Avalanche Bars

This is a yummy, super simple, quick recipe from cookiesandcups.com! In fact, they smelled and tasted so good as I was making them, that I had to put them in the refrigerator so they would cool faster! And, I had everything I needed in my pantry. No notes or adjustments, except these might not last til morning! :)

Broccoli cheddar soup

I've never been much of a soup person, as in I love to eat it, but it seemed like too much work to make it. This recipe is perfect for someone like me. It has a short list of simple, common ingredients, easy prep, and DELICIOUS results. Seriously, I think this is as good as some I've had in restaurants. So give this broccoli cheddar soup from Annie's Eats a go this fall as the weather is getting colder. You won't be disappointed. As a note, I did add a bit of salt and pepper towards the end of the simmer time, as the recipe recommends, and I used my immersion blender to blend the soup a bit to create a thicker soup (but left some larger chunks of carrot and broccoli intact.

Honey- lime chicken

I found the recipe for this super simple chicken marinade on pinterest! We had it for dinner tonight and it was very tasty... even the boys ate it (though they did mention that it was spicy, so if your kids are sensitive, cut down on the cayenne). I cut my chicken breasts down to "cutlet" size so that they would marinate better (more surface area) and cook more easily on the Foreman Grill. Delicious, quick weeknight main dish!

Divine Caramel Sauce

I have posted this recipe before, but I wanted to begin my new format with something great, and this recipe is DIVINE... just like the name says. As I made another batch this evening, I was thinking back on how many times I've made this since I found it. Countless. This sauce is good on ice cream, brownies, a spoon... but Caleb and I use most of it in a little coffee confection. A couple shots of espresso, a little of this lovely caramel sauce, and a splash of magical half and half. De- lightful!

That said, this caramel sauce requires patience and vigilance. On my first couple of attempts, it wasn't until my second try that I managed not to end up of a pot full of hard white candy... so be SURE that your sugar is FULLY dissolved before you bring it to a boil! It always takes me longer than Mel's time estimates.

Try this, you will not be disappointed!

Divine caramel sauce from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Programming change

So, you'll notice that I haven't posted anything on this blog in a good long while. I had great intentions to, but the stars never aligned. That being the case, I'm going to reformat this blog a bit. I'll simply be posting links to the recipes that I love and use. I'll, of course, give tips or input from my experience with the recipes, but I'll let the very capable gaggle of talented food bloggers already on the internet share their step by step instructions and photos. Because, let's face it, I'm not adapting recipes or making up my own, and these bloggers take MUCH better photos than I do anyway. And each time I create a blog post for a recipe, I'll also post the link for the recipe on FB. So you can go directly there, if you like, and check here if you want to see my two cents! Excited to be sharing the recipes that I use in the kitchen again!

Peach Crumb Bars

These bars are delicious and are a cinch to throw together! Peeling and cutting the peaches is a bit time consuming, but it's not that bad. The recipe came from Annie's Eats (adapted from Smitten Kitchen), and she mentions that she's made these with raspberries and blueberries as well. Yum! So go get some peaches before the last ones are gone for the season, and whip up some of these crumb bars!

Ingredients: 1½ cups sugar, divided 1 tsp. baking powder 3 cups all-purpose flour ¼ tsp. salt Zest of half a lemon 16 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces 1 large egg 5 cups peeled, chopped peaches (about 5 peaches) 5 tsp. cornstarch Juice of 1 lemon Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Directions: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a 9 x 13″ pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder and flour. Mix in the salt and the lemon zest, and stir together with a fork. Cut in the butter and egg with a pastry blender until the largest chunks are about pea-sized. The mixture should be crumbly without much loose flour. Spread about half of the dough mixture in an even layer over the bottom of the prepared pan and press down firmly to form the bottom crust. In another bowl, stir together the remaining sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and nutmeg. Gently mix in the peaches with a rubber spatula until combined. Sprinkle the fruit mixture evenly over the crust. If your fruit has given off a lot of liquid, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the dish to keep the crust from becoming soggy. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the peaches. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito

This recipe is simply delicious... it comes together easily and fills you up! I used burrito sized tortillas, so it did not make 8, but that's to be expected.

This recipe comes from Pioneer Woman and is her take on Sonic's breakfast burrito! See, even Pioneer Woman eats fast food from time to time. :)

Ingredients

• 50 whole Frozen Tater Tots
• 8 whole Flour Tortillas, Fajita Size
• 1-½ cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 8 whole Eggs Beaten
• 2 Tablespoons Half-and-half
• 1 pound Breakfast Sausage
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• ½ cups Jarred Jalapeno Slices
• 3 whole Roma Tomatoes, Sliced
• Salsa, On The Side
• 1 Tablespoon Butter

Preparation Instructions

Bake or fry tater tots according to package directions. Make sure they’re a little on the crisp side. Warm tortillas in the oven or microwave; keep warm and soft.

Brown breakfast sausage in a large skillet, breaking it up as you go along.

Mix eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper, and beat with a fork or whisk until totally combined. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the eggs, scrambling them until they’re in smaller pieces and no longer wet.

To assemble, add ingredients to the middle 1/3 of a warm tortilla in this order: cheese, eggs, sausage, tater tots, chopped onion, jalapeno, and tomato slices. Wrap one side of the tortilla, then the other. Wrap burrito tightly in a square of foil and keep warm. Reheat in the oven if necessary.

Serve with salsa on the side.