Paleo Brownies

I'm not even sure what to call these other than "FABULOUS"!!! These are entirely sugar-free and Paleo-friendly! So yummy!

1/3 cup coconut oil (solid)
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 egg
3 mashed bananas
2 heaping tablespoons cacao powder (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsp baking powder (more or less optional...will be a bit denser without it)
2 tbsp arrowroot powder (optional…use a bit more coconut flour if you omit this)
1 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup coconut flour (more or less…didn't measure)

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil.

Beat the coconut oil, honey, vanilla, applesauce and egg until well blended. In another bowl, mash the bananas, and mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, arrowroot powder and cacao powder. Add to the coconut oil mixture. Add coconut flour 1/4 cup at a time until batter reaches desired consistency (think thick cake batter). Stir in almonds and cranberries.

Fill muffin tin half way with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted half way between the edge and the center comes out dry. They will be heavy for their size, but so unbelievably good!

Pineapple Grilling Sauce

I've been big on grilling sauce made from fresh fruit the last few months. I threw this one together today in about 5 minutes total, plus 2 hrs in the crock pot.

2 quart bags full of frozen pineapple--probably 2-3 pineapples worth
1 cup honey
1-2 tbsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 inch fresh grated ginger
pinch of kosher salt
15-20 grinds of fresh black pepper
1 vanilla bean (split & scraped....and put the whole thing in the pot)

Cook on high for about 2-3 hours, and then transfer it to the blender and puree. This made exactly 3 pints for me. :)

Tonight I slathered it on grilled pork chops, and served it with grilled zucchini/red onion/yellow bell peppers, orange honeydew melon and a green salad. Absolutely, positively wonderful!

Cherry Teriyaki Sauce

This is easily the *BEST* thing I have ever eaten--out of my kitchen or otherwise. So unbelievably yummy!! And it is completely Paleo-friendly!

6 fresh dates, pitted
1/2 pound fresh or frozen & thawed bing cherries, pitted
1/3 cup of HOT HOT water
3-4 cloves of fresh minced garlic
1" fresh minced ginger
3/4 cup coconut aminos (you can use soy sauce if you don't care about the paleo aspect)
1/2 tsp salt (omit the salt if you use soy sauce)
2 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tbsp lemon or lime juice

Blend the dates, cherries and hot water until smooth. Pour into a pot along with all of the other ingredients and simmer. As is, this would make an awesome marinade for meat. Tonight, however, I quadrupled it and threw this into my crock pot on high with frozen chicken breasts. I cocked the lid in the last hour or two so the sauce could reduce once the chicken was cooked through, and I garnished it with green onions when I served it. :)

(adapted from strictlypaleoish.com's Paleo Teriyaki Sauce recipe)

Zucchini & Summer Squash Skewers

Stupid simple BBQ side dish. :) I took these up to my mom's BBQ today and they were a big hit. Simply yellow summer squash and zucchini, cut into thick slices. I squeezed a lemon over them all, and then drizzled some olive oil and then hit them with salt, fresh black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. You could also add some onion, asparagus, etc. The sky's the limit! :)

Throw them on the grill over hot coals for about 5 mins per side and enjoy! :)

Beer Battered Fish

In a word, YUM!


Very very simple--you can use any kind of fish you like. I had some swai the night I did this, but you can use tilapia, catfish, cod, trout, red snapper...anything you like.

I didn't take any photos until the end because it was an afterthought since this is really that simple.

Start by filling a heavy-bottomed pot with about 2 inches of frying oil--vegetable oil is fine, peanut oil works well, too. Heat this to about 375-400. While your oil is heating up, put a little more than a cup of flour on a plate, and a little more than a cup of flour into a vessel that'll hold liquid. Season it with salt, pepper, and Old Bay. To one, add a whole 12 ounce beer and whisk it together. Prepare your fish--pat it dry, slice it into pieces that'll suit your purpose--making fish and chips? Slice it into strips. Making sandwiches? Sandwich sized portions. :)

When your oil is hot, take the fish, dredge lightly in the flour, then dunk it into the beer batter, and then back into the flour for a good coating before slipping it into the oil. (Do not overcrowd your pan--it will lead to greasy fish! Blech.) Cook for a few minutes on each side until it is perfectly golden brown, pull it out and drain it on a tea towel or paper towels or newspaper or a paper bag or or or, well, whatever. Serve. :)

This was my husband's sandwich....I may or may not have eaten mine while I was cooking....

