Snack Tip: Strawberries & Sour Cream

I know that sounds crazy. I don't even like Sour Cream in most cases but everyone else in my family LOVES it. While I was back in Idaho visiting my parents, we went out paint-balling. One of the girls brought out this snack. I thought she was a little crazy but I tried it and it was AMAZING!

Take a strawberry, dip it in sour cream and then sprinkle brown sugar on it. YUUUUUUUUUUMMMY!

Easy Beef & Broccoli

Yesterday was my youngest son's birthday and as is the case in our home, each birthday kid gets to choose dinner and dessert. He chose Beef & Broccoli with Sushi Rolls (not real Sushi, very Americanized Sushi) I found this recipe in one of my old Taste of Home magazines and it is now a family favorite. It's so easy!

• 1 lb boneless round steak
  
  • 1 lb charcoal chuck steaks, cut into thin 3-inch strips
  • 1 small onions, cut into wedges
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup water, plus
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons water, divided
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
  • 4 cups broccoli floret
  • hot cooked rice, to taste
  Prep: 15 min

  Cook: 10 min

  Directions

  • In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.
  • Add beef and toss.
  • In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.
  
  *Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.
  
  • Return beef to pan.
  • Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.
  • Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
  
  
  • Serve over rice
    
    
    

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

These are probably my favorite cookies ever, I seriously have no self control when these cookies are in my house which is why I do not make them very often!

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 stick butter
1/2 cup plain or chunky peanut butter
4 Tbsp cocoa
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 tsp vanilla

Boil: sugar, milk, butter and cocoa for 1 1/2 minutes (start timing when mixture comes to a full boil). Remove from heat.

Add: peanut butter, oats and vanilla. Mix until well blended.

Drop by teaspoon (or however big you want them) onto waxed paper and let cool

Chocolate Chip & Bacon Cookies

I know, it sounds crazy and I'm not going to lie, I didn't eat them. My husband however really likes them! He watches a little too much Food Network I think. That combined with high school buddies who think it's awesome to come up with unique ways to eat pork products leaves for trying out interesting recipes.

He has thought about this for years and I've had the recipe printed for a while. I pulled it off a random website that seems to no longer exist. There are lots of other variations out there, but this is what we made today.

Chocolate Chip & Bacon Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
  
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (sometimes I like using almond extract)
  
• 1 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips (you can use any type but using dark offers a nice tasty blend)
  
• 5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (don't use thick bacon, make sure you crisp it (even crispier than what mine looks like and pat as much grease off as you can)
  

Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Stir in the chocolate and bacon. Scoop dough onto a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

I am addicted to this salad lately. My mom called me yesterday and told me that her friend had seen my picture of this salad in my album on Facebook and wanted the recipe.

There are two ways to make this salad, both are yummy. One is the easy peasy way and the other requires a little more time though not much more effort.

The first is a recipe I've had for a while that I printed from Allrecipes.com (my friend Matt reminded me of it not too long ago).

Strawberry Spinach Salad (oh, and I always switch it around, I never say it the same way)

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

The easy peasy way of doing it and the way I've been eating it lately and it's so yummy is as follows.

• 2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 4 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• Brianna's Homestyle Poppyseed Dressing (you can purchase at any grocery store)

Mix spinach, strawberries, almonds together. Pour as much dressing as you would like (it's sweet so start off slow).

One of the things I love about this is that if we don't eat it all (haha, rarely are there leftovers, but IF there are) it holds well and it just as yummy the next day!

Tip: Baking Bacon

You don't have to turn it or deal with spatters.

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet or baking pan with sides with heavy-duty foil. Arrange the bacon on the pan, side-by side, being sure not to overlap the pieces.

Bake the bacon for 10-17 minutes for thin-cut, or until desired doneness (is that a word?). Carefully remove from the oven, drain on paper towels, and use.

*You can also do this on a broiler pan (which is one of the few kitchen items I don't happen to own) and let the pan catch the grease itself.

Others have said using an oven-safe cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet works well too.

**For an added yummiliciousness (yeah I totally made that up) brush some maple syrup on bacon before baking...sooooooooooooo good!

Snack Tip: Frozen Grapes

Due to rain in our area, ants have decided our kitchen was where they would go to stay dry. Pest Control finally came today and sprayed so I will be back in the kitchen whipping up some yummy goodness.

But here's a simple snacking tip.

My kids love fruit! When I find grapes at a great price, I usually stock up. As much as my boys love fruit, sometimes they just can't eat grapes fast enough so I wash and pull all the grapes off the stems and freeze them. They are a great snack for the kids.

My 14 year old just told me that he shared that idea with some of his friends and they looked at him like he was crazy.

So I'll just tell you like he told them. TRY IT!