet over medium heat; place one tortilla in skillet; heat until warm, about 30 seconds. Turn tortilla over, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese on half of the tortilla; heat until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Remove from skillet.

Place 1 tablespoon corn and 2 slices avocado on top of cheese; fold other half of tortilla over avocado; press the edge together. Remove to serving plate; cut into thirds. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Serve warm with reserved Avocado Dip and raw veggies, if desired.

This recipe was super yum and SO easy to make! I made quesadillas for 3 people in under 10 minutes. I also did not have any Monterey Jack cheese so I used cheddar on a few and White American cheese on the others. It was so good!!

Chili Cheese Dip

2010-08-16T22:24:00.002-05:00

1/2 to 1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 can (15 oz.) chili, with or without beans
1 pound Mexican Velveeta cheese, cubed

Combine all ingredients in greased 3 to 4 1/2 qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 3-4 hours or on high heat 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes until cheese is melted. Makes 6-8 servings.

Serve warm with tortilla chips. :)

Super Eazy Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-07-11T13:37:00.002-05:00

My kids and I were going to make chocolate chip cookies, but I was out of butter and applesauce. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and we decided to try it out. We added 3 chocolate chips on the top of each cookie dough. YUM!

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth
1 cup sugar + extra for dipping
1 egg

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix well 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1 egg.

3. Roll into walnut sized balls.

4. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly with fork or bottom of cup with design on it.

5. Bake 8 minutes or until slightly browned.

6. Let stand one minute, then remove to cooling racks.

7. Enjoy!

Tropical Traditions Raw Organic Honey CLOSED

2010-07-05T13:32:00.007-05:00

This giveaway is closed.

Congrats to comment #124!

I love working with Tropical Traditions! I have had the opportunity to try so many products and I have loved everyone. This time I was able to try out Tropical Traditions Organic Raw Honey. I mentioned in a previous giveaway that my Livie loves peanut butter sandwiches. She loves honey with her peanut butter as well. So, once again I was able to test out the greatness of Tropical Traditions and the organic raw honey got 2 big thumbs up from Liv.

Tropical Traditions Organic Raw Honey comes from the frontier areas of Canada, and is only harvested during a 6-week period in the summer. Tropical Traditions is the exclusive source of this premium organic honey in the U.S. Most commercial honeys available on the market today come from bee farms, where the bees are controlled within a certain area and get their pollen from usually only one kind of flower. Many of the plants that produce these flowers (clover, orange blossom, etc.) are grown with pesticides and fertilizers as well. In addition, almost all honeys on the market are pasteurized in high heat and filtered, removing many of the beneficial nutrients and enzymes.

Honestly, I was surprised to see what organic raw honey looked like, but it spread great and made a great sandwich. I am also excited to check out some of the Great recipes on the recipe blog at Tropical Traditions!!

Do you want a chance to try it? Then you're in luck!! Tropical Traditions is giving me the opportunity to let one of my readers try this great product!!!

Here's how to enter:

To Enter: Visit Tropical Traditions and comment with another product they have that you'd like to try. While you're there you can Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter. That will keep you up to date on great specials they continually have going on. My last order I got ended up with 2 out of 3 products FREE all because of deals I read about in the newsletter. So the newsletter is awesome.

Want more ways to enter??

Follow me on twitter. Leave me your Twitter name.
Enter my other giveaway to win Tropical Traditions All-Purpose Cleaner on my SWAMPBRAT blog. This only counts for one extra entry on this giveaway, no matter how many times you enter at SWAMPBRAT.
Tweet this giveaway. You can do this up to 3 times day as long as the tweets are atleast 1 hour apart. Comment back with your Twitter status url.
Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter.
Follow Eazy Mealz by clicking in the sidebar.
Fan SWAMPBRAT on Facebook. This way you can hear about new giveaways posted on my blogs! :)

Good luck! This giveaway will end July 11 so HURRY!!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Firecracker Bites

2010-06-30T10:53:00.003-05:00

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup, cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4) vanilla flavor instant pudding
1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip divided
1 pkg. (12 oz.) Nilla wafers
1/2 cup mixed red, white and blue sprinkles
42 pieces red string licorice

Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Whisk in 1 cup Cool Whip.
Spoon about 1 1/2 tbsp. pudding mixture onto each of half wafers; cover with remaining wafers to make sandwiches. Freeze 2 hours or until filling is firm.
Spread tops of wafer sandwiches with remaining Cool Whip. Dip in sprinkles. Insert licorice piece in top of each for the fuse. Freeze until ready to serve.

Recipe found here: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/dessert/main.aspx

July 4th Dessert Bowl

2010-06-30T10:45:00.005-05:00

1 pkg (8 oz.) Cream cheese, softened
3 cups cold milk
2 pkgs. (3.4 oz) vanilla flavor instant pudding
1 tub Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed and divided
48 Nilla Wafers
1/4 cup each red and blue colored sugars
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 cup blueberries
2 bananas, sliced

Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk and dry pudding mixes. Gently stir in 2 cups Cool Whip.
Brush tops of wafers with water. Sprinkle 16 wafers with red sugar, 16 with blue sugar and the remaining with granulated sugar.
Arrange 24 wafers on bottom and up side of 2 1/2 qt. bowl, alternating colors of wafers. Spoon half the pudding mixture into bowl; top with layers of 1/2 each of the fruits. Cover with layers of remaining wafers, pudding mixture and fruits.
Top with remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Recipe found here: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/dessert/main.aspx

4th of July Flag Cake!!

2010-06-30T10:38:00.002-05:00

I thought this looked like so much fun! So patriotic!!! I think you could replace the fluffy boiled icing and silver white cake with just regular white cake and icing...

Decorating a Flag Cake

By: Allrecipes Staff

No patriotic celebration would be complete without an All-American Flag Cake!

Decorate your cake in the baking pan if you'll be taking it farther afield than the backyard.

1. To make this flag cake, we used a 9x13-inch cake (we baked a Silver White Cake). You'll need two pints of strawberries, one pint of blueberries, and Fluffy Boiled Icing.

Wash and drain the blueberries on paper towels.
Wash and drain the strawberries. Stem them and cut them into halves.

2. Spread the icing generously over the cake. (Whipped topping or whipped cream can be used in place of Fluffy Boiled Icing, but the finished cake will need to be refrigerated.) Fluffy Boiled Icing holds up well at outdoor picnics and barbeques.

3. In the top left-hand corner of the frosted cake, arrange the blueberries into an outline of a rectangle that is 5 inches wide and 4 inches tall. Press the berries down into the frosting.

4. Fill the blueberry outline in with the remaining blueberries. The blueberries look best if placed in rows: the icing between them resembles stars.

5. Place strawberry halves cut-side down in rows going across the cake horizontally. The bottom stripe of the flag is red, so start the first row at the bottom. Be sure to press the berries down into the frosting so the stripes will not be raised above the fluffy frosting. (If you want to be technically accurate, there are 13 stripes on the flag.)

6. Serve any leftover berries with the sliced cake and ice cream. For a stunning holiday effect, place a couple of sparklers into the top of the cake. When darkness falls and fireworks begin to burst, light the sparklers and serve the cake during the festivities!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

2010-05-25T08:20:00.002-05:00

I found this recipe over at My Kinda Rain. Sounds super yum!!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Yield: about 18 muffins

Ingredients:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. applesauce
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
6 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with a fork to blend. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, banana, peanut butter and buttermilk until smooth. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated and fully blended. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

French's Onion Chicken

2010-05-21T22:53:00.000-05:00

I actually got this recipe from a French's TV commercial, but it is also listed at French's website as well. I made it for my family last week and they were loving it!!!! I highly recommend it because it is sooooo easy and really, really tasty!!

Ingredients:

2 cups (4 oz.) FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

4 (5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Place French Fried Onions and flour into plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or with rolling pin. Transfer to pie plate or waxed paper.

Dip chicken into egg; then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until no longer pink in center.

***I also tried this recipe with the Cheddar French Fried Onions and it was super, super delish!!!

Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter Giveaway CLOSED

2010-05-21T22:33:00.006-05:00

I apologize for the slow response!! For some reason I thought I had the giveaway ending on the 22nd!!! Thank you to Tropical Traditions for being on the ball and contacting me for the winner info. I apologize!

The winner is comment #9. Congrats!! I will be contacting you!!

