sangria punch. sneakier than my sneaky punch.

A friend on facebook gave me this recipe. Thank you Crystal! I didn't realize how sneaky this punch is, until I was drunk after 1-2 glasses. We drink often too. Next time, I'll make sure to double this batch, it only makes a half-gallon, which is like 4-6 glasses. It only lasted 2 nights in our house. Not to mention it's DELICIOUS. I love sangria anything. I omitted the sliced fruit since it was me and the hubby. I also omitted the refrigerating overnight,  because I'm impatient. hahaha.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup brandy 
1 bottle dry red wine (I used Sutter Homes White Merlot, works just fine)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup triple sec
1/4 cup white sugar
8 maraschino cherries
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds
bottle of pink champagne

Directions:

In a large pitcher or bowl, mix together the first 7 ingredients. Float slices of lemon, orange, lime, and maraschino cherries in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor. For a fizzy sangria, add pink champagne just before serving.

BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. crockpot style.

I've been experimenting with crock pot recipes lately if you haven't noticed. It's just so easy to throw your dinner in a pot and let it cook all day/night long, yet taste like you've been slaving away at the stove. :) I threw this in the slow cooker last night before bed just so we could have it in time for lunch today. Pair it with some potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, and you're set! I will say it's a darn good bbq meal for not being able to use our grill in the winter.


The original recipe called for boneless pork ribs, but we don't have the greatest meat selection up here...so I used pork loin. Pork butt or pork shoulder would be your best bet, because it's much cheaper than loin or ribs, but still tastes great. When I started shredding it, I thought oh boy this looks dry, but after mixing it up with the bbq sauce, it was just fine. Next time I'll attempt to make my own bbq sauce, the bottled kind is still great and quick/easy, but what else do I have to do? ;) I'll post a sauce recipe once I test one out!



Ingredients:
-half medium onion, sliced
-4lb pork loin/butt/shoulder/ribs (heck you could even use a beef roast)
-garlic powder
-salt/pepper
-1 bottle beer (I used Guinness, I hear root beer works well too if you have that-the darker the beer the more flavorful)
-dash of Liquid Smoke, optional (i had on hand and like the smokey flavor)
-1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (I've used Jack Daniels but Head Country is my fav)
-French rolls/buns


Directions:
Place sliced onions on bottom of slow cooker, then place pork on top. Sprinkle garlic powder, salt, pepper, and any other dry seasonings to top of pork. Add bottle of beer and dash of liquid smoke to slow cooker. Cook on low for 10-12 hours (high 7-8 hours) or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred, discard remaining liquids from the crock pot. Combine BBQ sauce with shredded meat, adding more BBQ sauce until you like it. I used almost a whole bottle...I don't like mine super saucy, you can always add more sauce to your sandwich.
This last part is completely optional. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer meat to cast iron skillet or baking dish, and bake in oven for 30 minutes, until heated through and slightly crispy on the edges. I saw on the reviews a lot of people didn't want to dirty an extra dish, so it's entirely up to you haha. I went ahead and did this step anyway. You can also throw it back in the slow cooker for an hour on high to heat it up instead. Or microwave it, I don't care!
Brown your rolls in the oven, slap some meat on there, and you're ready to grub!

french dip sammiches. bring it arbys.

This french dip recipe is to die for! Try it...you won't be disappointed!

Ingedients:

-2 cans Campbell's Consummé  (located with all of the Campbell's soups at your grocery store)

-4 lb Rump Roast (next time I think I'll try a chuck roast instead, but rump works too, whatever's cheaper!)

-1 packet dry Lipton's onion soup mix

-3-4 cloves of garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)

-1 small can of mushrooms, optional

-Few shakes of Worcestershire sauce

-1/2-1 bottle of dark beer (I used Guinness)

-French rolls

-provolone cheese

-sauteed onions for topping, optional but delicious

Directions:

Trim excess fat from roast and place in a slow cooker. (You can add any extra seasonings here if you like, I threw in a little greek seasoning on top of the roast for fun). Add Consumme, onion soup mix, garlic, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and beer. Cook on low setting for 10-12 hours, or high 8-10 hours. Slice meat thin, and save all the sauce for dipping. Heat rolls in 350 degree oven until crispy and heated through. Add meat, cheese, onions to roll and serve with a bowl of the au jus. The au jus may look thickened or gelatinous the next day, but don't worry, just throw it in the microwave! :)

lighter baked chicken parmesan

My husband makes a delicious chicken parmesan, but I can only imagine how bad it is for you...especially when you top it with a bunch of pasta noodles. I found this recipe from Gina, and it's a great lighter take on the original recipe. I had a ton of leftover marinara sauce from the baked zucchini sticks recipe, and it goes PERFECT with this! I'll post the marinara recipe below just incase. 

