~Simply Delicious~

Lime Simply Delicious
(File Photo)

Ohh, the heat is on!! 90°F days in June are tough- especially when we are heading into what could be our second heat wave of the year. A cool refreshing dessert is what is needed on a hot day. A quick and easy to prepare dessert! One that requires only 3 ingredients is great. Simply Delicious! There are 3 ingredients: 1 small package of flavored Jello, 1 Cup of Vanilla Ice Cream and 1 Cup of hot (boiled) Water. Everything is mixed together (in order) in a medium size bowl. It is that easy! It also tastes so good!

Preparing Strawberry Simply Delicious
(File Photo)

Simply Delicious- serves 2 

Ingredients: 

1 small package flavored Jello 
1 Cup hot (boiled) Water
1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream

Method:  

1. Boil cold water and measure out 1 Cup.
2. Place contents of 1 small package flavored Jello in a medium bowl.
3. Pour hot water in bowl and stir Jello.
4. Dissolve Jello completely.
5. Add 1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream to mixture.
6. Whisk or stir well until Ice Cream melts.
7. Pour into 2 servings dishes/ mugs.
8. Refrigerate several hours.
9. Serve with whipped cream on top.

Strawberry Jello and Strawberry Ice Cream tastes delicious! Lime is so tasty! Orange flavored is so good! There are so many choices. On a hot day make a batch or two of this dessert.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus
(File Photo)

Fresh Asparagus is a veggie that I have enjoyed for so many years. A great way to prep it is to roast it! Roasting Asparagus is easy and it is also delicious! So delicious! After prepping the stalks, the cleaned cut stalks are combined with olive oil and herbs. Then, they are placed on a cookie sheet and roasted in a preheated 425° F oven. 12- 13 Minutes later it is done. It is that easy! Tonight we enjoyed it again. 

**I line my cookie sheet with foil first.

Ready to place in my oven!
(File Photo)

For my complete instructions, click here.  

Enjoy!

 

~Hearty Minestrone~

Hearty Minestrone
(File Photo)

On a chilly day a bowl of hearty hot soup is always enjoyed at dinner. Hearty Minestrone is a great choice. It is filled with colorful nutritious vegetables, too. Spinach, kidney beans, green beans and carrot slices are some of the veggies that can be found in each yummy spoonful.

Click here for my easy recipe for Hearty Minestrone. 

When I prepare a pot of this soup there are always extra portions left after dinner. Those extra portions are placed in single serve plastic freezer containers. After labeling/ dating they will find a place in our freezer. They will make easy dinners on other nights.

Do you make soup and freeze the extra portions? They do come in handy!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Cornbread

Cornbread
cooling

It has been on my "to do" list! Not just for the past 2 days, but for the past 5 days. Baking a Cornbread! I could almost taste it whenever I looked at my recipe here on my blog. Yum! A piece cut in half, heated up in the microwave for a few seconds and then a small amount of butter/ margarine on top makes a delicious breakfast. 

This is definitely a favorite breakfast! Not just for the next day, either. After it cools I cut the Cornbread into individual servings and place each in a sandwich bag. Then, I place the individual servings in a larger freezer bag. 

Cornbread freezes very well! For a quick breakfast, take the needed portions out of the freezer and heat in the microwave. 

This is easy to prepare. For my Cornbread recipe, click here.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

Turkey a la King!

Turkey a la King
(File Photo)

On the day after or two days after enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving Day Dinner, Turkey a la King is on the menu! Chunks of roasted Turkey surrounded by veggies in a creamy sauce that are served over toasted bread. So good!! Did I mention so easy?? 

There is no need to roll out a pie crust to prep a Turkey Pot Pie nor purchase a commercial crust to use. Toasted bread works so well.

Turkey a la King will be on our dinner table tonight. This is when my foodie blog comes in very handy for me. I pull up my recipe to use.

Click here so you may also view and use my recipe.  

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Cranberry Bread

Cranberry Bread
(File Photo)

Cranberry Bread! YUM!! The delicious dessert bread that is orange flavored with chopped cranberries in every bite. It is at Thanksgiving time that so many of us think about using cranberries when baking. So many of us also add cranberry sauce to our grocery list. That is- if we do not prep this sauce ourselves for the Thanksgiving Day dinner. I purchase the sauce for all of us to enjoy.

