Cherry Dump Cake

We had a going away dinner for two of my best friends Wednesday night. I made my famous fettuccine alfredo (click here for the recipe!). And for dessert, I made a delicious cherry "dump" cake. If my word isn't enough, ask the other 7 people who practically licked the entire pan clean.

Cherry Dump Cake



Ingredients:
1 dry yellow cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice
1 stick margarine
1 stick butter

Directions:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a greased 9x13 pan, dump one can of cherry pie filling and dump one can of crushed pineapple. Stir until combined.
3. Dump one boxed yellow cake mix over the pineapple/cherry mixture and spread evenly with a fork to remove clumps.
4. Thinly slice the sticks of butter and margarine and spread evenly over the cake mix.
5. Bake for 1 hour or until the topping is golden brown.
6. Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Chicken Stir-Fry with Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

On Sunday, I informed my carb-loving husband that I was going to be incorporating low carb dinners into our diet. He just gave me "the look".

I told him I would be making stir-fry for dinner this evening and he asked if we could have fried rice. Rewind to the low carb discussion we had two days ago. So, I turned to Pinterest and found my solution: cauliflower fried rice.

Now, let me begin by telling you there are only two foods I absolutely CANNOT stand and try to avoid at all times: cauliflower and honeydew melon. In fact, this pretty much sums up my feelings toward cauliflower:

I may have been converted into a fan of cauliflower tonight. And the best thing? I let Nathan chow down on his bowl for a few minutes before I asked him how he liked the meal. Then I dropped the bomb that it was not rice he was devouring. He enjoyed it and the only noticeable difference to him was that the texture wasn't the same as rice. 

Chicken Stir-Fry with Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 large egg

8oz bag John Soules frozen grilled chicken strips

1 bag frozen veggies (I used Food Club Parisian Veggies)

1 packet Kikkoman Stir-Fry Seasoning

Directions:

For the rice- 

1. This is the recipe I used to prepare the cauliflower rice.

2. Heat a large saute pan or wok over medium heat and spray with oil. Add the sesame oil and saute onions and garlic about 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft. Add the egg and cook, turning a few times until set. 

3. Add the cauliflower "rice" to the saute pan along with soy sauce. Mix, cover and cook approximately 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is slightly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.

For the stir-fry-

1. Heat a large saute pan or wok over medium heat and spray with oil. 

2. Add the bag of chicken and the bag of frozen veggies. Add packet of seasoning. Cook approximately 10-12 minutes.

Serve stir-fry over cauliflower fried rice and add more soy sauce if needed!

  

Quick & Easy Cajun Chicken Pasta

We were finally kicked into the "real world" a few weeks ago when we realized we had spent the last of the money we had saved on rent and received notice that his student loans were no longer in the grace period. 

Needless to say, my accounting brain kicked in and we are now "budgeting". I might as well get some use out of that $60,000 education, right?

It honestly hasn't been that bad. We've managed to almost completely cut out fast food and going out to eat (I'm down 7 lbs as a result)!!  I've also been going through the weekly grocery store ads where I've found great deals at HEB and United over the last few weeks. 

I created a Cajun chicken pasta with some of the items I found on sale.

Quick & Easy Cajun Chicken Pasta



Ingredients:
8 oz John Soules grilled chicken strips ($2.50)
16 oz bow tie pasta ($0.88)
1/2 jar HEB Saucy Cajun Pasta Sauce ($1.12)

Directions:
1. Cook chicken and pasta according to package. 
2. Add sauce to a small pan and add chicken.
3. Pour sauce and chicken over pasta and enjoy!

I served the pasta with salad and garlic bread.

Serves: 2
Total per serving: $2.25

Honey-Dijon Glazed Chicken Roll-Ups

I love experimenting and creating new recipes. I personally feel like a fraud when I find a recipe, do exactly what it says, and then post my own version on here. Tonight, I created my own recipe and the results were outstanding! 

Honey-Dijon Glazed Chicken Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts

8 slices deli ham

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1 handful fresh spinach

For the glaze:

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 tbsp honey

1 tsp olive oil  

1 splash of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place an even amount of ham, mozzarella cheese, and spinach on each piece of chicken. Roll up each piece and place in an oven-safe pan.

3. In a bowl, mix Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, and Worcestershire sauce. Spread evenly over each roll up. 

4. Cover with foil and bake at 275/300 degrees for about an hour. 

I served the roll-ups with mojito lime marinated squash/zucchini and baked potatoes. 

