Greek Tomato and Feta Dip

Whoa baby was this ever good!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and knew I had to try it. It looks so fresh and tasty and I have developed a real obsession affection for Feta cheese. Doug and I were going to have this as an appetizer before a simple pork chop and pasta salad meal. Well here is what happened.....

Yes, it was that good!

Needless to say, we are having pork chops tomorrow! 

Here's what you need to put this deliciousness together...

1/3 (about) cup olive oil

3-4 roma tomatoes, diced

4-5 green onions, sliced thin

4 oz Feta cheese, crumbled

2 teaspoons Greek seasoning ( In the spice section at WalMart, Cavender's brand, yellow/red label)

1 french baguette 

Start by pouring olive oil onto your platter. Let it coat the bottom. you may need a little more or less, you be the judge.

Top oil with tomatoes, green onions, Feta cheese and Greek seasoning.

Using a spoon, gently mix everything together. 

Warm bread, then slice thin.

Spoon dip onto sliced bread and enjoy. 

This was so good guys... I could have eaten it with a spoon and no bread...mmmm! 

It reminded us of bruschetta, which we love. I can't wait to try it in the summer months when the tomatoes are garden fresh! 

For all you family members, you will be seeing this at a family gathering in the future!

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Seasoned Roasted Potatoes

4 whole potatoes, washed, pierced and baked in the microwave
(I bake mine 6-8 minutes or until tender, larger potatoes will obviously take a bit longer)
seasoned salt, just enough to sprinkle each potato
butter, about 2 tablespoons
grated Parmesan cheese

Turn oven on to broil, prepare potatoes while it heats up.

Take each potato and cut in in half lengthwise.

Score each half into little cubes, refer to picture. Being careful not to  cut all the way through the skin.

With cut side up, drizzle the potato halves with butter, sprinkle with seasoned salt and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Place in oven for 10-15 minutes or so checking every few minutes as to not over bake them. You want them to be golden-brown and crispy, but not so browned they get all dried out or burnt. Make sense?

Serve them up!

Source: Iowa Girl Eats 

Chili Stuffed Baked Potato

We wanted to enjoy chili one more time before the weather got warm...yeah looks like we have a while before that happens! Here is one way to serve it just to change it up a little. We liked it a lot...hope you do, too.

One recipe of Christie's Sweet Chili *
Baked potatoes, how ever many you need for your crew (I just nuked them in the microwave)
Butter, shredded cheese and sour cream. Green onions would be a nice addition, too.
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Split open potato.

Add butter, a tablespoon or so. Work it into the potato.

Top with a heaping scoop of hot chili.

Then, sprinkle on the cheese and top with a dollop of sour cream.

Salt and pepper to taste.

ENJOY!

*Feel free to use your own chili recipe, it will be delish with whatever you choose!

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

I made this for a funeral dinner at our church and it got rave reviews so I knew I had to make it for us at home, too. It's not difficult at all and comes out so moist and delicious I just know you will love it!

1 box yellow cake mix and the ingredients to make it (eggs, oil and water)

2 boxes instant banana pudding mix, the small box

4 cups milk, I used skim

one container of cool whip, I used light

20 vanilla wafers, crushed

banana for garnishing

Make cake according to package directions.

When cake is about 5 minutes from coming out of the oven, make pudding according to package directions using the 4 cups of milk.

Set pudding aside to thicken just a bit while cake finishes baking.

When cake is done and still hot, poke holes all over the top with the handle of a wooden spoon or something similar.

Pour pudding all over the top of the cake. It should be pourable, but not thin and runny.

Spread pudding around to make sure it works down into the holes in the cake.

Place in refrigerator to cool completely.

When cake is cool, top with cool whip.

When ready to serve, sprinkle top with crushed vanilla wafers.

Cut into serving size pieces and garnish with sliced bananas.


Source: The Country Cook

A new Pope...what a glorious day!

Thank you Lord for the gift of the Catholic faith and for giving us a chance to show the world our universal Church. Please bless our new leader, Pope Francis, as he begins his role as the leader of Your church on earth.

St Francis...Pray for us!