I did add some brown sugar to the sauce because I like it sweet for this recipe.

Servings: 8 • Size: 1 piece • Time: 40 minutes • Calories: 231 • Points: 5.5 ww points

4 (8 oz) chicken breast halves, sliced in half

3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp butter, melted (I use 1 egg white)

3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1 cup marinara 

cooking spray

brown sugar to taste (optional, but not included in points) for a sweet marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.
Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture. Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken. Lightly spray a little more cooking oil on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, spoon sauce over chicken and top with shredded cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted. 

1 Point Quick Marinara Sauce (1 cup)

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 small bay leaf (I omit because my husband doesn't like me to use them lol)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and bay leaf. Stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer about 20 minutes.

red lobster cheddar bay biscuits

Now we don't have a Red Lobster up here, but who can forget their AMAZING biscuits. Well... These are ALMOST as good :). Thanks to Stephanie. I modified her recipe just a bit to lower the saltiness and strong oregano flavor.

Ingredients:
2 cups of buttermilk biscuit mix (like Bisquick or Jiffy mix)
1/2 a teaspoon of garlic powder
1 to 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.
2/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2-1 teaspoon of oregano (I probably used 1/2)
1 teaspoon of garlic powder

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- Combine the biscuit mix, cheese, and garlic powder. Stir well.
3- Add the milk and stir. The mix should be thick, not sticky. You may need to use your hands to get the ingredients well combined.
4- Bake for 10 minutes of until lightly golden.
5- While baking, melt the butter in a small bowl and add the oregano and garlic salt.
6- Using a pastry brush, brush on the butter.
7- Return to the oven for about 5 minutes.

cheesy bean party dip

My best friend made this for her halloween party. I'm pretty sure it was gone within 20 minutes of us getting there. It was that good. Try it, now!

1 can fat-free refried beans
1c. light sour cream
1 pkg dry ranch mix
2c. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese 

Mix all ingredients together and cook in a small crock pot all day. OR if you're impatient like I am, just cook over medium low heat in a sauce pan until cheese is completely melted. It's still freakin' delicious. Even tastes good cold :)

asian glazed drumsticks. heaven.

I loooove oriental food. Unfortunately most of it up here..sucks. These are probably the 2nd best asian-style chicken wings I've ever had, right behind the ones I like to order at the Thai restaurant. They take a little bit of effort, but I promise it's well worth it. You and anyone else that eats them will love it! Made a big batch for a party the other night and they were a huge hit :) Make these. NOW! I modified the original recipe a little bit for my taste.

10-16 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed

Pam spray oil

1 cup water

1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (make sure it's low-sodium or it will be way too salty)

4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)

3 cloves garlic

dash of ground ginger

brown sugar

honey

2 tbsp chives or scallions, chopped

sesame seeds, for garnish

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down. Stir in a good amount of honey and brown sugar, until it's sweet enough for your liking. Let the sauce reduce down, 20-25 minutes until it becomes a THICK glaze, turning chicken occasionally. I like the glaze to be a syrup consistency, it will look very bubbly* and frothy* after a while. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it start becoming thick) Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve.

* This is what the sauce should begin to look like when you know it's finished:

baked zucchini sticks

I found this recipe off of a Weight Watchers blogger.. crazy right?! These things are SOOO good. I made these tonight for dinner, and my husband actually said "I love these"...to vegetables. What has gone wrong with the world?! Anyway, these are a MUST TRY. Even if you don't like veggies. They remind me of french fries...but these are actually good for you :)

3 medium zucchini sliced into 3" x 1/2" sticks (I just use 1 large zucchini)

1 large egg white

1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese (I used grated parmesan)

cooking spray

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt

fresh pepper

Quick Marinara Sauce:

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 small bay leaf

1 tsp oregano

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

salt and fresh pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425°.
In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and bay leaf. Stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer about 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat egg whites and season with salt and pepper. In a ziplock bag, place breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese and shake well. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake at 425° for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with 1/2 cup marinara sauce for dipping. breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese and shake well.

easy homemade spaghetti sauce

My dad taught me how to make this sauce back when I first got married and didn't know how to cook. Before that it was Prego and ground beef! I've had Prego since, and yuck. My husband always has me make this dish the night before his PT tests, so at least I know he likes it :) It's not the fanciest sauce out there, but it works for us!

