Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
3 bonless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
1 can biscuits (Jumbo 5ct)

Directions:
Cook chicken in broth until fully cooked.
When still boiling, add cut biscuits into quarters and drop into boiling liquid.
Cover and turn heat to low.
Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced red or yellow onion
2 cups sliced green bell pepper
2 teaspoons dried Mexican seasoning blend
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup canned chicken broth or water
Fresh lime juice

Directions:
-In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over moderately high heat. Add the 2 cups onions, 2 cups sliced bell peppers, 2 teaspoons Mexican seasoning, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.
-Add 3 minced garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the 1/2 cup broth or water. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add lime juice to taste and correct the seasonings. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 can chicken
2 cans mixed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 dashes sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 deep dish frozen pie crusts

Directions:
-Drain chicken and vegetables.
-In a large bowl, mix the first five ingredients.
-Place mixture into pie crust and top with second.
-Crimp edges together.
-Make 2 or 3 slits in top crust and bake according to pie shell directions.

Making Chicken Stock

Making Chicken Stock



Chicken stock is used as the base for many soups and sauces, as well as adding flavor and richness to rice dishes, stews, and pastas.

1. To make basic chicken stock, you will need bones from two chickens, water, 1 medium onion, 1 medium carrot, 2 stalks celery, 15 coarsely ground black peppercorns, and 1/2 of a bay leaf.

2. Remove as much fat from the chicken bones as possible. Do this by slicing off the chicken fat with a standard, sharp kitchen knife. You will not be able to remove every ounce of fat from the bones. Do not worry; you will skim much of the remaining fat off of the stock before you are finished.

3. Place the bones in a large stockpot. Pour water into the pot until the bones are completely immersed. Turn the stove on to a high temperature, and watch the stock carefully to ensure that it does not come to a boil at any point. Boiling the water will cause fat to churn in the pot rather than rise to the top where you can skim it off. When the stock appears to be about to come to a boil, reduce the heat to low. The stock should simmer at a very low heat. The goal is to have only one bubble rise to the surface per second, but a low simmer will suffice.

4. While the water is heating, begin to prepare the vegetables. Keep in mind it is in your best interest to keep the vegetables in moderately large chunks as they will be simmering in the pot for at least 45 minutes, and small pieces of vegetable will lose their flavoring quickly. Begin by removing the top and bottom of the onion, peeling, and cutting it in half. Discard the top, bottom, and skin pieces. Slice the onion into large chunks.

5. Peel and slice the carrots. The carrots should be sliced into fairly large chunks.

6. Celery leaves, especially those on the outside of the bunch, are extremely bitter and will do nothing to improve the taste of your stock. Remove and discard these leaves from the celery stalks. Then, slice the celery into pieces.

7. Combine the onions, carrots, and celery in a mixing bowl. Add the coarsely ground peppercorns and the 1/2 bay leaf to the bowl.

8. Looking at the simmering stock, you will notice a yellow layer of fat has risen to the surface.

9. Use a ladle to skim this layer off. Discard the unwanted fat. This photo shows how the stock should appear after it has been skimmed.

10. The stock will need to simmer 2 hours total. After the stock has simmered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, add the vegetables to the pot. Bring the stock back to a simmer. While the stock simmers for the final 45 minute stretch, constantly skim the fat off the surface as it becomes visible.

11. Strain the stock through a fine colander or alternate straining device (cheesecloth laid inside an ordinary colander will work fine).

12. The finished stock should be a light tan color, translucent, and have little or no fat floating on the surface. The stock is now ready for use.

***A great way to keep your stock fresh and on hand is to pour it into ice cube trays and then freeze them. This way, the stock is broken up into manageable amounts. You can use one or two cubes when making a sauce, or melt down all of the cubes for a scrumptious soup base.

