Smoothies

My mom recently sent me her recipe for fruit smoothies. I had one the last time I was at her house and decided it was time I could make them for myself at home. My mom has one of those neat magic bullets, but I had to use my plain old blender. Although I am sure the magic bullet does a better, faster job I'm still very happy with how mine turned out. I had this for "supper" the other night and I was very full afterward. I think I'll keep the stuff on hand for these yummy treats. It's still cold right now, but this Summer I know they will be very refreshing in the Hotlanta weather!

Here's the recipe for those who are interested:

Ingredients: ice, juice, frozen fruit, 1 small yogurt of choice and 1/2-1 whole banana.

Place some juice (between 1/2 to 1 cup) in blender with a few ice cubes. Juice should cover the ice. Blend until slushy.

Add in your frozen fruit, blend. Add some yogurt, blend. Then add in your banana. You can make peach smoothies by using frozen peaches and peach yogurt----or use mixed frozen fruit with berry yogurt or any combination you like. The one pictured here was made with mixed fruit and key lime pie yogurt! It was very tasty.

You could also add protein powder or anything else of that sort as well.

Yum!!

Here By Request

My sister, Tara asked me to send her this recipe, so I decided I'd share it with her and everyone else by posting it on the blog. I have made this soup several times before and it is good if you need something "meatless". It is a Southern Living recipe and wonderful during the cold winter months.

"Baked" Potato Soup

From Southern Living: "Consider this the down-home comfort version of a
loaded twice-baked potato--warm and creamy, just the way potato soup should be."

6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 3.75 lbs.)
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar chesse
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives (I've used dried before it it's fine).
sour cream (optional)
4 bacon slices, cooked & crumbled
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1) Combine first 6 ingredients in a 5 qt. crock-pot.
2) Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender.

This is what it looks like after the first 6 ingredients have cooked.

3) Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened.

After mashing to thicken

4) Stir in cream, cheese and chives

Top with sour cream, if desired, and sprinkle with bacon and Cheddar cheese before serving.

Ready to eat! Mmm!

Chicken Fajitas Tutorial

One of our regular meals around here is Fajitas and yellow rice (with saffron). Since our favorite kind of food is Mexican Kane and I both love this meal and make it almost every week.

I have probably cooked this particular meal around 150 times since we've been married, so I thought I'd share how I do it. Mostly this is for my older sister Tara, who asked me how I make it. Also, I must give credit to my younger sister, Heidi who passed her "at-home" fajitas recipe to me several years ago--so this isn't completely my own, although I have tweaked it a bit for our taste.


You will need:

Green Peppers, cut in strips
Onions, cut in strips
Chicken, cubed or cut in strips
McCormick Fajitas Seasoning Packet
Butter
Brown Sugar
Flour Tortillas
Sour Cream
Cheddar Cheese
Saffron Rice

Prep:

Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and place in toaster oven on about 200 degrees to warm while everything else cooks. You could also warm them in your microwave after everything else is ready (minus the aluminum foil).

Yellow Rice packet---pour desired amount in rice cooker (do not rinse it as it already has the seasoning on it) and add twice that amount in water.
A basic rice cooker is about $15 and worth every penny if you make rice as much as we do
(at least twice a week).

In two separate skillets begin cooking your meat and your peppers and onions.
This is what the seasoning packet I use looks like. We have tried several brands and McCormick's is our favorite BY FAR!!

I use my cast iron skillet for the peppers and onions. I think it helps them caramelize better.
Put a little butter and some brown sugar in your skillet. Allow the butter to begin melting and then pour in your peppers and onions.

While they cook I usually put some foil over the top.
This helps them cook faster and makes them really tender.

I put the raw chicken in a skillet sprayed with a little bit of olive oil cooking spray. When it gets to this point it is ready for the seasoning.

Add the dry seasoning packet

Them immediately add water.
I usually use the empty seasoning packet and fill it about half full of water.

This is what the peppers and onions look like when they are ready. I usually remove the foil once and stir while they are cooking. The onions will turn slightly brown when they are ready.

This is what the chicken will look like once the water you added has cooked off. Yum!!

Rice is ready. Kane likes to put rice in his tortilla. I like it as a side.

Additional toppings: cheddar cheese and sour cream.
You could also make guacamole, which makes them even better!

Ready to eat!

Once your chicken and peppers and onions are cut up, the entire meal can be ready in about 20 minutes.

The World's Best Pie

At least that's my opinion. I recently got this recipe from my friend Katie. She made this Caramel Pie and brought over a few slices to share with us...and it was WONDERFUL! So, as soon as I had a reason to make it, I did. It is really yummy and really simple too...so, I wanted to share the recipes with my blog readers!

Caramel Pie

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 graham cracker crust

1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 (1.4 oz) chocolate-covered toffee candy bars, coarsely chopped (recipe uses Skor---I used toffee bits)   

Pour milk into a 2-cup glass measuring cup; cover with aluminum foil.

Place measuring cup in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker; carefully pour hot water in slow cooker to reach the level of milk in measuring cup.  

Cover and cook on LOW 9 hours.

Scoop) caramelized milk into crust; cool completely. 

Spread whipped topping over pie; sprinkle with chopped candy bars.  

Cover and chill 2 hours or until ready to serve.

This is what you start with...

Sweetened Condensed Milk "carmelizing" in crockpot for 9 hours

Right out of the crock pot

In the pie crust (looks appetizing, huh?!)
Trust me--it tastes much better than it looks!

The finished product!
As Rachael Ray would say---YUM-O!