Themed food you say?

Most of my good friends know I love a good theme party

 holidays

playing dress up (especially when my mom wanted me to clean my room...)

...yes that's fake hair ;-)

But themed FOOD?! Never really been my thing. Not on purpose, there just hasn't been an occasion I suppose. But if I love theme parties and food, you'd think I'd find a food theme party quite lovely.

So I finally got the chance.
At work today we had a themed pot luck. Given it's Memorial Day, it was red, white and blue food. The idea made me gag. What in the world could I make with only those colors and that isn't a Bomb Pop, because I most definitely would've been willing to bring those! ;-)

My first thought was those cheesecake filled strawberries. Never made them, but they look delicious, and fit the theme. To make them different and to hit all the colors I topped them with a Blueberry. I was happy with the final result. They looked good, tasted yummy and maybe possibly had a FEW less calories then like a red velvet cake...I mean there WAS fruit. Filled with sugar. and cream cheese. But I used TWO fruits sooooo...healthy, yeah, healthy!

If you skip the graham cracker crumbs on top the recipe would be gluten free. I know that there IS a gluten free graham cracker, so you'd just take that extra step of crushing those and Gluten Free Golden! 

Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Bites

2 lbs. strawberries
1/2 pint blueberries
2 8oz blocks cream cheese
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
graham cracker crumbs

The beginning part is a bit finicky for my liking, but you start by coring the strawberries and removing the stems. I cut the tip of the bottom of the strawberries in order for them to stand upright. Mix together cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar. I thought throwing in a little lemon juice would kick it up a notch, or lime even, for the next time! Scoop cream cheese mixture into a large ziploc baggie and cut the tip of one of the corners to pipe into the berrys. Or if you're one of those fancy people, take out your piping bags...elitists. 
Refrigerate before serving. I made them the night before and sprinkled the graham crumbs right before serving so they wouldn't get soggy.

After that I thought if it's a pot luck im going to need FOOD FOOD. But red white and blue? 

FINALLY the idea came, blue corn tortilla chips with salsa and white queso. But I wanted to present it in an impressive way. I wanted to make a flag like they do with those jello molds. So I came up with the idea using my words and recruited this super cute artsy guy to help me execute what I was thinking...

gosh he's cute.
let's just pause and enjoy this moment.
look at the cute guy.
IGNORE THE MESSY KITCHEN.
There's a cute guy there!

This food has no RECIPE because let's get real, I can't make awesome food AND display it this beautifully with so little time.
White Queso 
Mild Salsa
Blue Corn Chips

 TA-DAAAAAAA!

stunning right? I love. love. LOVE.

I even created my very first PIN on Pinterest so feel free to pin it to YOUR board and spread the blog love. 

I Hope everyone had a blessed Memorial Day and reflected on it's meaning. Thank you to those who have served (or do), risked their lives and even those who've given up there lives to protect or Freedom.

Happy Cooking! :-)
 

Wakey Wakey it's time for Egg Bake...ey!

Who doesn't love a killer egg bake? You typically can prep the night before, or throw it in the crock making your Sunday morning breakfast easy peasy. I've always had a hard time eating breakfast, I'm just not hungry right when I get up, plus sleep is just so much better. So egg bake is perfect for me, because egg bakes usually range from 45 minutes to an hour. The perfect amount of time to throw it in, sleep just a little longer, make coffee or get a quick walk in while it bakes and you work up an appetite. My favorite thing in egg bake is green chilies. Even when I was the pickiest eater ever, I always loved whatever those, slimy, mildly spicy green things were. So I have faith, that even if you have picky eaters, they might not even notice. Just don't show them the recipe ;-)

Last month I posted my first ever made-it-up-myself crock pot egg bake. Today was a new, didn't browse recipes to make one up. It was all my pretty little cooking mind! I'm very impressed with myself that for you, I kept track, took mental pictures and actually created a RECIPE! I'm so bad at actual recipes. I'm much more a little a this, a little of that, however much you want kinda girl!

So here it is!

