Grape Salad

I tried this recipe recently at a bridal shower and it has quickly become one of my favorite recipes. How did I survive all this time without it?

4 lbs red (or green) seedless grapes
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Start by washing the grapes and picking them off the stems.
2. Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until well incorporated.
3. Mix sweet mixture together with the grapes and stir until blended.
4. Sprinkle pecans and brown sugar just before serving.

The grapes can be chopped in half if desired. Store leftovers (if there are any) in the refrigerator.

Homemade laundry detergent

So I heard about people making their own laundry detergent and it working better than store bought. Plus knowing that $30 worth of products should last an entire year was definitely enticing. I was able to find everything at my local grocery store. The laundry soap bar might be hard to find in some areas. Amazon sells all these products.

1 (4 lb 12 oz) box of Borax
1 (3 lb 7 oz) box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 (3 lb) container of OxyClean
3 (5 1/2 oz) bars of Fels-Naptha soap or 2 (14.1 oz) bars of Zote soap
1 (4 lb) box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
1-2 (55 oz) bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener - optional

1. The first step is to finely grate the bars of Fels-Naptha. It's a little time consuming but this is the worse step. Etsy sells some already grated.
2. Find a container big enough to hold all the ingredients and mix everything together. It is a years worth of laundry detergent after all.
3. Measure 1-2 tablespoons per load. This is good for high efficiency machines as well. I use the scooper that came with the OxyClean.

I made a lavender scented and unscented batch and put in mason jars to give out as Christmas gifts.

Mahi mahi with blueberry mango salsa

Ingredients
2 fillets mahi mahi
1 ripe mango
1/2 cup blueberries
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon cilantro
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

1. First, salt and pepper both sides of the fillet and cook in a skillet coated with olive oil for 3-4 minutes on each side.

2. While the fish is cooking, prepare the salsa. The salsa can also be prepared ahead of time. Combined chopped mango, blueberries, onion, and cilantro.

3. Once the mahi mahi has finished cooking, it will be white in color. Bring to plate and garnish with the salsa.

This low calorie salsa can be served with a variety of fish, so experiment with your favorite kind or whatever happens to be on sale this week. I've also added a chopped kiwi and 3 tablespoons chopped tomatoes and these make wonderful additions as well.

Cheesy Stuffed Squash Boats

My son begged me for squash at the grocery store this week. I explained it was not a banana, but he insisted I buy it, so then I had to figure out how to cook it so he would eat it. He absolutely loves anything with cheese.

4 squash
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated reggiano
1/4 cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Preheat oven at 425.

Cut each of the squash in half length wise and scoop out the inside leaving a shell approximately 1/4 inch. Chop the insides coarsely and place in a small bowl.

Combine all the ingredients setting aside a small amount of cheese for a nice cheesy topping.

Place the mixture into your squash boats and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

I started out coating 2 boneless chicken breasts with the following taco seasoning recipe. I then placed in a refrigerated container and covered with 10 oz light beer. Refrigerate overnight and place in Crock Pot in the morning. Save the remaining 2 oz of beer for later though. If there's no time to marinade, don't worry about it. Just coat the chicken before placing in the crock pot.

Taco Seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all the ingredients.

Chicken Taco Chili
16 oz black beans, drained
16 oz kidney beans, drained
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 jaleneno, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
14 oz can diced tomatoes
4 oz can green chiles
2 boneless chicken breasts covered with taco seasoning, discard liquid
2 oz remaining beer
1/2 cup water

Combine all the ingredients and place in a crock pot. Add extra spices if desired, but the majority of my spices stayed on the chicken after marinating.

Cook on low for 7 hours.

Stir before serving. The chicken should be juicy, tender, and fall apart.

Serve with cheese, avocados, tortilla chips, cilantro, or your favorite toppings!

Italian Salad Dressing

I decided to make home made salad dressing. I am not sure if I did it because I thought it would be cheaper or healthier- both are yet to be determined. I eat a salad everyday for lunch so it is definitely consumed.

