Chicken Pesto

This was easy and was packed with flavor.  I served it with lightly butter noodles.  Hubby thought it would be great with a light alfredo sauce over the noodles.  It was a hit with the whole family!! 

Pesto Chicken
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 12-13 tenders

breadcrumbs (I used parmesan flavored)

6 slices provolone cheese

4-6 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
Place basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in a food processor and process about 15 seconds.  Add oil a little at a time until all the oil is used. Or until the desired consistancy is achieved.
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 9 x 13 dish with cooking spray.  Moisten chicken with a little water, shake of excess and coat in the breadcrumbs. Place chicken in the dish.

Spread the pesto sauce over the chicken.

Spread mushrooms over the sauce.

Cut provolone slices into pieces and cover the dish.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove cover and bake for 10-15 minutes more.

Not the prettiest dish, but it is delicious!!



Linked to:

Tuesday at the Table

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Mouthwatering Monday

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Menu Plan Monday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! I am kind of bummed because there is no leftover turkey in my house. They ate it all!!  I am going to miss using it in various recipes, but the good thing is atleast none of it went to waste.  So what are you making with your leftover turkey??

This Week's Menu 

Monday: Pizza

Tuesday: Chicken Cacciatore

Wednesday: Sausage, Rice & Beans

Thursday: Meatball Tortellini Soup

Friday: Tacos

Saturday: Chicken Bacon Calzones

Sunday: Crescent Chicken Bundles

Happy Eating!!

Linked to: Menu Plan Monday

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Tired & Tickled Pink

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! I spent mine working, but did come home to a great meal and some quick relaxation with my amazing family!  I then took a quick nap and back to work. Let's just say I am tickled PINK that I survived Black Friday!  Right now I am sitting on the beach, feeling the warmth of the sun and enjoying a beautiful PINK sunset!!

OK..not really but a girl has to dream! 

Happy Pink Saturday!

Don't forget to visit How Sweet the Sound for a great pink fix and

visit my new friend over at  Pinkbuttercreme. She is so creative and inspiring!!

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Menu Plan Monday

I can't believe Thanksgiving is this week!! I love Thanksgiving for many reasons.  Of course it gives me a good excuse to try a few new recipes, really think about how blessed I am and spending time with family. This year it will be my immediate family only so I will miss the craziness of the big family gatherings, for you never know what will happen??? It is always a good time though.  Even though we are apart my mom and I always cook pretty much the same things.  So it is kind of fun to compare!!  This week's menu will be pretty simple.

Monday: Pesto Chicken
Tuesday: Coney Island Chili-Dog Casserole
Wednesday: Pizza (a family tradition)
Thursday: Thanksgiving
Friday: Leftover Mania
Saturday: Hamburgers
Sunday: Turkey Tetrazzini

Lastly, I want to tell you how Thankful I am to all you who read my blog

and leave me such awesome comments. 

Thanks for always making my day!!

lLinked to:

Menu Plan Monday



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Pink Turkey Anyone??

I don't think I could eat this cute pink turkey!!

But it does remind me how thankful I am for

 Pink Saturday (and many other things)!!

Check out all the pinks over at How Sweet the Sound.

Happy Pink Saturday!

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Honey Chicken

I love Chinese food, but hate the cost and sodium content you get at most restaurants, This made for  a quick and delicious meal.  I served it over rice with steamed broccoli on the side. When I ate it for lunch the next day I stirred the broccoli in and it added great flavor.  The kids loved it!

Honey Chicken

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup honey (I added just a bit more.)

1/2 cup diced onions

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/2 cup water

2 Tablespoons corn starch

Dice chicken breast into about one inch pieces. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are browned.  Add onions and cook just a couple minutes more.   In a bowl mix together the water and cornstarch then add soy sauce, honey and ginger.  Carefully pour the mixture in with the chicken.

 

Stir. Bring the liquid to a boil, put the lid on and simmer for 10 minutes. 

The sauce will not seem very thick, but will thicken more after it is taken off the stove. If by chance your sauce is a little too thick, add just a bit of water to get the desired consistency. Serve over rice.