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper Chicken and Macaroni & Cheese

Graduation is over, we're home from vacation (against our will), my degree arrived in the mail a few days ago, and I'm officially in this "real" world everyone keeps talking about. You know what, though? I'm having a blast. We even went on a double date with two of our good friends on a TUESDAY NIGHT this week (GASP!). When I was in school, my social life could pretty much be summed up with the lyrics "Who goes out on a Monday?" from The Chainsmokers' song #Selfie...but replace the Monday with Monday-Thursday.

In my last blog, I discussed my husband's possible job opportunity. After many prayers, it looks like he will be staying in Abilene (huge sigh of relief). However, he did receive a raise and was offered a salesman position at our current place of employment. We are looking forward to beginning this next chapter in our lives, and are looking forward to focusing on our marriage. Planning a wedding, getting married, and being newlyweds trying to survive the first year of marriage, while also trying to finish school, probably wasn't the smartest idea we've had- but we made it!

As promised in my last blog, I AM BACK! AND I have two new recipes for y'all! Tonight I will be making slow cooker jalapeno popper chicken and my famous slow cooker macaroni and cheese! The perfect comfort foods for this rainy day!

UPDATE: This meal was DELICIOUS. I ended up placing the chicken breasts in a separate pan, sprinkling the breading over the tops of the chicken breasts, and broiling them until the topping browned. There was a TON of extra sauce. We drizzled the extra over the chicken breasts and the leftovers would make a wonderful enchilada sauce! I posted the picture below, but beware, it may cause your mouth to water!




Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper Chicken

Ingredients:
6-8 boneless chicken breasts
16 oz sour cream
2- 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 oz jar diced jalapenos, drained
2 cups bread crumbs
1 stick butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

1. Combine cream cheese and sour cream.
2. Add cheddar cheese and jalapenos. 
3. Add chicken breasts to the bottom of your slow cooker.
4. Spoon the mixture over the top of the chicken breasts.
5. Cook on low for 6 hours.
6. When chicken is finished cooking, preheat oven to 400°.
7. Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter and spread over the top the chicken.
8. Bake until the topping is crispy. 

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

24 oz macaroni

2 cups milk
1 cup sour cream

2 cans Campbell's cheese soup
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Cook pasta according to directions.

2.  In your slow cooker, combine the milk, sour cream, cheese soup, salt and pepper.

3.  Add macaroni, mix well. 

4.  Cook on low for an hour or two, only stirring once or twice.

In case you're wondering what's for dessert...it's my mom's famous white chocolate raspberry bundt cake...stay tuned for the recipe!

I'M DONE! I'M DONE! Well, almost. Oh, and a new recipe!

I've made a list. I've checked it twice. Although I cannot determine who has been naughty or nice, I can determine that I AM DONE WITH CLASS WORK FOR MY UNDERGRAD DEGREE! I'm not talking about a figurative list, either. I'm talking about the list I made a few weeks ago of EVERYTHING I needed to finish before finals. Now, the only things standing between me and that $60,000 piece of paper are time and three more finals that I will take next week. I'm almost in tears as I write this. How can this be? It seems like just yesterday I was starting my first semester at Hardin-Simmons, and now I'm literally done with everything, with the exception of finals. Surreal does not even begin to describe it.

The last three days have been a blur. I sat down at our kitchen table Sunday morning around 8 am and didn't leave the table until 5:30 that evening. I mean, let's be honest- I got up to eat, drink, and use the restroom. But, I did not do anything else expect try to finish everything so I could mark it off of my list. Exhaustion got the better of me, though, so it took until today for me to finish everything. 

I also have to brag. I took three classes this semester which required me to give a presentation or a speech. I gave my last speech last week, we gave our last group presentation today, and I gave my last short topic presentation this evening. I mentioned in my last post that I had not given a speech or presentation since 8th grade. I am (was/still kind of am) scared to death of speaking in front of people. I'm extremely shy in front of people I don't know (people who know me are probably laughing at that), but I really am. But, I survived, And you know what? I made a 98 on my last speech! 

I was complaining in a group text to my husband, mom, dad and sister that I just want graduation to get here and I want to go to Port Aransas. My sister told me to enjoy it and that the anticipation was all part of the experience and excitement. She was right. I'm finally figuring out that a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears have gone into my education the last three years and now that everything is winding down, it's time to enjoy it. Pretty soon, it will be time to start the next chapter of our lives. The song "You're Gonna Miss This" comes to mind....

