Tasty Tuesday ~~ Chicken Ranch Enchiladas

Welcome to my kitchen! This is another not-so-bad-for-ya recipe I think you'll enjoy. It's easy to add to and subtract from with your favorite (or on-hand) ingredients! 
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Chicken Ranch Enchiladas 
1 pkg. (8) small multi-grain tortillas 
4 leftover (or fresh baked) chicken thighs, fat skimmed
1 lg. yellow onion cut in thin rings 
2 cups shredded low fat Mozzarella cheese 
2 tsp. dry Ranch dressing mix 
1 1/2 cups low fat Ranch or French Onion dip, or sour cream (or combo of these) 
Extra seasoning to taste (sea salt, black pepper & garlic powder)


Saute onions in olive or pure coconut oil in a large pan until tender. Add in bite sized chunks of chicken, dressing mix, dip/sour cream, and seasonings. Cook & stir over medium low heat until until mixed and heated well. Layer mixture onto tortillas, add a liberal sprinkling of cheese, and roll up/tuck under. Heat individual servings in microwave. Serve with salsa or ranch dip. Great with a side salad or pico de gallo. 

 MIX

 LOAD & ROLL 

ENJOY! 

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Turkey Stroganoff

Yeah, I know it's Wednesday, but I've been busy with a ton of other projects and events lately, so I thought I'd post a recipe today while I had time. 


How you doing? Hope your year is going as swimmingly as mine! Lots of fun stuff's been going on . . . a few great trips, speaking at a writers conference, leading a bimonthly writers group, hosting monthly poetry workshops, creative endeavors (art, poetry, book projects), etc. etc. blah blah blah. 


But enough about that. Here's what ya came for: a great and easy downhome recipe that won't break the bank! :)


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Turkey Stroganoff


16 ounces of lean ground turkey
1 small white or yellow onion, diced fine 
1 package (12-oz.) wide egg noodles 
3 10-oz. cans low fat cream of mushroom soup 
2 cups low fat milk 
seasonings 


Saute onion until limp. Add turkey and brown. Spice with sea salt, garlic, and black pepper. Add in soup and milk. Stir to mix well and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Cover and cook on low for @15 minutes. Prepare noodles according to package, then drain. Serve stroganoff over noodles while hot from the pot. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serves 8-10 hungry eaters. 

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Smothered Squash

Before we talk squash, let's talk spam! Fix your settings to moderate all comments that are over two days old. This keeps about 99% of the evil spam from being published on your beloved blog. It also negates the necessity of having that confounded {insert cuss words here} Word Verification control on. Now . . . on with the recipe:


Smothered Squash


6 medium-small yellow squash cut in 1/4-inch rounds 
1 medium white or Vidalia onion cut in thin rings
Olive or coconut oil 
1 tsp. sugar of half a packet of sweetener 


Saute onions in oil for about 10 minutes or until they turn clear. Add in squash and stir. Season with sea salt, black pepper and a sprinkle of garlic powder to taste. Cover and simmer on medium low for about 20 minutes or until squash is "fall apart" tender. Serves 6. 


Easy, quick, delicious! 

It's Two-fer Tasty Tuesday! Grab a Plate.

We're eating healthier and getting in some exercise in the Ledbetter household, and that extends to the S.O.'s of said family. Last week, daughter's sweet boyfriend cooked this chicken for us, and it was deeeee-licious! 

Bubba's Crispy Oven Fried Chicken


1 package chicken breasts (cut into strips) 
Cornflakes (fill large Ziplock 2/3 full and crush up)
8-oz. reduced fat shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 packets dry Ranch dip
Egg whites for dredging


Coat chicken strips in egg white, then put into cornflakes. Shake well to coat. Spray cookie sheet well with non-stick spray and add coated chicken strips. Bake on 350 for 45 minutes or until brown and crispy. 


**To complete the meal, we added baked sweet potato fries; asparagus, squash & zucchini medley (recipe below); fresh green beans, and corn. A great and filling supper! 

Grilled Veggie Trio


1 bunch fresh asparagus 
2 zucchini and 2 yellow squash (cleaned & cut into strips) 
2 T. pure coconut oil (or olive oil) 
Sea salt, pepper, minced or squeeze garlic to taste 
Juice from one lemon or concentrate 
1 1/2 T. dry ranch dressing 
Parmesan cheese 


Saute veggies in a large pan in oil of your choice, stirring to mix in all other seasonings, and until done but still crisp. **The coconut oil is great for your "good cholesterol" and adds great flavor. Cover with lid and simmer on low for @ 15 minutes, continuing to stir. Serve hot for a healthy and tasty side dish. 

Friday Funnies - Blonde Goes Postal

Yay, it's Friday! Hope you have a few laughs this weekend. :D Here's a little humor to get you started right ~~~

A blonde needs some stamps for Easter cards she's mailing out, so goes to the post office for her purchase. 


She asks the clerk, "May I have 50 Easter stamps with cute little bunnies or pretty flowers on them, please?" 


The clerk asks, "What denomination?" 


The blonde swings her long hair, digs a calculator out of her purse and starts calculating. Finally she says in a snide voice, "Well! Has it come to this? Give me 22 Catholics, 12 Presbyterian, 10 Lutheran, and 6 Baptists." 