Linked to:
Foodie Friday

Friday Favorites

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Old El Paso Winner

A HUGE THANKS to

everyone who joined in on this giveaway!

I loved hearing all your Taco Night comments.

Thanks for making my day.

Now the winner drawn by random number generator.

Drum roll please............

Congrats to : Debbi from Debbi Does Dinner... Healthy and Low Calorie.

She has some  incredible recipes and mouthwatering photos.  You have to check her blog out!!

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Crock Pot Brownies in a Jar

This is one of those recipes that had me curious  to see if it would really work.  I can now say it does and they are delicious!!  It turns out to be a very dense moist brownie and the round slices makes it kind of fun.    It does take awhile to cook so if you are in a hurry, this is not the brownie for you, but if you can wait awhile it is a nice change from the normal brownie.

Crock Pot Brownies in a Jar

adapted from Gooseberry Patch

recipe makes 3 pint size jars 

3/4 cup butter

3 -1 oz. squares unsweetened baking chocolate

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup  + 2 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 - 1 pint, wide mouth canning jars, sterilized.

Melt butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat.

When melted remove from heat; stir in the eggs,sugar and vanilla.  Mix by hand until well combined.  Add flour and baking powder.

Spray jars with cooking spray, making sure to coat them well.  Pour batter into the jars. 

Take a square of aluminum foil and spray one side with cooking spray. 

  Cover the jar tightly with greased side towards to inside of the jar.  Place jars in the crock pot, pour 1 cup of water around them.

Cover and cook on high for 3- 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center tests clean. (Mine took the full 3 1/2 hours.)

 Remove the jars from the crock pot; cool for 10 minutes. 

 Using a knife loosen the edges of the brownies from the jars; turn to remove them.  Cool brownies completely on a wire rack before slicing.

 

 Makes 18-20 servings.

* My 9 year old made these.  I helped her with the batter and poured them in the jars and she did the rest, including taking pictures. Thanks Kelsee!!

Linked to: Crock Pot Wednesday.

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Vegetarian Entrée Recipes for Thanksgiving

Welcome to A Veggie Venture's collection of vegetarian entrée recipes for Thanksgiving!

When it comes to Thanksgiving vegetarian main dishes, it's a bit of a balancing act, especially when there are both meat eaters and vegetarians at the same table. Over the years, these have become my goals, considering the needs of the hosts and the guests, both:

Thanksgiving is a special meal, a vegetarian entrée should feel special too, not an afterthought.
A vegetarian entrée should appeal to vegetarians and carnivores alike, the main course for the vegetarians, a side dish for the meat eaters. In this way, a quiet word can be said to those who don't eat meat but diet preferences need not become the subject of table conversation.
The vegetarian dish must have a substantial feel, not just be a larger portion of a traditional vegetable side dish.
It must use fresh and seasonal vegetables and be prepped mostly or entirely in advance.
VEGETARIANS, PLEASE NOTE: A Veggie Venture features vegetable recipes but is not vegetarian. The recipes featured on this page are either vegetarian or vegan, as are 80-90% of the recipes on the site. But if you decide to poke around looking for other recipes, either on A Veggie Venture or especially on my food column Kitchen Parade, you might come across a recipe that calls for a meat-based ingredient. For more information, see Note to Vegetarians.
Keep Reading ->>>

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Menu Plan Monday

Don't forget to enter the Old El Paso Giveaway here. 

Last week the hit of the week was Honey Chicken. Something new and it was delicious.  The kids ranted and raved over it!  I will be sharing it this week.  This week's meals are quite simple.  Hubby will be doing most of the cooking and chose those meal (Hence: you will notice alot of meat.)

This Weeks Menu
Monday: Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
Tuesday:  Taco Night (I am going to try something new)
Wednesday: Creamy Italian Crock Pot Chicken
Thursday: Shepherd's Pie
Friday: Chicken Veggie Wraps
Saturday: Steak
Sunday: Ribs

Happy Eating!!

