How to Prevent Gnats

1/2 c. water

2 T. vinegar

1 T. sugar

6 drops dish soap

Combine all ingredients and place small containers with solution inside around where gnats are seen. I have also placed the solution in a jar, covered with plastic wrap, and poked holes in the wrap. The gnats are attracted to the sugar but get trapped in the jar and can't find there way out again. This works great!  

Crockpot Diced Potato Loaded Soup

After cooking:

10.5 oz. pkg Bear Creek creamy potato soup mix

2, 2 lb. bags frozen diced potatoes

8 c. chicken broth

diced onion, to taste

9 oz. real bacon pieces

8 oz. shredded cheese or  2 c. velveeta cheese, cubed

Place 2 bags frozen potatoes in bottom of lined crockpot. Add dry soup mix, chicken broth, onions, & bacon. Stir. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 hours. Remove lid and mash some of the potatoes. This will cause the soup to thicken up. At this point, you can add the cheese, stir, cover, and cook an additional 30 minutes until the cheese melts. Or, you can serve the potato soup as is and add cheese to individual bowls. This is a very filling and hearty soup. Milk or water may need to be added to it before serving, depending on preference for thick soup. I served with grilled cheese sandwiches.

*This also makes great mashed potatoes if you don't add the milk at the end. 

Picture below is before cooking.

Skillet Chicken Thighs

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, pat dry with paper towel

McCormick sweet onion bacon seasoning, enough to coat thighs

2 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

minced onion

3 cloves garlic

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 T. lemon juice

1 t. thyme

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1/3 c. heavy cream or sour cream 

parsley, optional

Heat skillet to medium heat and add olive oil. Place chicken thighs in hot skillet and cook until skin is crispy, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken and cook another 8-10 min., until meat thermometer reaches 165. Transfer chicken to plate. (I placed the plate in microwave to keep chicken warm) Add butter, onion, and garlic to skillet. Cook 1 min. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and stir in sour cream. Simmer 5 min. stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Place chicken in sauce. Garnish with parsley if using. Serve immediately. I served with rice, homemade bread, a Caesar salad. Yum!

Chicken breasts can be used instead of thighs if desired.

Cheesy Chicken Bacon and Ranch Crescents

1 c. shredded Rotisserie chicken, or any seasoned shredded chicken

3/4 c. ranch dressing (not dry)

8 ct can crescent rolls, I used honey butter flavor

8 slices precooked bacon slices, I used O.M. ready to eat

4 slices cheese, each cut into 4 strips, I used Colby Jack

Heat oven to 375. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine chicken with 1/4 c. dressing. Unroll dough, separate into 8 triangles. Spoon 2 T. chicken mixture on wide end of triangle. Fold 1 slice of bacon in half, placing on top of chicken mixture. Add 2 strips of cheese on top of bacon. Roll up each crescent, ending at tip of crescent. Place cheese side up on baking sheet. Bake 13-16 minutes or until golden brown and chicken is heated through. Serve warm with remaining dressing, optional. I didn't serve with extra dressing. Recipe can be doubled. I served with a fresh fruit salad and veggies. yummy!

1st pic: chicken and ranch dressing combined; 2nd pic: chicken mixture in crescent roll; 3rd pic: topped with bacon and cheese; 4th pic: crescent roll ready for oven; 5th pic: out of the oven and ready to eat!

Crockpot Parmesan Potatoes

2 lbs. baby Dutch potatoes, halved if large

3 c. shredded cheddar/Parmesan cheese (or half of each)

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

8 slices cooked bacon, or 1/2 c. bacon bits

1/4 c. sliced onions, optional

1 T. paprika, optional

salt & pepper to taste

sour cream for serving

Line crockpot. Add 1/2 the potatoes, 1 1/4 c. cheese, half the garlic, 1/3 of bacon, 1/2 the onions, & 1/2 paprika, if using. Season with salt & pepper. Repeat. Cover and cook on low until potatoes are tender, 6+ hours. About 20-30 minutes before serving, top with remaining cheese & bacon. Top with more onions and cheese if desired. Serve with sour cream.

1st pic: Parmesan potatoes in crockpot; 2nd pic: Parmesan potatoes with crockpot pork chops with gravy and fresh fruit.

Strawberry Crumble

2 lbs. fresh strawberries, stems removed

2 T. cornstarch

1/2 c. sugar

2 t. lemon juice

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. old-fashioned (rolled) oats

1/2 c. plain flour

1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed

5 T. butter, melted

1/2 t. cinnamon

vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 dish and set aside. Leave the small strawberries whole, cut the medium strawberries in half, and cut the large ones in quarters. Place strawberries in a large bowl,toss with cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Set aside. Stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon until combined and crumbly. Place the strawberies in the baking dish. Add the crumble on top, breaking  it up and crumbling it evenly over the top. Bake 30-40 minutes until strawberry mixture is bubbling up along the sides and the crumble is golden brown. Allow the crumble to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.

