Ultimate Tuna Pasta Salad - perfect for BBQ's!

Have I mentioned I'm getting anxious for BBQ season? It's my favorite time of year! As far as tuna salads and potato salads go, I'm actually pretty picky. I WILL NOT eat store-bought stuff. Sick. It's one of those things my mom spoiled us with. She is such a great cook, I just can't do the other store-bought stuff. 

This is a fantastic version of tuna pasta salad. It reminds me so much of the pasta salad my Grandma used to make. That was my FAVORITE part of family get-togethers. Wait, besides seeing family members, right? Anyway, her salad is legendary. Soon enough this will be too!

I can't wait to contribute this to a BBQ. Enjoy!

{TUNA PASTA SALAD}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

8-oz. package ditalini pasta

1 (6-oz.) can tuna, drained and flaked

1/2 c. mayo

1/3 c. onion, minced

1/4 c. dill pickle relish

1/4 c. diced pimiento

3/4 c. frozen peas, thawed and drained

1 T. prepared mustard

1/2 tsp. salt (more or less according to taste)

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. white sugar

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly; drain well. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss lightly; cover and refrigerate.

Note: This would taste great with cubed sharp cheddar cheese.

Chalupas - Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

What in the world? I'm so sorry I haven't posted this yet. This is absolutely one of our most common "go-to" meals. This is usually always what I take to new moms when they get home from the hospital. And that's exactly the reason I made it last week. My adorable friend and neighbor just had her second child. So exciting!!

When I take it to friends, I usually just get it ready and give them the baking instructions so they can cook it when they're ready. It would also make a great freezer meal!

This is a family recipe that I love. I think it was the only "real" dinner I knew how to make in college. So out it would come to "impress" the guys. 

I hope it impresses you! Enjoy.

{CHALUPAS - CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

3-4 green onions, chopped
1 (6-oz) can chopped green chiles
1/2 c. black olives, sliced
1 can cream of chicken coup
2 c. sour cream
1 c. shredded monterey jack cheese

1 1/2 lbs. chicken (or turkey) meat, cooked and shredded 

Mix onions, chiles, olives, soup, sour cream, and 3/4 of the cheese together. Reserve 2 cups and set aside. Add chopped chicken to remaining mixture. Fill flour tortillas and place in a sprayed 9x13 pan. Put reserved sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350°.

HEALTHY (and quick) Sweet Pepper Fettuccine Alfredo

I know what you're thinking. "Healthy" and "Fettuccine Alfredo" don't really belong in the same sentence, right? Well it does when my husband enters the kitchen. Remember how I said he was going to cook dinner every night last week? It was awesome! I loved every second of it.

Now, let me just say something first. Steve is not one to go for the "healthy" versions....like ever. He wants full fat, full calories, full flavor. And he can handle it. Because he doesn't gain weight unless he wants to. And he can actually LOSE weight by just thinking that he wants to. Don't you just hate when that happens? Ugh.

So, he was looking for QUICK recipes and he loves fettuccine alfredo. So when he found this he was just excited it didn't take very long to make. But when I read the recipe, and discovered how healthy it is, I was ECSTATIC!! It tastes so good, you would never know it's "healthy."

Well little Healthy Sweet Pepper Fettuccine, you just earned yourself a spot on our "regulars" list. Congratulations.

Enjoy.

{HEALTHY SWEET PEPPER FETTUCCINE} 

click here for a printable version of this recipe

12-oz dry whole wheat fettuccine pasta

2 red bell peppers, julienned

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 c. reduced fat sour cream

3/4 c. chicken broth

3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside. 

Spray cooking oil in a large skillet and saute red bell peppers, garlic and cayenne pepper over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream and chicken broth and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. 

Toss hot pasta with sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste; serve. 

NOTE: It would be wonderful with grilled chicken on top!

 Source: allrecipes.com 

Chocolate Fudge Trifle

I love Aly for many reasons, the first of course is because how happy she makes my brother, but a close second is because we have so much in common - including a love of delicious food. Since I have always been more of a food blog “stalker” rather than contributor, I was excited when Aly asked me to throw in my thoughts on food…lets just say I have a lot to say on that subject.  

