Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

Manic Monday Party #34

2013-05-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Manic Monday #34

Let's do a little flash back of last weeks party.....

The recipe with the most clicks was

The Health Benefits of Drinking Black Tea

from Who Needs a Cape

Some of the ones that caught my eye were.....

Blackberry Lemon Coffee Cake from Love Bakes Good Cakes

Peanut Butter and M&M Cookies from Sugar Cookies to Peterbilts

Hhhmmm I must have had a sweet tooth last week!

If you were featured today please don't forget to grab a Featured Button below.

Now on to the Party guidelines:

If you would like your recipe to be featured and promoted on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, you MUST follow these guidelines.

Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.
LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. (Need info on how to link back? Read this or you can check out this instructional video.) You can use the button below or a direct text link within your post.

I love to promote my fellow bloggers and work hard at doing so I want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for all of us!

Now let's get this party started!!!

BLT Dip

2013-05-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

My daughter moved back from California a few months ago. Ever since she got back she has been wanting to make this dip for me. She seriously went on and on about it. Every time I went to the store she would ask me if I would pick up the ingredients for her to make it.But since she lives about 20 minutes away and doesn't drive yet, I told her I wasn't going to buy the ingredients until I knew for sure she would be here to make it. Also I didn't want her to make it late in the evening because we would have dinner to eat. WOW I so sound like a Mom right now don't I?

Well with the issues I have been having with my eye, and my inability to drive, her brother stepped up to chauffeur Mom around so she could run her errands and my daughter tagged along to keep us company. One of the places I needed to go was the grocery store so there was her opportunity. Middle of the day, Mom's buying groceries, she was a happy camper. She knew what she needed off the top of her head, so grabbed everything and away we went.

Once we got home she took over my kitchen, shooing me away anytime I came near. I had flashback to her sitting on the floor at 3 years old trying to tie her shoes. After some frustrated grunts I would ask her if she needed help and she would sternly tell me, "I do it myself Mommy" so cute, but I needed to plan on leaving at least 30 minutes before we needed to so she had her time to "do it herself"!

She whipped this dip up in no time flat though and proudly brought it out to us with the crackers. Now, I have to tell you that I am not a huge dip person. I have a few that I really like, but with me trying to lighten up what we eat, dips are notorious for being very very fattening. This dip was really really good, I was pleasantly surprised! I will keep this recipe to use for football games, I know it will go over great. I will however be trading Greek yogurt for the sour cream. Just that substitution along will save about 300 calories believe it or not. I really am in love with Greek yogurt!!

Here is the recipe as my daughter made it though and it was fantastic. I am assuming that the green onions the "L" part of the dip. In her mind the green = "L" I am sure!

BLT Dip

16-ounce container sour cream (can sub 16-ounces non fat Greek yogurt)
3 ounces tomato paste
6 slices bacon
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix
4 green onions, greens chopped

Cook the bacon until crisp, set aside on paper towel to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl add the sour cream and ranch mix, stir until well combined. Add the tomato paste to the ranch mixture and stir until completely incorporated. Chop the bacon and add it along with the green onions. Stir to combine. Serve with crackers or bread.

ENJOY!!

Creamy Pesto Shrimp Rolls

2013-05-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

I love shrimp. Heck, I love seafood period! So when I saw shrimp on sale at the store I grabbed a couple bags and set my mind to plan a couple nice "Summer" type dishes. Should I grill them? Should I make a salad (which I will be doing so keep an eye out for that post!)? Oh, I have it, Kevin loves sandwiches so lets do that. I wasn't sure how he would feel about the shrimp OR the pesto. He has been kind of iffy on pesto but come around much more since I started making my own.

He kind of hung over my shoulder while I was making them, and I was wondering if I was going to get any complaints, but he is used to me subbing Greek yogurt for everything now and as soon as he saw my homemade pesto he actually seemed excited. Who knew?

I have to say that I am in love with these sandwiches! They are creamy, crunchy, and sweet. Now I am hooked and craving all kinds of seafood! I am sad that Kevin isn't working where he was last year because some of the customers used to bring him fresh crab they had just caught. That was what I made my Crab Salad Sammies, and Crab Stuffed Mushrooms with. I guess I will just have to throw a crab pot out there and see what happens right?

Creamy Pesto Shrimp Rolls

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound medium shrimp, (fresh or frozen) peeled, deveined and chopped

Kernels from 2 ears of corn (if using frozen, about 1 cup drefosted)

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

3 green onions, thinly sliced (whites and greens)

1/4 cup fat free yogurt

1/4 classic pesto, (can use store bought)

1 lemon, juiced

Kosher salt

Cracked black pepper

4 hoagie rolls

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until opaque, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat the heat, stir in the corn. and let cool.

