Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Once upon a time, when we only had two children and life was a little calmer, I decided that we should eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.

Just because.  It's traditional.  Or something like that.

And so, at that time, I made Pioneer Woman's dip.

It was yummy.  I had never thought to bake black-eyed peas into a dip.  Until I discovered that recipe.

And then I totally forgot about the tradition I had decided to start.  We haven't had black-eyed peas since.

Until now.  I just remembered that recipe.  And I decided to make it again.

Even though it's not really New Year's Day.

And I decided to adapt the recipe based on what I actually had in my pantry.

Because running to the store for just a few ingredients with a preschooler who thinks that she is the mommy and thus the one in charge, a potty-training 2-year-old and a precious squishy baby boy that wants to nurse for hours on end just isn't really on my agenda.

So I do what I want to with the ingredients I can find within the four walls of my house.

And this is what I ended up with.

Let's just say that I won't wait until New Year's Day to make this again.

Delicious.

Note: I used 1 tablespoon of chopped jalapenos.  I was serving it to guests and didn't want it to be too spicy.  This was the perfect amount for most people.  I like spice, though, so if I were making it for people who like it a little hotter, I would use 2-3 tablespoons of jalapenos.

Black-Eyed Pea Dip

15 oz. can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
10 oz. can Rotel, drained
1 T diced pickled jalapenos (I used part of a 4 oz. can) (use more if you like spice)
8 oz. can corn, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Tortilla chips, for serving

Mash the black-eyed peas roughly with a fork.  Combine with remaining ingredients and stir well.  Spread dip into a greased 2-qt casserole dish.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I don't think that casseroles are politically correct.  Because a casserole implies something cheesy and saucy.

Which is why I love them!

So we really love my mama's chicken cordon bleu.

This is the same idea as the rolled version...just layered in a casserole dish.

Lay some cooked chicken in your dish.  I cooked a chicken in the crock pot, because I'm now obsessed with cooking chicken in the crock pot.  It's so tender, y'all.

Lay some dried beef slices on top.

And then lay on the Swiss cheese.  I simply adore Swiss cheese.

I learned to love Swiss cheese from my dad.  I just needed to tell you that.

So now we should definitely make a white sauce to go on top, don't ya think?

Yes please.

Butter and flour.  Makes a roux.

Stir in the milk.  Stir while it thickens, but don't really boil it.  Remove it from the heat and add the mustard, honey, salt and pepper.  Now stir in the sour cream.

Now pour it over the casserole.

And crush up some Ritz crackers and put them on top, and pour the melted butter on top.

Bake it and serve it with rice.

And maybe something green.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

1 chicken, cooked and picked free of skin and bones and shredded (about 4 cups of shredded chicken)
8-10 slices dried beef
1/2 lb sliced Swiss cheese
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 3/4 cup milk
2 T Dijon mustard
2 T honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
3 T butter, melted

Cover the bottom of a 4 qt. casserole dish with the shredded chicken.  Lay the dried beef evenly on top.  Top with the Swiss cheese slices.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour.  Pour in the milk and whisk while the sauce thickens.  Bring the mixture nearly to a boil and remove from the heat.  Add the mustard, honey, salt, pepper and sour cream.  Pour the sauce over the casserole.

Sprinkle the Ritz crumbs over the top and drizzle the melted butter on top.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Serve with wild rice.

Chocolate Ribbon Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

We haven't had dessert in awhile!  It's high time, y'all.

So here we are.  Chocolate Ribbon Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars.

Hello!

And the good news is that this is a totally legit breakfast!  Because in my world, anything containing oats and/or peanut butter is considered a healthy breakfast.

The breakfast rule still applies even if it also contains, butter, sugar, and chocolate chips.  Oh, and peanut butter chips.

See, these bars are totally a healthy breakfast.  Or an energy snack.  Like a power bar!  Or I guess they could be dessert.

It's totally your call.

So let's make some granola bars.  Or something like that.

Make the batter first.  The batter doubles as the crust and the crumble topping.

And what goes in the middle, you say?  Why, chocolate ribbon, of course.

You'll need to melt together some peanut butter, chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk for the chocolate ribbon.

Are you picking up what I'm puttin' down?

Spread out the chocolate, and then crumble the remaining batter on top.

Now you can bake it if you want.  In my world, baking is optional.  Raw eggs don't scare me!

So anyway.  Just make these things, because it just don't get no better than chocolate and peanut butter.  For breakfast.

Chocolate Ribbon Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

For the cookie dough:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats (you can use quick-cooking but your bars will have less texture)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

10 oz. bag Reese's peanut butter chips (about 1 2/3 cups)
1 cup milk chocolate chips

For the chocolate ribbon filling:
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 T butter
1/2 tsp salt

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle mixer attachment, beat together the butter, peanut butter and both sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.  Add the oats, flour, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined.  Add the peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips and stir until combined.  Do not over-mix the dough.

Press 2/3 of the dough into a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Now make the chocolate ribbon filling.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the sweetened condensed milk, semisweet chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter and salt until just melted and combined.  Spread the chocolate ribbon filling evenly over the cookie dough in the dish.

Crumble the remaining 1/3 cookie dough over the top of the chocolate ribbon.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 23-26 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Cool completely before cutting.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

I need to show you what I had for lunch today.