1st pic: strawberries tossed in mixture; 2nd pic: crumble; 3rd pic: strawberries in dish; 4th pic: crumble added; 5th pic: ready to eat!

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Butterscotch Sauce

3 very ripe bananas*

3 c. SR flour

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 c. butter, melted

1/2 c. oil

3/4 c. dark brown sugar, packed

3/4 c. sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

2 t. vanilla

2/3 c. milk

1 c. mini chocolate chips

Glaze: 

1/4 c. butter

1 c. dark brown sugar

1/2 c. heavy cream

OR: Butterscotch sauce found in ice cream topping section of store. 

Preheat oven to 350. Spray bundt pan heavily. Peel amd mash bananas and set aside. Tos the chocolate chips in 1 T. flour to keep them from sinking in the batter. Set aside. Combine flour and cinnamon. Combine brown sugar, sugar, melted butter, and oil using a spatula. Add eggs one at a time, making sure they are blended well. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour mixture and milk, in small parts until incoperated. Add bananas and chocolate chips. Pour batter into sprayed pan. Bake 45-50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto plate to cool completely.

*bananas can be ripened quickly by placing in a 350 degree oven until the peeling turns black, about 15 minutes.

For the Glaze:

Once the cake is cooled, place a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add butter and let it melt. Add dark brown sugar and heavy cream. Let it come to a boil, making sure to stir often. Let it boil 5-6 minutes, then stir in salt and remove from heat. Allow glaze to thicken. Once glaze has thckened, (about 5-10 minutes after removed from heat), pour over cooled cake. Slice and enjoy. Also good with ice cream added.

Butterscotch sauce can be substituted instead of the glaze if desired.

1st pic: inverted cake, 2nd pic: butterscotch sauce added & ready to serve.

Gnocchi Carbonara

17.5 oz. pkg. gnocchi

6 bacon strips, cooked & chopped, or I use real bacon bits. 1/2 c. = 3 slices bacon, chopped

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2/3 c. grated romano or Parmesan cheese

black pepper, to taste

1 T. fresh parsley, minced (optional)

Cook gnocchi as directed on pkg. Do not overcook! Reserve 1 c. gnocchi water, then drain the rest. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks. Slowly add 2 T. warm gnocchi water to the eggs. Heat a large skillet over low heat. Add eggs, gnocchi, and bacon. Toss to coat. Add more water if needed to reach desired consistency. Add in grated cheese and pepper to taste. Stir. Toss with fesh parsley, if desired, and serve with Caesar salad, fresh fruit, & bread. 

1st picture: gnocchi package--so you'll know what to look for. 2nd picture: gnocchi, eggs, and bacon. 3rd picture: cheese added to gnocchi mixture and ready to serve.

Another Squash Casserole

4 c. sliced yellow squash, cooked in skillet with water &  onion until tender, drained

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. water, more if needed

35 Ritz crackers, crushed

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 c. milk

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 t. salt

pepper, to taste 

2 T. butter, cut in slices

Preheat oven to 400. Place squash in a large bowl after it's been drained. Combine crushed crackers and cheese in a medium bowl. Stir half of cracker mixture into squash. Combine eggs and milk in a small bowl. Add to squash mixture. Stir in melted buttre, season with salt and pepper. Spread in sprayed 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cracker crumbs on top and dot with butter. Bake in oven until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

Cowboy Spaghetti (Spicy)

6 slices crispy bacon, chopped, or you can use real bacon bits (3 slices = 1/2 c.)

1 lb. lean ground beef, cooked and drained

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

15 oz. can crushed fire roasted tomatoes, undrained

10 oz. can Ro-tel, undrained, your choice, I used original, but you can use hot

8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 c. beef broth

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1-2 t. hot sauce, your choice, I used Mule Sauce (rated 4 out of 5 for heat intensity: made with habaneros, scott bonnet, and ghost peppers)

salt

pepper

Italian seasoning

sliced mushrooms, drained, optional

1 lb. thin spaghetti, cooked and drained, as directed on box

shredded cheddar cheese, optional (I didn't use any)

sliced green onion, to garnish, (I didn't use)

Combine ground beef and onion together in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Ro-tel, broth, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, mushrooms, bacon, salt, pepper, and seasoning. Stir well to combine. Simmer 10-15 minutes, uncovered, stirring often to keep from sticking. Add cooked spaghetti to skillet and toss to combine. Tongs work well for this. Serve immediately with cheese and green onions as garnish if desired. 

*If not serving immediately, may be placed in 9x13 dish or crockpot to keep warm. Serve with Caesar salad and bread if desired. Yummy!