Italian Angel Chicken

• 4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 can (10.75oz) Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 cup Italian Salad Dressing/Marinade (from the bottle)
• 1-1/2 lbs. Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into bite size pieces (you could also use chicken breast if you preferred)
• 1/2 lb. Angel Hair Pasta, uncooked
• 2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Parsley

Beat cream cheese, soup and salad dressing with a whisk until blended; pour over chicken in a crock pot. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours.

Cook pasta as directed on package about 15 minutes before chicken is done; drain. Serve topped with chicken mixture and fresh parsley.

Kristy's Cowboy Caviar (Bean Salad)

I got this awesome recipe from my sister-in-law, Kristy... It's definitely a keeper.

Just looking at this picture makes my mouth water!

Perfect for summer get-togethers, or any meal, really. :)

And the best part - it's so healthy!

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can black-eyed peas (or any beans you want to use)
• 1 can white shoepeg corn
• 2 avocados, cubed
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped (optional)
• Garlic salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
• 1 package Italian dressing mix, prepared according to directions but without the oil 

Combine all ingredients.  Let sit for about an hour to let flavors blend well.  Serve with tortilla chips, or just as a salad.  So delicious!

Buck-Eyes

Mmmmm!

* 1 stick butter

* 1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter (almost a full 18 oz. jar)

* 4 c. powdered sugar

* 1 tsp. vanilla

* Bag of your favorite melting chocolate

Mix all ingredients well, except the chocolate.  Dough will be crumbly.  Mold into 1 inch balls, and place in fridge for a few hours.

Melt bag of chocolate chips, or chocolate flavored candy coating (Western Family Almond Bark works very well). 

Use any wooden skewer/tooth pick to poke peanut butter balls and dip into the melted chocolate.  Dip one side, and then the other, to make them look like "eyes," if you want to!  :)

Let cool on parchment paper.

Cafe Rio Style Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

 

Thanks to my friend, Heather, I have this fun recipe! 

Click here for the original recipe and more detailed instructions.

It was so much fun to make, and now we can enjoy some scrumptious salad dressing!

• Ranch Dressing packet, prepared (Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk mix works great)
• 1 small bunch cilantro, large stems removed (about 1/2 cup chopped cilantro)
• 2 large or 4 small tomatillos
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. Green Tabasco sauce or 1 diced jalapeno pepper 

Prepare Ranch dressing according to directions on the package or recipe you're following and set aside.

Remove large cilantro stems, then wash leaves and spin dry or dry with paper towels. Add cilantro to food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until finely chopped.

Add tomatillos, garlic, lime juice, and Green Tabasco or chopped jalapeno to the food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely pureed. Add the 2 cups of prepared dressing and pulse just a few times, until ingredients are well combined. Chill dressing for an hour or two and serve.

Variations:
~To make a roasted tomatillo dressing, dice tomatillos, place on a baking sheet, and roast at 400F for 15-20 minutes before adding them to the food processor.
~If you'd like even more tomatillo flavor, use 4-5 large tomatillos and decrease the buttermilk or milk in the Ranch dressing by about 1/4 cup.

PW’s Chicken Spaghetti

(with a few of my changes… you can view the original recipe here.)

**pardon this yucky picture… i couldn’t find my real camera so i used my cell phone’s… :)

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken
• 3 cups Dry Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces (my pasta box contained 13.25 oz. i didn’t use the whole box)
• 1can Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 1 can Cream Of Chicken Soup
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Red Pepper
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Onion
• 1 cup Asparagus, chopped into 1 inch lengths
• 2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Cook chicken (i used 3 small breasts) and shred or cube. Cook spaghetti in same chicken water until very al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Peanut Butter Blossoms

These were a favorite when I was a kid! They’re easy to make and fun to eat. My boys love to lick the gooey chocolate first. So yummy!

• Hershey’s Kisses (milk chocolate) (about 40-48)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375*. Beat butter and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Put the leftover 3 tbsp. sugar in a shallow bowl; roll each cookie in the sugar and place on a cookie sheet(do NOT spray or grease). Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie; cookies will crack around the edges. Move to a wire rack and cool completely before serving. Store in an air tight container.

Creamy Chicken with Bacon & Penne

I got this recipe from a friend (Thanks, Sheena!) and finally tried it out.  Everyone loved it!  The flavors all blend together really well.  I will definitely make this one again!

4 slices of bacon

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved

2 cups penne pasta

1 cup chive and onion cream cheese spread

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup grape/cherry tomatoes, halved

2 green onions, chopped

Wrap 1 bacon slice around each chicken breast.  Heat large nonstick skillet on medium heat.  (I also lightly coated the bottom of skillet with olive oil.)  Add chicken; cover.  Cook 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.  Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.  Discard any drippings remaining in skillet.

Cook pasta according to directions.  Cook cream cheese and broth in skillet until cream cheese is melted and sauce is thickened and well blended, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Stir in tomatoes and onions.  Cook 2 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta; return to pan.  Add sauce; mix lightly.  Serve topped with chicken.

* Sheena's recipe called for only 1/2 cup chive and onion cream cheese, and 3/4 cup chicken broth, but I added more since we like it saucy!

* Very tasty with a tossed spinach salad.  Yum!