Teriyaki Marinade

This recipe is a marinade for chicken or steak! 

Teriyaki Marinade

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of soy sauce

- 1 cup of water

- 3/4 cup of sugar

- 1/4 cup of worcestershire sauce

- 3 tablespoons of white vinegar

- 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

- 1 tablespoon of onion powder

- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger

    Mix everything together. Pour over chicken or steak and let chill for several hours. Best if left over night. Best if meat is grilled, but it's good baked as well, Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

    Today is National Chocolate Cake Day! In honor of this incredible holiday, I've created a masterpiece. This is a flour free recipe and it's everything you'd want in a rich and moist chocolate cake. It reminds me of Toojays' Killer Cake! You will definitely need a glass of milk with this one! It's best served chilled.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

- 1 (12 ounce) package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

- 1 cup, plus 3 tablespoons of butter, divided

- 1 cup of granulated sugar

- 5 large eggs

- 1 cup of cocoa powder, sifted

- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- 1 tablespoon of pulp free orange juice

-2 tablespoons of confectioners sugar

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large microwave safe bowl, add 1 cup of the butter and half of the chocolate chips. Microwave in 30 second intervals, whisking the mixture until it is smooth. Add in the sugar until well combined. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Fold in the sifted cocoa powder until combined. Line the bottom of a spring form baking pan with parchment paper and spray the entire pan and paper generously with non-stick baking spray. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35 minutes. Test with a tooth pick. When it comes out clean, with only crumbs, it is finished. Allow cake to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. While the cake is baking, in a smaller microwave safe bowl, combine the remaining chocolate and 3 tablespoons of butter. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Once melted, add in the vanilla, orange juice, and confectioners sugar. Once the cake has cooled, spread the glaze mixture on top and refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes to and hour before serving. 

Easy Nutella Cheese Danishes

    In case you haven't noticed, I love Nutella. I also love semi-homemade goodies. You could definitely mix it up with this recipe. I added Nutella but, you could easily add some apricot preserves, strawberry jam, or blueberries! Super easy and so delicious.

Easy Nutella Cheese Danishes

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar, plus 3/4 cup, divided

- 4 ounces of cream cheese

- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- 1 roll of Pillsbury crescent rolls

- 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of milk (I used Almond milk)

- 1/4 cup of Nutella

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together 1/4 cup of the confectioners sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Remove the crescent rolls from packaging, do not unroll. Slice them into 8 equal disks. Flatten with the bottom of a shot glass to create an indentation for your filling and place on a greased baking pan. Microwave the Nutella for 30 seconds and drizzle a small amount into each crescent bowl. Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top of the Nutella. Bake for 12-15 minutes. While baking, combine the milk with remaining 3/4 cup of confectioners sugar to make an icing. Once they have finished baking, drizzle with icing. It's best to keep them refrigerated if you have leftovers. 

I made some with just cheese as well, still delicious.

Spinach Stuffing Bites

     I really like this recipe! A friend of mine had the most beautiful baby shower over the weekend and I whipped up some spinach bites to add to the array of delicious hors d'oeuvres. They are great on their own or you could serve them with a dipping sauce. I may try them with a marinara sauce or some ranch the next time I make them!

Spinach Stuffing Bites

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of butter

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 3 cloves of garlic, minced

- 2 (10 ounce) packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed

- 1 (8 ounce) package of herb seasoned stuffing mix

- 6 large eggs

- 1 cup of grated pamesan cheese

- 1/2 teaspoon of ground back pepper

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for a few more minutes, until fragrant. Set aside and let cool. Rinse the thawed spinach in a fine colander and pat dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, stuffing mix, eggs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and onion mixture. Mix it all together. I like to let it sit for a few minutes to allow the stuffing mix to soak up all of the moisture. Roll into 1 inch balls and bake on a greased baking sheet for about 15 minutes. 

Slow Cooker Bacon Little Smokies

 These little bacon wrapped sausages are always a hit. You really can't go wrong with bacon!

