Tasty Tuesday Chicken Noodle Casserole!

Diva Donna sent me this recipe not long ago. I haven't made it yet, but it's on the menu for tonight. It looks just plain good!

My hubs bought a ton of cans of chicken from Costco. So I decided to put  some to good use.  I always use the large wide noodles. Because that's the way I like them. *Winks* 

Tasty Chicken Noodle Casserole (Paula Deen)

Ingredients
2 cups cooked or canned chicken 4 cups egg noodles, cooked and drained (approximately 2 cups uncooked)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x13 inch baking dish. In a large, tall-sided saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion, sauté until near translucent. Stirring frequently, add garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for two minutes more. Stir in the flour and cook until the flour is absorbed. Slowly add the milk and 2 cups of cheese. Reserve 1 cup of cheese for casserole topping. Once the cheese is melted add salt and pepper to taste. Combine chicken, sour cream and noodles into cheese mixture. Stir until the noodles are coated with mixture. Pour mixture into a prepared baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

There are no words...

Tasty Tuesday Sloppy Joes!

Had to delve into my files for this one that Donna sent me in January 2011. No clue as to why I haven't used it before, but I'm glad it was there ready for me to post. Thanks, Donna!

This recipe is a favorite of  the kids. It came from my Mom. When I bring it for potlucks and football parties.. It's a big hit.  Al ot of kids big and old don't like Green peppers. So this  one fits them better.  It's fine for a Private party too with your favorite hunkster. I decided  to add a little wine and Miguel's Buns. What's Sloppy Joes without great BUNS  Enjoy!!

TASTY NEAT SLOPPY JOES(Serves 8)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 hamburger buns

Directions

1. Place ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until evenly browned, stirring to crumble. I like to use a potato masher to even out the lumps. Add onion and celery, cover the pan, and cook until tender and transparent, about 5 minutes. Drain off any grease.
2. Stir the tomato soup (undiluted), ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce into the beef mixture. Season with salt and garlic powder. Heat to a simmer over low heat, and cook until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning on the bottom.
3. Spoon the hot beef mixture onto buns, which may be toasted first, and serve.

Tasty Tuesday Shrimp Scampi!

Sam wanted me to make some shrimp scampi like what he always gets at Red Lobster, so I looked up a few recipes and came up with this. The Red Lobster version is obviously baked, but this was so easy, I'm surprised I'd never tried it before.

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

1 lb tail-off medium uncooked shrimp (thawed)
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried parsley
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup white wine (I used chardonnay) 

Directions

Add olive oil and butter to skillet over medium high heat. When butter is melted, add garlic and cook a minute or two until garlic is fragrant, but not browned. Add the wine, lemon juice, and parsley and cook until reduced by about half. Add the shrimp and saute until pink. Serve and watch it disappear!

Tasty Tuesday Cranberry Pumpkin Bread!

I tried something new with my Thanksgiving leftovers this year. I had a little bit of pumpkin puree, some buttermilk left over from making something or other but not enough to do it again (you know what I'm talking about), and the remains of the whole cranberry sauce that I'd made, basically for me and Mike, which means there was a lot of it left. I usually find it, moldy and weird, in the back of the refrigerator months later. This time, I resolved to make it disappear.

But what to do with such things? I was already making my yeast pumpkin bread, which used up some of the leftover pumpkin puree from the pie, but not all of it. So I thought, why not try a different kind of bread? As the basis for this concoction, I used a recipe for banana bread and dumped all of the buttermilk, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin in it along with some extra spices, and reduced the amount of sugar the original recipe called for since there was already a fair amount of sugar in the cranberry sauce and came up with this.
Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar

To this, I added (and these amounts are very approximate):
1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg,
1/4 cup buttermilk,
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce

Put in greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. This took 1 hour and 20 min in my oven. With less cranberry sauce and no buttermilk, it wouldn't take as long. The results were slightly scruffy-looking, but tasty.

Tasty Tuesday Herb Bread!

