Eric's Chicken Salad Croissants

This is Eric's mom's Chicken Salad & it is delicious! It also the perfect cooler food. We make it when we take the boat out for the day, for soccer tournaments, hurricane parties, camping, lake days, etc. 

Ingredients: 
4 cans chicken breast
1 Cup Poppy Seed dressing (the kind in the refrigerated produce section)
1 Cup Mayo (Dukes or Blue Plate)
1 Cup chopped pecans
1 Cup celery 
1 & 1/2 Cups OceanSpray cranberries 
2 chopped green onions 
1 Teaspoon Seasoning Salt 
About 12 Croissants

Although it is perfect as is, I have tweaked it a bit over time. Here's what I add...

4 Cups boiled chicken breast
6 chopped boiled eggs
1 Cup Poppy Seed dressing (the kind in the refrigerated produce section)
1 Cup Mayo (Dukes or Blue Plate)
1 Cup chopped pecans
1 & 1/2 Cup celery 
2 Cups OceanSpray cranberries 
Seasoning Salt to taste (probably 2 teaspoons)

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix the chicken, (eggs) nuts, celery, cranberries, & onions together. Add the poppy seed dressing & mayo. Sprinkle with Seasoning Salt & stir until mixed. Add some more Seasoning Salt because it really makes everything pop! Taste as you go & add more mayo if it's too dry. 

Slice croissants in half & load them up! You can also use bread, rolls, crackers, etc. 

Tips:

*Don't be afraid to add more of or remove whatever you want to make it yours!

The BEST Steak Marinade EVER!

Absolutely the best homemade marinade for steaks. Make sure you allow your steaks to marinate for at least 60 minutes before throwing them on the grill AND always make sure they are just to room temperature by setting them out of the fridge at least a half hour before cooking. You can marinade up to eight hours in advance or freeze them with this marinade in the bag and allow to thaw the morning before cooking. Always allow steaks to rest for at least five minutes after cooking them to seal in juiciness before serving. 

Marinade Ingredients

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3 to 4 pounds steak ribeye, strip, sirloin, filet mignon, etc.

Garlic Herb Butter (Optional)

• ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon rosemary finely chopped

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a large Pyrex measuring cup or mixing bowl and whisk together.
• Place steak in a large, ziploc bag and pour marinade over the top. Close securely.
• Marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. (A bare minimum of an hour.)

To grill

• Preheat grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grates.
• Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry to remove excess marinade and to prevent flare-ups on the grill.
• Grill steak to desired doneness.
• Remove steaks from grill and tent with foil. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

For the Garlic Herb Butter

• Cream softened butter with a spoon or mixer just until smooth. Stir in garlic and chopped herbs until combined.
• Spoon butter mixture onto a square or parchment paper, plastic wrap or wax paper and shape into a log (about 6 inches long). Pull the paper or plastic wrap tightly around it and roll up, twisting the ends tightly. 
• Chill in the refrigerator until the butter is solid again, about 2 to 3 hours. Slice and serve on bread, steak, potatoes, shrimp whatever you want!

Cilantro Lime Fajitas

My favorite fajita recipe. 💕 It is super simple to put together and soooo good!

 I threw this all on the Blackstone and cooked it all up in just minutes but you can also do this in a frying pan or cast-iron skillet on the stove top.   

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skirt, flank, or stir-fry steak sliced into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 red pepper deseeded and sliced into thin strips
• 1 green or yellow pepper deseeded and sliced into thin strips
• 1 medium onion peeled and sliced into thin strips (optional of course)
• 2 limes
• 1 bunch of Cilantro, slice off about 2 inches from top of bunch and finely chop. (You’ll need about a handful, maybe half a cup loosely placed in measuring cup if you’re unsure but you can just eyeball a handful, doesn’t need to be exact.)
• Fajita seasoning (I get mine from Hitchcock’s. It’s their brand of seasonings on a shaker but any fajitas seasoning packet or shaker will do)
• 2 cloves garlic minced or about 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• Flour tortillas wrapped in foil, about 4 per packet. (I use the small tortillas)
• One packet of Cilantro Lime Ready Rice (or whatever kind you prefer) 

Optional garnish:

• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Salsa

Instructions

• 1. Slice the steak up into small strips. Place the steak into a sealable bag or container. Slice one lime and squeeze over steak, add cilantro and stir. Sprinkle on some fajita seasoning (about half the packet or several shakes to coat the meat mixture lightly) and mix well. Let it marinate for at least a half hour. (You can mix this up in the morning or even the day before and store in fridge. Just set it out and let it come to room temp before cooking.)
  