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients
-3 cups all-purpose flour
-1 tablespoon seasoned salt
-1 tablespoon garlic powder
-1 tablespoon onion powder
-1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
-2 eggs
-4 cups buttermilk
-1 cup barbeque sauce
-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
-1 tablespoon steak sauce
-1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
-oil for frying



Directions
-In a large shallow dish, mix together flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then whisk in buttermilk, barbeque sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and steak sauce.
-Dredge chicken in milk mixture, then in seasoned flour, alternating in each at least twice. Heat oil in a large, deep-sided skillet to 375.
-Cook chicken in hot oil until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes each side.

Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350. Coat a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
-Combine flour, parmesan, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
-In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
-Dip the chicken in the egg, then dredge in the flour mixture.
-Place in the baking dish, and pour the melted butter evenly over the chicken.
-Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cheese has browned, and the chicken has cooked.

Everybody Loves Chicken!

Today I woke up with CHICKEN on my mind! For the next 2 days I will post chicken recipes that will satisify anyone's chicken crave!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Here's a great idea for a girls' slumber party. This plan works best for seven to fifthteen year olds. Younger children don't do as well in large groups, and older children probably just won't be interested.

First, plan a menu that allows for the girls to help you in the food preparation process. English muffin pizzas work well for this. You'll need plenty of English muffins, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and other assorted pizza toppings. Let the girls build their own pizza muffins. Next, place the pizzas on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 until the cheese has melted. Serve pizzas on paper plates with a beverage of choice served in disposable cups.

For desert, let the girls make banana splits. You will need large disposable bowls, bananas, whipped cream, nuts, cherries and neopoltain ice cream. Give each girl a split banana, let them scoop their own ice cream, & top as they like with whipped cream, nuts, & cherries.

Quiet the girls down for a while by showing a rented video. Be sure to choose one that is age appropriate. Try to get a new release that none of your guests have seen, yet. You can also rent an old classic like the Annie or Grease. The boys will be fascinated by the old flick. They may laugh, but they'll enjoy it.

Also play dressup. Hair, nails, & makeup all favorites of girls these ages! Make sure to have the parents permission and nothing will be done to make permnant damage!

Have them change into their pajamas. Make popcorn and juice for them. Invite them to tell scary stories or dish the latest gossip about boys around the kitchen table. Turn off the lights and give them a few flash lights. If you plan to stay right with them, instead of flash lights, you can light a few candles.

Break out the sleeping bags and brush those teeth. It's time for bed, even if they aren't going to sleep, be sure they know it is now time to sit down and calm down.

Go to bed. Just because they are going to be up all night giggling and talking, doesn't mean you have to be up all night. Besides, you'll want to get some rest so you can make them all breakfast in the morning.

Boys Just Wanna Have Fun

Here's a great idea for a boys' slumber party. This plan works best for eight to twelve year olds. Younger children don't do as well in large groups, and older children probably just won't be interested.

First, plan a menu that allows for the boys to help you in the food preparation process. English muffin pizzas work well for this. You'll need plenty of English muffins, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and other assorted pizza toppings. Let the boys build their own pizza muffins. Next, place the pizzas on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 until the cheese has melted. Serve pizzas on paper plates with a beverage of choice served in disposable cups.

For desert, let the boys make root beer floats. You will need large disposable cups, rootbeer, and vanilla ice cream. Let the boys scoop their own ice cream into their cups. Pour in the root beer and let them enjoy.

Quiet the boys down for a while by showing a rented video. Be sure to choose one that is age appropriate. Try to get a new release that none of your guests have seen, yet. You can also rent an old classic like the original King Kong or the original Mighty Joe Young. The boys will be fascinated by the old flick. They may laugh, but they'll enjoy it.

Now break out the board games. Give the boys a choice of Monopoly, Risk, Yahtzee, and other favorite games. Let them play in one large group or in small groups, depending on interests.

When the boys lose interest in board games, invite them to regress a little. Cover your kitchen table with shaving cream and let them make a clean mess. They'll soon have shaving cream beards and white foamy hands. The shaving cream smells clean and fresh. It also cleans your table. When the boys are done, supervise as they wash hands and faces.

