Genius!

Don't even try to tell me this isn't the most genius idea for a BLTA (aka blita) you've ever seen! Once again, thank you Pinterest! 

(Idea and picture from here)

Take 3 strips of bacon and cut them in half. Lay 3 half strips on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil and weave the other 3 through them. Bake on 415 for 20-25 minutes (depending on how crispy you like your bacon). Pile on bread with lettuce, tomato, and avocado and enjoy!!

Taco Pizza

 (Image from here)

Oh, Pinterest! How I love thee! Actually it's sort of a love/hate relationship. I love all the FABULOUS ideas that are on there, but  HATE that I will never have time to do even one gazillionth of the things I have pinned. Sigh.... 

However, today I actually did it. I pinned this taco pizza awhile ago (from here) with great intentions of making it. Now, months later I actually got up the nerve to try something new and interesting and it was a hit--okay the kids wouldn't even try it but Matt and I really liked it!

The original recipe is found here, how I made it is like so:

Pizza Crust (their recipe called for Pillsbury Crescent Rolls)

(You can use whatever is your favorite, I am always looking for quick and easy way so I resort to the Martha White or Great Value packets found near the spaghetti and pizza sauce at the store. They are under a buck, are actually pretty good, only call for hot water, and are ready in 5 minutes!! I know, I'm totally lame!)

1 can of Refried Beans

1 lb. ground beef--browned

1 pkg. Taco Seasoning--mix with beef as directed

1 can of olives--sliced

1 tomato--chopped

green onions (optional)

Shredded cheese (Mexican blend, or I used half mozzarella and half cheddar)

Salsa--optional 

(We made half with a layer of salsa and half without and decided we liked the salsa side better!)

**Make your pizza crust, I always prick mine with a fork and bake it for 5 minutes before adding the toppings. Spread the refried beans on the crust, if you like salsa add the salsa next, then layer the ground beef, tomatoes, olives, green onions, and cheese. 

My simple little crust recommends baking the pizza for 9-11 minutes on 475 so that's what I did and it was perfect!

Let me know what you think!!

English Toffee

i think it is pretty cool that we can go 3 whole weeks without even posting on this here blog. wait. kidding. it's not cool. it's actually pretty lame of us. the truth is, i haven't really thought about it. the holidays are crazy and we've been eating out more than we should, so cooking has taken a back burner. no pun intended. ha! okay. it was totally intended. but if i say it wasn't, maybe you won't think i'm so lame.

anyway, i am re-posting this recipe from last chritmas because it is my favorite holiday treat to make. it is super simple and so so yummy. this is what i always make and take as neighbor gifts, and everyone i take it to loves it.

ingredients

1 cube butter

1 cube margarine

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp. water

chocolate chips (must me ghiradelli or guittard)

in a sauce pan, combine ingredients and bring to a boil. It will be a bright yellow color. while you're doing that, try not to mock the ridiculousness that is my used-a-million-times-for-everything-from-mac-and-cheese-to-toffee well-loved pan.

let it boil for 6-8 minutes while stirring (almost) constantly. use a wooden spoon. i have ruined more than one plastic spoon. when it is almost done, it will start to turn a light amber color and will start to smoke (you have to look closely for the smoke). i usually watch for it to change colors, and just when i think it's done, i let it cook another 30 seconds to a minute. below is the color it will be when it's done.

pour onto a buttered cookie sheet. i just pour mine on top of the cookie sheet, but candice and our mom coat the pan with chopped pecans before pouring the toffee mixture. if you like nuts, go nuts with it. ha. i'm killing myself here.

let it cool for 1-2 minutes until it is barely firm but still very hot to touch, and then sprinkle chocolate chips on top. just a handful or so of chocolate chips. if you want the chocolate to be thick, add more.

spread the chocolate with a rubber spatula. just keep spreading it until the chocolate is all melted. every single time i make this i think my chocolate isn't going to melt all the way, but it always does. so it will; i promise!

 let it cool (i like to do over night so that the chocolate is completely set up), and then use a butter knife to break it into 2-3 inch pieces.

wrap it up however you'd like, and take it to me your friends and neighbors! or, go my route, and eat it all yoursefl :)

mexican chicken tacos

okay. this is serious business. i'm dying over these babies. this recipe has no name, so i just made one up. it is originally this recipe, but i wanted a crock-pot version and i didn't have tomatoes. so here's what i did.

no picture today. it basically looked like this except the chicken was shredded instead of chunked. it really is the same recipe, just crock-potted. convenient, eh?

ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1 can petite diced tomatoes

2 green peppers, diced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tbsp. cumin

1(ish) cup salsa
1/2 pkg. cream cheese

throw it all in the crock and cook on low all day. shred chicken and serve in tortilla with cheese, avocado, and sour cream, or with chips. yum. 

we had it last night, and i had it for lunch today. and i'm wanting it again. so simple. so yummy!

Egg Nog Waffles or Pancakes

So, this morning my husband asked me if I could make him Egg Nog waffles. I told him I never had, but that I'm sure Google could help me out with that! So off I went to search, I picked the first recipe that came up because a) it sounded easy and b) it had pretty good reviews. After making the first waffled and snitching off a corner of it I thought it wasn't very Egg Noggy, and duh, if I'm going to eat a waffle with Egg Nog in in it, I want to taste the Egg Nog! Since I was making regular pancakes for my kids (aka pannycakins) I decided to add a little bit more Nog to thin my batter and throw some on the griddle, the results were Mmmm-mmmm GOOD! We decided that was a better way to go! Add a little butter and powdered sugar and you're in for a treat!

 (I found this recipe here and changed it a tad!)

 

2 cups flour

2 cups eggnog

2 large eggs - beaten

1 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 

(Optional: You can add a little bit of nutmeg and cinnamon to enhance the flavor!)

 

**In a large bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix together eggnog, eggs and oil until well mixed.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. 

Cook waffles in well-greased preheated waffle iron according to manufactures instructions or add a little bit more Egg Nog to thin the batter and turn them into pancakes!

Serve with butter and powdered sugar.

dorito chicken casserole

alright. so here's the deal. sometimes, the title of a meal just sounds gross. like this one. right? well don't you turn your nose up just yet. listen. try it. and then judge from there.

i found this recipe on this blog, and i immediately wanted to try it. do i love doritos? yes. chicken? yes. all things cheesy? yes. all things mexicanish? yes. so it was a win-win for me. and we loved it! not kidding. i expected the doritos to go soggy, but they didn't at all. instead, they baked onto the pan and stayed crispy. awesome, right?

source

what you need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded (i cooked them in the crock pot all day so they'd shred easily)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 can rotel

1/2 pkg. taco seasoning

1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 bag nacho cheese doritos

mix everything except the doritos together. line a 8X11 (i think that's the size. i could have made that up) baking dish with crushed doritos. layer half of the chicken mixture on top. put another layer of crushed doritos, the rest of the chicken mixture, and shredded cheese. cover with foil and bake on 375* for about 30 minutes.

yum. like i said. try it and THEN you can judge :)