Cajun Seasoned French Fries

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 4 Russet Potatoes
• 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
•  Sea Salt

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  While the water is heating, cut the potatoes into french fry size pieces (about 1/4" thick).  When the water comes to a boil add the fries, turn off the water, and set the timer for 3 minutes.  After the three minutes is up, remove the fries from the water and lay them on a paper towel to dry.

 Preheat oven to 425.  Put the fries in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning.  Toss to coat.

Place on baking sheet that is coated with cooking spray, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 15 minutes.  Using a spatula flip the fries and return them to the oven to back for an additional 12-15 minutes flipping one more time. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness that you cut your fries.

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Better than Rice-a-Roni Broccoli Cheddar Rice

For many years I made rice from Rice-a-Roni packets with the seasonings included, I am not saying that I don't ever make them or that they don't serve a purpose but this recipe is better and doesn't have all the weird ingredients.  This rice dish is an excellent way to get the kiddos to eat some veggies.  Feel free to put more broccoli if you would like!  

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Orzo
• 1 Cup Rice
• 1 Cup Broccoli- Chopped Small
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Cups of Chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

In a sauce pan combine orzo, rice, and olive oil.  Toast rice over med-high heat for about 3 minutes.  Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.  When it starts to boil reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the broccoli, cover, and cook for additional 3 minutes.  This cooks the broccoli.  Add cheese and butter- stir.  Cover and let sit for a couple minutes while butter and cheese melt.  Stir and salt and pepper to taste.

I served this with Red Hot Chicken Kabobs

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Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup

I am a huge fan of two types of soups 1- The kind that you make in the slow cooker and 2- The kind that you can throw together quickly and simmer for less than 20 minutes.  This one falls into the second category.  When I made this the other night, I had to eat it and rush out the door to a meeting so I didn't get to hear everyone's comments and feedback.  I enjoyed the soup a lot, but I wasn't sure what my mother-in-law, father-in-law, and husband were going to think.  Well, 3 days later my father-in-law was still talking about how much he enjoyed it and was wondering when I was going to make it again.  He generally likes everything that I make.  He is by FAR the most critical member of the family.  If you likes something he lets me know and if he doesn't like something he also lets me know:)  I appreciate his feed back and I have learned to take his critiques as encouragement  so I appreciate his opinion.  Although sometimes he tries to get way to technical and we all laugh at him and keep eating.  

Ingredients:

• About 2 Cups of Baby Spinach
• 3 14 oz cans of Chicken Broth
• 1 lb of Mild Italian Sausage
• 1 can of Italian Seasoned Diced Tomatoes
• 4 oz Cream Cheese (not fat free, it won't melt) at room temperature and cut into cubes
• 1 small package of Frozen Tortellini

Serves 6

Cook, crumble 1 lb of bulk mild Italian Sausage.  Drain off excess grease.  In a large pot combine chicken broth, tomatoes (undrained), and cooked sausage.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med and add cream cheese.  Stir to combine and melt.  When cream cheese is melted throughout, add in spinach and tortellini.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until tortellini is cooked.

If you want this soup to be spicier, add a pinch of red pepper flakes and/or use HOT Italian Sausage.  

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Rolo Cookies

Although this recipe is not my own, it is one that I have made several times.  I originally got the recipe from Six Sisters Stuff.  I didn't change anything, but I have never been able to get more than about 24 cookies from a batch.  I usually use two boxes of cake mix and a bag of Rolos and I get about 50 cookies which was just enough for my family to snack on and to pass some along.  Today I made this for the teacher pot luck lunch at my son's school.  

Ingredients:

• Box of Devils Food Cake Mix
• 2 Eggs
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 24 Rolos
• Powdered Sugar

Makes about 2 Dozen Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine eggs and oil.  Then add in cake mix.  The first time I made these I used my electric hand mixer and the batter was so thick that my mixer had a tough time with it.  It was much easier to mix it my hand.  Next take a scoop of batter a little smaller than the size of a ping pong ball and press a Rolo inside.  Make sure that the dough covers the entire piece of candy.  Place on baking sheet.  Bake for 7-8 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and ENJOY!

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Sweet Garlic Chicken Legs

Sometimes when I don't know what to make for dinner I look into my freezer and pick something out at random.  I knew I had to figure out something to do with the chicken legs that took out to thaw and I knew it had to go with the green beans that I had put in the slow cooker.  At about 4:30, I decided on this.  The sauce was great and the chicken was super moist.  This recipe is made with very basic ingredients that can be found in almost anyone's pantry.  I had chicken legs on hand, but feel free to use thighs or whatever you have!    

