Corn Bread Salad

Evening guys and dolls, Tuesday is here which means another yummy recipe. Tonight's recipe was picked for the vegetarian peeps out there (including my good friend Judi). Now, no protests trying something new is fun. Besides give the meat section of your grocery store a night of rest. This one is going to the veggies. I do have to mention that tonight's meal is vegetarian NOT VEGAN. Vegan and Vegetarian are completely different. Why do I specify this? Well for years I thought they were the same thing and imagine my horror of embarrassment (my least favorite emotion) over arguing for hours with a friend on them being the same when in fact my dumb ass was in the wrong the whole time. So, if you are curious head on over to google and type in "the difference between vegan and vegetarian" it should beef up your brain knowledge on the subject. It'll also save you on the embarrassment with your friends during your next heated argument. You can thank me later. ;].
We aim to please here at Tuesday's with Dinah and Ma (again sounding like a corporation, ha!) and we were searching for something in the healthier department and more vegetarian department so with Ma's handy research led us to this yummy recipe:

(This was sent by e-mail from one of the dj's at Magic 105.1)

CORN BREAD SALAD
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 package, 8 1/2 oz corn bread/muffin mix
1 can, 4oz, chopped green chilies, undrained
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 cup light mayo
1 cup light sour cream
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
2 cans, 15 oz of Great Northern or pinto beans, drained
2 cans, 15 oz of whole kernel corn, drained
4 good sized tomatoes, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (Now, I'm aware this says bacon but to make it vegetarian just leave them out, I REPEAT LEAVE THEM OUT!)
2 - 3 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Prepare corn bread according to package directions but stir in chilies, cumin and oregano.

2. Pour into greased 8" square pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool.

3. Combine with mayonnaise, sour cream and dressing mix, set aside.

4. Crumble half of the cornbread in a 13x9 pan. Layer with tomatoes, peppers, onions, bacon, dressing and cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese.

5. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.









This was hands down one the best recipes we've ever made. Mucho props to Mitzi for sending this out. It's a definite keeper. Geoff ate 4 plate fulls and he's a carnivore lol.



Tid Bits:
*If you're not a fan of green chilies simply leave them out.
*Just a reminder about the leaving out the bacon to make this a vegetarian dish
*The only thing I did different is (Dinah's not a big fan of mayo) I put two cups sour cream to one cup mayo rather than the original way listed. I also used Italian seasoning.
*You can use different cheeses. Any one you like is fine.


Ma's Spot: I picked this meal because of one of Dinah Jane's friends requested a vegetarian meal and we do aim to please. So a shout out to Dinah's friend I have your back on this meal and another recipe to come in the future. As for this meal I absolutely loved it! I can't describe to you guys how great this is. So please try it, don't let the title throw you off. It is delish.




*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:




Dinah: So this week we have the Pillsbury Sweet Moments Raspberry Cheesecake bite-size brownies. Two words for you: Raspberry and Cheesecake. ENOUGH SAID. Oh and the word epic comes to mind as well. :D.


Ma: Try these and send your taste buds in a whirl. These were fantastic! The little bites, you just pop them in your mouth and the chocolate runs a muck. Now I am back in good with my taste buds after last week's Gatorade Bars fiasco (Um, excuse me Dinah here. I'm sorry to intrude but come on they weren't THAT...bad. Well, okie yeah they were that bad...carry on lol). Coupon or no coupon or sale or no sale pick these up because they are well worth it.



That's it guys, meet us here next Tuesday for more yummy goodness. Have a great week!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Cheeseburger Taco's

Welcome back guys, tonight we bring you another recipe to make your mouths water and recipe boxes weep with joy for another grand recipe from yours truly. I've been noticing the weather keeps going down in temperature. I love when that happens. I loathe summer. I know I know, I'm sure there was some GASPS! in the internet world but I have to come clean. I hate wearing shorts (my chub rub doesn't appreciate), I hate little bugs that think my skin is tasty, Oh and the heat? Not a fan at all. In fact Ma and I joke that the only good thing about Summer is Big Brother (if you don't know the show then you are missing out!). So with my heat hatred that can only mean I love love love fall/winter. I love it when it's cool enough to break out the slow cooker, make soups, and all around yummy stuff to make your kitchen feel all warm and cozy. So bring on the new seasons, our kitchen is waiting to share our weather friendly concoctions with you guys!

