Fruit Infused Water

Wondering what to do with left over fruit?  Why not make some fruit infused water!  It's so easy!  Just cut up left over fruit and put it in a water jug with water.  I leave it in the refrigerator overnight so there's more flavor.  I had some left over strawberries and basil so I made some Strawberry Basil water.  I also had some left over cucumber and a lemon laying around to make another fruit infused water.

Slow Cooker Beef Pitas

This recipe is so easy and super yummy for dinner or even lunch.  It's from the Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good.  Enjoy!
p.s. of course my mommy brain made me forget to take a picture...

Beef Pitas
from the Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good  -  Recipe submitted by Dede Peterson of Rapid City, SD
Ingredients:
1/2 lb beef or pork cut into small cubes (I bought stewing meat so I didn't have to cut anything)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of black pepper
1 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh)
2 tablespoons diced fresh green bell pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Pita bread

Directions:
Put meat in slow cooker and sprinkle with oregano and black pepper.  Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
In a seperate bowl, mix together tomatoes, green peppers, sour cream, vinegar and oil.
Fill pitas with beef and the sour cream mixture

Kale Orzo Pasta Salad

When we lived out west we were absolutely in love with kale.  Surprisingly I had never had it until we moved out west.  Today I decided to make it for the first time in a pasta salad.  It was way easier than I ever thought it would be.  Going to Whole Foods with my "L" was the hardest part.  This is a great salad that really keeps you full all day long.
Below is the link to the recipe:  ENJOY!
Kale Orzo Salad

Strawberry Mango Salsa

Because i'm thinking of summer and i'm hoping we skip through this crappy winter/spring the midwest has been putting up with I decided to make a summer salsa from one of my favorite bloggers:  Jenna from Eat Live Run.
Below is the link to her site:
Strawberry Mango Salsa
Strawberry Manga Salsa...YUM!

Pineapple Chicken Skewers

This recipe is sooo easy.  I'm not 100% sold on it, but i'm also not a fan of chicken.  I feel like I just need to have it once a week so I'm always in search of that one recipe that will blow me away.  This was was okay.
Below is the link to the recipe on allrecipes.com
Pineapple Chicken Tenders

P.S. I apologize for the terrible picture.  I was super hungry and really just wanted to eat...

English Muffin Pizza

What do you do for lunch when you have no food in the house.  Well you make something you did back in grade school.  Yup, English Muffin Pizzas.  Super easy and fast...

English Muffin Pizzas
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Split the English Muffins in half and place on cookie sheet.  Top with pizza sauce (I used spaghetti sauce), cheese and pepperoni (of course I did not have pepperoni so these were just cheese pizzas).  Pop them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted on top.

Enjoy!

My Mom's Egg Salad

I have to say I LOVE egg salad.  Whenever I order some at a restaurant for lunch it's never the same as my mom's egg salad.  I don't have a picture of the egg salad sandwich, but the recipe is below:

Mom's Egg Salad Sandwiches
6 eggs, hard cooked and smashed (simmer, just below boiling, covered in water for 8 minutes)
In a separate bowl mix:
1/2 cup mayo
4 squirts mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
sweet pickle relish to taste if desired
salt and pepper

Mix with eggs and enjoy!

Home made fruit popsicles

And another summer post.  I found this recipe on Pintrest and I  can't for the life of me find the link to the recipe.  It's super easy!  Just cut up any fruit of your choice and fill the popsicles with white grape juice or any other fruit juice of your choice.  This is a great healthier treat for the little ones too!  I have to apologize for the pictures since it was taken on my phone.

Happy Summer!

Happy Summer!  Well at least on the west coast it feels like summer.  I swear we haven't had rain in weeks!  Sunny and in the 70's sounds great to me!
Because it feels like summer we decided to make some kabobs and a summer salad.  All we did was stick some steak, mushrooms and red peppers onto skewers and threw them on the grill.
For the Summer Salad I mixed together cooked spiral pasta, salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese, chopped green pepper, olives, cherry tomatoes and drizzle some Italian dressing over the salad.  YUMMY

Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

I was so excited that this dish was super easy to make since the premier of Real Housewives of New Jersey is on tonight.  I just had to get through cooking dinner, cleaning up, watching my husband's show and then it's just me & all the Jersey housewives!!!
This pasta has just enough spice and I love the peas (my favorite veggie) added to the dish!