It was so good!

I'm still so into quinoa, which I have learned is a seed.  Not a grain.  Who knew.  Maybe you did, but this is news to me.  A seed.  How weird.  But so nutty and good.

You see, I have very few pictures of my salad because my children were tearing the house down around my ears.  But my salad was well worth the destruction.

I love salad for lunch.  Salad sans lettuce, that is.

I am also in love with avocados, so I chopped some up and added them.

This is an improvement from last week, when I loved cookies.

I'm going green, people.  Today, that is.

I'll be having this for lunch all week.

Feel free to stop by and share it with me.

And there you have it.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup lime juice
1 T olive oil
1 T cumin
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz. can corn, drained
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 bunch cilantro, minced

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the quinoa and salt.  Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the quinoa is cooked and the water is absorbed.  Pour the cooked quinoa into a large bowl and add the pepper, lime juice, olive oil and cumin.  Toss to combine and allow it to cool for a few minutes before adding the remaining ingredients.  Check for seasonings - you may need to add salt and/or pepper.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Fresh Apple Cake

We made our annual pilgrimage to the orchard.

I just love the orchard, and so my girls.  Someday my boy will love it too.  But right now he just loves his mama.  Yes, that's him in the pink pouch in the first pic...bless his heart.

When I was a kid, we would go to the orchard every year.  We would pick apples, watch them make cider, and buy a pumpkin.

Now, the orchard is a whole thing.  There are slides, playgrounds, haystacks to climb, hayrides, pony rides, a petting zoo and a cafe (complete with hotdogs, chili, and everything apple you can name).

Naturally, we bought apples at the orchard.

And just as naturally, I turned something healthy into something less than healthy.

What can I say.  That's how I roll.

So here's how I did it!  No mixer necessary for this cake!  Just a big bowl and a whisk.

Start with the sugar, eggs, vanilla, veg oil, buttermilk and lemon juice.

Now add the flour, salt, soda and cinnamon.

Chop up the apples and add those.

Now, you can also add coconut.  I left it out this time, so I added an extra cup of apples to replace the coconut.

Grease a bundt pan really really well and pour the cake batter in.

My cake baked for about 55 minutes, but just start checking it at that point.  Once your cake tester comes out clean, pull your cake out.

Right before the cake is done, make the glaze.  Melt butter, sugar, buttermilk and baking soda together in a saucepan.

Bring it to a boil and boil it for exactly one minute.

Watch out, though, because the soda will make this mixture like quintuple in size.  So use a big pan.

When the cake comes out, poke holes all over it with a fork.

And pour on the glaze!

It's a lot, but just keep pouring.  The cake will drink it up.

Let the cake cool completely before turning it out on a cake plate.

And slice it for your friends.

It don't get no moister, y'all.

Happy fall.

Fresh Apple Cake
Adapted from Paula Deen

1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of about 1 lemon)
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 T plus 1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups finely diced apples (like Rome, Granny Smith or another type of baking apple)
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Glaze:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda

Whisk together the cake ingredients until incorporated.  Pour into a very well greased bundt pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 55 minutes or until done (a cake tester will come out clean).   As soon as cake comes out of the oven, poke holes in the top with a toothpick.

Just before the cake comes out of the oven, make the glaze.  Bring glaze ingredients to a boil and boil for exactly one minute.  Pour glaze over cake as soon as cake comes out of the oven.

Allow cake to sit in the pan until cool, absorbing the glaze.  Invert on a cake plate and slice and serve.

Whole Crock Pot Chicken

Do you want to see the reason I haven't been posting much lately?

Baby Bear

I mean, are you kidding me.  I could just eat him.

So, I would cook and post about it, but I have this sweet face to feed.  No cooking required!  He's not picky, and he likes everything I give him.  Even though it's the same thing every day!  Sweet boy.

Life is good, I tell you.

So I'll make this quick.  I'm loving my crock pot these days...and I discovered that it makes the most tender chicken I've ever made.  In my life.  I may never make chicken any other way.  Ever again.

Take an onion, chop it up.  Put it in the bottom of the crock pot.

Wash a chicken and put it on top.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

Put the top on and turn it on high.  No liquid needed.  Let it go for about 5-6 hours.  Until it's totally fall-apart tender.  Then hover over your crock pot and pull the meat from the bone and eat it.

Oh, wait.  I guess that's just me.  You should probably cool it, shred up the chicken (not much shredding necessary...it will literally just fall apart on you).

This chicken is so good in casseroles, salads...basically anything you need cooked chicken for, do it in the crock pot.  You won't be sorry.  And maybe the best part is the free stock you'll get...just strain it and freeze it to use later!

See ya later.  I have to go snuggle with my boy.

Squishy.

Whole Crock Pot Chicken

1 onion, chopped

1 whole chicken, giblets removed and washed

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Place the chopped onion in the bottom of the crock pot.  Place the chicken on top and sprinkle on the salt and pepper.  Put the lid on and cook on high for 4-5 hours (until the chicken is totally falling apart).  Cool long enough to shred the chicken.  Use for casseroles, salads or anything else you can think of.

The chicken should yield about 5 cups of stock.  I strain the stock and freeze it for later use.