Sunday Sunrise Egg Bake

10 eggs
1 1/2 cups spinach, chopped
1 small can green chilies
1/2 bag frozen shredded hashbrowns
4-5 thins slices deli ham
1/2 cup real bacon bits, split
1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded gouda
1 cup colby jack cheese
1 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, each 

Preheat oven to 375. 
Grease 9X13 pan with cooking spray. Spread frozen hashbrowns evenly on bottom of pan. Sprinkle 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper over top of hashbrowns. THIS IS KEY. Even if you add salt and pepper to the top of the egg bake, the hashbrowns will still taste bland at the bottom. Layer 1/2 the chilies, sprinkle gouda. Cover with the slices of deli ham. Finish off with the rest of the chilies, 1/2 cup colby jack cheese and 1/4 cup bacon bits. Beat eggs, milk, spinach and remaining salt/pepper. Pour over the pan of ingredients. Bake for 35 minutes, uncovered. Remove from oven, top with remaining colby jack cheese and bacon bits. Bake for 10 more minutes, until the egg had settled completely and the cheese gets yummy brown.
Enjoy!

I'm scolding the man of the house as I type, I swear he ate HALF THE PAN...so I guess there's your confirmation that I made a good one!

Happy assembling, baking and eating! :-)
 

Byerly's Schmeyerlys

There is nothing I love more than the Byerly's salad bar. Seriously. It's everything I ever wanted in a salad. A few years ago by the time I got done with toppings it was like finding a needle in a haystack to find the lettuce. Whoops!

But I'm so over $10 salads. My latest was delicious and I got it under $5. VERY impressive. Until I really thought about the fact that I could make my own salad bar at home and get 5 times the meals for my money.

So here's what I finally did today:

I totally forgot the cherry tomatoes. 
fail.
But look at all that green gloriousness.
Yes there's cheese, yes there's bacon.
get over it.
:-)
*Cucumbers
*Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
*Green Peas
*Colby Jack cheese
*Hard Boiled eggs
*Sunflower Seeds 
*Bacon bits

The possibilities are endless but these things are always my must haves. So go get your salad bar on ladies and gents, in the comfort of your very own fridge.

Happy Prepping!! :-)

Homemade, Scratch, Generation Passed Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake or a Box of Bisquick....Shhhhh....

The First time I had Strawberry Shortcake at Trevor's mom's house I said uhhhh why are you making biscuits and wheres the little round yummy pre-made angel food cake?!

I think the Hamilton's about died. Ummmm you've never had REAL strawberry shortcake?? 

apparently not.

I was like zero percent interested in eating a dry biscuit topped with strawberries, like negative even. Then I ate it. I could never go back. No way, now how, you can't make me. So of course my little baker had to find a way to scratch make them gluten free. 

We went to Target to get all the ingredients and sweet baby Jesus we saw it...
GLUTEN FREE BISQUICK.

They've been approved by both mom's who couldn't believe it was A) so light and B) better than the original, Dad's and even all the critters. So while I'm sure now you're waiting on edge, like, okay so get on with the recipe I will leave you with the following.

1) Go to Target
2) Pick up GF Bisquick
3) Turn over the Box
4) Follow the directions baby!

Phew. That was easy.

Happy Baking!! :-)

Dorito Taco Bake: The Glorified Nacho

I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and up popped a recipe for Dorito Taco Bake. It looked simple, it looked yummy and it looked like it just needed to be in my belly. Plus- gluten free.
So I picture texted Trev and said plllllllease....?

I got to work the next day and I had more people come up to me and ask for the recipe than ever before. My first thought was sure Trevor makes it and it's the most wanted recipe, seriously?! I sent a message to him letting him know everyone was dying for it to which he responded:

"really? it's like the dumbest recipe ever, it's glorified nachos!"

Well these glorified Nachos were delicious!

I had a few questions from people though:

Trevor HATES lettuce warmed up in any capacity...did it taste weird??
-No crispy!
Did the chips get all soggy from the tomatoes??
-Nope Crunchety!
Did you eat the whole pan?
-Close! ;-)

So here it is, in all it's glory:

Glorified Nachos

1 7oz. bag Nacho cheese Doritios, crushed
1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 8oz package Cheddar
1 8oz. package Mozzarella
Shredded Lettuce
Sliced Tomato

Layer Ingredients in 9x13 pan. crushed chips, meat, seasonings, 2/3 cheese, lettuce, tomato and remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Annnnnnnd SCENE.