Have them change into their pajamas. Make popcorn and juice for them. Invite them to tell scary stories around the kitchen table. Turn off the lights and give them a few flash lights. If you plan to stay right with them, instead of flash lights, you can light a few candles to set the spooky mood.

Break out the sleeping bags and brush those teeth. It's time for bed, even if they aren't going to sleep. Let them play cards or share trading cards, but be sure they know it is now time to sit down and calm down.

Go to bed. Just because they are going to be up all night giggling and talking, doesn't mean you have to be up all night. Besides, you'll want to get some rest so you can make them all breakfast in the morning.

Slumber Party Saturday

The kids are out of school and what better way for them to keep up with their classmates than a slumber party! In the next two post I will write about slumber party ideas for boys & girls!

Rainy Day Cherry Crisp

Brighten someone's day with this delicious oat and pecan topped cherry crisp!

Ingredients:
-2 (21 ounce) cans LUCKY LEAF® Cherry Pie Filling
-1/2 cup butter, softened
-1 1/2 cups quick oats
-1 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350. Pour two cans of Lucky Leaf Cherry Pie Filling into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Blend softened butter, oatmeal, brown sugar and pecans until the mixture is crumbly; sprinkle the mixture over top of the pie filling.
-Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

*Reciepe & photo courtsey of Lucky Leaf.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a recipe that was given to me by my grandmother. It is a very savory and tasty soup and I believe that all will like it. If you would like to add even more flavor, try using smoked chicken!!



Ingredients
-2 1/2 cups wide egg noodles
-1 teaspoon vegetable oil
-12 cups chicken broth
-1 1/2 tablespoons salt
-1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
-1 cup chopped celery
-1 cup chopped onion
-1/3 cup cornstarch
-1/4 cup water
-3 cups diced, cooked chicken meat

Directions:
-Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and oil, and boil for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse under cool running water.
-In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine broth, salt, and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in celery and onion. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
-In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly. Stir in noodles and chicken, and heat through.

French Onion Soup

French onion soup is one of America's most popular "restaurant soups," but with this easy recipe you can make it at home anytime you want.

Ingredients:
-4 large yellow onions, cut in large dice
-1/2 stick unsalted butter
-1 tbsp sherry vinegar
-1/4 cup dry sherry wine
-2 sprigs fresh thyme
-1/2 tsp salt
-fresh ground black pepper to taste
-1 bay leaf
-3 cups high-quality beef broth
-3 cups high-quality chicken broth
-1 cup water

For the topping:
-toasted French bread
-8 oz shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:
-In a large soup pot, melt the butter over med-low heat. Add the onions and salt; slowly cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden-brown - about 30 minutes.
-Add the vinegar and sherry; cook for 5 minutes, and then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for one hour. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into heatproof bowls, or crocks, and top with a piece of toasted bread (cut to fit top of bowl).
-Cover with the cheese, and place under a preheated broiler until the cheese melts and begins to brown.

Rainy Day Soups

On a rainy day you can never go wrong with a great soup! Soups are also great for cold winter days!

The next few post will be dedicated to 2 of my favoite soups; Onion Soup & Chicken Noodle Soup!

Hope you enjoy!

Stay Dry With Rainy Day Dates

Sometimes the weather just isn’t cooperative for moonlit walks on the beach. Knowing a few indoor date ideas for a rainy day is a great way for you and your partner to still have a great time, rain or shine. These rainy day date ideas are also great ideas you can use year round or on a hot summer day when you’d rather be in air conditioning than in the hot sun.

Here are 12 unique romantic rainy day date ideas to try.

1. Go ice skating. Most areas have indoor ice skating rinks for hockey leagues and school teams. Find out where the nearest indoor ice skating rink is and make sure they offer ice skate rentals. You and your partner will have fun holding each other’s hands while you make a few laps around the rink, even if neither of you are very good at ice skating.

