Sausage Spinach Loaf

This is so yummy!! We made a Sausage Spinach one and a Pepperoni and Cheese one. These are like a stromboli. You can use any combination of meats, cheeses, and veggies you want!! I made these with my Calzone Crust found here. Or you can use a loaf of frozen bread thawed out. It is way better when you make everything from scratch but if you don't have time or you don't feel comfortable making yeast bread/pizza crust than take the easy way out!!

Sausage Spinach Loaf
1 recipe calzone dough or 1 loaf thawed, frozen bread dough
1 onion chopped
2 T. minced garlic
1 pound ground sausage~like jimmy deans
10-16 oz. chopped fresh spinach (I used 16 oz but if you don't want that much use less)
1-3 cups mozzarella cheese
Butter, melted with a little garlic salt to brush over top of dough before putting into the oven.

Make the Calzone crust. Set aside covered in a greased bowl and let raise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Brown the sausage in a skillet until almost done then add the onion and garlic and saute until onions are tender. Add the chopped spinach and saute until spinach starts to wilt. Take off heat. Roll dough out on counter sprinkled with cornmeal or flour into a reactangle. Dump sausage spinach mixture on the dough and sprinkle with as much cheese as you like. Wrap the dough together and place seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for aout 30 minutes or until golden brown and dough is cooked.


Not the best picture but you get the idea!! So yummy!!

You can also make this with pepperoni, ham and cheese. If you are making more than one you will probably want 2 loaves of frozen dough or double the recipe of the Calzone dough!!

Serve with pizza or marinara sauce and ranch!!!

Vegetarian Beans

We made these beans a little while back. They were really tasty!! If you are looking for a meatless dinner that is so good for you you should try these out. We jazzed them up a little with cheese and avocados but you can eat them with whatever you would like on them or just how they are!!

Vegetarian Beans
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1-2 T. minced garlic
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1(4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 jalapeno, minced
1 T. chili powder
2 cups dried, washed pinto beans
2(14 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained
5 cups water

Pour oil into bottom of crock pot. Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker; stir and cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low 8-10 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the beans with shredded cheese, avocados, limes, sour cream, and corn bread if desired.


Such an easy meal to put in the crockpot and forget about all day!! Plus it is a very cheap meal also for these bad economic times alot of us are going through right now!!

Apple Streusel Bars

Can I just say these are fabulous and oh so easy!!! I found these from another food blog and yet again I misplaced where I got it from. So sorry to whomever this came from. My husband absolutely loved these. Next time I think we will try them with blueberries or some other kind of berry or fruit other than apples. They are kind of a cross between pie and a danish pastry. Anyway, you must try these.

Apple Streusel Bars

Pastry:
2 c. flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup REAL butter, softened(no subsitutions)
1 egg, beaten

Apple/or any fruit you like Filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 cups chopped peeled apples~4 cups any fruit or berry you like

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
about 3 T. milk
1 tsp. almond extract~don't leave out gives great flavor

To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until you have pea-sized crumbs. Gently mix in beaten egg, till well combined. Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To prepare filling:combine the flour, sugars, and cinnamon. Toss with the apples or other fruit and spread out onto crust in pan. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture evenly over the apples and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Take out and allow to cool completely.
This is what it will look like after sprinkling the reserved crumb mixture over before baking:

To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar , almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Place glaze in a ziploc bag and cut off a very small portion of one of the corners and drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden. Cut into bars and serve.

Doesn't that look yummy!!!

Just get a fork and eat it straight out of the pan!!

Ranch Chicken and Oven Potatoes

We tried this new chicken recipe the other week. It turned our really good. I usually make parmesan chicken and I thought I would try something just a litte bit different. The kids really like it because it was like having chicken strips but way healthier because they are baked not fried!! We ate these with Oven fried potatoes which we absolutely love!!