Before our wedding, my sister made a scrapbook for me that had pictures and letters the people closest to me had written for me to read while I was getting ready. One letter that has stuck with me, especially this semester, was the one my cousin, Krista, wrote advising me to just breathe. "Breathe" is something my mother tells me almost on a regular basis, and I think it is so important. All of that to say, I am going to continue to breathe and enjoy the next week and a half! 

Now, how about a recipe? 

Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger meat

1 can of corn

1 can of Sloppy Joe sauce

1 bag of frozen tater tots

Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown the ground beef, add corn and sauce. Pour mixture into an oven safe pan, top with tater tots and cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 degrees until tater tots are crispy and cheese is melted. Enjoy! We topped it with mustard and it was delicious!

There is nothing healthy about this recipe. In my defense, I did say in my last post it would be the end of May before I would begin posting "healthy" recipes! :P

Just an Update and Ramblings About Life

Well, it's been over two weeks since my last update. Stress and lack of time have somehow managed to creep back into my days and make life hectic. 

With that being said, we've barely cooked. What we have made (sandwiches, $0.60 macaroni, and hot dogs) aren't worth posting about. My husband and I are very fortunate to live 15 minutes from my mom and dad, AND my grandparents, who have literally fed us almost every day over the last week and a half. 

I know we're supposed to enjoy every day as if it were our last, but over the last month (and probably for the next two weeks) I am in survival mode. Graduation is 19 days from today. NINETEEN. I may be the type of person who worries about everything, and though I usually welcome change, I am panicking.

I've been in a school setting for over 17 years. I've been a student, a daughter, a friend and recently a wife- in that order- for as long as I can remember. Now what am I supposed to do? Then you take into account that for the last two summers I've either been in summer school or planning a wedding and no longer have a clue as to what people do during the summer. Not that I'm complaining about that. In fact, I am EXTREMELY excited to rediscover how to enjoy a normal summer. 

Now throw into the mix the fact my husband MAY have a job opportunity that could change our lives as we know it. We've seen each other almost every day for the last three years, and now we may not be seeing each other for more than 20 days out of the month?!? However, if everything works out (we've been saying lots of prayers!) this opportunity may allow us to pay off all of our student loans ($10,000 for him and an upwards of $60,000 for me) in just a FEW YEARS. We would have to sacrifice our time together; however, we have tried to see it as an opportunity to sacrifice now in order to not have to suffer later on in life. God has a plan and we have chosen to continue to trust His plans for our lives. 

I read a blog post about graduating the other day and thought I would share the part that stuck with me:

"Above all else, I’m scared. I don’t know what this next journey will bring to me. Saying goodbye to happy hours, skipping class, and making the best worst decisions is one thing, but saying goodbye to ourselves is another. Azar Nafisi summed our almost post-college feelings perfectly: “You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place. You’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.”

My biggest challenge right now is giving my last speech tonight. I spent 7 hours yesterday writing it, a few hours this morning rehearsing, and have to give it tonight around 6:30. I somehow managed to make it from 8th grade to senior year in college without giving a speech. That should tell you how much I enjoy talking in front of other people. I've chosen to just try and enjoy the last few weeks of college. It's bittersweet and it's scary, but it's also very exciting. 

AND in 20 days we'll be sitting on the beach, so there's always that to look forward to!

I am looking forward to having more time after graduation to focus on cooking and living a healthier lifestyle. This will probably be my last post until the end of May, but I'll be back with lots of delicious new recipes, I promise!

Passion Tea Lemonade (That Won't Break the Bank)

I love Starbucks. I'm not a coffee person, but I love (LOVE!) tea. Unsweet tea, green tea, passion tea, and passion tea lemonade are my favorites. However, I don't enjoy spending almost $3 every time I go to Starbucks.

I have seen this recipe on Pinterest and finally decided to try it today. It was a Pinterest SUCCESS! It tastes exactly like what you get at Starbucks. The amount I paid for all of the ingredients (which will make a lot!) MIGHT have bought only TWO passion tea lemonades at Starbucks.

Passion Tea Lemonade (That Won't Break the Bank)

Ingredients:
Minute Maid Light Lemonade
Tazo Passion Tea Bags
Water & Ice

Directions:
1. Fill a small pan with water and bring to a boil.
2. Add 1 tea bag and remove pan from heat. 
3. Fill a small tea pitcher with water and add the tea from the pan.
4. In a closed container (I used a water bottle) add tea, lemonade, and ice. Shake well.
5. Pour over ice and add a sweetener if needed. Enjoy!

