French Bread Pizza!

Have you ever noticed the frozen frenchbread pizzas are, well let's say, a little small. 1 is definately just not enough!  The fresh baked frenchbread at your grocery store is perfect for making homemade frenchbread pizza for dinner.  It's also pretty darn cheap too!

Everyone can "make there own".  Just use whatever spaghetti sauce you have on hand, some shredded cheese, and your favorite pizza toppings.  We LOVE tons of fresh garlic and onions. You can use whatever you have in your fridge, I always seem to have sliced pepperoni in mine, but lunchmeat would work just fine.  Let the kids make their own "creation".    No need to go out and spend the extra money on a pizza night, make a pizza night!

There is no way a store bought boxed frozen french bread pizza can beat this!!!

Steakhouse Dinner at home

I am not a fan of going out to restaraunts....... except to figure out how to copy their recipies.  Everyone has their own idea of the perfect steak and potatoes dinner. It doesn't take much effort to make a fancy steakhouse dinner at home.  It's also kinda fun!!  Here I parred a basic bbq steak with my potato fans and roasted brussel sprouts to make a fancy steakhouse dinner at home. 

Cotton Candy Salad

"Technically" it's not a salad. But it's so yummy!!  I was browsing the web and when I came across this recipe it was actually the name, Cotton Candy Salad  that got me.   I just had to try it. I made it on Easter and took it to grandma's house.  It was an instant hit! 

The recipe calls for pecans, I didn't have any so I used almonds instead. 

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

2 cups drained crushed pineapple
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can strawberry pie filling ( I've never looked for this before. Found it at Target)
12 ounces cool whip, thawed
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Fold all ingredients together and blend well. Chill until ready to serve.

This recipe could easily be lightened up for summertime.  I think I'll omit 1 can of pie filling and opt for fresh strawberries when they are in season. 

Honey Sesame Chicken

I'm not one to follow recipies to the letter.  I almost alway change them up a bit.  I decided to try a  recipie I found on the web for honey sesame chicken.  Using the chicken out of the freezer I whipped up this easy baked dish.  This recipe could also be used as a Make Ahead Meal for a no brainer dinner.  Just place everything in a ziplock bag and freeze flat. Pull the bag out of the freezer to thaw and dump it all in a baking dish to cook.

Honey Sesame Chicken

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - You could use any type of thicken just adjust the cooking times

1/2 of a beer ( I just had coors in the fridge but a dar beer would be fantastic!)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup dijon mustard (all I had was a hot sweet so I used that)
3 cloves minced garlic  (again I think I used 5 )
3 T sesame seeds  ( if you don't have them just omit )  They did ad a nice flavor though

Place chicken in glass baking dish.  Mix up all other ingredients and poor over chicken.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.    I think I basted it twice during cooking. 

This dish has a nice light flavor.  It would be also great just marinated and then grilled. Might have to try that next!

Bacon Fried Green Beans

Oh yeah!  Everything is better with bacon.  Even green beans....

Take 2 pieces of bacon and fry them crisp in a skillet. Drain off the fat but don't clean the pan. Chop the bacon really small. Take your cleaned greenbeans and drop them in the skillet. Fry for about 6 minutes on medium heat.   Just before the beans are done add the bacon.  It may not be the healthiest recipe but it sure is tasty!

Butterscotch Waffles

When I found the  recipe for butterscotch waffles at my favorite  food budgeting website I knew my kids would love it.  Besides I love any recipe that makes me have to break out the kitchen aid mixer.  I just love that thing!

Dry Ingredients

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Place the above in a lg mixing bowl and stir to combine

In a small bowl mix the wet ingredients

1 cup Buttermilk
6 T vegetable oil
1 egg yolk   ( save the white for the Kitchen aid mixer)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Wisk the egg white untill soft peaks form.  Yeah, Kitchen aid to the rescue!!

Add the wet ingredients and 1/2 cup butterscotch chips to the dry ingredients.  Stir till combined and moistened. Fold in the egg whites.  The batter should be lumpy.  Cook according to your waffle iron's instructions.  Top with homemade maple syrup or your favorite topping.  They are so good.  The kids said they were the best waffles they have ever eaten.  This recipe is certainly a keeper!

   

Homemade Maple Syrup

I don't buy Maple Syrup.  I make it.  Tastes great and If I run out of syrup I just make a new batch.  We keep ours in a metal syrup container in the fridge.  This particular container belonged to my Husband's grandmother.  He always remembers having breakfast at his grandma's house.   It's nice because you can put it on the stovetop to heat it up. You could always just store it in an empty syrup bottle.

You find mapeline in the grocery store with the extracts. The recipe is right on the bottle.
1 Cup boiling water
2 Cup sugar
1/2 tsp Mapeline

Disolve the sugar in boiling water then stir in the Mapeline.  That's it!