2. Go bowling. Bowling is a great way to talk with each other and have a little competitive fun. You can pretend to be serious bowlers or request bumper lanes if you’re a little rusty.

3. Be bookworms. A book store is the perfect place for a rainy day date. You can check out stores that sell new books or visit a few shops that have used and rare books. You’ll learn a lot about your partner’s interests as you look through the different book titles. Don’t forget to stop for coffee at a local café or coffee shop afterwards!

4. Play board games, cards or puzzles. You can have a blast playing card games or board games like Monopoly. You can also always stop at the store if you have some extra cash and pick out a new game together just for the occasion. If you’re not a huge fan of board games, you can always opt to do a puzzle together instead.

5. Cook up a Romantic Dinner. If you don’t feel like going out, try making dinner together at home instead. A few candles and some music playing in the background can make a simple dinner like spaghetti seem romantic.

6. Have an indoor picnic or camp. Grab your blankets and picnic basket and have a fun picnic on your living room floor. You can also set up a tent inside your house if it is big enough and you and your partner can snuggle and nap together while you listen to the raindrops on the roof.

7. Head to the museums. A rainy day is a perfect time to brush up on history, admire classic art pieces, or learn more about science. Museumspot.com is a great site where you search by location or interest to find the perfect museum for your rainy day date.

8. Find a pool hall. This is one of my favorite rainy date ideas since it’s always fun for us to laugh at how bad the other one is or pretending to be pros and calling the shots.

9. Get your video games. This can be a fun way to spend some time together on a rainy day. You can either visit your local arcade, rent a few video games to play for your current system, or drag out your original Nintendo or Atari. Just remember to stick to the 2 player games – it can get boring for the other person if they are just watching you play the whole time.

10. Have a movie marathon. Either rent a few movies from the video store or order a few from your cable provider. Make sure you have the popcorn and some blankets ready and turn the lights off to make it even better than going to the theater. You choose certain themes, actors, or catch up on your favorite television series to make it more of a “marathon”.

11. Have a photo shoot. You can be as serious or as silly as you want to be taking pictures of each other around the house. Find some unusual items, ugly sweaters or old Halloween costumes and start snapping away to a good time. You can go all out with lights and backdrops if you are able to. When you’re done taking the pictures, you can play around with them with your favorite photo editing software to make them black and white, sepia, or add other effects.

12. Go to a play or other live performance. Whether you’re into music, theater, or comedy clubs, going out to a performance is great form of rainy day entertainment. Your local newspaper can be a great source of information for current shows and venues.

What do you like to do with your partner when the weather cancels or changes your plans? Share your rainy day date ideas in the comments below.

Rain Rain Go Away

I HATE THE RAIN!!! I don't just dislike it, I LITERALLY hate it! My ankels seems to always get wet from the rain no matter what I have on, its just not a good look!

Looking at the forecast this moring, I've noticed it rains the whole weekend so I'm going to write a few post dedicated to the rain!

These post will include great rainy day date ideas, rainy day activities, & rainy day recipes!

Hope you enjoy!

Romantic Dinner: Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo

Ingredients:
1 pound fettuccini pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound uncooked shrimp - peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half-and-half
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, saute shrimp and garlic in the butter for about one minute. Pour in half and half; stir. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese in one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly. After all Parmesan is added, mix in parsley and salt. Stir frequently making sure it does not boil. Sauce will take a while to thicken.
When sauce has thickened, combine with cooked pasta noodles.

Setting The Mood For A Romantic Dinner

Romantic dinner are all about the setting. Once the mood is set, everything else fall into place.

Start by setting a romantic table.
Cover the table with a table cloth (white is fine).
Set the table with plates, silverware, and glasses.
Add flowers.
Place candles on table.
Cover table with rose petals to make the table look more elegant.



Next is finding the right music. You can make a playlist of your favorite love songs or buy a cd filled with love songs.

Romantic Picnic Lunch

Picnics are always a great romantic lunch idea! In this post we will discuss the perfect way to pack the picnic basket & the picnic lunch!

