Lately I have been in the mood for pasta salad. I think because it is a cold food. Since it has been hot here lately in the city, I have been avoiding using the oven if at all possible. Today I whipped up something good and fairly easy. If you are like me, you may have all the ingredients already in your fridge and pantry. This might make for an easy dinner and a happy husband!  Here goes my Parmesan Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe …….

Directions:

• 2 cups – cubed/cut pieces of chicken (I use boneless chicken breast)
• 1 box – Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® Caesar pasta salad mix
• 1/4 mayo
• 1/4 cup milk

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta as directed on box for 12 minutes
2. While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl add seasoning packet from Betty Crocker box, milk and the mayo.
3. Once pasta is done, rinse with cold water and drain well. Then add pasta to bowl and toss to coat
4. Enjoy

Looking for a quick treat that your family will love? I cooked this yummy bread this morning and it was gone within an hour. I was even surprised that my 6 year old really liked it and wanted more …

Here goes the recipe for some Quick Cinnamon Streusel Bread…..

Ingredients:

• 1 Box of  Betty Crocker Cinnabon Cinnamon Streusel Muffin (includes streusel topping)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a bowl, add muffin mix, flour, water, oil and eggs until blended.
3. Grease bottom of an 8×4-inch loaf pan and add batter
4. Sprinkle top of batter with Cinnabon Streusel topping
5. Bake 40 to 50 minutes. The top of bread should be golden brown. Test inside by inserting a toothpick to see if it comes out clean.
6. Cool for 15 minutes. Once cooled take knife around edges of pan and remove bread.
7. Enjoy!

I love BBQ sauce + pork. Those two just go hand in hand for me. When we BBQ at home, I love when we make boneless pork ribs! I just recently found a way to make one of my favorite dishes at home and in my crockpot that includes PORK. Did I mention, my crockpot is one of my favorite ways to cook!  Anyhow, I love pulled pork sandwiches and want to share with you my new recipe!

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of boneless pork shoulder
• 2 TBS vegetable oil
• 2 TBS brown sugar (can omit)
• 1/4 of a 2-liter of A&W Root Beer
• Salt and pepper
• Your favorite BBQ sauce

Directions:

1. Wash and cut boneless pork into large chunks
2. In a bowl add pork and top with salt and pepper (to your likings).
3. Mix and toss the pork so the salt and pepper is spread throughout all of your pieces.
4. In a large skillet or pot, sear each chunk of pork over medium heat until each side is browned and caramelized
5. Place pork into crock pot, add root beer and sprinkle top with brown sugar
6. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours
7. To serve, take a fork and shred pieces of pork. Add to your favorite bread with lots of BBQ sauce
8. Enjoy your sloppy sandwich!

Ingredients:

• 5 to 6 large potatoes (wash, cut into cubes or chunks)
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• Seasoning Salt
• Morton’s Sea Salt
• McCormicks Perfect Pinch Roasted Bell Peppers & Garlic
• 1 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

1. In a non-stick skillet, add vegetable oil and turn heat to medium-high
2. Once skillet is heated, add potatoes and sprinkle with seasoning salt, sea salt and McCormicks Perfect Pinch to your liking. (You can substitute any of these spices if you like)
3. Cover skillet with lid and shake to coat potatoes with oil and spices
4. Cook potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes. You will want to “shake” or stir the potatoes around every couple minutes for best results. They will be done when you can easily stick a fork into the potatoes.
5. Once potatoes are done to your liking, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and replace lid for 2 minutes.
6. Once cheese has completely melted, serve and enjoy!

I have been wanting to try out a new crock pot recipe for a weeks now. With the kids being on summer vacation, my schedule didn’t have much time for testing out any new recipes. The kids are back in school and I am now back into cooking mode,  looking for new recipes to try out with my husband and kids. I found a recipe on the Betty Crocker website  a few days ago and made my own modifications…. and here we have my recipe for Slow Cooker Chile-Chicken Taco Filling (that kinda rhymes)….

