My Baylor Girls!

We have been getting together with my Baylor girlfriends since we all graduated from Baylor in 1985. Sometimes we have just girl trips and about 10 or so of us usually attend. 5 families of which none of the husbands went to Baylor-have been getting together at various places in TEXAS for the past 15 years. This year the 5 families gathered near Marble Falls, TX at the coolest house(s) ever. We just love it. This was our 2nd time to stay at MORIAH. This place is a Martha Stewart goes pioneer... so fun and decorated just amazing. Please google Moriah - Marble Falls to see this amazing place. Three other families joined us this year - we are so blessed to have the chance to spend time together.

Pork Carnitas

White we were in TEXAS on the weekend with my Baylor friends, my friend Jennifer made such a yummy dinner. Jennifer was my roommate at Baylor. This GURRRL is a fantastic cook and she almost always cooks very healthy. We had these yummy carnitas with pinto beans, and yummy ears of corn she cooked on the grill. We had an assembly line to top the ears of corn with fresh lime juice, chili powder and cotija cheese. It was all amazing! I will also include a recipe I have for Mexican Pinto beans. They aren't especially low calorie but they are so yummy. My hubby and I were trying to copy some beans we enjoyed at different Mexican restaurants in Texas from when we lived there.

Pork Carnitas

1 sliced onion
2 Tbsp chopped chipotle in Adobo sauce or 2 fresh jalepenos
1 tsp or more of cumin
2-3 lb boned pork butt or shoulder
4 cloves garlic-slivered
Salt/pepper
Oil
Corn tortillas

Spray slow cooker with Pam. Place onion, chipotle peppers, cumin and ¼ cup water in slow cooker. Stir to combine. Using knife, make incisions in pork, insert garlic. Salt and pepper pork and brown in skillet on med high heat. Add to slow cooker and cook for 6 hours or til tender.
Shred pork with two forks, return to slow cooker and stir to combine with other ingredients. Serve on tortillas with cilantro, avocado, fresh lime or any other desired toppings. I loved these with white corn tortillas but you will have to double up and use two as they are much thinner! Enjoy!

Printable Versionhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1LHy9cklKBjtQVNxlR6-lsesCj0j_34V7gEqYj7HNs84/edit?usp=sharing

Chicken Pockets

As you have probably noticed, most of my recipes are not gourmet or very fancy. This one is very basic but so loved by our youngest daughter - Meg. This is one of her favorites and it is also one of my easiest quick dinners. Okay - maybe not the healthiest but you can adjust it accordingly-light cream cheese,etc. Our middle daughter doesn't care for canned chicken - she swears it is tuna and she isn't a tuna fan. You can use any cooked, diced chicken! Enjoy!

Chicken Pockets

1 large can of white meat chicken, drained (or any diced white meat chicken)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. softened butter
Minced onion
1 Tbsp. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cans crescent rolls

Soften cream cheese and butter. Add chicken and rest of ingredients. Make a rectangle out of 2 crescent rolls, pinching the seam together. Put a large spoonful of chicken mixture into middle of rectangle. Pull up all four corners pinching seams to form a pocket. Bake at 375 til golden brown – won’t take very long. Serve warm with salad or veggie!

Printable Version

New Restaurant in Omaha

My husband Chris has a friend that he used to work with that recently opened a new restaurant in Omaha. This is a huge new venture for this family. Please visit Buffalo Wings and Rings on L between 132nd and 120th. . We chose to eat out on Tuesday cause our house wasn't cool from our AC being down. What a great choice! We had a variety of wings - bone in and boneless, a wrap, fries, onion rings and we even had fried pickles. The menu had something for everyone! We had several guests with us and we all had a very nice meal. The atmosphere was fun and perfect for the TV enthusiast - I think there were like 40 something TVs. My girls thought it was funny - even TVs in the restrooms!

Chocolate Frangelico Bundt Cake

I got this recipe from Eloise over at www.weaselsjourney.com. I knew Eloise when I lived in Dallas. I made this cake and took to the beach. My family loved it. My mom is a great cook and she and my dad both loved it. I know you will too - very moist and yummy! It looks pretty too!

