Pasta Alla Principessa

{This is a recipe that Chris and I both got in our Foods class in High School!!! I remember liking in then...and it has become a family favorite since! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!}

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Minced Onion
8 oz Sliced Mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/2 Lb Ham, Cut into Thin Strips
1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, Chopped
{If you don't have fresh...Dried works just as well!}
1 Lb Penne or Mostaccioli Pasta
1/2 Pint Whipping Cream
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese




DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter in a skillet on medium heat.
Add onion and saute until soft and white.
Add mushrooms and garlic salt. When mushrooms are done, stir in the ham and parsley. Remove the skillet from the stove.
Cook the pasta {while mushrooms are sauteing} and drain completely.
Return the pasta to its pot on medium-high heat.
Pour the cream over the pasta.
Stir the pasta until the cream begins to bubble.
Add 3/4 cup of the cheese, blend well and remove the pot from the heat.
Stir in the ham mixture, holding some back for topping.
Put the pasta in a serving dish, scraping cream from the sides of the pan {you won't want to lose any}.
Sprinkle the pasta with remaining cheese and arrange the ham topping in the center.
Garnish the pasta with parsley.

Kinda Failed at that Goal...

Well...I still have stuff waiting to be posted... Didn't do so hot at my last goal of being on top of it. But I intend to get on top of it and stay on top of posting so that we can continue to provide you with new recipe ideas. So here I go.

Happy Cooking!

Cafe Rio Pork

So all of you who know what Cafe Rio is you will love the fallowing recipes....I first will do the pork then the rice then to fallow the dressing! I hope you enjoy. (if you are not a pork fan you can use chicken)

Pork

Pork(one to two medium pork roasts best place to buy is Costco)

place in crock pot

In a bowl mix-

2 cups Pic ante Sauce (mild)

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 can Coke

Cook for 6 hours on high heat.

Then take out pork and shred with fork

At this point I take and dump the sauce that pork was cooking in all day and make a fresh new batch.(you don't have to do this)

Place pork back into crock pot and pour sauce back over pork and continue to cook for 2 hours

I like to buy the fresh tortillas at Costco that you can cook I sprinkle a little cheese on tortillas then serve with rice and beans.

Just so you know this freezes very well so if it makes to much for those of you with small families just place it in a freezer air tight bag and save it for a later date.

Rice

1 1/2 cups Rice

1 c. Chicken Broth

1/2 cup Lemon Juice

2 squirts Lime Juice

Place all liquids into a glass measuring cup and finish with water tell you make 3 cups total.

Place liquid and rice into sauce pan and bring to a boil making sure to

stir once or twice. Once at a boil turn to low to simmer and cover let simmer for 14 min so not lift lid!

Let stand for 5 min then ready to serve.

Dressing

1 cup Mayo

1/2 cups Butter Milk

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing(dry)

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Cups cilantro

3 Timoteo's (green tomato's)

Place all ingredients into your food processor tell rich and creamy

Tater-Tot Casserole {Crock Pot}

INGREDIENTS:

1 {32 oz} Bag Frozen Tater Tots

1 {8 oz} Can Chicken, Drained

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

1 {14 1/2 oz} Can Green Beans, Drained

1 {10 3/4 oz} Can Cream of Mushroom Soup, Condensed

1 Tablespoon Dried Onion

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, Grated

DIRECTIONS:

Pour bag of frozen tater tots on bottom of greased crock pot.

In separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients except cheese and pour over potatoes.

Cover and cook on hig heat 3 hours or low heat 4 1/2-5 hours.

Half an hour before serving, sprinkle grated cheese over the top.

Makes 4-6 servings.

{You could also use tuna instead of chicken, if you wanted to.}

Chicken & Black Bean Burritos

INGREDIENTS:

1 {15 oz} Can Black Beans, Drained & Rinsed

4 Green Onions, Chopped

1 Tablespoon Lemon or Lime Juice

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder

{use less chili powder if you aren't wanting a little kick in your burrito}

1/4 teaspoon Ground Pepper

2 Seasoned Chicken Breasts, Baked & Sliced

1/2 Lb. Pepper Jack Cheese, Grated

{this cheese also adds a kick...so use another white cheese (monterey or colby?) if you don't want heat}

6 Medium-sized Tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350*.

In a small bowl combine black beans, green onions, lemon or lime juice,

and all of the above spices.

Set out 6 squares of foil and lay a tortilla on each.

Put 1/6th of the cheese in a line near the edge of the tortilla.

Top with 1/6th of the chicken and 1/6th of the black bean mixture.

Roll up the burrito, making sure to tuck in the ends, and wrap in foil.

Bake 15-20 minutes, enough for the cheese to melt.

Top with sour cream, salsa, lettuce and tomatoes. {If you want...}

{Or you can enjoy them just the way they are...we put something different on them every time we have them. You could use any other mexican toppings that you desire too!}

{I must give credit where credit is due...this recipe came from on of my college roommates...Cindi! Thanks!}

Fell off the Food Blog Bandwagon!

So I guess you could say that we have fallen off the Food Blog Bandwagon.

SORRY!

I can't tell you how many pictures I have waiting on my desktop or even in the post edits...WAITING to be finished and posted!

We hope to get back with it and post our recipes...despite what you see {or don't see for that matter} WE DO STILL COOK and have MORE RECIPES!

{I know I have at least one request for a cookie recipe...I am going to try and make them so I can have a picture with my recipe and that will be coming soon. If there are any other requests...let us know and we will do our best to put them on!}

Thanks for hanging in there with us!

Keep Cooking and Enjoy!

Basic Cheese Ball

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1 Cup Shredded Mild Cheddar

2 teaspoons Dried Minced Onion

2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Salt & Pepper {to taste}

1/2 Cup Pecans {Chopped}

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients together {except for chopped pecans}.

Shape into a ball.

{MY TIP: I just wear rubber gloves, and then use my hands to roll it into a ball! Quickest way, and easiest clean up!}

Roll in pecans.

Refrigerate. Serve...and try not to eat it all in one sitting!

A FEW THINGS/TIPS/ETC...

~Since this is a BASIC Cheese Ball recipe...it is really easy to adjust ingredients to change the flavor, or add different ingredients to pump it up! For example you can add any fresh herbs...or change the cheese...or the nuts for that matter. Use your imagination!

~I use whatever cheese I have on hand...which is usually Monterey Jack.

~I serve this Basic Cheese Ball with Craisins on the side. Put a little bit of the cheese ball and then a few craisins on top...YUMMY!

Hope you enjoy!