Oven Roasted Potatoes (made two ways)

We love Potatoes! I can't tell you one awful thing about this wonderful vegetable. We are a golden potato home, because it tastes so buttery and so creamy. We sometimes use Yukon, but it is a little too starchy for our taste buds. When I came across this pin in the early hours of the morning, it took everything to stop me from getting out of bed to make it right away. I did make this dish two ways (my husband is lactose) I omitted the cheese on one pan and the other pan had the whole recipe. We have made this so many times it is so delicious. Also if you are a bacon lover, this was a genius way to get the flavor. Not only are you adding it at the end, but it is incorporated in the potato as it bakes. I would say enjoy, but I know you will.

Here is the link to the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616419443/

Yellow Cake with Special Dark Frosting

(in my Paula Dean voice) I made a cake y'all!!
I had a BBQ to attend and volunteered to bring a dessert to pass. I decided on making a cake. Of course not just any a cake, a cake with the help of Pinterest of course! I

I used a box cake mix and substituted as the pin stated. This was a very yummy cake, I decided to make a special dark frosting to go with it. The frosting was wonderful, but it needed to be thicker (if anyone knows how to make frosting thicker email me). I also used sugar dots, that I placed by hand. The cake was very moist and yummy. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.



Here is the link to the recipe:http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616751934/

Dr Pepper Slow Cooker Roast Beef Recipe

I love Beef Roasts, there are a lot ways to make it. I love my crock pot for this reason. I have been pretty successful with my Roasts, but I wanted to try something different This was by far the yummiest Roast we have had. My husband is putting this on his repeat list.

The only thing I did differently, was adding an extra garlic clove. Everything else stayed the same.
Here is the link to the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616751120/

Crockpot Greek Chicken Pita

Here is a little secret about me. I love making dishes in crock pots. It makes cooking a lot easier and gives me more free time. When I came across this pin, I couldn't pass it up and I am glad I didn't.  This dish was fantastic! It had easy ingredients and it only took 10 minutes to prepare. I did use the Chicken Thighs and they were great! You can substitute it for Chicken Breasts if you'd like.

The only thing I did differently, I used whole wheat sandwich pockets instead of the pita.
Here is the pin to the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616730380/

Cheddar Scallion Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cheese

What about that title says pass?? Nothing!! This was so simple to make, and the presentation makes you feel like you are on Chopped :). This was so good! I had my friends over and they loved it. This will definitely be on the top of the list to make again!

I did nothing to change this recipe! The only thing I did do was use cupcake liners to avoid a lot of clean up. I would recommend if you use the cupcake liners to fill it 1/2 way up. I filled it to the top and had them over flowing. It wasn't a problem, but if you want more fill them 1/2 way up. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Here is the link to the recipe:http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616718283/

Cowboy Caviar

Today we entertained a few friends. Since it was a social gathering, I thought why not try out an appetizer to feed the group. The "Cowboy Caviar" was the first thing I thought of. I have to admit it was really yummy! It does make a lot so be prepared to have left overs if you have a small group. If you have a large group one batch will be perfect!

Here is what I reccomend:
The Pin shows a shortcut to making it. I used the shortcut. After reading the original recipe it just looked like a lot of work. The "shortcut" was easy and the ingredients were cheaper. Either way, you will love this dish.

Here is the link to the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616718145/

Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Sauce

I have a little confession to make. Anytime a recipe calls for frying and then putting that skillet in the oven to finish off, I feel like a Top Chef that you see on the Food Network. It just makes me feel like a true Chef, and I welcome any recipe that requires that extra fancy flare :). With that being said make sure the pan you use can be put in the oven. I use the Calphalon Wok and it is oven safe. If you aren't sure what is or isn't safe go to the manufacturer's website. This dish does take some time to make, but it's worth it. It is so good.

Here are my tips regarding this scrumptious dish:

• I would suggest using two tenderloins if you are feeding more than two people. 
• You can also substitute the Pork for any other meat. I would suggest sticking with Chicken, or Turkey. The Beef might be too rich with this sauce. 

Here is the link to the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616253199/

Oatmeal Cookies

My Husband likes cookies, especially Oatmeal. I decided to try this recipe out and see if it was as good as it looks. It definitely was! I was very happy with how quickly I was able to whip up a batch of delicious cookies.

The only change I did was use cornstarch instead of baking soda. I found that tip on Pinterest, it makes the cookies more moist. If you like crunchy cookies, use the baking soda.

Here is the link to the recipe:http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616696809/

Honey Chicken Lime Skewers

Chicken and Lime those are two of my favorite words! It just screams summer to me. I was very excited to try this out. It wasn't hard to do at all! The longest part was marinating it, which took an hour. I have to admit I am not a fan of spicy. I really can't handle it. Since my taste buds can't handle the heat and I really didn't want to leave the kitchen. I decided to alter the recipe.
Here are the changes I made:

1. I skipped the red pepper flakes. The Siracha was enough for me.
2. I used dry Cilantro instead of fresh. I always have it on hand this way and I don't have to run to the store and worry about wasting it by taking to long to make my meals.
3. I didn't have honey, I googled and subsituted it by using "Mrs. Butterworth's lite syrup". Any syrup you have in your house will suffice.
4. I used Low Sodium Soy Sauce

I will make this again, next time I will add more to the skewers other than Chicken.