Planning the picnic menu is all about quick snacks & easy preparing! Below are picnic meal ideas!
Meal Ideas:
Sandwhichs
Salads
Fruits
Veggies
Chips
Cake
*Anything simple is a great choice!

When packing the picnic basket make sure to pack only what you need. Below are ideas on how to pack the picnic basket!
How to pack the picnic basket:
Set up your basket with your utensils and a few items that are okay unrefrigerated for a couple of hours. Place a colorful tea towel in the bottom of the basket so the sides of it hang over the basket a little. Neatly arrange your napkins, plates, utensils, glasses and desserts in the basket. Place some roses throughout the basket to add a romantic touch to it.
Pack food in airtight containers or sealed bags to keep freshness in when you pack your picnic lunch. Put things that ruin when squished in hard plastic container. These items might be sandwiches, fruit or desserts.
Place ice packs on the bottoms of the basket or cooler when you pack your picnic lunch. If you will be driving or walking a distance a cooler is a better idea to keep items from perishing. Put any items that need to be cold against the ice packs.
Keep liquids that need to be warm in a thermos. Heat the liquid to hot and place it in the thermos before you leave. When you arrive at your picnic, the liquid should be the right temperature to drink.
Bring a variety of drinks such a water, soda and, as a romantic touch, wine or champagne. When you pack your picnic lunch, place the drinks where they'll be cool and safe from being damaged.
Put the cooler in the car instead of the trunk as the car is cooler. This way, your food stays fresher longer.

Romantic Breakfast: Strawberry Banana Pancakes

What better way to start off a romantic dinner than with breakfast in bed! Focus for the breakfast would be STRAWBERRY BANANA PANCAKES served with grits, eggs, turkey bacon, orange juice, & milk. Serving this breakfast to your partner while in bed would guarantee to start the day off perfect!

Ingredients:
Pancake mix
Oil
Sliced Bananas
Sliced Strawberries
Cool Whip

Directions:
Mix pancake batter per directions on box.
Coat skillet with light amount of oil.
Pour pancake batter into skillet.
Place 5 or 6 round slices of banana and 5 or 6 slices of strawberries on the uncooked batter.
When one side is done, flip the pancake over.
Place pancake on dinner plate.
Top with fresh strawberries, bananas, & Cool Whip.

A Romantic Day

So one of my follower on Twitter asked me for a few recipes for a romantic meal for her boyfriend!

I decieded to help her with a Romantic Day!

Stay Tuned & follow @Jalisamichelle!

Chocolate Lovers Shake Recipe

Ingredients:
2 ounces chocolate syrup
1 ounce milk
4 scoops chocolate ice cream
Grated chocolate or sprinkles for topping

Directions:
Place all ingredients in blender and stir well. Blend on high until creamy. Add a little more milk or ice cream until you get the desired consistency. Top with a little grated chocolate or chocolate sprinkles.

Sweet Tart Freeze

Ingredients:
1 packet Kool Aid drink mix, any flavor
1 cup sugar
1 can crushed pineapple
6 cups ice

Directions:
Combine drink mix, sugar, and pineapple in blender.
Add ice to fill blender and mix until smooth.

Raspberry Orange Fizz

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup orange juice
carbonated lemon lime drink (known as fizzy lemonade in the UK)
ice

Directions:
Crush raspberries and then put into a large glass.
Pour in orange juice and stir.
Top with carbonated lemon lime drink.
Add ice.

White Grape Melon Mint Punch

Ingredients:
2 parts Sparkling White Grape Juice
2 parts fresh Watermelon Juice*
1/2 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
Plenty of fresh mint leaves and sliced lemon wheels for garnish

Directiosn:
Combine all ingredients into a large punch bowl along with plenty of ice.
Add the mint leaves and sliced lemon wheels as you stir well so as to chill thoroughly.
Watch the liquid sparkle and fizz before your very eyes.
Ladle punch out into punch glasses, making sure to get sufficiently enough mint and lemon wheels for all to enjoy. You’ll be dazzled after trying this one!