The Absolute BEST Alfredo Sauce

The first time my mother and I made this, we had to make it two more times in the same WEEK. Each time, it was fought over and gone in about five seconds. It is also the same recipe my mother-in-law, Kathleen, used when she served spaghetti and fettuccine alfredo  at our rehearsal dinner. Guests RAVED about both, so I decided to share the recipe with all of you!

The Absolute BEST Alfredo Sauce



Ingredients:
4oz cream cheese
2 sticks salted butter
1 pint heavy cream
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Servings: 4

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan, melt butter and cream cheese.

2. Add cream, whisk until smooth.

3. Add Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Continue to whisk until cheese has melted.

4. Serve over fettuccine with garlic bread. (It's also okay to just dip the garlic bread in the sauce and eat it while you're cooking!! :D )

 Note: You may add more milk or cream until you have reached the desired consistency. 

Semi-Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I haven't blogged in a few days because I haven't had to cook! We visited the Newman family in Roxton this weekend and were able to enjoy FIVE home-cooked meals! We enjoyed Miriam's favorite meatloaf Friday evening, two wonderful breakfasts, Syd's grilled chicken and ribs on Saturday, and Kathleen's root beer glazed ham with macaroni and cheese Sunday after church. It may have spoiled us just a LITTLE bit, and we even got to bring home a bag of Kathleen's delicious chocolate chip cookies! 

For a few of Kathleen's recipes, including the meatloaf recipe (the sauce is delicious!), click here! 

Unfortunately, it was back to Abilene Sunday afternoon, which meant back to cooking at home! We have both been under the weather for the last few days, and I received two more shots and a prescription today for bronchitis. Fortunately my evening class was cancelled, so I decided to make chicken soup for dinner tonight. 

Semi-Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup


Ingredients:
1 pkg dry chicken noodle soup mix-$3.00
12.5 oz can of cubed chicken breast, do not drain- $1.98
32 oz chicken broth - $1.86
3 cups water
3 chicken bullion cubes 
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 small potatoes, cut into medium pieces
Parsley, salt, pepper to taste
Served with garlic bread- $1.91

Servings: 8

Total: $8.75- A little over $1 per serving

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt butter and saute garlic and onion.

2. Add chicken broth, water, bullion cubes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

3. Add potatoes and chicken. Boil for approximately 20 minutes. The potatoes do not have to be done.

4. Add the package of chicken noodle soup. Boil for 5 minutes.

5. Transfer the soup to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

On a different note, we were able to watch The Secret Life of Walter Mitty at home last night. I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it because it did not get very many positive reviews. However, I should know by now not to read the critics' reviews- the movie was FANTASTIC. It was a beautiful, family-friendly film with a great message. I urge everyone to go see it in a theater near you!

Here's a clip of the trailer:

Spicy Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes

I found out today that I most likely have a peptic ulcer and have to start taking  150mg of Ranitidine two times a day--yay stress!!! The good news: I've already taken one of the pills and a few hours later, for the first time in weeks, my stomach growled and didn't feel like it was on fire! It's the little things.

Unfortunately, I will not be eating spicy food for a few weeks. So, I thought I would share my all-time favorite Spicy Tex-Mex Sloppy Joe recipe!

Spicy Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes




Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 lb ground beef
Salt and pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 jalapeño, chopped (seeds and ribs removed for less heat)
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup beef broth
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Frank's Hot Sauce
4 burger buns
Pickled jalapeños, for topping
Fritos, for topping

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and jalapeño and cook until tender.

In a separate pan, brown the ground beef. Drain if necessary. Stir in the onion, jalapeño, garlic, chili powder, and cumin.

Add the beef broth, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Bring to a bubble and cook until sauce thickens.

Serve on top of toasted buns topped with jalapeños and Fritos!

Slow Cooked Bacon Ranch Pork Chops with Potatoes

I found a recipe for slow cooked ranch pork chops on Pinterest several months ago and have been wanting to try it. I, like most people, love my slow cooker. Throw the ingredients in the crock pot before going to work or class, and come home at the end of the day to a home that smells wonderful and a meal that's ready to be served--who wouldn't love that?! 

I bought an entire bag of potatoes a week or so ago that haven't been used- anyone who knows my husband is probably gasping right now!- so I decided to throw those in with the pork chops as well.

