Buffalo Chicken Dip

I posted a picture of this delicious dip on instagram and Facebook the other day and had several requests for the recipe.  I love this dip so much and it's a great football food!  I actually got this recipe from my awesome sister-in-law, Stephie Lynne.  I'm not sure where she got the recipe, but I love it!  I like to cook the chicken in the crockpot because it makes it easy to shred it finely for the dip.  Let me know what you think!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked, shredded chicken breast

2- 8 oz. packages cream cheese

3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce (original)

1 cup Ranch 

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

If I am taking it somewhere else, I usually use the crockpot- let the cream cheese, red hot sauce, and dressing melt together on low, stirring occasionally until its well combined. Switch it to warm and stir in the chicken and sprinkle the cheese on top.

If I am eating it at home, I follow the above steps through mixing in the chicken, then I spread it in an 8x8 pan and cover it with the cheese and bake it at 350 until its hot and bubbly (20 minutes-ish). It's more dirty dishes, but I think it tastes better!

Serve with tortilla chips, fritos, celery, or whatever! 

Success and a Happy Birthday!

My parents were here for Matt's birthday (August 5th) and it was so fun!  Matt doesn't really like all the attention to be on him, so I think he kind of dreads his birthday a little bit.  It's so funny because I like to extend my Birthday celebrations for an entire week!  ;)  We were able to celebrate a little and I told him I would make him ANYTHING he wanted for dinner and dessert.  He chose creamy chicken noodle soup, home made rolls, and fruit pizza.  The fruit pizza recipe I tried this time was EASY and a complete success--thanks McKenna Wallace!

This picture makes me want to make fruit pizza again RIGHT NOW!

Matt chose the fruit so we used strawberries, kiwis, raspberries, and fresh peaches.  Isn't it pretty??

I'm so glad that Matt was born and came into my life.  He's my buddy and makes life a party!

Happy Birthday sweetheart!  I love you so much!

Pesto and Mozzarella Paninis

Sometimes it's hard to me to find the motivation to make a big hot meal in the summer.  I'm always looking for good sandwich and salad recipes, so I thought I would share this one here.

I mentioned pesto and paninis in my last post and I figured, why not combine them?!  I used this recipe for pesto made with basil grown on my balcony.

Here's what you'll need to make these amazing paninis:

French or Sourdough Bread

Butter for the Outside of the Bread

Pesto

Mozzarella Cheese

Tomatoes or Roasted Red Peppers

*Roasted Red Peppers are super easy to make: put chopped red peppers on baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper--then broil.*

I made mine with tomatoes.  I think this is best because the juice from the tomatoes just makes everything taste better. ;)

Because Matt isn't the biggest fan of fresh tomatoes, we made his with roasted red peppers.  I didn't taste it, but he loved it!

Seriously so good!

Another Summer Salad!

We are loving the summer salads lately!  I just made this one on Sunday and it was incredible!  If you are looking for a yummy, light, summer salad this is just the one.  :)

Picture via ourbestbites.com

*Notes* We used regular sesame instead since I had them in the house.  We also used a can of pineapple tidbits--it was amazing.  I don't have an orange juicer, but I just squeezed it like a lemon or lime and it worked.  We also toasted some almonds in brown sugar on the stove and those were great in it as well.  Matt really wanted to try it over cold pasta like a pasta salad and that was also amazing!

What's Yours?

I think my favorite ice cream lately (it changes quite frequently ;)) has been mint chocolate chip.  What are some of your favorites--I'd love to try them!

Doesn't this just make your mouth water??

You MUST try this.

This might sound demanding...  it is.  You haven't lived until you have tried this salad.  All the credit goes to ourbestbites.com, but the recommendation comes straight from me. :)

Picture by me :)

Matt and I made this salad on Sunday and almost died while we ate it.  Don't worry, we survived and lived to tell the story.

