Tag Archives: recipes

Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili (skinny version)

Posted in 2018 Food, Adventures in the Kitchen by

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I love soups and chili on a cold winter day like today!  The ones I truly love are not the most healthy, but to my delight I found this recipe;  No Bean Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili by SkinnyTaste. 

My photo does not do this justice, but this Turkey Chili hits the spot.  I added cauliflower rice to the bottom of the bowl instead of white rice and it was not only delicious but very filling and not a lot of calories!

I am adding the recipe here below, but you can click on the link above and get her full version recipe with pics!

INGREDIENTS:
20  oz lean ground turkey
kosher salt to taste
1/2 cup onion chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
10 oz Rotel with green chilies
8 oz tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1 medium sweet potato, diced
cilantro for garnish if you like

DIRECTIONS:
In large skillet, brown the turkey and season with salt and cumin
After meat is browned, add onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes over med heat
Add Rotel, tomato sauce, water, cumin, chili powder, paprika and bay leaf
Cover and simmer about 20 to 25 minutes for potatoes to soften
Remove bay leaf and serve
Add sour cream and cilantro if you desire (or rice)

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Be sure to go to SkinnyTaste  for full recipe!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen, Inspirations in Life and in the Kitchen by

Inspirations in life and in the kitchen…“Sweet Potato Casserole and Carla”

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Sweet Potato Casserole and Carla

I first tried this recipe 28 years ago when I lived in Shreveport, Louisiana.  I moved there with my husband the first year of our marriage.  We visited a church one Sunday and  that is where I met Carla.  We became instant friends and she is still a dear friend to me today.

We took turns each week eating together. There I learned the value of friendship over sharing a table, laughter and recipes.  I was not a great cook and reluctant to try new things.  In fact, I had always stated that I did not like sweet potatoes and certainly not a casserole made with them. Then Carla invited us over for dinner one evening.  I could not believe what I had been missing out on all those years.

Needless to say, this recipe has been a favorite of mine during the holidays ever since.  It is not for the faint of heart…lots of butter and brown sugar in this one!

Even though we have not lived in the same city for over 24 years, I think of her often and miss her dearly.  Carla inspired me in the kitchen by encouraging me to try ALL the ingredients in a recipe first and not leave out the ones I don’t like. She is the ultimate hostess with the mostest and always inspired love and conversation in others around her table.

She inspires me in life to be “all ears”.  She never interrupts, listens as if she truly cares (and she does) and has a heart for others.  This is something I never forgot and I think of her often when listening skills are required.

God blessed me with a friendship like hers and I also have this wonderful recipe and many others to share around my own table. Make this and I think you will fall in love with it also!

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SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (can)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup milk

INSTRUCTIONS:
Beat eggs well then add milk and mix.
Add to this sweet potatoes, sugar, salt and butter or margarine
Mix and put in greased baking dish

TOPPING:
Mix 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup flour
Pour over potatoes, then cover with 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Melt 1 stick of butter and pour over all.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, or until brown on top

Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos

Posted in 2018 Food by

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Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos
I try to make these as healthy as possible.  You can make your own Avocado Lime Sauce or use the yogurt avocado dressing from https://www.bolthouse.com/product/cilantro-avocado/, which is what I used.  But whatever you like best will work and taste great!

Avocado Lime Sauce:
~ 1/2 cup sour cream (use light if you want to make it with less calories)
~ 1 avocado
~ 1 to 2 tablespoons cilantro
~ lime zest and lime juice from one lime
Mix together in blender and chill while you make the fish tacos
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Blackened Tacos:
We purchased 1 1/2 pounds of Mahi Mahi so we would have some left over

~ Brush fish with olive oil
~ sprinkle with favorite blackened seasoning, (on both sides) I used Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Blackened seasoning or make your own.
~ Heat oil in skillet and cook fish 2 to 3 minutes on each side
~ Serve in tortilla with tomatoes, cabbage, avocado, lime wedge and your avocado lime sauce

I added black beans; rice and quinoa

YUM

 

 

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen by

My daughter is home for the summer from College..WHOOP!  As we are trying to eat better and cook at home, we have discovered many recipes from other bloggers, TV personalities and our own recipes here at home.