In a medium bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, pesto, and lemon juice. Add the shrimp corn mixture, bell pepper and green onions, toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in rolls.

ENJOY!!

Spicy Chili Mac and Cheese

2013-05-15T11:44:00.002-07:00

Yes my friends, yet another Mac and Cheese recipe for you. I swear I should start a section of my blog just for Mac and Cheese. I can't help it though, it is one of my favorite comfort foods so if I can find new ways to enjoy it you can bet I will do it!

I refuse to take all of the blame for this one though. One of the dishes I used to make for my kids when they were growing up was a chili mac and cheese and they loved it. They would actually request it for their "special" birthday meal! Now, remember, I didn't really cook back in those days. I mean I cooked, but I didn't "cook". I lived out of cans and boxes. So their "special" meal boiled down to a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese mixed with a can of Hormel chili. They loved it, it was easy, nuff said!

Once I started down this road of trying to make our favorite dishes a bit more healthy this was probably the one they complained about the most. I have said in the past that Rachael Ray was one of my inspirations when I began cooking. She didn't intimidate me and she made meals that you didn't have to be a trained chef to prepare. My first blog was called Bobbi Renee and Rachael Ray (ala Julie and Julia) but I was afraid of copyright issues so I closed that one and began Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen. Anyway, whenever I would tell the kids I was making this dish they would beg me not to "Rachael Ray" it, which was code for changing it up.

I finally got them to enjoy it with pasta and cheese sauce made by me instead of that orange powder, but they refused to let go of their Hormel Chili. I have to admit, it was a very quick and easy with canned chili and they still make it that way. But now that it is just Kevin and I at home I get to tinker, or rather "Rachael Ray" it again.

I made this one pretty hot. I mean I thought about calling it 5 Alarm Chili Mac and Cheese but Kevin said it wasn't THAT hot. OK I will say it might not be 5 alarm, but if you are not a heat lover please reduce the amount of cayenne pepper by at least 50%.

Kevin left me one serving and took the rest of the leftovers to work. All of the guys loved it!

Spicy Chili Mac and Cheese

8 ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni

For the cheese sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour
1 cup 2% milk
2 cups reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh ground nutmeg

For the chili:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon dark chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup beer

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained

Kosher salt

Cracked black pepper

Shredded cheese and sliced green onions for garnish

Into a large pot of boiling salted water add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, approx 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well. Return to pot.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onions and peppers are soft. Push the veggies off to the side and crumble the ground beef into the center of the skillet. Brown the beef, breaking it up into bit with a wooden spoon and it cooks. Combine with the onion mixture. Season with the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir to combine, cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the beer, scraping the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon to get up any tasty browned bits. Allow liquid to reduce by 1/2, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and pinto beans. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Pour cheese sauce and chili into the pasta pot and stir to combine. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese and green onions if desired.

Serves 4

ENJOY!!

Manic Monday Party #33

2013-05-06T11:46:00.002-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? You know I love any excuse to have Mexican food!!

We had a wonderful party last week, our biggest ever! Cram packed with tons and tons of wonderful offerings!! Here are the features.....

KFC Mashed Potato Bowl from Comfy Cuisine

BLT Burger Salad from Hungry Little Girl

Chipotle Lime Chicken from Who Needs a Cape

Cinco de Mayo Round Up from Modern Christian Homemaker

Great stuff!!! Now let's get to partyin'!! I am so excited to see what you bring!

Please make sure to read the party guidelines:

If you would like to be featured in next weeks party, or would like your posts shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest the instructions below MUST be followed.

Please make sure to add a text link to the party (if you need help adding a link please go hereor check out this great video) or grab one of my buttons from the right side bar and add it to your linked posts

Please link up the picture to the post not your main blog page, and make sure to use the title of your recipe description/name box.

Leave up to 3 of your favorite posts

I love to promote my fellow bloggers and work hard at doing so I want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for all of us!

Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest.

Don't forget to leave me a comment. I love to hear from you!

Chicken Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce for Cinco de Mayo #SundaySupper

2013-05-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Oh happy day!! It is Cinco de Mayo woohooooo. For those of you that just recently started reading my blog I will fill you in here. I am a Mexican food addict! I mean seriously, it is bad, I need a 12 step program or something. The thing, well thingsss that make it worse are 1) my boyfriend does not like Mexican food! Yes I know, I have wondered what is wrong with him for a long time now. 2) There are probably 5 Mexican restaurants in my tiny little town. Why does that make it worse? Because none of them have reallllly good food. I mean it is good enough when I am really jonesing for a Mexican fix. But for the most part it is more of a tease, giving me just a bit of what I want but not going all the way.