Okie so onto tonight's recipe. Let's get started, it was my pick this week and I was surfing the Pillsbury site for ideas and it occurred to me that we haven't made a form of taco's yet. While yes, we've featured Mexican themed dishes I don't recall a single taco dish and that's when I came across this divine dish. It mixes Mexican flare with an all American classic. Crazy right? No fear, it's not too outrageous but let's be real who doesn't love some outrageousness? So what goes into this? Follow me:


Cheeseburger Tacos

Prep Time: 20 Min
Total Time: 20 Min
Makes: 12 tacos

1 box (4.6 oz) Old El Paso® taco shells (12 shells)
12 slices (2/3 oz each) American cheese
1lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 cup Old El Paso® cheese 'n salsa dip
12 lettuce leaves
12 tomato slices
3/4 cup Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa


DIRECTIONS
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Line each taco shell with 1 slice of cheese. Arrange taco shells on ungreased cookie sheet (cheese will fall to one side). Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted. 2 Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in dip. Cook until hot. 3 To serve, spoon about 2 tablespoons beef mixture into each warm taco shell. Top each with lettuce and tomato. Serve with salsa.
Die-hard cheeseburger fans can add pickle slices to their tacos.
To keep stove cleanup to a minimum, purchase a splatter screen. The round mesh screen sits on top of the skillet, minimizing the splatters you typically get when cooking ground beef. Look for a splatter screen in the housewares department of discount stores.




So this one was a hit. To me it's nothing to write home about. Sure, it has a taste of cheeseburger but honestly it reminds me of a plain ol' taco. Which isn't a bad thing. I found them yummy (and Geoff inhaled 6 of them so I'd say they were great lol) but as far as sparkle it lacked a bit. Hey, food can have sparkle. You didn't think it was just reserved for Edward Cullen did you?



Tid Bits:
No tid bits tonight guys. Hey, it happens. lol I'd say stay on point with the recipe.



Ma's Spot: If you like cheeseburgers you'll like these taco's. I unfortunately do not like cheeseburgers but I did try tonight's recipe and thought it was tasty if you like that kind of thing. So I left the cheese out of my taco's but I did place a slice of provolone cheese on the shells and melted it. It tasted pretty good. I encourage you to make these.


*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:



Dinah: Oh...the Gatorade energy pre-workout bar. Hmm...well what's something nice I can say because it's about to get drenched in haterade <---Hahaha, get it? Haterade...gatorade? *crickets*...no? I know, stick to your day job Dinah. So maybe I should've picked a better actual "snack" instead of an "pre-workout bar" but I love Gatorade and I thought it would be like a granola bar. I thought how bad can cinnamon raisin and banana chocolate nut be? I was WRONG. It's some bitter, fruity, nasty, tiny bar that looks like it was cut from an old fruit cake circa "1995". Maybe if you're into mixing something into your workout regimen in the form of bars that have no flavor, wait that have bitter flavor then these are for you. I'd pass on these any day.

Ma's: What can I say about these horrible things?! I took one bite of each and gagged. They were bad, beyond bad. Now I'm a foodie so if I tell you something tastes bad then it definitely is. So save your $2.50 and go buy a bag of cookie. These are not worth the time, money, or taste buds. Your taste buds will turn against you if you eat these.


Another Tuesday done but no worries as always we'll be back next Tuesday with another recipe. Have a great week guys!


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Beef Porcupines in Tomato Gravy

Tuesday's here so it's time for another blog recipe!

Happy August! The year is going by way too fast but for lovers of fall (like myself) August cannot go by fast enough. Anywho, this is not a blog about weather so let's get to this week's recipe. It's Ma's pick and it comes from this sadly worn cookbook that she's had since well...probably before yours truly was born.




Look at it, what happened to it? Did it get into a food fight? <---haha food fight. Get it? Food...cooking? Okie yeah, not my best but you get the jist.



So with some PI work I tracked down this book and this is what the original cover looked like you know before the food fight. Alright, I know a bad joke when I tell one and I'm letting go. Sheesh!






So you're probably wondering why we have a diabetic cookbook. Well once apon a time I had a wonderful uncle. He was diagnosed with diabetes (among other medical problems) and we needed to whip up things to make him feel included in on the yummy food we normally cook. So tonight's recipe is an oldie but goodie for the Bellas clan. It's actually one of Aunt Jane's favorites. She even told me if I didn't end up liking it she was going to I dunno...something about murder or ring my neck? I couldn't quite make out her threat, ha. So for your viewing and recipe box pleasure I bring you porcupines!