We found this delightful recipe and it looked like the perfect summer dish.  Here is the recipe…give it a try and let me know what you think!  Cilantro Lime Avocado Chicken 

 

 

 

One Lovely Blog Award

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen by

Thanks to Taylor at Peas Romaine Calm  for nominating me for this award!  I appreciate her sending this to me as I love her blog!   It is so easy to read, love all her creative graphics and her food always looks so tasty!   Her blog is fun just to look at! Check her out and these others as well! Thanks again Taylor!

I think these sweet awards are a great way for me to nominate blogs I love and are inspired by.   Hopefully this will encourage others to check them out as well.  I would nominate Taylor, of course, but I will need to find something she is not nominated for already!  So glad others are finding her blog so interesting.  Way to go, Taylor!

The Rules :

  • Thank the person that nominated you and give a link to their blog.
  • List the rules.
  • Display the award on your post of the award.
  • List seven random facts about yourself.
  • Nominate (up to) 15 bloggers for this award and comment on one of their posts to let them know you have nominated them.

    Random Facts:

    1. I enjoy reading.
    2. I love Mexican food.
    3. I was raised by the two sweetest parents on the earth.
    4. I freak out at blood, cuts or breaks of any kind.  You don’t want me to be the only one around if something tragic happens!
    5. I wish I could dance, I mean really dance!
    6. I have a fear of flying, but make myself do it.
    7. I would love to own my own business.

     

Nominees:

~Jane’s Patisserie  One of my favorite blogs!  Love all her recipes and photos and she is only 23!  Way to go!
~Analiza Gonzales I love her website.  She has recipes and other ideas on fashion and all her recipes look delicious!
~Hungry Girl Por Vida This blog has so many homemade recipes and also some fabulous looking cocktails!
~With All My Affection Love this blog..it is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog from an adorable 20 something!  So cute!
~Feasting with Friends Nancy lives in Detroit and  loves to cook and create her own recipes.  She has been nominated for multiple awards, but I wanted to include her because I love her blog!
~Smiling Notes This 20 something year old shares her adventures in travel and cooking.  It is so interesting and I love to look at her travel photos, especially from New York!
~Life with Becky I love this inspirational blog.  Cheryl writes about her daughter Becky and the struggles and triumphs they have.  Cheryl seems like an amazing person to me!
~Why 10 More bites? This is so cute…a mom and husband who love good food and love to share with others.

These are just a few of my faves as I have so many blogs I love to go to for inspiration.

Thanks again Taylor and I encourage you to check out some of these blogs.

You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen by

…goodbye to cupcakes anyway, and hello healthy cookbooks!
Well, not until I make cupcakes for work first!
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Okay…I am good on sweets now.  At least until February, when of course I have to bake plate after plate of Valentine treats!  But for now my family and I are all making healthy choices!

I pulled out The Skinnytaste Cookbook again.  I used this many times in 2015 but put away as October came around and I was in the baking/sweets/candy mode.

January always brings about a desire to make changes for the better.  So instead of eating at my favorite Mexican restaurant (for the millionth time in last 2 months) I stayed home and made the Buttermilk Oven “Fried” Chicken.  I made this a few times last year and my family really liked it.  This time I followed the recipe in full (I usually take short cuts) and the chicken was so moist and was just enough with my sweet potato. Give this a try if you want great flavor, fewer calories, and don’t want to feel as if you are giving up on taste.

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Recipe for Chicken is here on my blog as well as cupcakes.  Here are links to both.

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/09/20/white-wedding-cupcakes/print/
http://www.skinnytaste.com/p/cookbook.html

(My husband took this pic…teasing me that this is his new beer/food blog!  He thinks he is so funny!)     Not bad for a first try!! 🙂IMG_1753[1]

Homemade Beef Stew…Yum

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen by

I have a tried and true Beef Stew recipe from a wonderful friend from Louisiana. She gave it to me about 25 years ago and I have used it many times since.

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1st Recipe box 1989

I went to my lovely blue and mauve recipe box (from my wedding in 1989) and could not find it in there!  I will find it one day, many years from now, when I clean out all my cabinets.  But I wanted to make the stew for dinner,  so off to Pinterest and other blogs I went in search of an amazing Beef Stew recipe.

I found this one on Pinterest and put it on my board.  You can also find the recipe here.  I still love my friend’s stew, but this one certainly is one I will make again and it was perfect on this cold winter evening.

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tasty vegetables

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searing the meat

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cry, cry, cry

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making the cornbread

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delicious

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Beef Stew