Easy Black Bean Salad!

Here is one of my favorite spring & summer time recipes. It is so easy because I usually cheat and don't measure anything! And seriously, the hardest thing about this recipe is opening a few cans & chopping some veggies! Also, if I'm missing one (or more than one!) ingredient, I skip it. Very flexible!

Here is the "official" recipe, but don't be scared to make substitutions or take out the things you don't like!

BLACK BEAN SALAD:

1 can black beans

1 can corn (or 1 1/2 cups fresh corn is even better!)

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I LOVE cilantro, so I usually go heavy on this!)

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 fresh tomato, chopped

1 can Rotel

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of one lime (about 2 Tbsp)

Mix it all together and chill for a couple hours. That's it! Easy salad-slash-appetizer that everyone is sure to love!

Linking this post at:

Kitchen Fun with my Three Sons: Kitchen Fun & Crafty Friday Link Party

Too Much Time On My Hands: Get Schooled Saturday

Junk in Their Trunk: Link it Up Wednesday

The Taylor House: Taylor House Thursday

Pizza Night

Fridays at our house are almost always "Pizza Night". We started this tradition a few years ago - we would take the kids to pick out a movie (back when there were movie rental places!), then head home to make some pizza. It's something they look forward to every week. And since the weekend is coming, I thought I would share the recipe that never fails at our house (one that seems to please every member of our family - not always an easy task!!)

EASY PIZZA CRUST:

1 Package (2 1/2 tsp.) dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. oil (I've used canola, vegetable, olive...whatever!)

2 1/2 cups flour (Wheat flour doesn't come out quite the same consistency, but you can use it. We stick to unbleached white.)

Dissolve yeast in water.  Add sugar, salt & oil and stir.  Add flour & beat 20 strokes.  Allow to rest at least 5 minutes or longer.  

Roll out on floured (or Pam-sprayed) surface until desired thickness (I use a 16" pizza pan, and it works out just right.)  

Add your toppings:

I have to put in a plug here for Dei Fratelli pizza sauce - I have tried MANY different kinds (even homemade!) and this is the best! It's made of all natural ingredients, too, so we like that. And no (unfortunately for me) they are not paying me to say these nice things!! :)

On this particular night, our pizza of choice was half Italian sausage and half spinach, tomato & feta

Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes (check it after about 10 minutes).....and while you're waiting, have a glass of wine.....it's Friday, you deserve it!  (Or even if it's not Friday. Go ahead!)

And now the finished pizza...Enjoy!!

I'm sharing this recipe with:

           How to Nest for Less: Party with my Peeps

Super Smoothies!

I recently found a smoothie recipe that I think is FABULOSO! I found it at 100 Days of Real Food, which by the way, is a great blog. I can't say that I am totally following the "Real Food" diet, or that I'm even close to it, but I do try to watch what I'm buying at the grocery store. I think it's very interesting that we in the U.S. eat so much pre-packaged, processed food (whether good or bad). Just 100 or even 50 years ago, our diets and ways of cooking were so much different! Anyway, that's another story for another day!

Here's a link to the recipe, and I'm also posting it below. I have experimented with it a little, and found that one banana and 1 Tbsp. of honey is my method of choice. I also have tried different yogurts, and that does make a difference. The brand I LOVE is Kalona Super Natural, which is made right here in Iowa, but you can buy it all over the country. It is great stuff, let me tell you! A little more expensive, but definitely worth it! (And they do have coupons on their website.) Anyway...the other thing I really love about this recipe is that it calls for spinach. I have been serving these to my kids, and they don't even have a clue! Hee hee, so sneaky!

So anyway, here's the version of the recipe I use:


1 1/2 cups plain organic yogurt (go for the Kalona Super Natural!)
1 cup berries, fresh or frozen
1 banana
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh spinach leaves


Combine all ingredients in blender & mix well. (If using fresh berries, you may want to add ice cubes also).

INGREDIENTS: Yogurt, banana, honey, milk, fruit, spinach. EASY!!

Mix it up and enjoy!!

Whoopie Pie Wednesday

I'm still trying to get into somewhat of a blog "routine" after my break. I'd like to have some regular weekly topics, and one thing I want to try is a recipe of the week. I made these tasty treats last week for my sister's birthday and took them to work. But....too bad for her - she was sick on the big day! Oh well, I think all the guys enjoyed them for her! This is a combination of two different recipes I found, and I just kind of put them together since I didn't have all the ingredients for either one! (What was that old Saturday Night Live bit? "We make do with what we have?" It's so old I can't even find it on Google. But it was funny!) Anyway, I'm a little off track! Here's the recipe:

WHOOPIE PIES

Pie ingredients:

1 (18.25 oz.) box chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400. In mixing bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, water & oil on medium/low speed until well blended. Drop by tablespoon-full scoop onto lightly greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes or until puffed. Do not over bake. Allow to cool completely on cookie sheet.

I used this scoop with a flexible rubber middle and sprayed it with non-stick spray - LOVE that thing for making cookies!