  
  2. Place the sliced peppers and onion into a separate bag or container. (You can do this in advance too)
  
  
  3. When ready to cook, heat up the Blackstone or skillet over medium-high heat. Throw down some oil, (about 2 or 3 tablespoons). 
  
  
  4. Toss the steak onto one side of the griddle and the veggies on the other. Sprinkle the rest of the fajita packet (or a few good shakes) over the meat and veggies. Toss, turn and spread out frequently until veggies are just becoming tender and meat is just cooked through. Combine meat and veggies and move to one side, turn burners to low. 
  
  
  5. Place wrapped tortillas somewhere onto griddle.
  
  
  6. Find a spot and throw down a few pats of butter, add rice and squeeze half the lime onto the rice. Turn frequently, cook about 5 mins on low. (don’t forget to toss your meat and veggie mixture and flip your tortillas occasionally.) 
  
  
  7. Plate it all up and serve hot.  
  
  
  (If you’re cooking this on the stove top, begin cooking your rice first then begin cooking the veggies up and set aside, finally, cook the meat up and combine together OR cook at the same time in several skillets and then combine.) Throw the wrapped tortillas into the oven at some point on about 300 until nice and hot. Maybe 5 to 7 minutes.) 

Mema’s Sabbath Potatoes

As a child, I have many fond memories of long summers and holidays spent with my grandparents in Tennessee. One of my favorite memories surrounds Sabbath dinner. Mema would whip up her delicious cottage cheese loaf and these savory Sabbath Potatoes. These recipes have been passed down through generations of our family and I’ve never found a recipe that come even close to these family treasures.

-Scrub and boil whole Russet potatoes until poke tender.

-Drain and let them cool enough to do-skin them.

-Place the de-skinned whole potatoes into a Tupperware and refrigerate overnight
(or for several hours)

-Remove from fridge and grate the potatoes with a cheese grater.

-In an appropriately sized pot, heat the salt, pepper, milk, butter and celery salt over med-high heat until the butter is thoroughly melted and the lights is hot but not boiling.

-Slowly add the grated potatoes to the hot mixture. Allow the potato to thoroughly heat up and stir only gently to prevent the grated potatoes from sticking, being mindful to not break or mash the grated potatoes. They should only cook for long enough to become hot.

-Serve immediately.

Arkansas Green Beans

Arkansas Green Beans 

Ingredients

• 5 (15 ounce) cans green beans, drained
• 7 slices bacon
• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 7 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the drained green beans in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Cook bacon in a microwave on microwave-safe plate for 2 minutes until slightly cooked. Lay the bacon on top of the green beans.
3. Combine the brown sugar, melted butter, soy sauce, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the green beans and bacon. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Libby’s Chocolate Pudding Pie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 sleeves of chocolate graham crackers
• 6 Tbs. butter melted
• 2 Tbs. sugar

Instructions

1. Stir all ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Pour into pie plate and use your hands to press to form crust.
   
   
   1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding

   1-1/2 cups cold milk

   1 OREO Pie Crust(6 oz.)

   2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

   
   

   Beat pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min.

   Pour half the pudding into crust. Let stand 5 min.

   Stir 1 cup COOL WHIP into remaining pudding; spoon over pudding layer in crust.

   Top with remaining COOL WHIP.

   Refrigerate 3 hours.

Cottage Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - boiled and shredded
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce

Directions

1. To Make Meat Mixture: Heat oil in medium skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, onion and green chile peppers and saute until browned, then add taco seasoning and prepare meat mixture according to package directions.
2. To Make Cheese Mixture: In a medium bowl mix sour cream with cottage cheese and season with salt and pepper; stir until well blended.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. To Assemble Enchiladas: Heat tortillas until soft. In each tortilla place a spoonful of meat mixture, a spoonful of cheese mixture and a bit of shredded cheese. Roll tortillas and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with any remaining meat and cheese mixture, enchilada sauce and remaining shredded cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Great Northern Beans - Vegetarian

 I stumbled across this flavorful pot of beans while making white chili for my Pepa. I hadn't finished the recipe for the chili but was impressed with it as it was so I stopped here. It makes a fine pot of  vegetarian beans.

