Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I'm sure you already have your Christmas menu planned but wanted to share this recipe in case anyone is still scrambling for last-minute ideas, especially one that is SO simple to make! I have been making these cookies for Christmas for years now and they are always very popular. They have a total of 4 ingredients. Yep, 4. And you won't BELIEVE how yummy they are! Hope you enjoy!!

LEMON CRINKLE COOKIES: Yield: 40

Ingredients:
1 box lemon cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 egg
8-oz. Cool Whip, thawed
2 cups powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine cake mix, egg, and Cool Whip in a large bowl.
Put powdered sugar in additional bowl.
Drop cookie dough mixture by tablespoonfuls into powdered sugar and roll into balls.
Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.


That's it!! I have also made these with strawberry cake mix and they were divine, but lemon is always a favorite in my house :).

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends!!

Southwestern Goulash

I can't believe it has been almost two months since I last posted a recipe! Gracious. I promise I have cooked since then, just haven't really been trying too many new recipes LOL. My beloved and I took a wonderful vacation last month to visit family and spend some time in the mountains, and while there we learned that we are going to be having a baby next summer! To say that I have been walking on air would be an understatement. So thrilled! Needless to say, our days since arriving back home have been filled with doctor's appointments, morning sickness (sometimes all DAY sickness) and all of the fun stuff that goes along with pregnancy.

That being said, I made this recently and we both loved it! We both grew up eating traditional goulash made by our moms and have always loved that but this just gives a different take on that recipe. I will definitely be making this one quite a bit. As a side note, it does make several servings. Since there are only two of us we weren't able to eat the whole thing so I am going to use the leftover meat mixture to make twice-baked potatoes tonight. We don't like wasting food and I love being able to repurpose leftovers! Just an idea :). Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
28-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 c. frozen corn (you can also use canned if you prefer)
8-oz. can tomato sauce
4-oz. can chopped green chilies
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste


Cook macaroni according to package directions.

While the water is boiling and pasta is cooking, prepare the ground beef and vegetables.
In a large skillet on medium heat, cook the beef and onion, breaking the meat into small crumbles, until meat is no longer pink.
Add remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes to allow flavors to marry.
Drain cooked macaroni and add to the meat mixture*.
Enjoy!!

*My husband is very particular about pasta not being overcooked. He doesn't love having noodles cooked into mixtures so I served the noodles and meat mixture separately and then we mixed them together according to our tastes. It works beautifully and it allows me to use the extra meat mixture to make something else later, as I mentioned in the introduction.

Swedish Meatballs

Recently my beloved and I were hanging out at home and he said, "You know what I want for dinner? Swedish meatballs with noodles." I had never made them, though I quite like them, so we decided to try this recipe together (we have SO much fun cooking together!) and it was SO good!!!! We both agreed that it tasted like something that had been cooked for hours to develop wonderful flavors, even though it only took less than an hour to make it. Most of the ingredients were things that I generally keep in the fridge/cupboards, which makes me like the recipe even more. We served it over egg noodles and were both nearly in a food coma after dinner, but it was so very worth it!

As a note before you begin, I know this is a long list of ingredients, but I highly recommend measuring everything out before you begin preparing this dish.  For example, I measured the parsley, allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, all into one tiny bowl and mixed them together. It made things MUCH easier for me to have everything measured and ready to go so I could just dump it in when needed. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/4 c. panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 c. onion, minced
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 Tbsp. butter, divided
3 Tbsp. flour
2 c. beef broth
1 c. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-sized bowl combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, onion, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Mix until combined, but do not over-mix. Over-mixing will cause the meatballs to be more tough than you might like. Roll this mixture into small meatballs.

In a large skillet heat olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter.
Add meatballs and cook, turning continuously, until browned all over and cooked throughout.
Transfer to a plate or bowl and cover with aluminum foil.

Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to skillet and whisk until it is nicely browned.
Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream.
Add Worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Add meatballs back to sauce and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Super Simple Meatloaf

I have been making meatloaf for years and have a recipe that is always a success. Except when it comes to my husband. He doesn't particularly care for it. SO I took his challenge and made a meatloaf that he loves and wouldn't you know, I like it a little better than the old recipe myself! :). Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. onion, diced
1/2 c. green bell pepper, diced
1 egg
Salt to taste
Crushed Ritz crackers, about 15-16
1/4 c. ketchup, plus additional ketchup for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine beef, onion, bell pepper, egg, salt, crackers, and ketchup by hand. Don't over-mix or meatloaf will be tough.
Spread this mixture into an 11"x7" baking dish, or you can put it in a loaf pan. If you choose to bake it in the loaf pan you will need to allow additional cooking time.
Top with ketchup, as much as you like.
Bake for 45 minutes.