WAIT! Oh geez, I should've confronted this head on in the beginning of this entry. Okie, come back I know the name is gonna throw you off but here at Tuesday's with Dinah and Ma we don't eat porcupines. Come on! no way. We love the pokey little fellas. It's just this recipe has taken on the name for whatever reason and by the end of it we may just decide to change it for fear of pissing off the porcupine community. Trust when I say, no porcupine was hurt in the making of this recipe.


Beef Porcupines in Tomato Gravy

4 servings (yield: 20 meatballs plus 1 1/3 cups gravy)

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) tomato soup
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups water

Combine ground beef, rice, bread crumbs, salt, parsley, and 2 tablespoons water. Shape into an 8-inch square or pack evenly in an 8-inch square pan. Cut 3 lines on one side and 4 lines on the other side to make 20 equal sections; shape each section into a meatball. Heat oil in a large skillet, brown meatballs in hot oil over medium heat, turn frequently. Combine tomato soup, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and 2 cups of water. Add to meatballs, cover and simmer gently for one hour or until rice is tender. Serve meatballs with tomato gravy from pan.




So this one was good, I really enjoyed the meatballs but the tomato gravy just wasn't my thing.


Tid Bits:

*You can also use a half pound of ground round and a half pound of turkey or just all turkey if you prefer.

*To make your tomato gravy a little thicker make a rue. For a rue just follow these steps: Use flour (make sure it's always all purpose) and place it in a bowl then slowly add some water to it to make it smooth (constantly stirring with a fork while pouring in the water). Once smooth pour rue into tomato gravy all the while stirring with the fork.

*If you are watching your salt in take we suggest using tomato soup from Campbells. lower sodium which is nice.

*You can pair this dinner with mashed potato's or noodles.



Ma's Spot: I have been making this dish for over 20 years. It is a family favorite (except Dinah lol). I love it, I love the gravy over the mashed potatoes (which is what we paired it with tonight). In making this out of the diabetic book, I hope to encourage you to try different recipes even if you do not have diabetes. You can find the tastiest recipes in the least likely books.



*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:





Dinah: This week's snack is Golden Grahams Treats. I've never been a huge fan of the cereal bar trend. They usually give me heartburn (since they came out) and leave a bad taste in my mouth but this one seemed different and I was right. Pretty delish, and not too heavy. So I'd say give it a shot! Oh, and the best reason of all no heartburn nor bad after taste. I'd say that's a winner in my book. :D.


Ma: If you add marshmallow to any breakfast cereal I am happy. I love this, and it actually tasted like a s'more. I think it had the perfect ratio of marshmallow and chocolate. I encourage you to buy them and enjoy!


That's it guys, see you back here in a week for more yumminess. Have a great week!


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Lasagna Cupcakes (Yes I said cupcakes!)

Welcome back lovelies! It's another Tuesday so your blog foodie diva's are back rolling out another recipe for you. What a relaxing weekend it was for Ma and myself. We packed up and headed to the country (about an hour and a half away) to visit with our family. Always on the prowl for new food idea's I tried to get my Unkie Wade to give up his fried potatoes and gravy recipes (thinking a traditional southern breakfast for dinner was in our blog future) but the southern man would not budge an inch. He'll be more than happy to talk to you about anything to do with John Deere but the man is a stone wall on what goes into his amazing breakfast. To sweeten the deal I made him strawberry butter cream brownies for his birthday this past weekend and not even brownies will get this man talking. I think Unkie Wade has a future in espionage. So faithful blog readers I have lost the battle but I refuse to give up the war! I'll get the recipes out of him one day. Unkie Wade will talk. :D.

So now back from the country we are rested and ready to bring you guys a new recipe. This week comes from yours truly. Well, it's not entirely my idea. I was shuffling my feet at looking for a recipe (nothing caught my eye) and then Ma showed me tonight's recipe and it has yours truly written all over it. One word: CUPCAKES! Yep, I Dinah the blog/baking mistress wonder gal love the little fluffy concoctions. Come on, who actually doesn't? Exactly, what I thought. Now, before you think I'm serving you cupcakes that will send you into a diabetic coma, fear not these are on the savory side and have mucho to do with Italian cuisine. Intrigued? Follow me!

