I realize that this is really just a trifle...but what I like about it is that instead of having a deep bowl of the same ingredients that you have to scoop down into, it's in a casserole dish and you can cut it into nice neat squares. Like I've mentioned on here before..anything with cream or pudding or a filling is right up my alley. Actually, the whole family loved this. I'm a pudding fan...#1 son is a fruit fan...and IT Guy is just a dessert fan! Score!



Fast Berry Casserole



1 1-pound pound cake (I used Recipe #75 in the recipe box and made it in two loaf pans instead of a bundt pan. A store-bought one is just fine, though.)
3 cups mixed berries - fresh or frozen
1 large box vanilla instant pudding
2 cups whole milk
1 8-ounce container Cool Whip
1 can sweetened condensed milk

In a large bowl, mix whole milk and pudding. Stir to combine. Stir in the Cool Whip and the sweetened condensed milk.

Slice pound cake into 1/2 inch slices.

In a 9x13 casserole dish, put down one layer of pound cake on the bottom. Top with some of the fruit then add some of the pudding mixture. Repeat with ingredients to add another layer ending with pudding on top. Smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill for several hours or overnight. You want the juice from the berries to soak down into the pound cake.

 
The stuff you'll need.


 
Mix the milk and pudding then add 
the sweetened condensed milk and the Cool Whip.


 
Slice your pound cake. You CAN use store-bought. 
I love Sara Lee!


 
Start layering the ingredients starting with the pound cake.


 
Add the berries. 
No need to sweeten them...
the cake and pudding give off enough sweetness.


 
Then add a layer of the pudding mixture.


 
Repeat with all ingredients one more time, 
ending with the pudding on top. 
Then smooth it. It's okay if the berries peek through. 
You can add whipping cream on 
top if you're feeling extra decadent.





Oooo..pretty!

My mom picked me up a waffle iron the other day so my mind's been whirling with ideas. I'm not a big breakfast eater but I do like breakfast food and waffles are right up there on my list. I decided to tweak a recipe to include orange juice in the waffles AND the syrup. Oh my....what a delight! The hint of orange in the waffles was so fun but the syrup is what made the whole thing! A touch of cinnamon finished it off to perfection.

Orange Juice Waffles 
with Cinnamon Orange Syrup



2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs
1  cup warm milk
½ cup orange juice
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter, orange juice and vanilla.

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.

Ladle the batter into a preheated, greased waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp.

Serve immediately with Cinnamon Orange Syrup

Cinnamon Orange Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan. Heat to boiling and allow to simmer on low for about 10 minutes until thick and syrup-y. Serve warm with Orange Juice Waffles.

 

Here's what you'll need for the waffles and the syrup.

Put the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Add the wet stuff.

Combine them to get this!

Pour into your prepared waffle iron and cook!

Heat up the water, sugar, cinnamon and oj concentrate 

and let it simmer until nice and thick and gooey.

Pour the syrup over the waffles and enjoy!

Who here is from SoCal? Anyone? Anyone? If so...who here remembers Foster's Freeze? I was born in Ventura, CA....and we lived there until I was about 5 years old. My grandparents lived there long after we moved away so we'd go visit them once or twice a year. One place we often went was to Foster's Freeze. The best way to describe it would be like a Dairy Queen. Except DQ didn't have what FF had. I remember my dad going to FF and buying little corn tortillas wrapped around a bean and cheese filling then deep fried. Back then you could buy them for 10 cents a piece or 12 for a dollar. I think they were called taquitos back then but we always called them Beanie Thingies. When my kids were little I started making these for them and they loved them. I'm not sure why I took a hiatus from them...but guess what? Beanie Thingies have made a comeback!! Talk about easy. I used to make these for my kids on Sunday nights and they would scarf them down....and guess what? That still holds true!

Beanie Thingies




1 – 2 16-ounce cans refried beans
Corn tortillas (flour tortillas are good, too!)
Grated cheddar cheese

Heat 2 – 3 cups of oil in a skillet on medium-high heat.

