Happy Cinco de Mayo! Chicken Quesadillas

I don't always celebrate this special holiday, but I'm always ready to

celebrate my favorite ethnic food - Mexican!  OLE!

I did take a couple of years of Spanish in high school.

You know how easily we lose things when we don't use them, right?...so I really don't remember much.

But I don't have to speak Spanish in order to enjoy eating it, right?

Hubby and I enjoy Chicken Quesadillas often and anytime I share this recipe, it seems it becomes a favorite for others as well.

OK - so here's another cream cheese recipe!

If you haven't figured it out already, cream cheese is my favorite product...so put that in my favorite ethnic food and I'm ready for a party...and probably a siesta after that.  *-*

If you don't care for cream cheese, I feel sorry for you...

I just can't help myself.  I loooove the creaminess and taste!

I use it in sooo many recipes.

This is definitely a very favorite dish!

Since I first tried this amazingly simple recipe, I've not looked back, and we just keep enjoying them every time I make them.

There aren't very many repeated dishes in my kitchen, but this is definitely one that is.

These are really very easy to put together...

I mix - by hand - equal parts of cream cheese and salsa.

After I cook the chicken and dice it, I add the chicken to the cc/salsa mixture, then place the ingredients inside a tortilla (we like whole wheat), add grated cheese and onions and some black beans if you want...

then use my foreman grill to cook them quickly.

OH YUM!!!  Or should I say...MUY BIEN!! 

Here's a basic recipe to try...add more cream cheese or salsa to your liking.

Quick & Easy CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

(From The Better Baker)

1 8 ozs. pkg. cream cheese, softened

3/4 - 1 c. salsa

3 c. cooked chicken, chopped

1 - 2 c. (mexican) shredded cheese (I used 2%)

1/2 med. onion, chopped

soft flour tortillas

black beans, sliced black olives, optional

Mix cream cheese and salsa until blended. Stir in chicken by hand.  To prepare quesadillas, spread chicken mixture over half of the tortilla, sprinkling with cheese and onion. Fold tortilla in half; heat until cheese is melted; serve with sour cream, if desired, and enjoy. Sprinkle beans or olives over cheese before heating.

I do love to use my foreman grill for ease in this recipe, but the tortillas can also be heated on both sides in a skillet.

Thought I'd also share this link for ideas for easy cheese & veggie quesadillas...

vegetarian quesadillas

Linked to Ingredient Spotlight
Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup

Spiced Brown Sugar & Pumpkin Granola

I was very intrigued when I found this recipe at Lisa's Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

I love crunch, so this granola really satisfies me.

And pumpkin isn't just for baking with in the fall...I love it all year long!

After I made it, I got a brainstorm to mix it with fruit and yogurt and make a parfait.  It was as good as it looks. 

I simply layered the granola with sliced bananas and yogurt. 

Of course, you could use whatever fruit you have on hand...even canned.

Delicious and nutritious!


PUMPKIN GRANOLA

1/4 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. brown sugar (I used 1/4 c. brown sugar blend)
2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I increased the spices)
1 tsp. kosher salt (I used sea salt)
3 c. old-fashioned oats
2 c. nuts (I used almonds)
2 c. dried fruits (I used dried apricots and assorted berries)


Preheat oven to 325F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add oats and nuts; toss to coat. Spread evenly on baking sheet and bake 30 min., stirring halfway through (I'd recommend letting it go for an hour). Stir in dried fruit and continue baking until oats are just crisp, about 10-15 min. more. Stir one last time; then set aside to cool completely. When hard, break into chunks and store in an airtight container.

I'm thrilled....My first blogging award!

As the saying goes....I'm as happy as a lark! *-*

I've been 'bestowed' this honor by my friend, Lark of Lark's Country Heart

She's a new blogging friend and I love her easy and 'country-fied' recipes.

Thanks Lark!! for sharing this with me...

(Stay tuned...Lark will have a guest post on my blog

in the next few weeks while I'm on vacation=)

Here are the RULES that come with accepting this award:


#1 You Thank the person who awarded it to You and list a link back to them.


#2 Tell (7) things about yourself. *Mine are listed below*


#3 Pay it forward by awarding it to (15) recently found new blogger.

