warmer weather

warmer weather means vacations are just around the corner! We are looking to our family vacation spot for this year! If you are looking into a vacation spot check out http://www.lvcostarica.com/ . It looks amazing. Any who Here are a few of our favorite vacation recipes.

Tropical smoothie

ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen mango
• 3/4 cup of yogurt
• 1 orange; peeled
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups ice

Put it all in the blender and blend it up!!I've found that frozen fruit works best. Even if you buy fresh fruit and freeze it.  it is Delish!!

also try Fruit Pizzas 

Cookie Dough:
Cream together 3/4 cup softened butter and 1 cups white sugar. Beat until fluffy.

Next, add 2 eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat until really fluffy.

Finally, mix in 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and1/2 teaspoon salt.

Mix really well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour OR overnight.

Roll out onto floured surface (or parchment paper) 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and cut out with cookie cutter.

Bake at 400 for 6-8 minutes
*Makes about 16 - 3 1/2" cookies*

Frosting:
Mix 8 oz. Cream Cheese (1 block) with 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoon vanilla

lastly cut up your choice of fruit and top your cookie! now Enjoy. 

if you are looking for a more healthy smoothie option you can try a grass smoothie.... we have only made these once.....kids didnt like them much but the hubby and I did. Most people who see grass smoothies think that people are cutting their grass and then putting it in their drink....lol. think again. On a side note if you need some one to cut your grass look into  http://bluegrasssodinstalled.ca/ they can do it for you and so much more!  Now back to our Smoothie here is the recipe.

Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 scoop vanilla protein

Huge handful of spinach

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

stevia

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 tablespoon ground flaxseed

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)

dash of cinnamon

dash of pumpkin pie spice

3 or 4 ice cubes

Blend it all together and enjoy!

7 layer bean dip!

This dip is perfect for parties and other get together s! Once you start, you can not stop eating this amazing dip! I make this dip often. But every year for the 1st supercross race of the season I gt asked to make it. We love to snack on this delightful dip while we are watching the race live on TV!

Seven Layer Bean Dip

Ingredients:
16 oz can of re-fried beans
1/2 Cup of sour cream
1/2 Cup of guacamole
2 Tomatoes chopped
1 Bunch of green onions chopped
1 Small can of olives
1/2 Cup of grated cheese

First you will need to cup up your veggies. I usually buy the already chopped olives in a can and a bag of shredded cheese. Once you are done cutting up your veggies  you are ready to start layering your dip!

Layer #1 - Spread you re fried beans in an even layer in the bottom of a 9x13 pan
Layer #2 - Spread your sour cream in an even layer on top of the beans.
Layer #3 - Spread you guacamole in an even layer on top of the sour cream.
Layer#4 - top your beans, sour cream, & guacamole layers with tomatoes
Layer#5 - top your beans, sour cream, guacamole & tomato layers with green onions
Layer#6 - top your beans, sour cream, guacamole, tomato, & green onion layers with olives
Layer#7 -  top your beans, sour cream, guacamole, tomato, green onion, & olive layers with cheese
and your done! We eat ours with chips.  Enjoy.

Pull-Apart Party Loaf

I have a fun group of friends who get together every year to watch the Big Game.  We all pitch in and bring an assortment of food to share – mostly appetizers and sweets. Every year I struggle to come up with something new and interesting yet appealing to a wide age group. A couple of months ago I walked through the Test Kitchen just as a new recipe was coming out of the oven. It had a wonderful aroma and looked really interesting. So I invited myself to join the taste panel that was trying this new creation. After one bite of Pull-Apart Party Loaf, I knew I had found the recipe I would be bringing to this year’s party.

I know my friends are going to love this recipe. It looks and tastes yummy and really is easy to put together. I plan to have the loaf all put together and ready to go into the oven. I’ll wrap it up in aluminum foil and bring it to my friend’s house where I will pop it into the oven to bake for a little over a half hour. Then I will be able to serve it piping hot, which is the best way to enjoy this appetizer. I can hardly wait for the oohs and aahs!

Pull-Apart Party Loaf starts with a purchased round loaf of Italian or sourdough bread. You add the good stuff – butter, ranch dressing mix, bacon, jalapeno peppers and American cheese. It comes out of the oven warm and gooey and absolutely delicious. And, it’s fun to pull apart to serve.

Here’s how it’s made. Remember to read through the recipe first and prep all the ingredients (melt the butter, cook and chop the bacon, chop the jalapeno peppers, cheese and parsley). Have all the ingredients ready, and the assembly of the loaf will go very quickly.

The assembled loaf will need to be baked in a preheated oven set to 350°F, so if you plan to bring this to a party, ask the host to have the oven heated and ready for when you arrive. The first step is to tear off two pieces of aluminum foil, each 24 inches long. Lay them on the counter, crossing one over the other as pictured below.