Just a few notes:  It's not very hard to make.  Matt thought this salad sounded kind of weird and wondered if it would be good... he LOVED it.  We used our George Forman to grill the chicken.  Blackberries were on sale so we used those on the salad instead of blueberries.  We used strawberries in the dressing--it was so amazing, I don't think I would change it.  We used freshly grated Romano cheese because I tend to like that better than Parmesan.  We toasted the almonds on the stove with a little sugar--because everything is better with sugar.  We cut the spinach out of the recipe because it was expensive at the store.

Why are you still reading?  Go make this salad!

Fruit Pizza: Help please...

Don't let this pretty picture fool you,

this fruit pizza was not yummy.  I LOVE fruit pizza, but I need help finding a good recipe.  I'm enlisting each of you to help!  If you have a yummy fruit pizza recipe please send it my way!  :)

Recommendations

Each weekend I make a few meals for the following week and we eat left overs for lunch and dinner each day, so I try to make things that will be great left over.   This saves SO much time.  The last thing I want to do after working all day is come home and stand over the stove for another hour or two... plus Matt is always starving and doesn't want to wait. I'm always looking for new recipe ideas, so I thought I would share a few of my favorites from recently.  They aren't mine, but I can definitely recommend them!!

Poppyseed Chicken

recipe and picture via

*Hint: I like it better with cream of chicken soup.  Serve with rice.*

Zuchini and Lemon Pasta

recipe and picture via

  Oh my goodness... this was SERIOUSLY one of my all time favorite meals.  Matt was fasting while I was making it and was dying because it smelled so amazing.

*Hint: We don't have a BBQ so I just used a George Foreman, it took a little longer since I had to grill in batches, but it still worked!  Make sure you marinate the chicken!  Also, I used fresh Romano cheese since it was already open in the fridge and it was amazing.  Don't be turned away by the red wine vinegar, it was like $1.5 for a big bottle.  Also, sometimes fresh herbs are expensive so I used all dried herbs from my spice cupboard and it was still amazing!*

Enchilada Pasta

recipe and picture via

*Hint: None really, this was amazing even without the toppings!  I just put a little more sour cream on top and I'm always over generous with the spices--I like a little kick.  I also read a comment saying it was really good with black beans instead of chicken which would be easier and cheaper!  I'll probably try that next time.*

Warm and Sticky

Tonight was definitely a night I'll remember.  It was so simple, yet so perfect.  The weather was beautiful--warm, but not too sticky.  As the sun was setting Matt and I went for a walk and just kept walking... and walking.  The weather was so perfect that we didn't want to come inside!  We talked about our future, things we are excited for, vacations we want to take, places we want to go with our kids.  Matt can't wait to take our kids to the zoo so they can see all the different animals for the first time.  He's going to be an incredible dad.  I love him for that.

After an hour we finally came inside and made Mango Sticky Rice from this site.  It was warm, and also sticky... and delicious.  It's my new favorite dessert.  It was super easy too. You should definitely try it!

Cafe Rio in Indidana??

A sweet friend of mine shared these recipes with me a couple years ago and they changed our lives.  So, now I thought I would share them with all of you.  We have been missing Cafe Rio since we moved to Indiana, so last weekend we decided we should make our own Cafe Rio to keep us sane until we can have the real thing.  These recipes are actually very close to the real thing.

Don't these sweet pork, soft tacos look incredible?  They are.

Cafe Rio Pork

5-6 lb Pork Roast (we used loin)

1 Tbsp Cumin

1 cup Brown Sugar

20 oz Coke

12 oz Red Taco Sauce

Place roast in crock-pot and cover half way with water.  Cook roast in crock-pot on low for 12 hours.  Add remaining ingredients to roast and cook on low for an additional 4 hours.  Shred roast (you can take it out, but I usually just do it right in the crock-pot).  Cook for 2 more hours on low.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 pkg Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (Powder)

3 Tomatillos

1 cup Mayo

1 cup Buttermilk

1 cup Chopped Cilantro

1 clove garlic

1/8 tsp cayenne

Cut and blanch tomatillos (don't be scared, just place them in boiling water for 5-10 seconds).  Then place all ingredients in the blender and blend for a long time.  Chill and serve.  (This will make quite a bit of dressing).

