Baked Sausage and Potatoes

This is an AWESOME easy recipe. I made it with my friend Morgan and we both loved it. It’s definitely something you could easily throw together for dinner. Try it out and let me know how it goes!

Ingredients:-14oz smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces.
-4 or 5 decent sized potatoes (I used 2 yukon gold and 2 sweet potatoes)
-1 medium onion (yellow)
-3 tbsp olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste

(before and after…. from my phone. sorry for the poor quality)

Directions:
-Spray a large baking pan with nonstick spray.
-Slice sausage into 1/2 inch thin rounds.
-Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch chunks.
-Slice the onion into strips.
-Place all the ingredients on a baking sheet.
-Drizzle over the potatoes and sausage with the olive oil, make sure everything is covered.
-bake at 400 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

-E

Southwest Two Bean Chicken

One of my favorite kitchen appliances is my crock pot. I used it nearly every night last semester. One of my favorite recipes that I made with the crock pot is this southwest two bean chicken from The Gracious Pantry. I cut the recipe in half because I was just cooking for myself and wanted leftovers. So if you’re cooking for 4 then double the recipe.

Ingredients:
-2 chicken breasts
-1/2 of a 15oz can of Pinto beans (rinsed & drained)
-1/2 of a 15oz can of Black beans (rinsed & drained)
-1/2 of a 28oz can of diced tomatoes in juice (low sodium)
-1/2 lb. frozen and thawed organic corn
-1/2 of a 12oz jar of salsa (no sugar)

Directions:
-Put the chicken in the crock pot first.
-Then layer on the tomatoes & salsa, and the beans & corn.
-Cook on low for 5-7 hours.
-The chicken will fall apart easily when done.

It came out perfect. I can’t wait to make this again.

-E

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Towards the end of this past summer I started cooking dinner for my family about once a week. Trying to find some recipes I liked before going to school, where I’d be cooking for myself every night. One night I wanted to make something nice for desert and came across this super EASY and FAST recipe. (I don’t remember where I got it from though, sorry).

Ingredients:
-1 box of strawberries
-8oz cream cheese
-3 or 4 tbsp of Stevia (Can use Truvia or any other sugar… I use Stevia all the time)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-4 graham crackers (number is from memory, but 4 sounds about right)

Directions:-Hollow out the strawberries.
-Mix together the cream cheese, stevia, & vanilla extract until creamy.
-Fill strawberries with the mixture.
-Crush the graham crackers and dip the filled end of the strawberries into the graham cracker crust.
-Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

Hope you enjoy!

-E

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Ahhhh! It’s been too long. I promised myself this wouldn’t happen but I guess my laziness gets the best of me. I know I need to keep up with this blog so I can discipline myself better.

Here is a recipe I made a couple months ago when my boyfriend came to visit me at school. We were watching football games and wanted something to munch on. These yummy chicken bites came to mind and they turned out awesome. I’m going to apologize ahead of time for the crappy picture quality. I took these from my phone.

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
-1 package of sliced bacon
-3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
-2 tbsp chili powder

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes.
-Cut each bacon slice into thirds (or halves if you want more bacon on the bite, but thirds worked fine for me).
-Wrap each cube of chicken with a piece of bacon. (You can secure it with a tooth pick but I didn’t have any and it worked fine for me without one.)
-Stir together the brown sugar and chili powder and cover the bites in the mixture.
-Place the bites on tin foil on a cookie sheet.
-Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Until the bacon is crisp.

They were awesome! So crisp on the outside and we couldn’t stop eating them.

-E

Small set back

I changed my major this semester for the FIFTH time since I started college. Horrible idea because now I’m a graphic design major which is completely different from the public relations or marketing majors I had. So a majority of my classes that I’ve taken wont count towards this major. But it is a good thing because I’m finally doing something I like and I actually enjoy going to my classes.

Today I met with my advisor to discuss my schedule for next semester and she told me that I wont be able to graduate next spring… while I had a feeling that would happen, she also told me that it might take not 4 but 5 more semesters. GAAAAHHHHHH! I’m not interested in being here for 5 more semesters. So I’m going to have to do a bunch of summer classes and maybe a may-mester class.

Plus side, I am signing up to take a jewelry making class next semester. I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! It’s gonna be awesome. A friend in my 2D class showed me a ring she made in the jewelry class and I’m in love. I cannot wait to start creating my own actual jewelry (not just these wire rings).

Easy lemon salmon recipe

I was with my little brother the other night and decided to make some dinner rather than order pizza or chinese like we usually would when home alone. I asked if he’d like some salmon and of course he agreed. It’s one of his favorite foods.. mine too. I didn’t want to buy too many ingredients so I decided to just get some brown rice to have as a side. I was going to make a simple lemon baked salmon. It was delicious.

Ingredients:
-1 lb. Alaskan wild caught salmon-2 lemons
-salt and pepper to taste

Slice up the lemons into thin disks.
Place them under the pound of salmon
I squeezed a little lemon juice from the end pieces onto the salmon
Then top with a little salt and pepper for taste
Pop in the oven at 400 for 25 to 30 minutes.
I served it over some brown rice

NEW – scarves and hats

My photo uploader was being weird the weekend before spring break so I had to keep this one in my drafts box. Finally it’s working so here you go!

I had no work this weekend and I never have class on Fridays, so I had a lovely relaxing 3 day weekend. I spent it watching movies and crocheting more things to sell. I made three scarves and a hat. I love them! They’re so soft and cozy.