My Family's Dinner. Somehow all on me?

My sister came in town for a day and it was just us and my parents. That doesn't happen very often so we decided to have a nice dinner.. I was supposed to make a good dessert.. Somehow I ended up making it all!

Pita Chips & Dip

What You Need:

(Chips)

*4 Pieces of soft flat bread or pita, cut into wedges like above

*Eyeball 1tbs Olive Oil (I used my favorite, garlic infused)

*Eyeball amounts of you liking of Seasalt, Oregano (I used a garlic & wine seasoning but garlic salt and maybe something else you like will do! (= )

(Dip)

*8oz Mascarpone Cheese

*3/4 Cup Sour Cream

*1/2 Cup Bacon Bits (real)

*1 Tsp Onion Powder, Garlic Salt (I used garlic and wine), Sea Salt, Oregano. (Taste, add more to taste)

What to do?

Chips:

*Pre-Heat Oven to 450 degrees.

*Cut your bread in half, then cut into four pieces.

*Place onto cookie sheet

*Drizzle with the olive oil

*Spread Seasoning evenly over pieces.

*Bake for 8 Minutes.

The Dip:

* Place room temp Mascarpone cheese in a bowl

*Add 3/4 cup sour cream, fold together.

*Add Bacon and seasonings, fold all together.

Now Serve!

Watermelon Cooler

What You Need?--Serves Two.

*4 Cups Balled Seedless Watermelon

*1 1/2 cups of lemon sorbet

*1 cup water

*Food Processor.

What to do?

*Measure our 4 cups of balled watermelon

*Place in food processor and blend away

*Add the Sorbet and water and blend.

((TIP))-- If you need to double the recipe, make them separately. It's too much for you food processor. I also think that if I make it again I'll strain it. Depends if you want the watermelon little chunks

*Place in fridge, chill

*Serve!

My Mom's Taco Pie-- My comfort food growing up!

What you need:

* 1lb Beef

*1 pack taco seasoning

* 2 Cups Crushed Doritos

* 1/2 Cup Sour Cream

* 1 pack of crescents rolls

* 2 cups of cheddar cheese (or my favorite, Colby jack)--Shredded

* Pie dish

* Spray Crisco

What to do?

*Pre heat oven to 350

*Prepare taco meat

*Spray Pie Pan with Crisco

*Place crescent rolls into dish and press around to make shell. Do not separate.

*Mix Taco meat with sour cream

*Lay down 1/2 of the Doritos (1 cup crushed)

*Add taco meat on top

*Add Cheese

*Add the rest of the Doritos on top

*Bake in the oven for 20minutes, serve!

Skillet Friend Easy Apple Pie with Homemade Whipped Cream

What You Need:

(Pie)

-1 Can Large Buttermilk Biscuits (Should have about 8)

-1 can of apple pie filling

-Cinnamon sugar

-Vegetable Oil (a couple of cap fulls)

-Rolling Pin

-Flour

(Whipped Cream)

Simple Easy Normal Recipe

1 Cup Heavy Cream

1/3 cup sugar

What to do?

-Pie

-Roll out each biscuit VERY thin.

-Take some water and put along the edges (so when you fold it, it will stick)

-Sprinkle Cinnamon Sugar along the inside

- Eyeball about a 2 tbs of apple pie filling (best to take a fork and cup the apples in the can)

- Fill the biscuit and fold in half.

-Pinch together and take a fork and press along the edges

- Place about a cap full of oil into the pan and allow to get hot.

-Fry until done

(if while frying them up, you need more oil add a cap full under the pies.. but dont add too much or you will burn them)

-Place on plate and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar! Add the whip cream with sprinkled cinnamon sugar as well

Simple Whipped Cream

*Place 1 cup of room temp Heavy Cream into a bowl with sugar

*Take Hand Beats and beat until stiff peaks form

*Fold over for a good smooth texture.

--From Brook's Kitchen!

Quick Dinner Fix!

Being married with no kids, and in school-- Sometimes I have to cook for one or a quick dinner for two. This you can do for both!

Chicken Soft Taco's

What You Need:

(Feeds Two)

2 Tortilla Shells

1 Cooked Chicken Breast ( I like to grill up my chicken when I buy a back and freeze separately) If it isn't cooked, cook them (grilled- my favorite) Keeping them stored is an easy way to make a lot of dishes!

3/4 Cup Water

1/4 cup of taco seasoning

Your Favorite Cheese

Sour Cream

(Optional)

Mushrooms

Black Olives

Salsa

Mexican White Cheese Sauce

What to do?

*Add 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup taco seasoning to pot over stove

*Allow to simmer

*While Waiting, Chop your chicken breast into bite size pieces.

*Once the pot starts to simmer, add chicken and turn down to med heat.

*Allow to lightly simmer for 30 minutes.

*Heat up tortilla in microwave or in a pan on the stove.