I looked in several different stores, but I never did find the kind of toasted bread cubes I usually make my turkey dressing with, so I decided to make my own. Then I got the idea to modify this recipe for herb bread from The New Book of Favorite Breads from Rose Lane Farm, (which I've had for so long, I don't think anyone could call it "new" anymore), to make it taste like more like something you'd stuff a turkey with. I won't know until Thursday if this is going to work, but OMG, the bread is awesome, and the loaves are HUGE! I took this picture sitting next to a regular loaf of bread, and you can see how much bigger it is. And as we all know, bigger is better!

Herb Bread 

Directions:

Mix together and let stand until foamy:
2 pkgs yeast  (or 2 Tbsp)
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ginger

In a large bowl, mix together:
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp sugar
4 tsp instant chicken broth powder
3 cups white whole wheat flour (a modification I made to make it a little healthier)
1/2 cup soft shortening 
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage (the original recipe called for summer savory)
1 tsp rosemary

Stir in the yeast mixture and 4 cups white flour and stir until the dough clears the bowl.
Spread 1 more cup of flour on the bread board and knead until you have a smooth, non-sticky dough, adding more flour if necessary. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Knead dough lightly, divide, and shape into loaves. Place in greased pans, cover, and let rise until again until doubled in bulk. This recipe makes two large loaves. (And when I say large, I mean LARGE!) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 min.

To use for stuffing, cut day-old bread into cubes and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 250 degree oven about 30 min until toasty.

Tasty Tuesday Orange Blossom Balls!

Since the holidays are rapidly approaching, here's another festive recipe from our own Diva Donna! These were a big hit with my family!

Orange Blossom Balls

Ingredients
1 box (12 oz) vanilla wafers, crushed
1 can (6 oz) orange juice concentrate, thawed, undiluted.
1 cup finely chopped nuts
1 pkg sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup confectioner's sugar
Directions
Crush vanilla wafers very fine. Mix with sugar and add undiluted juice and nuts. Mix well. Shape into small balls and roll in coconut. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tasty Tuesday Chicken and Dumplings!

Last week, I ran across a recipe for old-fashioned chicken and dumplings while flipping through a cookbook that I've had forever called A Taste of Homecoming.  Interestingly enough, the original recipe came from a lady in Tennessee who is also named Cheryl, but I modified it enough to call it my own. My only wish after making it was that I had a larger stomach or more people to feed it to because it made a LOT! I'm thinking adding a bay leaf might improve it, but it was darn good the way it was, and the leftovers were just as good reheated in the microwave.

Cheryl's Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 sprigs of fresh sage (or 1/2 tsp dried sage)
8 cups water
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Place the chicken and all of the ingredients listed above in large soup pot or Dutch oven (I use a 6 quart flat-bottom saucepan). Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about an hour or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Remove the chicken and allow to cool for a bit, then remove all the bones and skin and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside. If you're using the fresh sage, you can remove it from the broth if desired.

Dumplings
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add shortening and cut it into the flour mixture with a fork. Add buttermilk and mix until moistened. Knead briefly on a floured board. Pat into 1/2 inch thickness and cut into 1 inch squares. Bring broth to a boil and add the dumplings. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring gently with a wooden spoon every two minutes or so.  Add the chicken back in, serve, and enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday Cheesy Broccoli Soup!

While strolling by my garden on the way to the barn a few days ago, among the broccoli that had gotten to the point of actually blooming, I spotted some decent-looking heads that didn't even have those nasty little worms on them that broccoli tends to attract in late summer. Apparently, the weather has been cool enough to get rid of them and allow the plants to grow as they should. So I picked it and got the urge for some broccoli soup. The idea isn't new, but I'd never made any before. Turned out rather well, actually.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup 

Ingredients:
1 large bunch of broccoli, or about 2 cups, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped.
3 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup cream
1 cup water
1 cup grated Colby jack cheese
milk
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat butter in a heavy soup pot, saute pepper and onion until onions are transparent. Add broccoli and 1 cup water. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Puree in blender until smooth. Return to the pot and add 1/2 cup milk and the cheese. Heat until cheese melts. Add cream and more milk to achieve the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tasty Tuesday Stuffed Jack-O-Lantern Peppers!

Halloween is coming, so here's another fun seasonal recipe from our own Diva Donna!

