Clam Chowder

Creamy clam chowder! Easy and delicious! Got a clam chowder recipe from a co workers wife and I just altered some things.

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes
2 onions
1 stick of butter
3 large tablespoons of flour
1 bottle clam juice
3 cans minced clams
1 can whole baby clams
3 cups of heavy cream
1 cup of whole milk


Directions:

Dice onions and potatoes. Boil potatoes in a medium pot. In a frying pan cook onions in the butter until translucent. Then add the flour. Once potatoes are soft empty the water. Now add the onion mixture to potatoes. Add the cream, milk, clam juice and all four clam cans to the pot and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer on low heat for 30 minutes then enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are simple and go great with an ice cold glass of milk! 

Ingredients:

2 sticks of softened butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl until fully mixed and soft. Add vanilla, eggs, flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until mixed and pretty brown. Add in the chocolate chips and mix together. 
Using a tablespoon scoop dough into golfball sized clumps and flatten down slightly. Bake 14 minutes until golden brown. 

Hope you enjoy! These made wonderful post Gator Football game desserts :)

Steak Diane

This is one of my favorites simply because you get to flambe! I am addicted to it now! I found this recipe that I made easier than some others I have seen done. 

Ingredients: 

3 rib eye steaks
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 stick of unsalted butter
4 teaspoons of minced garlic
1/4 of a cup of cognac
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of beef stock
2 teaspoons of worcestershire sauce

Directions: 

Melt the stick of butter in a frying pan. 
Add the steaks covered with the salt and pepper and brown both sides. 
Remove the steaks from the pan and place on a plate.
Pour the cognac into the pan and tilt the pan AWAY from you and ignite with a match. Let the alcohol burn off. 
Once the flames are completely gone add the garlic, mustard, heavy cream, beef stock, and worcestershire sauce. Mix thoroughly then add the steaks back into the pan. Let the steaks continue to cook until they are as done as your prefer. 

We love this dish with homemade mashed potatoes because you can take extra sauce left in the pan and add some to your potatoes! Delish! 

Enjoy!!!!

Creamy Pork Chops

 My husband loved these! This recipe could even be used easily for chicken breasts if you do not eat pork.

Ingredients:
 Four boneless pork chops
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Half of a white onion sliced
1 cup beef stock or broth
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 teaspoons of paprika
8 ounces of sour cream
Sliced chives

Directions:
Cover the pork chops with the salt and pepper.
Put the vegetable oil in the pan and heat.
Add the pork chops and cook on both sides for about 3 minutes each.
In another bowl mix the beef stock/broth, yellow mustard, paprika, sour cream and chives.
Add this mixture to the pork chops and place the sliced onions into pan.
Cover the pan with a lid and let cook until the onions are nice and cooked.

We served these with buttered lima beans and baked potato. I love how quick it is and using very few dishes. Enjoy!

Sugar Dusted Brownies

This recipe was a lot of fun for my daughter and I. Super simple and delicious! She loves two parts of baking...listening to the mixer and licking in the end! 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) of melted butter
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/3 cup of cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Small handful of powdered sugar

Directions: 

Pre Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square baking pan. 
Stir together butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs in a bowl.
Add cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and mix until well blended. Spread the batter evenly into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. 
Once brownies are done let cool for about 20 minutes. Take the small handful of powdered sugar and sprinkle on top of the cooled brownies. Enjoy!!! 

Ham Cheese and Spinach Crescent rolls

I have an 18 month old who can be hard to feed sometimes. She can refuse her some food! She loves these crescent rolls for lunch though and they are quick to make!

INGREDIENTS:
1 package of crescent rolls
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 slices of ham
8 spinach leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Take you crescent dough triangle and lay out flat. Place folded ham slice. Then add one spinach leaf and add a pinch or two of cheese on top. Roll the crescent roll and if any cheese falls out you can pick it up and put on top of the roll as seen in the photos above. Repeat this for the 8 rolls that should come in your package. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!!!

Such an easy lunch option if you have small kids! It's fast and fun for them if you let them help in prepping!

Mexican Pie

This was super easy and delicious! This dinner was a joint dinner with my husband. I made the pie he made the black beans we served with it. I will post recipe for both. The black beans were done with dry black beans so that recipe takes a long time. Be prepared for that :)

MEXICAN PIE:
1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 pound of ground beef
1 jar of salsa (Salsa Herdez preferred)
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon black pepper
1tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 table spoon red pepper flakes
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the corn muffin mix as box directs then spread over bottom of a pie dish. Brown ground beef then add the black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder and red pepper flakes. Spread meat on top of muffin mix. Empty 8 oz jar of salsa on top of meat. Spread the two cups of cheese on top of salsa. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy! If you use this recipe please share thought and photos!

BLACK BEANS:

1 bag of dry black beans
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Let beans soak in water for three hours. Empty water and replace with new water. Place pot of beans on stove on low to medium heat. Add the black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder and red pepper flakes. Let simmer for 2-3 hours.

*BRAND NEW*

     Wow so I have been on this fun cooking kick and decided it was time to make a blog/Facebook fan page for the fun I am having! I basically want to take pictures of what I am making, share the recipes, share what I thought of recipes I try and just have fun making food! I am pretty new to making most things from scratch so you will have to bear with me. I am NOT formally trained in cooking and do not intend on becoming trained. This is a hobby I am doing with my husband and my daughter. Can not wait to get started! Tonight's dinner will be delicious and simple! I will post later after it is done :)

Barb.