Linda

Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding

This is my recreation of a delicious chocolate bread pudding I had at a local restaurant. I added the semi-sweet chocolate chips and lowered the sugar in this recipe. I also smash the bananas and stir the bread a little more than necessary so that it has more of a pudding consistency. 1 loaf ofContinue reading “Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding”

Ranch Chicken-Cheese Ball

This is another great recipe for parties and pot-lucks that I got from one of my co-workers. It’s really easy, tastes great, and it much healthier than a lot of other holiday dip recipes. 1 (5 ounce) can chunk chicken, drained 1 (1/2 ounce) package ranch dressing mix 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softenedContinue reading “Ranch Chicken-Cheese Ball”

Lemon-Raspberry Cream Bars

This recipe is adapted from one of the older Betty Crocker quarterly cookbooks. I am definitely not a great cake baker and these squares turned out looking just like the picture in the book. The only tricky part is spreading the cake batter in the pan, but I used cooking spray with flour on theContinue reading “Lemon-Raspberry Cream Bars”

Confessions of a Salad Hater

Although they are generally healthy, and don’t make you heat up your kitchen with an hour-long oven bake… I just don’t like salads. I definitely like most of the ingredients in most salads, but the large amount of lettuce and lack of bread just kind of leaves me unfulfilled. If I do order a saladContinue reading “Confessions of a Salad Hater”

Whole wheat pasta… it’s actually good!

In the interest of being a bit more health-conscious and possibly losing those last 5lbs before a vacation to the beach, I’ve been substituting whole wheat in most of my pasta dishes. I’ve actually decided that in some cases I really like whole wheat pasta better. It’s chewier, has a more earthy flavor, and holdsContinue reading “Whole wheat pasta… it’s actually good!”

Key Lime Mini Tarts

These are awesome little snacks for parties or dinner any time of the year courtesy of an old Betty Crocker cookbook. They’re a great way to fulfill that key lime pie craving without all of the sugar, egg yolks, and guilt. They’re really, really easy to make too, but the key is some pretty garnishContinue reading “Key Lime Mini Tarts”

Chicken Cordon Bleu for the Lazy

I updated this recipe and reposted it since it really is a nice quick winter meal. I also finally added a photo! 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves4 slices deli ham4 slices swiss cheese1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup (yes, sometimes cream-of-something soup is good!)1/2 cup milk1/2 cup butter1 (6 ounce) box seasonedContinue reading “Chicken Cordon Bleu for the Lazy”

Herb-apricot Chicken and Butternut Squash Risotto

This recipe is two of three parts of a Rachael Ray show. The risotto was really, really good. The best thing about it is Rachael’s method of using cooked, frozen squash. Peeling a whole butternut squash will remove all fun from the meal. The chicken was pretty good, but I think it had a littleContinue reading “Herb-apricot Chicken and Butternut Squash Risotto”

Pierogi Casserole

I made this casserole for a Christmas party with an international theme. No one really had a clue what it was supposed to be, so it’s best labeled as “mashed potato lasagne.” It’s tasty and a kid-favorite, but it’s also really rich. The picture was taken just before I put the casserole into the ovenContinue reading “Pierogi Casserole”

Parmesan Chicken and Rice

I’m a little behind on my posts because of the holidays, but this is one of the easier meals that I made in the last couple weeks. I think this time of year I feel less motivated to make complicated dinners so that I have more time/effort for the awesome desserts. I got this recipeContinue reading “Parmesan Chicken and Rice”