Stuffed Jack-O- Lantern Peppers

Ingredients

• 6 bell peppers, Yellow or Orange(Green if it's not Halloween)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 egg
• 4 slices whole wheat bread, cubed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
2. Lightly mix together the ground beef, egg, bread cubes, onion, tomato, garlic, chili sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
3. Wash the peppers, and cut jack-o'-lantern faces into the peppers with a sharp paring knife, making triangle eyes and noses, and pointy-teeth smiles. Slice off the tops of the peppers, and scoop out the seeds and cores. Stuff the peppers lightly with the beef stuffing, and place them into the prepared baking dish so they lean against each other. 
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the peppers are tender and the stuffing is cooked through and juicy, about 1 hour. 

Tasty Tuesday Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls!

The flavor of the day is chocolate! I hate to admit this, but sometimes when I'm desperate for something sweet, I make this in smaller amounts and mix in unmelted chocolate chips for a decadent treat that can be rolled into balls or eaten with a spoon.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

2 lbs chocolate coating or chips

12 oz jar peanut butter

2 sticks soft butter

5 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Mix everything together except the chocolate. Roll into balls, chill, then dip in melted chocolate. Chill on waxed paper.

Tasty Tuesday Banana Pudding!

I shamelessly stole this recipe from fellow Sourcebooks author Samantha Grace's post on Casablanca Authors. I love banana pudding, and the fact that this is her grandmother's recipe pretty much guarantees it's going to be better than anything you could make with a mix. I modified it slightly by changing the meringue to the recipe I use for my pies. The pudding was a little too sweet and not as thick as I'd like, so I'm thinking next time I'll decrease the sugar to 2/3 cup and increase the flour to 2 or 3 tbsp. Either way, it's pretty tasty!

Grandma Cordie’s Banana Pudding

Pudding
2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 bananas, sliced
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
Vanilla wafers

Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. In a saucepan, beat the egg yolks and milk together.  Add the flour and sugar mixture and cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add butter and vanilla to the boiling mixture. Have a bowl lined with vanilla wafers and a layer of bananas. Pour some of the pudding mixture on top. Repeat layers.

Meringue
Mix together and cook in microwave for 2 minutes until clear and thickened:
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp sugar
Then place in the freezer to cool. Beat 3 egg whites until frothy and add a dash of salt and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar. Continue to beat until stiff and add the cooled cornstarch mixture and 4 tablespoons sugar, one tbsp at a time while continuing to beat. Top the pudding and brown it in the oven at 325 for 20 min. Chill and serve.

Recipes, Birthdays, and Lake Trips, Oh My!!!!

Got a lot to cover today! ER's BD, another great recipe from Diva Donna, and a trip to the lake! Better get started!
First off, the recipe:

MEXICAN CHICKEN KABOBS

Ingredients(serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 onion, cut into wedges and separated
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 10 cherry tomatoes

Directions

1. In a shallow dish, mix together olive oil, cumin, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken, and mix well. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
2. Preheat grill for high heat.
3. Thread chicken, zucchini, onion, red bell pepper, and tomatoes onto skewers.
4. Brush grill with oil, and arrange skewers on hot grate. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, turning to cook evenly.

Footnote: you have to provide your own skewers!!

And now, the Birthday Party for Elizabeth Raines!

Wow! Two birthdays this week!

Since I've already used them for Lisa's birthday, I hope Elizabeth doesn't mind that I didn't give her the Birthday Buns. Still, I'm sure she'll have fun popping the balloon!

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!


Me and my hospital gang are leaving for Dale Hollow Lake this morning. Will try to check in later if Suzie's internet phone wifi thingy works.

I am SO looking forward to this trip! Drifting on the lake has been sounding really good for some time now. I usually get too cold laying out on the lake on my float, but something tells me that won't be a problem this year.

Tasty Tuesday Blue Cheese Potato Salad!

It's Tuesday, and we've got a joint effort this time. Suzy sent me the link, and Donna sent in the recipe and pics.

First of all, you've got to watch this before you ever make potato salad again--that is, if you want them peeled.

 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7375897927147969009

Blue Cheese Potato Salad (Served up on a beach picnic)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs red potatoes, cut into eighths
5 slices bacon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 green onions, chopped
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)

Directions:
Cook bacon until crisp, and cut into one inch pieces.
In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Fold in green onions, cheese, potatoes and bacon.
Can be served immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
And ENJOY!!!!

