Life in the Slow Lane

I haven't posted any recipes in a while. A year or two ago I think I had a new one up each week, as I was busy experimenting in my kitchen all the time. But these days I've been sticking to a lot of standard recipes for dinner that are already in my pocket. I do however, continue to try new appetizer recipes, because that's the 'meal' we enjoy the most on weekends. I want to share a super yummy one with you today, and it will definitely be served during Super Bowl this year! If you don't like jalapenos, perhaps you can try it with sweet peppers. Not really sure, we love to eat hot, so I haven't tried them any other way! Jalapeno 'Poppers' Ingredients: 4oz cream cheese 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar 3-4 pieces cooked bacon 12 jalapenos Directions: 1. Clean and cut jalapenos lengthwise(I wear gloves) 2. Combine cheeses and crumbled bacon 3. Boil jalepenos 5-10 minutes (the longer you cook them, the less hot they will be) 4. Fill jalapenos, ...

A few weeks ago at a meeting, we were overwhelmed with TONS of food. But instead of the fancy salads and dips, I gravitated towards these tiny, but oh-so-yummy bites of heaven. They are simple to make, cheap, and easy. Just a word of caution though....they are almost impossible to stop eating!!! I'll call them Pretzel Kisses since I have no clue what they are called Ingredients for one batch: 1 bag of Hershey Kisses, original 1 bag of Snyder's Snaps(plain, not butter!) 1 bag of peanut butter M&Ms Preheat oven to 350 degrees 1 . Line cookie sheet with waxed paper 2 . Fill liner with rows of pretzels. You will need one pretzel for each Hershey Kiss 3 . Place Hershey Kiss on each pretzel.  4 . Put in oven for 4-5 minutes, until Kiss is softened fully, but not melty 5 . Place a peanut butter M&M on top of each Kiss and push down lightly. 6. Refrigerate to cool, then slide off the waxed paper into a bowl. Enjoy! The kids love them, and sneak them out of the refriger...

Today I had to look through a few flash drives for something, and came across a whole bunch of cooking helpy tips I wrote a while back. Maybe I should start sharing them here, and this is one of my favorites. Why do the bottoms of my cookies keep burning?? The art of ovening the perfect cookie can be tricky at times. Factors such as temperature, rack placement, and cookie sheet can all affect your baking. If the temperature of your oven was too high, it would most likely cause the entire cookie to burn, so that may not be your issue. If just the bottoms of the cookies are burning, your rack may be placed too low. Try raising it up one or two levels. If this does not help, check your cookie sheet. Is it an aluminum cookie sheet? If so, aluminum attracts more heat which can cause the burning. Either place some parchment paper or a silicone mat under your cookie batter, or better yet try getting a non-stick cookie sheet. You can spray it with a little cooking spray as well,...

I love to bake. Sadly, I don't bake as much as I used to. And strangely, I've never made a pie. And even more strangely, I've never had pie other than store bought apple pie or a family favorite chocolate pudding pie. Crazy, right? The other day though, I got inspired to make one. No crust from scratch just yet, but still enough steps for me to consider it a homemade pie. I'm not sharing the recipe today, as I think it still needs some tweaking, but I want to give you a glimpse of my simple, yet delicious masterpiece. I call it Triple Four Berry Pie. Was supposed to be 3 berries, but I really wanted that fourth(strawberry!).                                 Prepped the bottom crust:                         ...

I'm always, always looking for easy, healthy snacks for my kids. Well, whole meals too, but we all know impossible that is. But the other days I whipped something up that even had me pleasantly surprised. It's cheap, it's quick, it's healthy, and it's delish! I'm a big fan of the Christmas Tree Shop, but don't usually go into their food section. Last week I did though, and found these 'toast' crackers, almost like melba toast. They had a few different flavors, 32 in a pack, just $1! I bought a few packs and knew I'd find something great to use them for. I had just purchased some yummy on the vine tomatoes that day too, so I decided to use them. I diced the tomatoes, and added a hint of onion, basil, salt, parmesan, and some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Tossed it together and created a little tomato salad . That's it folks! After that, I simply placed a few toasts on a plate and put some of the tomato mixture on top. No cooking. No effort....