Ingredients:

1 small package of dried great northern beans
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
4 cups of water

1teaspoon Salt
1teaspoon ground Cumin
1teaspoon dried Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions:
Soak beans overnight according to package directions. (Pour  into a bowl. Cover with 2 inches of water. Cover and leave overnight. Drain in the morning.)

Pour drained beans into a medium stock pot and add broth.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 3 hours stirring occasionally, maintaining a low boil.

Test for doneness by removing a few beans and blowing on them gently. If skins peel back, they are ready. Taste for softness too of course.  Most of the additional water will have evaporated and you will be left with a good thick soup.

Add seasoning, stir well and let flavors mingle for 15 mins or so.

Eat and enjoy.

Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

Another super easy big hit. Wade loves this one!

Ingredients

2

pounds frozen hash browns, thawed

1/2

cup butter, melted

1

can (10.75 ounces) cream of chicken soup

1

pint sour cream

1/2

cup onion, chopped

2

cups grated cheddar cheese

1

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon pepper

• 1

  Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray 11 x 14 inch casserole or baking dish with cooking spray.
• 2

  In large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir together. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes until top is golden brown.

Kelsey's Peanut Butter Pie

Kelsey made this delicious pie for a school function in the 3rd grade. It was one of her first big hits. It's so creamy and delicious--melts in your mouth. This pie is a real crowd-pleaser! 

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter

• 1 cup milk
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts

Directions

1. Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
2. Spoon into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm. Serve super cold, just out of he freezer.  

Amish Salad

Love this recipie! Sooo addicting! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1  head broccoli, chopped
• 1  head cauliflower, chopped
• 1  cup mayonnaise
• 1  cup sour cream
• ¹⁄₂ cup sugar
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₂ lb bacon, fried & crumbled
• 1  cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine chopped broccoli and cauliflower in large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar and salt to make a dressing.
3. Add the dressing to the broccoli/cauliflower mix, stirring to evenly coat the veggies.
4. Stir in the bacon and cheese, reserving a small amount to sprinkle on top of salad just before serving.
5. Refridgerate until serving.

Chicken Fried Rice

Super easy recipe that comes together in 30 minutes or less! Everyone loved it and it's even better the next day  

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 3/4 to 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1/2-inch pieces. To save time, precook these and freeze until ready to use. 
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and diced carrots blend (I don't thaw and use straight from the freezer)
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 cups cooked rice (I use white, To save time use two 8.8-ounce pouches cooked and ready-to-serve rice)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• salt and pepper, optional and to taste

Directions: 

1. To a large non-stick skillet or wok, add the oils, chicken, and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, flipping intermittently so all sides cook evenly. Cooking time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts and sizes of pieces. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon (allow oils and cooking juices from chicken to remain in skillet) and place chicken on a plate; set aside.
2. Add the peas, carrots, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften, stir intermittently.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stir intermittently.
4. Push vegetables to one side of the skillet, add the eggs to the other side, and cook to scramble, stirring as necessary.
5. Add the chicken, rice, evenly drizzle with soy sauce, optional salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until chicken is reheated through. Recipe is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat gently as desired. 

Sandra's Broccoli Cheese Casserole

This Broccoli Cheese Casserole is THE favorite family recipe. This casserole is requested at every gathering & is always the first to disappear. I don't know anyone who doesn't love it. Everything Sandra made was delicious but this one just has that something special to make it a favorite.

Ingredients:

2 (10 oz) packages of broccoli flowerettes
1 tablespoon mayo (NOT Miracle Whip)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (grated is easiest)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken & mushroom soup)
2 eggs, beaten
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 & spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Boil and drain broccoli according to directions in a large pot. As soon as you drain the broccoli, put it back into the pot and add the cheese so the cheese melts thoroughly.
Add in the soup, mayo, eggs, salt & pepper & mix thoroughly.
Pour into the greased baking dish & bake for approximately 45 minutes or until browned.

*If doubling the recipe, which you should unless you're cooking for 4 or less people, bake for about an hour - an hour & 15 minutes. You'll just have to watch it to time it with your oven.

*You can prepare this a day in advance & bake it the day of with the same results. Just set it out of the fridge at least an hour in advance to bring it to room temp before placing in the oven.

