Pepperoni Pizza Calzones = YUM!

After the success of my last Calzones, I decided to make some more with the left-over Pepperoni and Pizza Sauce from my pizza on Sunday. They turned out great! Hum...what else could I put into Calzones?

Ingredients: (8 Calzones)

24 slices of Peppersoni
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® refrigerated biscuits (any variety)
1 c shredded Mozzarella cheese
½ c Pizza sauce
½ c Parmesan cheese

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Press each biscuit into 6-inch round. Fill each with 3 slices of pepperoni, 1 Tbsp pizza sauce and 1 tablespoon Mozzarella cheese. Fold dough over filling and press with a fork to seal. Place on greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

3. Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

TWD Thanksgiving Pie and I'm Thankful For...

...Pillsbury Pie Crust! It's Tuesdays with Dorie time again and this week we're making Thanksgiving Twofer Pie. What is that? Well, it's basically a Pumpkin Pie and a Pecan Pie combined into 1 YUMMY All-in-One Thanksgiving Pie. It's RIDICULOUSLY good and trust me, you will be THANKFUL for Pillsbury Pie Crust cuz it makes your life SO much easier!

Ingredients:

For Pumpkin Filling:
¾ c granulated sugar
1¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 large eggs
1 c pure pumpkin
1/2 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

For Pecan Filling:
¼ c packed brown sugar
1 tsp all-purpose flour
½ c light corn syrup
½ tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c pecan halves or broken pecans
2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

Prep:

1. Preheated oven 425° F.

2. For the Pumpkin Filing: Mix sugar and pumpkin pie spice in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

3. Pour into pie shell.

4. For the Pecan Filling: In large bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, corn syrup, vanilla and eggs until well blended. Stir in pecans and butter.

5. Pour on top of Pumpkin Filling.

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve warm or refrigerate.

Who Needs Pizza Hut When You've Got...

...HOMEMADE Pepperoni Mushroom Pizza in 30 minutes? Pillsbury Pizza Crust has now become one of my best friends and it's literally faster than delivery! This was made with Italian Pepperoni Slices, TJ's Pizza Sauce and mushrooms. AND of course, LOTS of Mozzerella Cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese on top. Hot and fresh from the oven in just 30 minutes! Beat that Pizza Hut! :)

More Pumpkin = Muffins!

I had some pumpkin left over so I decided to make some muffins. I found this recipe on the Nestle website and it was perfect! The corn and the pumpkin were so yummy together!

Thanksgiving Pasta!

What's Pasta...Thanksgiving Style? STUFFING Pasta of course! I bought a couple of boxes of Stuffing Mix last week and thought it would make an AWESOME topping for baked pasta! This dish was SO yummy and totally makes you ready for Thanksgiving! :)

Ingredients:

2 c macaroni pasta, cooked according to package

2 c diced cooked chicken

1 pkg (6 oz) stuffing mix, cooked according to package

1 c mushrooms, sliced

1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Pour pasta into 13x9 baking dish and mix in chicken, nushrooms and soups. Stir until all combined.

3. Bake 30 minues or until heated through.

Platinum Chef Pork Chops!

This is my second Platinum Chef Challenge and again, it was SO much fun to come up with the dishes. The ingredients this time were: Lentils, Lemon, Goat cheese, Spinach and Vinegar. My main ingredient was Pork Chops and it went REALLY well with the spinach goat-cheese stuffing and lentil salad. I never thought stuffing Pork Chops would be so easy and SO incredibly worth it! YUM!

Pork Chops stuffed with Goat Cheese and Spinach

Ingredients: (2 servings)

1 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 c frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 oz goat cheese, softened
½ tsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 boneless pork chops

Prep:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In medium bowl, mix cheese, mustard, lemon rind and spinach until well blended.

Using a sharp knife, slice pockets into chops by slicing horizontally into the side, and almost through to the other side. Season the outside with salt and pepper. Stuff chops with spinach mixture, allowing stuffing to overflow out of pockets.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and sear on 1 side until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip chops and cook another 4 minutes until done.

Lentil Salad with Lemon Dressing

Ingredients:

½ c dried brown lentils
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Prep:

Cook lentils in pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Place in large bowl. Mix in tomatoes.