Lasagna Cupcakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup marinara sauce
3/4 pound ground beef
12 wonton wrappers
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
3 ounces Parmesan cheese
4 ounces Ricotta cheese
(optional) basil for garnish

Directions

1] Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
2] Brown beef and season with salt and pepper. Drain.
3] Cut wonton wrappers into circle shapes using a biscuit cutter or using the top of a drinking glass. You can cut several at a time.
4] Reserve 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 6 tablespoon mozzarella for the top of you cupcakes. Start layering your lasagna cupcakes. Begin with a wonton wrapper and press it into the bottom of each muffin tin. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese, Ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Top with a little meat sauce and marinara sauce. Use around 1-2 teaspoons of all the ingredients depending on your personal preference.
5] Repeat layers ending with marinara sauce. Top with reserved Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
6] Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To remove use a knife to loosen the edges then pop each lasagna out.
7] Garnish with basil and serve.









This was beyond a hit! It's amazing, it gives you the taste of lasagna without all the fuss of actually making a big pan full of lasagna. I'd say this is a definite keeper.



Tid Bits:
*These would be good as an appetizer. Hand held, mini, and not too messy so they would work great for a party.

*You can make these a day in advance and place them into the fridge. Bake the next day and then serve.

*If beef isn't something you fancy you could try turkey or chicken.

*With the leftover wonton clippings (from cutting the squares into circles) take them and mix them in a bowl with cinnamon and sugar then bake until golden brown. They turn into a nice treat.



Ma's Spot: I love lasagna but sometimes I don't like all the muss and fuss that comes with making it. This you get the wonderful taste of lasagna without all the work. Very enjoyable and the possibilities with the wontons are endless. I'm going to make them again this coming week but I'm going to make a taco version with sour cream and salsa on top. You could make mini pot pies with them, like I said the possibilities are endless, so I encourage you to use your imagination when it comes to this dish.

*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:



Dinah: Tonight's snack is by Magnum ice cream. We picked up the Double Caramel Bars. This ice cream is a tad on the expensive side but I think the taste is amazing. Maybe amazing enough for the price? Me myself, I don't know if I'd buy this again. The taste was epic but consider these things: You only get 3 bars in the box and it's around $7 a box. Taste VS. quantity. Is it really worth it? I say this, it's something to try at least once and if you have the cash to splurge then this just may be the ice cream to check out.

Ma: The chocolate on the outside of these bars was the smoothest chocolate I have ever tasted. I love the caramel and vanilla especially. These are on the expensive side, I encourage you to try them at least once. For me though, next time I would only buy these if I caught them on sale or had a coupon. It's hard for me to rate ice cream because I think ice cream and popcorn should be their own food groups, ha!


Just a short reminder, send in your own family recipes for us to showcase on the blog and try out for ourselves! Send us your yummy recipes for "Recipe Reach Out" at : tuesdaycookers@yahoo.com!

Alrighty guys, that's all we got for you this week. You know the drill be back here in 7 days to catch up on what's we're making next! Have a great week!

Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Ma's Double Decker Sandwich

It's hotter than hell outside (well here in MI at least) so come inside, cool down, and read your favorite blog recipe. Howdy all, Dinah here back again for your blog recipe enjoyment bringing you what's served up for tonight's dish. Now, with it being like a sauna outside we opted to stay indoors and make a recipe that involves absolutely NO COOKING. Wait! come back, I swear this one's good. Aw, come on trust me. I have yet to let you down. :D. It's nice not to turn on the oven every once in a while. Right? Ma's pick is going down the sandwich route. It's the kind of sandwich that has something for everyone. Now, I know those are words that may have you wondering because not everyone's sandwich styles are the same but I think this one truly is open to anyone's taste buds. Maybe it'll become your new fave sandwich?

Intrigued? Follow me:

Ma's double decker sandwich
Serves 4

4 bread bowls
package of pepperoni, turkey breast, salami, & roast beef
2 packages of white cheddar and mozzarella cheeses
2 tomato's (sliced)
head of lettuce (washed and chopped)
1 container of pre-made pesto sauce



*Slice bread rolls into 3 slices. Spray with veggie spray and toast up in electric skillet or skillet until golden brown. Once golden brown lather your bread sliced with the pesto sauce and then proceed with layering meat and cheese followed by lettuce and tomato. Plate and enjoy!



Now that is a pretty sandwich!

This is honestly one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. I loved everything on it (minus the roast beef, bleh) and I am hard to please in the sandwich department well except for Subway ;]. Definite keeper!


Tid Bits:
*Bread bowls don't tickle your fancy? Try any type of bread you like.
*Try any meats and cheese's you like
*PLEASE do not ever leave off the pesto sauce. It is epic, ha!
*Make sure you put your pesto on the buns while their warm, it helps infusion the pesto flavor on the bread slices.