*This would be fantastic with a Ritz Cracker crust. After pouring into baking dish, top with 2 cups of crushed Ritz crackers & drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake as usual.

Apple Pie

This homemade apple pie was my own first attempt at making an apple pie from scratch and it quickly became my favorite. It's one of those foods that reminds you of childhood happiness and days long passed.

Ingredients:

1 9 inch double crust pie shell
1 Pillsbury pie crust (the kind in a box that you can roll out & cut)
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored & sliced


Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste.
Add water, white sugar, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil.
Reduce temperature and let simmer.
Fill pie crust with apples, mounding high. Cover with a lattice work crust.
Gently pour hot liquid over crust, ouring slowly so it does not run off.
Bake for 15 minutes & then reduce temperature to 350 & continue baking for 45 minutes or until apples are soft.


*If you're as convinced as I was that there is no way the liquid will soak in between the lattice pieces, you can mound the apples, pour 3/4ths of the liquid over them, top with lattice & drizzle the rest of the liquid on top to soak the lattice with the liquid.

*You can peel the apples before you start & soak them in cold water to prevent browning,

Ham & Potato Bake

This is another comfort food from long ago that I just love. It also came from an old cookbook given to me by my grandmother, Eunice. She was an amazing country cook & I wish I had more of her recipes. That is why I started this blog. So one day, my girls & their children will have all of our family favorites, and the memories that go along with them, in one place.

This recipe is great with leftover ham. I always double it & add lots of extra cheese.

Ingredients:

4 cups sliced & boiled potatoes
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 1/2 cups fully cooked ham, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or celery soup)
1 cup sharp American cheese, shredded (divided in half)
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (1 slice)
1 tablespoon butter (melted)

Directions:

Layer half the potatoes & half the carrots in a 2qt baking dish.
Stir together ham, mushroom soup, 1/2 cup of cheese, milk & pepper.
Pour half of the mixture over the potatoes & carrots.
Repeat layers.
Combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of cheese, & butter. Sprinkle over casserole.
Bake uncovered at 350 until heated through, about 45 minutes.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Biscuit Topped Stew

I found this recipe in an old cookbook my grandmother, Eunice, had given me & it quickly became a much loved family favorite. It's makes a delicious yet simple comfort food that is perfect for those chilly fall nights & can even be made ahead of time to toss in the oven after a long day.

Ingredients:

1 packaged biscuit mix
1/4 cups milk
1/4 cups chopped onion (optional)
1/4 cups green pepper
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon basil
1 16oz canned tomatoes (chopped)
2 cups cubed and cooked beef
2 cups cooked vegetables (mixed, stew veggies, or whatever floats your boat)
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Mix biscuit mix as directed, roll out & cut into wedges. Set aside.
In saucepan cook onion & green peppers until tender, add garlic & cook until slightly browned.
Stir in flour, sugar, salt, pepper, & basil.
Blend in undrained tomatoes, meat, vegetables, bouillon, and Worcestershire sauce.
Cook & stir until think and bubbly.
Turn boiling mixture into a 1 1/2- quart casserole.
Immediately top with biscuit wedges.
Bake uncovered at 400 till biscuits are golden. (approx 18-2- minutes)
Makes 4-6 servings

Variations~
Add dry mustard, swiss or cheddar cheese to the biscuit mix.
Add chicken or turkey instead of beef with a little sage.

5 Minute Artisan Bread

There is something to be said about homemade bread. The smells & the flavors awaken memories of childhood & long summer days. Memories of my mom's sourdough bread, dripping with butter filled my mind as I ran across this recipe in a group discussion online. I thought, it can't be that simple but I decided to give it a whirl. Kelsey put it together as I was cooking dinner & we stashed it in the fridge overnight with hopes of fresh bread for breakfast. By morning, we had forgotten all about the stash of dough in the fridge and it wasn't until evening that we took out the bowl of swollen dough, pulled out a large chuck, manipulated it into something resembling a ball & set it to rest on the pizza stone. I was still skeptical that this blob was going to live up to my memories but as the scent of baking bread filled the house, my hopes began to rise. As I sliced into the beautiful golden loaf, piping hot from the oven, I fell in love. I have always been slightly intimidated by sourdough bread but this recipe is fantastically simple & oh so delicious! 