Ingredients:

• 6 Chicken Legs
• 1/3 Cup of Honey
• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a glass baking dish with foil (for easy clean up).  Place chicken legs in dish and sprinkle with pepper.  In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients and whisk them together.  Pour mixture over chicken and bake for about 35 minutes.

 Remove chicken from oven and flip it over (so the other side can get a chance in the yummy sauce).  Raise the oven temp to 425 and bake for additional 10-15 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and begins to caramelize.

I served with Fried Noodles and Fresh Green Beans I made in the slow cooker.  

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Classic Pork Tenderloin with finishing sauce

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We were supposed to go to the local high school football game this evening, but it looks like it is going to rain so we are going to be stuck inside tonight.  I guess I will make dinner... I thought I had the night off:) What do I have to work with.... a pork tenderloin... fresh green beans... and potatoes. I can do this!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb Pork Tenderloin
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
• 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon of Butter
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• 2/3 Cup of Chicken Broth

Serves 6

To make the marinade whisk together Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Minced Garlic, Worcestershire Sauce, Soy Sauce, dry mustard, and pepper.  Reserve a 1/2 cup of the marinade for sauce.  Pour marinade over pork and place in the fridge for about 3 hours

Preheat oven to 350.  Place pork tenderloin in Cast Iron Dutch Oven (link for the one I use) or other stove to oven safe pan.  Sear on all sides.  Leave tenderloin in Dutch Oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.  Remove from oven.  Place pork on platter and cover with foil.  Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.  Place Dutch Oven back on the stove.  Add the reserved 1/2 of marinade and 1/3 cup of chicken broth.   The marinade and the pork juices and bits will form the sauce for the pork.  Whisk 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in the remaining 1/3 cup of chicken broth.  Add that along with 1 tablespoon of butter to mixture in Dutch Oven.  Bring mixture back to a boil stirring throughout.  Slice pork and drizzle sauce on top.  

I served this with Lawry's Potato Squares and Oven Roasted Green Beans

Zucchini Fritters

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This is definitely my new favorite zucchini recipe.  It's so easy and everyone loved it.  I grew up eating fried zucchini and I make it for my family now, but this is way LESS mess and according to the non-veggie lovers of my family "it's not slimy"  So it is a Win-Win situation for me!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups Grated Zucchini
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Onion
• Vegetable Oil
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon Pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

This made 10 fritters.  

Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup of Mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon Key Lime Juice
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

For sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  Refrigerate until ready to use. 

In a medium bowl, combine grated zucchini and finely diced onion.  In a separate bowl lightly beat 1 egg.  In another bowl, mix together flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and baking powder.  

Add egg to zucchini and mix well.  Next, stir in flour mixture.

In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil.  When oil is hot form the zucchini into small patties and gently place them in the oil.

Cook for about 2 minutes or until a nice golden brown and then flip.

When they are cooked crisp on both sides, remove them from oil and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.  The paper towel will absorb any extra oil.
Then serve hot with the creamy lime dipping sauce.  YUM!

Honey Garlic Shrimp

I am a huge fan of cooking shrimp because they cook in very little time and always taste delicious!  I used to think that shrimp had to be cooked in butter and garlic (so good, I know) but now I experiment with lots of different marinades and spices.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 2 Tablespoons of Honey
• 3 Tablespoons of Lime Juice
• 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Combine all ingredients except shrimp in a small bowl.  Mix well. Place shrimp in Ziploc Bag and pour marinade over it.  Make sure shrimp is covered in mixture.  Squeeze out the air, place in fridge for 30-60 minutes.  

Remove shrimp from fridge and place on metal skewers.  Pour marinade over top.

Place shrimp on preheated grill.  Cook them for about 2 minutes on each side or until they turn pink.

These shrimp can also be cooked inside in a skillet.  Just heat a large skillet and cook the shrimp about two minutes on each side.  There isn't a need for additional oil the marinade should be enough.

Be sure to check out some of my other favorite shrimp recipes!

Tequila Lime Shrimp

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Lemon Grass Skewered Shrimp

Garlic Balsamic Flank Steak

This week I have accepted the challenge of not using my oven.  I had to rework my menu just a little bit (don't worry I will get to those recipes soon) but I think you will be happy with the choices.  This meal was cooked entirely on the grill.  Which means two things 1.  NO pots and pans and 2. I got a little help at the grill.  Both of which I am extremely appreciative of!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
• 4 teaspoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• 1.75 lbs Flank Steak

Serves 6
In a small bowl combine all ingredients except pepper and flank steak and mix well. Sprinkle each side of the steak with black pepper.  Pour marinade mixture over steak and turn to coat.  With a sharp knife pierce steak to allow marinade inside.  Marinate steak in fridge for about an hour turning half way through.

 Grill to desired temperature.  I cooked ours to about medium.

Remove from grill, cover with foil and allow steak to rest for about 10 minutes.  The meat will continue to cook just a little and will absorb all the yummy juices.

Slice steak against the grain and serve.  Make sure you cut it the correct direction or meat may be tough.   The center will be slightly less done the the ends.  This is perfect for our family because some of us like medium and other medium well.   

I served this with Grilled Baked Potatoes and Grilled Corn on the Cob with Basil Sea Salt Butter

Cloud on a Cookie

I love dessert, Okay now that I have admitted it hopefully no one will judge me.  Having company over means I get to make a dessert that serves lots of people because if I make that same dessert for just our family I end up eating more than my fair share.  The cloud part is almost like ice cream so it's perfect for a hot summer evening.  I love that I can make it ahead of time and just keep it in the freezer.  

Ingredients:

• 1 tube (16.5 oz) Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• 1/2 Cup of Caramel Topping
• 1 (8oz) Container of Cool Whip (thawed)
• 1 package (3.4 oz) Instant Vanilla Pudding
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1/2 Cup Toffee Bits
• 3 Tablespoons Hot Fudge

Serves 16

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and let stand for about 5 minutes.  This will make the cookie dough easier to work with.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Then spread cookie dough into the bottom of an ungreased 9X13 inch baking dish.  Bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.  When done, cool completely

After cookie dough has cooled, spread the caramel topping evenly over the cookie.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of milk and pudding mix for about 2 minutes.

Then fold in the cool whip.

Next, stir in the toffee bits.

Spread the Cool Whip mixture over top of caramel layer.  Cover the baking dish and freeze until firm.

Remove from freezer.  Heat hot fudge in microwave and then drizzle over the top of Cool Whip layer.  I actually used a butter knife and just kinda splattered it on and it seemed to work better because it didn't go on so thick.  I let it sit for about 10 minutes to make it a little easier to cut.

Store remaining dessert covered in the freezer.  

Another one of my favorite desserts is Peanut Butter Pie.  Oh.So.Good.

Grilled Steak and Spinach Tacos

This is a perfect summer meal because you can eat it with the steak at more room temperature than straight off the grill (but eat it however you like).  That makes if not feel like such a heavy meal.  The pepper jack cheese adds just the right amount of spice and the tomatoes keep it cool!  Just a few basic ingredients for a delicious dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of Flank Steak
• 1 1/2  Tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 8-10 Flour Tortillas (taco size)
• 12 Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
• About 5 Cups of Baby Spinach (1 6 oz bag)
• 1 1/2 Cups of Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
• Diced Red Onion (optional)

Serves 4-5 (two tacos each)

In a ziploc bag combine olive oil, Montreal steak seasoning, and minced garlic.  Add meat and marinate for about an hour.  Grill steak to desired temperature.  Let rest (uncovered- it's ok for the steak to cool a bit) for about 5 minutes, then cut in to strips.  Layer a handful of baby spinach on the tortilla, add steak strips, pepper jack cheese, slice tomatoes, and red onion (optional).  And there you go a PERFECT summer dinner!

This recipe was featured on the Magical Moms' July Menu.  Be sure to check out all of our monthly menus


Lots of AMAZING recipes on the Magical Moms' June Menu, Marvelous May Menu, Appetizing April Menu, and March Madness Menu.

Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Some people in my family are a little more picky about what vegetables they eat than others (I won't name names:) This time of year you can find fresh green beans at the farmers market or the grocery store and we are taking advantage of it.  This is one of our favorite ways to make green beans.  This recipe is so easy and can be made for a few people or for a crowd with little preparation.  

Ingredients:

• About a pound of Fresh Green Beans
• Salt 
• Pepper
• About a Tablespoon of Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
• About 2 tsp of Olive Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of Garlic Powder

Serves about 6

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Make sure green beans are clean and dry.  

 Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up.  Drizzle olive oil over beans.  Lightly sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  (be careful not to over salt...remember you can always add more after they are cooked).  Toss green beans to coat.  Create a single layer of beans on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven.  Using spatula flip the green beans around and return to oven for 5 more minutes.  Remove from oven, top with Parmesan, and serve.  

I served this with Spicy Teriyaki Chicken Thighs and Honey Roasted Redskin Potatoes.  The flavors all complimented one another PERFECT!

Green Beans are a family favorite veggie so I make them often...

Grilled Green Beans

Grandma's Green Beans


B.B.B. Bacon Bean Bundles


This recipe was featured on the Magical Moms' July Menu.  Be sure to check out all of our monthly menus


Lots of AMAZING recipes on the Magical Moms' June Menu, Marvelous May Menu, Appetizing April Menu, and March Madness Menu.