Corn Salsa Recipe

My daughter K loves to cook and try new things. She must get that from her big sister, because I am not usually inclined to just look for something to try! But she saw a recipe for Corn Salsa on the Food Network channel and really wanted to try it. So she added all the ingredients she needed to my grocery list and waited, and waited for grocery day!

I was a little skeptical, remember I don't try new things, but it is fantastic and I can't stop eating it! It's an added bonus that it is good for you, using corn and beans and all! Here's the recipe:

* 4 ears corn, shucked
* 3 tomatillos, papery outer skin removed
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
* 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
 * 4 scallions, thinly sliced
* 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped, optional
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* Kosher salt
* 1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves roughly chopped

Directions Preheat the grill to medium. Use a wire grill brush to loosen any crud or soot from the grate. Use an oiled side towel to remove any loosened crud. Put the corn and the tomatillos on the grill and grill until they get charred and black on all sides. Remove from the grill and let cool. Cut the kernels from the corn cob and scrape any residual bits of corn off the cob. Scrape any really charred bits of skin off the tomatillos and then cut them into 1/2-inch chunks. In a large bowl, combine the corn, tomatillos, black beans, garlic, scallions, and jalapenos, if using. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the vinegar and oil. Pour over the salsa and season with salt, to taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Toss in the cilantro and serve.

We made a few adjustments.  Since K was making this on her own, I didn't send my 11 year old out to grill the corn and tomatillos.  She cooked the ears of corn on the stove pot in boiling water.  As a matter of fact, our garden was done with tomatillos, so we didn't add them at all.  Likewise, I'm not a fan of hot, so we didn't add the jalapeno either.

Feel free to make your own adjustments.  It makes a nice big bowl, so it would be a great dish to take to a potluck.

Happy snacking!

My Oldest Daughter Turns 21 - Time for a Cake Recipe

In the blink of an eye, my baby, my first born, turned 21 years old this week.  I still remember that time in the hospital of wondering, what do I do now?  Can that nurse come home with me?

Thankfully she was a delightful baby, and she has been a delightful child her whole life.  Away at college now, I just don't see nearly enough of her.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart.  I love you!!

She came home to enjoy a family dinner, presents, and of course cake.  Which brings us to our recipe!  Have you ever tried Pudding Cake?  OH. MY. GOODNESS.  You must!

I found the recipe at All Recipes.  I chose double chocolate cake and cheesecake pudding!  It is divine!!

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 2 (3.9 ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 4 cups milk

Directions

1. Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for one 9x13 inch cake. Remove cake from oven. Poke holes at once down through cake to pan with the round handle of a wooden spoon. Holes should be at 1 inch intervals.
2. Combine the pudding mix with the confectioners' sugar and gradually stir in the milk. Beat with an electric mixer at low speed for not more than 1 minute. Do not over beat. Quickly, before pudding thickens, pour about 1/2 of the thin pudding evenly over the warm cake and into the holes. (This will make the stripes in the cake.) Allow the remaining pudding to thicken slightly then spoon over the top, and spread to frost the top of the cake. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.  

YUM!  Enjoy!! 

Hearts at Home Blog Hop - Homemade Recipes

I hope you'll join in today with the Hearts at Home Third Thursday Blog Hop.  We're sharing our favorite family homemade recipes.

I thought I'd share a new breakfast creation I've been making and just can't seem to make often enough for me!  Forgive that there are no exact measurements, but you can't mess it up!

For Christmas I got a new electric skillet and I love this thing!  It is not divided, but I can cook two things at once if I need to.

So I start by melting about 1/2 cup of butter in the skillet and then add frozen hashbrowns, whichever kind you prefer.  I like the flavoring of butter instead of oil.  I add some onion, either flakes or fresh, and salt and pepper to your liking.  I like to cook my hashbrowns until they are golden brown.  When the hashbrowns are near ready, on the other side of the skillet, I'll start frying some sausage, either links or ground.  I like both.  Once the sausage is done, if I'm using ground, I combine it with the hash browns.

Then move all that to once side and start some scrambled eggs on the other side.  When I add the egg, I usually put a wooden spoon under the feet of my skillet so it doesn't run into the cooked hashbrowns and make them soft.  After the eggs are cooked, I mixed that into the hashbrowns and sausage.

You could get fancy and add green or red peppers as well, whatever your family enjoys.  I really like this meal and the best part is -- only one pan to wash!!

Chicken Squares-Family Favorite Recipe

My two girls beg me for this dinner each and every week!  Maybe it will become one of your family favorites.

Chicken Squares

1 8oz block cream cheese

2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded

1 Tbs. onion flake

Dash of milk

salt and pepper

1 Crescent Roll (pkg of 8) 

Soften the cream cheese.  Add chicken, onion, milk, salt and pepper.  On a cookie sheet (I line mine with aluminum foil for easy cleanup), combine two triangles of crescent rolls to make four  squares.  Add chicken mixture to center of each square of dough.  Now bring opposite corners of the square together at the top and pinch together to form a square.  Bake at 375* for 13-17 minutes, until golden brown.

We serve our meal with a baked potato and salad.

Enjoy!

Family Friendly Recipes

I have some recipes that my family really enjoys, but I sure get tired of repeating the same things over and over again. I've wandered through the internet and haven't had much luck.  Have you seen some of the recipes out there that supposedly family friendly?  My kids wouldn't touch it, and I don't have time to make it.  Sometimes I have never even heard of some of the ingredients!  I want some family tried and true recipes that I know people, and kids, really love.

I thought it would be fun to have a Recipe Exchange through some Linky Love.  I'll share one of our family favorites, then you can add your link to a favorite recipe you would like to share with us.

Fetticcini Alfredo

Trust me, if it wasn't easy, I wouldn't be making it!

3/4 cup heavy cream

6 Tbs. butter

2 cloves garlic(I cheat and use prepared minced from the produce section)

1 1/2 cup parmesian cheese(Get the 5 oz container in the cheese section)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 cup cooked cubed chicken

 Box of fetticcini

Start cooking the pasta, as the fetticcini takes longer.

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan, bring a boil to melt cheese and butter, turn down to simmer until pasta is cooked.  Be sure not to leave on too long, as the cheese will burn if it settles.  Don't add the chicken, as the cheese gets all stuck to it (Ask me how I know!)

I then drain the pasta and serve it up on plates.  I then add the cut chicken and drizzle the sauce over the top.

Easy and yummy!!

Your turn.....link up your favorite recipes.  You can even add more than one if you want!!