Ingredients:

3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2  tablespoons granulated yeast or 2 (7 1/4 g) packets granulated yeast

1 1/2  tablespoons kosher salt or other coarse salt

6 1/2 cups unsifted unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions:

~ Preparing Dough for Storage~.

Warm the water slightly. It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours. With cold water it will need 3-4 hours.

Add the yeast to the water in a 5 quart bowl or, preferably, in a resealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container or food-grade bucket. Don't worry about getting it all to dissolve.

Mix in the flour and salt - kneading is unnecessary. 

Add all of the flour at once, measuring it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, by gently scooping up the flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula. Don't press down into the flour as you scoop or you'll throw off the measurement. 

Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor (14 cups or larger) fitted with the dough attachment, or a heavy duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until the mixture is uniform. If you're hand mixing and it becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, you can reach into your mixing vessel with very wet hands and press the mixture together. 

*Don't knead, it isn't necessary. 

You're finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. It takes a few minutes, and will yield a dough that is wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.

~Allow to rise~

Cover with lid (not airtight or it could explode the lid off). Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on the top), approx 2 hours, depending on room temperature, and initial water temperature. Longer rising times, up to 5 hours, won't harm the result. Store the dough in the fridge in your lidded container. 

You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temperature. 

~On Baking Day~

Prepare your loaf tin, stone, or whatever you're baking it in/on. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with flour. Pull up and cut of a grapefruit-size piece of dough (c 1 lb), using a serrated knife.

Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won't stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all 4 sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off - that's fine, it isn't meant to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will sort itself out during resting and baking.

The correctly shaped final product will be smooth and cohesive. The entire process should take no more than 30 - 60 seconds.

Rest the loaf and let it rise in the pan you will bake in, for about 40 minutes Depending on the age of the dough, you may not see much rise during this period. That's fine, more rising will occur during baking.

Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

Dust and Slash. Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing knife to pass without sticking. Slash a quarter inch deep cross, diagonal lines, or tic-tac-toe pattern on top using a serrated knife.

After a 20 min preheat you're ready to bake, even though the oven thermometer won't be at full temperature yet. Put your loaf in the oven. Pour about 1 cup of hot water (from the tap) into the broiler tray and close the oven to trap the steam.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.

Store the rest of the dough in the fridge in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next 14 days. The flavor and texture improves, becoming like sourdough. Even 24 hours of storage improves the flavor.

Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients~

3 or 4 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 jars Classico Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce
1 bell pepper (chopped)
1 container sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 (8oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan Cheese
1 pkg pasta (either angle hair or fettuccine)
Salt, pepper, garlic


Directions~

Heat oven to 350 & grease a 9x13 baking dish.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta & stir frequently until tender. Drain & toss with butter.

2. Season chicken & saute in a bit of olive oil until cooked thoroughly.

3. Season peppers & mushrooms & saute in a bit of olive oil until tender.

4. In a large pot mix, Alfredo sauce, chicken, peppers, mushrooms. Heat thoroughly over medium heat, stirring constantly. Don't burn it, it should just take a minute.

5. In the baking dish layer sauce, pasta, & cheeses, in that order. (pour some sauce in & spread it out, add a bunch of pasta & spread it out, sprinkle cheese on top, repeat.) Just get it all in there & all mixed basically. Top with cheese.

6. Bake until cheese melts & it's hot and bubbly. Cool for a few mins & enjoy.

Chicken & Dumplins

There is nothing better than a big bowl of Chicken and Dumplins on a cold day. <3 This is Samantha's favorite recipe. This serves a small family, double for more than 2 or 3 people. 

Ingredients~

2 chicken breast (or rotisserie chicken from deli)
4 cans or 2 boxes chicken broth 
2 stalks celery
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
dash of thyme
self rising flour

Pops Cat Head Biscuits dough or few cans of bang biscuits. (the cans of biscuits that pop when you open them)

Directions~

1. Throw it all (except biscuits) into a stock pot & bring it to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, cover & simmer for about an hour. (don't forget to stir occasionally)

3. Remove chicken, shred & put back in the pot. Increase to a low boil.

4. Quickly pinch off small pieces of dough, plop in some flour & toss in the pot. Push dough balls down under the liquid when the pot starts filling. Make sure you stir from the bottom too.

5. Reduce heat & stir frequently for 20 more minutes or so. Dumplings will not float at top when done. (Taste one to test for doughiness) Add more salt & pepper to taste.