Basic Shredded Chicken

I have another "recipe" in the works for a post in the next few days using this, but since I haven't posted lately, I thought I'd give you a quick method for shredded chicken that is more versatile than my taco chicken. Sorry no photos...I'll probably edit this post at some point with a photo, though. :)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (honestly even plain water will do if you don't have stock)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
30? grinds of black pepper
1 tbsp Old Bay
heavy pinch of salt if you use water

Bring everything but the chicken to a boil on your stove top. Add the chicken and cover the pot. Let the chicken poach in the simmering liquid for an hour or so, moving it around every so often. Pluck it out with tongs and shred it up.

Awesome for EVERYTHING from chicken salad to chicken in gravy to chicken burritos to salads to...well...everything.

Memorial Day BBQ

Looks like I'm going all out for a BBQ tonight after all! Nothing like last minute planning! haha!

Here's tonight's menu:

Sirloin steaks on the grill--simple, just pat dry and sprinkle with Montreal Steak Seasoning and grill to your liking. If you haven't been properly introduced to Montreal Steak Seasoning....do so. I tend to avoid spice mixes in favor of making my own, but this stuff is awesome. :)

Grilled chicken breast--I just butterfly the chicken breast, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, and then grill it. Sometimes I baste it with BBQ sauce, but I probably won't do that tonight.

My crock pot baked beans

Mixed green salad

Potato salad w/ eggs (I really hate potato salad, but everyone around me loves it, so I oblige...)

Corn on the cob w/ chili lime butter a la Tyler Florence (I'm doing my corn on the grill, though)

Garlic French Bread--just your basic french bread....cut it in half length-wise, smear it with softened butter or margarine whipped with garlic paste. You could also just sprinkle it with garlic powder after smearing it with regular softened butter. Wrap it in foil and throw it on the grill while you cook everything else.

Pico de Gallo & tortilla chips

Strawberry Shortcake and a mixed fruit salad (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, grapes) for dessert

Luscious Slush Punch (I have been making this forever....always makes my mouth hurt (I'm allergic to pineapple), but so worth it! LOL!...everyone always loves it, no exception)

I hope everyone has an amazing day surrounded by family and friends. Please take the time to give thanks and remembrance to a veteran or current military member and/or their family today.

Packaged Dinners

I'm all for from scratch cooking with whole ingredients and all that....but ya know, every few weeks, you just NEED the sodium and preservative fix that comes with a packaged dinner, right? No? Just me, then? Well, whatever. ;) Here are two of my favorites, and how I "tweak" them to my family's tastes. :)


Bear Creek Country Kitchens--well, anything, really. Specifically, though, we like their Cheddar Broccoli soup and their Chicken Vegetable pasta.

For the soup (they also make a pasta w/ the same flavor that is just as good that I prepare the same way), I chop up and brown a couple chicken breasts and a full pound of frozen broccoli (or fresh, if I think to grab it), and then cook as directed on the package, making sure to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan when I add the water.

For the pasta, I chop up and brown a couple chicken breasts, add about half a pound of whatever mixed veggies I happen to have in the freezer and cook as directed on the package. Sometimes I'll go as far as to mix up an egg and half a cup of plain yogurt or mayo and mix it into the sauce, and then pour the whole thing into a baking dish, top with cracker crumbs and bake like a casserole. Always awesome! :)

So there are two of my favorite "packaged dinners." Not much to them, but they are super simple and no one ever complains when I make them. :)

Chicken Enchiladas

*Disclaimer* I am in NO WAY going to pretend that this is healthy, and no, it will not fit in your diet. And no, these are in no way "traditional." Like everything else on my blog, you'll have to look elsewhere if you want traditional.