I have another awesome giveaway!! This time it is for Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter. Liv, my 4 yr old, is a huge fan of peanut butter. She literally eats a peanut butter sandwich at least once a day. She likes to tell me if she wants PB and jelly or PB and honey. She also tells me if she wants it cut in a circle, triangles, heart, or 6 little rectangles.
I had the opportunity to try the TT Coconut Peanut Butter and y'all... Livie approved it!! Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter is made from organic peanuts and organic coconut. That's it. Just those two ingredients: nothing else! The peanuts are 100% organic Valencia peanuts grown organically by family farmers in New Mexico and Texas. And it tastes good!!! It's a little, idk... runnier? than normal PB, but it tastes great.
Do you want a chance to try it? Then you're in luck!! Tropical Traditions is giving me the opportunity to let one of my readers try this great product.
Here's how to enter:

To Enter: Visit Tropical Traditions and comment with another product they have that you'd like to try. While you're there you can Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter. That will keep you up to date on great specials they continually have going on. My last order I got ended up with 2 out of 3 products FREE all because of deals I read about in the newsletter. So the newsletter is awesome.

Want more ways to enter??

Follow me on twitter. Leave me your Twitter name.
Tweet this giveaway. You can do this up to 3 times day as long as the tweets are atleast 1 hour apart. Comment back with your Twitter status url.
Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter.
Follow Eazy Mealz by clicking in the sidebar.
Fan SWAMPBRAT on Facebook. This way you can hear about new giveaways posted on my blogs! :)

Good luck! This giveaway will end June 12.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Hormel Chili & Dinty Moore... yum!!

2010-05-05T19:21:00.003-05:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hormel Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm from Texas, the land of Chili Cook-offs. But I've never been one to create my own chili. What's the point when you can go to the store and buy some Hormel Chili?? My kids absolutely LOVE to put hormel Chili on their hot dogs. It makes a boring dog into something super yummy and fun! Another new creation: Hormel Chili in a tortilla. I didn't think it'd be very good, but I guess with Hormel you can't go wrong. And of course I love it on my baked potato. This post is making me hungry... We always use the classic Hormel® chili con carne. But now there is a new, premium Hormel® Chili Master™ with awesome varieties such as white chicken chili and roasted tomato.
Another fave, easy meal is Dinty Moore soup. It's so thick and filling. Y'all remember the commercials with "Dinty Moore" putting his thumbprint on every can, right? I love the big, red thumbprint on the top of the can. It's a reminder that it's gonna be yummy!! Dinty Moore still has the awesome soups, but now they introduce Dinty Moore® HeartyMeals™ varieties such as chicken pot pie and noodles and beef!! Have you tried the new Hearty Meals? Which is your favorite?
·What is your favorite way to eat Hormel® chili and Dinty Moore®? Do share!! And don't forget, you can explore http://www.hormelrecipes.com for ideas.

Tuna Crescents

2010-04-26T11:48:00.002-05:00

2/3 cup mayo
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 chopped celery
2 cans tuna, drained
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 packed (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup peas

Obviously celery, peas, onion... are all optional. You can make the tuna how you prefer..

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix all ingredients, except for crescents, in a bowl. Unroll crescent dough and separate into 16 triangles. On a cookie sheet arrange the triangles in a circle with the wide ends of te triangles overlapping in the center and points toward the outside. There should be a 5" diameter open circle in the center, as the crescents are making a circle.
Scoop the tuna mixture onto the wide ends of the overlapping triangles. Bring the outside points of the triangles up over the filling and tuck under the wide ends of dough at te center of ring. (Filling may not be completely covered.)
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut and serve.

Tuna Patty Sandwiches

2010-04-26T11:46:00.003-05:00

My friend, s--max, sent me this recipe and I can't wait to try it!! Thanks s--max!!

(3) 5 oz. cans tuna

¾ cup bread crumbs

1 ½ tsp mustard

(3) eggs

Chopped celery to taste (this is optional)

Mix all together in a bowl. Take about ½ cup of mixture to form patties. Brown in a skillet. (Recipe I found said to use oil, but I used I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter & they were good.) Put on your favorite bread. Good w/mayo & cheese! I think it made 7 patties.

Frugal Beef Tacos

2010-04-13T07:41:00.003-05:00

I found this great recipe on https://pssst.generalmills.com/. This is a site that helps you save money as make great meals!! This meal is in the new "$5 Dinner Mom Cookbook." I am totally getting this book!!! You can purchase it at Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com....

Beef Tacos

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

1 cup white rice ($.20)
¾ pound ground beef ($1.12)
½ onion, chopped ($.15)
2 teaspoons ground cumin($.10)
salt and pepper
8 Old El Paso taco shells ($.75)

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce ($.25)
1 plum tomato, chopped ($.53)
1 cup cheddar cheese ($.75)
½ cup sour cream ($.15)
4 ears of corn ($1)

In a medium saucepan, bring 2½ cups of water to a boil, add the rice and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef with chopped onion. Drain excess fat. Return the beef to the skillet and add the ground cumin, salt and pepper and ¼ cup of water. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the cooked taco meat to the taco shells and top with the shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Remove the husks and silk from the ears of corn and boil the corn in a large pot of water for 4 to 5 minutes or place the ears of corn in microwave-safe baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 7 to 9 minutes.

Serve Beef Tacos with Rice and Corn on the Cob.

Cost: $4.91

Frugal Fact: Coupons for name-brand taco shells, such as Old El Paso, and sour cream are released several times throughout the year. Match the coupon with a sale or store promotion for the lowest price on taco shells and sour cream.

Tropical Traditions Shredded Coconut GIVEAWAY- CLOSED

2010-04-01T17:39:00.004-05:00

This giveaway has ended.
Comment #3 is winner!!

I have another awesome giveaway!! This time it is for Tropical Traditions Shredded Coconut. My husband is a huge fan of coconut. He loves to top things with it or mix it in the cookie mix. Tropical Traditions Shredded Coconut is perfect for this!
Tropical Traditions 100% natural Shredded Coconut is made from organic dried coconuts in the Philippines that are grown with no fertilizers or pesticides. This premium dried coconut contains no additives or preservatives, and is not sweetened. Unlike most dried coconut on the market, our dried coconut products are not treated with sulfites to keep them white. They are a great addition to recipes and baking, or just for snacks!
The Shredded Coconut comes in a 3.5 pound resealable pail. I can't wait to work my way thru the entire tub! And now you have the opportunity to win the same pail. :)

To Enter: Visit Tropical Traditions and comment with another product they have that you'd like to try. While you're there you can Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter. That will keep you up to date on great specials they continually have going on. My last order I got ended up with 2 out of 3 products FREE all because of deals I read about in the newsletter. So the newsletter is awesome.

Want more ways to enter??

Follow me on twitter. Leave me your Twitter name.
Tweet this giveaway. You can do this up to 3 times day as long as the tweets are atleast 1 hour apart. Comment back with your Twitter status url.
Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter.
Follow Eazy Mealz by clicking in the sidebar.
Fan SWAMPBRAT on Facebook. This way you can hear about new giveaways posted on my blogs! :)

Good luck! This giveaway will end April 20.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Parmesan Garlic Potatoes

2010-03-05T21:50:00.001-06:00

Ingredients

* 6 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
* 8 medium red potatoes, washed and halved lengthwise

Directions

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees
2. Pour butter into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
3. Sprinkle garlic powder and parmesan cheese over butter.
4. Place potatoes with cut side down over cheese mixture.
5. Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes or until tender.

Chicken and Spinach bake

2010-03-05T21:47:00.000-06:00

In this easy chicken and spinach bake, chicken breasts are simply baked on a bed of spinach with a tomato and green onion topping. Add Cajun or Creole seasonings to the chicken breasts, or use your own favorite seasoning blend.

Ingredients:

8 to 12 ounces fresh chopped or baby spinach, cleaned
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth
4 chicken breast halves, boneless, pounded slightly to even thickness
Creole or Cajun seasoning blend or other blend
salt and pepper
1 large tomato, diced
4 green onions, with green, sliced

Preparation: Heat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or spray with cooking spray. Put spinach in the baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning blend, salt, and pepper; arrange over the spinach. Sprinkle with the diced tomato and green onion. Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4.

