P.F. Changs Lettuce Wraps

Anyone else love P.F. Changs Lettuce Wraps? I sure do! Believe it or not...I didn't go searching for this one!

http://iowagirleats.com/2011/04/26/p-f-changs-lettuce-wraps-remade/

Ingredients:
1lb ground chicken breast
1/2 medium onion, minced
salt & pepper, a dash of each
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 inch nob fresh ginger, peeled & minced
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
1/2 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (or more if you like it hotter)
dash of fresh pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1/2-8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Directions:

1. Heat a large, non-stick skillet on high. Add chicken, onion, salt & pepper, and cook until chicken is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. Add in minced garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add into the skillet and stir to combine.
3 Add green onion and water chestnuts into the skillet then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.
4. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and serve with cold lettuce leaves

OH MY HECK! I loved it! I have to confess.....i used vegetable oil instead of sesame :) but other then that i followed....wait i don't like water chestnuts...and i didn't add peanuts on top. So...other then those few things i followed it :) They were yummy! But be warned..they were pretty spicy! I would recommend not doing so much chili garlic sauce if you don't like spicy :) The only bad thing about this...was the cost of the ground chicken...hubbie said it was about $4 ish for a little less then a pound, but if you ask me...that is much less then the gas and cost to get it from P.F. Changs

Crepes

I love crepes!! I never had a good recipe though...so I go where I always go when I need a recipe...Pinterest!

http://foodloversodyssey.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/04/crepes-paris-street-food.html

Makes about 20 eight-inch round crepes (6-8 servings)

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

How simple is this? Spread some butter then sprinkle some sugar....Easy peasy :) and super yummy! This is a quick and delicious breakfast! You can get fancy and put strawberries and bananas and whipped cream and what not on...or use those awesome crepe makers like my mom does :)

Chicken Carbonara

Alright...so i love food :) I also found a new favorite...at Buca di Beppo. Chicken Carbonara mmmmm so....you know me, i looked on pinterest!

http://bucadibeppoathome.blogspot.com/2011/08/chicken-carbonara.html

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of olive oil
8 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1/4 cup garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken strips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups Alfredo sauce (see recipe)
2/3 cup of peas
black pepper to taste
2 pounds cooked spaghetti
Alfredo Sauce

1 quart heavy cream
4 tablespoons softened butter
2 cups Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until very hot.
Add the prosciutto slices, and sauté until the prosciutto starts to brown and has bubbly white caps.
Add the chopped garlic and sauté just long enough for the garlic to begin to caramelize.
Add the chicken, cream and Alfredo sauce, and slowly bring the sauce to a simmer.
Add the peas and season with black pepper.
Cook until the sauce thickens slightly and the chicken is hot.
Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and incorporate well
To make the alfredo sauce, heat the cream over medium heat until reduced by a third.
Add the softened butter, stirring constantly, then incorporate the cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

As you can see....I am cheap :) I used bacon instead of prosciutto. Just a pound. I drained the grease after i cooked it. I made this at my parents....and they didn't have any olive oil...right? who does that? (love ya mom) And we all LOVED it! it was pretty dang creamy and VERY filling! I will make this one again for sure!!

Lewis Brownie's

Alright so this one...isn't from pinterest, BUT it is the BEST brownie i have ever had! So I thought I would be nice and share :)

Ingredients
3 sticks butter, softened
4 cups sugar
8 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
4 TBS vanilla
3 cups flour
Mix and bake at 350 for 30-35 mins makes 2 pans

Keep in mind, this makes 2 pans! This is my favorite to make when i have someones pan and need to return it...because you never return a pan empty!

Loaded Potato Soup {Slow Cooker}

So I had to make some soup for a mutual activity....As I looked around my house I saw....NOTHING. So then I went to pinterest :) Realized I had some potatoes so i would make this soup!

http://www.thecountrycook.net/2011/09/loaded-potato-soup-slow-cooker.html

Ingredients:
4 lbs. potatoes (red skin, russet or yukon gold),peeled and cubed
1/2 c. onion, chopped
2 14 oz. cans chicken broth
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups half and half
Garnish: shredded cheddar cheese, cooked and crumbled bacon, sliced green onions
The recipe did not call for garlic, but I added in 2 cloves of minced garlic for added flavor and because I had it on hand already.

