.twice baked sweet potatoes.

Another amazing recipe from the mother-in-law. SO easy, delicious, and looks pretty impressive as well. It can easily be made vegetarian without the chicken. Try it out for yourself!



Ingredients (serves 4)
4 sweet potatoes, dark ones are better
2 T butter
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1 t crushed garlic
1 1/4 cups grated Manchego Cheese (5oz)
2 chicken breasts, grilled with garlic powder
1 can mushrooms
onion, chopped

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick potatoes. Place on foil lined baking sheet. Bake 1 hour till tender. Let cool 20 mins. Slit potato skin lengthwise, stopping about 1' from each end. Scoop out most of flesh into a large mixing bowl, leaving 1/4' thick shell. Place shells on clean baking sheet. Add butter, garlic, salt and pepper to potato flesh. Mix with beater. Fold in Manchego cheese, chicken, mushrooms, and onions. Bake at 350 for 30 min till hot in center. Serve with your favorite salad and enjoy!

.peach sherbet & raspberry dessert.

As I have said before I am not a fan of dessert but this one is just so refreshing especially perfect for this extra warm weather we are having {currently 105 outside..now thats hot!} Also, this dessert takes almost no time to prepare which is even more perfect for the lazy person I am :) This is yet another recipe from my time up north visiting the in-laws. Enjoy!




Ingredients
peach sherbet
raspberries
chocolate syrup

Preparation
Scoop peach sherbet into a cup or bowl. Top with raspberries and chocolate syrup. Repeat and enjoy!

.taco salad. {husband's choice}

Here is yet another amazing recipe from my mother-in-law. My hubby used to love this recipe when he was growing up, so it was so nice to recreate a favorite from his childhood. And...omg I am so in love with it as well. As summer is winding down I feel like I could eat salad all day long {luckily we had tons of leftovers}. Try it out for yourself and enjoy!



Ingredients
lettuce (chopped)
tomatoes (chopped)
cheddar cheese, grated (I used a mixed mexican blend that was already grated)
jack cheese, grated
taco sauce
ground beef/turkey
kidney beans
avocado (diced)
tortilla chips (crushed)
onion (diced)
thousand island dressing
taco seasoning (I added this to the meat)

Preparation
Cook ground beef until brown. Add onion and taco seasoning if desired. Let cool. Add all ingredients in a large salad bowl, mix up and enjoy!

.best salad EVER.

So...I am finally back from several weeks of vacation. I have not posted in forever, but fear not I have many new recipes ready to be blogged! On our vacation to Lake Havasu this wonderful salad recipe was shared with me and now I am hooked! And by hooked I mean I am eating this very salad at least every other day and have not got sick of it yet. {knock on wood} Try it out for yourself and enjoy!



Ingredients
lettuce
dried cranberries
glazed pecans
feta cheese
tomato
Newman's Raspberry & Walnut dresssing

Preparation
Chop lettuce and tomato. Add in all the rest of the ingredients. Mix with salad dressing and enjoy!

.chicken curry pot pie. {100th post!!!}

WOOO!!! Made it to 100 posts!!! What a wonderful time to introduce this tasty recipe was introduced to me by my friend Nicole. She is a fabulous wife and one of the many who inspired me to cook, without even knowing it! She always finds the most amazing recipes online. Thank you SO much for sharing them! Anyways..I love trader joes and this recipes is 100% trader joes and o so simple to make. Check it out and enjoy. Also, check out the other recipes trader's has to offer here.




Ingredients
1 package TJ's Gourmet Pie Crust, prepared through step 2 for double crust pie
1 cup TJ's Organic Foursome Vegetables
1/2 cup TJ's Pearl Onions
2 tablespoons TJ's Flour
1 bottle TJ's Thai Yellow Curry Sauce
1 1/2 cups TJ's Just Chicken

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400º. Microwave Organic Foursome and pearl onions for 1 minute on high. Mix flour with curry sauce. Add vegetables, chicken and curry sauce mixture to bottom pie crust in pan – spread evenly. Top with pie crust. Seal and trim off excess pie crust. Cut vent holes. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Recipe Credit: Trader Joe's 2011 HiiP Recipe Showdown Winner - Linda Wang.

.meatball & spinach calzone.

Remember this post. I have been so busy this month and instead of trying new recipes I have decided to change up the old ones. Add meatballs instead of chicken and a brand new meal is born. Enjoy!



Ingredients
1 tube (10 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
Meatballs, chopped

Preparation
On a lightly floured surface, roll pizza dough into a 14-in. x10-in. rectangle. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cheese, onion, meatballs and garlic; spoon over dough to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with long side; tucks ends under and pinch seam to seal.

Place seam side down on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 25-27 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into slices.

.thai red curry. {the lazy man version}

As the heat of a summer in southern california is giving me a great tan it is also making me far lazier than I have been in a long time. I have absolutely no energy to spend hours in the kitchen making meals or using the stove which would make our apt even hotter than necessary. SO...I have instead resourcefully discovered lots of meals I can "half" make..This is the first of many more to come. Back to the basics and keeping it simple. BTW the hubby loved it! Found this jar at Fresh & Easy and just followed the directions on the jar. Enjoy!





Ingredients
1 jar of Thai red curry sauce
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
1 green bell pepper cut into strips
chicken or meat of choice
rice

Preparation
Follow directions on jar. Simple as that! Serve over rice.