MY *FAVORITE* SOUTHWEST SALAD WITH GARLIC LIME DRESSING & DORITOS!

I'm just going to stop saying everything is delicious because I sound like a broken record, but MAN this is DELICIOUS!!! The salad is perfect and light for a summer meal, the dressing is divine! I like to toss the lettuce with the dressing fist and then place everything else on top. SO-GOOD! 

This is 100% copied from this site-

http://www.laurenslatest.com/my-favorite-southwest-salad-with-garlic-lime-dressing-doritos/

Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

8 cups lettuce, any kind
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 large, ripe avocado, sliced
1 can beans, any kind, drained and rinsed
2 ears corn, boiled and kernels removed
2 roma tomatos, diced
1 cup loosely packed cilantro
2 cups precooked frozen grilled chicken
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 cups crushed nacho cheese doritos
salt & pepper, to taste

for the dressing:
3 tablespoons honey
juice of 2 limes, about 3 tablespoons
1 small clove garlic, grated
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup canola oil

DIRECTIONS:

Divide lettuce evenly between 4 bowls. Arrange ingredients around lettuce: cheese, avocado slices, beans, corn, tomatoes and cilantro. Heat precooked chicken in microwave on high for 3-5 minutes or until thoroughly warmed through. Cut into cubes and toss with spices. Arrange on salad. Add lime wedges on the side and top with crushed doritos. Sprinkle avocado and corn with salt and pepper, if desired.

For the dressing, combine all ingredients together in a shallow bowl and whisk to emulsify. Drizzle over salads and serve.

Peppermint Frosting

Oh Wow! Yes, I know I say that a lot, but it's usually the "wow" recipes that inspire me to put them on here! I found this mint frosting on pinterest; it goes with browinies (which I've never used because I love the "Best Brownies" that are on my blog). This frosting is fabulously wonderful! I make homemade butter cream mints that are incredibly exquisite, and the flavor of this frosting reminds me of these! It's a different texture for frosting, it is very thick and more moldable than it is spreadable. That's ok, flatten it out and set it on there! I've topped it off with chocolate frosting for brownies; with or without, it's perfect! Today I am making this frosting to put on homemade oreos! I CAN'T WAIT TO TASTE IT! I found this recipe here-
 http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2011/05/27/chocolate-mint-brownies/

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons half and half

1/8 teaspoon peppermint oil (NOT flavoring, unless it's real candy flavoring, but it should be potent)

 In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the melted butter, powdered sugar (aka confectioners’ sugar), half and half, and peppermint oil until smooth.

Coconut Lime Chicken Soup

 I haven't been cooking much lately because I haven't felt well for MONTHS (but that's a whole story in and of itself.)! And I feel horrible! I'm usually really good at making dinner, and even have a few freezer meals for back up the nights that I don't want to cook; however, lately it's been nuthin!  

I was trying to think of what to make for dinner tonight--I DO NOT feel like cooking ANYTHING! So I thought, soup! Soup wouldn't be so bad to make, and I would have the children help me. I went to my handy Pinterest Soup board and started searching for something that looked good and easy, and this one caught my eye. Sounds good, looks easy, alright!  I got the stuff I needed and headed home. Gathered my small army and assigned them each their tasks (a real life saver!). We got it done in under 20 minutes. As we sat down to eat, I took a bite and OH MY GIDDY OUT!!! The flavor was creamy and delicious and the aftertaste was that of rich happiness lingering on my tongue! It is SO good, that it made it onto my blog TONIGHT! Need something to show off at a soup potluck? I highly recommend it! Mmmwaa!

Copied straight from this site- http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/coconut-lime-chicken-soup.html

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 carrot, shredded
• thai seasoning (see below)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 15 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 2 - 2 1/2 pound deli-roasted chicken from the grocery store, shredded
• 1 cup previously cooked long grain rice
• the juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• extra cilantro for garnish (optional)
• lime wedges (optional)
Thai Seasoning:
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

• Place a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the butter, carrots, and thai seasoning and cook until carrots become soft.
• In a blender, add chicken broth and cilantro and pulse a few times, then pour contents of blender into the pot.
• Add the coconut milk, shredded deli roasted chicken, rice, juice from the lime, and soy sauce. Bring to a low boil then remove from heat.
• If desired, serve topped with extra cilantro and lime wedges.