This has been a long time favorite in my house. I don't make it very often *BECAUSE* it is not all that good for you, and it's just not the same if you omit the cheese, but it is worth it once in a while. You could easily substitute low fat cheese if you know of one that melts and browns well, though. :)

It was late last night when I was making this, so I spaced and forgot to take a big ingredient shot. I did, however, take photos as I chopped things up....that counts, right? NO? Dang. Oh well....what is that phrase my kids are chanting these days? Ah, yes...."You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!" ;)

You'll need: 1-2 bell peppers, whatever color you like (I used a whole green, half a yellow and half an orange since that's what I had on hand); one medium sized onion, white or yellow; 1 1/2 lbs of chicken breasts (you can use thighs if you prefer dark meat, which I do not); 1 can of sliced olives; approximately 12 small flour tortillas, give or take depending on the size of your pan, the size of the tortillas (I like 'fajita size' by Mission), and how full you stuff them; cheese--1 pound of monterey jack and half a pound of medium cheddar; 1 packet of Lawry's fajita seasoning and 1 packet of McCormick taco seasoning (I know, for SHAME....and I almost always use a home made mix for everything else....but I've been making these since I was about 15 or 16 and they just aren't the same without store bought sodium-laden sauce packets....you can use a homemade mix if you'd like since you have no emotional attachment to this recipe like I do....but you'll need 2-3 times as much as you'd normally use for tacos and the like); chicken broth (or chicken base and water...whatever); water. Optional: Sour cream.

Start by cutting up the peppers, onions and chicken. I like the chicken pieces to be about twice the size of the vegetables. Shred all the cheese (enlist your husband for this part....I always tell him if he WANTS lots of cheese he has to be the one to SHRED lots of cheese!).

(Note: I am *STILL* swooning over that vintage Corelle pattern. Those who know me on Facebook understand why. Maybe I should blog about it? Hrm....)

Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat w/ a tablespoon or so of whatever oil you like. Add the peppers and onions. Cook them until they are translucent, but not browned. Don't worry if you cook them a little too long...you really can't screw it up.

Remove the peppers and onions from the pan (or most of them...don't stress getting every last one), and add the chicken to the pan (feel free to season it liberally w/ black pepper and whatnot...don't use much salt if you're opting for packet seasonings later, though...). Now, I SUPPOSE you could cook all of it together, but quite frankly, this is how I've always done it and it's hard to undo almost 15 years of habit. Plus I like the peppers and onions to not be browned and the chicken to be browned, so this is my way of making sure it's just to my liking. Shoot me. ;)

When the chicken is done, remove it from the pan. Set up a "station"--tortillas, cheese, olives, vegetables, chicken, pan (oh, and you should totally line your pan with pan lining paper so you don't have to scrub the pan afterwards....).

When you're ready to assemble....

3-4 pieces of chicken, a handful of veggies, a few olives...

Sprinkle with a handful of monterey jack cheese...

Roll them up tightly, and place it in the pan. Stuff as many as you can get into the pan. I probably could've put another 2-3 in this pan, but I ran out of tortillas because *SOMEONE-who-shall-remain-nameless* has been using the package I bought for this for breakfast burritos all week....

At this point....remember the pan you cooked everything in? Yeah, put that back on the burner and turn it up to medium high. Throw in your taco and fajita seasoning...add some garlic powder, some cayenne, whatever you like, really. Stir the seasonings all around a bit to toast them....then pour in 1 cup of chicken stock and 1/2-3/4-ish cup of cold water to deglaze the pan (remember...browned chicken=yummy pan drippings!). Use a whisk to scrape all the good bits off the bottom of the pan and mix the seasonings with the water. Let it boil a few minutes to reduce slightly...not real necessary, but again, I've always done it, so I still do it. At this point, if you wish, you can mix in a few tablespoons of sour cream...I do it sometimes, but I'm not a huge fan of sour cream, so I didn't this time. Mix together about a tablespoon of flour and 1/4 cup of cold water in a cup with a fork and then pour it directly into your sauce and mix it up--this will help thicken it in the oven. Turn the heat off and pour the sauce directly over the pan of rolled up tortillas. I use a small measuring cup and pour it a little bit at a time to make sure the tops are all evenly covered, and then pour the rest into the baking pan.

It's going to look soupy, don't worry. Most of that liquid will be absorbed by the tortillas when you bake it.

Top with cheese--now, I prefer just a little bit of cheese on top, but my husband likes lots, so since these were for my husband by request....well....avert your eyes....

Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. It won't kill it if it's a little over, and it won't kill YOU if it's a little under since everything inside is pre-cooked, but you want to give the cheese inside a chance to melt and the tortillas a chance to absorb the sauce. The last 3-5 minutes, turn the broiler on to thoroughly brown the top.