Originally posted at http://southernfood.about.com/od/chickenbreastrecipes/r/bl60812a.htm

Popcorn Plaza

2010-03-02T17:23:00.003-06:00

I don't know about you, but my family loves popcorn. In fact, my 10 year old comes home from school and immediately makes popcorn for an after-school snack. If we are at a football game, etc... we always have to buy popcorn from the concession stand. But we have come to learn that all popcorn is NOT created equal. Keep that in mind if you run a concession stand. If you're going to want people to pay money for your concession stand popcorn, it has to be the best!

Popcorn Plaza strives to be the number one place online to buy your concession stand equipment and accessories, including popcorn machines, snow cone and ice shaving machines, cotton candy machines, and much more. They are well known for giving excellent customer service and the lowest prices guaranteed! All prices are at the minimum advertised price directly from the manufacturer so you are getting the lowest price. You can't beat that. If you run a concession stand you, of course, want it to be successful. Popcorn Plaza can help!

Success Rice Coupon Giveaway- 3 winners ENDED

2010-02-20T12:03:00.006-06:00

This giveaway has ended.
The winners are comments #128, 6, 12
Congrats! I will be emailing you!!

A little while ago I mentioned Success Rice in a recipe. Success Rice contacted me to say "thanks for the props" and offered me the chance to do a giveaway!!! I, of course, jumped on the chance because I love Success Rice and I love to host giveaways!!
This time you can win a coupon for a FREE 14 oz. Success Rice product. Awesome, eh? AND there will be THREE WINNERS!!!!

All you need to do is visit SuccessRice.com and tell me what meal you might use the Success Rice with. - Eazy enough, right?

For extra entries, do the following and leave a comment for each one.

Follow me on twitter. Leave me your Twitter name.
Tweet this giveaway. You can do this up to 3 times day as long as the tweets are atleast 1 hour apart. Comment back with your Twitter status url.
Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter.
Follow Eazy Mealz by clicking in the sidebar.
Fan SWAMPBRAT on Facebook. This way you can hear about new giveaways posted on my blogs! :)

This giveaway will end on March 5. Good luck!!

Chicken Bacon Sour Cream Bake

2010-02-15T11:05:00.001-06:00

Thanks Nat!!

CHICKEN SOUR CREAM BAKE

6 chicken breast halves, skinned, boned, & halved again if too large to be wrapped in beef slice
1 (4 oz.) jar chipped beef, rinsed in boiling water & drained
12 slices of bacon
2 c. sour cream
1 can cream of asparagus or cream of mushroom soup
Paprika

Wrap each breast section in slice of chipped beef, then wrap with bacon. Mix sour cream and soup. Place chicken in greased casserole dish and pour soup mixture over it. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 2 hours.

Enclume pot racks

2010-02-15T10:18:00.000-06:00

This blog is full of great recipes, but I thought I'd pass on a great site I found that has wonderful Enclume pot racks. Obviously if you're cooking, then you're using pots and pans, right? An Enclume pot rack (pronounced “Ahn-Kloom”) features signature hanging arms supporting the main rim rather than the typical lightweight chain hooked through a thin rim. They also have hammered steel that is recognized as the standard in cookware rack finishes and construction.
Enclume potracks are made to last a lifetime. Now you can search thru great recipes, cook great meals, and organize your pots and pans in a single, convenient, easy to reach location, with an added touch of style, elegance and class to the décor.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Flour Giveaway- CLOSED

2010-02-15T10:06:00.007-06:00

Winner is comment #4! Congrats.
I will be emailing you.

I have another wonderful giveaway for you from Tropical Traditions. I was given the opportunity to try their Organic Coconut Flour. It is gluten-free, high in fiber & high in protein- which is awesome when you're on a low carb diet like I am. I learned more about it from the Tropical Traditions website:

Tropical Traditions organic coconut flour is fiber from the coconut meat after most of the oil has been extracted to make Virgin Coconut Oil. It is certified organic, unsweetened, and has not been treated with sulfites....
Tropical Traditions organic coconut flour also contains over 19% non-gluten protein! Therefore, it makes an excellent addition to shakes and smoothies where fiber and protein are needed. Or simply dissolve a spoonful in water as a high-fiber drink with a coconut flavor! This organic coconut flour is very versatile and very tasty. Sprinkle it over your favorite dishes to add a wonderful coconut flavor, use it as a thickener in soups and sauces - the possibilities are endless!

I was excited to use the coconut flour in 2 recipes listed on the Tropical Traditions website, but there are sooo many more to try!! Scan to the bottom of the TT Coconut Flour page and there are ton to check out! The Gluten Free Cheesecake is yum!!
Now I am excited to give you the opportunity to win a bag of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Flour!!

To Enter: Visit Tropical Traditions and comment with another product they have that you'd like to try. While you're there you can Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter. That will keep you up to date on great specials they continually have going on. My last order I got ended up with 2 out of 3 products FREE all because of deals I read about in the newsletter. So the newsletter is awesome.

Want more ways to enter??

Follow me on twitter. Leave me your Twitter name.
Tweet this giveaway. You can do this up to 3 times day as long as the tweets are atleast 1 hour apart. Comment back with your Twitter status url.
Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter.
Follow Eazy Mealz by clicking in the sidebar.
Fan SWAMPBRAT on Facebook. This way you can hear about new giveaways posted on my blogs! :)

This giveaway will end on March 1st, 2010. Good luck!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Spicy Chicken with Honey Mustard Sauce

2010-02-09T21:43:00.003-06:00

This is an awesome recipe that was written by Morgan... She's 11!!! She has her own cool blog that I encourage you to check out. Thanks Morgan!!

2 cups cornflakes
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 1/2 pounds chicken strips (raw)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup of mustard

Crush the cornflakes until almost a powder, add flour and mix with hands. Beat eggs and hot sauce together in a small bowl. Grease a large baking sheet with vegetable oil or a cooking spray. Dip chicken strips into egg mixture and then into cornflake mixture until evenly coated. Lay on baking sheet, repeat until all are done. Bake at 350 degree’s for 40-45 minutes or until crispy. While chicken in baking Mix together honey and mustard in a medium size bowl to taste. Take chicken out of oven and lay over 1 cup of salad or ramen noodle’s and drizzle with honey mustard wallah! Fancy chicken (oh and it won’t be spicy unless you add like a tablespoon of hot sauce . GOOD LUCK!

Gluten-Free Cheesecake

2010-02-03T08:26:00.001-06:00

I found this on the Tropical Traditions website. It's a preview to a giveaway I'll be hosting within a week!!

Crust Ingredients:

¼ cup coconut flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup honey (or less with a dash of Stevia)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Blend the first four ingredients together in a blender or food processer to the consistency of graham cracker crumbs. Heat the coconut oil in a medium sized saucepan until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the blended dry ingredients until moistened. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a cheesecake or pie pan. (The recipe can be doubled to fit a 9x13 pan.) For a no-bake cheesecake or pie, bake the crust in the oven for approximately 10 minutes. Cool and fill with cheesecake or pie filling. For a baked cheesecake, (below) proceed by combining the following ingredients, or your own cheesecake recipe.

Filling:

3 (8oz.) boxes of cream cheese
½ cup honey (or less, plus a dash of Stevia)
1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup lemon juice
1 large egg

Blend the above ingredients until smooth with a hand mixer. Pour into the unbaked crust and spread evenly. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until puffed up and starting to lightly brown. Towards the end of baking, if it begins to get too brown before firming up in the middle, turn oven down to 300 degrees and bake until the middle is (or almost) solid.

For an optional fruit topping, heat one 10 oz. package of frozen fruit - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or cherries, in a small saucepan until hot. There should be approximately ½ cup of juice in the fruit, if not, add some water. Add honey/stevia to taste. In a small cup, mix 2 tablespoons of arrowroot, corn starch, or kuzu root starch with 1-2 tablespoons of water and blend. Add this mixture to the HOT fruit, and stir until thickened. Spread the fruit mix over the cheesecake.

Refrigerate cheesecake for at least an hour, until cold and ready to serve.

Recipe submitted by Deborah, Shirley, IN

TEX MEX Bake

2010-02-02T08:50:00.004-06:00

1 bag Success rice
non-stick cooking spray
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 lb. ground beef, browned (8-10 min.)
4 cups tortilla chips, crushed
1 can (15 oz.) seasoned pinto or chili beans
1 lb. Velveeta cut into cubes, divided
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
garnish with green onions and guacamole (Wholly brand works well)

Directions:

Prepare oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Prepare rice according to package directions and set aside
In a medium bowl, combine cooked rice, diced tomatoes, green chilies and ground beef. Set aside.
Cover baking dish bottom with tortilla chips. Layer 1/2 of the Velveeta over the tortilla chips. Top with beans and rice-tomato-beef mixture. Top with remaining Velveeta.
Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until Velveeta is melted. Garnish with green onions and guacamole, if desired.

