APPLE, BACON & PECAN SALAD WITH GARLIC BALSAMIC DRESSING

APPLE, BACON & PECAN SALAD WITH GARLIC BALSAMIC DRESSING

A yummy way to eat those greens! Add in a little smokey bacon, some sweet crisp apple and a yummy dressing!

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups red leaf lettuce, washed and torn
1 fuji apple, washed and diced
4 slices hickory smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 tablespoons toasted and chopped pecans
1 small grilled chicken breast {leftovers!}

for the dressing-
1 clove garlic, grated
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk all ingredients for dressing together. Toss dressing with salad and serve.

LENTIL VEGETABLE SOUP

LENTIL VEGETABLE SOUP

INGREDIENTS:
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
6 small white potatoes, finely chopped
1 16-ounce bag brown lentils
1 15.5-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, diced
8 cups vegetable broth or water 1-2 cups finely chopped spinach salt and pepper to taste

This lentil vegetable soup is a favorite  and so easy to make. I think one of the reasons they like it, is because I chop all of the vegetables really small. And, like most of the soups I make, if you don’t have an ingredient, such as carrot or spinach, leave it out or substitute another favorite ingredient.

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, except the spinach, and cook on low for 2 hours. Add the spinach about 5 minutes before the soup is done. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Mushrooms

Ingredients:
3 strips bacon, chopped
1/3 cup, chopped onion
1 cup, sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp.butter
12 ounces of frozen brussel sprouts, thawed and sliced in half
1/2 tsp. my house seasoning (equal parts garlic powder, onion powder and pepper...combine and store in an airtight container)
salt to taste 

Procedure:
In a skillet, fry up the chopped bacon until crispy and remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, retaining the bacon grease in the skillet. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, just enough to soften the veggies. Remove them to a plate and add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add in the sliced brussel sprouts and reduce the heat to medium. Season with the house seasoning and salt to taste. Cook them, stirring often, until they are tender and begin to brown around the edges, about 7-8 minutes. Add the bacon, onions and mushrooms back to the pan to warm through, tossing to combine, just before serving.

Ricotta Pancake

 Ricotta Pancake

for the dough
2 cup- wheat flour
3 tps- baking powdered
3 tbsp- sugar
3 tbsp- butter softened
1 2/3 cup- milk
2 tsp- salt

for the filling
4 cup- ricotta
1 1/4 cup- sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
dark chocolate chips
powdered sugar

Preparation
In a bowl mix ricotta, sugar, vanilla and chocolate.
Dissolve the baking powdered in a little warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder dissolved, milk, butter and salt then knead. Let rise for an hour covered with plastic wrap. Put the dough on a pastry board and make balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet with parchment paper and let rise for 2 hours. In a pan with hot oil fry the balls. Let cool and then cut into two without separating then fill with mixture.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Serve.

Popular Demand Mexican Dip

Back by popular demand!!!

Mexican Dip

(｡◕‿‿◕｡) ⒻⓇⒾⒺⓃⒹ ⓂⒺ::ⓈⒽⒶⓇⒺ::ⓉⒶⒼ::ⓁⒾⓀⒺ(｡◕‿‿◕｡)

2 8oz cream cheese boxes
2 big spoonfuls sour cream....
2 pkgs of taco seasoning
shredded lettuce
chopped black olives
chopped green pepper
chopped tomatoes
4 cups shredded Mexican Cheese

Beat cream cheese and sour cream together til smooth, add taco seasoning. Spread on large glass dish...top with lettuce, Green onion (if you like onion) Tomatoes and black olives sliced. Top with cheddar cheese...use any corn chips you desire. Best part of this is you can add more or less toppings to the base depending on tastes and kids love it too. I recommend using disposable 9x13 aluminum pan if taking this dish to a party or picnic. It can be split into 2 round cake pans if you have picky eaters too!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

You will Definitely want to Pass this Delicious Recipe around!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter (melted)
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon & sugar (1 tablespoon cinnamon to 4 tablespoons sugar)
1 cup sugar

Directions:
Unroll and spread 1 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased 9×13 pan. Press all the seams together.
Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crescent rolls.
Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture. I found that rolling it out on a piece of parchment paper and then flipping it over onto the cream cheese mixture worked well.
Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes

Brown Butter Milk Chocolate Toffee Almond Cookies

I just know you will love these cookies…super soft on the inside and packed full of milk chocolate chips, toffee and almonds…it’s an amazing cookie! You won’t be able to eat just one!

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks Land O Lakes European-style unsalted butter (1 cup)
• 2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
• 1 cup Dixie Crystals packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cups toffee bits
• 2/3 cup whole roasted salted almonds, that are roughly chopped

Directions

1. Add butter to a skillet and cook until brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugars and the brown butter. Cream them together on low speed for about one minute. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until completely combined.
4. Add flour mixture in two batches and combine with a rubber spatula, being careful not to overmix. Add chocolate chips, toffee bits and almonds and mix together with a rubber spatula. Don’t over mix.
5. Using an OXO large cookie scoop, scoop onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cookie dough portions (about 3 Tablespoons).
6. Freeze the dough for about 3 hours.
7. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cookie dough portions on a parchment paper or silicon mat-lined baking sheet at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Bake for 13 to 14 minutes. Remove paper or mat carefully and place on a cooling rack.