Coffee/Breakfast Cake

I grew up having this on Saturday mornings and I loved it. When I was old enough to have sleepovers my friends always requested I make this breakfast. It's pretty delicious. Here's the recipe:

Cinnamon Streusel

2/3 cup Bisquick

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

4 Tbsp firm butter

Mix first three ingredients together and cut in butter until crumbly.

2 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

2 Tbsp sugar

1 egg

chocolate chips

Mix together until blended with 1/4 part of the cinnamon streusel topping. Spread at bottom of greased 9x9 or 8x8 pan. Top with remaining streusel topping and sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on for good measure. :) Bake at 375 for 18 minutes until golden brown, testing with a toothpick. Enjoy!

Mesquite Chicken Pasta

I've made a few variations of this in the past, but this time it was my favorite, and easiest. Maybe that's why it was my favorite? I used a variation found here - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/cajun-chicken-pasta/detail.aspx

pasta

chicken

mesquite seasoning

butter

sour cream

I had previously cooked some pasta shells that were in the fridge I needed to use so I thawed a chicken breast and cooked it in a skillet with some mesquite seasoning. I added a little butter and cut the chicken breast into bite-sized strips. Once fully cooked I set aside on plate.

Turned heat to low and with the burning mesquite seasoning on the bottom of the pan I added 1/2 cup sour cream, stirring constantly and a little milk to get a good sauce consistency and all the flavor from the bottom of the pan was mixed in. Added about 1/4 tsp of the following-

onion flakes

dried basil

lemon pepper

garlic powder

salt

pepper

Added some parmesan cheese and threw my cooked pasta into the pan, mixing until it was all coated. I add the chicken and there you have it!

I forgot after I ate it I wanted to add some cherry tomatoes I had sitting in the fridge. You could also saute some red and green bell pepper with your chicken that would be tasty!

Chicken Potato Carrot Crockpot Meal

CI don't remember where I found this recipe originally, but I think it's a yummy crockpot meal!

Potatoes

Carrots

Onion

2 Tbsp melted butter

1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper

Wash and cube your potatoes, throw them in the pot. Peel and cut carrots, throw them in the pot. Cut an onion and throw that in the pot. Mix in melted butter, parsley, salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl mix the following ingredients:

2 Tbsp melted butter

1 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp honey

dash cumin

salt

Cut up a few chicken breasts, throw them in the pot on top of vegetables and spread/pour sauce over the chicken. Let it cook until tender. (I think I had it on high for 1 hour before church and turned to low, let it cook for 4 hours while we were gone and when we got back it was perfect!)

Black Eyed Pea Salad

I've made this a couple times and it is a great healthy, light, super easy salad. I served it alongside some grilled tuna melts.

I found the recipe here - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/neelys/black-eyed-pea-salad-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 1/2 large tomato, diced
• 1/4 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, finely chopped (didn't have)
• 1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped (never use)
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1/8 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup canola oil
• 14 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained

Directions

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, canola oil, sugar, and salt and pepper.

Toss all together and let marinate for at up to 8 hours in the refrigerator before serving. (Again, I've made this and eaten it right away, still great!)

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

YUM. I'm always weak for mexican but I thought these took my basic chicken tacos up a few notches, without any extra effort.

I found the recipe here - http://sherj.blogspot.com/search/label/tacos

KA's Crockpot Chicken Tacos

All you need:

3 chicken breasts
1 package of taco seasoning
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup of olive oil


Directions:

Set crockpot on low. Add Taco Seasoning. Put chicken breasts on top of the taco seasoning. Add the tomatoes, water and oil. Leave in crockpot for 6-8 hours. Around the sixth hour, turn up heat to high. (I don't remember how I cooked it, but probably just on high for a few hours and it still tasted great!)

This step is optional: Pour contents of crockpot in a a deep skillet (including liquid.) Push chicken pieces to the sides of the pan, leaving a 'hole filled with sauce'. Add two tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the 'hole' for thickening the sauce. As the sauce thickens, shred chicken with 2 forks. (I added a little cornstarch just into the crockpot and mixed it in with the liquid a little).

I like to fry my own taco shells. They taste so much better, especially with this chicken! So heat your oil over medium heat until when you place a corner of the tortilla in it will bubble. Cook your corn tortilla for 30 seconds, flip and fold cooking 30 more seconds on each side. Drain on paper towel. (I like them a little flimsy). Topped with monterey jack cheese and lettuce. It was delicious!

August Dinners

1- slow cooker tacos

2- Seminary broadcast late lunch / fed kids pigs in a blanket and mac & cheese

3- sister play date - Wingers late lunch

4- Seminary council meeting. pizza

5- chicken strips

6- grilled tuna melt and black eyed pea salad

7- chicken potato carrot crockpot meal

8- friend's house for FHE - taco salad

9- Jacks parent's house - pulled pork

10- Bad day. Panda Express

11- mesquite chicken pasta

12-date night - Mad Greek Pita

13- southwestern salad and baked potatoes

14-french dip sandwiches

15-french bread pizza

16-white sauce enchiladas

17-cranberry chicken pasta

18-potato pepper onion skillet

19- meatball sandwiches

20-minestrone soup

21-late lunch. bean dip late snack

22-black bean barbecue pizza

23-sweet and sour rice w/ veggies

24-taco stuffed shells

25 meatloaf

26-camping - hot dogs

27-oriental chicken salad

28-ribs

29- spaghetti and meatballs

30-stir fry

31-jack mtg - brought home deli sandwiches

Noodles with Lime Peanut Sauce

Found recipe here - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/aromatic-noodles-with-lime-peanut-sauce-recipe/index.html

Jack really liked this sauce and it's a good meatless meal!

• 3/4 pound spaghetti
• 2 cups (about 9 ounces) broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 scallion, cut into pieces
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you'd like)
• 1/2 cup shelled unsalted peanuts (I didn't have any)

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of water according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. While the pasta is cooking put the broccoli in a steamer basket over a large pot of boiling water and steam it for 3 minutes.

Toast the peanuts in a dry pan over a medium heat until they become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Set them aside to cool. Make the sauce by pureeing the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, scallion, ginger, sugar and red pepper flakes in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Right before serving, toss the pasta with 3/4 cup of the peanut sauce. Divide into 6 serving bowls and top each serving with the vegetables. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the vegetables. Coarsely chop the peanuts, sprinkle them on top and serve.