Banana Nut Cake with Caramel Icing

Oh my.....ooohhhhhhhh myyyyyyy!!!!

Ok so you all know Miss Kay from the Duck Dynasty series right?  Remember I shared her Honey Pecan Pie a while back?  And that was like, so good.

Well going through her cookbook earlier, I came across this recipe for banana cake, and what do you know, I actually have a bunch of bananas that are going bad and need to be made into bread, cake, smoothies etc.

THIS though, oh my goodness, it's so good.  Moist, flavorful all on it's own, but then throw in some caramel icing and it takes it to a whole other level.

If you have to make just one cake in the next week or two, let it be this one, you won't be disappointed.  And trust me when I tell you that Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen is one cookbook every kitchen should have.

Banana Nut Cake with Caramel Icing

Adapted from:  Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen

2 cups all purpose flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 medium ripe bananas
2 eggs
chopped almonds

Caramel icing
1 stick butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour the cake pans or bundt pan.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the shortening, buttermilk and bananas.  Mix with the electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add the eggs and beat 2 more minutes.  Fold in the almonds.

Pour the batter into 2  9-inch pans, or a bundt pan.  Bake until the layers start to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of a layer comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Let the layers cool in the pans for a few minutes, then run a spatula around the sides and invert the layers onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the layers are cooling, make the frosting.  In a saucepan on medium heat, bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.  Add the milk and bring back to a boil.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Stir in the powdered sugar.

When the cake layers are cool, frost the top of one layer.  Put the other layer on top and frost the top and sides.

Note:  I used my bundt cake and did not frost the inside or all around the cake, just the top.

Old Fashioned Cheesecake

I think one thing is for certain here on my blog, I am not one to post a lot of sweet recipes.  I don't know, I'm just more of a main dishes and hearty meals cook, but once in a while my sweet tooth makes an appearance.

When that happens, I have to abide and then it feels like I am in the kitchen cranking out dessert after dessert.

This one came about because my brother LOVES Cheesecake, and they were coming over for dinner last night and I was missing him because I hadn't seen him or spoken to him the whole week.  I knew he would love this one, and then of course the rest of the family really enjoyed it too.

It's a very simple, old fashioned cheesecake, but then those are usually the best.

Cook's Note:  I doubled the crust ingredients, it just wasn't enough to my liking, so just double the vanilla wafers and butter.

Old Fashioned Cheesecake

Adapted from: Taste of Home

3/4 cup crushed vanilla wafers
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

TOPPING:
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine almonds and wafer crumbs; stir in butter.
Press onto the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat in vanilla and lemon peel just until blended. Pour into crust.

Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set. Combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla; carefully spread over filling. Bake 10 minutes longer or until edges appear dry. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Cover and chill overnight.
Remove sides of pan. Top with fresh fruit. Refrigerate leftovers.
Yield: 12 servings.

Creamy Chicken and Biscuits

I don't know how I did it, but somehow in my menu planning, I ended up putting two recipes with biscuits, one right after the other.  Not a big deal though because we are a biscuit loving family.

Today's recipe is very similar to a chicken pot pie and equally tasty, and of course simple and easy, which is what this blog is about.

I used to think that I should be making different dishes, some exotic things, gourmet or something so that I could get more traffic on the blog.  Other food blogs get a lot of comments and traffic while mine has always just plodded along slow but steady.  You know that whole thing of wanting to get in the IT crowd etc?

But I quickly realized that is not who I am and not what I want my blog to be.  This blog is an online collection of my favorite foods, childhood recipes, dishes that honor my heritage etc.  And so, it will continue to just put forth very easy hearty homemade recipes, those that will help you get dinner on the table quickly without any weird ingredients, using just things from your pantry.

THAT is what this blog is about.  So with that in mind, here is today's meal and I do hope you enjoy it.

Cook's note:  Again, I didn't make the biscuits, I used refrigerated biscuits instead.