Slow Cooker Bacon Little Smokies

Ingredients:

- 1 (16 ounce) package of bacon

- 2 (8 ounce) packages of cocktail sausages

- 1 and 1/2 cups of brown sugar

    Wrap each sausage in a third of a piece of bacon and secure with toothpicks. Place sausages in slow cooker. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Cook in slow cooker on high for 3.5 -4 hours. 

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Penne with Shrimp

    This sauce reminds me of Olive Garden's Five Cheese Marinara! My creamy marinara is a bit more simple. Fresh spinach and a creamy sauce make this pasta dish a dream. You'll probably have leftovers!

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Penne with Shrimp

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- 1 small onion, diced

- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

- 1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes

- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste 

- 1/2 cup of water

- 1/2 teaspoon of oregano

- 1/2 teaspoon of basil

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- 2 ounces of cream cheese

- 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

- 1 pound of penne pasta

- 1/2 of a (9 ounce) bag of fresh spinach

- 2 cups of cooked shrimp

    Cook the pasta in salted water. While waiting for the pasta to cook, saute the onions and the olive oil in a large pan, over medium heat, until they become translucent. Add in the minced garlic and saute for a few minutes before adding the diced tomatoes (with the juice), oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and let simmer for a few minutes. Whisk in the tomato paste and water. Turn down the heat to low and whisk in the cream cheese and shredded parmesan. Then, add in the shrimp and spinach, cover and simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Toss in the pasta and serve right away. 

Braided Nutella Bread

     I love Nutella and if you know me, you know how much I love braids! This bread recipe is pretty easy and the dough is really easy to work with. Perfect for breakfast with coffee or a simple dessert. The braiding may take some practice, but it's definitely worth the effort for presentation. 

Braided Nutella Bread

Ingredients:

- 1/2 teaspoon of active dry yeast

- 1 cup of water

- 2 and 1/2 cups of flour

- 1 tablespoon of sugar

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- 1/2 cup of Nutella

- cornmeal for dusting

- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

    In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Let sit for about 10 minutes to let the yeast activate. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast and remaining water. Mix on low with the dough hook attachment. Turn speed up to medium and knead the dough for about 7 minutes. Cover the bowl, set it in a warm place, and let it rise for about an hour. Lightly dust your working surface with cornmeal. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 12"x 15". Pop the Nutella in the microwave for 30 seconds and then spread it over the flat rectangle of dough, leaving 1/2 inch border around the outside without. Roll the dough tightly into a loaf. Cut the loaf almost in half, leave one end intact . Twist the halves over each other, facing the Nutella side up. Lightly cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the furface of the dough with the eggwash. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven up to 425 degrees and bake for 4 more minutes. Keep an eye on it those last few minutes! Slice and enjoy! 

Pineapple Cream Cheese Cake

    Such an easy and simple dessert! It's basically pineapple cake with a cream cheese frosting. It's called Pineapple Cream Cheese Cake because the cream cheese frosting definitely makes the dessert a complete entity, I couldn't imagine one without the other! I brought it into work as a treat tonight at the Olive Garden and I'm happy to say that they loved it! 

Pineapple Cream Cheese Cake

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of granulated sugar

- 2/3 cup of vegetable oil

- 2 large eggs

- 1 can of crushed pineapple (20 ounces)

- 2 cups of flour

- 1 teaspoon of baking powder

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- i package of cream cheese (8 ounces), softened

- 1 stick of butter, softened

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- 2 cups of powdered sugar

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, pineapple, flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cake cool. In another bowl, whip together the butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla. Then, slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once the pineapple cake has cooled, top with the cream cheese frosting and serve! 

Better Than Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich

    What's better for a late lunch than a hot roast beef sandwich? I like mine with swiss and lots of onions! I also really like Arby's sauce and I nailed it. In fact, I think my sauce is better!

Better Than Arby's Roast Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of ketchup

- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

- 4 tablespoons of water  

- 2 drops of sriracha sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 pound of lean roast beef
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- olive oil
- toasted bread
    In a small sauce pan, combine the ketchup, vinegar, water, siracha, onion/garlic powders, brown sugar, and a dash of salt. Heat mixture on low/medium heat for 20 minutes. Stirring frequently. I stirred mine a lot the last ten minutes. Set aside. In a large pan, saute the onions in olive oil with salt and pepper. When the onions begin to brown, toss in the roast beef and let cook for a few minutes. Melt swiss cheese on top of the roast beef and onions. Spread some of the sauce onto the toasted bread and top with roast beef mixture. Enjoy!