Directions:
Layer sliced (or cubed) potatoes in a lightly greased (I sprayed mine with nonstick spray) 5-quart slow cooker
Top with chopped onion (and garlic, if using).
Add chicken broth, salt and pepper. Broth will not completely cover potatoes.
Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
Mash mixture with a potato masher. (I didn't mash it completely because I still wanted some visible potato chunks in there).
Stir in half and half. Cover and cook on high setting 20 more minutes, or until mixture is thoroughly heated. Ladle into bowls and garnish with favorite toppings. Serves 8.

I am coming to realize...I don't always follow the recipe :) I did follow her on putting the garlic in....if you know me...you'll know i LOVE garlic! When it was almost ready to take i thought it needed some color so i added the peas. It was good, but VERY bland. I really wanted to add some tony's to it, but seeing how it was for a seniors dinner...i didn't. Next time i make it though...there will be plenty of tony's :)

Sloppy Joe's!

Now, I love sloppy joe's...but as far as i knew growing up....you just used the seasoning packet....WRONG!! I have had some yummy sloppy joe's since then so i thought i would give this one a try.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/Sloppy-Joes-II/Detail.aspx?prop31=2

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons brown sugar
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

I don't like green peppers...so i didn't add any. Other than that i followed the recipe :) They were yummy! I couldn't help but sing the sloppy joe song. I like to have some cheese on mine, because i love cheese :) We will be making this again for sure!

Dumplings

Today was a soup day! So I threw some chicken broth, carrots, chicken, and corn in a pot...all it needed were dumplings!! So i headed on over to pinterest and this is what i found!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dumplings/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=dumplings&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 cup milk

Stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in medium size bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk to make a soft dough.
Drop by spoonfuls into boiling stew. Cover and simmer 15 minutes without lifting lid. Serve.
To make parsley dumplings, add 1 tablespoon parsley flakes to the dry ingredients

When I asked my husband how they were, his reply was, "party in my tummy, yummy yummy" Haha i love him! I was a little nervous putting sugar in them, but i did it anyway. They were good! I am pretty sure i grew up with a different recipe though....maybe one with egg in it. While this one was good....not what i was hoping for.

Chicken Fried Burger

So there was a pin I found that had a list you go through, check what you have, and it will give you a recipe...i have a feeling you will see a lot of this website!!! It is sooo nice! This is my first one I've tried :)

http://www.myfridgefood.com/viewrecipe.php?recipe=1460


Ingredients 1 pound of hamburger
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of fat melted or vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste



Instructions Shape hamburger into flat patties; chill. Place milk and flour in flat dishes; slightly larger than the patties. Place each patty in milk, turn over. Then dip into flour. Place patties into hot skillet with melted fat and season. Cook on each side until crispy, flattening as patties cook. Yields: 4 to 6 servings.

Well, they were easy...thats for sure! But they were VERY bland, even though i added some seasoning. I think if i were to make them again i would add corn meal or corn flakes to the flour and a LOT more seasoning!

Pumpkin Seeds!

Tis the season for pumpkin seeds!!! I love them! I even enjoy carving a pumpkin or two! So we carved some and I saw this recipe for pumpkin seeds!

http://www.hvmag.com/Hudson-Valley-Magazine/October-2011/Pumpkin-Recipes-Roasted-Pumpkin-Seeds/

1½ cups pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp olive oil or non-stick cooking spray
1 tsp salt
Separate seeds from pulp and strings. Rinse in water and pat dry
Toss dried seeds in olive oil and place in a single layer on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (Or lay flat on baking sheet and spritz with cooking spray.) Season with salt
Place in 325º F oven, stirring often to ensure even browning until a pleasant aroma is apparent (approx. 25 min.)
Remove immediately and transfer to pan or plate to cool. May be stored in air-tight container for a few days

As usual, they turned out yummy! We made sure to keep a good eye on them, and when they started to turn color we pulled them out! These will always be on my keeper list! Our pumpkins turned out pretty good too! The kids had lots of fun!

Brownies. Oreos. Peanut butter.

I saw this and thought to myself...how could this get any better?! It just looks soooo yummy! I was in charge of bringing the dessert to family dinner so i couldn't think of a reason not to make them!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Oreo-and-Peanut-Butter-Brownie-Cakes/

1 box brownie mix, 8x8 inch size
24 Oreo Cookies
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 muffin cup baker with paper liners.

