Free Giveaway!!

Hello Happy Reader,

I would love to hear from everyone who reads this blog. To encourage this I've joined MyBlogSpark.

MyBlogSpark recently contacted me and asked me to try the new "simply..." cookies from Pillsbury. In addition to the coupon for a free package of the cookies they will send me a 'prize pack' which includes a new cookie jar, a canvas grocery tote, and a grocery list notebook. They have also offered to send an identical prize pack to one of my readers... this could very well be YOU!

All you have to do in order to enter is leave me a comment on this thread telling me what you like and/or don't like about my site. Even negative comments will be entered. Please be sure to leave some way to contact you though!! Otherwise, how can I tell you that you've won?

Today is July 10, 2009. I will give you until July 20, 2009 to leave your comments.

Only one entry per reader, please!!

Thanks so much for reading!!

MissMouse

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe was also found on the forums. I thought it looked pretty good. We like spicy things, so I think the kids will like this one, too.

As always, I would really love to hear from anybody that tries one of the recipes from my blog! Please let me know what you think!
Thanks,
MissMouse

Buffalo Chicken Dip

12 oz. cooked chicken, shredded
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch dressing
3/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Frito Scoops

Mix together chicken and hot sauce. Let set for 30 minutes. Meanwhile beat cream cheese and ranch dressing. Fold in shredded chicken. Spread mixture into pie plate sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Add cheddar to top and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot with Frito Scoops.

Honey Mustard Chicken Nuggets

My daughter has decided that she doesn't want to eat beef any more... so we eat a LOT of chicken. New chicken recipes are always a good thing!! This is another recipe from the forums.

As always, I would really love to hear from anybody that tries one of the recipes from my blog! Please let me know what you think!
Thanks,
MissMouse

Honey Mustard Chicken Nuggets

1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cups Creamy Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups crumbled corn flakes or cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 400°. In medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, dijon mutard, honey and salt. Add chicken; stir to coat. Roll chicken in crumbs. Bake 12 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Hidden Valley Ranch Cheese Puffs

The forums have taken to collecting recipes... So I'm gathering a few.

As always, I would really love to hear from anybody that tries one of the recipes from my blog! Please let me know what you think!
Thanks,
MissMouse

Hidden Valley Ranch Cheese Puffs

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup mayonaise
1 tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
10 1" slices French Bread

Mix first three ingredients. Spread on bread slices. Broil until golden brown, about three minutes.

When Pigs Fly

Here's another recipe from the forums. Hope you like it.

As always, I would really love to hear from anybody that tries one of the recipes from my blog! Please let me know what you think!
Thanks,
MissMouse

When Pigs Fly

4 boneless pork chops, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 14 ounce bottle hot style ketchup
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 to 3 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Cook and stir pork cubes for 4 to 5 minutes or until pork is just done. Remove excess fat from skillet; reduce heat to low. Add remaining ingredients to skillet, stirring to coat pork cubes. Cover and cook about 1 minute or until heated through. Transfer to warm serving dish; serve with toothpicks. Serves 8.

Cucumber Dip

I found this dip on one of the forums that I visit from time to time. It looks interesting, so I thought that I would share it.

As always, I would really love to hear from anybody that tries one of the recipes from my blog! Please let me know what you think!
Thanks,
MissMouse

Cucumber Dip

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill until ready to serve.

Cola Chicken

This chicken dish sounds too easy!! I can't wait to try it. I first found it on the TOH website.

As always, I would really love to hear from anybody that tries one of the recipes from my blog! Please let me know what you think!
Thanks,
MissMouse

Cola Chicken

"Our daughters, Tricia, 7, and Kristin, 10, love to serve this tender chicken with instant mashed potatoes and peas when they have friends over for dinner," writes Keri Scofield Lawson of Fullerton, California. A can of cola gives the savory barbecue sauce a flavor boost.

SERVINGS: 4
CATEGORY: Main Dish
METHOD:
TIME: Prep: 15 min. Cook: 25 min.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1 can (12 ounces) cola
1 cup ketchup
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add chicken; brown on all sides. Carefully add cola, ketchup, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the chicken reads 170°. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually add to the skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return chicken to pan; heat through. Yield: 4 servings.

Butter Garlic Pasta with Tomatoes

Here is another recipe from our local newspaper, Santa Cruz Sentinel. I love garlic, so this one sounds like a real winner to me!

As always, I would really love to hear from anybody that tries one of the recipes from my blog! Please let me know what you think!
Thanks,
MissMouse

Butter Garlic Pasta with Tomatoes
Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings

1 pound linguine or fettuccine pasta
2 Tablespoons oilive oil
3 Tablespoons butter
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup panko (Japanese style) breadcrumbs
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 6 to 7 minutes. The pasta should be cooked, but still slightly firm at the center. Drain, then return to the pot. Drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat evenly, then set aside.

Once the pasta has cooked, in a large sauted pan over medium-high, melt the butter. Add the garlic, capers and red pepper flakes, then saute for 1 minute.

Add the breadcrumbs and saute for another minute. Add the pasta and use tongs to toss well to coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and top with the diced tomatoes. Garnish with parsley and and Parmesan cheese.

Really Old-Fashioned Marinated Rib-Eye

I found this recipe in our local newspaper, Santa Cruz Sentinel. It looks pretty yummy to me... but then I love steak in general, and especially Rib-Eyes!

As always, I would really love to hear from anybody that tries one of the recipes from my blog! Please let me know what you think!
Thanks,
MissMouse

Really Old-Fashioned Marinated Rib-Eye
Adopted from Frank DeCarlo

Time: About 20 minutes, plus marinating.

1/2 bottle rich, full-bodied red wine, preferably Amarone
2 tablespoons sugar
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 8 - 12 ounze rib-eyes steaks, about 1/2 inch thick
Salt and pepper

1. Combine wine and sugar in a large pot and bring to boil; lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest and remove pan from heat to cool.

2. Put steaks in a large baking dish and pour marinade over them. Marinate steaks in refrigerator for at least several hours and up to three days.

3. Take steaks out of the marinade, season with salt and pepper, and cook them in a very hot skillet, about 2 minutes each side for medium rare. (You can grill or broil them if you prefer.) Slice the meat about 1/4 inch thick and serve.

Yeild: 4 servings

http://southernfood.about.com/cs/redbeansrice/a/redbeans.htm

 

 

 

Beans and Rice

A variety of recipes for this great combination

By Diana Rattray, About.com

Red beans and rice is a delicious and popular Louisiana dish, traditionally served on Mondays using the ham bone left over from the previous Sunday's ham dinner. Red kidney beans are most often used, but many purists feel the flavor is too strong and use the small South Louisiana red beans.

According to "The New Orleans Cookbook", baked ham should be used rather than country ham or smoked ham. They also recommend pickled pork or salt pork (if using salt pork, eliminate other salt in the recipe).

An excerpt from "The Picayune Creole Cookbook"
"In all the ancient homes of New Orleans, and in the colleges and convents, where large numbers of children are sent to be reared to be strong and useful men and women, several times a week there appear on the table either the nicely cooked dish of Red Beans, which are eaten with rice, or the equally wholesome White Beans a la Creme, or Red or White beans boiled with a piece of salt pork or ham."
-The Picayune Creole Cookbook, 1900

Recipes
Quick Red Beans and Rice
Red Beans & Rice
Bayou Beans and Rice
Beef, Black Beans and Rice
Easy Black Beans and Yellow Rice
Beefy Rice and Bean Casserole
Caribbean Rice and Beans
Key West Black Beans
Pinto Beans and Rice
Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage
Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
Southern Red Beans and Rice