Creamy Chicken and Biscuits

Source:  Taste and Tell

Chicken Gravy
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 (2 oz) jar pimientos, drained
1 lb cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Biscuits
1 cup flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
flour, for rolling
1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish; set aside.
In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add in the onion, carrot and celery and cook until the vegetables are starting to soften. Remove from skillet to a bowl.

In the same skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream, pimientos and chicken. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter. Stir in the buttermilk. The mixture will be very sticky. Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, make 9 balls out of the mixture, dropping each into the flour and coating the outside.

When the chicken gravy is done cooking, remove it from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450F. Drop the biscuits on top. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter, then sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top.

Return to the oven and cook until the biscuits are cooked through, 15-20 minutes.

Sausage Gravy Biscuit Bake

Breakfast for dinner, need I say more?

I love love love, and love, like really love having breakfast for dinner.  Did I say I love it?  I know not everyone does, but for me, I would eat breakfast anytime of the day, every day.

Honestly, it was so good that I will definitely make it again.

Sausage Gravy and Biscuit Bake

Adapted from:  The Slow roasted Italian

1 lb sage breakfast sausage
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Optional garnish: fresh parsley, chopped
Refrigerated Biscuits

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large (10”) oven safe skillet over medium high heat, cook sausage until lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon remove sausage from skillet and place in a bowl.


Add butter to hot skillet and whisk until melted. Sprinkle flour over butter and whisk together. Allow mixture to bubble for 2 minutes to cook out the flour-y taste, whisking occasionally.

Add milk and whisk to combine, be sure to pick up the little sausage bits on the bottom of the skillet (they add a lot of flavor). Allow gravy to come to a bubble, about 3 minutes. Mixture will start to thicken as it cooks. Add sausage back to skillet/ Add black pepper and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

Pour sausage gravy into a casserole dish.  Add biscuits all around dish. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes until biscuits are lightly browned, you may have to turn your pan half way through cook time if you oven does not cook evenly.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Serve and enjoy!

One Pot Mexican Pasta

Yesterday was a busy one for me.  I was supposed to continue with my Spring Cleaning, but some unexpected errands and appointments showed up, which meant that I was in and out of my house.

By the time dinner rolled around, I needed something that I could get cooking and on the table in 30 minutes or less.  This pasta dish does just that.

Thank you once again to Damn Delicious for another winner.  Please do check out Chung-Ah, she has some of the yummiest dishes EVER. 

One Pot Mexican Pasta

Source: Damn Delicious

Adapted from: Julie's Eats and Treats

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups salsa, homemade or store-bought
2 cups cooked elbows pasta
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves



Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.

Stir in tomato sauce and salsa until well combined. Add pasta, tomato, corn and black beans, and gently toss to combine.

Stir in cheese until melted through, about 1-2 minutes.

Tasty Burritos

Oh I love burritos, to me they're the perfect meal, snack, breakfast, whenever you want to have them kind of treat. If I can have them grilled, then that is even better.

This is another great recipe from Taste of Home. It's pretty simple to put together and I think you could just go with whatever filling you want, change it up, go all out, or keep it simple....either way, they are a sure hit.

The original recipe calls for frying these burritos, but in an attempt to make them a little healthier, I grilled mine in a non stick skillet.

Tasty Burritos

Source: Taste of Home

1 pound ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
6 flour tortillas (12 inches), warmed
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
4 teaspoons canola oil
Sour cream and salsa

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning. In a small saucepan, cook refried beans over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of beans off-center on each tortilla; top with 1/4 cup beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold sides and ends of tortilla over filling and roll up.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown burritos in oil on all sides. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Yield: 6 servings.

Golden Diced Potatoes

A fun twist on simple fried potatoes.  You know I get tired of the same old side dishes and for some reason I just never think to try new things out.  Something I definitely have to change.