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. For each cupcake cup spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter over 2 Oreo cookies and stack them on top of each other. Place oreo stacks into the cupcake lined muffin cups. Spoon 2 tablespoons of brownie batter over each stacked oreos and let it run down the sides of the cookies. If you have left over brownie batter, bake separately in a separate baker or muffin tin. Bake cookies and brownies for 18 to 20 minutes, until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely then serve.

I cooked them a little longer...21 minutes. I also used double stuffed...because my husband knew there would be left overs and in our house the only oreo that is REALLY an oreo is a double stuffed. The family said that they were good, but very rich! My husband...like them, but no surprise there! I did not try one until the day after and I thought it was yummy! My husband also had one the day after and said it wasn't as rich as it was the day before...not sure why? But it will go on the keeper list for me, I would say that I will use regular oreos next time, or maybe just do one double stuffed. My husband also wants to try to use raspberry jam instead of peanut butter next time.


Here are the ones my husband..tried..to make. haha He said he did MAN tablespoons....opposed to my woman ones. haha

Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

I've never done homemade mac and cheese before...so i thought why not?

http://mommyimhungry.blogspot.com/2011/08/cheesy-macaroni-and-cheese.html

16 oz macaroni pasta (any shape shape you like)
1/2 C butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C flour
3 1/2 C milk, warmed
1/4 C white wine (or sub w/chicken broth)
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 lb cheddar, cubed
1/2 C panko bread crumbs
1 Tbl parsley
2 Tbl butter, melted

Heat 350' oven. Grease 9x13 glass dish ( 8x8 or round casserole, if making half the recipe).
Cook pasta for about 2-3 minutes less than called for, drain, set aside.
In a saucepan, melt 1/2 C butter, salt pepper, once melted add flour, stir until smooth. Let cook for 1 minute. Add milk, wine, bring to a boil, whisking. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Pour over cooked pasta and add to greased dish. Combine the panko, parsley and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle macaroni with panko topping, bake uncovered 30 minutes.

It was yummy :) the only thing i would add would be spice! Jason put a pepper in his.
This is going on the keeper list :)

Garlic Parmesan Edamame

So this is the last one i have for now, ill try to do some more soon!! If you have one you'd like me to try (please no super crazy hard ones...or ones with weird ingredients) let me know. post it here, tag me on your pin, or put it on my facebook.....let me note im attempting to be kinda healthy...but i can still make some stuff that isn't as healthy...

I have been on a sushi kick since being pregnant....really i just like the cucumber avocado roll :) heaven!!! since going to sushi so often...we have what we call sushi tuesday at work (can wait for that to start up again) and i decided to try edamame during this time ha. i quite like it so i was happy to see this recipe

http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2008/10/garlic-parmesan-edamame-so-other-night.html

1 (16 oz) pkg frozen edamame in shell
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Steam edamame in microwave until slightly warm and not frozen. (You can do this one of 2 ways - I have a microwave steamer that I use, or even easier is throwing the edamame in a ziploc bag with about a tbsp of water, sealing it, leaving a small opening for steam, and heating it on high for 2 minutes) Drain and set aside.

In a small food processor, combine olive oil and garlic. Process until well-combined. Heat a wok over medium high heat. Add edamame and toss for a few seconds. Add garlic oil and saute for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Add breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and salt and toss until well coated. Serve immediately.

So my first mistake...i used a 10 oz bag....glad i can read eh? i didn't rea;ize this until i was done and had so much extra stuff. Other than that i really enjoyed this! so did my husband and sister :) Keeper list!

Raspberry lemonade smoothie

I looove flavored lemonade so there was no questio of this one getting made!!! http://www.delightfully-tacky.com/2012/03/raspberry-lemonade-smoothies.html What you'll need: 1 can of lemonade concentrate 1 1/2 cups of frozen raspberries 1 tray of ice 1 can of water Just add the can of lemonade concentrate to your blender along with about a can or 3/4 can of water. I like raspberries, so I think I might have added more than 1.5 cups, so if you want less raspberries, you might need to add more ice to make up for less frozen raspberries. I used a whole tray of ice for mine, but if you play around with the quantities and it's not smoothie-y enough, you can always add a bit more ice to thicken it up.