6 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons garlic salt
3 tablespoons onion powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons dried parsley
3 tablespoons lemon pepper
3 tablespoons dried red and green bell pepper mix
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon celery salt

1. If you have trouble finding dried red and green bell pepper mix like I did, follow these simple steps. Dice fresh red and green peppers and place on parchment paper in a 200 degree oven with the door open. In about an hour, the pepper should be dry. Place in food processor to grind into flakes.

2. Place any of the larger spices into a food processor and blend to achieve a finer mix.

3. Mix all the ingredient and store in a tightly sealed container.

4. To prepare dressing, whisk 1/4 cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the dry mix.

Spinach Dip Pasta

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded mozzarella
4 oz chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped tomato
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon garlic
2 cups mini bow tie pasta

1. Cook and drain the pasta according to box instructions and continue with the following steps.
2. Heat olive oil with chopped garlic until brown over medium heat.
3. Add spinach, tomatoes, and onion and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Reduce temperature to low and add the shredded cheese and cream cheese.
5. In a serving dish, combine spinach dip and pasta until well combined.
6. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese if desired and use the same recipe for spinach dip.

My Valentine

So my Valentine needed a snack for his party at school. I signed up for strawberries without realizing how bitter, bruised and out of season they were. I threw away more than I chopped. To compensate I made a simple dip and added some blueberries.

Fruit Dip
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz vanilla yogurt
1/8 cup sugar

Blend all the ingredients together.

Add your favorite jam, jelly, or try your favorite yogurt flavor for variety.

Super Bowl

So for the Super Bowl, my wonderful sister made these super delicious Sprinkles Red Velvet cupcakes from Williams-Sonoma. I have never tried the real thing but I imagine they are wonderful as well (without quite all the work).

Spinach and Cheese Souffle

This recipe can be easily modified to suit your taste. Other ingredients like bacon, artichokes, or other cheeses can be substituted.

16 ready to bake crescent rolls (reduced fat if desired)
4 eggs
5 oz spinach, frozen
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped bell pepper (any color)
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Oven at 350 degrees

1. Combine frozen spinach, onions, bell peppers, and sun dried tomatoes in a medium microwave safe bowl.
2. Cover and microwave 2 minutes, to thaw spinach and lightly cook other ingredients.
3. In a separate microwave safe bowl beat four eggs. Set aside some of the egg mixture for the tops of the souffles.
4. Combine eggs with sour cream, mozzarella cheese, sharp cheese, garlic, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
5. Microwave egg mixture 3-4 minutes stirring every 30 seconds.
6. Combine vegetable and egg mixture.
7. Press the crescent roll dough seams together so you have four large rectangles.
8. Grease four small baking dishes and spread out the crescent roll dough, making sure the bottom is covered and there is enough dough to fold for the top.
9. Pour in the combined egg mixture evenly into the four baking dishes. Top with Parmesan cheese.
10. Fold over remaining crescent roll dough and brush with egg wash.
11. Bake in a brownie pan filled with 1/2 inch of water about 20-25 minutes. or when the top is lightly brown.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Right now there are so many buffalo chicken dips out there. This is my version. Warning - you will lick the bowl.

2 cans (12.5 oz each) Swanson Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast
1/2 cup Frank's Original RedHot Sauce
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
Tortilla chips or other vegetables

1. Combine drained chicken and hot sauce in a skillet and cook over medium heat 10 minutes. Break apart chicken while stirring.
2. While cooking chicken, combine cream cheese, ranch dressing, and bleu cheese crumbles in a medium mixing bowl and stir in chicken when finished cooking.
3. Spread into a 9" pie pan and bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I topped mine with some sliced bell peppers (this made it seem healthier) before cooking and served with blue corn tortilla chips.

Aubreys

Every time I visit Knoxville, I must visit Aubrey's. Their food is entirely too delicious!