Lime Cilantro Rice

2 cups Uncooked Rice

1 Small Lime

Cilantro

Cook the rice using a rice cooker, or however you usually cook rice.  Place in bowl and fluff with fork.  Zest the lime into the rice.  Then cut and juice the limes until you have added about 2-3 Tbsp.  Mince the cilantro leaves and add 3-4 Tbsp to the rice.

Tacos

Tortillas

Sweet Pork

Lime Cilantro Rice

Shredded Cheese

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Tomatillo Dressing

Additional Taco Sauce if desired

Berries in January??

 Berries went on sale a couple weeks ago.  It was AMAZING.  We ate strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries for weeks!  In smoothies, on our cereal, on pound cake, with sugar... I was in heaven.  There's nothing like fresh berries to cheer you up during the dreary month of January.

Soft Ginger Cookies

 This is my big brother Sterling's recipe.  He's the best chef ever!!  ;)

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 T ground ginger

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups flour

Cinnamon and Sugar mix (1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon)

Directions

Soften butter, cream in sugar and egg.  Stir in molasses and dry ingredients.  Roll into two inch balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar mix.  Bake for 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Christmas in Utah: Christmas Eve

Wow, I get happy just looking at all these pictures.  We loved our time in Utah with our families.  We had a sort of Christmas Day with my family on Christmas Eve because that was when we could all be there.  It was a perfect day.

The Christmas tree at my parents house :)

Our Christmas Eve breakfast - these were the BEST pancakes I have ever had.  Recipes for the syrup and pancakes are at the end of the post!

Sterling cooking bacon :)

Yum.

Mom and Dad

Sterling

Me taking a picture of Matt :)... watch for the picture I took later in this post.

Hayley with her cute note cards. :)

Whitney with her Kindle from Grandma and Grandpa

Katelyn and Mikayla with their Kindles.

Here is that picture :)

Matt's really good at writing like a little boy. :)

My husband has the BEST smile :)

I have a gorgeous sister-in-law. :)  Look how cute she is?!

Derek with his early birthday present from Uncle Sterling and Aunt Hayley... haha :)  If you were there, you'll know why this picture makes me laugh.  Derek is the cutest.

Ryan studying the scriptures. ;)

Cute Addy with her Daddy.

Melissa with checking out her new necklace. :)

Gorgeous Melissa with her new sheets :)

This is my favorite picture of Addy.  She is always so willing to "pose" for pictures.  Such a cutie.

The traditional appetizers on Christmas Eve. :)

After dinner we played "Minute to Win it" games. :)  I didn't get pictures of all the games, but let's just say the girls team won...

Haha, Melissa trying to get this wheat thin from her forehead to her mouth... she did it on the first try I might add.

Derek was our Joseph, Addy was our Mary with a towel as her baby.  They were SO cute to sit there during the nativity story.  This picture makes me want to squeeze them. :)

Addy with Matt.  It's taken some time, but I've forgiven her for saying that she likes Matt better than me. :)  During the prayer before dinner she walked, with arms folded and eyes squinted, to where Matt was sitting just to rest her folded arms on his leg.  We love this little girl.

All the kiddies in their Christmas PJ's.

With all the craziness happening we were able to get one picture of everyone together.  We sure love and miss all these people

Truck-stop Buttermilk Pancakes 

(we halved this recipe)

Ingredients:

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

6 tablespoons butter, melted

5 cups buttermilk

5 cups all-purpose flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

5 teaspoons baking soda

1 pinch salt (optional)

5 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, and buttermilk.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar; stir into the wet ingredients just until blended.  Adjust the thickness of the batter to your liking by adding more flour or buttermilk if necessary.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray.  Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface.  Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.  Continue with remaining batter.

Yummy Syrup

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter

3/4 C buttermilk or cream (I used buttermilk)

1 C sugar ( I used brown at Christmas but it tastes great with white as well)

1/2 t baking soda

1 t vanilla

Directions:

Combine butter, buttermilk/cream, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes or so and then remove from heat. Immediately stir in the b. soda and vanilla. It will get frothy, but it will settle down. Just be careful not to use too much baking soda, a little less than 1/2 t would be better than a little more.