Tasty Tuesday Almond Joy Bars!

Oh, my God... I really wish they'd quit putting these recipes in the sidebar on Facebook. The temptation is just too much for an aging, overweight, mildly diabetic erotic romance writer when she needs a break.
I have, ahem, edited the recipe ever so slightly...

Mounds/Almond Joy Bars

Bekka from Birmingham, AL says:
This recipe is so good! Use light or dark chocolate. Use a 13x9 inch pan for a thicker version, or use half the recipe for a smaller group. It is simply easy.

Ingredients

- 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

- 3/4 c light brown sugar, packed

- 2 1/2 c flour

- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

- 28 oz sweetened condensed milk

- 28 oz shredded coconut

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 5 c 70% cacao chocolate baking chunks (loosely placed

in cup)
- sliced almonds or Almond Joy Bites (optional)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and coat with canola or vegetable oil spray. NOTE: I use a 13x9 inch pan because I prefer them thicker. You can adjust the size of the pan to your preference. You can use 1/2 the recipe if you do not need as much.
2.  In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together. Add the flour and salt. Carefully mix until it resembles chunky bread crumbs. Transfer into the prepared pan and press the batter into an even layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the coconut topping.
3.  In a large bowl, combine the condensed milk, coconut, and vanilla. Spread over the crust and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until it begins to brown.
4.  Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Pour over cooked coconut bars and spread in an even layer. Top with sliced almonds if desired. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until hardened, about 1 hour. Cut into 36 squares.

Tasty Tuesday Bang'n Blueberry Coffee Cake!

Here's another scrumptious recipe from our own Diva Donna! The picture alone is making me hungry!

Bang'n Blueberry Coffee Cake

 

Ingredients:

Streusel topping 1/4 c brown sugar 1/4 c white sugar 1/4 c flour 3TBSP butter, room temp 1 tsp. cinnamon Cake 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup white sugar 1/3 c melted butter 1 beaten egg 1/2 c milk 1 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 c frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Grease and flour a loaf or cake pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. For the topping - In small mixing bowl, combine streusel ingredients. Blend with fork until crumbly. Set aside.

3. In a small sauce pan, heat half the blueberries and 1 tsp of sugar over medium heat, while occasionally mashing the berries. Heat until berries turn into slightly thick syrup. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. In a small bowl, sift flour with baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a medium bowl, mix together beaten egg and 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well.

5. Pour 1/2 the batter into a greased and floured pan. Sprinkle with remaining blueberries and half the streusel topping, then top with remaining batter. Using a spoon, drizzle the blueberry syrup over the top, and gently swirl with a toothpick to slightly mix in. Top with remaining streusel. 

6. Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 min.  Remove from oven. Partially  Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut and serve. Enjoy!!

Tasty Tuesday Bahama Mama!

Hey gang! Spring has been with us a week, so I guess it's time to start thinking about summer and hanging out (HA!) at the pool. Donna is pretty sure this is the same guy as last week's Whopper. Still think it's fake? She sent me this recipe for you doubters, which is guaranteed to make you feel more, um, trusting....

Here's a  tasty Poolside drink recipe to go along with the Poolside hunk!

Bahama Mama

Ingredients
0.5 oz Rum
0.5 oz Malibu rum
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
0.5 oz Grenadine

Method: Prepare in a blender
Glass: Tulip
Recipe:

1. Blend the coconut-flavored rum and the regular rum, the grenadine syrup and the juices, along with about a cup of ice cubes in a blender until slushy.
2. Pour into a tulip glass and enjoy with your pool man!

Tasty Tuesday Cooler Corn!

I'd never heard of this in my life until Donna sent it to me, but what a great idea!

Cooler Corn

Directions:

1. Fill a clean cooler with the shucked ears of corn. 
2. Pour two kettles-full of boiling water over the corn.
3. Close the top and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. 
4. The corn will remain at the perfect level of doneness for a couple of hours.

This will give you plenty of time to grill your burgers or boil your lobsters while you wait.

Tasty Tuesday Chocolate Disgust Dessert!

And now for another tempting recipe from our own Diva Donna!

Gee Whiz,  Cheryl! We didn't get enough controversy from Friday's Big Grumpy Pants post. Maybe this will one will raise some eyebrows too. A  cute, finger licking good hunk photo.

