Chicken Puff Pastry and Corrie's Bacon Creamed Spinach

Growing up my Mom was always making these; they are really delicious, and not that complicated. This recipe is from Pepperidge Farm.  I usually use a tub of cheese you can get in your deli section, I can't think of the name but it starts with a B. This time I tried the new Philadelphia cooking cream, it worked great too! The spinach was a new recipe I tried, and it was really good. Especially since I am not a big fan of spinach, I found this recipe in one of Paula Deen's cookbooks.

Chicken Puff Pastry

1/2 of a 17.3 ounce package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets (1 sheet)

1 egg

1 tbsp. water

Ground black pepper (optional)

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut in half.

2 tbsp. butter 

1 container (4ounces) garlic & herb spreadable cheese.

1/4 cup fresh parsley

Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it's easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Stir the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.

Season the chicken with the black pepper, if desired (I always do salt and pepper). Heat the butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken to a plate. Cover the plate and refrigerate for 15 minute to 24 hours.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 (7 inch) squares. 

Spread about 2 tablespoons cheese spread in the center of each pastry square. Top each with 1 tablespoon parsley and 1 chicken breast. Brush the edges of the pastry squares with egg mixture. Fold the corners of the pastry squares to the center over the chicken and press the edges to seal. Place seam-side down on a greased baking sheet. Brush the pastries with egg mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastries are golden. 

Corrie's Bacon Cream Spinach

3 slices bacon

1/2 cup finally chopped sweet onion (about 1/2 medium onion)

Two 6-ounce bags baby spinach

1/4 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the fat from bacon in the skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach and toss until wilted. Add the cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Let the mixture bubble over medium heat until the cream is thickened and clinging to the spinach, about 10 minutes. Crumble the bacon over the spinach, stir, and serve.

                                         

Homemade Laundry Soap

My cousin's fiancee Carly told me they had made their own laundry soap and it worked great. We all know laundry soap can be expensive, so I am up for anything that saves me money. I found it on this blog: http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-laundry-soap.html. So here are the directions, it's suppose to be safe for he washers and should be put in the barrel of the washer, rather than the dispenser.

1 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz) found in the detergent isle

1 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg) found in the cooking isle

1  box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz) found in the detergent isle

3 bars of Fels-naptha soap, found in the detergent isle

2 small containers of oxyclean or store brand oxyclean (try to get about 3.5 lbs total (1.58 kg)) found in the detergent isle.

(this is optional, I added it into mine because I have pretty messy kids and the cleaner the better)

(you can also use pink Zote soap instead of Fels-naptha)

Start out by grating your Fels-naptha soap just like cheese. You can use a food processor or just use your hand held grater, what ever you have. Toss all ingredients in a 5 gallon bucket lined with a garbage bag. This part makes your whole house smell great. Once everything is mixed store soap however you like. 


UPDATE: This soap works really well! Been using it for about a week now, and cleans clothes  and smells great!

Bubba's Beer and Onion Biscuits

I made these with the soup in the previous post, since I was already using beer. This one is out of Paula Deen's Family Cookbook.

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4teaspoon baking soda
1 stick of butter, chilled and cubed, plus melted butter for brushing
1 cup dark beer (I used Budlight and it was fine)
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup crushed canned friend onions
Pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets. In a large bowl or food processor, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter or fork, or pulse into food processor until it resembles coarse meal. Add the beer, cheese, onions, and cayenne, stirring or pulsing until a dough begins to form a ball.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently, just enough to form a ball. Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick round. Using a 2 1/2 inch round cutter(I used a glass cup), stamp out circles of dough. Gently knead the leftover scraps together and stamp out more circles.

3. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheets and lightly brush the tops with melted butter. Bake until the biscuits are golden and firm, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Cheesy Bratwurst Soup

My Mom gave me this recipe, and it's really delicious on a cold winter night! You can take the skin off your potatoes if you prefer, I just left mine on.

1 package of bratwurst, browned and cut into 1/2 inch slices
4 medium potatoes, cubed
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup celery
1 can of corn, drained
1 cup cheddar cheese
8 oz of Velveeta block cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can of cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) cheddar cheese soup
2/3 cup beer

Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on medium to high for 3 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms

I found this on the Pioneer Woman's website:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/. I discovered her a couple months ago, and her recipes are great!

