Cooking, Recipes & Kitchen Musts!!

Well, Just so you know the beer can chicken wasn't a HUGE hit! It turned out good, but for all the time/work put in it I'd almost just rather run up to Publix & get one of there rotisserie chickens! (That are oh so good) However, I think we may have cooked ours a little long....

On another note, I thought i'd share some of my favorite things in the kitchen & some recipes :) 

ONE thing I am REALLY loving these days is my Williams Sonoma Olive Oil Mister.

Another great purchase is  Annies Raspberry Vinagrette Dressing  - light :) 
So yummy on a spinach and strawberry salad w/ salmon :) Delicious!


Another thing I absolutely LOVE is my electric frying pan which I use for frying chicken (FOR THE HUBS) OR cooking a stir fry type thing w/ chicken, beef, eggplant, bokchoy, squash, zuchinni, broccoli & anything else :) 

& Obviously life with out Pyrex dishes would just be plain ridiculous :) 

...More to come (When I think of it!)

As far as recipes goes, I had promised my friend Megan a few weeks ago that I would send her a country fried steak recipe & fried chicken! :) SO....I don't have the the fried chicken around me right now, but I thought i'd go ahead and type out the country fried steak --- one of my unhealthy southern husbands favorites ;) 

Country Fried Steak w/ White Gravy

1. Salt, Pepper & Flour Cube Steak

2. Cover the bottom of the frying pan with oil & let it heat up.

3. Fry until done. Turning several times.

(You can also make chicken fried chicken w/ this recipe too; using boneless chicken breast)

4. Lay cooked steak on paper towels -to kind of get the grease off.

OK----here comes the TRICKY part ;) This might take a little practice.

THE GRAVY:

1. In the pan you were just previously using, mix in 3 tblspns of flour (With the hot oil that should be left over in the pan)

2. Add Salt and pepper

3. Stir until slightly brown.

4. SLOWLY add in milk! You can always add more but it's better to start with less ;)

& Stir 

Add milk until you get the right consistency.

-Any questions just ask! :)

Thought I'd throw a few more in here :) 

This is a SUPER Easy dip recipe that ALL the guys seem to LOVE :)

Pizza DIP:

 You will need : 

• 8 oz of Cream Cheese
• Pizza Sauce
• Pepperonnis
• Mexican Mix Shredded Cheese

Okay, 

1. Spread 8oz of Cream Cheese in a shallow pan/pie plate

2. Spread 1/2 jar of pizza sauce over it

3. Chop up pepperoni's (maybe in 1/2 or 1/4's) & Cover

4. Cover w/ Cheese

5. Microwave 4 minutes.

SUPER EASY :) 

AWESOME CHEESE DIP:

You will need:

• 1 lb of ground sausage or beef (I think sausage taste better in this)
• 1 lb of Velveeta Cheese
• 1 can of rotel tomatoes

1. Brown Sausage

2.Place Cheese in Crock pot & let it melt

3. Add Sausage & Rotel when it's started to melt some .. can't really mess it up :) 

OKAY & for those of you who like HEALTHY : 

Roasted Green BEans:

1. Get Fresh Green beans and place them in a bowl. (Wash 1st)

2. Sprinkle 1 tblspoon of olive oil & 1 teaspoon of salt, stir around so it's evenly coated

3. Place on a baking sheet covered in tin foil

4. Bake 450 15 min...I sometimes do it longer b/c I like them with a few brown spots.

YOU can also do the same w/ sweet potatos if you cut them up - making sweet potato fries -yummy and healthy :) 

Just thought I'd share some...More to come later :) 

Im about to go enjoy my dinner publix gave me for free today :) Sockeye Salmon!! Thank you for good customer service Publix....

& lastly, my sweet little lemon tree must be enjoying outside b/c it's finally keeping her blooms on!!

Ha :) At the Houston house we get excited about the little things :)