But come on try this,  you just  want to lick your fingers and taste this delicacy. I'm talking about the dessert now... 

CHOCOLATE DISGUST DESSERT

Ingredients

- 1 bx chocolate fudge cake, prepared - 2 bx chocolate instant pudding, prepared - 1 lg tub of cool whip

- 6 heath candy bars, crushed - 1/2 c Kahlua liquor

Directions

1. Cut your prepared cake into cubes.
2. In a large glass bowl, layer the bottom with a third of your cake cubes. Then sprinkle with 1/3 Kahlua. Top with a layer of pudding, then a layer of Cool Whip. Then a layer of candy.
3. Repeat this for 2 more layers, ending with the topping of Cool Whip and sprinkled candy!

When you're finished licking your fingers, It's Lucky in Love Week, so come on over to Rhi Reading for a guest blog by yours truly and a chance to win a free copy of Stud!

Snowy Tuesday Gingerbread!

After all the spring flowers I've posted here lately, it seems pretty strange to have snow to report. I wasn't expecting it at all, but Sunday night, it freakin' snowed. However, in light of the recent bout of thunderstorms and devastating tornadoes, a gentle little snowfall wasn't necessarily a bad thing.



Still, if you look very closely at this next photograph, you can see a couple of robins out there in the snow under the pear tree.



















Peaches and Bugsy seemed a bit baffled by it all, and I really can't blame them. One day we're out picking flowers and the next, we're leaving footprints in the snow.

















What with all of this winter weather, I got the itch to bake some gingerbread. Interesting stuff, gingerbread. According to the King Arthur Flour cookbook (which is where I found this recipe), in the medieval days of merry old England, ginger and pepper were the only spices readily available. Therefore, gingerbread was the most popular sweet treat during holidays and festivals for at least a thousand years.

I guess times haven't changed all that much, because I had all the ingredients on hand except for the buttermilk. I substituted regular milk and it turned out fine. The sweeteners can also be varied according to taste and availability, just use 1 1/2 cups of whatever you have. You can also substitute corn or maple syrup for the molasses if you like.

So, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and get ready for an age-old treat!

Gingerbread  

Ingredients:
3/4 stick of butter
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Cream the butter until light. Continue beating as you add sweeteners 1/2 cup at a time and then the egg. Beat until light and fluffy. Blend the dry ingredients together and add them to the butter mixture alternately with the milk. Pour into a greased  9 inch cake pan. Bake 45 minutes and enjoy with the medieval hunk of your choice!

Tasty Tuesday Black Bean Mexican Soup!

I reckon there's still enough left of winter to want some nice, hot soup to keep you toasty, so here's a recipe I got from Linda Wisdom a while back.

Black Bean Mexican Soup

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained (fresh or frozen corn can be used) (canned can be used to but lightly rinse them if they're salty)
1 C. salsa (your favorite kind)
2 C chicken broth
2 T lime (or lemon) juice
2 dashes (or more depending on your taste) hot sauce

Combine in pot (4 qt) bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 5 min.
Serve with a sprinkling of (optional but I highly recommend the first two)

Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped green onion
Dollop of sour cream

Makes about 4 servings

Tasty Fat Tuesday Pecan Orange Bread!

Guest blogging on two sites today. Long and Short Erotic Romance and Simply Kayla's Book Reviews! Come on over and post a comment for your chance to win a free copy of Stud!

To celebrate Mardi Gras, here's a sinfully delicious recipe from our own Diva Donna!

You want something special and easy for breakfast for your sexy beast on Fat Tuesday? This is it.
Belle Oaks Inn Pecan Orange Bread!

Pecan Orange Bread

















Ingredients
- 1 can(s) pillsbury grands 8 ct. buttermilk biscuits

- 1 can(s) pillsbury grands 5 ct. buttermilk biscuits

- 1 c sugar

- 1 stk unsalted butter, melted

- 2 sm oranges

- 1/2 c confectioner's sugar

- 1/2 c pecans, chopped

- 1 pkg cream cheese

- 1 dash(es) orange extract

Directions

1. Spray a large bundt pan liberally with non-stick spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Pour sugar into small bowl. Zest both oranges and add to sugar. Mix to combine. Reserve oranges to juice for glaze.
3. Melt butter. Pour a small amount of butter into the bundt pan and spread 1/2 the pecans in the bottom.