Linked to Menu Plan Monday

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Time for Breakfast!

Yay! It is finally Saturday.  With such a busy day ahead we must grab a quick.....

BREAKFAST!!

All PINK of course.

In honor of PINK SATURDAY!!

Happy Pink Saturday!

Now check out all the fun pinks over at How Sweet the Sound!!

Wishing you all a Happy Pink Day!!

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Taco Pie

This is a great recipe to have for a "Family Taco Night". (Don't forget to enter the giveway here.)  It is one of those tried and true recipes and one I had forgotten about for several years.  I had this idea in my head that it was hard to make...wrong.  It went together really quick and was as delicious as I remembered, possibly even better.  It is a good one and one of my hubby's faves! The family actually saved me a small piece this time.

Taco Pie

Meat Filling:

Brown 1 pound of hamburger with 1/2 cup chopped onions, drain. Add  1 packet of taco seasoning mix and 3/4 cup water, simmer while you make the crust. (or about 15 minutes).

1 can refried beans (optional)

Taco Crust

1 3/4-2 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast (or 1 packet)

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons finely chopped onion (optional)

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons oil

1/2 cup crushed corn tortilla chips

 Toppings:

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
sliced olives
sour cream

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, salt and onion.  Mix well.  Add warm water and oil to the flour mixture.  Mix by hand until smooth. Stir in chips and enough remaing flour to make a stiff dough. (I used 2 cups). Spread into a well greased pie pan, forming a rim around the edge.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 10 minutes.

If desired spread 1 can of refried beans on the bottom.

Spread taco meat over top of beans.

Sprinkle with some shredded cheese about 1/2 cup.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the edge is crisp and light golden brown..

Sprinkle with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and sliced olives.

Serve each piece with some sour cream.

Enjoy!!

*This is a versatile recipe. You can tailor it to fit your tastes.

Linked to:

Foodie Friday

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Old El Paso family taco night & Giveaway

I believe that dinner is such an important family time.  Great discussions and much needed family interactions take place when we all sit down at the dinner table each night.  When you add Mexican food to the mix (my favorite) the night is perfect.  That is why I love that Old El Paso is promoting scheduling "family taco night" once a month.
With a variety of seasonings and other complementary products, Old El Paso offers everything you need for fun nights with the family.

To satisfy your Mexican style cravings, the Old El Paso® line up of products includes chilies, dinner kits, dips and sides, enchilada sauce, refried beans, seasoning mixes, shells, taco sauce and salsa. The Old El Paso taco seasoning mix selection includes flavors like Burrito, Cheesy Taco, Chili, Fajita, Taco, Mild Taco and even a seasoning with 40% less sodium.

And to keep your family laughing at the dinner table, have some fun with El Tacodor™, the world’s only family taco night Game. With El Tacodor, your family can share a special night at home by challenging one another to quick fire trivia, wordplay and pantomime. Visit http://www.eltacodor.com/ today to download instructions, a score card, and a challenge sheet for even more fun on family taco night!
You can already see why I was so excited to get an Old El Paso “family taco night” prize pack from My Blog Spark and Old El Paso.

It contained a packet of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, a Cactus Chip & Dip Serving dish, a set of 3 Fiesta Chili Pepper serving dishes and a $10 gift card to purchase taco fixings.

How fun is that!

I love the flavor of Old El Paso.  I use the seasoning in:

Taco Pie and it was delicious!! (recipe to come soon!!)

Now for the incredible part........

One reader will win an El Paso gift pack, just like the one shown above.

To enter leave me a comment telling me if you would like to celebrate "family taco night" and what night would you celebrate it.

For extra entries:

2. Follow One Crazy Cookie

3. Display my button

4. Blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave me the address.

One winner will be chosen by random generator on Thursday, November 18th.

And to all my coupon friends go here for a coupon for .60 off 2 El Paso Products.

Thanks and good luck:)

I received this package,  prize package and information at no cost from Old El Paso through My Blog Spark to share with my readers. All opinions stated in this post are my own and I was not compensated in anyway for a positive review.

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