Beefy Twice-Baked Potatoes

I have mentioned before that I married a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. And he married a meat-and-potatoes kind of girl so we are very happy :). This is a favorite dish at our house and I bet it will become a favorite at yours as well! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 medium baking potatoes
1 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/3 c. sour cream
4-oz. can chopped green chilies
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese


Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for an hour or until tender. Cool.
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; Drain.
Cut a thin slice off the top of each potato.
Carefully scoop out pulp, leaving a thin shell; Place pulp in a bowl.
Add sour cream, chilies, butter, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, and chili powder; Mash.
Stir in meat mixture until combined.
Stuff into potato shells.
Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese has melted and filling is heated through.

My FAVORITE Coleslaw!

Being married to someone who works 12-hour rotating shifts, alternating between days and nights, often means that you have to celebrate holidays a little early or a little late. In our case, we are celebrating Independence Day a day early because he has to work tomorrow night. We're having barbecued ribs and our favorite coleslaw. There are so many variations on coleslaw and I have tasted very few that I didn't like, but this one is hands down my favorite and the one I make on a regular basis! I love the sweetness of the slaw complimented by the tanginess of the apples and cranberries. This recipe makes a decent amount for a small gathering but I always double it when making it for larger gatherings.


Before we begin, there are a couple of things you should know:

• I prefer using fresh cabbage and grating it myself because I think it just tastes better than the bagged coleslaw, however I won't judge you if you choose to use the bagged stuff for convenience :).
• The measurements for mayonnaise, half and half, and sugar are approximate. I never measure when I make this so when I made it today I actually took the time to measure things as I added them. But if your head of cabbage is slightly larger or smaller than the one I used you might need to adjust these particular ingredients slightly. You want the mixture to be just slightly soupy so the cabbage can sit and soak up some of that yummy goodness. I like to refrigerate my coleslaw for at least 4 hours if possible, and sometimes I will even make it the night before. 

Ingredients:
1 med. head of cabbage, grated
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced into small pieces (leave the peel on)
3 oz. dried cranberries
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. half and half
1/4 c. sugar


Combine cabbage, apple, and cranberries in a large bowl (I always mix my coleslaw in a large bowl and then transfer it to something smaller and maybe slightly prettier LOL).
Stir in the mayonnaise and half and half.
Sprinkle sugar over top of mixture and then stir in completely.

Let sit in refrigerator for at least four hours, then serve.


I'm telling you, this is a YUMMY recipe! Hope you enjoy!!

Baked Southwest Chicken Egg Rolls

I made these recently and we absolutely loved them! Now that I have discovered how simple it really is to make egg rolls, I will be trying all sorts of variations. I made this particular recipe when we had a group over for Bible study and it makes quite a bit. You can easily half it if you are just making it for your family. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or canola oil
4 Tbsp. minced green onion
4 Tbsp. minced red bell pepper
1 small can of whole kernel corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I prefer the black beans that have jalapeño and lime)
1/4 c. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cans cooked chicken breast, drained and shredded (of course you can cook your own chicken but I am all about time-savers!)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Salt, to taste
3/4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 packages of egg roll wrappers


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large skillet saute green onion and bell pepper in oil, just until soft.
Add corn, black beans, and spinach and cook until heated through.
Add chicken, cumin, chili powder, and salt.
Stir until well blended.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

To fill egg rolls:
Start with the corner of one egg roll wrapper facing you, and add just a little less than 1/4 cup of filling to the center of the wrapper.
Fold the corner facing you over the filling, tuck in the sides, and finish rolling.
Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet.
When finished, spray the rolls with cooking spray.
Bake for 10 minutes, flip them, and bake for 10 minutes more.
Serve hot.

You can serve them as is or with any dipping sauce of your choice. One of my favorites is made by combining ranch dressing with mild salsa. Yummy!!

Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry

My husband and I both love stir fry, especially on nights when our time is a little more limited or we just want something light. I made this recently and we both loved it. I will definitely be making this one on a regular basis! Enjoy.


Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage, chopped into thin pieces
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced (don't use the dry stuff, fresh makes a HUGE difference!)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Small can of chow mein noodles


Begin by preparing the stir fry sauce. In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, and brown sugar. Set the sauce aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the canola oil, ground beef, garlic, ginger, and salt and pepper. Cook until beef is browned.

Add the cabbage and peppers to the skillet and continue to stir and cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted (or fully wilted, whichever you prefer).

Stir in the prepared sauce and chopped green onions. Add as many chow mein noodles as you would like just before serving. They really add a wonderful texture to this dish!

Breakfast Potatoes

My husband and I enjoy having "breakfast for dinner" from time to time. Neither of us like to eat a big meal first thing in the morning, but we love having breakfast foods at night! I made these for such a meal recently and we both loved them. They're definitely going to be a regular side dish in our house! Enjoy!


3-4 medium potatoes, scrubbed well but not peeled, cut into 1/4" chunks
Salt and pepper
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
1/2 stick of butter
1 small onion, minced

First, boil the cut potatoes in salted water for about 5 minutes. You don't want them completely cooked through. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet.
Saute onions in melted butter until they are translucent.
Add potatoes, spreading them out in a single layer. You want as little overlap as possible.
Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika to taste, and then let the potatoes cook for about 3-4 minutes. Don't stir or turn them; You want them to start to brown nicely.
After 3-4 minutes, turn them; Again, leave them in a single layer as much as possible. Add seasonings to this side and let the potatoes cook again for 3-4 more minutes, undisturbed.
Continue turning potatoes regularly after this until they are nice and golden.

That's it! Simple ingredients, simple recipe, YUMMY flavor!

Sweet & Spicy Meatballs

Don't let the title of this post fool you. I am a certified wimp when it comes to eating foods that are too spicy and I absolutely loved these. They have a little bit of a kick to them but it they are definitely not TOO spicy. I absolutely love the fact that there are only three ingredients involved. They are perfect for a party! Enjoy!


Ingredients:

1 package frozen meatballs of your choice (be sure NOT to get Italian meatballs, just plain)
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
12-oz. bottle sweet chili sauce


Combine cranberry sauce and chili sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together until smooth. Add frozen meatballs and stir until all are evenly coated. Cook meatballs over medium heat for about 20 minutes or so, or until meatballs are heated through. Serve.

I told you they were simple! And they are SO delicious!!!!

As a side note, these could also be prepared in a slow cooker; Follow the same instructions with your slow cooker set on low and cook until ready to serve. Personally, I found it much simpler to just do it on the stovetop instead of dragging out my slow cooker.

Crunchy Honey Lime Chicken

I married a man who is very much a meat and potatoes kinda guy, specifically red meat. He will eat chicken on occasion but it is far from his favorite form of protein. I, on the other hand, could eat chicken on a daily basis with no complaints whatsoever. So when I happen upon a chicken recipe that I think I will love, I am hesitant to try it because I know he doesn't really love chicken. That being said, this recipe looked so good that I took a chance with it and the verdict is in: We BOTH love it! :) Hope you like it as much as we do!

Ingredients:

1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. salt, plus extra for seasoning chicken tenders
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 limes, cut into wedges
1/4 c. honey

In a bowl whisk together flour, chili powder, onion powder, and salt.
Add egg and milk and whisk until smooth.
Salt chicken tenders on both sides (you always want to season chicken well before coating it).
Add salted chicken tenders to flour mixture and stir to coat well.
Place panko crumbs in a separate dish such as a pie plate.
Dip each chicken tender in bread crumbs and place on a plate.
Warm vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add chicken and fry for two minutes, then turn tenders over and fry another two minutes. Repeat this process until tenders are nicely browned and chicken is fully cooked.
Transfer chicken to serving plate.
Squeeze lime wedges over chicken and drizzle with honey just before serving.