#4 Contact the Blogger you have awarded & make them aware.
(This is what I needed time to do - TBB)

Here is my list:

1. I've been married to the same wonderful man for over 43 years and we are still madly in love! *-*

2. I'm proud to be mom to 3 special adults, and nana to 8 precious 'grands.'

3. My faith and my family are the most important things in my life. I love Jesus and stay busy serving Him in several ministries within our local church.

4. I had my own cookbook published in August 2010 and am still living in Dreamland. 

5. I love anything purple! Especially clothes.

6. I am blessed with the gift of encouragement and have a card ministry. I mail atleast 40 cards a month. I strongly believe in not allowing technology to allow us to lose the special touch of a handwritten note.

7. I'd been a nail biter/picker all my life, but the day I got the call my first shipment of cookbooks were coming, and I knew I would be doing booksignings, I had incentive to break that terrible habit...and let my nails grow out.  It's one of my greatest accomplishments in life! (It has also eased my concerns about laying in my casket with nasty hands - ha)


My list of new bloggers:

Angie - A'lil Country Sugar
Lisa - Sweet as Sugar Cookies
Betsy - My Five Men
Joelle - Joelle
Kay - Cooking with K
Amee - Amee's Savory Dish
Kagi - Sweetened by Kagi
Amber - This Mommy Cooks
Ron - The Old Geezer
Denise - The Bread Fairy
Marcia - Frugal Homekeeping
Lisa - Flour Me With Love
Miz Helen - Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Amanda - Eating in Winnipeg
Jamie - My Baking Addiction
Dorothy - Crazy for Crust

Waffle Iron Cookies

Have you ever tried this unique idea?

COOKIES BAKED IN A WAFFLE IRON???

I'm not kidding!

I've even won a BLUE RIBBON for this recipe at Just a Pinch Online Recipe Club.

I use to make these when my kids were young, and was tickled when I came across the recipe recently. 

They're as delicious as I remember them!

I took a picture from this angle because I wanted you to see how thick they are!

Quick & easy too.  I love that about any recipe.

And they bake fast - whoever heard of baking cookies for 45 seconds?  *-*

The dough is thick and fudgy, and the cookies are too.

I mix them by hand because it is so thick.

How fun to make 4 at once!

I frost them when they're cooled, but I wanted to be sure you got to see them pre-frosting. (I used store-purchased frosting, but use your favorite).

Fun huh?  Hope you and your kids will all enjoy this great cookie! 

WAFFLE IRON COOKIES

1/2 c. margarine

4 Tb. baking cocoa (I heaped them)

2 eggs

3/4 c. sugar

1 c. flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

In medium bowl, melt margarine and cocoa.  Stir in eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt. Drop by teaspoonsful onto hot waffle iron, baking several at a time.

Bake about 45 seconds. (Each waffle iron temp may vary?) Frost when cool.

And if you really want to splurge, top a cookie with ice cream and fudge sauce!  YOWZA!!!!!!!!

​

Linked to Sweets for a Saturday

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           Ingredient Spotlight - Baking Cocoa

Sunshine Punch (Sugar Free)

This was a new treat we enjoyed for our Easter brunch....

My family loves having punch. And I love to surprise them with what kind....

I found this simple recipe that's been in my files for a long time...I changed it up just a tad to suit us. It was already sugar free, (or depending on the juice you use...very low sugar) which makes it great since we tend to indulge (pig out) on these special holidays.  And we (our family) need to watch our sugar intake.

I've had this recipe in my files for some time, and have no clue where it came from, but it reads..."Simple enough for a children's party, yet sophisticated enough for adult tastes, you'll find lots of ways to serve this fruity punch."

 

SUNSHINE PUNCH

2 cups cold water

2 cups orange juice, chilled

1 cup sweetener, granular (like xylitol or Swerve)

1 .13 oz. envelope Kool-Aid Tropical Punch unsweetened soft drink mix

1 - 1 lt. bottle diet lemon-lime soda or diet ginger ale, chilled

Yield: 8 - 1 cup servings

I didn't want to have red punch, so I just made the sugar free (Crystal Lite or Great Value) orange drink mix, added orange juice, and then the soda just before serving.

We all enjoyed it!

I mixed the prepared drink and orange juice the night before, then put it in the freezer and took it out in the morning to thaw. This way it was slushy and we didn't have to use ice.

I think it was a big hit!

I tripled the recipe and only had 2 qts. leftover.