Berry Cheese Bars

     These are always a hit! My mom makes these around the holidays. She made them over the weekend for our church's soup and sandwich luncheon and everyone was asking for the recipe! You really can't go wrong with cranberry cheesecake bars!

Berry Cheese Bars

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of flour

- 1 and 1/2 cup oats

- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of packed brown sugar

- 1 cup of butter, softened

- 1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened

- 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

-1/4 cup of lemon juice

- 1 (16 ounce) can of whole cranberry sauce

- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together the flour, oats, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, and butter until crumbly. Set aside 1 and 1/2 cups of mixture. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking pan and bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in the sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and then spread cheese mixture over baked crust. Combine the cranberry sauce, cornstarch, and remaining tablespoon of brown sugar. Spread that mixture on top of the cheese layer. Then, top with the remaining 1 and 1/2 cup of crumb mixture that you set aside. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until golden. Slice once cool and enjoy.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

    Our whole house smelt like cinnamon goodness this afternoon! Two of my favorite desserts come together for the chewy bars. Are they blondies or are they snickerdoodles? Try them and see what you think. Either way, they are absolutely delicious!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Ingredients: 

- 1 cup of butter, softened

- 1 cup of granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for topping

- 1 cup of packed brown sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

- 2 teaspoons of baking powder 

- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, plus 1 and 1/2 teaspoon for topping

- 2 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

- dash of salt

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and set aside. Cream together the butter and remaining sugars. Add the egg and vanilla. Then, slowly incorporate in all of the dry ingredients. Mix well. Spread the dough into the bottom or a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Top the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and bake for 30 minutes. It's best you wait for them to completely cool before you slice into them. I was impatient and mine got kind of sloppy, but they sure are tasty!

Ultimate Gooey Brownies

    This brownie recipe is probably the most decadent out of all the brownies I've ever baked. If you are a hardcore chocolate fan, you will love them. They are wicked rich and have a gooey center!

Ultimate Gooey Brownies

Ingredients:

- 1 and 1/2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips, divided

- 3/4 cup of butter, 1 1/2 sticks, cut into pieces

- 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, chopped

- 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar

- 3 large eggs, plus one egg yolk

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- 3/4 cup of all purpose flour

- 1/4 teaspoon of salt

- 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1 cup of the chocolate chips, butter, and chopped unsweetened chocolate. Microwave on high for one minute. Remove from microwave and stir mixture until smooth, you may have to put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds. Be very careful not to over microwave. Set the chocolate mixture aside and let it cool. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs on a medium high speed until they become thick and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Then, with a rubber spatula, stir in the cooled chocolate mixture. Add in the flour and salt, folding gently until well combined. Add half of the batter to a greased 8x8 baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips on top and then, pour in a layer of the sweetened condensed milk. Top with the remaining brownie batter and bake for about 40-45 minutes. It will seem that they are not finished and may be a bit jiggly still, just be careful to not over-bake. Wait until they have completely cooled before you attempt slicing. 

Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Chicken

    This sauce is pretty good! I love sriracha and that slight after burn that you experience when you eat it. I made this for my family for dinner tonight and we agreed that it was a nice and healthy alternative to ordering Chinese take-out.

Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Chicken

Ingredients:

- 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

- 1/3 cup of cornstarch plus 2 tablespoons, divided

- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water, divided

- 2 tablespoons of sriracha hot sauce

- 1/3 cup of soy sauce

- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic

- 1/4 cup of sugar

- 2 tablespoons of honey

- olive oil

    Combined the 1 cup of water, sriracha, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, and honey in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling sauce mixture. Turn down the heat and whisk until sauce thickens. Add the chicken and 1/3 cup of cornstarch to a gallon Ziploc bag and shake to coat. Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chicken. Saute until golden brown and chicken has cooked all the way through. Toss the chicken in the sauce and serve over rice.

