*This post contains affiliate links. Recently I purchased the Mango Pack from Bountiful Baskets which gave me the chance to experiment with lots of great Mango Recipes! One recipe I knew I had to try was the Mango Bread Recipe! It just looked delicious and I must say...It was! Plus it is super quick and easy which is always a plus! Ingredients: 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups sugar 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I used my Home Made Vanilla) 3 eggs 2 cups diced mango 1/2 cup chopped pecans First off you will want to Place all ingredients into large mixing bowl and mix until well blended. Make sure to get down to the bottom of the bowl so that there is no clumps of flour. After all ingredients are well mixed you will need to pour ingredients into non-stick or greased and floured 9x5x3 bread pan for baking. (you could also use cupcake tin if you like but the baking time will decrees so watch to see when … [Read more...]
Home Made Vanilla Extract Recipe!
Home Made Vanilla Extract Recipe! I love making my own Vanilla Extract and thanks to Bountiful Baskets I recently received lots of great vanilla beans to make enough Vanilla to last me at least a year!! Would you like to learn how to make your own home made vanilla extract? Well with this vanilla extract recipe it is simple and easy! Ingredients:Vanilla Beans (about 8)750 ml VodkaFirst you will want to slice your vanilla beans down the side so that the soft insides will be able to mix into the vodka. After you slit the sides of the vanilla beans you will need to place the vanilla beans inside the 750ml bottle of vodka. Once the vanilla beans are inside the bottle of Vodka you will need to shake the bottle around to help the vanilla mix with the vodka. After you give your bottle a good shake place it in a cupboard and only take out every few days to give it a good shake to break up the pulp. After about a week you will start to see some color changes in … [Read more...]
Homemade Chewy Popcorn Bars
Homemade Chewy Popcorn Bars Understandably, most people associate popcorn with the movies. Whether it’s buying a bag at the movie theater or popping some up for family movie night, popcorn typically only comes out when the movies do. But popcorn should not just be saved for sitting in front of a screen—popcorn is super easy to cook with and can be incorporated into dozens of healthy snacks and desserts. Popcorn recipes also tend to be high in fiber and antioxidants, so you don’t even have to feel guilty when you chow down. That’s why these Chewy Popcorn Bars are the perfect healthy, on-the-go snack you can eat at any time—movie or not! With their simple ingredients and great taste, these good-for-you bars are sure to become a household staple. Chewy Popcorn Bars Ingredients 8 cups popped Orville Redenbacher’s Original Popping Corn 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats 1 cup raisins or dried sweetened cranberries 1 cup dry roasted peanuts 1 cup firmly packed … [Read more...]
Cuban Sandwich – The Big Kids’ Grilled Cheese
Cuban Sandwich – The Big Kids’ Grilled Cheese Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of the best comfort foods out there. Most people associate toasty white bread and melted American cheese with childhood memories and nostalgia for dunking the sandwiches into tomato soup. These tasty sandwiches are definitely not just for kids, though. Grilled cheeses are great because not only are they a known family-friendly meal, but they can also be updated for adult tastes in dozens of different ways. This recipe for a Cuban Sandwich is a dinner idea that both kids and adults can enjoy; additional meats and condiments make it a grown-up grilled cheese that is familiar enough to still hold kid-appeal. And since it requires so few ingredients and takes less than ten minutes to make, it’s the perfect weeknight meal for when you just don’t feel like spending time in the kitchen. Serve with a healthy side dish of frozen sweet potato fries for a speedy, balanced and delicious meal that your whole family … [Read more...]
Make your own Tortilla Chips!
Home made tortilla chips are some of the easiest things to make! I try to keep frozen corn tortillas on had so encase of unexpected dinner parties or company! These are always a huge hit for guests and gives them something to snack on along with the salsa I can every year. First take Corn or Flour Tortillas of any size. For this recipe I used smaller white corn tortillas. You will then need to cut the tortillas into the size of chips you would like. for the 6" round tortillas it is easy just to cut them into fours as shown above. For the frying part I use my deep fryer. I heat oil to about 350 degrees. Next you will place the tortillas into the Hot Oil. Please be careful when doing this!! I like to place the tortillas one at a time but you do not have to do it that way. Just watch to make sure none of them are stuck together as this will prevent your chips from getting crispy. Fry tortillas for 5-7 minutes or until desired crispness. I like mine extra crispy … [Read more...]
How to make Fry Bread!
Fry Bread is a staple at my house. I know that it is not the healthiest of breads but I can't get enough of fry bread with honey or fry bread covered with taco ingredients! It is versatile and can be used in many ways. Plus it is really easy to make! Ingredients: 1 Cup Unbleached Flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/3 cup Hot Water Crisco (or oil/lard) for frying First you will need to place all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Next add hot water and mix until its a soft dough (do not knead it will make it into a heavy dough) After the dough is mixed you will want to cover the bowl with a clean towel and let sit 30-45 minutes. After the cover time is over uncover and divide dough into four even sections. Roll into a ball and then pat, pull, stretch or do anything you like to help get it into a flat rounded shape. Each piece should be around 5"-6" wide. Next you will want to heat enough Crisco (or oil/lard) to fill a cast iron skillet to … [Read more...]
Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe – Using Magic Bullet
I recently purchased a Magic Bullet and I must say I am very impressed! I have used it a minimum of 5 times a day since I took it out of the box! It is so easy to have fresh fruit smoothies and such now! Last night I decided to make home made tomato soup for the first time ever. I know that the magic bullet book as a recipe inside but I decided on my own take of that recipe instead of following theirs...it turned out amazing!! Ingredients: 2 tomatos cut into quarters1/2 cup water1 chicken bullion cube (you could also use vegetable bullion)1/2 clove garlic1/3 cup milk I placed all ingredients inside the 'tall' for the Magic Bullet and used the cross blade! I blended until it was the consistency of soup. I was feeding my family as well as my little brother for dinner so I made three batches of this soup. After it was all blended I cooked it in a sauce pan just as I would a can of soup! It was amazing!!! WANT MORE AMAZING RECIPES? DON'T … [Read more...]
How to Fry a Plantain
Recently while shopping I came across some Plantains. Now these are not the best looking but I also know that although Plantains are one of the most used fruits in the world they are not all that common in the U.S. First off when selecting a Plantain to cook you want to choose one that is nice and green. Preferably without any yellow spots or coloring. First thing you will need to do is slice your Plantain into pieces. I like mine about 1" in size. Next you will place Plantain slices in frying pan with oil. Fry each side of Plantain about 3 minutes or until golden brown. You will want to make sure your Plantains are not burning but that they are cooked in the middle. After Plantains have fried and have turned golden brown I take them out and drain oil off on paper towel. Next I place one Plantain at a time on a plate and use a second plate to flatten the Plantain. If it is falling apart and not sticking together then they have not fried enough in the pan. After all … [Read more...]
Cooking Pasta in a Coffee Pot!
Growing up and moving out of your parents house can be hard! I know that when I first moved out I was broke and living off of pasta and anything else that was cheap! I also learned fun ways to cook things that did not require much effort on my part. One thing I learned how to do and still do today is cook spaghetti noodles in my coffee pot. Sadly since I am not a coffee drinker this is about the only thing that I use my coffee pot for. All you will need to do is fill your coffee pot up all the way full of water. Mine is a 12 cup pot and so I do the full 12 cups full of water. After pouring the water in the coffee maker to get heated up I place the pasta inside my coffee pot coming out of the spout. Then I turn the pot on! - No filter needed! When the water is about half way in the coffee pot I slowly push the rest of the pasta into the pot as the bottom is soft and it will allow the top to cook! - When the water is fully in the pot and the noodles are all soft I just drain … [Read more...]
Ghost Pines Chardonnay Review
My Thoughts on Ghost Pines Chardonnay I am not a drinker but I do love to cook with wine. So when offered the opportunity to review wine I could not say no. In fact I have enough wine to feature one a month for the next year. So that's just what I am going to do. This month will be the Ghost Pines Chardonnay which by the way was amazing! For the recipe my daughter decided to cook a meal for my husband and I here goes 1 lb Muscles pre-cooked 1 lb Shrimp 1 lb Scallops Spaghetti can sauce 1/4c white wine 2 cloves finely chopped garlic My daughter just put all the ingredients into a sauce pan and cooked until warm. It was amazing. I love the flavors of apples, pears, and vanilla that can be tasted in the Chardonnay. It was a delicious meal. Ghost Pines Chardonnay (on the back of the bottle) In 1964 Louis P. Martini, son of Napa pioneer Louis M. Martini, purchased 178 acres of land in the eastern hills of Napa Valley. The Martini family developed this land into a … [Read more...]
Admirer Monday Week 12!
Question of the Week: How do you like your eggs? Brandy at Giveaway Blogdom and I started out our lives working in a Restaurant together that was owned by our family. Before my Restaurant days I liked my eggs over easy, but now that I truly know the different styles of eggs I would have to say that basted are my top fav's! Although I LOVE eggs so would eat them just about any way that they were prepared! **Just a reminder that you do not have to create a blog post about Admirer Monday, but it would be nice if you did so we could all gain more Blogs to follow. The choice is yours! Rules: #1 You must follow the first three blogs. Heavenly Savings, Giveaway Blogdom, and Congrats to #29 The Frugal Free Gal for being our winner in the drawing for the #3 spot! (It took me eight blogs to find one that had our button or a post. Just a reminder that you never know when your turn will happen) Leave a comment letting us know and we will follow you in return! (Please leave us a … [Read more...]