Spread about 2 tablespoons of refried beans on a warmed corn tortilla. Lightly salt beans. Sprinkle with some cheese. Roll tortilla tight and fry in heated oil.

Drain on paper towels. Lightly salt.

Serve with taco sauce, guacamole and sour cream.

Here's what you need. So easy it's almost embarrassing.

Spread about 2 tablespoons of beans on your tortilla then sprinkle with some cheese. Lightly salt, if desired.

Place seam side down in hot oil and fry 

for a couple of minutes on each side.

Until they're nice and golden and crispy.

One 16-ounce can of beans makes about 14 beanie thingies. I had three...the two other guys in the house ate the rest.

Fair warning: This makes a LOT! If you have a big family or are going to a pot-luck then this dish is for YOU! If you have a smaller family like me, then you could make it and split it into two casseroles. Freeze one for later when you need a quick dinner in a hurry. I did not think ahead when making this so we'll be eating off of this for a few days. Good thing IT Guy liked leftovers! As we were eating this, I thought this would be great wrapped in a burrito! Another option for the leftovers! Yay for leftovers!! (Sidenote: Thanks to an eagle-eyed fan...Hi Susan!...this recipe is gluten free!!)

Cheesy Chicken Chipotle Casserole

3 chicken skinless chicken breasts – cubed

1 medium onion – diced

1 – 2 cloves garlic – minced

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 – 3 chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce

2 cups frozen corn

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup chicken stock

Salt and pepper

2 cups grated cheddar/jack cheese

In a food processor, pulse tomatoes and chipotle peppers until well blended but NOT pureed.

Cube chicken into bite sized pieces. In a large skillet, drizzle some olive oil then add chicken. Cook until done. Remove chicken to a plate.

In the same skillet, sauté onion and garlic in a little olive oil for a few minutes.

Add tomato/chipotle blend and corn. Stir in rice then pour in the chicken stock. Stir to combine. Add chicken. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into a large, greased casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. After 20 minutes, remove foil, add grated cheese then cover with foil again and cook for another 10 – 15 minutes until hot and bubbly.

 

Our cast of characters...

 

Cube the chicken and brown in some 

olive oil in a large skillet. 

If you want to skip this step, 

just use a store-bought rotisserie chicken...

shredded or chopped.

 

While the chicken's cooking, blend the 

tomatoes and chipotle peppers in a food processor.

 

Remove the chicken from the skillet 

then saute the onion and garlic.

 

Then add the chicken stock.

 

Dump in the corn and tomato mixture.

 

Add the cooked rice.

 

Then the cooked chicken and give it all a good stir.

 

Don't forget the cheese!! 

I left mine the same skillet I cooked everything 

in but you could certainly dump 

this whole thing in a 9x13 pan.

 

Oh yeah, baby!! Lookin' good!!!

Lots of times when I make a 9x13 pan of food...it doesn't all get eaten. IT Guy and I eat our share but I can never plan on other family members to be here. Sometimes my daughter will come by on her way home from work and eat then take home a plate for her hubby...or my son and his girlfriend will be here...sometimes not. Normally I just make what I make and when it's gone, it's gone. So when I made these enchiladas, I had no idea who would be here or how much would be eaten. Silly me....I shouldn't have worried. I made this and it only lasted two days. Everyone loved it...IT Guy had it 4 times. I went to heat some up for him for a quick dinner and the leftovers had been "mysteriously" depleted during the night. That's what happens when you have a nocturnal family member.

Pork Enchiladas

2 1/2 pounds pork loin
2 7-ounce cans diced green chilies
1 onion – diced
1 – 2 cloves garlic – minced
1 cup chicken stock (or more, if needed)
1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 – 3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 dozen corn tortillas

Cube pork roast into small chunks. Saute in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil until done. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a plate.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 3 – 4 minutes in the same skillet. Add green chilies and allow to cook for a few minutes.

