Pig Salad

Where in the world have I been? I can't believe I was just introduced to this salad within the past 6 months. My Auntie Tina is a genius! She combined two wonderful salads to make ONE INCREDIBLE salad. It's so good, I can't stop eating it. The name "Pig Salad" is totally appropriate here. Plus, "Pig Salad" is much cuter than saying, "Broccoli Salad." I have to say I think it may be my favorite. And that's saying a lot because I'm not really one to eat broccoli just plain very much. But WOW! This is the perfect salad to take to dinner parties. 

It's also the perfect salad to just make and eat the whole thing yourself. I'm just saying...

Enjoy!

{PIG SALAD}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

1 head broccoli, cut into small bite size pieces (do I really need to clarify that I'm just talking about the tops?)

1/2 red onion, diced

1 c. craisins

1 c. sunflower seeds

8 slices bacon, cooked and diced

3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing:

1/3 c. mayo

3 T. white sugar

1 T. vinegar

In a large bowl, mix all the salad ingredients together. In a small bowl, combine and whisk together the dressing ingredients. Combine and mix dressing into salad and serve immediately. This salad actually holds up very well for left-overs the next day.

A Whopper of a Cupcake

This is dedicated to my sister-in-law, who is MOST talented. I called her in a panic a couple months ago about what to bring to a wedding shower. This cupcake was at the top of her list. And she was RIGHT! 

However, I made them and they were delicious, but I didn't post it. So, now I have a picture of a cupcake that is Fall colors and it January. Tragic, I know. My sister-in-law was most kind and not only surprised us with a fresh batch of these Whopper Cupcakes, but she also gave me permission to take a picture for all of you. How kind, right?  

Definitely try this one. The malt is DE-lish! By the way, you can find malt in the grocery store next to the hot chocolate mixes. And then why don't you go ahead and make yourself a malt milkshake with the extra. My treat.

Enjoy!

{WHOPPER CUPCAKES}

click here for a printable version of this recipe.

2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 c. malted milk powder
1 c. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine milk and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add milk mixture, oil and eggs to flour mixture, beating at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla, beating just until combined. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on racks. 

Frost and garnish with malted milkballs if desired.

Malt Frosting:
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
½ c. malted milk powder
6-7 c. powdered sugar
Blue food coloring

In a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. In a small bowl, combine cream and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add cream mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed to combine. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. You may need to add more or less powdered sugar depending on desired consistency. Add 6 to 8 drops of food coloring, mix well. Add more if you would like a deeper color. Frost cupcakes, top with a Whopper-malted milk ball & enjoy!

Easy Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta

Time is a disappearing act these days. I can't quite get enough of it to cover the demands of life. But I have to say, that I love it! Life is such a beautiful thing. And I continue to learn so much every day. Especially from my two-year-old son. He keeps me on my toes. 

With less time, I'm going for QUICK dinners. This one is a cinch. Plus, there's a few different options with it. You can do it in the crock pot. You can do it on the stove top. You can add different things to the sauce. You can serve it over pasta or rice. It's great! Get creative and let me know what you come up with.

And to make it even easier, remember my chicken prep tip.

Below, I'll show you what I like to do, and then I'll add the options below. Enjoy!

{EASY CREAMY ITALIAN CHICKEN PASTA}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

1 lb. chicken, cooked & shredded

1 c. sour cream

2 cans (14.5 oz) cream of chicken soup

1 pkg dry Italian salad dressing mix

3/4 c. sliced olives

1 pkg, whole-wheat linguine, prepared according to package directions

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, soup, dressing mix, and olives. In a large skillet combine sauce with shredded chicken and heat through. Serve over wheat linguine. 

CROCK-POT VERSION

Add whole pieces of raw chicken. Pour sauce ingredients over top and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

CREAM CHEESE VERSION

You can use a block of cream cheese in place of the sour cream. It makes it a bit creamier, however I prefer to use low-fat sour cream to cut on calories. It tastes about the same

ADD-IN OPTIONS

Try adding the following: mushrooms, raisins, craisins, or coconut.

SERVING OPTIONS

Serve over any kind of pasta you like, or over a bed of cooked rice.

