the melted spatula

Burrito CasseroleI came across this recipe on Just A Pinch but...

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:35:40 -0400

Burrito Casserole

I came across this recipe on Just A Pinch but modified it quite a lot to fit the ingredients I…

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Blueberry Pie BarsI came across a blackberry beauty on Pinterest...

Sun, 05 May 2013 19:45:36 -0400

Blueberry Pie Bars

I came across a blackberry beauty on Pinterest from keyingredient.com which, as most recipes with…

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Sugar Crumb CrispiesI came across yet another sweet crescent...

Sat, 04 May 2013 22:46:35 -0400

Sugar Crumb Crispies

I came across yet another sweet crescent recipe at chef-in-training. They reminded me slightly of…

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Baked Meatballs & PastaSometimes all I need is a little...

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:01:40 -0400

Baked Meatballs & Pasta

Sometimes all I need is a little inspiration for dinner. I know everyone has to have this exact…

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“Layered” Chicken EnchiladasHere’s a way to get your...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:16:41 -0400

“Layered” Chicken Enchiladas

Here’s a way to get your enchilada fix without having to go through the whole rolling and stuffing…

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Avocado & Cheese Baked ChickenIf you’re like me and are...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:49:53 -0400

Avocado & Cheese Baked Chicken

If you’re like me and are always wondering “What can I do with this chicken?” that you’ve thawed…

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Chicken Alfredo LasagnaWe’ve all made lasagna, right?...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:17:19 -0400

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

We’ve all made lasagna, right? I alwaysuse oven-ready lasagna noodles because no matter how many of…

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Mexican Chicken CasseroleHere’s a great casserole I came across...

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:25:38 -0400

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Here’s a great casserole I came across at Southern Plate that was so easy, it only took about five…

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White ChiliThis is another one I owe to my sister. She made us...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:54:52 -0400

White Chili

This is another one I owe to my sister. She made us all a big pot of this when I was visiting…

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Easy Cheese DanishI came across this recipe on Pinterest which...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:32:34 -0400

Easy Cheese Danish

I came across this recipe on Pinterest which looked “somewhat” familiar to the cheesecake bars I’ve…

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Chicken Cordon Bleu CasseroleI reallylove chicken cordon bleu....

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 11:59:44 -0400

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I reallylove chicken cordon bleu. Just the idea of stuffing cheese and meat inside a chicken…

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Caramel Apple Cheesecake BarsI didn’t think these cheesecake...

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:13:21 -0400

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

I didn’t think these cheesecake barscould get any better. But they did! At first I didn’t think…

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Chicken Parmesan Baked PastaI pinned this recipe the other day...

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 12:25:07 -0400

Chicken Parmesan Baked Pasta

I pinned this recipe the other day on Pinterest telling myself to try it and try it soon. It didn’t…

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Caramel & Cinnamon Roll MuffinsMy cinnamon kick continues!...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:36:31 -0400

Caramel & Cinnamon Roll Muffins

My cinnamon kick continues! It’s not so much a cinnamon kick as it is a cinnamon experience! This…

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Sopapilla Cheesecake BarsWho doesn’t love cheesecake? I found...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 12:42:06 -0400

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

Who doesn’t love cheesecake? I found this recipe at cookiesandcups.com and marveled at its…

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New Spatula!

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:02:41 -0400

New Spatula!:

Check out my new hosted site!

Oreo Cream Cheese Blondies

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:08:00 -0400

These took a little work, but not much more than what I’m used to. Totally awesome bars. I found this recipe at bakerstreet and when I saw the words “Oreo” and “Cream Cheese” I knew I had to try this. Major ooey, gooey goodness here. I photographed mine while it was still pretty warm (hence the lopsidedness) but it was sooo good. Here’s how mine turned out!

Directly from bakerstreet:

Ingredients:

2 sticks softened butter
¾ C. packed light brown sugar
1 C. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3 ½ C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 C. chocolate chips
8 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbsp. sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk
24 Oreo cookies

I used the Double-Stuffed cookies. I mean, for the same price, why not?

Heat oven to 350º degrees. Cream butter and sugars until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add flour, salt, baking soda and chocolate chips; mix until just combined. Press half of dough into bottom of a greased 9×13 pan.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until slightly browned.

While bars are baking, beat cream cheese with 2 Tbsp. sugar. Add enough milk to make the mixture a spreadable consistency.