I'm the boss

2010-02-02T08:22:00.005-06:00

I've often discussed with my husband about owning our own business. We actually almost bought into a subway-type sandwich shop about 5-6 years ago. Owning a franchise of some sort, whether it be a subway-type sandwich shop, another restaurant, or even a hair salon, could be a great opportunity to make your dreams come true.
TCBY has yogurt franchises opportunities available to you. Their website has so much information to help you make a well-informed, educated decision. After doing some research it is obvious to me that the initial investment is less than other franchises I have looked into. They also break the entire process down for you step by step.
Everyone loves frozen yogurt and you know what the T.C.B.Y. stands for, right? If owning your own franchise is something you're interested in... definitely check out TCBY opportunities!!!

Disclosure: I received compensation for the link in this post. The other thoughts are totally mine. :)

Red Hot Buffalo Chicken Wings

2010-01-29T23:28:00.002-06:00

Another great Super Bowl dish. Go Colts!!

2 1/2 lbs. chicken wing pieces
3/4 cup any flavor Frank's Redhot Wings Sauce

Bake wings in foil-lined pan at 5oo degrees on lowest oven rack for 20 to 25 minutes until crispy, turning once.
Toss wings in sauce to coat.

TIP- You may substitute 1/2 cup Frank's Redhot sauce mixed with 1/3 cup melted butter for the Wings Sauce.

Creamy Bean Dip

2010-01-29T23:17:00.003-06:00

Maybe a great Super Bowl dip!?

5 slices fully cooked bacon
1 can refried beans
4 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup mild salsa
1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat bacon in skillet over medium heat 5-7 minutes or until crisp. Drain and crumble.
Add beans, cream cheese and salsa to skillet; heat 5 minutes or until cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally.
Pour mixture into shallow dish and top with cheddar cheese and bacon.
Serve with chips or veggies. YUM!!

Snickers Pie

2010-01-17T23:22:00.002-06:00

Thanks Chesney for this recipe!!

Package of Oreos
1/2 cup dry unsalted roasted peanuts
1 stick of butter
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
5 Snickers bars
Jar of caramel sauce

Combine 25 Oreos and 1/2 cup peanuts to a Ziploc bag- smash it up!
Melt butter into 9 x 13 pan. Pour smashed peanuts and Oreos into pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Let cool at room temp for about 45 minutes. Mix 1 1/2 quarts of ice cream and finely chopped Snickers. Spread into pan. Pour caramel sauce over top. Cover in Saran Wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours.
SERVE!!!!!

Oreo Cookies

2010-01-17T23:16:00.002-06:00

Ingredients

Cookies:
1 devil food cake mixes
1 1/2 cup shortening
4 eggs

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese (soft)
1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter (soft)

Mix cookie ingredients together then roll into 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes only. (Will not look done.) Leave on pan for another 5 minutes before putting on cooling racks.
Mix filling ingredients till smooth. (Can be doubled for real double stuff Oreos.) Put filling between 2 cooled cookies. Enjoy!!

Thanks Richele!!

Eclair Cake

2010-01-13T08:03:00.003-06:00

I made this for my Mary Kay Mystery Hostess party last nite and it was a hit!!! Shout out to my friend, Jerri, for the recipe!!

Crust Ingredients:
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Filling Ingredients:
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese (set out while making crust to get it to room temp.)
2 1/2 cup cold milk
2 small pkgs vanilla pudding
1 8 oz. container Cool Whip
1 bottle Magic Shell (I use about 1/2)

To prepare the crust, combine water and butter and bring to boil. Once boiling add flour and stir. Stir until mixture makes ball, away from the pan. Remove from heat and cool for 2 minutes.
Dump into mixing bowl. Add one egg at a time and stir until each egg is gone. Spread into cookie sheet.
Bake at 400 for about 25 mins., until golden brown. Press out bubbles in crust in the middle only. Cool on counter.
To prepare filling: Mix cream cheese with a little of the milk. When mixed add pudding and the rest of the milk. Mix on medium until thick. Spoon mixture onto crust and cool in fridge for 30 min.; Spread Cool Whip on top and chill in freezer for 5 min. Drizzle with Magic Shell and chill in fridge until ready to serve.

Sour Cream Chicken

2010-01-11T07:12:00.002-06:00

Place 8 split chicken breasts in 9 x 13 pan. (Can use other part of chicken as well.)

Combine:

1 can (10 oz) cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
6 green onions, sliced

Spread over chicken. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve with rice.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

2010-01-11T07:07:00.003-06:00

1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup Nestle Quik
2-3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. sugar

Combine ingredients in small sauce pan and bring to boil, while stirring. You will need to boil for a few minutes. It's ready when it has thickened slightly and when a few drops dropped into a glass of cold water form soft balls, instead of just dissolving. If not cooked enough, it will not get hard when put over ice cream. If over-cooked, it will be too gooey and hard. Serve immediately over ice cream. (Measurements are approximate.)

Pistachio Salad

2010-01-11T06:45:00.001-06:00

I love this salad!!

1 can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
1 pkg marshmellows
1 12 oz. container Cool Whip
1 pkg instant pistachio pudding (not prepared)

Super eazy instructions: Mix ingredients together. Serve. :)

Taco Soup

2010-01-10T10:37:00.001-06:00

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

1 onion, chopped

3 (15 ½ oz) cans of mild cooking chili beans; you would use while making chili ( I use 2 cans of pinto beans and 1 of black beans), undrained

1 (14 ½ oz)can corn, undrained

1 can diced tomato, undrained

1 can tomato sauce

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 ½ c. water ( I like to use beef broth. Jose is allergic to tomatoes, so I don’t use them. I just increase my beef broth by a ½ cup)

Brown meat and onions in a large sauce pan( I use a stock pot), drain. Add all remaining ingredients in. Bring to a boil, let simmer on med-low for 5 mins. Stirring occasionally.

*I like to serve it with cheese on it, a spponful of sour cream and tortilla chips crushed on top.

Submitted by Karolyn

Butternut Squash Soup

2010-01-08T07:35:00.001-06:00

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash (2 lb)

2 TB Vegetable oil

1c. chopped onion

½ tsp. chopped garlic

½ c. thinly sliced carrots

½ tsp ground cumin (I find that to spicy for myself so I use ¼ instead)

½ tsp salt & ½ tsp pepper

3 c. chicken stock

¼ c. heavy cream (I will use a ½ c. because I don’t like my soup so thick. My friend has substituted the cream for coconut milk and she really likes it)

Cut squash into 1 “square cubes(don’t forget to take out the seeds). Chop onions and carrots also. In a large pot heat oil over med heat. Add onions and garlic and cook. Stirring until they are brown, for about 5 mins. Add carrots and cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 min. and then add squash and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15- 20 mins.( stirring occasionally) or until the squash is tender. Remove from the heat. Puree soup until it is smooth. Put in serving bowl (or back in pot) and add cream. Serve and enjoy.

submitted by Karolyn

Old -Fashioned Caramels

2010-01-07T10:32:00.002-06:00

Old- Fashioned Caramels

** You have to buy a candy thermometer before you can make this. I would suggest one that goes to 300 degrees.

1 c. butter

2¼ c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 c. light corn syrup

1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Line a 9x13 pan with tin foil, extending it up the sides; grease (butter) the foil. In a heavy 3 quart saucepan, melt butter. Add brown sugar; mix well. Stir in corn syrup. Cook over med-low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is well blended. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in sweetened condensed milk. Cook over med. heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring constantly, until candy thermometer reaches firm-ball stage; 244 degrees. (you really have to stand there the whole time and stir) Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla.( if you have dark little balls of sugar, just strain it into the foil and you don’t get the hard parts in your caramel) Pour into buttered foil-lined pan. Cool for about 30 mins. ( I like to let mine cool and when it’s not so hot I put it in the fridge. It makes it harder, so it’s easier to wrap)When candy has completely set, carefully remove from pan by lifting foil; remove foil from the caramel ( I do that after I have cut it) With a thin- bladed knife, cut candy into pieces, using a light sawing motion. Wrap individual pieces in waxed paper. Store in refrigerator.

