Microwave Popcorn, No Bags, No Butter, No Oil !!!

I have been asked to post this again! For the popcorn lovers!!!


Microwave popcorn, no bags, no butter, no oil!!!!
It’s genius really. Simple, simple genius.

Glass bowl + ceramic plate + popcorn kernels = perfectly popped popcorn in the microwave.
No bag. No butter or oil. Nothing to throw away afterward. And even no un-popped kernels.

This is life-changing.
Stay with me now.
Take 1/4 cup of dry popcorn kernels and place in the bottom of a microwave-safe glass bowl (pyrex is a great choice). Place a microwave-safe plate on top of the bowl. Plate should be wide enough to go beyond the rim of the bowl.

Microwave for 2 minutes 45 seconds. Watch in glory as your popcorn pops perfectly into little puffs of heaven.

~ Rosie's Candied Broccoli Salad~

~ Rosie's Candied Broccoli Salad~

Fry 1 lb honey-maple bacon until crisp.

Blot with paper towels.

Chop up bacon and set aside.

In a big bowl, combine:

1 big bunch broccoli, chopped

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 heaping cup raisins

1/2 small onion, chopped fine

1 cup mayonnaise (lite, if you wish)

1/2 cup sugar or honey

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper

add the chopped bacon

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Delicious Healthy Alternative Ranch Dressing

This is a healthy alternative to traditional ranch dressing. Wonderful on salads and tacos!

2 avocados, mashed

1/4 cup lemon juice

8 oz. lite sour cream or plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a blender. Blend until smooth.

Transfer to a canning jar and chill until ready to serve.

This dressing will keep for 3 days in your fridge, but it’s best the same day you make it.

Enjoy!

Spa Style Crock Pot Chicken Dinner

Mmmmm! I love making these dinner bowls in the summer. I make up a big pot of brown rice the day before and put it in the fridge so it’s ready to warm up just prior to serving the evening meal. The stir-fried veggies go together in about 10 minutes. Easy peasy! For maximum flavor, use whatever fresh vegetables are in season at your local farmer’s market, or whatever you just gathered from your garden. I love snow peas, celery and carrots with this particular bowl. Bok choy, sugar snap peas, sprouts or mushrooms would be lovely too.

serves 6

3 lb. chicken tenderloin pieces and/or boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 cups canned, crushed pineapple in heavy syrup, undrained

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup lite soy sauce

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ginger (dry, powdered)

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

3 cups cooked brown rice

various vegetables for stir fry, I used:

2 cups snow peas

4 large carrots

4 green onions + tops

2 sticks celery

3 Tablespoons peanut oil

Use fresh or thawed chicken pieces. Cut them into 2 inch chunks. Place them, along with the crushed pineapple, sugar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, onion powder, garlic powder, ginger, and white pepper, in the bowl of your 6 to 7 quart slow cooker/ Crock Pot. Stir well. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.

When cooking time is up, remove chicken from sauce and cover to keep warm. Add the cornstarch to the sauce and whisk to combine. Cook, uncovered, in crock pot until sauce is thickened (about 5 minutes.) Add chicken back to pot and mix with the sauce.

Warm your rice and keep covered while you stir fry your vegetables.

to stir fry veggies:

Keep snow peas or sugar snap peas whole. Slice carrots and celery on the diagonal. Coarsely chop the green onions. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet or wok until shimmering, but not smoking. Add vegetables and stir-fry until firm-tender.

To serve: Place 1/2 cup of warmed brown rice in each of 6 serving bowls. (I like to use large pasta bowls for this.) Top with some of the chicken, sauce and stir fried vegetables. Top with a little extra soy sauce, hot sauce or Ponzu sauce, if you like.

Grilled Shrimp Panzanella

Grilled Shrimp Panzanella

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pound large fresh or frozen shrimp with tails, peeled and deveined
2. 3/4 cup olive oil
   
3. 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar or balsamic vinegar
4. 3 tablespoons lemon juice
5. 2 cloves garlic, minced
6. 3/4 teaspoon salt
7. 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8. 2 large red and/or yellow sweet peppers, halved and seeded
9. 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
10. 1 1 pound loaf ciabatta bread, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
11. 4 roma tomatoes, halved
12. 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil (optional)
13. 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
14. 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional)

Instructions

1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. In a medium bowl combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Thread shrimp onto six 12-inch wooden skewers.* Brush shrimp with about 3 tablespoons of the oil mixture, reserving the remaining mixture.
2. For a charcoal or gas grill, grease grill rack. Place skewers on the grill rack directly over medium heat. Cover and grill for 4 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning once halfway through grilling. Remove from grill; set aside on a large baking sheet.
3. Brush sweet peppers and zucchini with oil mixture. Add to grill. Cover and grill about 8 minutes or until crisp-tender and lightly charred, turning once halfway through grilling. Remove from grill; set aside on a large baking sheet.
4. Brush bread slices and tomatoes with some of the reserved oil mixture. Add to grill. Cover and grill about 2 minutes or until bread is lightly toasted and tomatoes are softened, turning once halfway through grilling.
5. Remove shrimp from skewers and transfer to a very large bowl. Cut sweet peppers, zucchini, and bread into 1-inch pieces; add to bowl. Drizzle with any remaining oil mixture. If desired, add basil, parsley, and olives; toss to combine.
6. Serve salad immediately or chill for up to 2 hours.
7. 
   

Chocolate Banana Pudding

Ingredients

1. 2 cups heavy cream
2. 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3. 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
4. 26 chocolate wafers
5. 3 bananas, thinly sliced lengthwise, plus 1/2 banana, sliced into rounds

Instructions

1. STEP 1
2. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil over medium-high. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar and whisk to combine. Let cool to room temperature.
3. STEP 2
4. Layer 13 chocolate wafers in a 2-quart baking dish. Add half the chocolate mixture, then top with lengthwise banana slices. Top with 13 more cookies and remaining chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate until pudding is set and cookies are tender, about 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Top with round banana slices and serve.

Yummy Homemade Apple Fritters

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup chopped apple

Glaze:
•2 cups powdered sugar
•1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon. Stir in milk and egg until just combined. Fold in apple. Pour oil into skillet so that it is approximately 1 1/2 deep. Heat oil on high. Oil is ready when a little dough thrown in floats to top. Carefully add dough to oil in heaping teaspoons. Cook until brown, about 2 minutes, then flip. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until both sides are browned. Transfer briefly to paper towels to absorb excess oil, then transfer to cooling rack. Make glaze by stirring milk and powdered sugar together in a small bowl. Drizzle over apple fritters. Wait approximately 3 minutes for glaze to harden, then flip fritters and drizzle glaze over the other side. Best served warm