As you can see, it'll still be a little saucy when you take it out of the oven, but it's enchiladas...they're supposed to be saucy! ;) Plus, that sauce should have thickened up by now and not be super runny. It will thicken further upon standing as well. I cut them with a serrated knife and serve in squares like a casserole. If you want to, you could try to cut the individual enchiladas out of the pan....but that's more effort than I tend to want to take. :)

In a word, NOM!

Grilled Fish Tacos

I don't know about your family, but it's a rare occasion when I can get mine to eat fish that doesn't come frozen out of a box, if ya know what I mean. And I don't know about YOU, but personally the words "taco" and "fried" do not go hand in hand in my head, so I just can't bring myself to use fried fish for fish tacos. Not saying it'll never ever happen, just that it hasn't sounded good enough to happen yet. So here is my grilled version. :)

What you'll need:

1 lb of whatever fish you like, really. I used catfish the night I made these, but anything from Tilapia to Red Snapper would be awesome. Just make sure it's as fresh as possible. If you live more than a couple hours from the ocean, buy your fish frozen. ;) Don't worry TOO much about it falling apart on the grill because, let's face it....fish does that, and you're going to shred it up at the end anyway.

red & green cabbage
tomatoes
onion
cucumber
cilantro
lots of limes
flour tortillas

Start by heavily seasoning the fish--I used Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and fresh black pepper. It was a little spicy this time around. You might lay off the extra cayenne if you don't like spicy. Rub the seasonings into both sides of the fish and set aside.

Chop up all of the veggies, cut the limes into wedges.

Now throw the fish on the amazingly hot grill. You could rub the grill down with some oil first, but I rarely do. Grill for a couple minutes on each side, depending on how thick your fillets are.

(Horrible cell phone pic, sorry!)

Take the fish back inside and shred it up with a fork.

Now just build your tacos...you could heat up or char your tortillas if you want, but I don't typically bother for fish tacos.

Now, if you want, you can go to the trouble of making cole slaw to put in your tacos, but quite frankly, I prefer the fresh veggies to cole slaw (but then, I don't eat much by way of condiments). If you want to do the cole slaw pictured (which, I admit that I just threw together because my husband asked me to), you'll also need:

1 whole carrot
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon white sugar
the juice of 2 limes
salt and pepper to taste

(Just shred the carrot with your box grater, add a handful of each of the other veggies, except for the tomato of course, and then mix the dressing on top of it. Adjust the amounts of everything for your needs and liking.)

(Don't be like my husband....put tomatoes on there, too! ;) )

That's all there is to it! NOM!!

Crock Pot Baked Beans

These beans are always a crowd pleaser. I forgot to take photos the last time I made them, but I did take a quick photo of a plate of leftovers before they were inhaled.... ;)

How yummy does that look?? Seriously? Thick, gooey, just yummmmm!

Anyway....it's simple, really. You'll need good bar-be-cue sauce (I really love Longhorn BBQ sauce for stuff like this, and you can get it at most local grocery stores if you happen to live in the WA-OR-ID area), 1 large red onion, 1/2 a pound of bacon, approximately 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, and 2-3 cans of plain old everyday baked beans. Not the "grilling" ones, just plain baked beans. Tip: The generic baked beans are better than the name brand for this, so don't waste your money. ;) You could really add whatever you like, but this is what I use.

Start by opening the beans and dumping them into the crock pot. Go ahead and turn the crock pot on to "High" now. 

Slice the onion super thin, and caramelize it in a heavy bottom pan over medium-low heat with about a tablespoon of vegetable oil. This will take a while, so be patient, and stir it now and then so it doesn't burn. Some onions have more natural sugars in them than others...if your onions don't start to brown after about 15 mins, turn the heat up slightly and add a spoon full of sugar. You could probably skip this step, but I like the extra flavor this provides. Add the caramelized onions to the beans.

Chop the bacon into small pieces and brown them until they are crispy in a skillet, and add it to the beans.

Finely chop the jalapenos, seeds and all. Add the jalapeno, sugar and BBQ sauce to the beans.