7 Can Soup

Well, I kind of feel like I owe an apology. I seriously CANNOT believe I haven't posted the recipe for this soup yet! This is absolutely a family favorite, because 1) it's DELICIOUS, and 2) it's SO SIMPLE! It's 7 cans of ingredients...hence the name. It's wonderful!! You're going to love it so much you'll have the recipe memorized in no time. Watch out enchiladas and spaghetti, you're gaining a new friend on the "regulars" list. Enjoy!

P.S. Credit to my husband, he made this batch. Thanks honey!

{7 Can Soup}

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1 lb Ground Beef, browned with onion
2 cans Diced Tomatoes (pureed)
1 can Diced Carrots
1 can Corn
1 can Kidney Beans (drained)
1 can Tomato Soup
1 can Beef & Barley Soup (this is hard to find, we used a Chicken Barley soup instead, last time)
1 t. Brown Sugar
½ t. Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt, Seasoning Salt, Oregano, Basil, and Chili Powder.

Brown meat with onion in large stockpot. Add all cans (with water). Stir in sugar and seasonings and heat thoroughly. 

Dump Cake {aka Pineapple Cherry Cobbler}

Whenever I think of the term "aka" as in the title of this post and recipe, I think of my dear friend who grew up in Alaska. She would tell people when they'd ask where she's from, "I'm from Alaska, aka AK." I'll never forget the abbreviation for Alaska as long as I live. So funny!

With that said, I had to throw in the clarification to this title, because my husband doesn't think "Dump Cake" sounds as appealing as "Pineapple Cherry Cobbler." But Dump Cake for me screams, "EASY!!" Because all you have to do is dump these ingredients in a pan and bake. Seriously, one of the easiest things you'll make and it's OH SO GOOD!

This is a perfect recipe for when you start think, "It's cold outside and I really don't feel like going to the gym today. Ah, just forget about my New Years Resolution to lose weight."

What? You know it's going to happen, so why not go out with a bang? Enjoy!

{DUMP CAKE aka PINEAPPLE CHERRY COBBLER}
click here for a printable version of this recipe
1 box french vanilla cake mix (or yellow or white, if you must)
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple
1 1/2 sticks butter

Topping:
Whip cream

Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking oil. Dump the cans of cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple in the 9x13 and mix together. Sprinkle cake mix on top of all. Cut butter into slices and lay all over top of cake mix. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until golden and bubbling around edges. Serve warm with whip cream on top.

Quick & Easy Tin Foil Dinners

First off, when I say this is "quick and easy," I mean it's quick to put together and it uses easy and basic ingredients. However, keep in mind it needs to cook for an hour.

My brothers (all 6 of them...I know, don't you just feel sorry for me?) used to always pack these tin foil dinners when they went on their scouting camping trips through the summer. That's what they remind me of. And since it's in the dead of winter where we live and the temperatures are BELOW freezing (at least it feels that way), I decided to bring a touch of summer in our home today. Let's hope it works! 

And just as a side note, it's a little difficult to host a food blog in the winter. I'm usually finishing dishes after the sun has gone down and it's hard to catch the right photo without natural sunlight. Just a simple explanation as to why this picture is actually a "before" of the cooked meal. They're in the oven right now! Can't wait.

Enjoy!

{QUICK AND EASY TIN FOIL DINNERS}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

3 redskin potatoes, sliced (you can use the regular spud, you'd probably only need 2)

1 onion, sliced (I like to do 1/2 red and 1/2 yellow)

3 carrots, peeled, halved and roughly chopped

Olive oil 

Dried parsley

Toppings:
BBQ Sauce
Sour Cream

Combine meat, worcestershire sauce, pepper, and garlic salt. Form into 4 patties, just like hamburgers. Place each patty on a sheet of aluminum foil (I use the individual sheets that Costco sells, I think they're about 14"). Divide potato, onion and carrots evenly and place on each patty. Sprinkle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley to taste. Wrap the sides of the foil up and crunch to seal. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. I like to smother mine in BBQ sauce and sour cream. Yum!

Note: If you were making these on a camping trip, you can place the foil packets in the fire pit close to the fire (not in it!!).