Linked to Ingredient Spotlight: Citrus

Special Egg Salad and all you've ever wanted to know about cooking eggs

I will share the egg info at the bottom of this post, but am so happy to share this EGG-celent recipe for s-p-e-c-i-a-l! egg salad with you!

I thought this would be a terrific recipe to help use up all those Easter eggs!

Once I tried this delightful dish, I haven't ever used another for egg salad.

I'm a HUGE cream cheese fan, so it's no surprise that I went wild over this egg salad - it was definitely love at first bite!

Besides having a nice thick texture, it lasts a long time in the fridge too...if you can keep from eating it up.

(I'm pretty tickled with that picture!  A non-blogging friend who is one terrific cook and photographer suggested it to me...she even loaned me the cookie cutter!) 

How fun is that????

When this salad is freshly made, I have a hard time getting it into the fridge....

I'll put the (first) dirty fork in the sink...reach for another...then another, so it doesn't last long.

Except for this last time I made it.... 

I guess I got busy making other things and hubby forgot about it too.

Honest to goodness!  When I opened it up after a week in the back of the fridge, it was still nice and thick and creamy - not watery at all.

And as tasty as ever -

A lesson learned....

You can find this deliciously wonderful recipe in my cookbook on page 22!

This salad is great on toasted bread, but I really enjoy it with nice crisp crackers as well.

A 'trick' I use when making egg salad - I cut the eggs in half, place them in a bowl, and chop them using my pastry blender.  Works so much faster for me.

I also soften the cream cheese in the microwave just a little so I can whisk the ingredients together and not have to get the beaters involved.

Enjoy every tasty bite!

SPECIAL EGG SALAD

4 ozs. (reduced-fat cream) cheese, softened

1/4 c. (fat free) mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

6 hard cooked eggs, chopped

wheat bread - lettuce leaves

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the mayonnaise, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper; fold in the eggs.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Toast bread and serve sandwiches with lettuce for added crunch.

Yield: 6 servings

          Linked to       A Well-Seasoned Life

                  Everyday Sisters Sharing Sunday

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Mop it up Monday
Ingredient Spotlight

                                  ********************************************

Everything you have ever wanted to know about cooking eggs...any way you can think of...click on link below and check out this amazing info...

How to...eggs

Two Fun Easter Foodie Nests

I had big plans to make some fun things for Easter posts, and life has kept me hopping (sorry - I couldn't resist =) in other directions.

So I will share what I quickly made, and give you a few links for some other great and creative ideas to help celebrate this special holiday.

I looked around for 'Easter nests' recipes and found sooo many options!

You can use rice krispies, coconut, chow mein noodles, shredded wheat, etc.

Chocolate, marshmallow creme, butterscotch, peanut butter bases...etc.

But I used what I had on hand and that was cornflakes with melted butterscotch chips and peanut butter.  Very tasty.

Simple too!

I think the next time I would hand-crush the cornflakes a little bit before stirring them into the candy mixture. 

I put them in muffin cups to form them easier.  The paper is easily removed after they're chilled.

I tried making a well in the center, but they wouldn't cooperate very easily.  Crushing the flakes some might make a difference?

This recipes comes from Cooks.com

They're more of a candy than a cookie...

EASTER COOKIE BIRD NESTS

1 (6 oz.) butterscotch morsels

1/2 c. peanut butter

5 c. corn flakes

Jelly beans

Melt peanut butter and morsels. Stir in corn flakes and blend until coated. Drop on waxed paper and make a center. Chill and fill with jelly beans or whatever candy you want or even peanuts. 

I made this adorable big nest as a centerpiece for our family get together!

It was simple and we all enjoyed bites of it too.


EDIBLE CHOCOLATE ROBIN'S NESTS

1 cup shredded coconut
4 cups Frosted Mini Wheats (Regular or Chocolate)
2 cups milk chocolate chips (or leftover chocolate bunnies)
wax paper
round bowl for shaping
Cadbury Mini Eggs or jelly beans or fruit (for eggs)

Place Frosted Mini Wheats in a large bowl and break up. Add coconut and toss until mixed well. Using a double boiler, (or a heat-safe bowl set over pot of boiling water) melt chocolate. Pour melted chocolate over wheat mixture and mix up until the chocolate evenly coats.

 Using wax paper, line a round bowl that you will use for shaping the nest. Form the nests, either in the muffin tins or on the tray. Make sure to make a little center for your eggs. Place bowls of nests in your refrigerator to harden. When they are hardened, simply pull the wax paper and they should pop right out.

Place your choice of eggs in the center of your nest and use as a table decoration.

(Freezing Directions)
You can make these ahead and simply place them in a gallon freezer bag until you are ready to use. Take out of freezer and serve. (Displaying them frozen can help them last longer as a display item.)

Linked to Spring Link Party

Our Easter Brunch

Trust all of you enjoyed a lovely Easter weekend and are 'recovering' nicely. *-*

Last week, my good blogging friend, Lark of

Lark's Country Heart  tagged

me in a 'virtual' Easter dinner Round up...

I simply didn't have time to put it all together with pictures, so I figured I would go ahead and share what we really had for our Easter family get together.

We like to do brunch with our kids on Saturdays - it gives both our daughter-in-loves freedom to plan something with their own families, and frees us up on Sundays...as they are normally a busy day in our lives.

Sooo I thought I'd share some pictures/recipes from our meal...I would love to get a glimpse of the dishes you enjoyed with you and yours too.

I found this adorable 'nest' recipe at Once a Month Mom  It was easy to make - using shredded wheat, coconut and melted chocolate.  It was our edible centerpiece and was a real hit.

I looked at many ideas, and am so happy I chose this simple recipe. I would highly recommend it to anyone.  Check out the recipe and ideas at the link above. 

This is Sunshine Punch - I loved the name too!

It was delicious and sugar free too!

I will share this recipe in a post later this week...

We also enjoyed ham and havarti croissants. I've previously shared this in a recipe post on my blog...it was the first time my family had tasted them and I did hear quite a few raves!! 

I also made some using turkey as a few family members aren't wild about ham...both flavors were wonderful. 

Melt-in-Your-Mouth goodness!

We tried french toast made with hawaiian bread.  It was delicious.

The recipe can be found here at Cooking with K

This is her picture there...

We had ham and cottage potatoes (cheesey) that my family expects for all our get togethers. It's a dish I have fond memories of my mom making often.

Instead of adding water to the pan before putting the ham in the oven, I added ginger ale.  I'd read that recently and am not sure what it does, but the ham was terrific. I didn't measure, but mixed a honey/mustard/brown sugar glaze and poured over the top the last 30 minutes.  MMM!

COTTAGE POTATOES

10 lg. potatoes, cooked in skin (I used red)

1 med. onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1 slice fresh bread, torn into pieces

1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed

8 Tb. margarine, melted, divided

1/4 c. milk

2 c. crushed corn flakes

Cool potatoes - peel and cut into bite sized chunks.  Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 2.5 qt. baking dish. Mix together potatoes, onion, salt, bread and cheese.  Mix with 6 TB. melted margarine and place into prepared dish. Pour milk over potatoes. 

Topping:

Mix corn flakes with remaining margarine and spread evenly over top.  Bake uncovered for 35 - 45 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

For a flavor boost - may add small can of chopped pimentos.

(That's how my mama always made this dish, but I have too many picky eaters in this family to try it =)

We also enjoyed some fresh fruit and a cream cheese/marshmallow cream dip.

That fresh pineapple sure was delicious with the ham!

We enjoyed Cookies & Cream Brownies from Mandy's Recipe Box for dessert.

I crushed Nutter Butter cookies on top of brownie batter before baking.  I didn't add the glaze and they were plenty sweet for us.  What a delicious idea!  I don't know why I haven't thought of it before.

Our daughter-in-loves both brought dishes too, so we had more than enough to enjoy.

I will share another post later this week showing the craft idea my granddaughters made.  It was so cute & so fun...not to mention delicious!

Hope you all get caught up on your rest and have a wonderful week ahead.

HAPPY EASTER - Jelly Bean Prayer

Jellybean Prayer

 Red is for the blood He gave

Green is for the grass He made

Yellow is for the sun so bright

Orange is for the edge of night

Black is for the sins we made

White is for the grace He gave

Purple is for the house of sorrow

Pink is for the new tomorrow

A bag of jellybeans

colorful and sweet

In this prayer is a promise

And a small delicious treat.



Easter 'Nests' and More...

I had big plans to make some fun things for Easter posts, and life has kept me hopping (sorry - I couldn't resist =) in other directions.

So I will share what I quickly made, and give you a few links for some other great and creative ideas to help celebrate this special holiday.

