Evil Chicken

Serves 6

1 pound bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces

3 tablespoons chili powder (we usually use 2 T.)

1 cup brown sugar

Up to 1/2 cup water, as needed

Cooked rice

In a large pan, cook bacon over medium-high heat until nearly done. Do not drain. Stir in chicken and chili powder.

Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until bacon and chicken are fully cooked. Add brown sugar and cook until sugar

is dissolved and sauce begins to thicken, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Be careful once the sugar is added not to let the

sauce turn into toffee.) Add water if necessary to thin the sauce, but keep in mind the sauce is more of a coating.

Serve mixture over hot rice.

* Bacon is easier to cut if it’s partially frozen

Garlic Lover's Rub

Recipe from Eating Well

Use on: shrimp, scallops, salmon, chicken, pork, beef, lamb, or vegetables

Combine 8 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons ground mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest in a small bowl. Using your hands, spread the rub evenly onto 1 1/2 pounds (6 servings) of your chosen protein before grilling.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

recipe from Our Best Bites

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

Uncooked tortillas
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.


Then roll it up as tight as you can.


Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray.


Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.


Dip ‘em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or this dressing.

1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix, ignore directions on the packet
1C mayo
1/2 C milk
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa*
hot sauce

Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too, you should get about 2T juice. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend ‘er up. Sample it and add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.

Cake Bites

1 cake mix, made according to package directions
1 can of frosting
1 box of pudding
almond bark

This is just a general idea of how to make them. You can combine many different flavors. Bake cake (adding entire box of pudding to mix) according to package directions. When cake is done, take a fork and crumble the cake. After the cake is cooled, mix in frosting adding just enough to hold the cake together. Set in fridge for a couple of hours. Roll into small balls and freeze. Then dip in chocolate. I also like to drizzle chocolate on top for aesthetics.

Some of the flavors I have done:
-Devils food cake, chocolate pudding, mixed with peanut butter frosting, dipped in chocolate

-Strawberry cake, strawberry pudding, mixed with strawberry frosting, dipped in white almond bark, drizzled with pink candy melts

-yellow cake, vanilla pudding, cherry frosting, dipped in white almond bark,drizzled with pink candy melts

-red velvet cake mix, chocolate pudding, cream cheese frosting, dipped in chocolate

Give it a try and let me know if you come up with a good combination!!

Oreo Truffles

1 bag Oreo cookies
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
Almond Bark

Crush your entire bag of oreos. Mix in cream cheese. (I don't add all of it at first because I don't want to much. I gradually add cream cheese until it is a consistency that will stay together.) Set in fridge for about 30 minutes. Roll into balls, then freeze. Then dip in melted chocolate almond bark. (there are many different dipping chocolates, this is just the cheapest and it tastes pretty good)

**For Tanzi's baby blessing I used the cool mint oreos and actually did 2 bags with the 1 (8 oz) cream cheese

Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

recipe from Two Peas and their Pod


2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon Streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks


1. First, make the cinnamon streusel. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix together with your hands or a fork, until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Do not over mix, batter will be slightly lumpy.

3. Heat a griddle or pan to medium low. Coat with cooking spray. Drop batter onto heated skillet. Add a spoonful of the cinnamon streusel. Cook on the first side until bubbles begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip pancake over and add more cinnamon streusel. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Continue this process to make the rest of the pancakes.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Recipe from Life as a Lofthouse

Makes 2 large sandwiches (serves 4)

1/2 lb sliced Turkey
1/2 lb sliced Honey ham
2 tbs Butter
2 tbs Honey
2 cans (8 oz each) Crescent rolls
6-8 slices Muenster cheese
1/2 - 1 cup Raspberry Jam/Preserves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll your crescent roll dough and seperate into 4 rectangles. Melt your butter and honey together and spread on top of rectangle dough. Bake them for 8 minutes or golden. Then let cool. After cooled, Place 1st crust on pan.. add 5 slices of turkey.. then top w 2nd crust.. add 5 slices of honey ham.. on top of ham add 3 slices muenster cheese. Place 3rd crust on top of cheese. Spread raspberry jam on top of 3rd crust and then place the 4th crust on top. Bake the sandwich for atleast 8-10 minutes or when the cheese has melted! ENJOY!!
NOTE: I can only fit 4 rectangles on one baking sheet so you will have to do this process twice.. but once you have made all the rectangles, and then built your sandwiches you can bake both sandwiches together for the final heating. :)