- submitted by Karolyn

Caramel Popcorn

2010-01-07T10:31:00.002-06:00

Thanks Karolyn for the great recipes!!

Carmel Popcorn

6 c. popped popcorn ( I usually put a thin layer of uncooked kernels in the bottom of a brown paper bag and pop it in the microwave)

1/2 c. toasted almonds (optional, I don't use them)

3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c. Butter

2 TB light corn syrup

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Put waxed paper on a jelly roll pan and put off to the side. In a large glass bowl combine cooked popcorn and nuts. In a 4c. glass measuring cup combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt. Microwave for 2 mins. stir together. Microwave again for 2-3 min.,until it comes to a rolling boil. Stir in baking soda until well mixed. Immediately pour over popcorn; toss till coated. Microwave for another 2 mins.,Stir. Immediately spread on waxed paper to cool.

When wine is needed....

2010-01-07T07:23:00.006-06:00

In some recipes wine is a needed ingredient. When needed I would recommended that you buy California wine thru AgBase. AgBase is great website for a customer to shop for foods and beverages without any transaction charges. You can easily go to the website and choose the needed product. You are given a list of direct producers\vendors who sell their products via online stores. The biggest advantage of AgBASE is its huge database of U.S. wineries which sell wine online at the minimum price in comparison with the usual food stores.

Disclosure: I received compensation for the link in this post. The thoughts regarding AgBase.com are my own.

Natural vs. Unnatural

2010-01-06T15:57:00.003-06:00

I was reading about Natural Meats the other day. I never really knew what it meant when I heard "natural" and "commercially raised." I figured, "It's from an animal- that's pretty natural." I was wrong. Commercially raised beef often contains large amounts of hormones. So when we eat it, we ingest a high concentration of drugs and hormones like estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melengesterol acetate. All these hormones in our system can lead to an increased risk for problems like cancer, premature puberty and a low sperm count. Those are some major risks I don't want to take!!
Not only are these hormones a problem, but often large amounts of antibiotics are also pumped into commercially raised cattle as well. These antibiotics can help protect the cattle against many diseases, which is great. However, the effect on humans of eating meat that has been saturated with so many antibiotics is the possible development of new diseases that are more deadly because they are already resistant to antibiotics. :( That's super scary to me.
I would recommend when at all possible to use natural meats that are not full of unnatural hormones and antibiotics. Not only are they healthier, but speaking from experience, they actually taste better. I know I need all the help I can get when it comes to making my food taste better!! haha

Disclosure: I was compensated for the link in this post. The thoughts regarding natural meat are mine.

Fluffy Peanut Butter Dip

2010-01-06T10:22:00.003-06:00

This is a super easy, yummy dip!!

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 container (8 oz.) vanilla yogurt (I use strawberry/banana)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup thawed frozen whipped topping
Cut apples or pears for dipping

Mix peanut butter, yogurt and cinnamon with whisk. Mix in whipped topping into peanut butter mixture until blended. Dip fruit and enjoy!!

Sweet & Savory Meatballs

2010-01-06T10:18:00.002-06:00

This is a new family fave!!

Sweet & Savory Meatballs

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup bread crumbs
Small amount of chopped onion
1 egg
1 can golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup canned tomatoes, drained
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
dash of pepper

Mix beef, bread crumbs, onion and egg together. Shape in 12 meatballs. In skillet, brown meatballs in oil. Add remaining ingredients together; pour over meatballs. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes or until done; stir. Serve with rice or noodles. :)

Spices

2010-01-06T09:50:00.002-06:00

I, admittedly, am not an awesome cook. That's why I love super easy recipes. But I have learned a few things over the last 15 years. (Thank goodness!) Believe it or not, I didn't use to use a different measuring cup for solids and liquids. Um... that makes a HUGE difference. Oh.my.gosh. I don't know how I made it all the way thru high school and into marriage without realizing those measurements are different.
Another thing I have learned is to always make sure your ingredients are fresh. This makes a huge difference!! If you are making cookies using the same flour you bought last year, that has been opened all that time... they aren't going to turn out as great as they would had you used fresh flour. Spices are like this too. I bought a spice rack at a garage sale years and years ago and never thought to replace all the spices. No wonder when I used spices you never could tell. They were old and... yuck. Penderys.com is a great site to purchase fresh spices, such as sweet paprika. It's a great overall site with lots of great tips about spices and cooking.
What have you learned thru out the years?

Disclosure: I received compensation for the link in this post. The other thoughts are totally mine. :)

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Giveaway- ENDED

2010-01-05T14:54:00.009-06:00

The winner is comment #18.

Angela CONGRATS!!

A few months ago I hosted a giveaway on my other blog, SwampBrat. Honestly I didn't know ANYTHING about coconut oil until I had the chance to try it and hosted the giveaway. Tropical Traditions was cool enough to send me a huge 32 ounce jar of Virgin Coconut Oil to try out! I was stoked when the package arrived. Sei tried it out making his famous homemade taco shells. I loved how they were so much less greasy than they are in vegetable oil.

I also received this book:

The Virgin Coconut Oil Book answered ALL my questions about coconut oil. It has so many uses. You can receive a FREE copy of the book when you make your first online purchase using this code: 5256492. I just ordered 3 more jars from Tropcial Traditions. It's healthier and it adds something to the taste of the food. SUPER GOOD!!

Tropical Traditions is giving ME the opportunity to host a giveaway for a 32 oz (1 quart) jar of coconut oil.

To Enter: Visit Tropical Traditions and comment with another product they have that you'd like to try. While you're there you can Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter. That will keep you up to date on great specials they continually have going on. My last order I got ended up with 2 out of 3 products FREE all because of deals I read about in the newsletter. So the newsletter is great.

Want more ways to enter??

Follow me on twitter. Leave me your Twitter name.
Tweet this giveaway. You can do this up to 3 times day as long as the tweets are atleast 1 hour apart. Comment back with your Twitter status url.
Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter.
Follow Eazy Mealz by clicking in the sidebar.
Fan SWAMPBRAT on Facebook. This way you can hear about new giveaways posted on my blogs! :)

So, there ya go! Lots of ways to enter. This giveaway will end on Jan. 20. I guarantee you- this is a prize you WANT to win!!!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Brown Sugar Chicken

2010-01-04T09:28:00.004-06:00

I found this recipe on another great recipe blog that my friend's write. I tried it and really, really liked it!!

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lemon lime soda
2-3 tsp garlic, minced
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp pepper
4-6 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

Directions:
-Place chicken in the bottom of the crockpot
-Mix all of the other ingredients together and pour over chicken
-Cook for 4-6 or until chicken is no longer pink
-Serve over rice

Pocket Edward Enchilladas

2010-01-01T09:24:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Lauren :)

Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1-2 cans green enchilada sauce
2 cups cheese
8-10 flour or whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
3 TBSP honey
5 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP chili powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper ( I would use less if you don't like too much heat)
cream cheese, softened

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350*
-Add 1 TBSP of olive oil to a skillet and saute the onion and garlic together over medium heat for about 5 minutes
-Whisk lime juice and honey together; add chili powder and cayenne pepper and mix well
-Add honey mixture and chicken to the skillet, and cook until warmed, stirring frequently
-Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan; just enough to cover the bottom
-Spread 1-2 TBSP of cream cheese on half of each tortilla, fill with 2-3 spoonfuls of chicken mixture, sprinkle with cheese, roll up, and place seam-side down in pan
-Whisk remaining enchilada sauce and sour cream together; pour over the top of enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese
-Bake for 20 minutes

Aubrey's Waffles

2009-12-31T10:03:00.004-06:00

These are the Blogworld famous Aubrey's waffles. Aubrey even made them for a group of bloggy friends at the 2008 Blog Party in Oregon! Thanks Aubrey for sharing. :)
--------------------------------------

"Whenever I am at a loss for what to make for dinner, this is always my backup. It's super simple and quick. We have a special waffle iron that makes three mini waffles that my grandma gave us for Christmas a while back. But the recipe is so awesome, it works fine in any waffle iron. They're delicious and everyone loves them! I always have people asking me for this recipe."

Aubrey's Waffles

1 3/4 c flour
2 t baking powder
1 T sugar
3 egg yolks beaten
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 c milk
3 egg whites, beaten stiff

Measure dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Blend. Combine egg yolks and milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in vegetable oil. Carefully fold in beaten egg whites (do not overmix). Pour batter onto waffle iron. Close and bake.