Cover the crock pot, and cook on high until everything is hot and bubbly. Adjust the lid so it is cocked a bit to let steam escape, and cook until the beans reach a thickness you like. All crock pots are different, but on high, it takes about 4 hours in mine to reach the consistency above. I like them to stay where I put them on the plate, not spread out all over the place.

Super simple & super yummy!! Great side dish for bar-be-ques and pot lucks! 

Homemade Egg Noodles

Is there anything on this planet better than homemade pasta?? I'm such a carb head.

This is totally not my recipe or method, either. It belongs to Ryan Detzel, and I first saw this posted on The Pioneer Woman's blog.

This a simple method to make homemade noodles. All it takes is two ingredients--flour and eggs. Done. And it's simple to remember, too, so there's nothing to write down--1 cup of flour + 2 eggs = dinner for 2.  If you cut them a little on the "chubby" side, like I did below, they are almost dumpling like. So yummy.

I'll spare you the directions since you can just click on over to the Pioneer Woman's site and see much prettier photos than mine, along with all the directions and commentary ya need to make them.

But I will say this...seriously awesome go-to dish to have in your repertoire. Two ingredients. No fancy gadgets needed to make it. Versatile. The kids LOVE to help. Everyone loves to eat them!

Chicken Taco Salad

In a word, NOM!

Everyone in my house loves green salad--even my super finicky 8 year old with severe feeding issues will eat salad, so we usually have some variation of a salad as a main course 3-4 nights a week. This is one of our favorites.

The chicken is very similar to my crock pot taco chicken. I basically do the same thing, but instead of salsa, I use a large can of diced tomatoes (you could totally use 2-3 cans of Rotel) and a bag of frozen Southwest mix veggies. I also use lime zest instead of a tangelo peel for this.

The salad is nothing special. Whatever greens that are on sale--romaine, cabbage, arugula, butter, green leaf, baby spinach, just whatever you like; tomato, onion, cucumber, etc. etc. etc. Just make a salad. ;) You could totally serve this on top of tortilla chips or even in a tortilla bowl if you're in the mood. I normally don't, though. Toss a handful of cheese on top and a spoonful of the chicken and you're good to go! My husband tops his with salsa and sour cream.

The Best Pico de Gallo EVER

At least in my opinion...but then, I'm biased, so you'll just have to decide for yourself. I'm not one for condiments and sauces, but I will put this on pretty much anything. :)


What you'll need:

Cilantro, onion (I prefer white....), ripe tomatoes (romas are best, but I had others that needed to be used up that day...use what you have), jalapenos.

Chop everything super fine and mix it together. Don't bother measuring, but you want to aim for equal parts cilantro, onion and tomato. Add enough finely chopped jalapeno to make it as spicy as you like. That's all there is to it. You *COULD* add a squeeze of lemon or lime, and a pinch of salt, but consider if you'll be eating this with chips or not, because tortilla chips have a lot of salt on them already.

Pollo Loco

*Update* I made this on the grill last night and it worked out so much better! Take 4 sheets of tin foil and fold them together so they are 2 wide and 2 thick. Fold up a lip all around, and put it straight on top of the grates on your grill--if you have wire grates with 1" or so spacing like on the top rack pictured below, you might want to make it 3 layers thick; my grates are cast iron with about 1/3-1/2" spacing and this worked perfectly. Spread your charcoal evenly across the whole thing and raise it up almost as high as the charcoal carrier will go. If you have a gas grill, just turn it on as high as it'll go. Add a little bit of oil to prevent sticking, and cook the same way on the grill as you would in the pan, but this way you have a huge surface to work on and you can just throw the mess away! :)

My family frequents this Mexican restaurant in our town, and they make a dish they call "Pollo Loco." It is basically just peppers, onions and chicken charred like for fajitas, and served over spicy rice with some shredded lettuce and a little bit of mozzarella (yes, mozzarella) cheese, tomato and green onions. They serve it with 3 flour tortillas. As simple as it is, it is one of my favorites and I always order it when we eat there. I've been meaning to make it at home for a few weeks now and finally got around to it last night.

Here's what it looked like in the restaurant the last time I ordered it....it came out a little underdone, and kinda greasy...I wasn't real pleased, but it was still pretty yummy. Horrible cell phone pic...sorry....

What you need to make it at home:

Pretend there's a bowl of rice and a can of Rotel in that photo for me, ok?