Next cut the round loaf of bread, using a serrated knife, in a grid pattern, spacing about 1 inch between rows. But don’t cut all the way through the bottom crust.This creates the pieces you will pull apart.

In a medium bowl combine the melted butter and the dry ranch dressing mix. Add the bacon, jalapeno peppers and cheese. Toss to coat everything with the butter mixture. Place the cut loaf of bread in the center of the aluminum foil pieces. Spoon the cheese mixture into the cut areas of the bread.

Wrap the foil loosely around the bread and place the wrapped loaf on a baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes. Pull back the foil and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and the cheese is melted. If you’d like, sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately!

I can hardly wait to serve this to my friends; I know they are going to love it. Let me know what you think by coming back and leaving a comment or rating and reviewing this recipe, Pull-Apart Party Loaf.

SMOKEY HAM AND CORN CHOWDER!

This recipe is wonderful for cold and snowy days. That's when my family loves to eat this chowder! It was a good recipe find this day because out heaters thermostat went out so our house was a little chilly. If you need a new one contact Areoseal Solutions. They are awesome! This chowder  warms you all the way through especially after shoving snow or playing in the snow and having to come into a cool house,  Now if you are looking for a good snow removal business contact Clay's Lawn and Snow INC. They can help you out.

Now time for the food! 

1. In a large cast iron soup pot, melt about two tablespoons butter on medium-high heat. Add in you chopped bacon and render the fat from the bacon, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
2. Once the bacon looks cooked through and crispy, and you have a good amount of bacon fat in your pot, add in the white wine to scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pot. Add your chopped onion and garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir often.
3. Now add in your ham and corn and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir often.
4. Add in your chopped potatoes, cream cheese, cream of celery soup, and give everything a stir.
5. Lower heat to low setting, add in your Herb de Provence, bay leaves, chicken bouillon cubes, about a teaspoon of salt, and fresh ground pepper, and 4 cups of water.
6. Cover and cook for about an hour on low (**about half way through, remove lid and taste for seasonings. Since the bacon and ham are salty we don’t want to add too much salt, but you may need more, so taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed)

*Now here’s a tip!

While this soup is wonderful right out of the pot after an hour of cooking…The real magic happens if it’s served the next day! So I recommend letting the soup cool completely and storing it in the fridge overnight. Not only will it be a thicker consistency the next day but the flavors will marry together more and it will be out of this world delicious, especially served with mounds of crusty Sourdough bread and butter to dip. 

YUMMY PARTY FOOD

Dinner rolls*
24+ slices Black Forest Ham (I used Castlewood brand from Sam's, deli ham would be great too)
24 slices Swiss Cheese (I used the pre-sliced Tillamook, and cut the slices into smaller squares, then also used the edge pieces, 2 edge slices per sandwich)

Slice rolls, if needed.  Squeeze 24 rolls on an 11x15 inch sheet pan (it's okay if they are touching).  Place one slice of ham (some of my slices were super thin, so I added another half slice with those) and one slice of cheese on the bottom half of each roll, then replace tops.

*Most recipes I found called for King's Hawaiian Rolls.  I am not a fan of their texture and sweetness, so I opted to go for the dinner rolls from Sam's Club.  They were perfectly chewy (not spongey) and perfectly sweet with the following sauce.

Sauce of yumminess:
1 cube butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. poppy seeds (I used slightly less - they are mostly for aesthetics, I think)
1 tsp. onion powder

Mix together with a small whisk.  Brush tops of ham and cheese rolls liberally with sauce, then pour remaining sauce over all.  Cover pan with foil and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake rolls, covered, for 10 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Since I was making these for a crowd, here are the quantities I used:

3 bags of Sam's dinner rolls (I think there are 36 rolls per bag)
3 pkgs. of Castlewood thinly sliced Black Forest Ham (Sam's)
1-1/2 pkgs. of Tillamook pre-sliced Swiss cheese (Sam's)

That made 4 sheet pans of rolls (96 total), with a few plain rolls left over, which was perfect for guests who may not want/like ham and cheese (only my cute 4 yr. old neighbor friend preferred a pb&j). 


JUST A REMINDER TO BACK UP ALL YOUR RECIPES ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE THEM ALL TYPED UP. I WOULD RECOMMEND USING http://filecloud.pro/ ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE AN APPLE USER. I USE A HARD DRIVE. I ALSO AM USING A NEW BOOK WORK PROGRAM TO HELP WITH MY BUSINESS SIDE OF THINGS FOR MY OTHER BLOG BUT IF YOU PREFER TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE HELP YOU OR DO IT FOR YOU CONTACT THIS ACCOUNTING FIRM IN CALGARY.