Chocolate Frangelico Bundt Cake

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 small box chocolate instant pudding
4 eggs
1 cup oil
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup water
¾ cup Frangelico liqueur

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Mix all ingredients and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool and then drizzle with cream cheese icing. Top with milk chocolate and white chocolate curls.

Cream Cheese Icing
2 tablespoons butter
3-oz. cream cheese
1 teaspoon sour cream
3 tablespoons milk
⅓ cup powdered sugar, sifted

Printable Version

Banana Pudding

Well, we are back in Omaha after our 10 day TEXAS adventure, we came home to a HOT house. AC quit working while we were away and our house is 94 degrees. The repairman - nice Francisco - came today to fix the problem and we are now down to 88. I think we will need a new unit soon as we have seen Francisco 3 times this summer. The heat made me think of this yummy dessert we had at my brother's house. His wife Stacy - made a Banana Pudding different from the one I make. I make one with cooked pudding and meringue but Stacy's was very summery and very refreshing! I will share both with you!

This version is from my mom who is a great cook. My dad and my husband request this often for Father's Day or any special occasion!

Banana Pudding (mom's version)

4 heaping Tbsp flour (2)
2 1/4 cup sugar (1)
7 eggs, separated (3)
4 cups milk (2)
2 tsp. vanilla (1)
2/3 stick butter (1/3)
2 boxes of Nilla Wafers (won't use all but I like to have plenty)
7 Bananas (3-4)


Meringue:
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar (1/4)
2 tsp. vanilla (1)

Separate eggs. Beat egg yolks with a little of your milk. Reserve egg whites for meringue. Put flour and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly pour rest of milk into flour/sugar stirring to avoid lumps. Pour egg mixture through a strainer into flour/sugar/milk mixture. Heat on med/med high heat stirring constantly. Mixture will begin to thicken after about 15 minutes. Add vanilla and butter. When butter is melted and a desired thickness for pudding has been reached, take off heat. If gets too thick - can always add a little milk. (This is the same mixture my mom makes for her chocolate pies and her coconut pies with a little adjustment)

Line a 11 x 13 glass dish on bottom and sides with Nilla Wafers. Add a layer of sliced bananas and a layer of cooked pudding. Repeat then add Meringue.

Meringue

Whites are at room temperature by now. Beat with mixer and add 1 tsp Cream of Tartar. Beat at high speed until whites form a stiff peak. Add sugar and vanilla and beat to get a little stiffer peak. Spread over pudding and seal edge. Bake at 350 just for about 10-15 minutes to brown meringue.

Serve warm or chill and serve cold. My hubby loves it cold - so do my girls!

*Numbers in parentheses are for a square pan. The rest is for a glass 11 x13.

**Chocolate pie - add 2 or (1 for one pie) heaping Tbsp cocoa with the flour mixture
**Coconut pie - when desired thickness of pudding is reached, add 1 1/2 cans ( 3/4 can for one pie) of coconut and sprinkle some of the coconut on top before browning meringue



Banana Pudding (Stacy's version)

1 small box of instant banana pudding
1 small box of instant cheesecake pudding
milk (according to pudding directions)
1 can condensed milk
1 small Cool Whip
7 bananas
1 box Nilla Wafers

Mix pudding according to directions. Add condensed milk and Cool whip to pudding mixture. Line bottom and sides of a glass 11 x 13 with vanilla wafers then a layer of sliced bananas on bottom then layer of pudding. Repeat. Top with crushed vanilla wafers. Chill!

Printable Version

Paprika Mushroom Chicken or "Gravy" Chicken

Since we are on the topic of my sweet Baylor friends. Lya is another one of the group and she is an amazing cook. I always want to know what Lya is cooking so I can add it to my repertoire! Her family doesn't know how lucky they are as she is always cooking for them. Her children request this meal often - they refer to it as "Gravy Chicken".