1/2 an onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic!)
1 lb ground beef (I just use the whole package, you could also use ground turkey)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
small can mushrooms  (4oz)
1.5 tbsp dried basil
tomato paste (optional, as a thickener if sauce is too thin)

Add beef, onion, and garlic to large sauce pan. Cook on medium heat until meat is full cooked. Add in tomatoes, sauce, mushrooms, and basil. Add in 1/2 can tomato paste if you don't want it really think, or 1 can if you want it thick! (My photo shows it with 1 can) Mix everything in and simmer for 30-60 minutes. You don't have to let it simmer that long, but it has more flavor! I usually let mine simmer for 35-45 minutes, then start cooking my noodles. Enjoy!

ranch pretzels...YUM!

These are OH MY GOSH delicious. Be careful, if you're not paying attention you'll eat them all. :) One of my favorite go-to snacks. Thanks to my next door neighbor, Lisa! ;)


1 package ranch dressing (dry powder)
1/2 cup vegetable oil [I use extra light olive oil]
1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dill weed [left this out the first time i made them because i didnt have on hand, still tasted great]
1 lb bavarian pretzels or sourdough hard pretzels (the big fat ones)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Break pretzels into bite sized pieces

Pour pretzels onto baking pan.

Mix all other ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over pretzels. I mix all the pretzels together with a spoon afterwards to make sure they all get coated in this seasony goodness :)

Leave sit for about an hour allowing flavors to soak in. (I usually omit this step, I'm impatient lol)

Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Allow to cool and store in air-tight container or large ziploc bag.

kabob marinade

This is the best kabob marinade I have found to date. Chicken, steak, whatever, it's AMAZZZINGGG. I prefer it on chicken, it literally falls off the skewer :). The steak is amazing too, just make sure it's cubed thin enough so the marinade will penetrate all the way. If I could eat this every day...I so would. :)


3/4 cup vegetable oil (I use extra light olive oil and not near as much as it calls for)
3/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
chicken or steak, cut into bite size pieces

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ground black pepper, and garlic. Mix well, and add your favorite meat. Seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.( Let it marinate for 24 hours, I promise..it's worth it!) Feel free to marinade some veggies too (in a separate bag of course).

the only way I'll eat grilled salmon.

I found this recipe off of allrecipes a few years ago, and OH MY GOSH. It's the only way my husband and I will eat salmon anymore. YUM! If you have some good quality salmon near you and live in a grill-able place.. you have to try this. It reminds me of bourbon chicken, and the soy sauce helps get rid of the "fishy" flavor that salmon has. 

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets, skin/bones removed (I use 2-3 small fillets for the 2 of us)
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce (I use low-sodium)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use a 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to make it healthier)


Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper seasoning and garlic powder.

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. [The longer you marinade the better it tastes, I let mine marinate for atleast 8 hours :)]

Preheat grill for medium heat. 

Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. I like to add a little more lemon pepper and garlic powder during grilling.

heather's big chocolate cookies

My friend Heather is AWESOME at baking. She made these one day and brought them into work, and I was hooked! You can't have just one of these cookies. If you're not careful you'll end up eating 10. That's how good these things are. I LOVE brownies, cookies, and cake...so this recipe is the best of all 3. It's like that ooey gooey brownie that we all love...but in cookie form. I'm eating one as we speak :) Doesn't help that this is like the eastiest baking recipe ever (I'm a baking newb) and it makes a TON. I end up always making over 2 dozen cookies and freezing the other half of the batter. These are a huge hit at parties.



1 pkg dry brownie mix
2 pkgs dry cake mix (I like the triple chocolate kind)
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water


Preheat oven to 325. In a LARGE bowl, mix all ingredients together. It will be very sticky.

Spoon batter onto oiled baking sheet. Bake in oven at 325 for 10 minutes. 


They will look like they're not quite done, but that's how you want them! :) I usually get 2 baking sheets going at once because there is so much batter. I'll cook 1 baking sheet while spooning batter onto another...then while the first batch cools, I'll stick the 2nd one in the oven. Goes alot quicker this way. Let cookies settle for about 10 minutes then dig in! Yumm!

oh lumpia...how i love you so.