Shredded iceberg lettuce (I'd much prefer romaine, but who am I to argue?), mozzarella cheese (again, I'd think monterey jack would be more appropriate, but even their menu says they use mozzarella, so....), onion, green onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, white chile, poblano pepper, (you could really use any variety of peppers you want or can get your hands on....this is what the Safeway near my house had....so I grabbed one of each), tortillas (flour!), chicken breasts--this is about 1 lb, and you can use thighs if you prefer them.

First things first, this is one of those recipes that you cannot prep as you cook, because if you're anything like me, something will burn before you have the next thing prepped, so wash and slice everything before you even heat up your pan. Snip the green onions with scissors and slice up the tomatoes--and set them aside because you want to add these fresh at the end. I wound up using only half of each of the bell peppers, and half of the onion, because it was a LOT once it was all sliced up, and I wanted to actually taste the chicken. haha! Slice the peppers into thin strips--I quartered the bell peppers and then sliced them across the short way into thin little strips. Fillet or butterfly the chicken and slice it into pieces about the same size as the pepper strips, maybe a bit bigger, but not much.

When everything is prepped and ready to go, season the chicken with salt and pepper, and then heat a couple tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a large heavy skillet (cast iron if you've got it...or even a good dutch oven if you don't have a huge skillet) over medium high heat. A griddle would be awesome if you've got one that goes directly onto the stove, too....but I like sides for stuff like this because I'm a messy cook!

Pour a cup of rice, a can of Rotel, and 1 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan (you could totally add taco seasoning or extra cayenne or hot sauce or whatever you like, but I think the rest of the dish adds more than enough flavor) and cook it like you would normally cook rice--bring it to a boil, throw the lid on, turn the heat down and let it simmer for a few mins. Set the rice aside.

While the rice cooks, toss the chicken into your pan first. Cook it a minute or two until it starts to brown, and then add the sliced onion and peppers. You may need a little more oil, add it as necessary. You want that sizzling sound. Stir and cook it all together until everything is slightly blackened--don't be like me and open a beer and walk away while chatting with your husband....because mine was more than slightly blackened (haha!), but it was still good because I was GOING for that charred taste anyway. No seriously, I was...not at all joking.

Awesome....

When everything is cooked to your liking, plate a spoonful of the rice and spread it out to cover half the plate, then take a handful of the lettuce and spread it on the other half. Toss the green onions and tomatoes with the veggie/chicken mix (yeah I just threw mine on top because I'm the only one in my house that will eat a fresh tomato...house full of weirdos, I tell ya!)--I added olives I found in the cabinet, too--and then spoon the veggie/chicken mix over the rice, along with a handful of cheese. Top with cilantro (that I totally forgot to buy...oops!) and serve with warmed tortillas.

mmmmmm....Leftovers for lunch the next day!!!! ;)

Verdict? Even slightly more charred than I wanted, my version was *WAY* better...and for what it costs to eat it at the restaurant, I made enough for 4 people to have for dinner AND lunch the next day. :D

Brined & Roasted Turkey

This is such a basic thing, but it makes all the difference in the world, no matter how you intend to cook your turkey. You can adjust the quantities to your desire, just make sure the ratios remain proportionate. You can add whatever herbs or aromatics you'd like. Traditionalists will recommend thyme, rosemary and bay leaves, but do what you want. Even if you don't add anything else to this, the bird will come out awesome, I promise.

I have a cooler that holds 7 gallons and happens to be the *PERFECT* size for brining 1-2 14-pound turkeys...which was totally a happy accident since I bought it because it's also the perfect size to hold 2 gallons of milk and one bag of ice for road trips (it's a Coleman model 6277 if anyone cares). You could easily do this in a 5 gallon bucket or a massive stock pot, or, well, really anything that the turkey will fit inside completely.

My brine is super simple, and you can omit the beer and just add extra water if you'd like and it'll be just as good.

In a large pot, combine:

6 12-oz beers

1 cup of brown sugar

2 cups of salt (whatever salt you have....I use kosher in my cooking, but I always just buy a 50 cent thing of cheap table salt for this....that is almost exactly 2 cups)

2-3 quarts of water (enough to top off the pot)

Heat over medium high heat until all of the sugar and salt dissolve, then remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. If you are as impatient as I am, you can pour this over a bag of ice right into the bucket/cooler/pot you're going to use.