*Watermelon Juice: Chop watermelon into small cubes, remove any pits, and place into blender. Blend until smooth. It’s just as easy as that!

Mini Popsicles

Ingredients:
Ice Cube Tray
Fruit Punch (any juice will work fine)
Plastic Wrap
Toothpicks

Directions:
Begin by filling up the ice cube trays with your favorite juice.
Next take your plastic wrap and wrap one or two layers around the tray, making sure the top is tight.
Take your toothpicks and jam them quickly through the plastic wrap.
The plastic wrap will help hold the toothpicks up vertically.
Place it in the freeze and freeze for at least an hour.

Mini Ice Cream Sandwhiches

Ingredients:
10 small vanilla-snap cookies
5 tablespoons fruit sorbet, frozen yogurt, or ice cream

Directions:
Top 5 cookies with 1 tablespoon sorbet, frozen yogurt, or ice cream.
Top with remaining cookies.
Freeze sandwiches for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

Strawberry and Watermelon Popsicles

This is very refreshing when sweet watermelons are in season.

Ingredients:
2 oz or 1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/4 cup water
9 oz strawberries
9 oz watermelon flesh, cubed and deseeded

Directions:
Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan and boil until syrupy (about 3 minutes). Allow to cool.
Puree the strawberries and sieve to get rid of the seeds. Puree the watermelon and mix with the pureed strawberries and cooled syrup.
Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze.

*Recipe & Photo Courtsey of DisneyFamily.com

Happy Sunday

Good Morning!

This week is going to he HOT!! This week will feature cool treats to make it through the week!

Enjoy!

Party Wings

Ingredients:
5 pounds fresh chicken wings, tips removed
1 1/2 cups bottled chili sauce (such as Heinz)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons chili powder (or to taste)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) to taste

Directions
Rinse chicken wings under cold running water and pat dry. Place wings in the crock pot.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Taste the sauce to make sure it's spiced well and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Pour sauce mixture over chicken wings in the crock pot and stir to coat.
Cook wings on low heat for about 8 hours, or until cooked through and tender. If sauce becomes too thick, add a bit of water or apple juice and mix well to thin it out a bit.

Turkey & Cheese Quesadilla

Ingredients:
•4 large flour tortillas
•1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
•8 oz thinly smoked turkey or ham
•1/2 cup diced tomatoes
•2 tablespoons chopped green onion (optional)
•pepper to taste
•vegetable oil for brushing tops

Directiosn:
Lightly spray a cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray.
Arrange 2 tortillas on the cookie sheet.
Evenly top with 1/4 cup of the cheese.
Top the cheese with the sliced turkey or ham, the diced tomatoes, green onion, & the other 1/4 cup of cheese.
Sprinkle each with a little pepper, then cover each with another tortilla.
Brush tops with vegetable oil and bake in a 425° oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, until browned.
Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with mustard or mayonnaise.

Chicken BBQ Dip

Watching the Lakers & Celtics playoff? What’s halftime without chips and dips? This dip, made with protein-rich canned chicken, cream cheese, bleu cheese dressing and spicy barbecue sauce, can be prepared ahead of time and reheated for game day munchies in minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh veggies for dipping.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 10 ounces cans chunk chicken breast (drain)
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup spicy barbecue sauce
1/2 cup chunky bleu cheese dressing

Directions:
Heat oil in a medium, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, breaking it into flakes as it cooks. Add cream cheese and stir until softened and well mixed. Remove from heat and stir in barbecue sauce and bleu cheese dressing. Serve warm for dipping.

