Current Recipes

Kale Chips
  I got this recipe (at least the idea of it) from Melissa d'Arabian from Ten Dollar dinners.  This is a healthier alternative to chips and a great way to encourage kids to eat their greens!

Ingredients:
1 head of kale
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Rinse the kale in cold water, drain and allow to dry. Preheat oven to 350.  Lay out the kale in a singe layer on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt.  Place in over for about 10-15 min.  Remove and flip kale over.  Continue cooking until the kale is crispy.  Allow to cool and serve with a dip or plain.

Leslie's Tuna Salad
  What make my tuna different from everyone else?  I have no idea, other than I will actually eat this tuna salad.  I do NOT like fish, but this I will eat until it is gone.  This is great served on crackers, toasted bread, as lettuce wraps or as topping for a salad.

Ingredients:
4 cans of tuna (in water) drained
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 cup miracle whip or mayo
3 Tbsp mustard
1/4 cup dill pickle relish
6-10 slices bread and butter pickles, minced
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl mix all the above.  Chill and serve.

Bird's nests
  Some call these eggs in a basket.  you can scramble the egg before placing it in the whole for those who do not like runny yellows.

1-2 eggs person
1 slice of bread for each egg
butter
salt and pepper as desired

Heat a skillet (or griddle) to med and then reduce heat to med-low.  Cut a hole using a glass or a cookie cutter in each slice of bread.  (You can get creative here and use a different one each season or a favorite of you children.  My girls love the Micky Mouse cutter I have and I usually use that if the slice of bread is large enough.)  Then butter the bread, on both sides.  Also butter the cut out.  Place the bread in the pan and crack the egg in the middle.  Salt and pepper if you desire.  When the white is set most of the way through flip it over and continue to cook until the white is all the way set.  Depending on the size of you skillet you can also toast the cut out.  Serve with the cut out on top.

Warm Bacon Mustard Dressing
  I use this on spinach salad.

Ingredients:
5-6 slices of bacon
1/4 - 1/2 cup honey mustard
1/8 c mayo

Directions:
Fry the bacon until crispy.  You can either do this on the stove top or in the oven.  Drain the bacon on a paper towel or newsprint.  Reserve about 2-3 tbsp of the bacon drippings.  In a pan, place the mustard and the bacon drippings.  Heat thoroughly on med heat.  Crumble the bacon and mix that in.  Once it is all incorporated, turn off heat and add in the mayo. Pour immediately over spinach salad.  *You can leave out the mayo and increase the honey mustard.  Then salt and pepper to taste.

Crock pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

2-5 lbs chicken (You can use what ever meat you like and bone in or out does not matter.  Adjust the amount depending on your family and whether or not the chicken has bones.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz pkg of cream cheese
2-3 cans of water
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 dashes poultry seasoning
2 cups rice

Directions:
Place chicken in crock pot.  Soften cream cheese in the microwave until you can stir it.  Add soups, water, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.  Mix well.  Taste and adjust accordingly.  Pour over chicken.  Cut the butter into quarters and place around the top.  Cover and cook for 4 hours on high or 6 on low.  30 minutes before serving, cook the rice according to package directions.  Serve the chicken over the rice.

Crock pot BBQ

2-3 lbs meat of your choice (I use ribs or pork loin most often, though brisket or chicken works as well)
1-2 bottles of your favorite BBQ sauce
1/2 a red onion sliced
1 1/2 - 2 cups water (enough to almost cover the meat)

Place all the above in a crock pot and cook for 4 hours on low or 6 on high.  Serve with you favorite sides.  For brisket, cook for a minimum of 6 hours on low.