Whole Wheat Rolls

This quickly became our favorite whole wheat roll recipe! They are moist, soft and a little on the denser side. What's funny is I found the recipe on the back of my powdered milk box and their original name is Bread Machine Garlic Dinner Rolls. Ha! I don't own a bread machine, this is a white flour recipe, not wheat, and I have never made garlic rolls out of them! But the base of the recipe that I use turns out great for us and we all love them! They freeze (and unfreeze) wonderfully! Note: I use fresh ground wheat. I feel the store bought whole wheat results are where you get your edible cardboard from! But fresh ground wheat is wonderful and I have made all kinds of white flour recipes with them and hardly notice a difference (even chocolate cookies and brownies! ;). If you want good whole wheat things GRIND IT! :)

6 Tbls. butter, softened

2c. warm water

2/3 c. powdered milk

6T. sugar (or honey)

2tsp. salt

6 c. Bread flour (I use fresh gound whole wheat)

1/2 oz. (2 scant Tbls.) dry yeast

(I leave out the) 2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix wet, knead dry, Let rise, form rolls, rise, Bake at 350 for about 20 min. (For detailed instructions see: Dinner rolls)

Ridiculous Cake Mix Cookies

So I was in a pinch and needed a treat to bribe my children with so they would be good while my husband and I went out on a date (what? You've never had to bribe your kids?). I was so desperate, in fact, that I even turned to.... Cake Mix cookies! I KNOW! It's just for the kids, I assured myself, they don't care! So I found this recipe, and I screwed it up (because I was in a hurry, and didn't carefully read the directions), noticed the dough was dry and fixed it, added in some spices to make it decent, and... I couldn't believe the outcome!  I couldn't believe that I was eating another one, and then another!! I found myself feeling a little bitter that I couldn't stop eating CAKE MIX cookies! This was pathetic! These were RIDICULOUS...ly good! I shamelessly make these now!
So here is a recipe for Cake Mix Cookies that you can get away with!  That you can give to your friends and they will never know that you only spent the time of a cake mix on them! (heh heh ;)  

(I ACTUALLY took the picture this time, so this is what they REALLY look like) 

1 box of yellow cake mix 

2&1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Cloves

(Note: you may need to adjust the spices. I eyeball it every time so I don't have an exact. Just do it to taste. Would you like more of a cinnamon flavor? Add more cinnamon, and so on.)

2/3- 1Cup of rolled oats, 

1/2 cup softened butter (you can use marg. but it will only be half as good!) 

1 egg. 

Add milk to consistency (about 2T). 

Raisins and/or Chocolate Chips

Beat on low until combined. Add raisins or chocolate chips if desired. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at  475°F for 5 to 7 minutes. Don't over bake! If they are a little doughy, when they cool they will be perfect and gooey! :)

Dinner Rolls

My husband and I were on a double date at Chuck-a-rama with some friends as I began praising, and gushing over their delicious, light, homemade rolls! "These are sooooooo goood!!!" I said to my friend, "aren't these rolls just the best?!"

"Yeah. They're fine." was her response!

"Fine? Fine?!???! What do you mean they're -FINE-?!?!?!?!!!"

"Well, I have a recipe at home for rolls. I think they're better than this." She shot back with her English accent. Yes, she was from England. I should've known she'd have something up her sleeve! Well of course I demanded it of her, and she was nice enough to share!  And so I will share it with you! :)  This has been my favorite white roll recipe for years, and I haven't felt the need to go looking for any better. These are great! They're not really heavy, but they're not super light. They have good substance to them, and a nice homemade flavor.  Make them and see for yourself! :)

Mix together:

2C warm Water

2 Tbls. Dry Yeast

3/4 C Sugar ( 1Cup for sweet rolls)

Let sit while you gather:

Melt 1C Butter

2 Eggs

2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Powder

Mix into the yeast mixture then add:

7-8C Flour

Mix and need until smooth. 

Note: Add only as much flour as you need to make the dough not sticky. It should be soft, and supple. Too much flour will make them dry. You can tell how your rolls will turn out by the texture of the dough when you are done mixing.

Let rise until doubled in bulk. Shape as desired, and place on greased pan. Allow to rise again until very light, about double. Bake at 350 until golden, about 20 min. Mmmm yum! Enjoy!

PS. Never overbake your rolls! It dries them out! My favorite way to tell if they are done is an accurate digital thermometer. They are done at 190 degrees F.  

Blender Pancakes

I promised my sister that I would give her this recipe! So here it is!
If you can't tell, we are a pancake lovin' house!!  Who doesn't love pancakes?!? Here is another excellent pancake recipe!  My favorite things about this recipe is that: 1. they are whole wheat, but they are light and fluffy and delicious,  2. since they are whole wheat, they are very filling, and they don't leave me dragging like those delectable little white ones do, and 3. I think they are VERY EASY! My children can make these on their own! YES! No excuse NOT to bring Mommy breakfast in bed! ;)

1Cup Whole Wheat grains (no, not the flour, the actual grain ;)

1Cup Milk

Blend on high for 2 minutes (the mixture should be really thick and pasty! If it's not, try blending it longer.) Make sure to scrape down the lid and the sides, then add:

1/2Cup of milk and blend for 2 more minutes. 

While you're waiting, get the rest of your ingredients!

2 Eggs

1/2Cup Oil

1Tbls. Honey or Molasses

1/2 tsp. Salt

 Add these in and blend on high until mixed and add

1Tbls. Baking Powder. 

Don't over blend or they might turn out rubbery!

Pour out onto your favorite pancake pan, greased the way you like it, and bake them to your liking! ;)

If we have a ripe banana, we like to throw it in there with the eggs and oil. You can also stir anything else you would like to add into your pancakes when you are done blending. Enjoy!