I will throw it out there now as my first cyber confessional that I have a love for sweets. People talk about a sweet tooth, but in my case I think I have more sweet teeth. When I was first dating my husband one night after a movie he asked what I wanted to do and I said, “go for ice cream”. His response shocked me, “in the middle of winter?” Now I ask you, since when did a season decide if you could have certain desserts of not? Seriously? 

Marriage is all about learning new things and I learned from my husband, not everyone melts over molten lava cakes or gets giddy when they are served the corner piece of cake with extra frosting. He can actually pass on desserts; good ones we aren’t talking about cheap tootsie roll pops here. Now I wish I could say it was because he is the worlds healthiest eater, believe me he has his Achilles heels too, but sweets aren’t one. After one or two bites he puts his dessert in the fridge and then totally forgets about it (shhh don’t tell him that I have a rule that after 24 hours and he hasn’t touched it then its free game). That is why I was shocked when I made this sinfully good trifle and he actually ate his entire bowl.

Then, to add to the shock factor the next day he asked for more, no 24-hour rules need apply here. Yes, we just celebrated 7 great years of marriage and have both learned about compromise – he drives me (and my now three kids yes, I passed my over sweet DNA onto them) to get our ice cream fixes and if it is warm gets one himself. Or, we can all go home and have this anytime of year. Trust me, unless you don’t love chocolate, (and lets be honest do those people really exist?) you’ll love it.

{CHOCOLATE FUDGE TRIFLE}

 click here for a printable version of this recipe

1 Angel Food Cake (store bought or follow directions on mix and cool completely)

2 pkgs.cream cheese, at room temp.

2 Lg.boxes chocolate fudge pudding

5 c. milk (sorry no skim here, at least 2%)

1 pint whipped cream (or 2 cartons of Cool Whip)

1/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. chocolate chips

1 good quality chocolate bar (shaved into strips with potato peeler or chopped in small pieces)

In large bowl combine the milk with the pudding. Whisk for 2 minutes and then put in fridge for 5 minutes. Then add softened cream cheese to the pudding with either wire whisk or with with hand mixer and combine (it will be lumpy).

Pour one pint whipping cream in another bowl and whip. Add sugar and vanilla and mix again (if using cool whip no sugar or vanilla needed).

Break your cake in to golf ball sized pieces. Take half of those pieces and place them in a large glass dish. Pour half of your pudding/cream cheese mixture on top and then half of your cream on top of that. Then add the 3/4 c. chocolate chips on top. 

Repeat layers; cake then pudding then cream. Top with chocolate shavings or crumbs. 

Best to sit in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Cutest Train Cake & Best Decorating Frosting

'Tis the season for birthdays in our house. This month is mine and my husband's birthdays. However, this is a cake I did for my favorite little boy's birthday a few months back, and I've been wanting to share this cake idea with you. This was for my son's 2nd birthday. The theme was that our little guy was turning "TWO-TWO," with trains of course.

 

I went to a cake decorating class a few weeks before his birthday. My talented friend who taught the class told me that you can go to a bakery and buy their frosting to decorate with!!! Genius. I actually recommend doing that. But, I've included the recipe I use below, in case you don't go to the bakery or you run out (which happened to me!).

For the train cake, I got a box of graham cracker stix and placed them around the edge for the railroad ties. Then I did two small lines of brown frosting on top, for the tracks. And I used a mini toy train on top of that. So very simple! And absolutely adorable if I do say so myself.

Enjoy!

FROSTINGS

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{BUTTERCREAM} - this is the kind you frost the cake with, not decorate! This just tastes better than the decorative kind, but it's not thick enough to do fancy stuff with.

3 ¾ c. powdered sugar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. butter

Combine all ingredients in mixing bow. Beat with electric mixer or with heavy spoon until smooth and creamy; scrape bowl often. If too stiff to spread easily, beat in a few drops of milk.

{DECORATIVE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING}

1/2 c. solid vegetable shortening

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract (clear would be best)

4 c. sifted powdered sugar (about 1 lb.)

2 T. milk

Makes about 3 cups of icing.

Instructions:

MEDIUM CONSISTENCY

In a large bowl, cream shortening and butter with hand mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored for 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

THIN CONSISTENCY - for spreading

Add 2 T. light corn syrup, water or milk

STIFF CONSISTENCY

omit butter; substitute an addtional 1/2 c. shortening for butter and add 1/2 tsp, no-color butter flavor. Add up to 4 T. light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

Source: Wilton

Happy STINKO de Mayo

 

When I was a single lass, I was nick-named the "spatula." Because whenever I seriously dated a guy, I was the last gal he dated before he took the plunge. So I was the one who "flipped them over" before they were done cooking in the single world.