Super yummy spinach dip

2009-12-31T09:59:00.003-06:00

SPINACH DIP

12 oz. frozen spinach- THAWED
16 oz. sour cream
1 packet dry Ranch dip mix

Mix all ingredients together and put in fridge until chilled. Serve with chips! :)

Split Pea Soup

2009-12-31T09:55:00.002-06:00

If you have left over ham bone from the holidays here is one of my husband's favorite recipes!!

SPLIT PEA SOUP

3 quarts water
16 oz. package of split peas
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped onions
1 package fresh, sliced mushrooms
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf for seasoning
1 ham bone

Mix all together in pot. Bring to boil uncovered. After boiling uncovered, simmer for 2 hours uncovered until meat falls off bone. Remove bay leaf and bone- ENJOY!!!!
We did this in a crock pot this year so it could simmer while we were not home. It was perfect!!

Rice Cookers- a must have!!

2009-12-31T09:48:00.004-06:00

Growing up my mom always used a pot to cook rice. My Polynesian husband introduced me to the world of rice cookers. Rice cookers rock! I recommend EVERY kitchen have a rice cooker. Food steamers are awesome too.
Rice cookers allow your rice to be steamed to perfection without the worry of burning it on the bottom. Also, unlike in a pot you don't have to watch a rice cooker. When the rice is done cooking, the rice cooker automatically reads this and clicks to "off" or "warm" mode. This is an important feature, especially if you tend to get sidetracked like I do.
** Sam's Club is a great place to purchase all types of rice cookers, including digital rice cookers, rice dispensers and even commercial rice cookers.

Breakfast Smoothie

2009-12-28T09:21:00.000-06:00

This is a great recipe to take on the go!!

2 (8oz.) containers vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana sliced

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-12-04T09:19:00.001-06:00

Any recipe with the words "Triple Chocolate" in the name MUST be great!!
------------------

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
6 TBSP granulated sugar
1 lg egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
-preheat the oven 350
- in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. set aside
- in a large bowl (or mixer) combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. beat on medium speed until smooth.
- add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well blended.
- slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just incorporated.
- mix in the chocolate chips.Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart.
-Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned and the tops feel firm when lightly touched, 10-13 minutes.
-Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
-Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3

Super yummy smoothie

2009-10-08T12:28:00.004-05:00

I found this super yummy smoothie/slushie on the site Not So Average Kid. The author is an 11 yr old girl and she often posts great recipes. This has been my fave so far because it's so easy and so healthy!! I changed her recipe just a bit by changing the sugar to Splenda. This cut calories and obviously cuts sugar. :) My kiddos love this and they often have it for breakfast or for an afternoon snack.

-- 5 Strawberries
-- 4 ice cubes
-- 1/4 cup of water
-- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (depending on how lemony you want your slushies)
-- ~~sugar~~ Splenda to your liking
-- banana (optional- I added this and it was great!!)

Put ice cubes in a blender and blend until crushed. Add the strawberries, water, lemon juice, Splenda, and banana if you chose. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!!!

Russian Chicken

2009-08-18T13:34:00.000-05:00

I originally posted this when I first started this blog, but it is a fave of lots so I thought I'd repost it. :) Enjoy!!

---------------------------------------

Russian Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken legs or buffalo style wings
6 heaping spoonfuls of Apricot/pineapple jam
1 small jar of Russian dressing (Catalina works ok too!)
1 packet of dry onion soup mix

Mix all the ingredients together except for the chicken. Place chicken on jellyroll pan. Spoon mix over each piece of chicken. Bake at 375 for about an hour or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice. (We eat everything with rice in this house because Sei's polynesian and according to him *everything* goes with rice.)

BBQ Chicken

2009-08-12T21:52:00.000-05:00

This is what we had tonite. It doesn't get any simpler than this!

Barbecue Chicken

8-10 chicken legs

1 jar barbecue sauce

salt & pepper

Put chicken in 9 x 13 baking dish. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour bbq sauce over chicken legs. Bake at 350 for an hour or until chicken is cooked thru.

You can also throw this all in the crockpot for 4 to 6 hours on high.

Serve with mashed potatoes and salad. And for the record ALL of the kids ate it!!

Honey Glazed Chicken

2009-07-01T08:47:00.001-05:00

Ok, I stole this recipe from my friend's recipe blog. You can find it here. I made it last nite and... wow, it was YUM. EVERYONE loved it.

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 TBSP butter
1/2 cup honey
3 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350*
-Combine flour and seasonings, dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly
-Melt 2 TBSP butter in a baking dish and add chicken arranging pieces in a single layer
-Bake uncovered for 30 minutes
-In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining butter; add honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, and ginger. Mix well
-When chicken is done, turn each piece over and pour sauce over chicken (you might want to reserve some sauce to pour over rice)
-Bake another 30-40 minutes, basting frequently
-Serve over rice

*Tip*
-I turned the broiler on high during the last 5 minutes to make the chicken a little crispy and brown on top

Strawberry Whip Cake

2009-06-28T23:25:00.002-05:00

1 white cake mix
1 large package strawberry gelatin
1 package strawberries, fresh or frozen
8 oz. Cool Whip

Make cake according to package directions. Make gelatin according to package directions using only 1/2 water that is called for. Poke several holes in cake using a toothpick; pour gelatin over cake while still warm. Refrigerate until cold. Mix strawberries and Cool Whip; frost cake. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Beef Roast Italian Style

2009-06-26T13:22:00.000-05:00

1 bag (16 oz.) baby carrots
4 to 6 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 to 3 pounds beef roast
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Italian salad dressing

Place the carrots and potatoes at the bottom of a 4 to 6 quart crock pot. Place beef on top of potatoes and carrots. Lay onion on top. Pour dressing over beef. Cover and cook on low heat 8 to 10 hours.

Chicken Caesar Wraps

2009-06-19T16:24:00.003-05:00

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into thin strips and chilled
1 small head of romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (I use less...)
4 large burrito-size tortillas

Combine chicken, lettuce, dressing, cheese, and onion. Spoon evenly over tortillas and roll up. The end!

Caramels

2009-06-19T16:21:00.003-05:00

2 1/4 brown sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butter
vanilla

Combine all ingredients. Cook at low heat stirring constantly. Test for doneness in cold water. Make soft ball. Pour onto buttered cookie sheet. Cut into pieces when cool. You can wrap pieces individually in plastic wrap.

Fiesta Casserole

2009-06-16T16:17:00.000-05:00

3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained
2 cups frozen corn
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
1 cup medium hot salsa
1 cup sour cream
6 cups crushed corn chips (I use Fritos.)
4 cups grated pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350

Mix chicken, beans, corn, chiles, salsa and sour cream. Spread 1/2 the corn chips in a 9 x 13 baking pn. Spread 1/2 the chicken mix on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the cheese over the top. REPEAT layers. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through and bubbly on top. YUM!

Beef enchiladas

2009-06-12T15:31:00.001-05:00

Beef Enchiladas

1 lb. lean ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 10 oz cans enchilada sauce *
8 small corn tortillas
¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream (optional)
----------------

Preheat oven to 350. In a large non-stick skillet, brown ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Drain the grease. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in ½ cup enchilada sauce from one can. Set aside remaining sauce from that can.

Pour the second can of enchilada sauce into a shallow dish. Dip tortillas, one at a time, into sauce to coat both sides. Spoon beef mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place beef enchiladas seam-side down in a 13x9-inch baking dish.

Cover dish and bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Uncover the super yum enchiladas. Spoon reserved enchilada sauce over beef enchiladas. Sprinkle with the cheese. Continue baking uncovered for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle liberally with cilantro. Serve with sour cream or your fave toppings!!

Creamy Mushroom Turkey

2009-06-04T11:00:00.002-05:00

Y'all know I'm all about Cream of Mushroom soup, right? Well here's a recipe that uses turkey with crm of mushroom soup! (Chicken can be traded for turkey)

3 -4 pounds boneless turkey breast
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushroom pieces, drained (1/2 c. fresh mushrooms can be used too.)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup sour cream

Place turkey breast in a greased 4 1/2 to 6 qt crock pot. In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients, except sour cream, and spoon over turkey. Cover and cook on low heat 8-10 hours. Internal temperature of turkey will be 190 degrees when done. An hour before sering, break turkey breast into large chunks with 2 forks. Stir in sour cream. Cover and cook for remaining hour. Makes 10-12 servings.