Ma's Spot: As I was looking through my recipes I didn't really feel anything that caught my eye so I made up this one myself. I am a big sandwich fan anyways, especially for the summertime. So I came up with this dish for those hot days for when you don't want to cook or grill. To save a few calories you can get the low fat cheese and lunch meat. I didn't use any butter to grill the bread slices, just spray. I feel it makes the bread too soggy. The spray makes it more crisp. They are big sandwiches so if you like to half it and share with someone else, go for it.

*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:




Dinah: This week's snack comes to us from the healthy good people of Nature Valley. Aw, come on guys, it's nice to go healthy! Give it a chance. So Ma picked the Dark Chocolate Granola Thins (they also have peanut butter flavor if you dig the nutty goodness over chocolate) and I gotta say I love them. Thin granola, creamy chocolate, and healthy for you? I'm sold! The box comes with 10 squares for a really decent price. Definite buy, pick up for a nice snack or even breakfast.


Ma: This snack is not new to me for I have been buying them for a while now. I bought the chocolate backing for tonight due to Dinah's peanut allergy but I encourage you trying the peanut butter thins because it's also just as delicious. I love granola anyways so this is a low cal snack you will enjoy.



And so ends another week's blog entry. I know, I get sad too. We'll be back next Tuesday with another recipe and snack. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Potato and Cheese Pierogi

Welcome back dolls! It's Tuesday which means your blog mistresses are back with another recipe for you. This week I have to admit I am on the sore side. This weekend I headed to Irish Hills for a little beach time with my hubby and side kick Mel. We had a wonderful time...until I got home and realized how sunburned I was. I'm now at the blistering stage but fear not faithful blog readers my fingers weren't burned and are just fine for some blog typing goodness! Let's get this rolling, now it was yours truly's pick this week and I went out of the box. As always, trying to spice things up and try something new. I found it in the form on homemade PIEROGIES! Yes, those little pillows of potato and cheese yumminess that are amazing on their own but with sour cream take the taste of them out of this world. I (Dinah) have never met a pierogie that I didn't like. I'm betting you haven't either...oh come on! pierogies are amazing. Alright, alright still not going to admit it. That's fine...I know the real truth ;D.

Want the recipe? Follow me:

Potato and Cheese Pierogi

Prep Time: 2 Hrs
Cook Time: 10 Min
Ready In: 2 Hrs 10 Min

Ingredients

6 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 pinch salt
water as needed

5 pounds potatoes, peeled
1 pound processed cheese, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
onion salt to taste

Directions

*Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
*Combine flour, eggs and salt. Mix in a little water at a time until dough is somewhat stiff. Roll dough in small sections about 1/4 inch thick. Using a large biscuit cutter or drinking glass, make circle cuts.
*To make filling: Mix together potatoes, cheese, salt, pepper and onion salt. Fill each with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture, fold over and seal edges. To cook, bring a large pot of water to boil, carefully dropping in one at a time; stir once. They are done when they float to the top.




So did I pick a great recipe? Absolutely! and I'm not just saying that ;] My only complaints were they seemed to be a bit bland for me so next time I'll be adding a bit more seasoning. Oh and this recipe is for the patient kind. I sadly lack that quality so for me this took a little too long to make on a dinner night during the week.



Tid Bits:
*We highly suggest that you make the pierogies a few days before (or whenever you have a chance), place them in freezer bags, and freeze until you're ready to cook and serve.

*Not a fan of boiling them only? Try saute them in a bit of olive oil or placing them in the oven on 400 degrees until golden brown.

*Potato and cheese make you cringe? Try using your favorite mashed potato recipe for the filling.


Ma's Spot: This dinner was a lot of work but well worth it as fresh pierogies beat frozen boxed pierogies anyday. I will never make them on the night I'm having them for dinner again It takes up way too much time. I'm a big fan of pre-making stuff and placing them in the freezer. So on a day off I would make a bunch of these and freeze them so that next time I want them I'll have them ready to serve. The next time I'm going to try feta and spinach. Make them and enjoy them as we did.


*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:



Dinah: This week's pick comes to us from the good people at Crystal Light. I myself was never a fan of the drink until they started making cocktail flavors. That makes me sound like such a lush lol. Something about them make them amazing and have made me a lover of Crystal Light. Tonight we tried the Appletini and Margarita and both were yummy and they both taste very close to the real cocktails. They also don't break the bank which is nice so they are a definite buy. P.S. I've had the Mojito (that was the one that turned me on to them all) and it is fabulous as well.

