An Easy Dinner

I don't know about you but I like dinners that I can whip up fast. One of the family favorites is chicken alfredo. My cousin has a yummy homemade version that is really good. Sometimes though I'm needing an even easier version so I go store bought. The best store bought version I've found is Classico. I cook up the chicken first. While the chicken is cooking I start my noodles. When the chicken is done mix in the jar of alfredo sauce. Add a salad and some bread sticks and you have yourself a meal. It doesn't get much easier than that (unless of course you eat out)!

Fruit Yogurt

This yummy and super easy yogurt comes from my Auntie and cousin.

Fruit Yogurt

1 large container of yogurt (I sometimes do the vanilla flavored)
1 small container of strawberries
3-4 bananas

Empty the yogurt into a medium sized bowl. Wash the strawberries and cut into smaller pieces. Add the strawberries to the yogurt after cut. Peel and slice the banana. Add the banana to the yogurt after sliced. Stir all the ingredients together until well mixed.

I LOVE this recipe! I make this quite often as a side with dinner. It's also a really great recipe for the summer months.

Deviled Eggs

With Easter approaching this weekend I thought I would post my recipe for deviled eggs.

To start put the eggs in a pan with cold water. Put the pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Once the water starts boiling set the timer for 12 minutes. Once the eggs are done boiling take them off the heat and put them in a bowl with cold water.

When the eggs have cooled down peel the shells off. Next cut the eggs in half length wise and scoop out the cooked yolks. I don't have exact measurements for this next part. Depending on how many eggs you cook depends on how much you need. I use both miracle whip and mustard for the filling. I start with two large scoops of miracle whip and a small squirt of mustard. Stir all of it together and taste. Add more miracle whip and mustard if needed. You want to have a nice balance.

Once it tastes to your liking fill the egg shells with scoops of the filling. I use a small spoon to fill mine. Sprinkle the eggs with paprika once filled. Let the eggs chill in the fridge before serving.

Over Easy Eggs Trick

Hello blogging world! I realize I've been slacking this week. I hosted a bridal shower last night for my little sissy. It's been consuming my brain this week. Anyway I'm back. Keep checking my blog over the next few days I have lots to post about! Today I'm going to show you how to get the over easy egg effect without breaking the yolk. At the Mac house we like to call them dunker eggs. This little tip comes from Old Macs grandma. Grandma Jeffs is one talented lady in the kitchen!

To start spray the pan you are going to use with non stick cooking spray. I flick a few drops of water in the pan to see if it's warm enough. When the water sizzles it's ready. 


Crack your eggs into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Watch the eggs until the egg whites start to bubble and no longer look clear.

Egg whites are still clear

Egg whites are bubbling

Take a 1/4 cup measuring cup and fill about half way with water. Add the water into the pan and cover for 20 seconds. Uncover the pan and remove from the burner. Use a spatula to remove the eggs from the pan.

This is so super easy! It gives the effect of an over easy egg minus the flipping!

Jello Salad

If there is anything we Utahns know it's jello and fry sauce. I thought I would share one of my favorite go to and no fail recipes for jello. To start you need a 16 oz container of cottage cheese and cool whip, small box of jello, and fruit. If you are making this for more people use a larger container of cottage cheese, cool whip, and larger box of jello. 

Basically you can do almost any combo and it will probably be pretty good. We had peach with our dinner last night. I didn't defrost any of my frozen peaches so I used bananas and pears with the peach jello.

Some of our other favorite combos are:
Orange jello, with mandarin oranges, and pineapple (Mac fam fave)
Strawberry jello, with strawberries, and bananas or pineapple
Lime jello, with mini marshmallows, and pineapple
Peach jello, with peaches, and pears or bananas

Directions:
Mix the cool whip (non frozen) and cottage cheese together. Stir in the jello until fully mixed. Add in the drained fruit of your choosing. Let chill before serving.

Favorite Fruit Dip

I LOVE fruit! A few years ago (before I was a SAHM) a girl I worked with brought a fruit dip to a party that was amazing. When she told me what was in the recipe I couldn't believe how easy it was. I'm not a big fan of plain cream cheese so I did make an adjustment from hers. This stuff is seriously delicious!!

Fruit Dip

1 jar marshmallow fluff

1 container (8oz.) strawberry cream cheese

1 tbsp. orange juice

Soften cream cheese in microwave for 20 sec. Put softened cream cheese, marshmallow, and orange juice in medium sized bowl.
Mix together until smooth. Let dip chill before serving.