Happy Cooking!! :-)

Gettin' Preppy With it

I know, I know...what do I, the unmarried, non-mommy know about time management and organization? 
If you consider jobs, like babies, then, I'm like octo-mom. So if I have time, YOU have time. 

I cannot stress the importance of prepping. It may LOOK impossible, but it sets you up for at least a week, of breakfast, snacks, lunches and sometimes even dinner. I spend about an hour on Sundays prepping (when I'm on point). I prep for the two of us. I created a "snack station" a little over a year ago that is filled primarily with healthy under 100 calorie snacks. There's no excuse for not having time to grab something when that's there and why waste money on expensive, unhealthy gas station snacks when you're on the go. 

While we're using the MyFitnessPal app I also try and figure out the calories in each snack pack and post it on each container. Yes, this takes more time, but if you know what calories you have to work with for the day, more or less, it's a lot easier to input and stay on track for the day. 

VARIETY IS KEY.

Here are some examples of things i've put in our Snack Packs:

*Hummus 
*Veggies
*fruits (fresh and canned)
* pretzel thins
*hard boiled eggs
*caprese salad
*sandwich thin sandwiches
*salami cuts
*cheese cuts
*cashews
*cinnamon almonds
*mini quesadillas
*string cheese

Happy Prepping!! :-)
 

Rise and Shine it's crock-pot breakfast time!

Ever wake up hungry but have like ZERO interest or time to cook and just wish breakfast would wake you up?? 
Well have no fear because crock-pot breakfast is here!

I've got two recipes for you this evening that could help start your day off right tomorrow! 

I've never been a fan of oatmeal. ever. the texture has to be the most disgusting thing in the world, besides mushrooms of course. But why on earth would someone enjoy eating MUSH for breakfast?! Trev was the first one to introduce me to steel cut oats. He told me it was thicker than oatmeal so that I should give it a try. The first time I ate it, meh, okay, BETTER than oatmeal but no yummy big deal. Then one day I was browsing through Pinterest and I found a recipe, for Apple Pie Breakfast. oats. cinnamon. apples. How could you go wrong waking up to the smell of that deliciousness?? Not only did it take two seconds to put in the crock pot the night before but the intoxicating smell when I woke up was enough to make me think I died and went to Heaven. When I ate it I realized, yep, Heaven.
Hot, Chunky, cinnamon applesauce Heaven.

Here's that recipe...

Apple Pie Breakfast

3 cups steel cut oats
3 cups light apple juice (cider might kick it up a notch)
3 apples of your choice, I used gala
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Set crockpot on low for 8 hours. Wake up to the gloriousness and enjoy!

My second recipe is an egg bake, but cooks overnight in your crock. I'm not a big breakfast eater, but when I eat it I want the good stuff. I want eggs, I want bacon, I want hot sauce, I want. IT. ALL.

 Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

30 oz. shredded hashbrowns
3/4 lb crumbled breakfast sausage, browned
1/2 jar Hormel Real Bacon Pieces (I always sub bacon with these as they are WAY lower on the fat and don't have to cook it!)
2 cups cheese of your choice
12 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 small can green chillies

I layered the ingredients about three times. The first time I ever attempted to make a egg bake in the crock, I found it to be dry and not enough salt and pepper. I'm not someone who likes a lot of salt either, so for me to think it was bland well...so you might even add more than the salt it calls for. I also think it was dry because you just layered one ingredient on top of the other without mixing, so mix well. plus who doesn't want all the yummy ingredients in each bite? helllllo! 

Spray the crock with non-stick spray. layer 1/3 the hasbrowns at the bottom. sprinkle 1/3 sausage/bacon bits, then 1/3 of the cheese. In between each of these layers I snuck in the spinach and green chillies. repeat with two more layers. 
In large mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper, then pour that mixture over the casserole in the pot. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. This recipe made enough for the two of us to have breakfast for about a week and a half. Perfect for brunch, bridal showers orrrrr a week and a half of breakfast each day ;-)

Happy Cooking!! :-)
 

Not gluten free, Not healthy but they make me 'APPY!

If there's one thing I can't get enough of in food land, besides pizza and tacos, it's appetizers.