If you already know my boys, you know they don't like too many foods. They'd eat the same two dinners every other night and be completely happy. But there's a snack I used to make all the time that I'm thinking of whipping up this weekend. It's super easy, and since one of them does like chinese food, and the other likes pasta, it may be a taker. I don't have a recipe, and it doesn't really have a name, but here goes: Quick and Crunchy Oriental Tortellini 1 bag of meat tortellini soy sauce (yup, that's it!) Directions: 1. Cook the tortellini according to package. Drain and put in a bowl or a tupperware. 2. Coat the tortellini with soy sauce to 'marinate'. You could also add some other flavorings if you'd like, maybe garlic, ginger, etc. Refrigerate for a few hours minimum. 3. Once they've soaked in the flavor, preheat your oven, maybe 325-350 degree. Line cookie sheet with foil and use non-stick spray. Make a single layer of the tortell...

Just stumbled upon this today.....Cupcake on a Stick. Omg...Mmmm Mmmm.... Talk among yourselves....

I’ve wanted one of those fancy new brownie pans since the first time I saw the commercial. You know the one, put in the insert, pop out awesome pre-cut brownies, no muss no fuss. My mom got one for me for Christmas, and my sisters each got one too. This morning at 6am I woke up and the first thing I said as I stretched was ‘I’m making brownies now!’ I don’t have the as seen on television one, I have this one   Same difference, right? $19.99 and if you have a 20% off bed bath coupon it’s a mere $16! Washed the pan, mixed the brownie batter. I didn’t take a picture of the first part, but the bottom is just a regular brownie pan that has a big hole in the middle. Then you lay the insert with handles in there and spray with Pam. I’d prefer to use butter, but since it said ‘non stick cooking spray’ I followed the directions.    After I poured the batter in I couldn’t imagine how it wouldn’t leak down and around the insert, but I kept my faith and continued on. I put th...

Against my better judgement I am going to share this recipe with you. In the spirit of giving, and since it's an awesome appetizer for New Year's Eve, it's here for you. But I think this may be my last recipe Monday for a while. Part of who I am is being a good cook, and if I keep sharing everyone will be just as good lol. A bit selfish yes, but I've worked hard over the years to create my personal cookbook! But anyway, you will love this easy to make, filling recipe. You can have it as a meal or as an appetizer. It is on my New Year's menu this year and it's always a Super Bowl favorite. Enjoy!! Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up 1 lb chopmeat 1 small onion chopped 8oz velveeta 4 slices bacon 1 container refrigerated pizza crust Directions: 1. Brown beef with onions and bacon in skillet. Add velveeta and cook until melted. 2. Let cool about 10 minutes. In the meantime preheat oven to 400 degrees. 3. Spray cookie sheet with Pam and unroll pizza crust cove...

Want to impress your holiday company with a quick yet delicious dessert? This recipe is one you will make for many years to come if you enjoy these flavors, and you know what the best part is? NO BAKING! Yup, you read correctly. Fudge Balls 1 lb confectioners sugar 3 tablespoons cocoa 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup melted butter toppings of choice Directions: 1. Mix all ingredients together. Shape into balls(I make them like one inch) 2. Roll in topping - maybe colored sprinkles, peanuts, cookie crumbs, drizzle melted chocolate.....totally up to you! 3. Refrigerate. Eat. Awesome. They can be cutely displayed in tiny candy papers or just stacked into a pyramid. I promise if you like chocolate and peanut butter you will love these. Happy non-baking!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I'm not much of a meat-eater myself, but if it's served in small amounts I will actually have a little. So today's recipe is just that. A nicely portioned steak dish. It doesnt take long to make, and you can do a few of the steps ahead of time which always helps! Sirloin Steak in Parmesan Peppercorn Sauce ½ cup italian dressing 1 Sirloin steak 1/3 cup sour cream 4 tsp parmesan ½ tsp pepper 1 onion thinly sliced Directions: 1. Marinate sirloin steak in about ¼ dressing. For me this is the most important step in order to have a tender steak. Marinate up to 24 hours. 2. Combine sour cream, cheese, and pepper, cover and refrigerate 3. Heat the rest of the dressing in a pan and add onions, cooking until soft. Set aside 4. Cook steak as you’d like(pan or bbq) and slice into thin slices. 5. Serve a few slices topped with refrigerated sauce and onions. Serve with anything you’d like, I usually do a twice baked potato and a green v...