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

1 package taco seasoning

1 tbs brown sugar

1 cup petite sweet corn (I used frozen)

1 can (4.5oz) chopped green chiles

1 can black beans

1 can (10 oz ) enchilada sauce

1 package of soft flour tortillas

For Garnish:

(optional) shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions

Directions:

1) Place chicken in the bottom of crock pot

2) Sprinkle with taco seasoning and brown sugar and toss to coat

3) Add corn, black beans, chiles and enchilada sauce and stir to mix

4) Cook on low heat for 6 to 7 hours

5) Take chicken breast from slow cooker and use 2 forks to pull the chicken into shreds. Put shredded chicken back into to slow cooker and cook on low heat for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

6) Serve chicken mixture into warm tortillas and add your favorite garnishes

Watch the video below…..

You can find the recipe at: http://mywoodenspoon.com/cheesy-chicken-cups

Enjoy!

Don’t you hate when you go to open your lunch and you have damaged fruit? I have packed many lunches throughout my years and know that some fruit needs a little protection. If you LOVE bananas, you will want a Banana Guard.

This Banana Guard allows you to enjoy bananas without worrying about them getting smashed. The Banana Guard fits over 90% of commercially grown bananas. If you have a highly curved banana, it can be straightened slightly to fit unto the upper curve of the banana. If you have a straight banana, it can be bent slightly to fit into the guard as well. I think this gadget is AWESOME because I am picky about my bananas and like them at least “almost” perfect. The only thing a smashed banana is good for is Banana Nut Bread!

On the Banana Guard website, you can also buy guards to protect your other fruit and even sandwiches. Don’t let your precious fruit go unprotected.

Used for larger fruits like apples and oranges.	Used for smaller fruits like plums and nectarines.	Used to protect your yummy sandwiches

You can buy the Banana Guard, Froot and Swich Guards at: http://www.bananaguard.com

I received product samples to provide you with this review. I was not paid any monetary compensation to publish this review. This review is my personal opinion only and receiving the sample has no impact on my opinion of the product.

Right now the Pampered  Chef website has a celebrity cookbook that you can download FREE. This cookbook is a “Cookbook For A Cause” and a donation of one meal to Feeding America will be made with each download of the book.

Pampered Chef is offering a FREE downloadable celebrity cookbook. This is a “Cookbook For A Cause.” For every download of the cookbook, they will donate one meal to Feeding America!

Download FREE Celebrity Cookbook

Right now you can register to receive some great coupons from Stonyfield Organic. Below are the coupons you will find:

• $1/1 6 pack or Squeezers 8 pack of YoKids Organic Yogurt
• $0.50/1 multipack of YoBaby Organic Drinkable Yogurt
• $0.50/1 multipack of YoBaby Organic Whole Milk Yogurt
• $0.50/1 4 oz 4-pack of Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt
• $0.50/1 16 oz. Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt
• $0.50/2 5.3 oz Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt
• $0.50/3 6 oz O’soy Yogurts
• $0.50/1 O’Soy Multipack
• $0.75/1 B-Well or B-Healthy Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Multipack
• $0.50/1 Stonyfield 1/2 Gallon Organic Milk
• $0.50/1 Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Smoothie Multipack
• $0.50/1 Stonyfield Organic Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt
• $0.50/2 10 oz Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Smoothies
• $0.50/3 6 oz Stonyfield Organic Yogurts
• $0.50/1 32 oz. Stonyfield Organic Yogurt
• $1/1 4 pack of Stonyfield YoToddler Organic Yogurt
• $0.50/1 multipack of YoBaby Organic Drinkable Yogurt
• $0.50/1 Stonyfield Organic Fat Free Probiotic Multipack
• $0.50/2 10 oz Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Smoothies
• $0.50/1 16 oz Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt

I normally prefer the green grapes but these were to hard to pass up when we seen them at the local farmer’s market. I thought for sure they were not going to taste great. To my surprise, they are really GOOD!