Sausage Onion Spinach Quiche

    I have always loved quiche! It's an easy idea and you probably have all of the ingredients in your refrigerator already. You can make quiche with just about anything you want in it. I like my quiche to be pretty dense, so I use less cream and lots of add-ins. I made this recipe for dinner last night and it came out really good.

Sausage Onion Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:

- 1 9 inch pie crust

- 1 pound of ground breakfast sausage

- 1 cup of roughly chopped onions

- 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, thawed, rinsed, and drained

- 1 cup of shredded cheese, I used white cheddar

- 5 large eggs

- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream

- salt and pepper to taste

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and cream, add a little salt and pepper and set aside. In a skillet, sweat the onions with a little salt and pepper for a few minutes, do not brown them, set aside. Once you've removed the onions from your skillet, throw in the sausage and cook until it starts to brown. Once the sausage is cooked, drain the fat (I put it on a paper towel). Add the spinach, onions, sausage, and half of the cheese to the egg mixture. Save some sausage to put on top. Pour it into the pie crust, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the rest of cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the center is set when you shake it and it's started to brown.

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip

    You really can't go wrong when bacon and cheese are involved!

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip

Ingredients:

- 1 16 ounce container of sour cream

- 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened

- 1 packet of hidden valley ranch mix

- 1 cup of crumpled bacon

- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

    Mix everything together in the crock-pot and heat, on low, for 2 hours. Serve with crackers or chips. That's it! So easy! 

Chili Cheese Dip

    This stuff is addicting! So quick and easy. It's great for parties!

Chili Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

- 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened

- 1 cup of sour cream

- 2 cans of Hormel chili (15 ounce)

- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

    In a bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together the cream cheese and sour cream. Spread the mixture into the bottom of a microwave safe serving dish. Next, spread the chili over the mixture and top with shredded cheese. Pop the whole thing in the microwave for 5 minutes. If the cheese isn't completely melted, put it back in for one minute increments until completely melted. It's wonderful with tortilla chips or on crackers! 

   

Poutines

    When you think of poutines, I'm sure you think of greasy french fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. Well, poutine rapee is a completely different dish. This is a traditional Acadian recipe. My mother's family has a strong Acadian (French Canadian) background. She has many memories of her parents making them for New Years and for their church. My mom has been continuing the tradition, even after moving to Florida, she still relives her family's memories and creates new ones. Rape-e is french for grated, and grating potatoes is exactly what you are about to do if you're about to attempt this recipe. It's really is a tedious recipe, but there is nothing else in the world that tastes like them.

Poutines

Ingredients:

- 10 pounds of potatoes

- 1/2 pound of ground pork

- 1/4 pound salt pork

- salt and pepper to taste

- cheese cloth

     Start by dividing the potatoes into thirds.

    Take one third of them and cut into pieces. Boil, season, and mash them. Set them aside. The other two thirds are to be grated to a watery pulp. We've hand grated them for years but, my mom got a Ninja blender for Christmas this year and it worked quite nicely.

    Once you've grated the potatoes, take a piece of cheese cloth and squeeze the water from them. Do it in small sections so you can really get out the excess water.

    Once you've finished, and you dump the water from the pulp, the starch from the potatoes will have gathered in the bottom of the bowl. Set it aside.

    Next, take equal amounts of the mashed potato and potato pulp and mix together with half of the starch from the bottom of the bowl. My mom covers the counter in plastic wrap and mixes the potato by hand. Then, mix together the porks and form meatballs.

    Shape the potato mixture into balls, and place the meatballs into the center of each potato ball.

    Cut the cheese cloth into square sections and wrap each poutine. Tie together the corners. Place them into a pot of water and boil them for about 2 hours. 

   There you have it, poutines rapee!

Check out more on this Acadian dish!!!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Dog Treats

    I may not be a human mom, but I am a doggie mommy! I have two beautiful Chihuahuas, Bruiser and Sookie. They can be a little picky when it comes to treats. So, I was hesitant when I decided to make them homemade treats. Let me just say, they went crazy for these! 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Dog Treats

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of oats

- 1 cup of whole wheat flour

- 1 banana, mashed

- 1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter

- 1 egg

    Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Roll out the dough, about 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookie shapes. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

Bruiser loves them!!!!!!!