Below is the link to the recipe:
Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Well I was excited for this dish because it requires little prep.  It was just okay.  First I was so hungry that I cut down the cook time and the rolls didn't cook all the way.  Tops looked nice and brown, but the bottoms of the buns were doughy.  Maybe i'll make it again.  It might be a good way to hide veggies for kids!

Recipe from Real Simple Magazine (link below)
Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Lemon Orzo with Asparagus and Tomatoes

When you mix all my favorite things together this is what you get:
Lemon
Orzo Pasta
Asparagus
Tomatoes
Cheese

This recipe is fantastic.  You can serve it warm or cold, but I would use it as a side.  I tried eating it as a main dish and it's not really enough.  It is super fantastic though.  I am so obsessed with lemons right now...probably since I now have a lemon tree in my back yard!  And I love the petite Orzo pasta as well.  The light dressing on the top was really nice.  Next time I think i'll top the salad with prosciutto.
The recipe comes from another great blog I found via Pinterest called A Big Mouthful Adventures In Food.

Below is the link to the blog:
Lemon Orzo Salad

Jalapeno Popper Pizza

Again another great recipe from Heather Christo.  I just love all the cream cheese and the heat from the Jalapeno and Shallot.  This was super easy to make.  I skipped making the dough based on time and used a premade dough and followed the cooking directions on the package, but wow this pizza is good!

Here is the link to Heather Christo's Jalapeno Popper Pizza:
Jalapeno Popper Pizza

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasanga

Finally the last post of the day.  This was super easy to make.  I found this recipe via Pinterest the the blog is super good.  Great fast ideas to feed kids (and husbands too)!

Click on link below for recipe:
Ranch Chicken Lasanga

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Seems I have been making up for lost time and I have three more posts.  The first one was a request from my husband for his birthday.  One word: YUM!
The recipe is from a blog called Sweet Peas Kitchen (which I LOVE).  These brownies were so moist and yummy.  And of course super easy ;o)

Below is the link to the recipe:
Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Waffle Grilled Cheese, Strawberry Parfaits & Lemon Monkey Bread Breakfast!

Today starts day one of Pinterest recipes.  I am absoultely obsessed with Pinterest and have saved a ton of recipes to my board.  Now that we are finally settled in our new house I get a chance to try out some of these yummy recipes.

Since my husband's birthday falls during the week I decided to make him a birthday breakfast and dessert (see next post for details).  The Eggo with bacon and cheddar grilled cheese came from the Food Network Magazine in the insert recipe book.  We also had Greek yogurt with strawberries coated in orange zest and juice and some yummy lemon buscuits.
Now it wouldn't be Mrs. D's Kitchen if I didn't mess something up a little bit right?  For the biscuits I accidentally bought the wrong ones so had to do with some refrigerated ones.  I also didn't have enough time to roast the strawberries for the parfaits so had to do without that as well.  All in all it was a great filling breakfast!

Eggo Waffles with Bacon and Cheddar Cheese
Defrost two Eggo waffles and set aside.  Once defrosted coat with a little butter and place a few slices of bacon and cheese between the two Eggos.  Place in a pan and cook as you would a regular grilled cheese.  Enjoy

Citrus Roasted Strawberry Parfaits
This recipe came from a great new blog I found called Family Fresh Cooking.  This blog has great fresh recipes that are super easy to prepare.  See link below:
Citrus Roasted Strawberry Parfaits

Lemon Monkey Bread
This recipe came from a great blog called Baker Lady.  She has great simple recipes.  See link below to this recipe:
Lemon Monkey Bread

Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts & Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

So apparently i'm such a good photographer that I accedently took a movie of these two dishes instead of a still picture.  The sad part is I had no idea until I was trying to upload the picture and couldn't find it.  You'll just have to trust me that these two dishes were sooo good.  Both came from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook and are super fast to make. 

Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
6 chicken breast halves
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded fontina or mozzarella cheese (I used both)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Romano Cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons melted butter
Directions:
Cut a hole/slit in the middle of each chicken breast and set aside.  In a bowl combine all the cheeses, basil, oregano and lemon-pepper seasoning.  Spoon in as much of the stuffing into each chicken breast as you can.  Place chicken in a baking dish and brush with the melted butter.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes.  Enjoy!

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:
1 lb medium carrots, peeled
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Directions:
Cut carrots in half, both cross-wise and length-wise.  In a medium saucepan cook carrots in a small amount of boiling water, covered, for 8-10 minutes.  Drain and remove.  In the same sauce pan melt together the butter, brown sugar and a pinch of salt.  Add in the carrots and cook uncovered for about 2 minutes.  Enjoy!

Pasta with Asparagus and Squash in a Lemon Sauce

So this recipe is from the Better Homes and Garden cookbook and is very similar to another dish I made in the past...The dish was okay.  If I never made the Pasta with asparagus and melon in a lemon sauce I probably would have liked it more.  So it wasn't a food flop...it just didn't excite me.

Pasta with Asparagus and Squash in a Lemon Sauce
Ingredients:
Rotini Pasta
2 cups asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 small squash cut into small pieces
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons lemon zest and the juice
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside.  Cook asparagus, garlic and squash in 1 tablespoon melted butter in a sauce pan for about 2 minutes.  Transfer to bowl with cooked pasta.  Pour in the whipping cream with the lemon zest and juice and bring to a boil.  Boil for a few minutes while the sauce thickens and cooks down.  Pour over pasta and ENJOY!

Salmon - Veggie Bake

So easy!  And you don't have to worry about a side dish because of all the yummy veggies you cook the salmon with!  I just love the touch of orange in this dish along with the carrots and mushrooms.  Although i'm not an onion fan at all, the green onions added a sort of sweetness to the veggies.
This recipe came from the Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book

Salmon-Veggie Bake
Ingredients:
1 lb Fresh Salmon Filets
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel (I used a zester)
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
4 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium oranges, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh oregano (optional)
Directions:
In a small saucepan cook carrots in boiling water (covered) for 2 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  In a large bowl combine carrots, mushrooms, green onions, orange peel, oregano, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Toss together.  Divide vegetables onto tin foil (one piece per salmon cut).  Place salmon on top of the veggies and top with orange slices and a sprig of oregano.  Fold the foil over the salmon making sure there are no holes (you will want to keep the steam inside the foil).  Bake on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (it took me 15 minutes longer in my oven).  Enjoy!

Baked Pasta with Tomatoes, Shitake Mushrooms and Proscuitto

And i'm back!  Well it's been over a month since my last post and even longer since my last recipe post.  We have settled into our new home on the west coast and are loving the weather!  The first dinner I made in my new kitchen is a great recipe from my mom.  It does take some work, but it's totally worth it in the end!

Baked Pasta with Tomatoes, Shitake Mushrooms and Prosciutto
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Cups finely chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 lb shitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
2 (28oz) cans Italian tomatoes in juice, drained well and chopped
1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
1 cup finely grated Italian Fontina Cheese
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
2/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1 lb farfalle or penne pasta
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Put rack in the middle 9of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.  Butter a 3-4 qt shallow baking dish.  Heat oil in large skillet and add onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, and cook stirring until onions are softened (about 6 minutes).  Add mushrooms, increase heat to moderate and cook stirring until mushrooms are tender (about 10 minutes).  Transfer to large bowl.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in same skillet over moderate low heat.  Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly for 3 minutes to create a roux.  Add milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly and simmer until thick (about 2 minutes).  Pour sauce over mushroom mixture.  Stir in tomatoes, prosciutto, Fontina, Gorgonzola, 1 1/4 cup Parmesan and parsley.
Cook Pasta in 6-9 qt pot of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes (pasta will not be tender).  Drain well.  Add pasta, salt, pepper to mushroom mixture and toss until well combined.  Transfer to buttered baking dish and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.  Dot the top with butter.
Bake until top is golden and pasta is tender (about  25-30 minutes).
ENJOY!