You can serve this over rice or noodles. Brown rice would be super yummy too!!

Asian stir fry

2009-06-03T07:56:00.000-05:00

1 tbsp. veggie oil
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts or tenders cut into strips
1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 bag (16 oz) any frozen vegetable combination, thawed
4 cups hot cooked rice

HEAT oil in skillet. Add chicken and stir-fry until browned and juices evaporate.

ADD soup, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Heat to a boil. Add vegetables and cook until tender-crisp.

ENJOY!! SUPER YUM!!

SERVE over rice. Serves about 4.

Chicken Rice

2009-06-02T10:03:00.002-05:00

1 green bell pepper, chopped (I use more like 1/2)
1 medium onion, chopped (again, I use 1/2)
1 cup uncooked white rice
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cans Chicken and Rice soup, condensed
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350

In frying pan, saute bell pepper, onion, and rice in butter about 5 minutes.

In greased 9 x 13 pan, combine rice mixture, soup, and water. Cover and bake 45-55 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Salsa Chicken

2009-06-01T07:59:00.000-05:00

Chunky salsa, cheese and sour cream?? That SCREAMS awesome!!!!

4 to 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 jar (16 oz) chunky salsa
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 375.

Place chicken in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of each breast. Pour salsa over chicken and then bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is done. Sprinkle cheese over chicken and then bake 5 min. more, or until cheese melts. Garnish with sour cream, if desired. Makes 4-5 servings.

Cheesy Chicken

2009-05-31T10:55:00.002-05:00

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 tsp. dried rosemary or dill

Place chicken in greased 4 1/2 tp 6 qt crock pot. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or on high heat for 3-4 hours. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

You can serve this yum chicken over noodles or on rice with some veggies!!

Yummy chicken tacos

2009-05-31T09:32:00.002-05:00

Remember when I posted my New Favorite Salad? Well, this super yummy salad mix can also be used as chicken tacos! We just wrap the mix into a tortilla, sprinkle some cheese and ALL the kiddos love it. Here's the recipe again:

* Chicken breasts (However many you want and yes, they can be frozen. I usually do 3 breasts for my family...)
* Bacon (Again, however much is your personal preference)
* Lettuce
* Kraft Cucumber Ranch Dressing
* Kraft Seven Seas Green Goddess Dressing (My new fave!!)

Place the chicken in a skillet on the stove. Top each tender with Cucumber ranch dressing and let cook.
I cook my bacon in the microwave, but you can cook it on the skillet too. Prepare the bacon the way you prefer.
Once the chicken and bacon are done, pat with paper towel. Cut the chicken into cubes and cut the bacon into chunks with kitchen shears. Mix the chicken, lettuce and bacon all together. Then I use the Green Goddess dressing. It is DIVINE with the warm chicken and bacon!! But if you aren't a fan of Green Goddess you can use your preference. The bacon is optional as well.

Green bean casserole

2009-05-28T09:48:00.000-05:00

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
Ground pepper (just a dash)
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups Frenches French Fried Onions

MIX the soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper and beans ith about 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish.

BAKE at 350 for 25 minutes until hot

STIR. Sprinkle with remaining onions and bake about 5 more minutes.

TIP:
You can use:
1 16-20 oz. bag frozen green beans
2 9 oz. bags frozen green beans
2 16 oz. cans green beans OR
about 1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans

Recipe found at http://www.campbellkitchen.com/

Crock pot Chicken and Rice casserole

2009-05-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

1 can cream of celery soup
1 14 oz. can sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup long grain converted white rice, uncooked
2 breasts of chicken, cooked and cubed
1 tbsp dry onion soup mix

Combine soup, mushrooms, and rice in greased 2 to 3 1/2 quart slow cooker. Place chicken on top of mixture and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Cover and cook on low heat 4-6 hours. Makes 2-4 servings.

Crock pot Lasagna

2009-05-06T09:37:00.003-05:00

12 lasagna noodles
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup water
1 carton (16 oz) cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Break noodles in half. Place half of the noodles in bottom of greased 4 qt slow cooker. Stir Italian seasoning into meat and spread hald over the noodles already in cooker. Then layer half of the sauce and water, half of cottage cheese, and half of mozzarella cheese over beef. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low heat 4-5 hours. Do not cook more than 5 hours. Makes 6-8 servings.

Crock pot Broccoli-Cheese soup

2009-05-06T09:35:00.004-05:00

2 packages (16 oz) frozen chopped broccoli
2 cans cheddar soup
2 cans evaporated milk
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in greased 4-6 qt slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours. Tastes great as baked potato or rice topper. Or "souper" as just soup!

Crock Pot Green Chile Shredded Pork

2009-05-06T09:31:00.003-05:00

2-3 pounds Pork Loin
1 Laarge onion chopped
3 ribs of celery chopped
2 cans diced green chiles
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp ground Cumin
S & P to taste

Place pork loin in crock pot, seaso pori the cumin, salt, pepper and garlic. Pour green chiles, onion and celery on top and cover. Cook on medium for 3 hours. Remove pork loin. Remove excess fat from pork loin and then shred the pork. Place shredded pork back in the crock pot. Stew with other ingredients for an hour.

Makes a great soup or wonderful enchiladas!!

Crustless Broccoli & Cheddar Mini Quiches

2009-04-08T12:14:00.002-05:00

I had leftover broccoli from last night, so I made these this morning and ate 6 of them. I am a hog, but they were so good. Liam even ate one.

Ingredients:

1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
3 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped, frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease and lightly flour twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups.

WHISK evaporated milk, eggs, flour, salt and black pepper in medium bowl until blended. Stir in cheese, broccoli and bell pepper. Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup of mixture into each prepared muffin cup, filling almost to rim*. Stir mixture frequently to evenly distribute ingredients.

BAKE for 23 to 28 minutes or until knife inserted near centers comes out clean and tops are lightly browned. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Run knife or small, flat spatula around inside edges of muffin cups. Carefully remove quiches.

*NOTE: Number of quiches that you get will depend on the size of your muffin cups. Bake time may need some adjusting.

New Favorite Salad

2009-03-24T09:53:00.005-05:00

I made up this salad while I was doing Atkins and then Sei perfected it!

* Chicken Tenders (However many you want and yes, they can be frozen. I usually do 2 tenders for my personal salad...)
* Bacon (Again, however much is your personal preference)
* Lettuce
* Kraft Cucumber Ranch Dressing
* Kraft Seven Seas Green Goddess Dressing (My new fave!!)

Place the tenders in a skillet on the stove. Top each tender with Cucumber ranch dressing and let cook.
I cook my bacon in the microwave, but you can cook it on the skillet too. Prepare the bacon the way you prefer.
Once the chicken and bacon are done, pat with paper towel. Cut the chicken into cubes and cut the bacon into chunks with kitchen shears. Top your lettuce with the bacon and chicken. Then I use the Green Goddess dressing. It is DIVINE with the warm chicken and bacon!! But if you aren't a fan of Green Goddess you can use your preference.

The salad super yummy and filling! I eat it as a meal several times a week!!

--------------------

I also wanted to pass on a link to another recipe blog that is awesome. It's written by 2 women from my church and called "Hey Mom! What's for Dinner?" I'm stoked to use some of the recipes I've found on there. :)

Sopapilla Cheescake

2009-01-24T12:58:00.004-06:00

If you never try another recipe, you have GOT to try this one. It's so yumm that I was a little skeptical to share it (**wink, wink**). Something this delicious should almost be a secret! It's really easy, cheap, and pretty too! This makes enough for 1- 13 inch pan.

Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

This recipe is parent & kids tested and approved. Enjoy!

~*Stepherz~*

Disclosure

2009-01-01T15:30:00.004-06:00

At times I will make posts that are sponsored. This means I am receiving compensation for links to other websites in the post. However, I am not compensated for the recipes I post. I also will not accept a sponsored post if it is not something relevant to cooking, recipes, etc...

If you are interested in Eazy Mealz hosting a giveaway or reviewing a product/site relevant to cooking or recipes please Contact Tori. I will only give honest reviews of the products I receive.

Thanks!
Tori

My new favorite cookies

2008-11-09T20:38:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure that these are "easy" to make, say compared to opening a package of Oreos. But they are by far the best cookie recipe I've ever tried. So worth a little extra time, and the kids love to help. They are perfect for the holidays and your friends and family will gobble them up fast!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Yummmm! Let me know if you try these!