4. Open the cans of biscuits. Taking one biscuit at a time, open each biscuit and insert 1 tsp. of cream cheese into the center. Press to seal. Dip the biscuit in butter and then dip in sugar-orange zest mixture, coating entire biscuit. Stand biscuit in bundt pan on its side. Repeat with remaining biscuits, creating a circle around the bundt pan.

5. Pour remaining butter over the biscuits and sprinkle remaining pecans on top.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until biscuits are puffed and golden.
7. Remove from oven and turn bread out from bundt pan onto desired serving platter.
8. Mix confectioner's sugar with the juice from the oranges to create a glaze. You may add a dash of orange extract if desired to intensify the orange flavor. Use as much juice as needed to create a glaze consistency you like. Drizzle glaze over bread while still warm.
9. Best when served warm, but can also be served at room temperature. Reheat in microwave for 30 seconds if desired.

Tasty Tuesday Banana Pudding Squares!

Happy Valentine's Day! To celebrate, here's another treat from our own Diva Donna! Might have to make this one while we're in Gatlinburg!

Banana Pudding Squares

Ingredients

35 nilla wafers, crushed

1/4 c margarine, melted (1/2 stick)

1 pkg philadelphia cream cheese, softened (8 oz.)

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 tub cool whip, thawed, divided (8 oz)

3 bananas (Peeled)

3 c milk cold

2 pkg jell-o vanilla flavor instant pudding (4-serving

size each)

1/2 square of baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate,

grated or I use a few minature choc. chips sprinkled on top

Directions

1. COMBINE wafer crumbs and margarine; press firmly onto bottom of 9×13-inch dish. Refrigerate while preparing filling. **I have to double the crust ingredients to get it to cover the bottom of a 9X13 pan

2. MIX cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping; spread carefully onto crust. Set aside. Slice bananas and arrange over cream cheese mixture.

3. POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. Spoon over bananas. Spread with remaining whipped topping; sprinkle with chocolate (optional. **I haven’t put the chocolate on yet….I like to put a layer of Nilla Wafers on top or just leave the cool whip as the topping

4. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator (if there are any : )

5. When ready to serve cut into squares and put chocolate grated or chips on top. (optional)

Monday in Gatlinburg!

First of all, this is where we're staying. If any gorgeous hunks have nothing better to do, drop by and see us like yesterdays' Monday Moon did.

After breakfast, we walked down to the 5D Shoot 'em Up and rode the mechanical boat/horse while blasting away at the pirates and outlaws. Fun stuff!

Then we did a bit of shopping. While we sampled the jerky, Willy was excited to finally find a potty that was just his size!

After all that shopping, Willy and I had to rest for a while. 

We met for lunch at Bubba Gump's, We sat in the same booth as we did the last time, but didn't get the same waiter. Shane was there,  though, and remembered us quite well! Our new waiter, Vasyl (vass-EEL) was very cute, although he does tend to make faces when he's photographed. He has the most fabulous accent I've ever heard in my life--he sounded like exotic chocolate. 

The food was great, and we ate way too much. I told Terri not to order the appetizer sampler!

As you can see, we probably drank too much too!

Then it was back to shopping. Willy stopped to celebrate Valentine's Day with a new friend. 

After buying some really heavy stuff at The Pepper Palace and having a lengthy and slightly strange discussion with the guy who worked there, I trudged back up the hill to the hotel and got caught up on my blogging. Along the way, Willy and I stopped to take pictures of the frozen fountain. 

Then it was back to the room to rest up before going out for dinner. But we wound up ordering pizza. Shopping is hard on a bunch of old women!

Tasty Tuesday Beef Taco Skillet!

This recipe comes to us courtesy of our own Diva Donna!

Beef Taco Skillet (serves 4)














Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup (Regular or 25% Less Sodium)
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 (6 inch) flour tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Cook beef in 10-inch skillet until well browned, stirring to break up meat. Pour off fat.
2. Stir in soup, salsa, water, tortillas. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes Stir. Top with cheese.