To go with my chicken tonight I didn't want to make mashed potatoes or rice and I didn't feel like any kind of pasta, so I gave my cookbooks a quick look through and found these, from Taste of Home, of course :)

Golden Diced Potatoes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup butter

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first five ingredients. Add 1/2 cup potatoes at a time; shake to coat.

In two large skillets, melt butter. Add potatoes; cook and stir over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Yield: 6 servings.

Cheesy Onion Mushroom Chicken

If you're looking for a quick weekday dinner, then this is it.  I always use thin sliced chicken breasts or tenderloins so they cook quicker.

Only a few ingredients, and before long you will have the family gathered at the table, licking their lips.

I paired it up with some Golden Diced Potatoes and it made the perfect dinner.  The recipe for the potatoes will follow, but for now, let me show you just how easy this dish is.

Cheesy Onion Mushroom Chicken

1 lb thin sliced chicken breasts
1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 envelope Lipton Onion Mushroom Soup Mix
Mozzarella Cheese, sliced


In a baking dish, place the chicken breasts, you don't even have to grease it first.  Pour the can of diced tomatoes over the chicken and then sprinkle on the onion mushroom soup mix.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.  Top with a slice of mozzarella cheese and pop back into the oven for a minute or two until the cheese melts.  That is IT, simple and delicious!

Sallie Hayden's Chili

One of the cookbooks that I picked up at the thrift store, was the Arizona Highways Heritage Cookbook, which was published back in 1988.

I love the food in Arizona because it's heavily influenced by Mexican products.  One of the things I most enjoy is a good chili, so I had to try this one.

But you may be wondering who is Sallie Hayden and why was there chili named after her.  Let me tell you a little about Sallie Davis Hayden.

 1842-1907

Charles Trumbull Hayden established the Hayden mill and ferry along the banks of the Salt River in Tempe. Carl Trumbull Hayden served Arizona for 56 years in Congress. Less well known, but equally as important, was Sallie Hayden, wife of Charles and mother of Carl (and three other children). She played an important role in Arizona's development and is remembered as a woman of enormous vitality, intelligence and wit. She created a home where education and religious tolerance were taught. She took an active interest in national as well as local politics, an interest that was passed along to her son. (Source)

Sallie Hayden's Chili

Sallie Hayden's chili was a civilized blend of meat and spices with, of course, the family brand of beans.

2 cups pinto or red beans (I used canned kidney beans)
1 quart fresh water
1 tablespoon salt
4 slices bacon
1 pound chopped beef or venison (I used pork)
2 tablespoons bacon dripping
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups tomato puree
1 cup beef broth
4 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon each, sage and cumin seed
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups onion, chopped
1/2 green chile pepper, seeded and diced (I used a small can of diced green chilies)


Wash and pick over beans.  Soak in fresh water overnight.  Drain. Cover with 1 quart fresh water and salt, then simmer in heavy 4 quart kettle 1 and a half hours.

I didn't do the above step because I used canned beans, so if you're using them too, just omit that portion.  Saute bacon and drain on towel.

Brown beef or venison in drippings.  Add to beans with seasonings, tomato puree, and beef broth.  Saute onion and pepper in butter to add to beans.  Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 3 hours.

Garnish with crumbled bacon.  Serves 6-8

Chicken Milan

I've been looking through my cookbooks and writing down new recipes to try.  This one actually came from a cookbook I found at my local Thrift Store.

I love Taste of Home and for many years I have tried to collect their cookbooks, especially the yearly collections and the Quick Cooking collections, so when I found the Quick Cooking for 2006, I immediately grabbed it because it was one that I missing.

There are quite a few recipes in there that I want to try, including the Throw Together Short Ribs and the Scalloped Taters I'm having for dinner tonight.  Matter of fact, they are happily cooking away in the slow cooker as I type this, and they both smell amazing.

So, enough talking and let me just share the recipe with you.  It's great for a weekday meal.