Cabbage and Sausage Skillet

I could eat cabbage basically every day. I just love it and when I learned that my husband loves it just as much as I do, well, I just knew that this was a marriage made in heaven :). I made this for dinner recently and we both decided that it is going to be a go-to meal when we need something super quick, super simple and SUPER delicious! Keep in mind that the amounts listed here can easily be doubled to make more, but this is how much I made for two of us. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 small head of cabbage, chopped into small pieces
1/2 stick butter
1 c. finely chopped sweet onion
Hillshire Farms beef smoked sausage, cut into bite-size slices
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste


Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until onions are translucent.
Add chopped cabbage and saute until cabbage starts to wilt slightly.
Add sliced sausage. Saute until sausage starts to brown.
Finally, add tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

That's it! I told you it was simple :).

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

My husband LOVES stir fry. Pretty much any kind of stir fry. I am one who can typically take it or leave it, but I made this dish tonight and we both absolutely loved it! I was surprised at how simple it was to make and have decided that this will definitely be in our regular meal rotation. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced (PLEASE use fresh ginger and not the powdered kind; it really does make a difference in this dish!)
1 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
2 c. broccoli
2 tsp. cornstarch

Spray large skillet with non-stick cooking spray; Heat over medium-high heat.
Add chicken, garlic, and ginger. Saute 2-3 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned.
Add 3/4 c. chicken broth, 3 Tbsp. soy sauce and 2 tsp. sugar.
Cover and cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring twice.
Add broccoli.
Cover and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in the center and broccoli is tender yet slightly crisp.
Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 c. chicken broth; Stir into chicken/broccoli mixture.
Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened.

Serve over rice or noodles, whichever you prefer.

Miss Zona's Pound Cake

I shared a different pound cake recipe in the early days of this blog but any good Southerner knows that you can't have too many pound cake recipes! I will say that I am breaking from my norm a bit here and posting a recipe that I haven't yet tried. However, I have been going through my mama's recipe box (talk about a treasure trove of recipes!) and discovered this one. I know that if Mama took the time to get the recipe from Miss Zona that it must be simply divine! See, Miss Zona was a beloved neighbor of my granny and going to Granny's house often meant stopping in to visit with Miss Zona or to chat with her while she worked so diligently in her yard. To this day I cannot smell Dove soap without thinking of her. She was just a precious, precious lady. So, in memory of sweet Miss Zona, here is her recipe. Enjoy!


1/2 lb. butter
5 eggs
2 c. sugar
3 c. cake flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix butter and sugar together.
Add eggs, one at a time. Add buttermilk.
Gradually mix in flour and baking powder.
Add vanilla.
Pour into greased and floured tube pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes.

Layered Chicken Taco Salad

Lately I have been craving tacos or anything that has taco-flavored ingredients. I made this layered taco salad tonight and it was a success! As always, I like things that are super-simple to prepare and don't require a lot of ingredients that I don't normally have on hand. This recipe fit that bill perfectly and I think your family and friends will love it too!


Ingredients:
3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
3 cups baby spinach, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2  11-oz. cans whole kernel corn (I used the Mexican corn that has red and green bell peppers)
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 cup French salad dressing
3/4 cup salsa
2 green onions, chopped into small pieces
Tortilla chips


Sprinkle taco seasoning over shredded chicken and toss to coat.

In a trifle bowl or large glass bowl layer the following:

Half of the lettuce
Half of the spinach
1 can of corn
Half of the tomatoes
Seasoned shredded chicken
1 can of corn
Remaining tomatoes
Remaining spinach
Remaining lettuce

In a separate small bowl combine salad dressing and salsa.
Pour this mixture over the top of the layered salad. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle chopped green onion and broken tortilla chips over top of dressing.

Enjoy!

Pot Roast

I have written before that my husband prefers homestyle, meat and potatoes type meals over most anything else. I am a meat and potatoes kinda girl myself so it works out beautifully :). One of his favorite meals is pot roast and mashed potatoes and this pot roast recipe is his favorite. In fact, we visited my brother and sister-in-law recently and my beloved's only request was that my sister-in-law make this pot roast for us! It really is that good and you won't get over how simple it is to make. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
Roast (chuck roast, top round, whatever you prefer to use)
1 packet brown gravy mix
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet Italian dressing mix
Water

Place roast in slow cooker.
Sprinkle gravy mix and dressing mixes over roast.
Add water (the amount really depends on the size of your roast and how much gravy you would like to make; I generally add about a half a cup and no more than a cup).

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6 hours.

That's it... I told you it was simple! Hope your family loves it just as much as mine does!