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Snappy Brussels Sprouts

I know this is one of those veggies like broccoli that everyone loves to hate, but if you give 'em a fair shake, they're really good. There's some confusion on their name (Brussel vs. Brussels), but these little cabbage-like beauties pack a powerful health benefit punch: 


@ Cholesterol-lowering and fiber-loaded 
@ Good for digestion 
@ Stabilize DNA inside white blood cells (infection fighters) 
@ Cancer protection 

So, now that you know the true inner beauty of Brussels Sprouts, here's a quick and delicious recipe: 


Snappy Brussels Sprouts

Steam a bag of frozen sprouts or enough fresh for four servings, until tender (but not mushy). Turn off heat and drain. Add in 3 T. garlic butter (or Smart Balance + minced garlic to taste, or 1 T. coconut oil + minced garlic). I've made them all three ways and each version is good. Squeeze in juice from half a fresh lemon. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix flavors. Put the lid back on and let "marinate" for a few minutes. Serve hot. 

What's your favorite green veggie? 

Cajun Secret to a Long Marriage . . .

Thanks to my dad for sending me this smile of the day~~~




At St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Hackberry, Louisiana, down near the bayou, they have weekly husbands' marriage seminars. At the session last week, the priest asks Boudreaux, who said he was
approaching his 50th wedding anniversary, to take a few minutes and share some insight into how he had managed to stay married to the same woman for five decades. 


Boudreaux replies to the assembled husbands, "Mais, I try to treat my Marie nice. I spend money on her, invite her sometimes to da bouree game down at Poppa Tops Bar, and tings like dat. But best of all, I took her to France for da 25th anniversary!" 

"Boudreaux, you are an amazing inspiration to all the husbands here! Please tell us what you are planning for your wife for your 50th anniversary?" the priest says. 

Boudreaux puffs out his chest and replies, "Mais, padre, I gonna go pick her up." 


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Have a great weekend and lotsa laughs, you! :D 

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Bread Pudding with Special Sauce

Nom nom! Made this last night and served it straight from the oven.  


Bread Pudding with Special Sauce


Secret Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter (I use Smart Balance)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey
1 T. lemon juice


Bread Pudding:
1 day-old loaf French bread (I used my dad's homemade Italian loaf) 
1 quart milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 T. vanilla
1/2 cup each of Craisins and fresh blueberries
     (soak overnight in whiskey if possible) 
1/4 t cinnamon
3 T. butter, melted


Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Add sugar and egg, whisking to blend. Cook on low, continuously stirring until thickened. (Don't simmer or it may curdle/separate.) Whisk in Jack Daniels and continue stirring until it's the consistency you want. Remove from stove and cover. Whisk again before spooning over pudding, making sure sauce is smooth. 


Pudding: Preheat oven to 375. Tear bread into small chunks and put into large bowl. Pour milk over the bread and press bread down to absorb. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, then gently stir into bread/milk mixture. Gently stir in craisins and blueberries. 


Pour melted butter into a 9x13 glass baking pan, coating sides. Pour in pudding mix and bake for @40 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Serve with a generous helping of sauce. Best eaten warm and fresh. (Serves 10-12.) 

Friday Funnies ~~ Cajun Lunch

Happy Friday. Hope your weekend gives you time to do whatever it is you love doing! 

Dat Cajun Lunch, Yeah!

Dem bess frands (best friends) Boudreaux an Thibodaux, dey (they) was working together down at da mill, and it was finally lunchtime. 

Boudreaux, him pull out his lunchbox and a long rounded container ting dat Thib ain't never seen before. Thib says, "Mais, Boo, what dat you got dere?" 

"Mah frand, dat's sometin new dey done come out wit called a Termis Bottle." 

Thib looks at the contraption and says, "A Termis Bottle? What dat do?" 

Boudreaux shakes his head at Thib, wondering how he can be so behind the times. "Mais, couyon, you put sometin' hot in dere, it keep it hot; you put sometin' cold in, and it keep it cold!" 

Thibodaux scratches his head and says, "Hoo, what dey gonna tink up nexx? Say, what you got in dat Termis Bottle, Boo?" 

Boo smiles and says, "Today I got a cup 'a soup and two popsicle, me." 




*Thermos image from http://www.artofgear.com

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Mexican Lasagna

Something different for you casserole lovers like me. We served this up at the men's shelter last month and it was a huge hit. 


 Mexican Lasagna

2 pounds lean ground beef (or mix of turkey, beef and/or ground  

  venison)

1 15-ounce can refried beans

1 14.5-ounce can of Rotel tomatoes

1 small can cream of mushroom soup

4 large flour tortillas (cut in 2” strips, and then halved)

12 oz. sour cream

1 cup shredded sharp cheese

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese 

1 ½ tsp. chili powder

1 16-ounce can of large black olives, drained & sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Brown meat in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain off drippings. (Use a big pot so you can add the other ingredients in.)

Add chili powder, beans, Rotel, olives, sour cream, and soup together in a large bowl and mix well. Add to meat pot and heat thoroughly.

Line baking pan(s) with tortilla strips, making sure to cover the entire bottom of pan. Then spoon in half of the meat mixture and top with half the cheese. Repeat so you have a double layer of everything.

Bake covered for 30-40 minutes. Great with pico de gallo or salsa added. Ole’!

Friday Foibles ~~ Oh, Those Blondes!

Three blondes are in an elevator when it suddenly stops and all the lights go out. Their cell phones are out too, so they can't call for help. 


After a few hours of being stuck, one blondes says to the other two, "I think maybe the best way to get someone to help us is by yelling together. What do you think?" 


The other two think hard for a moment, then agree. They inhale deeply and begin to scream at the top of their lungs . . . 


"TOGETHER, TOGETHER, TOGETHER!" 


***If you need another dose of craziness, here's last Friday's post called Insurance Insanity, straight from the wonky workings of my brain. :D 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Put the Coffee on...

I'm comin' by to visit! *grin*