Marinated Zucchini Salad

This recipe and photo came from theReal Mom Kitchen Blog.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 small zucchini, cut into half moon slices about 1/2 inch thick (or bite sized pieces)
• 1 can large pitted black olives, drained very well
• 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained very well
• 1 red pepper chopped into bite-sized piece
  
• 1 red onion chopped into bite-sized pieces

Dressing:

• 1 cup Italian dressing
  
• juice of half lemon (2 T)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese
• 1 T dried basil (or use 2 T basil pesto or 3 T. chopped fresh basil)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano

Optional: additional 1/4 cup grated parmesan to sprinkle over salad just before serving

1. Cut zucchini into quarter slices or bite sized pieces.
   
2. Steam zucchini until barely tender/crisp, about 3 minutes.
   
3. While zucchini is cooking, open olives and artichoke hearts and dump into a colander to drain well. (Draining the zucchini and olives well is essential or the finished salad will be watery.)
4. Chop the red bell pepper and red onion into bite-sized pieces.
5. Combine zucchini, olives, artichoke hearts, red pepper and red onion in plastic or glass container with a lid (or use a Ziploc bag.)
6. Pour dressing over, just enough to cover veggies, and stir gently. (use part of the dressing to marinate the veggies and then stir in a little more dressing when I serve it.)
7. Marinate in refrigerator 4-8 hours. Turn it over once in a while to keep the vegetables covered with dressing. Just before serving stir in a little of the reserved dressing. Sprinkle the salad with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese when serving if desired.

Rate It!
Jen: 7
* No One else at my house liked this

Menu Planning Monday

Monday:Rotisserie Chicken with
Garlic Mashed Potatoes/Corn

Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff

Wednesday: Summer Vegetable Soup/French Bread

Thursday: Sandwiches/Chips
Veggies w/Zucchini Dip

Zucchini Flat Bread

Zucchini Flat Bread

This recipe and photo from The Real Mom Kitchen Blog

Zucchini Flat Bread

• 1 large Boboli® pizza crust (I used a Pillsbury Pizza Crust)
  
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/8 inch slices (you want about 2 dozen slices)
• 1 1/2 tsp. Johnny’s Garlic Spread & Seasoning (Couldn't find this- used garlic powder)
  
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (I just eyeballed it as to what looked good)
• 1/2 of a small can sliced olives, drained

1. Place zucchini slices on a baking sheet and cook at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on these you just want to get them tender and about 1/2 the thickness they were originally. If you cook them too long they will burn.
2. Brush top of pizza crust with olive oil. Arrange cooked zucchini slices on crust.
3. Sprinkle seasoning over zucchini followed by cheese. Then top cheese with olives.
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 or so minutes until cheese is nice and melted.
   
5. Cut into squares.

Rate It!

Jen: 7
Kile: 7.5
Kiley: 7.5
Madee: 5
Destrie: not good

Kevin's Mom's Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:
3/4 c. peanut butter
3/4 c. margarine
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. soda
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
1 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. milk

Directions:
Cream first 4 ingredients
Add eggs, soda, flour, salt, oatmeal, and vanilla
Pour mixture into a greased cookie sheet
Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes-(they took 20 minutes in my oven)
Remove from oven, sprinkle chocolate chips on top, spread.
Chill in fridge until chocolate has set.
Mix powdered sugar peanut butter and milk together.
Spread on top of chocolate.
Return to fridge to chill until set.
Rate It!
Jen: 7
Kile: 6.5
Kiley: 7
Madee: 8
Destrie: good

Zucchini Fritters

Recipe from -Angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
*Zucchini (2)
* 1 Tbsp flour
* 1/4 tsp paprika
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Oil for deep frying

Directions:
1. Cut the zucchini in half, then cut each length into sticks. Season the flour with salt, pepper and the paprika. Roll the zucchini sticks in the flour, making sure they are well coated.
2. Heat a skillet 1/3 filled with oil until hot. Fry the zucchini sticks in batches until they are crisp and golden. Drain each batch on kitchen paper and season with more salt. Server hot with ranch dipping sauce.

Rate It!!
Jen: 8
Kile: 8
Kiley: 7.5
Madee: not home
Destrie: good

Layered Crockpot Enchiladas

This recipe came from our neighbor Lucy.

Ingredients:
3 0r4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix
1 small diced onion
1 can diced green chiles
1 can of green enchilada sauce
1 package of flour tortillas, ripped into strips
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cheddar cheese
olives
2 green onions


Directions:
Place the chicken breasts in a crock pot with 2 cups water and Italian dressing mix.
Cook on low for 2-3 hours.
Add diced onion and diced green chiles.
Simmer for another 2-3 hours, until chicken shreds easily with a fork.
Remove chicken from crock pot and combine chicken with cream cheese. Set aside.
Drain liquid fro m crock pot

Layer the ingredients in this order in the crock pot.

1 can of green enchilada sauce
Tortillas
Then add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
Tortillas
Then add your shredded chicken/cream cheese mixture
Then cheddar cheese.
Next add sliced olives and green onion.
Tortillas

Let simmer until the tortilla shells have become soft- about an hour. Serve with sour cream.

Rate It!
Jen: 8
Kile: 8
Kiley: 7
Madee: 7.5
Destrie: Good
Lillie: 8.5
Hayley: 10,000.1 (my highest rating ever!)

Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn

Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn
Recipe and Photo by Our Best Bites


About 20 cups of popped popcorn
2 c. honey roasted peanuts
3 c. peanut butter chips (I used Reese's)
1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or oil
2/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place the peanuts and popped popcorn in a very large bowl. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter chips and vegetable oil or shortening and heat for 2-2 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Drizzle the melted peanut butter chips over the popcorn and peanuts and toss to combine.