I looked around for 'Easter nests' recipes and found sooo many options!

You can use rice krispies, coconut, chow mein noodles, shredded wheat, etc.

Chocolate, marshmallow creme, butterscotch, peanut butter bases...etc.

But I used what I had on hand and that was cornflakes with melted butterscotch chips and peanut butter.  Very tasty.

Simple too!

I think the next time I would hand-crush the cornflakes a little bit before stirring them into the candy mixture. 

I put them in muffin cups to form them easier.  The paper is easily removed after they're chilled.

I tried making a well in the center, but they wouldn't cooperate very easily.  Crushing the flakes some might make a difference?

This recipes comes from Cooks.com

They're more of a candy than a cookie...

EASTER COOKIE BIRD NESTS

1 (6 oz.) butterscotch morsels

1/2 c. peanut butter

5 c. corn flakes

Jelly beans

Melt peanut butter and morsels. Stir in corn flakes and blend until coated. Drop on waxed paper and make a center. Chill and fill with jelly beans or whatever candy you want or even peanuts.

Check out the Easter Bunny Buns from Mommy's Kitchen.  Tina uses her easy cake mix crescent roll recipe to make these adorable bunnies.

Erin at Making Memories with your Kids made these adorable Easter Egg Hunt cookies.  The dough is wrapped around a mini cadbury egg.  I think they couldn't be cuter or more irresistible!

And who could possibly say no to these adorable Cooking Creation's Easter Egg Pops? Celeste also shares some other delicious recipes on this page.

This next idea is my favorite. I enjoyed a great time making these Resurrection Cookies with two of my granddaughters a few years ago. They still talk about it.  The process of making these cookies illustrates the message of Easter.

 From Lynn at  The Life of a Foodie and Her Family

Her step-by-step pictures are awesome!

May we not forget the Reason for this Easter celebration...

Revelation 1:18 - I am He who lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen.

Linked to Melt in your Mouth Monday

Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes

Recipes don't get much simpler than this one.

If you're having a big Easter dinner and are serving sweet taters, this idea will help you save room in the oven.

Of course, it works any time of the year as well!

This is all you do - honest!

CROCK POT SWEET TATERS

Poke desired number of cleaned sweet potatoes with a fork and wrap each in foil.  Place in slow cooker and cook on low for 3 - 4 hours (depending on size of taters).  Serve with butter, salt, pepper and some brown sugar, maybe some cinnamon too. Or honey?

While cooking....

Before devouring!  (alongside the chicken cordon bleu casserole) 

If you have time for some fun, check out this adorable page...

Cause you're all 'Sweet Taters' to me...

Sweet Taters

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Recipe of the Week
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Totally Tasty Tuesday
Weekend Potluck

Lightened-Up Coconut Cream Pie

I came across this awesome recipe at one of the wonderful blog parties we get to enjoy online.

This recipe came from Amee's Savory Dish who shares some wonderful lightened up ideas.

We enjoyed this so much - I will definitely make this again, and soon! 

It seems I'm always in a time crunch and this is not only delicious, and doesn't take long to put together.

Toasting the coconut takes the most time...at least it did for me.

I wanted to be sure to have a 'full' pie, so I increased a few ingredients - see recipe below.

LIGHTENED-UP COCONUT CREAM PIE

1 (3 ozs) pkg. sugar free or regular instant vanilla pudding

(I used 1-1/2 pkgs.)

2 cups lowfat milk (I used 3 cups)

3 ozs. fat free cream cheese (I used 4 ozs)

1 tsp. coconut extract

3/4 c. fat free cool whip (I used 1 cup)

1/4 c. plus 6 Tb. unsweetened, shredded coconut, toasted and divided

(I increased amount of coconut in pie to 1/3 c.)

1 graham cracker crust or 6 mini graham crusts

Mix pudding mix, milk and cream cheese, in a large mixing bowl until thickened and well blended.  Stir in cool whip and 1/4 c. coconut and coconut extract.

Fill pie crust with filling and top with remaining 6 Tb. toasted coconut.

Chill several hours before serving.

Deliciously light and tasty.  Your tummy will be sure to thank you for every bite!

​

Linked to Sweets for a Saturday

              Feasting in Fellowship Fridays

              Savory Sunday

              Totally Tasty Tuesday

              Ingredient Spotlight: Coconut
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