Movies and Popcorn

I thought it would be fun to take all the movies that were posted for the giveaway and make one big chick flick list!! I was surprised that nobody said the same movies. I can't pick just one favorite I seriously have more like 20. A few years ago I cycled through the same 3 movies over and over. I watched You've Got Mail, While You Were Sleeping, and One Fine Day. I probably have those movies memorized.

One Big Chick Flick List

The Devil Wears Prada
Now and Then
The Notebook
Where the Heart is
10 Things I Hate About You
Love Actually
While You Were Sleeping
One Fine Day
You've Got Mail
Because I Said So
A Walk to Remember
Charly

Some of my favorites that didn't get mentioned are: Sleepless in Seattle, An Affair to Remember,

Somethings Gotta Give, The Holiday, He's Just Not That Into You, Return to Me, Runaway Bride,

My Best Friends Wedding, Sabrina, When Harry Met Sally, and of course The *Twilight* Movies

Since you can't have a movie without popcorn (that would be like Disneyland with no Mickey Mouse), I'm posting one of my favorite popcorn recipes. My sister got this White Chocolate recipe from a lady at her work and it's seriously addicting!! You can add things like M&Ms, sprinkles, drizzle other colors of chocolate onto it. (I like it plain without all the extras personally.)



My fam is CRAZY about this stuff. Old Mac wouldn't even get his hands
out the bowl for two seconds while I took a picture.



White Chocolate Popcorn
1 bag of Orville Redenbachers Simply Salted popcorn
1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Pop the bag of popcorn in the microwave. Pour into a large bowl and set aside. Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 secs. Take the bowl out and stir. If not melted do 15 sec. increments making sure to still stir the chips. Once the chips are melted pour onto the popped popcorn. Carefully stir with large spoon trying to not break up the popcorn. Once popcorn is coated cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 min. Take the popcorn out and ENJOY!!

Well there you go a pretty cool chick flick list with a super yummy popcorn recipe. Get yourself a blanket and tissues and have yourself a chick flick movie night!!

Taco Soup

In my neck of the woods during these months it's pretty frigged out. We stay warm with blankets, hot chocolate, and sometimes soups. I say sometimes because Old MacDonald isn't a big fan of them so they HAVE to be hearty. One of my faves is a recipe I got from my Daddy called Taco Soup. I'm sure most people have some version of this but this one is REALLY good! So here you go and your welcome. Tee Hee

Taco Soup ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning (don't add the water)
2 15 oz. cans of stewed tomatoes
large can of kidney beans (drained)
small can of garbanzo beans (drained)
1 15 oz. can of corn
1/2 bottle taco sauce (the red kind)

Directions:
Brown meat and add package of taco seasoning. Add in cans of beans, corn, and tomatoes. Stir together and add taco sauce. Add more water as desired (I don't add more water we like it thick). Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 min. Top with grated cheese, sour cream, and fritos or tortilla chips.

My Most Favorite Salad

My cousin has an AMAZING food blog. She has tons of yummy recipes on there!! Old Mac is one of the pickiest eaters I know and he loves everything I've tried. My favorite salad is a recipe that I got from her. If you live in OOtah than you know of a little place called "Cafe Rio". This salad is a pretty close version of the real thing! The best part is that you can make your own from home for a fraction of the cost!

To start you need 2 1/2 lbs of pork (or chicken) thawed
Mix together:
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. salsa
1 can of coke (16 oz.) *I've used Dr. Pepper and it worked good too
       Put thawed pork in crock pot and pour mixture over. Cook on low for 7 hours (or until cooked). Shred pork and cook 30 min.

Rice:
3 c. rice                                                  
1 tbs. butter
4c. water                                                 
1/2 onion chopped
4 tsp. chicken bouillon                            
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. minced garlic                                
1 can chilies
1/2 bunch cilantro (chopped)
       Saute onion and garlic with butter until soft. Add rice, water, and  other ingredients bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes.

Creamy Cilantro Tomatillo Dressing:
1 package Hidden Valley dressing mix            
1 c. mayo                                                   
1/3 c. buttermilk
1 c. cilantro (chopped)                              
2 cloves garlic
3 tomatillos (skin off) *I dice them            
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
       Put all ingredients in blender. Chill before serving it will thicken.

If you haven't had one of these salads before you take a tortilla shell and layer rice, black or pinto beans, pork, lettuce, tortilla chips, pico*, and dressing. (We put cheese on ours because Old Mac is crazy when it comes to food and cheese)

*Jamielyn also has a really good salad recipe and she had a link for homemade pico from The Pioneer Woman. If you need a recipe this one is delicious.