A bag of fresh Cranberries is purchased in order to bake this treat. Orange Juice is also a needed ingredient. The cranberries are rinsed in cold water/ drained and then chopped before adding them into the batter. 

I have not baked this bread for Thanksgiving, yet, because it does NOT freeze well. Usually a day or two before eating is when I bake it. 

For the Cranberry Bread recipe that I have used for decades, click here.  

It is so good! Add a bag of fresh Cranberries and also Orange Juice to your grocery list for this weekend. Then, bake this delicious bread!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Butternut Squash Bread

Butternut Squash Breads cooling
(file photo)

There are quite a few 2 Cup bags of Butternut Squash in our freezer. Last week 3 more Butternuts were purchased to prep for the months ahead. A delicious dessert to bake using this tasty vegetable is Butternut Squash Bread. It requires the same basic recipe as Pumpkin Bread, but I substitute the defrosted mashed Butternut for Pumpkin. Pumpkin tastes bland, so in addition to cinnamon and nutmeg, ground cloves are added to the batter. That spice is not necessary in Butternut Squash Bread, because Butternuts have flavor. The cloves can be added though, if desired. 

I have posted my recipe in the past, so to view it today, click on this link below:

Butternut Squash Bread 

***With the increased cost of groceries, including baking supplies, I have made a change with the Egg Whites that I used in the past. Rather than using Egg Whites, I use Whole Eggs. When baking there is a formula for Egg Whites = Whole Eggs.

2 Egg Whites = 1 Whole Egg

Butternut Squash Bread is a family favorite! In our home it is always enjoyed over Thanksgiving Day Weekend!! I bake 2 breads rather than one. Just stagger the pans in the oven when baking. The extra bread can be frozen after it is cooled/ wrapped in foil. I cut one bread in half. Then wrap/label/date and freeze both halves. A frozen half is always a great treat for our family members to take home with them after enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration.

Bake a Butternut Squash Bread, or 2, to enjoy over Thanksgiving! Your guests would enjoy taking 1/2 a frozen bread home, too. It is delicious!

I need to bake these breads again this week! 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

~Creamy Cheesy Pie~

Creamy Cheesy Pie
ready to cut into needed slices
(File Photo)

A delicious and easy to prep dessert is Creamy Cheesy Pie! It is great to make and then enjoy on a hot summer day. There are 4 ingredients. You probably have 2 of them in your fridge and pantry. The other 2 can be easily purchased in your local grocery store. 

Ingredients: 

(1) Pre-made Graham Cracker Pie Shell
(1) pkg. 2 serving size cook and serve Vanilla Pudding Mix
(1) pkg. 8 ounce Cream Cheese
(2) Cups Milk

Method: 

1. Prepare the Vanilla Pudding according to package directions.
2. Place Cream Cheese in large bowl.
3. Pour hot Pudding over Cream Cheese and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour mixture into Graham Cracker crust. Smooth to edges of crust.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
6. Chill for at least 6 hours.
7. Cut into needed serving slices.
8. Top with whipped cream and serve with fresh berries on the side.
9. Keep remaining pie in refrigerator.   

Instead of fresh berries, I top our slices with a little Strawberry Freezer Jam and then whipped cream.

So easy and so good!
Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Chicken Thighs with Orange Veggies

Chicken Thighs with Orange Veggies
prepped in my Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)

It probably comes as no surprise- I cook off my blog. The recipes are readily available with ingredients and complete instructions. There always are a few recipes that I need to add to my collection. As a matter of fact we enjoyed one of those recipes at dinner last night. Sometime last year I read an interesting recipe in the newspaper. No, I did not save it. I just remember the basic ingredients. The basic ingredients were Chicken Thighs, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Paprika, Black Pepper, Orange Juice and Honey. Everything was baked. 

After thinking about that recipe last week and considering the heat wave that we are now experiencing, it was an invitation for me to place these ingredients in my Slow Cooker and let dinner prepare itself. Who wants to cook on a hot humid day??? I sure do not!! Long story short-  dinner was delicious last night! There were 4 portions, so the extra 2 portions are now in our fridge and will be enjoyed tomorrow night. 