Turkey wraps

2008-10-27T14:06:00.003-05:00

Pennywise Potato-Turkey Wraps

¾ pound (12 ounces) potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon canola oil
¾ pound (12 ounces) ground lean turkey
1 large carrot, shredded
1/3 cup sliced green onions with tops
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning or basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 large (9 to 10-inch) whole wheat or high fiber tortillas
Light sour cream (optional)

Place potatoes in microwave-safe bowl; sprinkle with water. Cover, venting one corner. Microwave on HIGH 5 to 8 minutes just until potatoes are tender. (Time will depend on wattage of your oven.) Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add and break up turkey; cook 5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Mix in carrot; cook 2 minutes. Add potatoes and onions; cook and toss 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; mix in tomato sauce, cheese, and herbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to5 minutes until mixture is hot and most of sauce is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. On work surface, lay out tortillas. Place ¾ cup hot turkey mixture on each; fold and roll up as for burritos. Cut in halves and place on serving plates. Accompany with sour cream, if desired

Makes 4 main-dish servings

Recipe from the United States Potato Board as posted on:

2 super yum recipes from Carol!!!

2008-10-13T13:09:00.001-05:00

Thanks again Carol!!

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Cowboy Burgers

1 1/4 lb Ground Beef
4 Hamburger Buns split And toasted
1 ounce Taco Seasoning Mix (Chipotle Or Other)
1/4 cup Red Onion diced 4 slices Tomatoes
1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded 4 Lettuce Leaves

In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, taco seasoning mix, onion and cheese. Form into 4 large patties. Cook in large skillet, broil or grill to desired doneness.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

6 sweet potatoes cut into French fries
3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a plastic bag, combine the potatoes, canola oil, taco seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Close and shake the bag until fries are evenly coated. Spread fries out in a single layer on two large baking sheets.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy and brown on one side. Turn fries over using a spatuls, and cook for another 30 minutes, or until they are all crispy on the outside and tender inside.

Sweet Pork chops

2008-10-05T09:36:00.002-05:00

Tired of chicken???
--------------------

4 boneless porkchops
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. veggie oil
1 med. onion, chopped
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. honey
2 cups rice
sliced green onions (optional)

Season chops with garlic. Brown chops in oiled skillet. Add onion.
Add soup, pineapple WITH juice, water, soy sauce and honey.
Cook over low heat about 10 minutes or until done.
Serve iwth rice.
Garnish with grn onion.

Calico beans

2008-10-05T09:24:00.002-05:00

My boys love this recipe- Isabel... not so much. But she doesn't like anything. I really like this a lot although when you read the ingredients you may be like "Eh??" I think you could probably make it vegetarian as well by adding more beans and taking out the meat.

-------------------

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. mustard
1 c. ketchup
1 can pork n beans, drained
1 can lima beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained

Mix all the ingredients. Bake in casserole dish at 350 for 45 minutes. It has a very sweet, YUM taste.

Crockpot spaghetti and meatballs

2008-10-05T09:19:00.003-05:00

I've posted a recipe before about crockpot meatballs that can served on spaghetti or used to make meatball sandwiches. Here's a spaghetti recipe that is basically NO work for you.
-------------------------------------

2 handfuls spaghetti, broken into pieces
1 26-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
20 frozen fully cooked meatballs
1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in 3-4 qt crockpot and mix to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4-7 hours until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are heated, stirring once during cooking time. Serves 6.

Continental Chicken

2008-10-05T09:16:00.002-05:00

My good friend, Heidi, gave me this recipe. It's super easy and the sauce can easily be doubled.
-------------------------

Continental Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts
2 1/4 oz. dried beef bacon (optional)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. flour

Throw it all in the crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours. ENJOY!!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2008-09-25T21:33:00.001-05:00

Thanks Klin!
--------------------------

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1 bottle French Dressing
1 packet Onion Soup Mix
1 sm jar Apricot Jam
3-4 Chicken Breasts

8 hours in the crockpot.

Easy and yummy!!

Chicken and noodles

2008-09-22T22:44:00.004-05:00

This is a new family fave although I've probably done some variation of it forever!
-------------------------
INGREDIENTS:
2 chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can milk
1 packet dry onion soup mix
Bag of egg noodles

Mix the soup, milk and dry soup mix together. Dump in ontop of the chicken breasts in your crockpot. Cook on high (?) about 4 hours. Once the chicken is cooked use a fork to tear the chicken apart.

Boil the noodles.

Dump the cooked noodles into the crockpot with the chicken mixture.

Serve!
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This is a great Sunday recipe because the chicken can cook while you're at church!

Tostadas

2008-09-16T08:46:00.006-05:00

This is a new after school/pre-dinner snack that my kids have decided is a favorite. It's super easy and very inexpensive to make. :)

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Eazy Tostadas

Ingredients

Can of refried beans (or make your own!)

1 lb. ground beef, browned (optional)

1 cup cooking oil

Corn tortillas

Optional toppings

Chopped tomatoes

Cheddar cheese

Sour Cream

Salsa

Shredded lettuce

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Warm up beans on stove and mix in browned beef if you choose to use beef. Heat oil in skillet on stove. When it's hot fry a corn tortilla in the hot oil. You want to flip the tortilla a couple of times. When the tortilla is hard, like a chip, it's ready. Pat the tortilla dry with paper towels to absorb extra oil. Top tortilla with beans and then with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

**You can also make bean burritos out of the same ingredients. Only use soft flour tortillas and don't fry them. Just warm them in the microwave or warm skillet, then add the beans, etc...

Disguising Healthy

2008-08-31T12:34:00.004-05:00

It's too bad you even need to disguise healthy foods. But sometimes, especially with picky tots, it's easier to.

I find that the best way to get my family to eat some veggies is to hide it in those dishes that they love. For instance, I grew TOO much zucchini this year in the garden. It's coming out of my ears. So, I've been disguising it in things like spaghetti, lasagna, bread, and various casseroles. They can't tell me they are "fed up" with my zucchini when they don't even realize they are eating it. :-)

Here's a little recipe I found that uses some of those veggies that might be hard to get the kids to eat. When in doubt, put cheese on it. This is good with some sliced chicken breast and baked in the oven too. Experiment with the spices and seasonings too!

Can you go wrong with veggies, cheese, and chicken?

HEALTHY FIVE IN ONE CASSEROLE
1 (11 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 fresh young zucchini sliced thin
1 lg. onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 or 2 stalks celery, chopped
2 slices American cheese
Combine five vegetables in layer form in a corning ware casserole dish. On each layer, sprinkle a little dried parsley, salt, pepper, paprika and celery seed as desired.
Top with 2 American cheese slices quartered. Microwave on medium high 18-20 minutes. If you prefer fully cooked vegetables then microwave longer.

Enjoy!
Stepherz

Mini Pizzas

2008-08-04T11:53:00.003-05:00

Here's an easy, summer snack!

Mini-Pizzas

Ritz crackers
Spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese- shredded or sliced into small squares
Pepperoni, ham, whatever kind of topping you may like on a pizza

Lay crackers on cookie sheet. Spoon on spaghetti sauce, sprinkle or lay on cheese. Top with any other toppings you like. Broil in oven on top rack for just a couple of minutes until cheese melts. Serve!

My kids LOVED these!!

Another great recipe from Carol!

2008-07-10T16:25:00.001-05:00

Definitely kid and college student approved!

Mac 'N Cheese Casserole

1 lb ground beef
taco seasoning
1 jar of salsa or Rotel
16 oz pkg of pasta
1 lb Velveeta, cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese

1. Cook beef on med high 2-3 minutes; add taco seasoning according to directions
2. Prepare pasta according to directions.
3. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13" dish. Place salsa and cheese into a microwave safe bowl.
4. Microwave 2-3 minutes on high. Repeat until cheese melts. Add pasta, cream, and beef.
5. Pour into baking dish; top with shredded cheese; bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot.

Carol
mrssquirrelassassin.blogspot.com

Summer Recipes

2008-06-27T11:34:00.003-05:00

I'll be posting some summer salad recipes. I don't like to be over the stove & oven on hot summer nights, so here are some ideas I've had and tried. Some I got from my mom or the internet (and have changed it to our liking). I'd love to try your summer recipes if you have them!
On the turkey and chicken, I use the roasted turkey and chicken already cooked and delicious at the grocery store. It's worked fabulously.