*Add Sour Cream on bottom layer, take a spoon with holes and sift out chicken

*Add on top, add cheese and anything else you may like

*Roll like a burrito, you can add the optional mexican cheese sauce on top here.

*Microwave for about 20 seconds, or grill on a pan on the stove.

To go with it?

Thin & Crispy Homemade Potato Chips!

What You Need?

*1 Med Potato Per Person

*Deep Fryer or A pot with vegetable oil in it, heated.

*Sea Salt (or reg salt, cheddar salt, Lawry's seasoning salt.. whatever you want)

(Optional)-- Good Grips Slicer (My favorite new tool in the kitchen!)

What to do?

*Heat up deep fryer, or pot with oil.

*Wash your potato's.

*The Good Grips Slicer should be set to 1 (thinnest setting) and sliced away!

*If you have another slicer, this will work It is hard to get them thin by hand with a knife, but you can do this as well. A food processor sometimes has a slicing setting-- it can be used as well.

*Place a good sized handfull into the oil, constantly stirring and turning until done (usually about 2 minutes)

* Remove from oil, place a paper towel in a colander and place chips in that.

*Salt and shake. Enjoy!

~From Brooks Kitchen

Perfect change for a cookout.

These are two things I've made recently that would be perfect for a cookout change. Something different from hotdogs and hamburgers!

Chicken Burgers

(Sorry about this picture.. No added goodies. It was a quick dinner and we didn't have any goodies!)

What You Need:

Ground Chicken(1LB yields 4)

1/2 cup Sour Cream ( Also *Can* substitute for mayo)

Few Dashes Worcestershire

1 tsp lemon juice

Garlic Salt

Onion Powder

(Whatever other seasonings you may like!)

Olive Oil

Burger Buns or Rolls

What to do?

Pour ground chicken into the bowl

Add all ingredients.(Except Olive Oil) Mix with hands quickly

Take pieces of wax paper brush with olive oil ( I love garlic infused! )

Place a dollop onto the paper and pat out into a burger ( I find it easier if I do the patting on top of the wax paper, the mixture is very sticky)

Place the patties into the fridge for at least an hour (This helps them hold up when you are cooking them.)

Pre heat your grill (or you can pre-heat a pan with olive oil in the bottom to make on the skillet)

Grill the burgers (depends on how thick you made them) for about 7 minutes on each side... Make sure you check

In the last minutes, brush you buns/rolls whatever you want with some olive oil and grill for about a minute.

(Optional)

Place Bacon, or real bacon bits on top and cover with your favorite cheese. Allow to melt.

Serve it up with all the favorites, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato!

Time for a cookout dessert!

Easy S'mores Cupcakes

What You Need?(Cake Part)

1 Box (I like Duncan Hines) Devils Food Cake Mix

1 Pack Instant Chocolate Pudding

(Ingredients your boxed cake mix calls for)

About 4 Gram Crackers

1 Cup Mini Marshmallows

24 Cupcake Papers/Tin

Crisco Spray

What To Do?

*Pre Heat your oven to whatever you box calls for (Usually about 350)

*Mix you cake like the box calls for, but add the 1 pack of pudding (for extra moistness)

*Once Mixed, add the 1 cup of mini marshmallows. Fold in, don't mix in.

*Crush your gram crackers into fine pieces.

*Prepare you cupcake pan with liners. Spray with crisco (or whatever cooking spray)

*Place about a tbs of the crumbs into each liner.

*Now place batter into liners/tins. (Something I like to do is use an ice-cream scooper one normal sized scoop is the perfect amount and it makes it much easier and no mess)

*Bake! Usually it takes about an extra 3-5 minutes than the box says. Use a toothpick and when they come clean (minus marshmallow) it's good! It's important NOT to overcook.

*Chill

What do you need for the Icing?

Here's the thing. There are two different types of icing you can use. A fluffy light icing, or a marshmallow richer icing.

Fluffy

About 5 Eggwhites (room temp)

5 Tbs Sugar

2Tbs Marshmallow Cream

1 tsp Pure Vanilla

What to do?

*Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (should look stiff like whipped cream)

*add 1 tbs of sugar in at a time after peaks had formed, cont. beating

add the marshmallow cream and vanilla, beat in.

*Pipe onto cooled cupcakes *should feed cool*

*You can toast it with a butane ligher, or kitchen torch to make them look like toasted marshmallows.

Icing Number Two, Richer.

What You Need?

1 Stick of butter (Room Temp)

1 1/2 jars of marshmallow cream

2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla

What To Do?

* Beat butter until creamy.

* Add in the powdered sugar, beat.

* Add in the marshmallow cream, slowly.. Beat.

*Add in pure vanilla. Taste test!

*Pipe onto chilled cupcakes.

Something Extra: You can garnish the finished cupcakes with a chocolate piece.

Now, just enjoy the taste of S'mores with a cupcake!