French Onion Soup Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 whole Large Onions, Halved And Sliced Thin
• ¼ cups Beef Broth
• 7 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• Splash Of Red Or White Wine
• ½ cups Grated Gruyere Cheese (can Use Swiss)
• Kosher Salt
• 24 whole White Or Crimini Mushrooms, Washed And Stems Removed
• Minced Parsley

Preparation Instructions

In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Splash in wine, broth, and Worcestershire. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until liquid is cooked down. Set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Throw in mushrooms and toss around for 2 minutes, just to start the cooking process. Sprinkle mushrooms with salt.

Place mushroom caps face down in a baking dish. Heap cavity with sauteed mushrooms, then sprinkle Gruyere over the top. Bake at 10 minutes on 325 degrees. Turn on broiler and broil for a couple of minutes, until the top of the Gruyere starts to bubble and slightly turn brown.

Sprinkle minced parsley over the top and serve.

Jamie's Huevos Rancheros

I got this one from Paula Deen's The Deen Family Cookbook. I love Paula Deen, her recipes are so delicious! We just moved about 45 minutes from Savannah, so last summer we got the pleasure of eating at The Lady and Sons restaurant. It is worth the trip if your ever close to Savannah. Anyways, this recipe was really simple, and did not take long at all. Good for a night when you don't have a lot of time on your hands. If your not big on spicy food, leave the jalapeno out. I used half and it was still really spicy.

Jamie's Huevos Rancheros

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 jalapeno pepper (seeded if desired)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 ounces chorizo, casings removed, diced
• Vegetable oil
• 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, plus more for serving, optional
• 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans, optional
• 4 eggs
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced, for garnish
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled queso fresco or grated Monterey Jack, for serving
• Sour cream, for serving

Directions

In a food processor, combine the tomatoes (with juices), onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a small skillet and simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo until browned. Add to the sauce and cover again.

Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the fat in the large skillet. Place a tortilla in the skillet and cook until light golden but not crisp, about 30 seconds. Flip and cook for 30 seconds more. Transfer to an individual plate. Cook the remaining tortillas, adding a bit more oil to the pan, if necessary.

Heat the refried beans (if using) in a large skillet. Spread the beans on the tortillas.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Working in batches, crack the eggs into the pan. Cook until the bottoms are set and the edges golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until set, about 1 minute more. Place one egg on each tortilla and spoon the warm sauce over the eggs. Sprinkle with the avocado, cheese, and additional cilantro. Top with a dollop of sour cream

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls

I made this the other night with our Steak dinner, it was good, especially if you have a husband that loves Ranch as much as mine does! I couldn't find sourdough bread at our commissary, so I used ciabatta. I got this off of Pinterest, it came from plainchicken.com!

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls
1 unsliced loaf of (round is preferable) sourdough bread
8-12 oz cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
3 oz bag Oscar Mayer Real Bacon bits
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix

Using a sharp bread knife cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust. Place slices of cheese in between cuts. Sprinkle bacon bits on bread, making sure to get in between cuts. Mix together butter and Ranch dressing mix. Pour over bread. Wrap in foil the entire loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Unwrap. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Valentine's Day Wreath

I decided to make a Valentine's Day wreath, after not wanting to pay $75 for one. It was really simple, unfortunately our town is small and Walmart had no wreath base to work with. So I had to be creative and cut out a circle from a paper plate.

About 2 yards of fabric, I had 3 different colors.
Wreath Base, or a paper plate.
Scissors


If you couldn't find a wreath base, cut the middle out of your paper plate. Start by cutting out rectangular pieces of your fabric about 4 to 6 inches long. I tried the scissors that make the designs, but mine weren't the best quality so I gave up. So if you want to add an extra touch, you can buy the designs scissors and use that to cut out your pieces. Once you have cut your pieces, tie them around your wreath base in knots. Cover the whole wreath base, and then fill in where it looks like there are gaps.

Chicken Rice-A-Roni Casserole

What's not to love about Rice a Roni? So when I saw it in a casserole, I knew it had to be good. This one is from plainchicken.com. My French fried onions got a little brown on top, so make sure you watch it towards the end. It still tasted really good!

1 box chicken flavor Rice-A-Roni

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream (can use low fat)

3-4 cups cooked, chopped chicken (or 1 whole Rotisserie Chicken)

1 (6oz) can French friend onions

Preheat over to 350 F.

Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to package directions. Add soup, sour cream, and chicken. Stir to combine. Spread rice mixture in a lightly sprayed 9x13 pan. Top rice with fried onions. Baked uncovered for 30 minutes. 