Ma: Who says your snack has to be food? I enjoyed these very much but I'm a big fan (unlike Dinah) of the Crystal Light brand. I liked them because you can add your own alcohol to them and make yourself a nice little cocktail without all the syrup calories of a normal cocktail but punch up your drink. On a nice hot summer day and a pitcher of ice with these make a perfect summer treat! I would definitely buy these again.



So remember me saying last week about how we had something new up our sleeves? Well, here at Tuesday Cookers wanted to include you guys in the mix. So we decided to start up something new called "Recipe Reach Out". What's that all about? We want to make your family recipes. If you have a recipe you want to have spotlighted send it our way! We always give full credit (no stealing here, this is not a Slugworth situation lol) and we would be super happy to make your favorite dish. Interested? Send us your best recipes at: tuesdaycookers@yahoo.com and once a month we'll highlight your fave dishes. Oh and have more than one you wanna showcase? No probs, send as many as you'd like!


That's it guys for this week. Never fear your blog mistresses will be back here (<---hey that rhymed!) next Tuesday to bring you our best recipes (and hopefully yours, send your recipes in!). Next week is Ma's pick and it's something that requires no cooking. WHAT! Insane. Come back to find out all about it. Have a great week guys!

Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Slow-Cooked Orange Chicken Recipe

*RUSHES IN*
Phew! sorry about the delay but I was in Frankenmuth with my hubby for the past 4 days and I'm finally home! It was a wonderful trip (minus the bit of heat exhaustion, burnt skin, and aches) filled with a lot of shopping, walking, and yummy food! If you have never been to Frankenmuth, MI or even Birch Run, MI I have to wonder what are you waiting for!? lol it's a great place to stay and take in the German atmosphere and let's be real the stores there are stellar, ha! and with that we're back to the real world. So fear not, your loyal blog mistress is here to bring you this week's recipe. It's Ma's pick and she went with a recipe that goes into your good ole slow cooker. What is it exactly? Follow me:



Slow-Cooked Orange Chicken Recipe

4 Servings
Prep: 10 min. Cook: 4-1/2 hours

Ingredients
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 pounds), cut up and skin removed
3 cups orange juice
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
4 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
Hot cooked rice, optional
Additional minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

*In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first nine ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken juices run clear.
*Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking liquid. Cover and cook on high for 30-45 minutes or until thickened.
*Serve with rice and sprinkle with parsley if desired. Yield: 4 servings.





So how did this one turn out? Well it was split down the middle. Ma and Aunt Jane loved it and Geoff and I weren't fans. The orange tasted nice but it had a weird after taste (for us) and Geoff compared the consistency to that of snot but again just because he felt that way and I didn't like it much doesn't mean you guys shouldn't whip this up and give it a try yourselves. Ma and Aunt Jane loved it after all.


Tid Bits:
*I never serve plain rice, I always flavor my rice. I place butter in a bowl with italics seasoning or basil/parsley then mix the rice with the butter mixture. This gives your rice a nice taste for anyone who likes plain rice and it happened to work well with this dish.



Ma's spot: I loved this dish. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts cause that's the part I love the most but feel free to use any part of the chicken you prefer. At first when I heard the only juice used in this dish was orange juice I thought "wow, that will be overpowering orange taste" while you can taste the orange juice it actually turned out to be not so overpowering. It made a lot of servings. The 4 of us had the dish and there was leftovers for later. I encourage you to make it and whatever is leftover place in freezer bags to freezer for another night's dinner.



*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:





Dinah: This week's product is Ma's pick and she went into the savory category with this treat. It's New Pepperidge Farm Baked Naturals Cracker Chips. They currently come in two flavors: cheddar and multi-grain. While Ma would love the multi-grain over the cheddar she took one for the food team and went with the cheddar since the rest of us like cheddar over multi-grain any day. These cracker chips were light, well seasoned, and crispy. My only complaint was they gave me heartburn a few hours after eating them. I think it had to do with my gastric reflux disease and the crackers overpowering it. So sadly for that reason I won't be buying them for myself personally again but I definitely will encourage you guys to pick these up. They taste fantastic!


Ma: I LOVE THESE CRACKERS! As you guys know I'm not a cheddar cheese fan but it did have 3 of my favorite cheeses which made me intrigued to try it. I had a coupon for these but even without it I would buy these on their own right simply because they taste amazing.



That's it kiddies for this week's entry. We'll be back next Tuesday (on time lol) with an all new recipe (which is my pick) and we're going with something we have NEVER done before as well as something else new for the blog. Wanna know what they are? Meet us back here then.

Have a great week guys!


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma