We just celebrated the Birthday of a pretty special guy and he usually always makes the same request. In lieu of cake he would much rather have this decadent (yet easy) dessert. Perfect no bake dessert for any occasion. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Click on the link below for full recipe!
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Come see what I am Pinning!
Copyright © 2014 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
I have some fun changes coming soon….so stay tuned!
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Come see what I am Pinning.
“Image courtesy of [ Keattikorn] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.
The temperature here has dipped below zero. Being a hearty Minnesotan I should be well seasoned to the brutal winter cold. “Should” being the key word, LOL! Besides wanting to scoop up my babies and curl under a nice warm blanket, nothing seems to warm you up better than a nice hearty, steamin’ bowl (or two) of beef stew. This is a recipe that I have adapted over the years to change with my growing family and their ever changing taste buds. This is a meal everyone in my family gets excited about. No grumbling and empty plates at the table, a mama’s dream:) Also, easy on the budget! With a few fillers like rice and bread you can easily stretch this meal to feed more without spending more. I can definitely appreciate that!
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| To get started, grab a gallon size Ziploc bag, 1 Cup all purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp black pepper. Place flour and all the spices in the Ziploc bag and give it a good shake to mix flour and spices well. Set aside, you’ll need this in a few minutes. |
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| Thinly slice 2 large onions, 4 cloves of garlic and 2 carrots. |
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| In a large pan or pot heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When pan is hot add your chopped veggies. Cook 5-8 minutes or until veggies are tender stirring occasionally. |
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| While veggies are cooking heat 1 1/2 Cups of water and one beef bullion cube to a boil. Turn heat off as soon as the water starts to boil and give it a stir. The bouillon cube should melt into the boiling water. You will need this to make a little broth for your beef stew. You can absolutely save a step and used canned beef or vegetable broth. |
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| I am using 1 1/2 pounds stew meat. I usually end up cutting each piece of stew meat into bite size pieces and cutting off excess fat (but not all, some fat is good and with the length we will be cooking the stew the extra fat will just melt into stew giving it added flavor). Once your stew is cut to desired pieces, go ahead and put half of it in your Ziploc bag and give it a good shake to coat each piece . |
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| Veggies are done when they are soft and the onions are translucent. Remove from pan and set aside. Once veggies are removed add 2-3 more Tablespoons of olive oil in pan and bring back up to medium-high heat. |
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| When pan is hot again start adding your stew meat. You might have to do this in 2 shifts. Brown stew meat well on both sides. Coating the meat in the flour mixture helps not only to brown the meat and add flavor but it will also be the thickener to the stew. |
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| When all the stew meat is browned add to the veggies back in, one small 8 ounce can of tomato sauce and the beef broth. Stir well. Cover and reduce heat to medium- low. Cook 4-6 hours stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning to your taste. If the stew is starting to look too thick add more liquids, I usually just add water. Cooking low and slow helps tenderize the meat and to really let all the wonderful flavors develop. The onions, carrots and garlic will actually melt into the stew leaving behind their delicious flavors. |
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| Almost finished! |
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| When you have about 1 hour left of cooking you are going to add 1-2 cans cut green beans (use fresh if you prefer, grocery store did not have good looking fresh beans) and 2-3 chopped carrots (use canned if preferred). Cover and continue to cook until the veggies are tender. Taste your stew occasionally to adjust the spices to your taste. |
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| We like to serve ours over some white rice. And for a special touch we sometimes (OK, more like every time) serve crispy homemade french fries over the top. |
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
1 gallon size Ziploc bag
1 Cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
2 large onions, thinly sliced
4-5 carrots separated, peeled and chopped
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
olive oil
1 beef bouillon cube or 1 can beef or vegetable broth
1-8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1-2 cans of cut green beans or 2 Cups fresh green beans
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It’s a very cold windy day here. This is what is cooking.
The lazy days of summer are just about over. Soon enough the weather will change, the trees will showcase their brilliant colors, and the days will become a little more hectic. One of my favorite ways to warm-up and to solve the mad dinner rush is to dig out my slow-cooker and make soup. One of our family favorites is Taco Soup. Easy, economical, and so yummy! Throw this on in the morning and dinner is done! I want to hear from you! Do you have a favorite family recipe or maybe an easy and quick go to meal? I would love to see it. Leave a recipe or a link in the comments below I would l love to see what you’ve got cookin!
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| What you will need to get started (scroll down for full recipe). |
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| Fry up your ground beef, onion, and garlic until cooked through. |
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| Here, Broukie demonstrates proper ground… |
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What, you may ask, could possibly be more indulgent and delicious then a melty gooey cheese stuffed burger? Perhaps 2 melty gooey cheese stuffed burgers ;)This is definitely not your average cheeseburger. This is a fry em up and WOW them kinda burger. My kids say they are magic. Try them out an see for yourself…….I double dare ya!
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| You are going to need 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I am using 85/15) 1 large onion, 1 package of button mushrooms, 6-8 (or more) slices of cheese (I used 3 slices of American and 3 slices of Swiss) use your favorites, pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil. |
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| Start of by washing your mushrooms. Chop the onion and mushrooms. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil in pan and heat on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot add the mushrooms and onions. |
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| Cook 7-8 minutes or until the onions and mushrooms are tender and caramelized. Stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat when finished cooking. |
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| To prepare the Juicy Lucy’s, put your ground beef, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp pepper and 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Mix well. start forming into thin uniform sized patties. You will be stacking the cheese in between 2 patties so you’ll want them to be thin enough so that they cook quickly and evenly. I was able to get 4 regular sized burgers plus 2 small burgers from the ground beef. |
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| Break each cheese slice into 4 pieces. |
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| Stack the desired number of cheese slices on top of the first patty ( I used between 6-8 squares). Place the second patty on top of the cheese and pinch seams together really well so that the cheese can’t escape the burger. |
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| I am using a large electric griddle set at between 325-350 degrees. You could also fry in a pan over medium heat or on grill. I cooked for 7 minutes each side. We like our meat well done. |
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| Here is what they look like on the flip. When finished place burger on a bun and top with your onion and mushroom mixture. Serve with the rest of your favorite burger fixings. I would suggest you wait a few minutes before biting into your burger, it will be hot! Enjoy! |
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion
1 package fresh button mushrooms
6-8 slices of cheese
olive oil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
~Wash the mushrooms. Chop the mushrooms and onion. Add olive oil to pan and
heat to med-high. When hot add the mushrooms and onion cooking 7-8
minutes or until tender and caramelized.
~Add ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and garlic powder to bowl and mix well.
Form into thin equal number patties.
~Break each cheese slice into 4 pieces and stack desired number of squares
on top of one patty. Place the second patty on top of the cheese pinching the seams
together well to keep cheese from oozing out. Cook on med heat (325-350 degrees)
for about 7 minutes each side (well done) or until desired doneness.
~Serve on a bun topped with your onion and mushroom mixture.
Serve with the rest of your favorite burger fixings.
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Sometimes giving things a creative and yes, even gross names inspires little ones to try something new. Shrek Sauce is nothing more than an avocado dip or spread. With a few variations to the recipe we enjoy this sauce as a sandwich spread or as an alternative to guacamole on burrito/taco night.
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| This is all you need! Of course adjust ingredients to suit your sized family or occasion. 2 ripe avocado’s 1 Roma (Plum) tomato 3-4 Tbsp mayo (we used light) garlic powder to taste |
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| Slice each avocado in half and give the pit a good whack with the knife, give it a twist and the pit should come right out. |
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| Scrape out the flesh of the avocados into a bowl and add the mayo. This is a smooth sauce so I am using my emulsion blender. You can use a hand mixer, potato masher, and if ripe enough, a fork. Mix away until silky smooth. |
Finely dice the tomato and it and the garlic powder to
the bowl. I used about a 1/2 tsp of garlic powder but use as
much or as little as you like.
Have you creatively named a food or recipe to make it more appealing or fun for your family? I would love to hear about it. Leave a comment or a link to your recipe, I would love to see it! Thanks for visiting!
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
Who doesn’t love a meal that consists of 5 ingredients and one pan? This girl does! This meal is perfect for those days when you just want a quick meal with low fuss and minimal mess. Sit back, get comfy and see just how easy this meal can be. Enjoy!
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| 4 chicken breasts (about 1 1/2-2 pounds). Sprinkle both sides of chicken with taco seasoning about a teaspoon per side. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes or until cooked through. |
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| While chicken is cooking slice up about 4-5 green onions. |
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| You will need 1 Cup of your favorite cheese. Really, you could use as much or as little as you like. 1-19oz can of enchilada sauce. This yields about 2 Cups of sauce. Again use less if you would prefer it less saucy. We used extra sauce in ours because we served ours with tortillas and white rice. The extra sauce absorbed into the rice and made it extra yummy! |
When chicken is done remove it from the baking pan and dice it up into bite sized pieces. Add the enchilada sauce and mix well. Top with cheese and place back into your 350 degree oven for 20 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the mixture is hot and bubbly.
When it is done baking sprinkle with the green onions.
We served ours with white rice rolled in tortillas topped with
lettuce and tomatoes. Now for the verdict from some tough critics…
Very enthusiastic thums up from the girls. The hubba hubba hubby
also gave it a thumbs up.
Recipe
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 tsp taco seasoning
4-5 green onions thinly sliced
1 C. shredded cheese
1-19oz can enchilada sauce
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in baking pan and sprinkle both sides with taco seasoning. Bake 35-40 minutes or until cooked through. Slice up green onions while chicken is cooking, set aside. Remove chicken from oven and cut into bite sized pieces. Return chicken to baking pan and add the enchilada sauce, mix well. Top with cheese and return it to your 350 degree oven. Cook an additional 20-25 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with green onion.
Serve as is or on top of crisp shredded lettuce (great low carb meal) or as my family did, with tortillas. A little less fussy than traditional enchilada’s. As always, thank you for visiting. I love to hear from you and to see what you’re cookin’. If you have a favorite recipe, please share below or add a link, I would love to see it!
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Let’s connect on Pinterest!
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get into a cooking rut! I just throw together the same 5-6 meals over and over again. My family is very slow to complain about what they are eating, but you can just tell that there is no real excitement about the same meal they just ate 4 days ago. I have found that with a little extra effort you can put together a simple meal that will make your family or guests feel extra special!
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| To start, you are going to need 1 green pepper, 1 large onion, 1 package button mushrooms and 2 cloves of garlic. |
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| I have about a 1 1/2- 2 pounds boneless pork chops that are about 1 1/2 inches thick, salt, pepper, garlic powder and turmeric. |
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| Wash the green pepper and mushrooms. Thinly slice the green pepper, onion and mushrooms and finely chop the garlic. In a frying pan add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and heat over med-high heat. When pan is hot add the green pepper, and onion. sautee’ for 4 minutes and then add the mushrooms. |
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| Sautee’ for an addition 2-3 minutes or until the veggies are just tender. Add garlic. Remove veggies from pan and set aside. Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the same frying pan and heat on med-high heat. |
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| I sliced my pork chops in half because they were a little to thick for me and it greatly reduces the cooking time. Sprinkle both sides to your liking with salt, pepper, garlic powder and turmeric. Place in pan and let sear for 3-4 minutes and flip pork chops and turn your pan down to med or if browning too much down to med-low. |
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| I like to serve my pork chops with real mashed potatoes. I peeled and washed about 8-9 medium sized potatoes. Cut them in small pieces so they will boil in no time. Place cut potatoes in a large pot and cover potatoes with water up to one inch over potatoes. Cover pot and heat on high heat until potatoes start to boil. Turn heat down to med-high and remove lid enough to let the steam escape. Continue to boil 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender (fork easily pierces potato without force or effort). Drain into a colander and immediately add your drained potatoes back into hot pot. This helps to dry up the excess water on the potatoes. |
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| You want your pork chops to have this nice carmely color. |
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| To the potatoes add 4-5 Tablespoons of butter, 1/2 Cup warm milk, 1/2 Cup sour cream, salt and pepper to taste. |
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| Start mashing:) Yes, making homemade mashed potatoes is a little more work than instant, but oh so worth it! Keep mashing until the potatoes are mostly smooth and really creamy. Add more butter, milk or sour cream to get the desired consistency of your potatoes. I actually ended up adding an extra Tablespoon of butter and a few more splashes of milk. I like to put the lid on the potatoes put it back on the stove to keep it warm until you’re ready to serve. |
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| Get several slices of thinly cut provolone cheese ready. Enough for each pork chop. |
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| When pork chops are cooked through, about 12-15 minutes you are going to want to turn your pan down to low. Place a heaping serving of your sauteed vegetables on top of each pork chop. |
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| Top each pork chop with a slice of provolone cheese. Cover and let the cheese melt and get all deliciously gooey. |
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| Serve right away with your delicious creamy sour cream mashed potatoes. From ordinary to ‘fancy’ in no time! |
I hope you and your family and friends enjoy this simple yet delicious dish! We have also enjoyed this dish with tri- colored bell peppers and when I am serving just the adults, I will sometimes substitute a little pepper jack cheese. Have fun with it and make it your own. This recipe was made to accommodate our family of 5 with enough left over for daddy to bring to work the next day. What is one of your family favorite meals? I would love to know! Please leave a comment or a link to your favorite recipe. Thank you for taking the time to visit!
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
Now that Fall is in full swing here in the North I am already missing the lazy days of summer and the wonderful tastes that go with it. This is one of our favorite summer recipes adapted to cook in your crock pot. Enjoy a little taste of summer year round with this easy and flavorful recipe!
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| In a large slowcooker add 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts. Add 1 1/2 green bell peppers on top of chicken. |
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| Add one large sliced onion. Cover with lid and cook on low about 7-8 hours. Remove lid and drain any excess liquid on the bottom of the slow cooker. With 2 forks shred chicken (chicken should be tender enough to do this right inside the slow cooker). |
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| Add 1 1/2- 2 Cups of your favorite BBQ sauce and stir to mix. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes to an hour. |
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| Serve with your favorite sides. |
*As a variation I also serve these on hamburger buns. To make it even more delicious add a slice of provolone cheese to the chicken and melt under your broiler until melted goodness is acheived.*
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
The lazy days of summer are just about over. Soon enough the weather will change, the trees will showcase their brilliant colors, and the days will become a little more hectic. One of my favorite ways to warm-up and to solve the mad dinner rush is to dig out my slow-cooker and make soup. One of our family favorites is Taco Soup. Easy, economical, and so yummy! Throw this on in the morning and dinner is done! I want to hear from you! Do you have a favorite family recipe or maybe an easy and quick go to meal? I would love to see it. Leave a recipe or a link in the comments below I would l love to see what you’ve got cookin!
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| What you will need to get started (scroll down for full recipe). |
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| Fry up your ground beef, onion, and garlic until cooked through. |
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| Here, Broukie demonstrates proper ground beef crumbling. |
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| Alison finishes up. |
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| Add the cooked ground beef to your slow-cooker. The next step is easy-add everything else and give it a good stir. I needed someone with a little muscle for this step;) |
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| Voila! Turn it on low, cover, and go about your day. Don’t want to crock pot it? You can add all the ingredients to a stock pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes and serve. |
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| This is how it looks, mama style. Sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onion, and Frito’s. What will you add to yours? |
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| If you’re so inclined, enjoy it with a nice glass of chocolate milk! |
Taco Soup
-1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
-1 large onion, diced
-1 clove of garlic, finely minced
-1 12oz bottle of green taco sauce
-1 can beef or chicken broth (14-16 oz)
-2 (15oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (optional-if you don’t mind the off color)
-15 1/4 oz can of corn, drained
-4 1/2oz can of chopped green chilies
-15oz can of tomato sauce
-1oz packet of taco seasoning
-3-4 Cups of water
-your favorite garnishes
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.....and a sprinkle of love 