NOTE:  I changed it up a little, I don't like a very eggy chicken taste, so instead of dipping the chicken in the flour and THEN the egg and frying it up, I dipped it in the egg first and then the flour.  It helps a bit and it's not such a huge egg taste, which my husband hates because he is not a big fan of eggs.

Chicken Milan

Source:  Taste of Home

8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips


Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute garlic in 1 tablespoon oil for 1 minute or until tender; stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, basil, salt and remaining pepper. In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. Dredge chicken strips in flour mixture, then dip in eggs.

In the same skillet, cook chicken in remaining oil over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain linguine and place on a serving platter. Pour reserved garlic mixture over linguine and toss to coat; top with chicken.

Yield: 6 servings.

Slow Cooked Corned Beef and Cabbage

This one is a little late for St. Patrick's Day, but it's one of those meals that I think should be enjoyed at any time of the year.  I certainly could go for some Corned Beef and Cabbage more than just once a year.

It's a super simple recipe, you throw everything in the crock pot and walk away for 8 hours, only to return to some delicious food.  

Slow Cooked Corned Beef and Cabbage

1 Corned Beef Brisket, plus pickling spice packet
Small potatoes, I don't have a certain amount I just add enough for my family of four
2 celery stalks, cut into pieces
3 carrots, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
1/2 head cabbage, cut into wedges


In a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker, place the corned beef brisket.  Place the celery, carrots, onion and potatoes around it.  Sprinkle on the pickling spice packet and then add enough water to almost cover all the meat.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.  About a 45 minutes before time is up, add the cabbage over the corned beef, cover and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender.

Slice the corned beef and serve with the vegetables.  Some people like eating it with some mustard, but I like mine just as is.  

Turkey Pepper Jack Meatballs

Here's another great meatball recipe, this time using ground turkey, pepper jack and some marinara sauce.

I know that anytime I make meatballs, there are never any leftover.  It has to be one of the family's favorites.

I knew I wanted to make them but I didn't necessarily want the usual spaghetti and tomato sauce and since I had a jar of marinara in the pantry and some ground turkey in the freezer, I decided to go with that.

These were so delicious, I'll have to make them again soon.

Turkey Pepper Jack Meatballs

2 pounds ground turkey
half a small onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
salt and pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
sliced pepper jack cheese
Marinara sauce

In a bowl, combine turkey, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, breadcrumbs, eggs, oregano and the shredded pepper jack cheese.  Mix well, shape into small meatballs and place on a baking sheet.  Top with a tablespoon of marinara sauce.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove from oven.  Cut a slice of pepper jack cheese into 4 pieces, and top each meatball with one of the little pieces of cheese.

Pop under the broiler for a few minutes until melted.  Enjoy!

Pork Stir Fry Rice

There's nothing more frustrating than picking a recipe to try out from one of your cookbooks, only to forget which book and what page.  I had something in mind for dinner tonight but after searching for the elusive recipe for over an hour, I needed to get something made and fast.

That is where this Pork Stir Fry Rice came in, just something I threw together and it gave me a chance to try out my new electric wok.  My husband had found me this amazing electric duraceramic wok for real cheap, at Walmart.  I hadn't yet had a chance to try it out, so this was the perfect time to do it.

I loved it, it got everything cooked really fast, and I don't think there's anything better than a wok when it comes to stir frying food.

Pork Stir Fry Rice

1 pound thin pork tenderloins, sliced
Small onion, thinly sliced
1 (16 oz) bag Sugar Snap Pea Stir Fry mix
1 envelope Fried Rice Mix
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Cooked rice
1/4 beef broth

Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil on the electric wok, when sizzling, add in the thinly sliced pork and cook for about 5 minutes until brown. 

Remove from wok, turn the heat down slightly and add in the onions, garlic and Stir Fry mix, stir well and fry for a few minutes.  You want the vegetables cooked but still with a bite to it.

