Just a quick note...

I just wanted to remind everyone that the links to the recipes can be found under the heading "Recipes I Have Reviewed" on the right since of the main page. Since the recipe links change from time to time, it is easier for me to update the links in one place, rather than comb through the posts to find the links. As I continue to add recipe posts to the blog, it will become more time consuming to hunt for the links in individual posts. :)

Burrito BLT Sandwiches

If you like BLT sandwiches, you will like this twist on the classic recipe.
I used this recipe for lunch today, and my family loved it. Hannah, who hates tomatoes, even ate it, without complaining. Since the tomatoes are diced, and mixed in with the mayonnaise, lettuce, cheese, and bacon, she didn't even notice them.
There really isn't a lot to say about the recipe, since it was incredibly simple to make. If you are in a pinch and need a quick, easy meal, that is still filling, give this one a try.
Burrito BLT Sandwiches-
Rating - 4 Smiles
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/burrito-blt-sandwiches

Easy Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry

Dave and I love Asian inspired food. The problem with many of the dishes is the complexity needed, to make them taste truly authentic. With 2 kids, a busy business, and a husband with a varying work shift, I need to focus on recipes with simple ingredients, that can be cooked in a short amount of time, and still taste great. This recipe fit that bill and more.
I made a few variations to the recipe, to suit our tastes, but it still tasted wonderful. I boiled the chicken in a little garlic and onion, before transferring it to the separate pan with oil. I also added 1/2 tsp. of soy sauce to the pan, to give the chicken a little more flavor. When the chicken was cooked, I resumed the recipe, but I added 1/4 C. of soy sauce instead of the half cup it asks for, and added an extra tablespoon of sugar. I don't care for an overpowering soy taste, so I let Dave put all the soy sauce he wants on his food, after it's cooked. I also use the low sodium version to cut down on the salt a little. I also added a package of frozen vegetables that contained water chestnuts, and pea pods, etc., instead of using the broccoli and celery it called for. This package of frozen vegetables had all of those same vegetables, and it was on sale for $1.00.
This recipe was simple, and delicious. Even my oldest child raved about it, and she isn't fond of Asian food.
I served it over fried rice, which I also made that day. If you have tried to make fried rice at home, and failed, there is a trick to it. Cook your rice a few hours ahead of time, and refrigerate it. If you start with cold white rice, it will fry right for you every time No more sticky mess! I didn't have time to cook it that far ahead, so I cooked it right before I started cooking the chicken, and popped it into the freezer. It was in there for about 45 minutes, and that worked like a charm. I have also posted the fried rice recipe I used in the links section, so you can give it a try.
Easy Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry-
Rating - 4 Smiles
http://chicken.betterrecipes.com/easy-fresh-chicken-teriyaki-stir-fry.html
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/ricefried/r/basicfriedrice.htm

Chi Chi's Chicken Chimichangas

When I was in high school, one of my favorite restaurants was Chi Chi's Mexican Restaurant. They had several scrumptious meals on their menu, but my all-time favorite meal, and the one I ordered most often was their chicken chimichangas.
The chimichangas were delicious! They were filled with the most flavorful chicken, fried to a golden brown (I know, not the healthiest meal in the world), and topped with a green sauce that was delicious. I can still taste them...
Unfortunately, Chi Chi's was forced to close all of their restaurants back in 2004 due to a lethal Hepatitis A outbreak at one of their Pennsylvania stores in 2003. So, I was delighted to discover that someone had created a copycat recipe, that tastes incredibly similar to the original. Every time I make this recipe, I opt to fry the chimichangas in a little olive oil, rather than spray them with cooking spray and bake. This gives the shell that all important crunch that chimichangas are known for. You will still get a crunch by baking them, they will just be a little softer.
If you try this recipe, please post a comment and let me know what you think. :)
Chicken Chimichangas-
Rating - 4 Smiles
http://www.ddhfavors.com/store/FCrecipe.asp?r=5&categoryID=Poultry&Category_Name=Poultry

Swap-Bot

I was on Twitter last night, when I saw a post for a Swapping community called Swap-Bot.

"Swap-bot is a service and a community of creative individuals. Swap-bot facilitates internet swaps. It removes the hassle of collecting swap participants and assigning swap partners."

So what's a swap you might ask?
"A Swap is a group of people that organize on the internet to trade items through the postal mail. Items are usually hand-assembled, cheap (but rich with craftsmanship and care) and can include mix CDs, postcards, crafts, or anything you can think of! The type of swapping done on Swap-bot is mostly done for fun and is hobby- or craft-oriented - not direct one-on-one swap deals."

I created an account last night, and signed up for the maximum of 5 swaps. I am excited to get started, as it will give me a little hobby, and help me meet some new people.

To find out more about it, please visit http://www.swap-bot.com/

Be sure to let me know what you think. :)

A Recipe Review - Black Bean Chicken Quesadillas

I've been stuck in a rut the last several weeks when it comes to new lunch ideas. I think everyone is tired of sandwiches and hot dogs, so I decided to try something different.
I used frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and boiled them straight from the freezer. It worked perfectly, and the chicken was incredibly tender. We didn't have any salsa, so we had to settle for the picante sauce we had left in the refrigerator. It worked well, but the next time I make these, I will use salsa as I think it will increase the flavor and texture.
We used a mixture of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and they tasted great! I think I will try a pepper jack cheese next time, to give them a little more kick.
The key to the recipe is the cinnamon. I discovered the use of cinnamon in dishes like this when I was cooking a recipe for Chi Chi's Restaurant style chimichangas I found several years ago. I was surprised to learn that the seasoning I could taste but couldn't quite recognize all those years ago was cinnamon. When combined with the salsa, and other ingredients, the flavor is changed just enough that it is hard to recognize. If you want to give your Mexican dishes a little zing, try a little cinnamon. You'll be amazed at the flavor it adds.
I think I will dig out my recipe for Chi Chi's chimichangas, and post it for you next.
Black Bean Chicken Quesadillas-
Rating - 4 Smiles
http://www.ddhfavors.com/store/FCrecipe.asp?iCID=1&r=4&Category_Name=Appetizers

August Monthly Recipe Contest

We love to cook, and are always looking for new recipes to share. If you have a favorite recipe that you know is sure to please, we would love to reward you!

