SLOW COOKER ROAST & GRAVY

This is one of my Southern Living recipes that I just love.  I especially love the fact I can throw it all in a slow cooker and forget about it until the end of the day.  Cole my always comes in from school and says Mama, that air freshner smells so good! :)

1 (10 3/4oz.) can cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup
1 (10 1/2oz.) can condensed beef broth
1 (1 oz.) envelope dry onion-mushroom soup mix
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 ( 3 1/2 to 4 lb.) eye of round roast, trimmed.

1.  Stir together first 3 ingredients in a 5 1/2-qt. slow cooker.
2.  Sprinkle roast evenly with flour, salt & pepper.  Brown roast on all sides in hot oil in a large dutch oven over med-high heat.  Transfer roast to slow cooker.
3.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
4.  Remove roast from slow cooker; slice to serve.  Skim fat from gravy in slow cooker, if desired.  Whisk gravy and serve over roast.

Now my taste buds are watering!
Niki

FRUIT DIP

We eat a lot of fruit in my house but sometimes we like to dip our fruit in something. Especially if I'm craving something sweet, I tend to grab this very easy dip to eat with my fruit.

1 jar of Marshmellow Cream (large jar)
1 8oz. Reduced Fat Cream Cheese

1.  Soften cream cheese.
2.  Mix marshmellow cream and the softened cream cheese well.
3.  Chill for at least 2 hours.
4.  Serve with any cut up fruit or fruit kabobs.

I hope you enjoy!
Niki

HAMBURGER & RICE CASSEROLE

This is one of the easiest recipes and my family loves it! Now keep in mind that we are a family of 6 and we always have some leftover because it is pretty filling.  So if you are a family of 4 or less, you will probably have enough for dinner and maybe lunch or leftovers one night.

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground beef (however much you prefer. I use 2 lbs.)
Chopped onion to taste
Chopped green onion to taste
2 cups Instant Rice
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 small can of Mushrooms, drained
1/3 cup Sour Cream - optional
Garlic Powder to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray a 13x9 casserole dish with cooking spray.
2.  Cook rice and set aside.
3.  Brown meat with onions, bell pepper, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and salt and pepper.
4.  In a large bowl, combine mushroom, chicken, & celery soup, rice, mushrooms, sour cream if you   would like, 1 cup of cheese, and the ground beef mixture. Mix well and pour in casserole dish.
5.  Cook for 45 minutes to an hour.  During the last 10 minutes, add the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top of the casserole.

I make my casserole with lean ground beef, brown rice and reduced fat or reduced sodium soups, and 2% shredded cheddar cheese and it tastes fine. My family can't tell the difference between my lower fat version and the full fat version. 

I hope your taste buds enjoy!
Niki

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

This is soooo good and a big hit at parties!  I ususally make it for an office party, get together, football game, anything really.............. because any excuse to eat Buffalo Chicken Dip and I'm in!

I started out making it in the microwave but have now transfered over to the crockpot.  To me it is just easier.

Here is the recipe:
Buffallo Chicken Dip

Keep in mind you can always use the fat-free cream cheese,  fat-free cheddar cheese and light ranch dressing..... but it is so much better with all the fattening ingredients.  It doesn't hurt to splurge every now and then.



This recipes gets 5 Mmmmms and can I have another bite.
Delicioulsly yours,
Tara

Jamaican Food

Ok, I'm kind of rushing on this post. Niki's computer is sick and she is expecting a full recovery  next week. Hate to break it to you..... but it's just you and me baby!  This is kind of a review/recipe.

I wanted to talk about Jamaican Food.  For those of you that have had it, you know how AWESOME IT IS, All types of flavors and spices popping out in every single bite!

Today my brother and I went and picked up some Jamaican food.

It was AWESOME!
***SHOUT OUT to IONIE'S CARIBBEAN KITCHEN in Loganville Georgia.***


We ordered,  Jerk Chicken which came with peas, rice, vegetables (broccoli & cabbage) and fried plantains.  We also ordered Jerk Maccaroni and Cheese (which is my personal fav!).