Ranch Chicken
1 cup bread crumbs
2 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1/3-2/3 cup sour cream
4 chicken breasts~cut into strips or you can leave them whole

Mix the bread crumbs and dressing mix in a shallow pan or bowl.. Coat the chicken with the sour cream. I did this with a silicone brush. Then dip the chicken in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Place on a greased cookies sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.

Oven Potatoes

3-5 large baking potatoes or about 1 1/2 -2 pounds red potatoes, cut in chunks
Kosher salt
Black pepper
McCormick Roaste garlice and herb seasoning
Parmesan cheese
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil

I don't measure any of the ingredients. I just eyeball it. I put the cut potatoes in a ziploc bag. Add the desired amount of seasonings and parmesan cheese. Place on a cookie sheet and drizzle with the olive oil and mix till coated well. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until potatoes tender and crisp.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

This past week I had some Zucchini that I needed to use up before it went bad and so I decided to make some muffins. I have a chocolate zucchini cake recipe and thought that chocolate zucchini muffins would be so good. So I came up with this recipe. These are so good they taste more like a cupcake than a muffin. My husband said they were way better than any cupcake I have made. He ate them with whipped cream all over the top but the kids and I enjoyed them plain. These are excellent warmed up in the microwave for about 20 seconds before eating!!Now don't those look tasty!!!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
2/3 cup unsweetend baking cocoa
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semi sweet or milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee bits
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp white vinegar
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups grated zucchini~i peeled mine as well but with my cake recipe I don't so you choose

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda and powder, salt, chocolate chips, and toffee bits.Set aside. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, vinegar and zucchini together. Add this mixture, along with the melted butter to the dry ingredietns and mix till well combined. It is best to mix these by hand rather than with a mixer. Spoon batter into greased-lined muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Take out and let cool or eat one right out of the oven~~ Yummy!!!

Here is the inside of the muffin~not the best picture but believe me these are so tasty!!

I made star ones for the kids~you can get these foil liners in any grocery store. I have even found them at the dollar store. They are made by Reynolds and come in Stars or heart shapes. You don't even need a muffin tin for them you just place them on a cookie sheet!!

Blackened Chicken Sandwiches

I found this easy yummy recipe on another recipe blog but I misplaced which blog I got it from so to whomever I got this from the credit is all yours but I am so sorry I forgot where I got it from. My family really like these little sandwiches. I will be making them again and I think I will try them with tilapia or some kind of fish also. We put mustard, mayo, tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, and cheese on these babies. Well I didn't put mayo because I don't really like it or miracle whip but the rest of my family has to have it in their sandwiches.

Blackened Chicken/Fish Sandwiches
4-4 oz. Chicken tenders/breasts or fish (I made sure my chicken was thin)
1-2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T paprika
1/2 T salt
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. onion powder
1/2 T. sugar
1/2 T. pepper
1/2 T. oregano
1/2 T. cayenne or cajun seasoning~I used cajun because I was all out of cayenne I reccommend cajun if you don't like it too spicy
1 tsp. Thyme

Mix all the spices together in a little bowl. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle all the meat with the seasonings and rub into both sides of the meat with your fingers until coated well on each side. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until no longer pink. Eat on homemade buns(or store bought) with lots of yummy veggies!! Enjoy!

This is what the chicken looked like before putting it on the sandwich:


This a great recipe for those hot summer days when you don't want to heat the house with the oven. Serve these sandwiches with fresh veggies and dip and fresh fruit!!!

Peanut Butter Fingers

I got this recipe from my mother in law a few years back. These are so yummy and easy. These are great to take to a party or a pot luck or to a friends house for dinner if asked to bring dessert!! Who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate?!!

Peanut Butter Finger
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups or about 18 oz. peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats~old fashioned or quick ones will work. i prefer old fashioned but have used both
3 cups flour

Cream the butter and sugars together until well combined. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and mix well. Add all the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Press mixture into a large greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15 -20 minutes or until golden brown. Take out and let cool. Frost with chocolate frosting. I make homemade but you can use store bought if you like!!
These are so tasty:

Enjoy and until next time Happy baking!!