It really was an easy and delicious meal, we could cut the pork chops with a fork, and we have left overs for lunch tomorrow!

I've decided to hold off on pricing meals until next week. I haven't been to the grocery store, we really have had all of these ingredients, and I don't want to continue posting "Oh! This meal was free! We had all of these ingredients!" 

Also, please excuse my pitiful excuse for what I call a "salad". It's shredded lettuce I bought to add to burritos. It was turning brown, so I decided to use it before it was time to throw it away. It's also a possibility that the salad dressing was out of date. It shows you how often I eat salad...and how much I mind expiration dates. I like to live life on the edge, what can I say?

Bacon Ranch Pork Chops




Ingredients:
1 pkg boneless pork chops 
1 small can cream of chicken
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix
1/2 small bag real bacon bits
1 cup milk

Directions:

Place pork chops and potatoes in the bottom of your slow cooker.

In a separate bowl, combine cream of chicken, ranch dressing mix, bacon bits, and milk.  Spread mixture over pork chops.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve with a salad and your favorite veggies!

Nathan's Ham and Cheese Grillers with Spicy Tomato Soup

Sadly, spring break is over and it's back to the real world! I have class until 9 pm on Mondays, so Nathan usually cooks dinner for us on these nights.

He makes the absolute best ham and cheese quesadillas. I'm not allowed to make them because I don't use enough butter! One day, he had a craving for one of Taco Bell's Grillers and decided to create his own using ham and cheese. They were somehow even better than the quesadillas, and easier to dip into the tomato soup!

Nathan's Ham and Cheese Grillers with Spicy Tomato Soup




Ingredients: (We had all of the ingredients)
16 slices of ham
4 tortillas
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 can Progresso Tomato Basil Soup
BUTTER

Servings: 4

Total: FREE! 

**We try to have these ingredients in the house at all times, so I did not have to purchase anything for this meal! However, I would estimate that this meal costs less than $5 to make!

Directions:
Divide ham and cheese evenly between the four tortillas and roll burrito-style.

In a pan, melt the butter and place the burritos in the pan. Fry on both sides until brown and cheese is melted on the inside (Nathan microwaves them for a few seconds to melt the cheese).

For the soup:

We like spicy tomato soup, so we add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and a few drops of Frank's Hot Sauce.

Enjoy! 

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

There is nothing healthy about this recipe, but it's one of my favorite comfort foods! 

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti





Ingredients:
2 lbs raw chicken breasts
1 large can cream of chicken
1 large can cream of mushroom
1 large can of original Rotel, do not drain
1/2 onion, sauteed 
Cheddar cheese (the more, the better!)
Spaghetti, cooked

Directions:

In your slow cooker, combine the cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, Rotel, onion, and raw chicken. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken and shred, then place the shredded chicken back into your slow cooker. Add cheddar cheese (I used one bag of sharp cheddar) and cooked spaghetti to the sauce. Top with more cheddar cheese and place in the oven until cheese has melted.

We like to serve this with garlic bread and salad! Enjoy!

Sidney's Potato Soup Recipe

In honor of girls' night, I decided to share one of my best friend's potato soup recipe! 

It's not a homestyle potato soup, it's more like the Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden, but it is delicious!

Sidney's Potato Soup




Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef
1/2 gallon of water 
32 oz chicken broth
12 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 lbs potatoes, cut into large cubes
Fresh parsley, minced
1/2 pint cream 
Salt, pepper, oregano to taste
Directions:

Combine water, chicken broth, bouillon cubes, 1/2 onion, 1/2 garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano in a large pot, bring to a boil, let simmer for 30 minutes.

In a separate pan, sautée the remaining onion and garlic in olive oil or bitten until tender. Add ground beef and cook until browned. When cooked, add to the broth and let simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add peeled/diced potatoes and let simmer for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.

Last, add the parsley and cream. Let cool and serve! Sidney likes to serve it with grated Parmesan cheese and garlic bread! 

My New Best Friend and Fish Tacos with Garlic Aioli

I refuse- REFUSE!- to drink tap water. Why? I’ve lived in Abilene for almost 23 years and practically gag every time I am forced to drink water from the tap. Last semester, I took Natural Hazards with a professor who also refuses to drink Abilene water. He runs tests on the creeks and lakes in and around Abilene, and though he would not state what he found, he would only say that he will only drink bottled water. 