To submit your recipe for the month of August, please post a comment to this message, and include the recipe title, complete ingredients list, as well as complete baking/cooking instructions. The recipe can be your own recipe, a family favorite passed down to you, a recipe from a cookbook, or off the internet. If the recipe was found on the internet, please include a link to the recipe, so we can post it under the Recipes I have Reviewed section of the blog. We will accept all recipe types (appetizers, main dishes, breads, desserts, drinks, etc.)

Monthly Recipe Guidelines

1. Recipes will be accepted from the 1st to the 20th of every month.

2. During the last 10 days of the month, we will prepare and taste every recipe that is submitted.

3. We will announce the 1st - 3rd place winners on the last day of each month. Winners will be announced in a new blog post, as well as via e-mail. We will also deliver your gift certificate via e-mail.

4. Please submit only one recipe per month.

All winners will be rewarded with a gift certificate to our sister website, http://www.ddhfavors.com/

1st Place - $30.00 gift certificate to DDH Favors

2nd Place - $15.00 gift certificate to DDH Favors

3rd Place - $7.50 gift certificate to DDH Favors
DDH Favors provides personalized candy wrappers, favors, and gifts for all occasions and holidays. Gift certificates will be good for 6 months from the issue date, so you can use it when your event approaches.

A Recipe Review - Family Reunion Cheese Ball

A couple of weeks ago, I attended our annual family reunion in Damascus, Arkansas. The highlight of the experience is always the incredibly delicious array of food available for lunch. The food choices this year were by far the best in years, and the addition of this simple cheese ball put it over the top.
The recipe is incredibly simple, but the taste is powerful. Because the spices are kept to a minimum, the taste of the cream cheese is unencumbered. The recipe that was used for the family reunion was made with ham, but I was told that shrimp tastes wonderful as well.
If you are looking for a simple appetizer that packs a powerful punch, be sure to give this one a try!

Cheese Ball-
Rating - 4 Smiles
http://www.ddhfavors.com/store/FCrecipe.asp?iCID=3&r=3&Category_Name=Cheese

Amish Friendship Bread

I was given a starter of this wonderful bread several months ago, and came down with the flu around day 9. So, I ended up throwing out all of the starters, since I was sick for weeks. I absolutely love this bread, and am very happy to have found the starter recipe.

With our economy in shambles, I know that Christmas will be a difficult time for many families this year, mine included. So, I am hoping to bring you some great recipe ideas that you can sue to make homemade Christmas gifts, starting with this classic.

Amish Friendship Bread Recipe
Amish Friendship Bread Starter:

1 tablespoon Active Dry Yeast

2 cups Warm Water — (110 degrees)

1 cup Flour

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Milk

Bread:1 cup Vegetable Oil

1 cup Sugar

2 cups Flour

3 Eggs

1 small Vanilla Pudding Mix — Instant (experiment with different flavors. Chocolate is wonderful!)

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 cup Milk

Cinnamon Sugar: 1 cup Sugar 2 tablespoons Cinnamon

For Amish Friendship Bread Starter: Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water in a deep glass container. Stir in remaining warm water, flour and sugar. Beat until smooth. Cover. A large glass jar or bowl with a tight fitting lid works best for this. Because your first batch of starter contains fresh yeast, you can skip the next set of directions and go directly to the instructions for splitting your start.
Do not refrigerate! Do not stir with a metal spoon!

The starter requires 10 days for fermentation.
Day 1- Begin or receive starter

Day 2- Stir with wooden spoon

Day 3- Stir with wooden spoon

Day 4- Stir with wooden spoon

Day 5- Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk

Day 6- Stir with wooden spoon

Day 7- Stir with wooden spoon

Day 8- Do Nothing

Day 9- Do Nothing

Day 10- Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk
Put 1 cup of starter in each of three containers. Give 2 away to friends and keep one. This will begin their Day 1.

For Amish Friendship Bread
You will have about 1 cup of batter left besides the 1 cup you have saved for yourself. To the remaining batter add vegetable oil, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, eggs, milk, vanilla pudding mix, cinnamon, and salt. Beat until well blended. Add one cup raisins, chocolate chips or nuts, if desired. Grease 2 loaf pans well, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, coating bottom well. Turn batter into pans, and sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar onto tops of loaves. Bake at 325 F degrees for one hour.

Hash Brown Potato Casserole

If you're looking for a change from good ol' mashed potatoes, this recipe just might suit you. The recipe is similar to the potato casserole you can find at Cracker Barrel, or in many supermarkets around the country. Similar, but not quite the same.
First of all, I would suggest either reducing the amount of potatoes to only one pound, but leaving all of the ingredients the same, or doubling the other ingredients if you are feeding a large crowd, and need to use the entire 2 pounds. The ratio of 2 pounds to the amount of wet ingredients just wasn't enough for me. I like my hash brown potato casserole creamy, and this was a little dry for my taste.
Aside from the dryness, the overall taste was excellent, and the family loved it. It was super quick and easy to make, and went well with the barbecued pork we were having for dinner. This is definitely one recipe I wouldn't pass on.
Hash Brown Potato Casserole-
Rating - 3 Smiles
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1650,151176-248198,00.html