Paprika Mushroom Chicken

4 – 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ pint whipping cream

1 can cream of mushroom soup

salt, pepper, paprika

Spray a 9 x 13 with PAM. Place chicken in dish. Salt, pepper and paprika each side - Use paprika liberally. Mix cream and soup and pour over the chicken.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour and 15 minutes.

I serve this over white rice. I actually double the sauce as my family wants more of the "gravy" for their rice. Our favorite rice is Texmati white rice!!

Printable Version

Smokey Brisket

I was with my Baylor friends this past weekend. We have been getting together with this group for like 15 years. Darby is a sorority sister and good friend. She made this for us many times when we first started getting together. We all cooked a ton back then but we have wised up and cook a little now and also enjoy eating out! :) I promise you will love this recipe - it will become a staple!

Smokey Brisket

4 – 6 trimmed brisket

3 Tbsp. liquid smoke

3 tsp. garlic salt

2 tsp. onion salt

2 tsp. celery salt

pepper

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Make a paste with the liquid smoke and the 3 salts and paint the brisket with the paste and wrap tightly in heavy duty foil, place in a pan to catch any marinade that may escape and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Before cooking, pepper and baste the brisket with Worcestershire sauce. Rewrap in new foil. Place in a shallow pan and bake at 225 for 6 hours. Remove brisket from juice and save the juice. Chill the brisket before slicing to make it easier to slice. Use an electric knife and slice thin slices and slice against the grain. Place the meat in a pan and top with the reserved juice. Heat in oven until warm.

*I know this recipe has several steps but don’t let that stop you. It is so yummy and worth the effort.

**This is one of my very favorite recipes. It is a classic that everyone loves. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and a yummy salad. The meat is great leftover either just eaten cold or on a sandwich with a horseradish spread.

Printable Version

Back in Omaha after our 10 day TEXAS adventure.. Galveston with Family, Marble Falls with Baylor friends and families, East Texas to stay with family and now home. I didn't get to share much while gone due to poor internet connections but I have lots of recipes and ideas to share. When we got home tonight to our house in Omaha, our air conditioner isn't working and our house is 94 degress - we are not happy campers!

Pimento Cheese

We have been going to the beach with all of my family for about 14 yrs. We have been making this Pimento Cheese for 14 years, and we just love it. A dear family member, Mellie, shared her version with me years ago.

This is one of the recipes that I feel isn't exact. Some like it creamier, some like it saltier - make it according to taste and enjoy tasting it til you get it perfect!  I often make a smaller amount too - maybe two pounds of cheese - one of American and one of sharp Cheddar and add ingredients accordingly.


Pimento Cheese

1 lb shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 lb shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 lb shredded American cheese (get a block from the deli and grate)
1 large jar chopped pimento ( or two small - I like to drain)
sweet pickle relish to taste (add slowly)
salt/pepper to taste
1 small jar Miracle Whip (start with 1 cup)
enough light mayo to reach desired consistency (add slowly so not to "Mayonnaisy"

Mix together and refrigerate. Enjoy on favorite crackers,bread or wrap!
Printable Version

Our first day at the beach with family. We are so glad to be here!

Jerry's Pizza

My sweet friend Lori-her parent's started Jerry's Pizza in Sioux City, Iowa - I don't know how many years ago. She brought us a a Jerry's pizza for dinner tonight and it was amazing. If you have never eaten a Jerry's - I recommend you stop if you are ever passing through Sioux City. My favorite is hamburger, pepperoni and green olive-yum! The other half is canadian bacon and pineapple for my girls! Thanks Lori-What a great treat for dinner!

Cucumber Salsa

--> -->

This is the PERFECT summertime salsa. Do not let the combination of ingredients scare you. I promise you will love it, and I bet you will be hooked. I got this recipe from Shelly here in Omaha - Thanks Shelly!

Cucumber Salsa

1 can Blackeyed Peas, drained

1 cucumber(chopped)

1 bundle of green onions

1 can white shoepeg corn, drained

1 tomato or 2 romas (chopped) we like romas

1 jar of Chi Chi's mild Salsa (I have used Herdez Salsa also)

8 oz bottle of Zesty Italian dressing

Mix all together, and chill.

Serve with chips.

Printable Version