Well, what if you can’t afford to drink bottled water every single day and/or don’t have a refrigerator with a built-in filtered water dispenser?  Nathan and I would go through a case and half of water each WEEK. On average, a 24-pack of water is $3 or more. That’s almost $20 a month on water. 

So, I turned to Amazon and found my new best friend:

This is the PUR 18-cup filtered water dispenser. It was only $26.87 with Amazon Prime. It holds 18 cups- the equivalent of nine bottles of water. To give you an idea of how much water we consume, we usually fill this up once a day or so.  It’s a cheaper alternative to bottled water and a tastier alternative to tap water!

Now it’s on to the good stuff. As promised, tonight I made fish tacos with garlic aioli. I served the tacos with cilantro lime rice and sautéed corn. THEY WERE AMAZING! I buy the frozen tortilla crusted tilapia at HEB or United and have been serving it on its own with the rice and corn. Last Friday my mother and I had lunch at The Beehive in Abilene and their lunch special was fish tacos. They used the tortilla crusted tilapia and it was delicious! Inspired, I decided to try making them myself!

  

Fish Tacos with Garlic Aioli, Cilantro Lime Rice, and Sautéed Corn

Ingredients:

Tacos:

1 package frozen tortilla crusted tilapia- $5

4 tortillas

Toppings of your choice (I used lettuce, tomato, and cheese)

Garlic Aioli: (I had all of these ingredients)

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro Lime Rice & Sauteed Corn  (I had all of these ingredients)

1 package Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice

1 can of regular corn

2 tbsp dried cilantro (or fresh)

Juice from 1 lime

Olive oil

Servings: 4

Total: $5

* I had most of these ingredients at home. The only item I purchased was the tortilla crusted tilapia!

Directions:

Prepare fish according to directions on package.

Combine mayonnaise and Greek yogurt. Add olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Prepare rice according to package. Heat olive oil in your pan and add corn. Sautee for five minutes over medium heat. Next, add cooked rice, cilantro, and lime juice to the pan. Cover and let cook for an additional five minutes.

When the fish is cooked, let it cool and then halve the fillets. Add to the tortillas and top with garlic aioli and toppings of your choice.

Enjoy! 

Introduction and a Tasty Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe

My friend Lizzy started a food blog a few years ago, and I was inspired to create my own. Unfortunately, I only posted a few recipes before I got rid of it. My mother-in-law recently started a blog (http://minimalistlivingforthemaximumfamily.blogspot.com) where she posts a new recipe every Wednesday. Once again, I was inspired.

I love cooking. At one point, I even considered going to culinary school. However, accounting won and I am now in my senior year at Hardin-Simmons University. Only NINE weeks until graduation, but who's counting?? 

I have many roles: wife, daughter, student, secretary, sister, friend...and more. My days consist of going to class and work, and going to night classes on Mondays and Tuesdays. Homework usually takes up most of my evenings and weekends. I had to take 16 hours this semester in order to graduate, and it has taken its toll over the last few months. With that being said, it has become very easy for us to decide to eat at one of the many fast food restaurants near our home instead of cooking at home. As a result, the size of our waist lines have increased and wallets have decreased. 

I am on spring break this week and I have decided to use this week to test my new blog and start cooking more at home. I have also found that, for me, cooking acts as a stress reliever and most of what I cook turns out better than anything you can get at a fast food restaurant. 

The first recipe I would like to share is for my buffalo chicken pizza. I made this recipe tonight and think I have finally perfected it!

Amanda's Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

3  chicken breasts, shredded - $2.50

1  Pillsbury thin pizza crust (or you can make your own) - $2

1  bottle of your favorite buffalo sauce - $1

1  bottle of ranch dressing- Already had it

Cheese of your preference (I used pepper jack, sharp cheddar, and mozzarella) - Already had it

Servings: 8 slices

Total: $5.50

Directions:

First, I boiled the chicken breasts on the stove with water, one chicken bouillon cube, and olive oil.

Next, I baked the pizza crust in the oven at 425° for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, I took the crust out of the oven and spread a mixture of ranch dressing and buffalo sauce over it.

When the chicken was cooked, I let it cool and then shredded it with a fork. I then mixed the chicken with half a cup of the buffalo sauce and spread the chicken over the crust.

Top with cheese, bake until crust is brown and the cheese is melted, and enjoy! 

Make sure you check back tomorrow! Tomorrow night I will be making fish tacos with tortilla crusted tilapia and cilantro lime rice with sauteed corn!