One year my beau and I broke up and he got married about 7 months later on Cinco de Mayo.

The very next year I was dating someone else. We broke up and I moved across the country to "start a new life." Well 4 months later I got news he was getting married... ON CINCO de MAYO!

Really? Two years in a row, I get slapped in the face on this "holiday?"

I was living with my aunt and uncle at the time, so in venting my dating woes and frustrations to my aunt {whom I love more than I can express}, she wisely said, "Well, we're changing the name of this holiday to STINKO de Mayo."

Now that I'm happily married and living in bliss, I still like to refer to this day as Stinko, because it makes me laugh for one, but it makes me SO happy those stinky guys decided to get married on this day and leave me behind to find the TRUE love of my life.

Him.

Speaking of my honey-love, this past Sunday night as we were lying in bed going over our schedules for this week. He randomly said, "Can I make dinner every night this week?"

Me: "Why?"

Hubs: "I just want to try it. I'll plan it, I'll do the shopping, and I'll make it."

Me: "But you have a stressful week at work this week and you're taking a test on Friday."

Hubs: "Aly, I think I can handle it. Really. I want to try it."

Ooooo-kay. It's been awesome! I'll be posting his recipes soon. He's done a fabulous job! So, I'm not making dinner tonight. But if I WERE making dinner for STINKO de Mayo, I'd probably choose something like the menu below.

On a random side note, a couple years ago I worked with this sweetest woman named Maria...straight from Mexico. She is adorable and one HECK of a chef. I was so excited to plan a work party on Cinco de Mayo and she sucked the wind right out of my sails, when she informed me that this is an American holiday. They don't even celebrate it in Mexico. Wha??

{Cinco-STINKO de Mayo Menu}

AVOCADO SALSA

FIESTA LIME CHICKEN

FIESTA RICE

PINA COLADA

Crazy Chocolate Cupcakes {no egg cake recipe}

This cake is crazy because....well, because it's crazy good. 

My mother-in-law found this recipe after they discovered my father-in-law needed to watch his cholesterol. Having no eggs in it makes it a the perfect treat for that! 

However, I keep making it because I truly believe it's better than any cake recipe I've tried. Who needs eggs anyway, right? And the hint of almond and rum, makes it completely divine.

Usually we make it into a sheet cake, but I've made it into cupcakes TWICE in the past 4 days. Don't worry one batch was for a baby shower and the other for my bookclub. But I still can't resist these things! I think that's why I just ate TWO for breakfast this morning. 

Yep, that just happened. Enjoy!

{CRAZY CHOCOLATE CAKE OR CUPCAKES}

click here for a printable version of this recipe
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
6 T. cocoa
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt

¾ c. oil
2 tsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
Few drops rum extract
2 c. cold water

In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. In a separate small bowl, mix together oil, vinegar, vanilla, almond extract, rum extract and cold water. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until completely incorporated, but don't over mix! Pour into greased 9x13 pan or cupcake liners. 

Bake at 350 degrees: 30-40 minutes for 9x13 or 25 minutes for cupcakes. Top with cream cheese frosting (see below).

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 cubes butter (12 T.), room temperature
1/2 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powder sugar

Cream the cheese and butter together on low speed with a mixer.  Scrape the bowl. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Mix together. Add powder sugar on low until incorporated.  Mix on med-high for 3 minutes to make the frosting a bit lighter. Chill for 1/2 hour to stiffen up before using.

Frito Veggie Salad

Love this! It's so fresh with the veggies,  yet so crunchy and yummy with the chili flavored fritos. It's a GREAT addition to a BBQ get together....which I am anxiously awaiting! I can feel Summer right around the corner and couldn't get here soon enough! 

Enjoy!

{FRITO VEGGIE SALAD}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed and drained

1/2 c. green onions, chopped (about 4 onions)

1/2 bag chili-flavored Fritos

2-3 T. mayonnaise (add to taste)

Combine all of your vegetables in a large bowl. Just before serving add Fritos and toss with mayo.