I used boneless skinless Chicken Thighs. Just a few shakes of Paprika for us. Paprika is always located in my spice rack.  

****Note: My Slow Cooker has a non- stick interior, so I place the cut Carrots on the bottom. If I place chicken or meat directly on the bottom it gets crusty. 

Chicken Thighs with Orange Veggies

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless Chicken Thighs
1 pkg. Baby Carrots
2 Yams or 2 Sweet Potatoes
1/2 teaspoon Parsley
Paprika-  a few shakes from canister
Black Pepper- a few shakes from canister
1/4 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Orange Juice

Method:

1. Rinse Baby Carrots under cold water, drain.
2. Cut Carrots in half and place in bottom of Slow Cooker/ Crock Pot.
3. Rinse Yams/ Sweet Potatoes under cold water. 
4. Cut into 1" slices.
5. Cut each slice in half.
6. Place in a bowl.
7. Remove fat from Chicken Thighs.
8. Place on top of Carrots in Slow Cooker/ Crock Pot.
9. Sprinkle Parsley on top. 
10. Sprinkle Paprika and Black Pepper on top of Chicken Thighs.
11. Place cut Yams/ Sweet Potatoes on Chicken Thighs.
12. Drizzle Honey over top. 
13. Then pour Orange Juice over all.
14. Place Slow Cooker/ Crock Pot lid on top.
15. Cook on High for 3 Hours. Reduce to Medium for 1/2 Hours.

This dinner cooks itself and is so delicious! It will be a dinner to enjoy any time of the year. A Slow Cooker/ Crock Pot comes in very handy! That small kitchen appliance is great to use on a hot summer day!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

  

~Best Ever Irish Soda Bread~

Irish Soda Bread
(File Photo)

It's especially at this time of year that Irish Soda Bread is baked and enjoyed! You know the yummy bread that is just filled with sweet raisins with every bite. At least the Irish Soda Bread that I bake is. Yes, you can purchase one that can be a tad dry in texture and /or not contain lots of raisins. If you are going to enjoy this delicious traditional bread on St. Patrick's Day weekend, bake one using this recipe. It's that good!

***Three ingredients are key here- Butter, Raisins and Buttermilk. The Butter is melted first and cooled before adding into the other ingredients. The Raisins are soaked in hot water and drained before adding them in.

Did I mention that no eggs are needed in this recipe? There are no eggs. 

In the photo below the sticky raisin filled dough is ready to be placed in the oven.

Raisin filled dough
(File Photo)

Click here for my recipe for this delicious Irish Soda Bread.

Add Butter, Raisins and Buttermilk to your grocery list this week. Then, bake this delicious Irish Soda Bread to enjoy this upcoming St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Tomato Basil White Bean Soup

Tomato Basil White Bean Soup
(File Photo)

Oh, it was cold this week here in Massachusetts! There were also wind chills that made the cold temperatures feel even colder! Well, it is New England and it does happen. A bowl of hearty soup on a frigid night always tastes so good. One soup that takes very little time to prepare and is delicious is Tomato Basil White Bean Soup.

After placing all of the ingredients in a large pot, stir and then bring to a boil. After boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer and simmer for 30 Minutes. It is so easy to prep and tastes so good! Each spoonful has small bits of tomato and beans combined with Parsley and Basil. 

If I already have cooked Rice in my fridge, I add that to the pot at the end, to heat the Rice up. If not, I prepare a small amount of Couscous and put it in the bottom of each soup bowl. Then, add the soup and stir the Couscous into the soup.

Click here for my recipe for Tomato Basil While Bean Soup. It is delicious on a cold night!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup
(File Photo)

The chilly weather has arrived! At dinnertime a bowl of hot soup filled with veggies will taste so good. It is at this time I remember Minestrone Soup. Usually the ingredients are in our pantry and our freezer. Yes, they have been located today, so before dinner I will be getting this soup ready.  These days I stay away from carrots- due to the recall, so they will not be one of the ingredients today.  

If you enjoy a bowl of soup, make a batch of Minestrone this weekend. I freeze the extra portions to enjoy on another cold evening.