Whisk together olive oil, mustard and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Add dressing to salad; toss to coat. Add goat cheese. Transfer salad to serving bowl or platter.

Pumpkin Pie Cookies

It's almost Thanksgiving and I have some left-over Pumpkin still in the fridge from my Pumpkin Bread. SO I decided to bake up a batch of Pumpkin Cookies! These turned out soft and moist and SO full of pumpkin flavor!

Ingredients: (36 cookies)

2½ c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1½ c granulated sugar
½ c butter (1 stick), softened
1 c pure pumpkin
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease or line baking sheets with silicon liners.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

3. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Rigatoni Noodles Lasagna Style!

I bought a package of Rigatoni noodles from Target last week and thought they'd be perfect in a baked pasta dish. I layered the noodles with pasta sauce, cheese and meat almost like a Lasagna. It was great and I think the Ricotta Cheese is what made it SO yummy! :)

Ingredients:

1 lb Rigatoni noodles
1 lb ground beef
1 jar marinara sauce
2 c ricotta cheese
4 c grated mozzarella cheese, reserve 1 cup, for topping
½ c grated Parmesan

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, cook beef in a hot skillet over medium heat until golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat.

4. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and mix well. Spoon 1/2 cup of Marinara sauce in the bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish. Top with half of the cooked ziti. Top with half of the meat and half cheese mixture. Top with 1 cup of Marinara sauce.

5. Repeat layer, ending with Marinara sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Gravy in a Can works for ME!

Nothing says Comfort Food like Porkchops in Gravy with Mashed Potatoes! BUT making gravy from scratch can be pretty time-consuming. I was hesitant to try canned gravy but when you add in some mushrooms and onions, it tastes just like home-made! Well, maybe not EXACTLY like home-made but close enough and VERY yummy! This is also the first time I've ever made mashed potatoes and they turned out great as well. I used those cute Petite Potatoes and mashed them with the skin. Doesn't this look like Comfort on a Plate???

Ingredients: (4 servings)

1 lbs petite potatoes, cut in half
½ c buttermilk
¼ c (½ stick) butter, cut into chunks
¼ c sour cream
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 boneless pork chops
1 (12-oz) jar gravy
Salt and pepper

Prep:

1. Put potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and return potatoes to pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mash with potato masher, gradually adding buttermilk, then butter, then sour cream.

2. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook mushrooms and onion in oil until tender; remove from skillet.

3. In same skillet, cook pork chops until browned on both sides; season with salt and pepper. Stir in gravy.

4. Return mushroom mixture to skillet. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until pork chops are done.

5. Place mashed potatoes and pork chops on a serving platter. Pour gravy mixture on top.

Pumpkin Carrot Bread

It's that time of the year again! I think the smell of Pumpkin just feels like Thanksgiving, don't you think? I found this recipe on the Nestle website and thought I'd give it a try. It's SUPER healthy and doesn't even use butter! The only thing I changed was using Baby Carrots cuz that's what I had in the fridge.

Butternut Squash Soup = Fall Comfort

This is my 2nd Recipes to Rival and yes, I cheated AGAIN! (What is WRONG with me?) I didn't make the stock from scratch like I was supposed to and I used pre-cut Butternut Squash from Trader Joe's! BUT the soup tasted AWESOME! (Oh and I sub'ed sour cream for vanilla cuz we LOVE sour cream at our house!)

Ingredients: (2 servings)

1 (8 oz) pkg precut butternut squash
2 c chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
10 baby carrot, shredded in food processor
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp sour cream

Prep:

1. In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until onions turn soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add the squash and stir just to coat, then add the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a slow simmer. Allow to cook for at least 25 minutes, or until squash is soft.

3. Puree soup in a blender until smooth. Garnish with a swirl of sour cream before serving.

A Monster of a MEATLOAF

Yes, this thing is GI-NORMOUS! It's 2 lbs of BEEF and a box of Stuffing Mix! All mixed in with some CHEESE and KETCHUP! Hum...what is there NOT to love about this? (Just make sure you bake it in the oven until the meat is completely cooked, which may take up to 1hr and a half!)