Pull the pop up thermometer out of the turkey if there is one, rinse well under cold water, and then put your turkey into the cooler breast side down. Add a bag of ice, and then top off with water and stir to distribute the brine. Let the turkey sit in this at LEAST 8-12 hours. Usually, I buy a frozen bird and I let it thaw in the brine. This saves me room in my refrigerator, and it gives the bird extra time in the brine solution. :) Win-win! Just make sure you check at least once a day and add ice as needed, to keep everything cold. Luke warm water + poultry is not a good idea. ;)

When you're ready to cook your bird, preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Pull it out of the brine and rinse it off, inside and out. Pat it dry and put it on a rack inside a roasting pan. Smear the outside with real butter (you could certainly whip your butter up with some fresh garlic paste and use that for extra flavor) and put stuff loosely inside as desired (note: NOT STUFFING. STUFF. Onions, garlic, carrots, celery, apples, orange peel, whatever...but under no circumstances dressing...It will not cook evenly and will just make a huge yucky mess). Put extra 'stuff' in the bottom of the roasting pan and add about a quart of chicken stock (or turkey, if you happen to have it in your freezer...I never do). Just make sure the bottom of the turkey is not touching the liquid--you can add more stock as necessary throughout the cooking process if you find all of the liquid has evaporated. You can just as easily use Better Than Bouillon and hot water, too. ;) 

Throw the bird into the 500 degree oven, close the door and walk away for 30-45 minutes. Do not look at it. Do not, under any circumstances, open the door. After 30-45 minutes, turn the heat down to 350, pull it out, baste it really good with the liquid in the bottom of the pan, and then tent the breast only with foil. Put the bird back in. Every 30ish minutes, go back and baste it again.

Using a probe thermometer (available at Walmart for like $3....don't skimp), take the bird's temperature in the thickest part of the thigh, between the thigh and the body of the bird. When it reads between 155 and 160 (should take roughly 2-3 hrs for a 13-15 lb bird), pull it out and cover the entire turkey tightly in foil. Its temperature will continue to raise and the juices will distribute it will be perfect and ready to eat after about 20-30 minutes.

Perfect Oatmeal Cookies

I woke up craving oatmeal cookies today. What can I say? I must've been dreaming about them or something. The kids wanted to go to Grandma's house, and my husband had a slight case of cabin fever, so we decided to go bake cookies at Grandma's house...after a quick trip through Safeway, of course. :)

This recipe is totally not mine, FYI. It has been adapted from Smitten Kitchen's "thick, chewy oatmeal raisin cookies". I cannot express my love for Smitten Kitchen enough!

What ya need, "in order of appearance":

1 cup softened butter (I know I always say margarine is fine....but you need real butter for this....and don't be like me and forget to pull your butter out of the freezer...oops!)
1 1/2 cup brown sugar (whatever you like, I use dark brown sugar)
2 eggs
1 tsp good vanilla extract (I used bourbon vanilla....you could use a vodka vanilla....or McCormick...whatever...I won't tell...)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3-3 1/2 cups oatmeal (anything but instant will work...I use quick oats since that's what I buy for breakfast...)
1 bag chocolate chips (whatever you like...my crowd likes milk, and I prefer dark, so I used half and half)
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups nuts (whatever you like....walnuts are good...as are pecans...or, well, anything, really...)

Typical cookie method--cream the butter and sugar together, add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix up the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon with a fork, then combine the wet and dry mixtures. Stir in the oatmeal a cup at a time, then fold in the chocolate chips, raisins and nuts.

Chill the dough for half an hour or so. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and then drop the dough in balls about an inch apart (mine didn't spread much at all....but then my dough-to-stuff ratio was VERY heavy on the stuff so there really wasn't much TO spread).

Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes or until browned to your liking. Allow to sit on the hot cookie sheet for an additional 5 mins or so after you pull them out of the oven, then move them to cooling racks.

NOMMMMMMMMM!!!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

*updated 06 March 2013*

I've only been meaning to blog this recipe for a month now, but it's so good I keep forgetting to take a photo until it's all gone!