Sprinkle the flour into the onion/chili mixture and allow to cook for a minute or so. Pour in chicken stock and stir.

Transfer pork to skillet and stir together. Add more chicken stock, if needed to make a thick sauce. Add more salt and pepper and add cumin. Stir to warm through.

Heat corn tortillas one at a time in the microwave until soft, about 15 seconds.

Ladle a large spoonful of pork mixture onto tortilla. Add a couple of tablespoons of grated cheese and roll into an enchilada. Place into a greased 9x13 pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spoon remaining pork mixture over enchiladas. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.


 
Here's the goods. I used some boneless pork
loin chops but you can use any pork. 
A small roast or a loin would work.


 
Cube the pork and brown it in a 
skillet with a little olive oil. 
Remove the pork from the skillet when done.


 
With a little more olive oil, 
saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes.


 
Then add the green chilies and cook that for a little bit.


 
Sprinkle in the flour and stir.


 
Then pour in the chicken stock.


 
Give it a good stir. 
You may have to add more chicken stock 
to make sure you have enough thick liquid. 
Don't forget to add salt, pepper and the cumin.


 
Then add the pork back into the skillet and heat through.


 
Start assembling the enchiladas. 
If you want, you can just layer all the 
ingredients if you don't feel like rolling the enchiladas. 
I do that lots of times.


 
Your 9x13 pan should hold about 12 enchiladas.


 
Pour the remaining meat mixture 
on top of the rolled enchiladas 
then sprinkle with more cheese.


 
Bake it and enjoy. 
Serve with sour cream if that's your style.

I love making crepes....sweet or savory. Because I love desserts, I'd say the sweet ones are near and dear to my heart, but these were delicious. After making a 9x13 pan full...after everyone had had their fill...there was one lonely little crepe left. Why do people do that? Leave the last "one" of anything? My family knows that bugs me. Just eat it! Whether it be the last chip, cookie or crepe...just eat the dang thing, already! But...I guess I should have been glad they left one....more for me when everyone's gone and I get hungry!

Broccoli and Chicken Crepes

½ cup butter
5 button mushrooms – diced
1 small onion – diced
2 cloves garlic – minced
¼ cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 3-ounce package cream cheese
2 cups fontina cheese -  shredded (divided use)
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 12-ounce package frozen broccoli – cooked according to package directions
Salt and Pepper
15 crepes (or flour tortillas)

Melt butter in large skillet. Add diced mushrooms, onion and minced garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for another minute. Pour in broth and milk and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add cream cheese and 1 cup of the fontina cheese. Stir until melted then add the chicken and broccoli. Salt and pepper to taste.

This fills about 20 crepes.

 
Here's what you'll need for the filling.


 
Melt the butter in a large skillet then 
add the onion, mushrooms and garlic. 
Saute for a bit then...


 
...stir in the flour, broth and milk. 
Allow to cook for about 10 minutes then...


 
...add the cream cheese and one cup of the grated fontina.


 
After the cheeses have melted, 
add the cooked chicken and cooked broccoli.



For the Crepes

 
Now...on to the crepes.


¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 eggs
¾ cup flour
Pinch salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until well mixed. Heat up a crepe pan or small skillet. Pour a scant ¼ cup of mixture into pan and swirl. Let cook until lightly browned. This amount of batter will make about 15 crepes. Can easily be doubled.

 
Throw everything into the blender and blend away!


 
Using a crepe pan or a small skillet...


 
...make the crepes.


Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Lay one crepe in the pan and spoon in about 2/3 cup of the chicken mixture. Fold sides in and lay crepe, seam side down, in pan. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling. Spoon any remaining filling over filled crepes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of fontina cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20 – 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

 
After the crepes are made, fill them.


 
Roll "enchilada style" and place in a 9x13 pan.


 
Pour any remaining sauce over the top...


 
...then sprinkle on the remaining cup of cheese.


 
Heat and serve!!