It's the HOLIDAYS, which means I'm baking up a storm. I wanted to give my guys a special breakfast treat and who doesn't love Blueberry Muffins right? I found this recipe from Paula Deen and they just looked SO moist and yummy! Look at all those JUICY Blueberries! :)

Little Ears

I bought this box of Orecchiette, which means Little Ears in Italian. They're really cute and do a great job of soaking up all the sauce! I just browned some Italian sausage in a pan and added jarred Marinara sauce. Then I added the pasta and chicken stock and simmered it for 15 minutes until the pasta was soft. Stir in some Mozzarella and a yummy pasta dish is born! I also served the dish with some Parmesan on top! The more cheese the better! :)

Cookie Carnival Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my second Cookie Carnival and who doesn't like CHEWY Chocolate Chip cookies? It was a great way to celebrate our first Cookie Friday in our new office. :)

Ingredients:

1 c unsalted butter at room temp
1 c tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 c + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
16 oz bitter or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Scoop out dough using an ice-cream scooper and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown.

Healthy Brownies???

I visited Greg's office the other day and was asked by his coworker to test out this new product. It's a healthy brownie mix made by Matisse and Jack's. I have to say that I'm very impressed with this product! It was SUPER easy, using only 2 ingredients (oil and applesauce) other than the mix, and only took 25 minutes to bake! The nutritional stats are also great and the brownies didn't taste like "health food" at all! Right now they're only available online or at Whole Foods but I wouldn't be surprised if they started showing up on more supermarket shelves!

The Boys Wanted Calzones

So that's what I made! Well, they actually asked for Hot Pockets but I decided anything home-made would be better! The last time I made Calzones were these huge dinner-size pockets but these little ones were just as easy and TOTALLY great for the office! I'm seeing a lot more Calzone in the future! (Yes...it's pronouced Cal-ZON-Nah!) Does anyone have any filling suggestions?

Ingredients: (8 Calzones)

1 lb cooked Italian sausage, casin removed
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® refrigerated biscuits (any variety)
1/2 c shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 c Marinara sauce
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Cook sausage in Marinara sauce until browned; using a wooden spoon to break them apart as needed. Stir in Italian seasoning.

3. Press each biscuit into 6-inch round. Fill each with sausage mixture and 1 tablespoon Mozzarella cheese. Fold dough over filling and press with a fork to seal. Place on greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Tonight I made 2 of Greg's favorite things in 1 dish! Mexican food + Lasagna! I got the inspiration from Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals but decided to use ground beef instead of chicken since we've had so much chicken in the last week. The best part about this dish is that there's no noodles to boil first! Look at all that cheesy goodness! YUM!

Ingredients:

6 large tortillas
2 c Ricotta cheese
2 c Mexican cheese, shredded
2 cup Mexican salsa or picante sauce
2 tsp chile powder
1 c corn, frozen or canned
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1 lb ground beef

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, sauté the ground beef and onion in a large cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan until beef is done. Add salsa, chile powder, cumin, oregano and corn. Stir to mix and simmer on low heat 5 minutes, stirring sauce frequently.

3. Layer 2 tortillas, then 1/2 of the meat mixture, then 1 c Ricotta cheese. Repeat layer, finishing with the last 2 tortillas. Sprinkle on Mexican Cheese.

4. Bake for 30 minutes, or till cheese is bubbly. Allow to set for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with extra salsa, sour cream and guacamole (if desired).

TWD: Cranberry Kugelhopf

It's Tuesdays with Dorie time again! Again I had NO idea what Kugelhopf is. BUT after doing some research, I found that it's pretty much a Bundt Cake from Austria! (Yes I know I like to simplify things!) I just recently bought a Bundt Pan from Target and was really excited to use it! I also have some cranberries left over so I made Cranberry Kugelhopf! The cake turned out SO moist and yummy! :)
Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose flour
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c orange juice
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 c whole cranberries

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 12-cup tube pan.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Combine orange juice, egg and oil in a medium bowl. Beat until well blended.
4. Add orange juice mixture to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Gently fold in cranberries.
5. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
   

Delmonte Peach Muffins

I have a whole case of these Delmonte Mini Canned Fruit at home and thought they'd be great in muffins. These were done with canned peaches but you can use any flavor you like. The juice from the can makes the muffins really moist and yummy! They're super healthy too with very little oil and LOTS of oatmeal! :)

Ingredients: (6 muffins)

1 c oatmeal
1 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 Delmonte canned peach (4 oz)

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 6 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups.