My easy recipe for Minestrone Soup . It is delicious!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Delicious Thanksgiving Day Dessert

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp
waiting for a small scoop of vanilla ice cream
(File Photo)

Apple Crisp is always a welcome dessert! Slices of baked apples combined with dried cranberries and raisins that have an oat cinnamon/ nutmeg topping. Yum! A small scoop of vanilla ice cream is always placed on top whenever we enjoy this dessert. I have baked one this autumn. It was so good! Next week the day before Thanksgiving Day I will be baking another Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp. It is such a delicious dessert to enjoy on that special day. And also many other special days!

At this time of year so many restaurants, grocery stores and specialty food shops advertise their Apple Pies. Some may be good, but others are just o.k. Instead of purchasing one, bake a Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp! There is no pie crust to roll out. That is an added plus! It sure does save time involved in preparing this tasty dessert.   

My easy recipe for Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp is here. 

Add Apples to your grocery list for this weekend. The other ingredients you probably already have. If not, add those ingredients, too. This is one dessert that beats buying an apple pie.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Cheesy Veggie Chicken

Cheesy Veggie Chicken

A quick and easy dinner is always appreciated any day! Do you have a few pieces of cooked Chicken? Got cooked Rice? Do you have frozen Peas, a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup and shredded Taco Cheese? These are the ingredients. If I have sauteed Mushrooms in the freezer, I defrost them and add them in, too.

**Now, when I make a batch of Rice to serve during dinner I freeze the half that we do not eat. Then, when needed I defrost the Rice quickly in the microwave. It comes in very handy to use in this recipe.

If you do not already have cooked Rice, this is my easy recipe for preparing Rice. Freeze the other half to use in the future.  

This is a very tasty dinner during any season of the year.  

Cheesy Veggie Chicken

Ingredients:

(1) Cup of Cooked Rice
Cooked Chicken- cut into bite size pieces
(1) bag of frozen Peas- (12- 16 ounce bag)
(1) can Cream of Mushroom Soup- can be low salt
1/3 Cup of Cold Water
1 Cup shredded Taco Cheese

Method:

1. Microwave bag of frozen Peas.
2. Spray a microwave baking dish (about 5" x 10") with PAM.
3. Place cooked Rice in dish, spreading evenly.
4. Place cooked Peas and cooked Chicken on top.
5. Combine Cream of Mushroom Soup and Water.
6. Spoon mixture over Rice, Chicken and Peas.
7. Sprinkle (1) Cup of Taco Cheese over top.
8. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving an opening at one corner to vent.
9. Microwave on High for 9 Minutes and 30 seconds- until hot and bubbly.
10. Serve! 

It is amazing how quickly this dinner comes together.  

Enjoy!
Yummy!

~Minestrone Soup~

Minestrone Soup
(File Photo)

With this damp chilly weather that we are experiencing here in Western MA it is a great time to prepare a batch of Minestrone Soup for dinner.  You know, a bowl of soup that is just filled with veggies. With every spoonful the chill of the day is gone for a while. It is so easy to prepare, too! All of the ingredients are placed in a large pot and after the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer. Simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. What could be easier?

I always freeze the extra portions in freezer containers to enjoy in the future.  It does freeze so well. There will be other chilly days in our future and you will be able to take portions out of your freezer to defrost. Just add extra chicken broth when defrosting/ reheating. This soup tastes so good on a chilly day!

Click here for my recipe for Minestrone Soup.  

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Best Irish Soda Bread!

Best Irish Soda Bread
(File photo)

Add Buttermilk to your grocery list this week! It is one of the ingredients in Irish Soda Bread. You probably have tasted that delicious bread that is enjoyed on St. Patrick's Day. It is filled with raisins and oh so good! When you are thinking about your grocery list, add Raisins, too!

One year when I wanted to bake an Irish Soda Bread for this holiday I "googled" for a recipe that used 1 Cup of Buttermilk. The recipe I quickly found sounded so easy.  I was intrigued by the hint of soaking the Raisins in hot water and then draining them before adding the Raisins to the dough. Oh, I was hooked to try the recipe. After baking the bread and letting it cool the first bite quickly told me that I would never search for another recipe for this bread again. It was that good!  It was the Best Irish Soda Bread that I had ever tasted.  This bread was filled with plump Raisins and it was moist. Yum!