Remove the veggies.  Add in the cooked rice, the beef broth and the packet of fried rice mix, mix well, fry for a minute or so, then add back in the veggies and the pork and heat through.

I removed half of the stir fry rice to a dish, and to the other half, I added 2 eggs because my son and I love egg in our fried rice, my husband and daughter don't.

Super quick and simple, quite healthy and yummy too.

Chili Spaghetti

My husband and kids love many kinds of food, but I would have to say that without a doubt, one of their favorites has to be spaghetti with a very close chili behind.....and more to the point, they love the Wolf Brand Chili.

Me?  Not really a big fan.  I only use the Canned Chili for Chili dogs or Chili fries and I'll eat it, and enjoy it, but it's not something I particularly love.

The other day we were all so busy, and by the time dinner came around I needed to get something on the table fast.  I decided to just mix their love of both things into one, and they really did enjoy this meal.

Chili Spaghetti

1 pound ground beef
Half a small onion, finely diced
1 (15 oz) Wolf Brand Chili, without beans
Cooked Spaghetti
Shredded Cheese


Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, set aside.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef in a little oil, add the onion and cook until tender.  Add the can of chili, and a little salt and pepper.  Cook until heated through.

In a baking dish, layer half the spaghetti, half the meat sauce, sprinkle on some shredded cheese, repeat with remaining spaghetti and meat sauce.  End with a layer of shredded cheese and some fresh basil.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Yum!!

Bread Machine Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I am not a big fan of breakfast, aside from my coffee I will either have a piece of toast or if I'm really hungry, a sandwich, but that's it.  One thing I do love is Cinnamon Raisin bread, toasted and slathered with butter.

I don't have it very often, mainly because it's so expensive at the store, and I always forget how easy it is to make a loaf at home.

After my husband got me a new bread maker to replace the one that broke last year, I've been using it almost daily to make fresh bread, so last night I decided to try the Cinnamon Raisin Bread.  It turned out amazing and tastes fantastic.

I just had some toasted with the butter slathered on and it was honestly one of the best breakfasts I've had in a while.

The recipe comes from Betty Crocker and is very easy to make....and cheaper too than buying it.

Bread Machine Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Source:  Betty Crocker

1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 cups Gold Medal® Better for Bread™ flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
3/4 cup raisins

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except raisins in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Add raisins at the Raisin/Nut signal or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends. (usually about 30 minutes into the bread making process)

Select Sweet or Basic/White cycle. Use Medium or Light crust color. Remove baked bread from pan and cool on wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf (1 1/2 lb), 12 slices

Asian Lemon Chicken Tenders

Love Love Love Asian inspired cuisine, so when I saw these show up on my feedly, I immediately saved the recipe to try.

It was a huge hit, my 10 year old boy had thirds and went back for more chicken. According to him this sauce is "heavenly". And my 14 year old girl gave them a "10 of 10, A+". Guess that's a good thing right?

These are easy to make, though they do take a little prep time but they're well worth the time. Recipe comes from the yummy blog Damn Delicious.

Asian Lemon Chicken Tenders

Source: Damn Delicious

1 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
For the lemon glaze
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder



To make the glaze, combine honey, soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10-12 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.

Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour, dip into buttermilk, then dredge in flour again, pressing to coat.

Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet, 3 or 4 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve immediately, drizzled with lemon glaze.

Easy Lemon Grilled Chicken

With all my organizing and cleaning around here, I'm often finding kitchen appliances that I forgot I had.  It's that whole out of sight out of mind kinda thing.

While in the pantry this morning I came across my George Foreman grill.  Now I know some of you are probably gasping and shocked that I have one that hardly, if ever, sees the light of day, but I promise I'm going to try and use it more often.  Matter of fact, my boy already asked me to make some Grilled Cheese sandwiches on it for lunch tomorrow.