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup milk

5 Tbsp. flour (oops - forgot to put that in the picture!)

1 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

2 tsp. vanilla

Mix milk & flour in saucepan on low heat. Stir until thick paste forms. Let cool. Beat sugar & shortening in bowl. Add vanilla. Add cooled flour mixture & beat until double in volume.

This fluffy filling is GOOD. I know because I sampled way too much a little while I was frosting them. (In my defense, I did get up at 4:45 the next morning to go to spinning class. So there!)

And finally - spread filling between two pies.

See how thick & yummy it is? Almost one whole inch of fluff!

YUMMMM-EEEEEE!


This post linked to:

    

     

Alderberry Hill - Make the Scene Monday
Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons: Crafty Friday Link Party

Easy Treat Recipes!

As promised, here are the recipes for the EASY, YUMMY Christmas goodies I made last week. They would be good for a New Year's party or any time of the year! Enjoy!

Italian Lemon Drop Cookies (Recipe from Crisco)

Dough:

 

No-stick cooking spray

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 stick Crisco baking sticks OR 1/4 cup Crisco shortening

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg, beaten

2 tsp. lemon extract

 

Frosting:

 

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 stick Crisco baking sticks OR 1/3 cup Crisco shortening

1/4 cup warm milk, divided

1 tsp. lemon extract

 

Heat oven to 375. Spray baking sheet lightly with no-stick spray.

 

Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in large bowl. Beat in shortening with electric mixer on low speed until completely blended into flour mixture.

 

Add milk, egg and lemon extract, mixing until just blended.

 

Roll dough into 1-ince balls.  Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.

 

Bake 10 to 12 mins. or until lightly browned. Cool completely on baking sheet on wire rack.

 

For Frosting:

 

Beat powdered sugar, shortening, 2 Tbsp. warm milk and lemon extract in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Gradually beat in additional warm milk (I didn't use much more than the 2 Tbsp.) until desired consistency. Spread on top of cookies.

 

 

Rolo Truffles:

 

Mini Pretzels

Rolo candies

Pecan halves

 

Place pretzels on baking sheet with one Rolo on top of each.

 

Heat at 250 for 4-5 minutes (candy will be shiny, but not melted)

 

Place 1 pecan half on each Rolo and gently push down.

 

Cool to room temperature, then cool completely in fridge or freezer.

 

 

"Thin Mint" Cookies

(Recipe from Food.com)

 

Chocolate Cookies:

 

1 (18.25 oz.) package fudge cake mix

3 Tbsp. shortening, melted

1/2 cup flour, measured then sifted

1 egg

3 Tbsp. water

No-stick cooking spray

 

Cookie Coating:

 

(I modified this & just used one package melted Andes mint chips) BUT, here's the original recipe:

 

3 (12 oz) bags semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 tsp. peppermint extract

6 Tbsp shortening

 

Combine cookie ingredients in large bowl, adding the water a little at a time until dough forms.

 

Cover and chill 2 hours.

 

Preheat oven to 350.

 

On lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick.

 

To cut, use a lid from a spice container with a 1 1/2 inch diameter.

 

Arrange the cut dough rounds on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with a light coating of no-stick spray.

 

Bake for 10 minutes.

 

Remove wafers from the oven and cool completely.

 

Combine chocolate chips, peppermint extract & shortening (or Andes mints only) in large microwave-safe bowl.

 

Heat for 1 minute and stir gently. Continue to heat at 15-second intervals if necessary until melted.

 

Use fork to dip each wafer in melted chocolate. Tap the fork on the edge of bowl to drain excess chocolate.

 

Place cookies on wax paper lined baking sheet & refrigerate until firm.

Butterfly Cake How-To

Last weekend was my daughter's birthday. Since she has inherited my indecisiveness (so I'm told by family members!) I didn't know what kind of cake, decorations, or even what presents she wanted until the day before! Her party was on Saturday, and on Friday night she finally informed me that she wanted a butterfly birthday cake. I don't happen to have a butterfly-shaped cake pan laying around anywhere - so I considered driving up to the public library north of us where they have a zillion cake pans you can check out. But what if there was no butterfly? That would be about a 40-minute round trip ride for nothing. Sooo....I came up with a genius idea.

After mixing up the cake, I used my heart-shaped cake pan to make two layers:

Then, I cut the pointed ends off the hearts about 2-3 inches in from the edge:

Put the straight edges together:

I made the butterfly head out of one of the remaining scrap pieces - the shape was a little off, but frosting does wonders for that!

And...the finished cake (no there wasn't really a big blank space on half of it. That's just me being private...Insert any little girl's name of your choice in the big pink space!) :)

We did a little decorating too (like I said, everything was last minute!) Here are some pics of balloons & tissue paper flowers that my BFF's made for her:

The little spots on the bottoms of the balloons are actually marbles. This makes them hang straight down - it looks really cool!

And we had a few of these lovely tissue-paper flowers:

Not bad for a last-minute party, if I do say so myself!