2. Combine 1-1/2 cups oats with remaining dry ingredients in large bowl; mix well. In small bowl, combine milk, egg whites, oil, lemon peel and vanilla; mix well.

3. Add to dry ingredients; stir until moistened. Gently stir peaches. Fill muffin cups almost full.

4. Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack for five minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm.

Listen to ME!

Another Fish 4 Mommy!

I'm spending another Saturday night with my mommy and wanted to cook her dinner. These are tilapia fillets with Bok Choy in a very light honey-soy dressing. It was yummy and SO easy! All I did was saute the Bok Choy and tilapia fillets in some olive oil and then drizzle some soy sauce and honey on them. 10 minutes and they're DONE! :)

Going Out with a BANG

Tomorrow is our last day at 555 California so I wanted to make something special for Cookie Friday. D-Vo requested Cheesecake Cookies and they sounded PERFECT! I found this recipe from another blog and these Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies turned out SO yummy. Talk about going out with a BANG huh? :)

Ingredients: (36 cookies)

½ c cream cheese, softened
½ c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 egg
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
1 c flour
¼ c strawberry jam

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prep a cookie sheet.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Gradually beat in the sugar until it's light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and salt.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together baking powder and flour. Mix into cream cheese mixture.

4. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet.

5. Place jam into a bowl and stir it well so it isn't lumpy or too gelatinous. Dab a bit on jam onto each cookie, then swirl the jam and top bit of cookie dough together.

6. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until edges are just golden.

TWD: Rugelach - My Cheater Version

It's Tuesdays with Dorie time again and this week we're making Rugelach. Now, I had NO idea what that is, but after looking at them, I thought they look just like sweet Croissants! Being the Lazy Baker that I am (and someone who hates waiting for the dough to chill and using a rolling pin), I totally cheated and used Pillsbury Crescents instead! I also used regular old Strawberry Jam (cuz that's what I had in the fridge) and they turned out REALLY yummy! I'm sure Dorie's version would've tasted more home-made but these were good enough for me! hehe

Ingredients: (4 cookies)

1 (4-count) pkg Pillsbury Crescents
1 Tbsp chopped nuts
2 Tbsp jam

Prep:

1. Preheat over to 350°F.

2. Unroll dough and separate into triangles. Spoon a thin gloss of jam in the middle and press nuts into dough. Carefully roll them up into crescents.

3. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

JUICY Angus Burger!

Look at this burger! Doesn't it look YUMMY? I found a new product from Trader Joe's...frozen Angus Burger Patties! They're SO easy to make on a grill pan and only takes about 10 minutes to heat through. I also got these AWESOME Hamburger Buns from Trader Joe's too! Beat that, Burger King! hehe

Goldfish Box!

My mommy bought me the best thing today at Safeway! It's a Goldfish Box! This little thing holds a whole cup of Goldfish! It's perfect for taking along in your bag or stashing in the car! Thanks mommy!

My First Recipes to Rival! Beef Rendang

This is my very FIRST Recipes to Rival and yes I made a few modifications. First of all, I cooked the dish in my Slow Cooker instead of having it simmer in a pot cuz I just didn't have the time (or patience) to watch it cook for 4 hours! I also only have our tiny Safeway to buy my ingredients from so some of the seasonings like Fresh Tumeric and Lemon Grass were just not possible. BUT the good news is that this dish turned out REALLY yummy and I think the addition of potatoes really bulked it up, making it a meal! Our apartment was filled with a wonderful CURRY aroma ALL day!

Ingredients:

3 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 2-inch pieces
10 small potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 c chopped onions (frozen)
1 Tbsp grated ginger
3 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 Tbsp curry powder
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 can (15 oz) coconut milk

Prep:

1. Put the beef and potatoes in the slow cooker.

2. Mix together everything else except coconut milk and pour over beef.

3. Stir in coconut milk and cover. Cook on low setting for 9-10 hours, until the liquid is almost all reduced.

My First Pizza!