*To cook my chicken, I always put in a pan; season with onion powder, garlic powder, garlic salt, and pepper. Top with about 1/4 cup of chopped onion and 2 tbsp of minced garlic. I cover it  with foil and bake at 325 F for about 1- 2 hours. This is how I cook chicken for any recipe that needs cooked chicken, it comes out really moist and nicely seasoned. I also added a half of can of cheddar cheese soup, because it seemed like it needed a little more soup when I mixed the ingredients together.

Feta and Caramelized Onion Pizza

I made homemade pizza last night and it was so yummy! I found a recipe on Pinterest, but changed it a little. Usually I make my own dough from Fleischmann's Pizza Yeast, but since my babies have been teething I didn't have the time. If you make your own dough from the Pizza Yeast just follow the directions on the back, I also use whole wheat flour to make it healthier.

Feta and Caramelized Onion Pizza
1 pack of Johnsonville Italian Sausage
2 medium onions
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of honey
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 premade pizza dough (I used Publix brand, which you can find in the bakery)
1 container of feta cheese
1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese

Cook the Italian sausage in a large pot over medium heat, till cooked through. Drain the sausage, and set aside. In the same pot add the onions and olive oil, and cook for about 1-2 minutes, until tender. Add the honey, and reduce to low. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. While onions are cooking, spread out pizza dough on a pan. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Layer the sauce, and cooked sausage. When onions are done, spread on top. Then sprinkle with the feta cheese, and cover completely with the mozzarella. Cook in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until crust is down. You may need to cover with foil, to keep the top from burning towards the end.

Southern Squash

I don't know what to call this, other than Southern Squash, because that's really where I find it made the most.  I hated vegetables until high school and I would always eat this. I think my Mom taught me this one.

2 yellow squashes
2 green squashes
1 small onion
4 slices of bacon

Cut the bacon into pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat. While cooking cut the onion into small slices, and the squash into circular slices. When the bacon is almost done add the onion and squash and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper to liking.

Deanna's Salsa

One of the great things about military life is all their new friends you make. My friend Deanna gave me a lot of different recipes. One of the best so far was homemade salsa. I always have this is the fridge, it lasts about two weeks. You can add a whole jalapeno, I don't because I like mine less spicy. So it's all about what kind of flavor your getting at. This makes a lot if you don't want so much you can use a 14 ounce can of regular tomatoes, instead of a 28 ounce. Deanna makes her with fresh tomatoes, you can also do that just substitute instead of can tomatoes and add a little bit of green chilies.

Deanna's Salsa
1 28oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 14oz. can of tomatoes with green chilies added.
1 onion diced
3 to 4 TBS of minced garlic
Handful of cilantro with the stems cut off
1 Jalapeno (optional)
Seasoning
Seasoning Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Garlic Salt
Onion Powder

Combined the first ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend till mixed together. Then season to your liking. Blend again after seasoning.  I always taste test to see what it needs more of and blend again. When it is seasoned to your liking, store in a Rubbermaid container. This is great with chips, tacos, enchilada, quesdillas, etc!

Penne Pasta with a Sausage Cream Sauce

The first time I had this, was with a friend from college. Her Mom gave me the recipe, and I've been making it ever since. It is so easy and delicious. I use whole wheat pasta, and half and half to cut back on the calories. You can also use any Italian cheese, I've substituted with whatever I've had on hand. Penne with Sausage Cream Sauce

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup dry white wine

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced peeled tomatoes, undrained

1 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (flat leaf parsley)

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

12 ounces penne pasta, cooked according to package directions*

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish

1. Cook sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove sausage; set aside.
2. Drain excess grease from skillet; melt butter and oil in skillet; add onion and sauté until softened and golden in color. Add garlic, cook and stir 1 minute. Add wine to skillet andreduce volume by half, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer 3 minutes.
3. Return cooked sausage to skillet, add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper.
4. Add the cooked penne and 1 cup Parmesan cheese to sauce in skillet and gently toss to combine (or place cooked penne in large serving bowl; pour sauce over pasta, add the Parmesan cheese and toss to combine).
5. Serve sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6.

*Or substitute with another pasta such as farfalle (bow-tie) or conchiglie (shell-shaped).

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe; does not include Parmesan for garnish): 400.7 calories; 38% calories from fat; 17.1g total fat; 52.3mg cholesterol; 831.6mg sodium; 285.6mg potassium; 37.5g carbohydrates; 2.3g fiber; 2.1g sugar; 35.3g net carbs; 20.3g protein.