Here is the link to the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616696717/

The World's Best Chicken

With a title like that how can you resist pinning and making it? I made it today and I have to say it is very yummy. World's best the jury is out. It's very easy to make and the ingredients you probably have in your house right now.

Here is what I did find out:

1.  If you use thin cut chicken, scale your cooking time by 5 minutes. I did not and ended up overcooking the "sauce"
2. The sauce was more baked on the chicken and not cooked into the chicken. It might have been due to the over cooking or just the way the "sauce" is. The pic on Pinterest is only of the unfinished product.
3.  The "sauce" barely covered my chicken. I would suggest doubling the recipe. 
4. I will make this again to see if this was user error or just the way it is. I might have to alter it.
5. I lined my pan with foil, it is easier to clean up after cooking.

Here is the link to the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616696642/

S'more Croissants

S'more, S'more and more S'more. I have found that this is an ongoing theme on Pinterest. There are lots of clever ways to enjoy this campfire classic. I decided to try out one of my pins this morning. It was the S'more Croissant. Unfortunately, I do not have anything positive to say about this one. It was too much bread and a lot of sweet for me. I didn't think it was possible. Pinterest hasn't let me down until now, and I have to admit I am a little heartbroken. Maybe it's me, maybe I am an original S'more lover and messing with the original is messing with my taste buds. I am not sure, but if you would like to try it I wish you the best :). I will try another S'more recipe, hoping this was just a dud.

Here is the recipe: Croissants

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

This is a recipe I did NOT get from Pinterest. I did upload it to my board so it can get repinned.
Here is what I discovered:

1. Depending on when you start this could be a two day bake off due to the cookie dough having to freeze. I started in the late afternoon and let the cookie dough freeze overnight. 
2. I made the cupcakes that day, and gave it a few hours to completely cool. 

It was good, but I will only make this for special occasions.

Here is where you can find the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616682232/

Hawaiian Chicken Kabob and Potato Cakes

Here in Chicago we have had some record breaking heat. I try not to use my stove as much as possible for dinner.  I decided to jump on Pinterest and find some grill recipes. I stumbled upon the Hawaiian Chicken Kabob. It was so easy and so good to make! Next up I needed a side, so I decided for the second time to make the Potato Cakes. Both of these were delish! They were so good, I really have no alterations for these except make a double batch of the Kabobs they will go fast!

Here is the link to the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616598486/

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie

Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookie dough? I have found that the majority of Pinterest does. There are so many recipes out there that just made my mouth water as I kept repining. Here is one of the first ones I tried.

I did omit putting the chocolate drizzle on top. I am not a LOVER of chocolate, this had enough for me :)
Here is the link to the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616278024/

Cornbread

I was tired of using the same old cornbread recipe, so I looked through Pinterest and found one that was worth trying. I have to admit it took a couple of tries to get this the right way.
Here is what I recommend:

1. Stay away from Yellow Cake Mix with butter it doesn't taste as yummy with the Jiffy
2. Use 2 boxes of Jiffy and one box Yellow Cake Mix. I have found using a box each you get more of a cake and less of a cornbread. 
3.  To minimize cleanup, I lined my pan with Parchment paper.  

Here is the link to the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616601021/

Fresh Tomato Salsa

My Mom had a lot of tomatoes to harvest in her garden. We were the lucky recipient of a lot of them. I immediately went to Pinterest and pinned a few recipes. I decided to try this one out. It only took about 10 minutes to make. I made a few alterations to the recipe:

1. I added about 1 TBSP of sugar

2.Cilantro was dry, not fresh

3. Sea Salt was used instead

4. Jalapenos were from a can 

5. I used small onions, due to this I was able to use a small red and a small yellow.

It's very yummy! I would recommend using this at your next party.

Here is the link to the pin:http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616673561/

Summer Corn Cakes with Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa

This is a filling dish on it's own or a great side dish. My husband is a meat eater, so I used this as a side to his meal. I on the other hand used it as my main course.

This pin looked to good to pass up. If you are looking for a quick dish to whip up, don't try it. If you have the time to spare then this is the dish to make. I have made this dish twice and here is what I have found:
1. Make sure you have more corn than cornmeal. If you have more cornmeal, it will be a little dry.
2. I liked my salsa a little juicier so I added more vinegar and more oil to stretch it.
3. I shucked 3 small ears of corn, wish I would have used at least 5. If you have normal size ears you will be ok with just 3.
4. Don't try to shortcut this by using canned corn, it will not turn out the same.

Here is the link to my board where you can find the recipe: http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616432113/

Jolean's Cheese Potato & Smoked Sausage Casserole

Today's weather was a little gloomy. I decided to brighten the house up by making, "Jolean's Cheese and Potato & Smoked Sausage Casserole."

It was a very easy dish to make. It didn't take a lot of time to prepare. The most time consuming was boiling the potatoes. My advice is to make the potatoes as early as you can and let them sit until they are cold to the touch. I let mine sit about 2 hours.

They turned out delicious!! 

Here is the link to my board:http://pinterest.com/pin/94927504616670935/ there you will find the recipe.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)