  First of all let me start off by saying they give you a ton of food!  We had plenty!!  I personally LOVED IT!  Daniel (my hubs) loved it!  Even my 5 yr old loved the jerk chicken!  My brother and sister in law ate it, said they liked it, I told them to be honest, and they re-assured me it was real good "just more authentic tasting" than the restaurant they use to go to.  (well, the purpose was to eat "Jamaican food", right?)

Anyways, If you live in Georgia around the Loganville/Snellville/Monroe areas,  I strongly suggest you check out Ionie's Caribbean Kitchen cause it is the bomb!  The jerk mac & cheese ROCKED and i'm ADDICTED.  The restaurant is clean,the food is reasonably priced, the people are friendly, the food is available up front for you to see in plain site.  Best of all there is a picture of Bob Marley on the wall!  If some Bob Marley music was playing i would've been in heaven!  (we all know how much i love Bob!)

Become friends with Ionie's Caribbean Kitchen on Facebook to take a look at their dishes and meet the staff (which are extremely friendly and helpful.... they make you feel right at home).  Ionie's Caribbean Kitchen

I've never attempted to make jerk chicken, it seems complicated, and u've gotta most definetely have the rice peas and plantains to go with it....but i'm going to post a video below for those who are interested. YOU COULD ALWAYS GO TO A LOCAL JAIMAICAN RESTAURANT and TRY IT OUT!

Jamaican food in my opinion (from the right restaurant or from the right recipe) gets 5 Mmmmms and can I have another bite!

Deliciously Yours,
~Tara~

                                                                 QUINOA

I have to be honest and let ya know my original plan was not to post about quinoa..... 

It's winter, it's cold outside.  I wanted to post a recipe like Beef Vegetable Soup or Chili.  I pulled out my recipes, could not decide,  it's close to my son's bedtime,  so here it goes..... something SIMPLE!

Do you know what quinoa is?  I didn't either until a very dear, very health conscious friend introduced me to it.  I can't thank her enough because I personally LOVE it!

Basically  quinoa is 100% whole grain and is close to being a perfect food source in the balance of nutrition it provides. Quinoa has a nutty, smoky flavor and is less filling than other grains and pasta.

Ok, so that's the scoop on quinoa.  

Now where can you buy it?  I have found it in farmer's markets, Krogers (in the organic/health section), health food stores, Whole Foods (Walmart may have it as well, but not 100% sure).  Ask the store you shop in and surely they could take you to the correct isle.

How do you cook it?  Basically like rice. Just put a cup of the quinoa in a saucepan and pour two cups of water over it. Bring the pan to a boil, cover, and turn down the heat to a low simmer. Let it cook for about 15 minutes, then remove from heat.

Your cooked quinoa should be light and fluffy, just like cooked rice.  Instead of using water, try using chicken or vegetable broth.  After the quinoa is cooked,  in a separate pan i saute chopped onions, red bell pepper, garlic, (and any other vegetable you like) in a little olive oil, stir it in with the quinoa and it is DELICIOUS. 

(*side note-if you see little white circle thingys, that's normal....i checked with my friend who is a quinoa expert....*)

Here is a video you can watch that is funny and shows you how to cook it!  Give it a try!  We love it at my house and it is soooo healthy for you!

Wow, this turned out to be a long post.  But...... it's simple to cook and a food everyone should know about!  

Healthy Eating,
Tara 

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake (Gluten-free)

For recipe CLICK HERE

Are you gluten intolerant?  Does someone you know have Celiac Disease?
Celiac Disease results from the abnormal reaction by the body's immune system to gluten, a protein found in many grains, such as wheat, rye, barley and other foods. In people who have celiac disease, the immune system causes damage to the small intestine and prevents the proper absorption of nutrients from food.  Celiac Disease often goes un-noticed in many adults and children.


Whether you or someone you know is gluten sensitive or you  just want to eat healthier, this recipe is THA BOMB!  It is moist, chocolatey, and of course delicious!  A flourless cake?  Yes , you read that right!  This cake is made with garbanzo beans, also known as chick peas.  Try it!  You will be surprised at how yummy it is and no-one will be able to guess the "secret ingredient".



This recipe definitely gets 5 mmmms !" 

To learn more about Celiac Disease please visit  http://www.celiac.org/

Healthy Eating,
~Tara~ 

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