I've decided to give a non-crockpot recipe today, but still an easy one nonetheless. I know some people only use the grill in warmer months, but here we use it throughout the year. We keep a shovel out on the back deck, and make a clear path to the grill all winter. So my recipe today is a simple grilled chicken that will make you feel like you are sitting on the deck in the sun, even though you're watching it snow out the window. Grilled Chicken Bruschetta 1 pound chicken breasts 1/3 cup sun-dried tomato dressing 1/2 cup shredded mozzerella 1 chopped tomato 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped Directions: 1. Marinate chicken in resealable bag with 2 tablespoons dressing and refrigerate. 2. Combine the rest of the dressing, tomato, mozzerella, and basil in bowl 3. Place aluminum foil over half the grill and turn on med-low heat. Grill chicken on un-foiled side for 6 minutes. 4. When ready to flip the chicken, flip it onto the foil side of the grill, and top with cheese m...

Chicken Marsala has always been one of my favorite meals. But the all the preparation and steps that need to be taken to make the meal can be a real hassle on a busy weeknight. So last week I decided to try making it in the crockpot. I had no recipe, but I've made regular chicken marsala enough times to know what should be in the pot. Husband was away on a business trip, so my dad and I tried it out. Let me tell you how fantastic it was! Not only was it the heart-warming taste I had hoped for, but the chicken was more tender than when I make it the traditional way. So try this over the winter and let me know how you like it, or how you changed the recipe to make it your own! Crockpot Chicken Marsala 1- pound chicken cutlets 1- 8oz package mushrooms(I buy pre-sliced, save even more time!) 1- cup marsala wine 2 - tbsp butter 1- cup of flour Directions: 1. Wet chicken with water, then cover with flour. 2. Spray crockpot with Pam and place in chicken. 3. Melt butter and ...

I love posting recipes that I know any mom, dad, or Rosie the Robot can make for a nice family meal. Today I'm going to stick with another simple crockpot recipe. Easy Creamy Salsa Chicken 1 pound chicken breasts 1 packet taco seasoning(we use the extra hot and spicy but that's your call!) 1-2 cups salsa 1/2 cup sour cream Directions: 1. Spray crockpot with pam and place in a layer of chicken. 2. Sprinkle half packet of taco seasoning on chicken and top with half salsa. 3. Repeat with another layer of chicken, seasoning, salsa. Cover and cook low 4-6 hrs depending on how thick your chicken is. 4. When chicken is cooked through, remove chicken from mixture, put sour cream in crock and mix. Then place chicken back in. Sometimes when I'm lazy I leave the chicken in and mix it all up, but it does break up sometimes. That's it! I serve it with some Goya Rice and some sweet corn cake and everyone is happy. Of course if you're feeling wild since you saved ...

Of course studies show that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day as far as your health goes. But I also believe it's the most important way to start the kids' day. Sure, every morning can't start off fun and smiley, but I try as often as I can to get them out the door in a good mood. Today this helped a ton: Oatmeal topped with a smiley of whipped cream and some rainbow sprinkles. Easy, quick, and can make a world of difference in the day at school. Happy Tuesday!

Sometimes you know you should make dinner, but just don't feel like it. Well, if you have a few easy ingredients and an almighty crockpot you're all set. Here's my recipe of the week(yes, I'm going to try weekly!) Simple Pulled Pork Sandwiches 1 - pork tenderloin(or roast, or even some pork chops work) 1 - juicy orange 1 - bottle of bbq sauce of choice. Directions: 1. Spray crockpot with Pam, place in pork. 2. Add bbq sauce and juice from whole orange. 3. Cook all day, 6-8 hrs on low. Shred. 4. Place on nice soft roll. Serve with chips and pickles. Tada! So easy and the boys really love it. A great homemade meal for fall:)

It's no secret, I love to bake. I mean, I REALLY love to bake. I dream about new recipes and making amazing things that I know people will be talking about days after they try it. But, I don't love to cook. All the ingredients, recipes, dishes to wash as you go, veggies to cut, all just way too time consuming if you ask me. I used to cook more elaborate meals when the kids were too small to eat with us, but now that they eat 'normal' food and don't enjoy grown up yummies , I have to cook 2 to 3 meals each night. No fun at all. These days alot of the dishes I make include grilling or baking, but nothing is better than the almighty crock pot. I mastered the use of mine about 5 years ago and couldn't be happier with most of the results I've gotten over the years. Chicken Enchiladas, Stew, Soups, Dips, Roaster Chicken(yes, a whole chicken!), and so much more. It's amazing what little effort is needed for a delicious meal. I want to share today my all-ti...