HAVE A HAPPY AND DELIGHTFUL DAY FULL OF YUMMIES!

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE HEAVEN

An oreo crust, a creamy peanut butter cheesecake center with peanut butter cups, and a chocolate pudding whipped topping.  And no baking required! Can you see why this is heaven?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Heaven

PREP TIME:  15 MINS

TOTAL TIME:  15 MINS

SERVES: 12

An oreo crust, a creamy peanut butter cheesecake center with peanut butter cups, and a chocolate pudding whipped topping. And no baking required! Can you see why this is heaven?

INGREDIENTS

• 20 oreo cookies, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 15 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate fudge pudding mix

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Crush 16 oreo cookies until coarse. Add the melted butter and press into the bottom of a 9x9 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping and spread over the oreo crust layer. Sprinkle with the chopped peanut butter cups but reserving some to sprinkle on the top.
3. In another bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix, and remaining ½ cup powdered sugar on low for about 2 minutes. Let stand for two minutes. Fold in the remaining whipped topping. Spread on top of the peanut butter cups. Sprinkle the top with remaining crushed oreos and peanut butter cups. Cover and chill for 3 hours before serving.

ON A SIDE NOTE EARLIER TODAY I WAS BROWSING THE WEB AND CAME ACROSS THIS AWESOME SITE! IF YOUR ARE LOOKING  FOR DESIGN IDEAS FOR YOUR NEW HOME? OR MAYBE YOU JUST WANT TO GIVE A ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE A FACE LIFT..... GO TO AIRDRIE PAINT AND DECOR! THEY HAVE TONS TO CHOOSE FROM AND ITS AFFORDABLE STUFF THAT YOU WILL LOVE. THEY MAY EVEN HAVE THAT PERFECT SEVERING TRY OR THAT PERFECT BOWL YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR. YOU KNOW THAT ONE YOU WANT TO USE TO TAKE TO SPECIAL EVENTS!!! HAPPY SHOPPING!

photography

PHOTOGRAPHY IS A BIG PART OF OUR SOCIETY THESE DAYS TO KEEP UP TO DATE PICTURES OF LOVED ONES THAT WE CAN CHERISH FOR YEARS TO COME.  PHOTOGRAPHY IS ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS BLOG.....TAKING PICTURES OF THE FOOD DISHES! I LOVE TAKING PICTURES OF THE FOOD I MAKE! I FEEL THAT THE PICTURES OF THE FOOD ALSO MAKE YOU WANT TO TRY A RECIPE IF IT LOOKS GOOD THEN YOU WANT TO MAKE IT! THAT IS HOW I END UP TRYING 90% OF MY RECIPES THAT I DO.   ANY WHO HERE IS TODAY RECIPE....

Sweet and Spicy Stir-Fry Chicken

Ingredients

Sauce

1/4

cup Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1

tablespoon cornstarch

1

tablespoon sugar

2

tablespoons soy sauce

1

tablespoon white vinegar

1/4

teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

Stir-Fry

2

tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

1

lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1

small onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

2

cloves garlic, finely chopped

1

teaspoon grated gingerroot, if desired

1 1/2

cups fresh petite green beans

1

medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

2

tablespoons water

1

cup cubed (1 inch) fresh pineapple

1/3

cup dry-roasted peanuts

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AND ON A SIDE NOTE................

ARE YOU LOCATED IN NEWMARKET CANADA? DO YOU NEED PICTURES TAKEN? ENGAGEMENTS, COUPLES, BRIDALS, WEDDING, MATERNITY, WEE ONES, FAMILY, GRADUATION, HEAD SHOTS, PET OR KIDS? TRACY WITH THE WRIGHT HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY CAN DO IT ALL!  SHE ALSO HAS AN AWESOME  FARM  TO TAKE PICTURES ON AS WELL AS A STUDIO ON SITE! WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR? YOU CAN MEET SIMON AND GARFUNKEL! THEY ARE 2 PYGMY GOATS. THEY ARE TRACY'S OFFICIAL GREETERS WHEN YOU ARRIVE FOR YOUR SESSION, AND THEY LOVE TO VISIT WITH YOU WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED WITH YOUR SESSION AS WELL! THIS HAS BECOME SOME OF HER CLIENTS FAVORITE PART OF THEIR VISITS. SOME OF HER CLIENTS STOP BY JUST TO VISIT THEM NOW.


GO TO THE LINK BELOW TO CHECK OUT HER WORK AND TO CONTACT HER FOR MORE INFORMATION! YOU CAN ALSO FIND THE WRIGHT HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY ON FACEBOOK! 

http://www.thewrighthousephotography.com