It was a little tart for me at first so i added a couple handfuls of sugar. After that i loved it! jason still though it was too tart...i didn't mind! more for me!

Jalapeno Poppers

We were in need of something quick and easy to take to a family party...so i fiund this, worked great because we had jalapenos in our garden :) http://www.hellohue.com/2011/01/pop-em-like-theyre-hot.html You will need:: a can of Pillsbury Crescent dough about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese (give or take, depending on how much you want to use) 1-2 fresh jalapeños and about 3 strips of bacon (if you want... I always want bacon.) These amounts make 16 poppers. Oven pre-heated to 350 degrees F. Chop the jalapeños into small pieces. Clean out the seeds. Don't stick your fingers in your eyes or mouth for the rest of the day. Cut the bacon into pieces and then cook it up. I usually cut it up first cuz then you have nice, neat pieces and it doesn't get too crumbly. Just watch it so it doesn't burn. Unless you like burnt bacon. But that's weird. Roll out your dough. It's perforated into triangles, but I cut each triangle in half with a pizza cutter and do one popper on each half. Does that make sense? Sorry I didn't take pictures of that part. You can do it without cutting the crescents in half, and they'll just be a little bigger than bite size (and then the recipe will yield 8 larger poppers). Layer a small dollop of cream cheese, a piece or two of jalapeño, and bacon. Bring the corners of the dough together and twist them together at the top. Press the edges of the dough together so the insides don't gush out. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350 and munch away!

We loved these!!! we didn't quite have enough jalapenos so we used anahiems as well. We also did two cans of six, and a pount of bacon :) the more the better!. you can see in the picture how i cut them. there were a hit at the party!! Jason's cousin told us he was taking ay leftovers home. We have already made these again! we used some mystery pepper from our garden...a super spicy red tomato-ish looking one. This is on the keeper list for sure!!

Boston Market Cornbread

SORRY its been a bit...life happened :) i saw this and it sounded....interesting, so i had to try it! it said this is how disneyland does it....not sure if thats true or not.
http://thesistersdish.blogspot.com/2009/04/boston-market-cornbread.html
Ingredients:
1 box Jiffy Mix Cornbread Mix
1 box Jiffy Mix Yellow Cake Mix OR 2 boxes Jiffy Mix Cornbread Mix
1 box regular yellow cake mix
Directions: Mix both boxes according to directions, and combine the batter. You can use a large mixing bowl and combine both boxes of mix together and add the other ingredients all at once. If you have only boxes of Jiffy Mix, use a brownie sized baking pan, 8x8", if you are using a box of regular cake mix, use a 9x13" pan. Spray pan with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees until done, approx. 30 minutes. Test for doneness: insert a toothpick, it should come out clean.

I just used a marie calendars corn bread mix and a regular betty crocker yellow cake mix. I thought it was pretty good...kinda different. Not something i would have with chili or put honey on. Jason thought it was too sweet...but being the who he is...not letting food go to waste he still ate quite a bit of it.

Pizza crescent rolls

Okay so...this one wasn't on pinterest..i just thought it sounded good. :) I put 5 pepperoni's and a little handful of shredded cheese in one and wrapped the roll around it. Then I put pizza sauce on on top.

We liked them :) another easy lunch!

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

My mouth was watering when i found this pin! I was so excited to make this. http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/fudgy-brownie-cookies/ Ingredients 1 package (18 To 21 Oz. Box) Fudge Brownie Mix 1-¼ cup All-purpose Flour ¼ cups Packed Brown Sugar 2 whole Eggs ½ cups Butter, Melted And Cooled 2 Tablespoons Water, Or More As Needed 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chunks Preparation Instructions 1. Whisk together brownie mix, flour, and sugar. 2.Using a heavy spoon, stir in the eggs one at a time, followed by butter and 2 tablespoons water. If the batter appears like there is too much flour, add 1 more tablespoon of water. Batter will be very thick. 3. Fold in chocolate chunks 4. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. 5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 6. Grease a cookie sheet. 7. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on the cookie sheet. You want pretty thick cookies here to get the brownie feel, about 3 inches apart. Press down slightly. Don’t flatten completely. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 8. Remove from oven, allow to cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

So i couldn't wait...and i didn't refrigerate for the 2 hours. They still turned out just fine. They are yummy!!! I will be making these again soon!!