Cooled, Sliced and Ready to Eat!
(File Photo)

 
**Over the years I have learned to melt the unsalted Butter and let it cool before adding it to the dry ingredients.  It is easier to combine that way. 

Click here for the recipe! 

I have also learned that slices of this baked bread freeze very well.  It is a treat to take a slice out of the freezer a month later and enjoy it at breakfast.

Bake an Irish Soda Bread to enjoy on the holiday when so many of us wear the color green.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!     

Tomato Basil White Bean Soup- with Couscous

Tomato Basil White Bean Soup- with Couscous
(file photo)

The word is out! Here in New England snow is in our future for this weekend!  Looks like snowblowers, snow plows and snow shovels will be put to very good use on Sunday.  Any time the word snow is mentioned I think of a bowl of hearty hot soup.  One that is easy to prep is always a bonus.  Tomato Basil White Bean Soup fits that description.  

You probably have the ingredients in your kitchen ready to use.  Chicken Broth, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, dried basil and kidney beans are quite often staples for many of us.  There are a few more ingredients, too.  I also add Couscous to the soup, but it is not necessary.  If I do not have white kidney beans, I use red kidney beans instead.  It takes little time to prepare and it is so delicious!

Click here for my Tomato Basil White Bean Soup recipe.  If you do not prepare a batch this weekend, save the recipe for next weekend!  Our chilly weather is here.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

         

~CranOrange Coffee Cake~

CranOrange Coffee Cake
before the Almond Icing is drizzled on top.
(File Photo)

CranOrange Coffee Cake!!  A slice of this delicious cake served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream is just the best!  It's another great dessert to enjoy at this time of year.  Whole berry cranberry sauce is one of the ingredients.  Years ago when baking this cake I used a cranorange relish, but now I use the whole berry sauce and orange extract.  I also use my Tube Pan rather than my Bundt pan. 

Ready to be placed in my oven.
(File Photo)

This CranOrange Coffee Cake is another yummy dessert that can be baked early.  After the cake cools completely wrap it in foil and place it in the freezer.  The day before you plan to serve it, defrost and drizzle the cake with the Almond Icing.  

Click here for my recipe for this delicious cake! 

My cake for the holidays is already in my freezer! Will you be baking one also?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

Turkey a la King

On the next two days after the Thanksgiving holiday it is very easy to decide what to prepare for dinner!  There are choices.  Hot Turkey Sandwiches are usually enjoyed on the first day after we have feasted on roasted turkey.  If there is a bit of stuffing saved in the fridge, that is also reheated and enjoyed very quickly along with a salad.  

Turkey a la King
(File Photo)

There is another quick and easy dinner that does not require too much effort and is just plain delicious- Turkey a la King!  Picture small pieces of the roasted turkey in a creamy sauce that are mixed with vegetables and served over toasted bread.  It is so good!  

You probably see Turkey or Chicken Pot Pies on menus at restaurants.  However, that very tasty combination of small turkey pieces and cooked veggies served over toast is so much easier than rolling out a pie crust or even remembering to purchase unbaked pie crusts at the grocery store.  Turkey a la King is easy and  delicious!

A package of frozen mixed vegetables containing peas, carrots and corn work very well here.  Usually, I prepare a double batch and freeze portions to enjoy again at dinner in the next few weeks.  

***If you also freeze portions, adding a little milk when reheating works very well. 

My recipe for Turkey a la King is the same that I use for Chicken a la King, but I substitute the Turkey for the Chicken.

Click here for my recipe for Turkey a la King.   

Just remember to serve Cranberry Sauce, too!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

~Crunchy Oats~

A container of Crunchy Oats!
(File Photo)

There are a few foods that I prepare on a routine basis.  One of them is Crunchy Oats.  Those delicious morsels of the combination of oats, honey, wheat germ and a few more ingredients.  These ingredients are basically mixed together and then stir fried in a large saute pan.  After cooling they are placed in a covered container and into the fridge they go.  What a great addition to a serving of yogurt or when enjoying cereal in the morning!  

Crunchy Oats are also easy to prepare.  For the recipe, click here! 

So delicious!

Enjoy!
Yummy!