I think I've found a new favorite product! Pillsbury® Pizza Crust! It's SO easy to use! I've never made pizza before but I have a feeling I'll be making a lot more now that I have this! We had a LOT of chicken left over from the Enchiladas and BBQ Sauce left over from some ribs that I made last weekend, so I thought what would be better than BBQ Chicken Pizza? (Nothing...DUH!) All I needed to add on top of that was some sliced red onions and mushrooms and of course, LOTS of CHEESE! :)

Ingredients:

1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
½ c BBQ sauce
1 c cooked cubed chicken
½ medium red onion, cut into thin strips
1 c sliced mushrooms
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c grated Parmesan cheese

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil. Unroll pizza crust dough in pan; press dough to edges of pan.

2. Spread BBQ sauce evenly over dough to within ¼-inch of edges. Top with chicken, onion, mushrooms and cheeses.

3. Bake 12 to 20 minutes or until cheeses are melted and edges are deep golden brown.

More Cranberries = Muffins!

I've still got more than half a bag of cranberries left so I decided to make some yummy oatmeal muffins! They're SUPER healthy with only a Tbsp of oil and I'm sure my mom will appreciate that! The crunchy sweet topping goes PERFECTLY with the tart cranberries! YUM! :)

Ingredients: (6 muffins)

Topping:
2 Tbsp oatmeal
1 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar

Muffins:
¾ c oatmeal
½ c all-purpose flour
¼ c granulated sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ c milk
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh cranberries

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 6 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups. For topping, combine 2 Tbsp oats and brown sugar; set aside.

2. For muffins, combine oats with remaining dry ingredients in large bowl; mix well. In small bowl, combine milk, egg white, oil and vanilla; mix well.

3. Add to dry ingredients; stir until moistened. Gently stir in cranberries. Fill muffin cups almost full; sprinkle with topping.

4. Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack for five minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm.

Super High Fiber Cranberry Bread

It's almost Turkey Time, which means cranberries are now EVERYWHERE! I picked up a bag from Safeway and decided to make stuff with them. I remembered how much my mom LOVED my Super High Fiber Bread last time and half the box of cereal is still sitting in my cupboard so I decided to make more bread! The cranberries are slightly tart and burst open when they're baked so they give the bread a super FRESH taste!

Ingredients:

1½ c high fiber cereal (I used Trader Joe's)
½ c water
1 c orange juice
2 c all-purpose flour
¾ c sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
1 c fresh cranberries
½ c chopped almonds

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter.

2. Crush cereal in food processor.

3. In large bowl, stir together cereal, water and orange juice; let stand 10 minutes.

4. Stir in remaining ingredients except cranberries. Gently stir in cranberries. Spread batter in pan.

5. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.

Slow-Cooked Chicken Enchiladas

It's been a while since I used my good old Slow Cooker and I TOTALLY forgot how much I LOVE it! The last time I made chicken thighs, the meat fell off the bones and was SO tender, and this time was no different. I just threw them all in the slow cooker with chicken broth and seasoning, and let the Slow Cooker do its thing over-night. The next morning our apartment smelled SO yummy! There was a LOT of chicken meat, and I only used half for these Enchiladas. I'm guessing there will be a LOT more chicken dishes in the near future! This is my first time making Enchiladas, BTW, and they were a total winner! We have a ton of left-overs too, including some in the freezer for a quick weeknight meal! :)

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs
1 c chicken broth
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt

1 (16 oz) can Enchilada sauce
6 tortillas
1 jar salsa
1 can refried beans
1 c shredded Mexican cheese (for the tortillas)
3 c shredded Mexican cheese (for topping)

Prep:

1. Place chicken thighs inside slow cooker and cover with seasoning and chicken stock. Cook on low for 8 hours. Let chicken cool and shred.

2. Preheat oven to 400°. Microwave tortillas for 20 seconds to soften them.

3. Pour about half a cup of the Enchilada Sauce in the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Spread refried beans down the middle of a tortilla. Add shredded chicken and cheese. Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side down in baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas

4. Pour the remaining Enchilada Sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

5. Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.