Spread the popcorn onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. In a Ziploc bag, heat the semi-sweet chocolate chips until just melted and smooth (about 1-1 1/2 minutes, mashing the bag every 20-30 seconds). Cut a small corner in the Ziploc bag and drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn. Allow to stand long enough to become solid (you can transfer the pan to the fridge or freezer to hurry this step along). When done, break the popcorn into small pieces and enjoy!

Rate It!
Jen: 7
Kile: didn't have any
Kiley: 7
Madee:7.5
Destrie Good

Menu Planning Monday

This week is crazy and there is a lot going on. So, we are going to skip any menu planning this week, much like what happened last week. There was no menu planning last week because my laptop was being repaired. This week, it's back to school and we are trying to cram in as much summer fun as possible before it's all over. Menu Planning Monday will resume next week. I will still have some yummy recipes to share. Join me this week for recipes of... whatever strikes our fancy!

When I Grow Up and a Biscuit Recipe

Yesterday, Destrie says to me, "Guess what I'm going to be when I grow up?" Then he tells me, "I'm going to be a food critic!"
I guess all these "recipe reviews" are rubbing off on him! This morning, I was making biscuits when Destrie woke up. He came into the kitchen and asked if he could help. I gave him his own ball of dough to roll out, he cut out the biscuits, put them on his own little baking sheet, and we baked them. He had so much fun and he loved the biscuits.

Freezer Biscuits
*recipe and photo from The Sisters Cafe


4 cups flour
2 TBs. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 cup butter
16oz sour cream
3-5 tsp water

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in butter until there are small well blended pieces. Add sour cream and water, mix well. Knead and roll out to 1 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter. Bake at 425 for 15-17 minutes on an ungreased baking sheet.

**Can freeze individually on a cookie sheet. When frozen solid, place in a freezer bag to store. When ready to use, place frozen biscuits on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 for 15-17 minutes or until top is golden.

Rate It!
Jen: 8
Kile:
Kiley: 8
Madee: 7.5
Destrie: Good

Menu Planning Monday

Monday: Chicken Bacon Pizza
Tuesday: Oven Baked Chimichangas
Wednesday: Red and White Pasta
Thursday: Girl's Choice-
Destrie, Kile and I will be going to the rodeo that night and we will find something yummy to eat at the fair!

Berry Cheesecake Parfaits

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
24 VANILLA Wafers, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 cups mixed blueberries and sliced fresh strawberries

Directions:
BEAT cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; mix well. Whisk in 1 cup COOL WHIP.

LAYER half each of wafers, berries and pudding mixture in 8 parfait glasses. Repeat layers.

TOP with remaining COOL WHIP.

Rate It!
Jen: 9
Kile: 8.5
Kiley: 8
Madee: 9
Destrie: good

Restaurant Style Smashed Potatoes

Photo and recipe from Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients
* 5 whole Large Red Potatoes
* 1 stick Butter, Softened And Cut Into Pieces
* 5 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled- I used Hormel Real Bacon Bits
* 2 whole Green Onions, Sliced
* ¾ cups Sour Cream
* Salt To Taste
* Freshly Ground Black Pepper To Taste
* ¾ cups French Fried Onions, More For Topping

Preparation Instructions

Microwave potatoes or bake in the oven until fork-tender. Add to a large bowl and smash with a potato masher. Immediately add softened butter, green onions, bacon, and sour cream and stir with a rubber spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add french fried onions and fold in.

Serve hot, sprinkling on extra french fried onions and green onions.

Rate It!
Jen: 8
Kile: 7
Kiley: 7.5
Madee: 7.5
Destrie: good
*this dish has a strong onion flavor. If you don't love onions, I would suggest leaving out the green onions.

Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

Contributed by: Chris from RecipesNow.com

Ingredients:

* Dressing-(I think I would double this recipe next time.)

6 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoon white vinegar
8 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Put dressing in refrigerator to chill while you prepare the salad.

*Salad
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups red cabbage
2 cup nappa cabbage
1 carrot, julienned
2 green onions, chopped

Combine in a bowl and set aside


*Chicken

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
*Combine egg and milk and stir to combine

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
*Stir together in a bowl

2 lbs chicken tenders -cut in to bite size pieces
*Dip in milk/egg mixture.
*Dip in flour/cornflake mixture

Fry in 2 cups vegetable oil until done. When cooked, set on a paper towel lined plate to absorb grease.

Serve chicken on top of salad. Add sliced almonds and chow mein noodles. Pour on dressing

Rate It!
Jen: 9
Kile: 7.5
Kiley: 7.5
Madee: 8.5
Destrie: Good

Alton Brown's Skirt Steak

This is a recipe that I found on the Food Network website, by Alton Brown. I modified it slightly. He used "skirt" steak and I did not have that particular cut of meat. I think mine was tenderloin steak.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1/3 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup minced onion flakes
* 2 large cloves garlic
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
* 2 pounds steak


Directions
In a blender, combine all ingredients. In a large heavy duty, zip top bag, put pieces of steak and pour in marinade. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Allow steak to marinate for at least 1 hour in refrigerator.

Preheat grill and cook till desired doneness. (Is that a word??)

When finished cooking, place meat in double thickness of aluminum foil, wrap, and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Remove meat from foil, reserving foil and juices. Slice thinly across the grain of the meat. Return to foil pouch and toss with juice.

Rate It!
Jen: 7
Kile: 7.5
Kiley: 7
Madee: 7.5
Destrie: good- he loved it!!

Menu Planning Monday

Monday: Steak, Potato Wedges, Veggies/Ranch

Tuesday: Faye's Sloppy Joes

Wednesday:Burgers,
Restaurant Style Smashed Red Potatoes

Thursday: Chicken and Peach Quesadillas
Spinach Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette