Broiled Salmon with Apricot Glaze

You're saying, "Fish? She actually posted FISH?!" 

Yes. Yes I did. And you know why? Because a year ago we went on an Alaskan Cruise (thanks Mom & Dad), and my husband caught this sucker. It's been sitting in our freezer ever since. Being a western girl, I haven't had much experience with fish because we don't really have access to the fresh variety. So...fish sticks anyone? Just kidding.

On a really funny side-note, my brother was telling me that his sweet, adorable, daughters didn't believe him when he told them fish-sticks were made of fish. All this time, they thought they were chicken. Hilarious! I love that family.

But this was really good! On the sweet side, just like I like it. Enjoy!

{BROILED SALMON WITH APRICOT GLAZE}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

1/2 c. apricot jam

1 T. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

4 (6-oz.) salmon fillets

Cooking spray

Preheat broiler. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well. Place fish on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Brush half of marinade over fish; broil 6 minutes. Brush fish with remaining marinade; broil for 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Indoor Mini Golf Felt Set

Well, you all surprised me. I thought you were interested in FOOD recipes. But you all loved the toddler discovery box so much, I've decided to throw some crafts in here and there too.

April showers mean cranky toddlers, right? It's no fun being cramped inside. WE WANT WARM WEATHER! So I'm on the hunt for indoor activity ideas for toddlers and kids.

We created this family mini golf course the other night and I honestly think my husband and I had more fun playing than my 2-year-old. It was so fun! I made these little felt holes in seriously under 10 minutes. SO SIMPLE! 

I took the front room for the "front nine" {which really was 4} and my husband took the back room to set up the "back nine" {really it was 5}. We used our sons toys and anything else we could find around the house to make holes. We used our little plastic golf clubs and balls and went at it. Our rule was you just had to get it on the "green" the black hole was a little ambitious, especially for a little guy.

My professional golf lessons paid off! Whew.

{INDOOR MINI GOLF FELT SET}

1 yard green felt (these are estimates, it depends on how big you make them)

1/4 yard black felt

White fabric

Colored fabric (use whatever scraps you have around the house)

Black permanent marker

Glue gun

Cut the green felt into 9 random, interesting shapes, representing the "green." Cut the black felt into 9 small round holes, large enough for a golf ball to sit on. Cut the white fabric into numbers 1-9 (just free hand it, people!). Cut the colored scrap material into 9 triangles.

Glue black holes, numbers and triangles onto the greens. Draw a black line straight down beneath the triangle flags, to represent the flag pole.

Set up your golf holes with toys and other house-hold items. Make a fool of yourself, laugh your head off, and enjoy!

HOLE IDEAS:

1- Use building blogs to make curves or bridges.

2-Go through a toy barn to reach the hole.

3-Go over a 3-ring binder.

4-Drape a blanket over your table for a "blind man's bluff."

Cheddar and Chive Mashed Potatoes

Whoa. Extreme make-over to mashed potatoes. This is DEFINITELY my new way of making mashed potatoes. And I really liked it with the Apple & Pear Topped Chicken. Divine!

As I was dishing up my third serving of these potatoes, I wondered why in the world I hadn't made potatoes like this before. It seemed so obvious! And it is oh so delicious! It would be magnificent with some crumbled bacon in it. Wow.

Enjoy!

{CHEDDAR AND CHIVE MASHED POTATOES}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

4 med. russet potatoes, peeled or not peeled to your liking

1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded (I really like my cheese!)

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. sour cream

4 green onions, chopped

Salt & Pepper

Roughly chop potatoes and place in a large stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender (about 15 minutes). Drain water and mix in remaining ingredients. Add more sour cream or milk until you reach your desired consistency. Serve warm.

Easy & Adorable Easter Chick Cupcakes

 

 

I've been searching for easy and delicious Easter dessert recipes {that's my assignment for Sunday}. I wanted a fun and impressive Easter dessert recipe. Luckily,  I came across this idea somewhere and now, for the life of me, I can't remember where! I usually like to give credit where credit is due. But to whomever came up with this adorable idea out there in food-blog-land, thank you! 

It's so cute and SO VERY SIMPLE. If you think you can't "decorate" and are always wondering how to decorate cupcakes, start with this one. You can do it! And people will undoubtedly say, "Awww, so cute."

WHY ARE YOU ADDING DIFFERENT THINGS THAN THE CAKE MIX CALLS FOR?  Adding these "extras" turns a boring old cake mix into a homemade hearty cake. Trust me, it's awesome!

Have a wonderful Easter weekend! Enjoy!

{EASTER CHICK CUPCAKES}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

1 box yellow cake mix

1 c. buttermilk

Amount of oil called for on box {mine was 1/3 cup}

4 eggs {instead of amount called for on box}

1 can of frosting

1 1/2 c. coconut flakes

3 drops yellow food coloring

Mini chocolate chips

Candy orange slices

In a large mixing bowl, mix together cake mix, buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Scoop into lined cupcake pans. Cook according to package directions {I'm going to guess its at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes}. 

Let cupcakes cool completely.

In a small mixing bowl, mix yellow food coloring into coconut flakes until fulling incorporated. Mine still had some pieces that were dark yellow and I think it looks cute!

Frost cupcakes with frosting {yes, I'm usually a HUGE supporter of homemade everything but this is the quickest way and you cover the frosting with coconut anyway}. Generously sprinkle cupcakes with coconut, gently pressing to make sure it sticks.

Place 2 mini chocolate chips on cupcake for eyes. You'll need to press pretty firmly and even clear away some of the coconut to make sure the eyes stick.

Cut the orange slices with scissors, in half length-wise. Then cut each "half" in half again, to create little rounded triangle beaks. Press onto cupcake under the eyes.

Apple & Pear Topped Chicken

Time for an embarrassing moment story. 

When I was getting married, I was at my family bridal shower. They were asking me questions as part of this "newly-wed" game to see how well me and my honey really knew each other. My sister-in-law asked me, "If you could be like anyone, who would it be?"

I quickly replied, "Rachael Ray."

My sister-in-law, whom I've known since I was 12 looked at me like, "You are such an idiot." And she said, "Um, I'm going to give you another try on that one."

Duh! Everyone knows my biggest hero is my sweet mother! She is my best girlfriend, and quite honestly the most angelic person I've ever known. I've been told this by others my entire life. And I couldn't agree more.

Luckily my fiance/husband knew me better than I knew myself in that moment. His answer was, "Oh, without a doubt, her mom."

Yes!

But with all that said, I still do like Rachael Ray. I think she's adorable. And this dish is from her. Thanks Rach! 

This dish is so simple yet very sophisticated. Definitely one you could serve to a special guest, like your angelic mother. Love you Mamasita!

Enjoy!

{APPLE & PEAR TOPPED CHICKEN}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Black pepper

2 T. butter, cut into small pieces

1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice (I like Gala)

1 pear, peeled, cored and diced

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 T. honey

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and cook until golden and firm, about 12 minutes, turning once. Place the chicken on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples and pears and season with salt and nutmeg. Stir in the lemon juice and cook for 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender, then stir in the honey and cook for minute more.

Serve chicken with a generous serving of the apples and pears on top.

Curry Chowder

I've mentioned this before. But, I'm still on the hunt for a "perfect" curry recipe. My husband doesn't claim to have "favorite" of anything. But I'm really starting to believe he likes Thai food best. That's where he's always wanting to go out to eat, these days. 

Being the totally awesome and supportive wife that I am (mmm hm), I want to try to MAKE him some yummy curry. So, pass me those authentic recipes, people!

This soup, however, was QUITE tasty. And it made a lot for our little family. So we ended up freezing half and eating it again a few weeks later. Which is great for those insanely busy nights that happen OFTEN around here these days. 

Let me know if you try it. Enjoy!

{CURRY CHOWDER}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

4-5 medium size potatoes, peeled and diced small

3 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 (15-oz) cans corn, undrained

1 lb. chicken, cooked and chopped

3/4 c. ham, diced

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1 (2-oz.) jar pimentos

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 T. curry 

Place potatoes in a 6-8 quart size pot and fill with water until potatoes are covered. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5-7 minutes on high heat. Turn heat down to medium and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Oatmeal Pecan Streusel Muffins

My favorite breakfasts are those that put me in a sugar coma for the rest of the morning. Something like  Pecan Stuffed French Toast,  Sticky Buns, or Cap'n Crunch cereal. 

However, with that said, I've come to learn that I feel better when I eat something healthier like Pecan Oatmeal, or a Veggie Egg Casserole.

Well, these muffins meet me in the middle. They are a hearty muffin with a little bit of sweetness, but not too much. My husband really liked them. I did too, I just ended up smothering butter and cinnamon-sugar on them! Why do I not way as much as an elephant by now? This is a very valid question. 

Enjoy!

{OATMEAL PECAN STREUSEL MUFFINS}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

2 eggs

3/4 c. butter, melted

3 1/4 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk buttermilk and eggs together, stir in melted butter. In a medium bowl, stir flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to wet buttermilk/egg mixture and stir until just moistened. Scoop batter into muffin tins.

Streusel:

3 T. butter

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. rolled oats

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. pecans, chopped

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all streusel ingredients in food processor; pulse until coarse and crumbly. Sprinkle on top of muffins. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from pan and cool.

Ranch Cheeseball

I have this friend. She's amazing. You know those type of people that you just wish you could be more like? Yep, she's one of those. She posted this to her yummy blog a few months ago. It looked awesome. Oh, and it is! I finally tried it and it has been a huge success. I think I've made it 3 times in the past month. 

People think it's tasty.

It's super simple to put together.

And it's much MUCH cheaper than other cheeseballs which usually call for numerous types of cheeses.

Try it, you won't be sorry. Enjoy! 

And a big thanks to MaryAnn.

{RANCH CHEESEBALL}

click here for a printable version of this recipe
2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

Blend with hand mixer: softened cream cheese, Ranch dressing mix and 1 cup of cheddar cheese until mixed together. Pour remaining cheddar cheese onto a plate.  Form cream cheese mixture into a ball with your hands (yes this gets a little messy). Roll ball in the remaining cheddar cheese, making sure the whole ball is covered.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with crackers.

The World's best Spaghetti and Meatballs

Are you kidding me? This is AWESOME! Where has this recipe been all my life? It has such basic ingredients but it is to die for. It also makes quite a bit. We ate it for about 3 days straight and no one was complaining. 

Ok, so plan ahead. There isn't a ton of work, but the sauce does need to cook for 2 hours. Once it's on the stove, you're home-free. It's SO worth planning ahead. I can't wait to make it again. Oh and please serve it over whole-wheat pasta. YUM!!

And of course, for my 2-year-old son's sake, we had to sing "On top of old Smokey" at the dinner table. No mocking, please. It's just one of those things we have to do as parents to make our children giggle.

Enjoy!

{SPAGHETTI WITH MEATBALLS} 

click here for a printable version of this recipe

Meatballs 

1 lb. ground beef

1 c. bread crumbs

1 T. dried parsley

1 T. Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 egg, beaten

Sauce 

3/4 c. onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced (yes, that does indeed say 5)

1/4 c. olive oil

2 (28-oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. white sugar

1 bay leaf

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste

3/4 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 

  

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed. 

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve.

Cake Blunders

So...I'm an idiot.

After all the time I spent in making the dang cake for Some Kind of Delicious's birthday yesterday. I realized LAST NIGHT as I was taking some to a friend that I misspelled the ONLY word on the cake. Which word happens to be in the title of my blog. Really Aly? Really? (By the way to save any sort of dignity I had left, I removed the image, sorry!)

So, last night when I was wallowing in self-pity, I remembered a story my friend told me a few years ago. When she was in college, her roommate had just gone through a terrible break-up. My friend went to the bakery to get a cake to cheer her up. She told the girl at the bakery that she wanted them to write, "Someday your prince will come." She said the girl at the bakery looked at her weird. 

When my friend came to pick it up, she died laughing as she looked at the cake and it read, "Someday your prints will come." 

What in the world??? That is hilarious! I wish I could have heard the girl's thoughts as she was decorating that cake. So funny.

It looks like I'm in good company though. Here's some other cake blunders I found online. In fact there's a whole blog dedicated to it! http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

How embarrassing! I wish there were some way to "spell check" a cake! Good grief.

Turning 1 today & Celebrating with cake, OF COURSE!

*Disclaimer: Just keep in mind I've never claimed to be a cake decorator. Maybe some day!*

Today marks my first DELICIOUS post exactly one year ago today. Wow!

I have loved having this blog. Well...let me be completely honest.There were times in the past year I wanted to throw my hands up and say, "No more!" and then subsequently shove my face in some peanut butter and chocolate. But I kept going because I was so motivated by your sweet comments and seeing all the pageviews coming through. If my brain dumps are helping you prepare yummy dishes, then I'm happy as can be!

So 158 posts, nearly 21,000 pageviews, and 5 pounds later, here I am.  And I'm looking forward to an even better, even yummier, MORE DELICIOUS year two. Thanks for joining me on my journey. And for heaven's sakes push the little button on the side to follow my blog and also take a moment to become a facebook fan. It just boosts my spirits, that's all! Kind of like getting a gold star on your math homework. 

By the way, I have to say that I never have claimed to be a cake decorator, but it was still fun to make myself a cake! My son was pretty excited too. He helped me sing "Happy Birthday" to "Delicious." He doesn't know what that means, he was just excited to blow out the candle for this "Delicious" person who didn't bother to show up to do it herself. 

You can see what the "top posts" have been down the right column of the blog. Those are the posts that have been viewed the most. {Which by the way, I'm thinking I better do more kid crafts!} But I wanted to list MY top 10 favorite posts from year one. Here they are.

 10- How to pick and cut the PERFECT watermelon

 

9- Chicken Bacon Salad in Homemade Pita Pockets

8- Baked Potato Soup

7- Peanut Noodle Salad

 6- Reese's candy bars - THE BEST

 5- BBQ Pork Ribs with Mama's BBQ Sauce

 4- Pig Salad

3- German Chocolate Waffle Brownies

2- Mediterranean Pita Pockets aka Duners

1- Parmesan Breadsticks

 0- Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake 

(What? I had 11 to post. So there's a "0" in my list, big deal!)

Thanks for stopping by and celebrating Some Kind of Delicious's 1 year mark with me. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

I really hesitate to post this. Is this a "no-duh" recipe? Or was it just super common in my family growing up? This is the only way we'd eat carrots. I love it! Sometimes my mom would add about 1 T. of orange juice concentrate for a tangy version. Yum!

I'll post it for a few reasons:

1) Even though it may seem like a no-brainer recipe to me, maybe it's new to you!

2) I love it.

3) It goes wonderfully with the chicken cordon bleu I just posted.

Enjoy!

{BROWN SUGAR GLAZED CARROTS}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

2 c. sliced carrots

2 T. butter

1/3 c. brown sugar

Dash of salt

Place carrots in medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to boil and then reduce to medium and cook until carrots are soft-tender (not mushy!), about 10-15 minutes. Drain water and gently stir in butter and brown sugar until mixed thoroughly and carrots are coated evenly. Serve immediately.

Note: You can add about 1 T. orange juice concentrate for a tangy version of this.

Quick & Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

When I was little, I mean like 5-10 years old. Everytime someone would ask what my favorite food was, I'd say, "Chicken Cordon Bleu." They'd always laugh and wonder how I even knew what that was. And why wasn't I saying things like chocolate chip cookies, hot dogs, or mac and cheese? All I have to say is, "Thanks, Mom."

The other day I was really craving some, but I had very limited time to make dinner. I remembered my wise sister-in-law telling me she made a version of chicken cordon bleu similar to this. So I tried it and it was QUICK, and EASY, and oh so good. I'm not sure I'll ever roll my chicken cordon bleu again....well I better not make absolute promises here. But none-the-less, enjoy!

{QUICK & EASY CHICKEN CORDON BLEU}

click here for a printable version of this recipe
4 thin chicken breasts

4 slices ham (try 2 or 3 each, if they're thin pieces of ham)

4 slices of swiss cheese (swiss really does make this dish great!)

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray casserole dish with cooking oil. Place chicken breasts in dish. Lay pieces of ham on each chicken, then top with a slice of swiss. Season each with salt and pepper. You can secure each chicken breast with a toothpick to make sure the ham and cheese don't slide around while cooking. Bake for 35 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees. Serve with "the sauce" (below).

The Sauce

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 c. sour cream

1/4 c. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Each over medium heat until warmed and mixed thoroughly.

Delicious Fruit Trifle

I know this is a repost from a year ago. But I was just dreaming of this trifle and wishing it was in my mouth right now. So delicious! Let me know if you try it with different fruits. Yum!

DELICIOUS FRUIT TRIFLE

12-oz whip cream (I prefer to whip my own, it tastes SO much better, but you can cheat and use the frozen whipped topping stuff...just don't invite me over...just kidding!)

1 c. sour cream

1 (9 inch) angel food cake (ok, I did cheat and used the store bought variety)

1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

3 bananas, peeled and sliced

1 (15-oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

   

In a medium bowl, fold sour cream and unprepared pudding mix into the whipped topping. Cut the cake into 1-inch pieces.  Place 1/2 of cake in bottom of bowl, top with 1/2 of bananas, pineapple, and strawberries. Top with 1/2 of whipped topping mixture. Repeat layering until all ingredients are used. 

I did two layers, but this will depend on what size bowl you use. I know I don't have to say it, but I will just in case. If you are using a smaller dish than I used, you may do 3 layers, in which case you'll use a 1/3 of each ingredient on each layer. Got it? 

Make fan garnishes of whole strawberries by slicing from just below the stem and fan out. I cut the green part off, but you could leave it on as well.  Garnish assembled trifle with fanned strawberries. 

Now, I decorated with the bananas and pineapple too. But beware, because after it sat in the fridge the bananas on top went a little brown and it wasn't so pretty. I probably wouldn't do that again unless I was serving right away. BUT it tastes better if it's cold. 

Play around with different fruits too. The recipe I found suggested kiwi. But they make my mouth itch, which never is a good sign. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.