Adults Should Enjoy The Summer Too

Everyday we see wonderful summer activity ideas for children, but what about ideas for adults? Finding fun summer activities for adults seems to be almost impossible. Do we simply forget how to have fun as we grow older? Shouldn't there be sites devoted to fun summer activities for adults, just like the sites devoted to children? Too often adults simply forget to have fun in the summer because it's nothing like a summer vacation for children. Children have the luxury of having three months off, but most adults don't have the same luxury. We must continue to work our way through the hot months of summer, but does that mean we shouldn't have fun on our days off? No. There are thousands of summer activities for adults that are fun, relaxing, and a great way to meet new people. This year, spend some time enjoying one of the following summer activities for adults.

Summer Activities for Adults #1: Movie Marathon
A movie marathon is a wonderful way to spend a long weekend. This is one of many summer activities that can be enjoyed alone or with friends. You can have your friends bring over their favorite movies and order pizza. Or, you could also spend the weekend watching all of your favorite movies and enjoying all your favorite snacks. If you have a large collection of movies, you can choose from a variety of different themes. You could choose to enjoy movies that have the same actor or you could also choose your favorite genre.

Summer Activities for Adults #2: Barbeque
This is one of the most popular summer activities for adults. A barbeque is a great way to spend time with friends, family, or just your partner. Also don't forget that this isn't just for guys. Women can throw a barbeque just as well as guys can. Also a barbeque can be as budget-friendly or gourmet as you want it to be. You can also turn a barbeque into a pot luck, inviting your friends to bring their favorite dish to the party. Another reason to have a barbeque is because it helps your dinner guests feel more comfortable.

Summer Activities for Adults #3: Block Party
Summer activities are always more fun when there are several people to enjoy them. Summer activities can be a wonderful way to meet new people. This is wonderful because, unfortunately, many communities are now filled with people who don't know many of their neighbors. If your neighborhood is this way, why not have a block party? Adults really will enjoy getting to know new people. This is a wonderful way to start new friendships and to create a tighter community. A community filled with people who know each other is much safer than a community filled with people don't know each other. The perfect time for this activity is during a major holiday, like the 4th of July or Labor Day. Everyone can fix one of their favorite recipes and there could also be people cooking out and serving fresh hot dogs and hamburgers. Don't forget to include fun games and maybe even a contest or two.

Summer Activities for Adults #4: Iron Chef Competition
Iron Chef has been extremely popular for the past few years and continues to draw in new fans. It's also led many adults to try new summer activities. One of those summer activities for adults is an Iron Chef competition. This is so easy to do. You could even invite the whole neighborhood to join in. Write the name of several ingredients on pieces of paper and then have someone randomly choose one. The next thing you need to do is to decide how many dishes will be prepared using the ingredient. For example, each contestant could prepare a drink, appetizer, main dish, and dessert using the ingredient. After the dishes have been prepared, you will need judges to taste the recipes. Once a winner has been selected, be sure to have a fun prize available. This is something that is affordable and fun. You could do this every weekend, having someone different host the event, and buy the prize, each week.

Ice Cream In A Bag?!?

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup salt (The bigger the granules, the better. Kosher or rock salt works best, but table salt is fine.)
Ice cubes (enough to fill each gallon-size bag about half full)
1 pint-size ziplock bag
1 gallon-size ziplock bag

Directions:
Combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-size bag and seal it tightly.
Place the salt and ice in the gallon-size bag, then place the sealed smaller bag inside as well. Seal the larger bag. Now shake the bags until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the small bag to determine when it's done.
Take the smaller bag out of the larger one, add mix-ins, and eat the ice cream right out of the bag. Easy cleanup too! Serves 1.

OPI Summer Flutter Collection

The OPI Summer Flutter Collection includes four new summer OPI nail polish colors inspired by the brilliance and whimsy of butterflies. The OPI Summer Flutter Collection captures the casual attitude, fun lifestyle and brilliant colors of summer. The OPI Summer Flutter Collection is the perfect complement to the season’s bright, fluttery prints and sexy neutrals.



The Colors Include (From Left to Right, Top to Bottom):
Wing It
Catch Me In Your Net
Flower to Flower
Flit a Bit