This recipe is one of my favorites. Our neighbor across the street is from the Philippines and was nice enough to grace us with such amazing food. For those of you who don't know what a lumpia is, it's sort of like a mini egg-roll, but way better! It does take some time to prepare, but I assure you it's WELL worth the time spent. Once you try them you'll be hooked! This recipe makes 30-50 depending on how much you fill them so it's a great item to have for a party or get together...though I recommend making 2 or 3 batches. Everyone will be begging you for the recipe. :)

EDIT: I actually tried baking these a few nights ago, and OMG. They were almost as good and wayyyy less calories. Though you HAVE to try them fried atleast once, if you're looking for a healthy alternative, baking them is the way to go. 450 degrees for 20 min, flipping over once (no need to thaw).

1 lb. ground pork (I just use the whole package, around 1.5 lbs..can also sub ground turkey or ground beef if they don't have pork)

1 medium sized carrot, grated
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (Progresso garlic and herb)
1 egg
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

lumpia wrappers

sweet chili sauce, for dipping

vegetable oil, for frying

In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. I use my hands to mix it all together.

Now the lumpia wrappers should be in the freezer section of your grocery store. Our grocery store has it's own section for lumpias, they might also be called spring/egg roll wrappers. Once your wrappers have thawed a little bit, take a pair of kitchen shears and cut them diagonally.  You don't have to cut/peel the entire package at once. Ooh I almost forgot...peel off the front and back layer...the package I get, the outside wrappers are shiny and almost plastic-like.

Carefully peel apart each wrapper, try not to rip them as they are fragile! These take a while to peel, so if you notice that your wrappers are starting to dry up, place inside of a wet paper towel. :)

For this next part, you'll want to make sure you have a tiny bowl of water and a plate for your lumpias. Once you have a good amount of wrappers peeled and ready to go, take a small spoonful of the pork mix and spread it along the bottom of the wrapper. Don't put too much on there, or else the pork won't cook all the way through! 

Now the folding begins. Take each of the sides, and fold them in, tucking them in with the meat.

Roll the meat up until you get to the tip of the wrapper. 

With one hand, take a few fingers, dip them in the water bowl, and wet the tip of the wrapper, then fold the rest up. The water acts as a glue to keep the wrapper from coming apart. You should now have one lumpia. Yay!

Continue to do this until you've used up all of your pork mix or until you're too tired to do anymore for the day! ;)

Now that you have your lumpias ready to fry, heat up your vegetable oil in a frying pan, with enough oil to submerge the lumpias. You don't have to fry them all up at once, whatever you don't want to fry up, just put in a bag and store in the freezer until you're ready for more!

Now that your oil is hot, throw a few of these bad boys in there and fry away, flipping once to make sure that both sides get nice and brown/crispy. I'll admit I burned my first few, if the oil is too hot, the outside will cook too fast and end up burnt by the time the pork is cooked. Burnt lumpias don't taste yummy.

Let them cool off for a bit before you dig in... and make sure you dip them in the sweet chili sauce! Below is a picture of what I use. I found the sauce in the "oriental food" section of our grocery store, next to the soy sauce. They don't taste the same without it :) Hope you love them just as much as I do!

Here's a photo of the baked ones I made the other night. They're still super yummy!!

they should call this sneaky punch...

I had a little party planned for the weekend, and wanted a tasty punch to go along with it. I was looking for a cheap recipe that would quench everyone's thirst. This one does just that. You can't taste the alcohol at all, so make sure you keep track of how much you drink :)

1 bottle (750 ml size) Southern Comfort 
6 ounces lemon juice
6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate
6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
3 liters 7Up/Sprite

Chill ingredients. Mix first 4 ingredients in a large punch bowl. Add 7Up/Sprite. Float block of ice, garnish with fruit slices. 

My first blog.

I'm not a chef, and I don't claim to be...but I love food and I love to cook. I made this blog for my friends, family, and fellow military wives who want to make a nice home cooked meal, but don't know where to start. I understand that life gets in the way, and by the time you get home, wondering what to make for dinner becomes that one dreaded question. I didn't learn to cook until about 3 years ago when I got married, and have only recently been able to explore my love for the kitchen. I don't have the best camera or cooking utensils, but I do my best with what I'm given. I promise you'll love every bite of what you make! With that said, I have come across some very amazing recipes, and it would be a crime for me not to share them with you! :)

Dani