They're generally easy,   mostly crock-pot adaptable and they make EVERYONE'S bellies happy. Unless of course there's something seriously wrong with you...
I know it's so much more exciting when there are photos and you'd think given how often I make them there would be photographic evidence, however, today there are none. You're just going to have to suck it up and trust me! (You've seen what I can do so this part should be easy...)

So here we go on my tour of my all-time favorite go-to, must-have apps!


You just can't go wrong with anything buffalo chicken, and if you think it's wrong, baby, I don't wanna be right. Dips, Egg Rolls, Sandwiches, meatballs, pizza, the possibilities are endless. But my first ever, is my best ever and so here it is

#1 Requested:

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 large cans shredded chicken(if you're an elitist and you just can't do the can, rotisserie is always a great sub)
2 blocks cream cheese (I use nefcheutel)
1 cup ranch or bleu cheese dressing
1 cup Frank's hot sauce
1 cup sharp shredded cheddar

Crock pot low all day and if you don't have enough time, on high for at least 3 hours.
Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

#2 Requested:

Reuben Dip

1 can sauerkraut 
4 packages Carl Buddig Corned Beef
1/2 Thousand Island Dressing
8 oz. swiss cheese
1 block Cream Cheese (again I use nefcheutel, if I can spare the calories and not the taste, I always will)

Throw all ingredients in crock pot, 4 hours high or low all day. The longer you cook this one the better it gets. This recipe IS GLUTEN FREE, however you'll just have to dip with gluten free pretzels. My favorite thing to dip with is the flat pretzels or top the mini rye breads from the bakery section.

*another cooks tip: I never liked sauerkraut until this recipe, I cook the kraut in a frying pan for 10- minutes or so to brown and take out the extra sour and it's TOTALLY worth the additional time!

#3 Requested:

The always simple

Corned Beef Pickle Dip
*Everyone always loves those roll-ups, who doesn't? but I love this dip even more!

2 packages cream cheese softened (nefcheutel)
1 8 oz. light sour cream
4 packages Carl Buddig Corned Beef, sliced and diced
1 small jar pickle relish

Mix all ingredients together and cool for at least an hour.
The easiest way i've found to do the beef is just grab a pair of scissors and cut into strips and then into little squares. this is probably the hardest part of the recipe, so if you can't do that, I fear for whomever you cook for...Let's be honest.

Serve with crackers.

#4 Requested:

Hot and Cheesy Bruschetta Dip

anything with cheese sells itself, lets get real. Not only is this a favorite but it's also a Pampered Chef recipe! Which I love of course, because well, I'm a consultant and any shameless plug I can throw in is good ;-)


I've made this several ways. as a dip, as a topper, served with bread, on top of puff pastry. This recipe is so versatile!

The recipe can be found on my website!

 http://new.pamperedchef.com/pws/pearlgrl/recipe/Appetizers+%26+Snacks/Hot+%26+Cheesy+Bruschetta+Dip/452005

And I guess, while you're there, if you wannnnted, you could check out our new products for Spring/Summer too! :-)

 Last but certainly not least 

#5 Requested:

Okay, it may not seem shameless anymore because it's another Pampered Chef recipe, but this one's a serious party fave...and it's my job so, ya know, get over it.

Tangy Pepper Pecan Brie

I think people think brie and they think difficult and hoity toity, but it's easy and it'll make people THINK you're a fancy pants super star! That recipe can also be found on my website.

 http://new.pamperedchef.com/pws/pearlgrl/recipe/Appetizers+%26+Snacks/Tangy+Pepper-Pecan+Brie/75013

I hope you've thoroughly enjoyed Appy Hour with me and if you have any questions about cooking, adaptations I may have etc. please feel free to ask!

'Appy Cooking! :-)

*side note Gavroche, from Les Miserables, is my favorite character so as I typed, Appy over and over, I was 'appily sayin it in my best Gavroche accent.
You're Welcome. 




 
 
 

 

Coffee Talk

But seriously.
I know you're looking.
I know you're checking out the recipes....
What do you want more of?
What's missing?
What kind of recipe ideas are you looking for?
Are you looking for things other than food advice?
Now here's where I wait and listen....
Your turn, ask away!