Anyway, back to tonight's dinner.  I had chicken drumsticks and wanted to make some sort of healthy grilled chicken, and this is what came of it.  Very tasty and the kiddos enjoyed it....not sure about the hubby as he hasn't had dinner yet, he's still at his Chemistry Class, so we'll see.

Easy Lemon Grilled Chicken

Chicken Drumsticks
1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper
Garlic powder
Olive oil

In a big ziploc bag, add the drumsticks, then squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper, garlic powder to taste, and a bit of olive oil.  I didn't measure, just eyeballed it, but I would say about 1/4 cup or so.  Shake well to combine and let it sit in the refrigerator until dinner.

To make sure my chicken is cooked properly, I like to boil it first, so that is what I did.  I just removed it from the ziploc bag, and boiled it until cooked all the way.

Then I fired up my George Foreman Grill, and cooked the chicken in there for about 5 minutes on each side, just to get it a little seared.  So yummy!

Served it with potato salad, and that was dinner.  Quick, easy, delicious.

Honey Mustard Pork Scallopini

My family loves pork, and especially the Scallopini.  I find that they are usually the cheapest cut of pork and are always tender and yummy, so I make quite a few dishes using them.

Last night's dinner was super simple and quick, these Honey Mustard Scallopini come together pretty fast and fry up even faster because they are so thin, so in no time we were sitting down to eat.

Hubby and kids loved them and even wanted more, I really should have made the two packs I bought but I honestly thought the one would be enough, I just wasn't counting on them enjoying these so much.

This recipe is now on my family's favorite list.  Thank you to Taste of Home once again for another winner.

Honey Mustard Pork Scallopini

4 Servings

Prep/Total Time: 20 min.

4 boneless butterflied pork chops (4 ounces each)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/3 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 8 crackers)
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter


Flatten pork to 1/8-in. thickness. In a small bowl, combine honey and mustard; brush over both sides of pork.

In a shallow bowl, combine cracker and bread crumbs; add pork and turn to coat.

In a large skillet, cook pork over medium heat in oil and butter for 2-3 minutes on each side or until crisp and juices run clear.

Yield: 4 servings.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Hello my friends, have you missed me?

I sure have missed you and my little food blog.  I've been away for practically 8 months, had family living with me and it was hard to try new recipes or experiment in the kitchen, our meals were very basic and filling, just simple things that I cooked over and over again.

You can't really try new recipes when you're cooking for so many people, as it becomes quite expensive, and to be able to make enough for everyone you have to rely on those meals that you know will stretch and yield a lot.  Now I'm not saying that I made boring bland food, just that I didn't try anything new.

But, the family is now in their own home, and so it's just me and my little family here, and it's back to trying new things.  I have at least 3 new recipes I'm trying this week and will share with you here on the blog, so I do hope that you're still around, if you are won't you leave me just a quick hello in the comments???  Would love to hear from you :)

Alright, on to today's recipe, this one I tried last night and it was a success, huge thumbs up from everyone especially my 10 year old boy who LOVES Buffalo Chicken Wings.  It's a little spicy but not much at all, even my 14 year old ate it and she's not a fan of spicy food.

I got this one from one of my Taste of Home cookbooks, don't you just love those?

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Source:  Taste of Home

12 Servings

Prep: 1 hour 40 min.

Bake: 40 min. + standing

1 tablespoon canola oil
1-1/2 pounds ground chicken
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 large carrot, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 bottle (12 ounces) buffalo wing sauce
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
9 lasagna noodles
1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
1-3/4 cups (7 ounces) crumbled blue cheese, divided
1/2 cup minced Italian flat leaf parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese


In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, onion,celery and carrot; cook and stir until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in the tomatoes, wing sauce, water, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions; drain. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup blue cheese, parsley and egg.  Spread 1-1/2 cups sauce into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
Layer with three noodles, 1-1/2 cups sauce, 2/3 cup ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 2/3 cup cheddar cheese and 1/3 cup blue cheese. Repeat layers twice.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for
10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 12 servings.