Remove bars from oven; top with 24 Oreo cookies. Spread cream cheese mixture over Oreos. Top with remaining half of chocolate chip dough.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until bars are set. Cool before cutting.

bakerstreet.tv has some really awesome stuff. I can’t believe how great these turned out, given I have virtually no experience baking sweets!

Cinnamon Caramel Pecan Bread

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:18:00 -0400

I found this recipe online at Plain Chicken. Quick and easy pull-aparts. What an easy dessert/treat recipe! Prep time about 5 minutes, bake time about 18-20 minutes. The original recipe called for chopped pecans, but I had mixed unsalted nuts and used those instead. Here’s how mine turned out!

Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated cinnamon rolls
3/4 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup caramel sauce (for ice cream topping)
1 cup chopped pecans (or your favorite)

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray an 8” baking dish with non-stick spray.

Cut each cinnamon roll into 4 pieces and toss in a mixing bowl. (Recipe doesn’t call for the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls.)

In a separate bowl, stir melted butter and caramel sauce together. Pour over cinnamon roll pieces. Add nuts and stir everything together.

Pour entire mixture into an 8” baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until brown.

While still hot (and using oven mits!) cover baking dish with a platter or serving dish and flip upside down to remove cinnamon rolls.

Mom's Southern Chicken & Dumplings

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 18:43:00 -0400

My mom spent most of her time in the kitchen, which probably explains why almost all of our pictures of her has her standing in the kitchen, cooking or cleaning. I owe this recipe to her. I grew up eating this simple dish. It’s comfort food for me, especially since mom is no longer with us. I try to follow her recipe as close as possible, but like most of her cooking, it was usually eyeballed and not measured. I believe I got it down to something measurable.

Ingredients:

1 can Grands Buttermilk Biscuits
10 chicken tenderloins
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup water
salt, pepper and Morton’s Season-All to taste

Fill a 6 quart pot about 3/4 of the way full of water. Add chicken tenderloins and bring to a medium boil until chicken is cooked. About 8-10 minutes.

Remove chicken and save that broth! Cut cooked chicken into small pieces. I use a wooden spatula to break up the chicken pieces. Try to remove as much of that rubbery cartilage from the tenderloins.

Return chicken to pot of broth.

Dust individual biscuits with flour and using your hands, stretch each biscuit to flatten. It’s almost like stretching pizza dough.

Tear each biscuit into smaller pieces, but not too small, until you have a small heap of biscuit pieces.

Dust biscuit pieces with flour. Bring chicken & water back to a boil. Add pieces one at a time, careful not to let them stick to each other (dusting them with flour helps prevent this). The biscuits will float to the top. I use a spatula to separate the biscuits while I’m adding them, stirring in a downward folding motion.

Boil at medium high heat until biscuits are cooked, about ten minutes. Dumplings will start to sink down as they cook. Stir frequently.

In a bowl add 2/3 cup flour to 1 cup water and stir until well blended. Slowly pour into boiling pot and stir. Add garlic powder, then continue to add salt, pepper and Season-All to taste. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes.

As it cools, the chicken & dumplings will thicken. Goes great with a side of cornbread!

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Crescent

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:02:00 -0400

I originally found this recipe at Plain Chicken but instead of creating individual crescents, I made one large stuffed braided crescent. Quick and super easy. Prep time about ten minutes, baking time about 18 minutes. Here’s how mine turned out.

Ingredients:

1 bag pre-cooked breaded chicken tenders (about 8, thawed)
2 cans crescent rolls
2 cups mozzarella cheese
grated parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning to taste
1 jar spaghetti sauce
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Unroll and lay both cans of crescent rolls to form one large rectangle, making sure to overlap seams.

Dip each chicken tender in spaghetti sauce to coat evenly. It’s not necessary to cook the chicken strips, unless you prefer a crispier piece of chicken. Lay chicken tenders down center of crescent. I made two “columns”.

Cover chicken strips with parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt. Pour another thin layer of spaghetti sauce down the center as desired.

Cut 1” strips along each side of the dough, folding over the top to form a braid.

Cover top of braid with mozzarella, parmesan and Italian seasoning. Bake on center rack for about 18 minutes or until bread is golden. Slice and serve!

A little fresh ground pepper and a crispy romaine salad (with parmesan, of course).