Smothered Chicken Fajita Chicken

This is one of those recipes that just sort of pops into your mind when "plan A" for dinner doesn't quite sound as good as it did earlier in the day. I totally made this up as I went along and we thought it was great! Hope you like it as well.

6 chicken breast tenders

1 large onion, sliced into thin strips

1 large green pepper, sliced into thin strips

cumin....lots of cumin

olive oil for saute'ing

pico de gallo, fresh or store bought, recipe below to make your own

Rotel Cheese dip, 
(I only made a 1/4 of a batch of cheese dip and it was plenty)

Start by sprinkling chicken with cumin. We like a lot, but do what your family prefers when it comes to the amount. Let chicken sit and absorb the flavor of the cumin.

Meanwhile, slice up onion and green pepper into thin strips.

Heat skillet over medium/high heat, then add a couple tablespoons olive oil. 

Saute' onion and peppers in hot oil until they begin to brown up. While veggies are cooking, sprinkle on some cumin to give them a Mexican flavor as well. 

When veggies begin to soften, remove them from the pan to a bowl and set aside.

Drizzle a little more olive oil in the skillet and add chicken, cumin side up. 

Let chicken cook 2-3 minutes until first side is done, then flip over to the other side and sprinkle with more cumin. I told you...we like the stuff!!!

When chicken is done, you're ready to plate your dinner. Start by placing a "bed" of onions and peppers on the plate, top with chicken, rotel sauce, fresh pico de gallo, and dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy! 

Fresh Pico De Gallo

5 whole (roma) Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 whole Large (or 1 Small) white Onion, diced small
1 tablespoon (more or less) diced jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
Lime Juice, 1/2 of a fresh squeezed, or a couple squirts from a bottle
Salt To Taste

Once everything is diced/chopped, throw it all together and gently stir to combine.

Apple Crisp

Such a simple and scrumptious way to use up apples you have on hand. This is really the only recipe for apple crisp I have ever used. When you find any recipe you really like, you better hang on to it!

This particular time, I made individual servings...so sweet and special for the
peeps in your life! 
I also added a scoop of ice cream and a generous drizzle of caramel, WOW!

4 cups thinly sliced tart apples, I have found that whatever I have on hand works just fine
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg*

Heat oven to 375*

Arrange apples in a 8X8 inch greased square pan.

Mix remaining ingredients; sprinkle over apples. I always try to completely cover the top of the apples so you get a bite of topping with each bite of apples.

Bake until top is turning a golden brown and apples are tender, about 30 minutes.

Best served warm! If I make ahead of time I always slip it back in a warm oven for a couple minutes to re-warm.

Top with ice cream and caramel sauce if desired.

*Sometimes I omit the nutmeg and use a whole teaspoon of cinnamon.

source: Betty Crocker Cookbook

Rotini with Maria Rosa Sauce

Here is a simple pasta dish that we enjoyed on a Friday during Lent. The sauce is easy, not as easy as opening up a jar of marinara, but easy enough and tasty enough to make it worth a little effort. Just give yourself enough time to let the sauce simmer to enhance all the flavors.

Here's what you need to get started:

rotini pasta, however much you need for your family,
or pasta of your choice, I think penne would work great, too
grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on top

Maria Rosa Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onions
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian, flat leaf parsley
4 cups canned whole plum tomatoes, about one 35 oz. can
(crush the tomatoes using your hands or chop with a knife before adding to the sauce, or puree them in a food processor if you like your sauce less chunky)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter in the olive oil.

Add carrots, celery and onion and garlic and cook until softened about 8-10 minutes.

Stir in the parsley and tomatoes.

Bring the sauce to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the tomatoes are sweetened and cooked about 45 minutes.

When sauce is close to being done, prepare pasta according to package directions.

Drain pasta and toss with enough of the sauce to thoroughly coat pasta.

Dish up the pasta and top with extra sauce and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

*You could add a pound of ground chuck to the sauce to make a meat sauce for topping pasta. Just add it to the vegetables after they have begun to soften and cook until done, then finish the recipe from that point, adding the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper.

This was very reminiscent of pasta we would have ordered in Italy. And even though I made it without meat, it was very filling and healthy with all the veggies in it.

We loved it!