Sorry, no real process photos, but it's really simple! Here's a general list of what you'll need:

1.5-2 lbs chicken breasts (or thighs)
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 big cloves of garlic, minced and crushed into paste
2 12-16 oz bags of Southwest Mix frozen veggies (the one I love is by Birdseye...use what you like)
2 cans of Rotel (Original)
1/2 cup of white rice
1/4 cup sour cream
1-2 teaspoons of chicken base (I like Better Than Bouillon, but you can use a couple bouillon cubes or substitute a can of stock or leave it out entirely, that's fine too....)
2 tablespoons of your favorite taco or fajita seasoning--I love the one over at Give Peas A Chance, as I've said before....but you can use McCormick if you'd prefer...no one will tell.

seasoning to taste (I use salt & pepper, garlic and onion powders, chile powder, lots of cayenne pepper...Montreal Seasoning works well, too)


Start out with a couple tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottom soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Toss in the onion and garlic paste and cook till the onions are translucent. Cut the chicken into 1/2" cubes and toss it in with the onion and garlic, and then use your misc. seasonings to season the chicken before turning the heat up to high and browning it a bit. Toss in the fajita seasoning and the chicken base, both cans of Rotel, the rice and the bags of veggies, and add about 2 quarts of water (enough to top off the pot). Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat and cover and let it simmer for 20 mins or so (I know this seems like a long time for those of us who prefer their rice a little firm...but I think soft is better for this....so use your judgment). At the end, mix in the sour cream (I *HATE* sour cream straight up....but I still put it in this. It adds a little something and it doesn't make everything taste like sour cream, I promise!).


Spoon out the "good stuff" into a bowl with a slotted spoon, and then use a ladle or a measuring cup to pour the broth over the top of it--this way everyone gets their preferred "stuff to broth ratio." haha!!

Top with shredded cheese (cheddar...must...have...cheddar....monterey jack is good, too, but you simply MUST use cheddar, too! LOL!), more sour cream for those who like it, and tortilla strips or Fritos! I usually add shredded lettuce and chopped tomato and onion to the top as well.

Voila! Tortilla soup.

Stuffed Shells

I haven't blogged in forever it seems. *sigh* I am going to TRY to get back into the swing of blogging regularly again.

I made these shells a couple weeks ago and I only took a photo of the finished product, so I'm posting this recipe/method by memory. It's not like I measure anything anyway, so measurements wouldn't matter much.

2 lbs ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
5 oz, divided in half, shredded Parmesan cheese (I PREFER grated...just don't buy that shelf stable crap. It's not cheese. Get it in the deli or grate it yourself)
seasoned bread crumbs (make them yourself, buy them, whatever)
3 cloves garlic, minced...or 1 tbsp garlic paste
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup of chopped mushrooms, minced
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 lb jumbo shells (1 box)
2 qts of your favorite pasta sauce (canned works great for this....home made is fine if you have the energy to make it or have some frozen)

Start off by filling a large pot of water to boil. Salt it, and add the jumbo shells when it comes to a boil. Boil for 1-2 mins shy of 'done' because you are going to bake these as well. Drain when cooked.

Add a tablespoon or two of oil to the bottom of a heavy skillet and add the garlic, mushrooms and onion, and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Then add the ground turkey and ground beef, mixing them together thoroughly as they brown. When the meat mixture is cooked through, add the egg, half the parmesan cheese, and 2 cups of the pasta sauce. Add the bread crumbs a handful at a time until the mixture comes together to a consistency similar to a meatloaf mixture. I also typically pick through all of the cooked shells and chop up any torn ones and add them to the filling.

Pour 1-2 cups of the pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Take a teaspoon and gently fill each shell and set it into the baking dish as close as you can get them. Repeat until the pan is full. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells in the pan and sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese and a light dusting of the bread crumbs. Bake at 400ish degrees for about half an hour, or until the cheese is melted and the filling is heated through.

Note: If the pan fills up before you use all of your shells and filling, fill the shells anyway and flash freeze them and store in a Ziploc bag in the freezer till next time.

Ya know how to make a great breakfast sandwich awesome? Smear the bread with maple butter (mix maple syrup with your butter or margarine), and toast it like a grilled cheese sandwich. I guarantee....awesome, no matter what kind of bread you use, whether it's sourdough or whole wheat, a nice artisan bread or a plain white bread. Awesome. ;)