Oh, back to the woohooo it is Cinco de Mayo thing. I grew up in Southern California, the land of fantastic Mexican food, aaahhhhh the good ol' days, where there was a Mexican restaurant on just about every corner and they were all, for the most part, good!! Cinco de Mayo there was one big HUGE party. The food, the margaritas, more margaritas, mmmmmmmm.

Now I usually just make my own Mexican food and those days are few and far between now that the kids have moved out. They all loved Mexican food too, so when it came down to a vote I was always on the winning side and Kevin had to suffer through. Now with it just being the two of us I am only able to sneak it in once in a while. If I try to make it more than once a week I get the "look", sheesh you would think I was trying to poison him or something. Anyway, when I found out #SundaySupper was doing a Cinco de Mayo theme I was sooooo happy. I would have made an entire feast if I thought I could have gotten away with it!

One of my kids' favorite dishes is my Chicken Enchiladas with Chili Verde Sauce. Super simple and very tasty. It is one of the first recipes I came up with when we moved here. I decided I wanted to use that recipe as a jumping off point. I love avocados in any way shape or form. I will just cut one open and eat it with a bit of salt for lunch. Throw some chicken salad in it, you name it.....yum!! So I wanted to do something that used avocado instead of just as guacamole. This is what I came up with. Creamy, a little spicy, and sooooo good! Pair it with my Fresh Homemade Pico de Gallo and it is the perfect Cinco Mayo (or any other day) meal!

Chicken Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce

For the enchiladas:

1 rotiserrie chicken, shredded, bones and skin removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium white onion, chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fat free Greek yogurt.
3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

For the sauce:

1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 cup chicken stock
2 large avocados
1 cup packed fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)
1 teasoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime, juiced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the sauce, add the Greek yogurt, chicken broth, 2 avocados, cilantro, cumin, garlic salt, lime juice, and salt in a blender and mix well to combine. Adjust seasoning if unnecessary. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile in a medium skillet over medium heat, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions, jalapenos, and garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a medium sized bowl. Add the chicken, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion mixture, Greek yogurt, 1 cup of the avocado cream sauce, and 2 cups of cheese. Stir to combine well.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the avocado sauce on the bottom of a 10x13 baking dish. Spoon 1/8th of the enchilada mixture into a tortilla and roll it up. Place the enchilada in a 10 x 13 pan and continue with the remaining 7 tortillas. Pour the remaining avocado cream sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

ENJOY!!

Now check out the other great #SundaySupper offerings!!

Cinco de Mayo Appetizers & Sides {Aperitivos}:
Chili Lime Crab on Watermelon Salad from A Stack of Dishes
Chipotle Roasted Chickpeas from Home Cooking Memories
Cinco de Mayo Tuna Pepper Poppers from Shockingly Delicious
Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn) from Magnolia Days
Esquites or Mexican Corn Salad from Kimchi Mom
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Lime-Cayenne Butter from Healthy. Delicious.
Guacamole Rice from Foxes Love Lemons
Healthy Mexican Ceviche from Mama’s Blissful Bites
Loaded Cheesy Nachos from Gotta Get Baked
Lobster Guacamole from I Run For Wine
Roasted Garlic and Bacon Guacamole from Ruffles & Truffles
Slow Cooker Chicken Con Queso from Daily Dish Recipes

Cinco de Mayo Main Dishes {Platos Principales}:
Chicken Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
Chicken Fajita Feta-ccine from Chocolate Moosey
Chicken Fajita Salad w/Home made Easy Salsa from Momma’s Meals
Chicken Mole Potato Skins from Noshing with the Nolands
Chorizo Fajitas with Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper from The Urban Mrs.
Corono Beer-Battered Fish Tacos from Pescetarian Journal
Duck Carnitas from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Fish Tacos with Lime Salsa from Curious Cuisiniere
Japanese Mexican Tacos from Ninja Baking
Lightened Up Taco Salad from Kudos Kitchen
Mexican Pizza with Chipotle Orange Sauce from Family Foodie
Oven Baked Beef, Bean, and Cheese Chimichangas from In The Kitchen With KP
Pork Carnitas from From the Bookshelf
Red Chile Jam + Tequila Chicken Quesadillas from Vintage Kitchen Notes
Roasted Poblano and Corn Lasagna from Juanita’s Cocina
Shrimp Soft Tacos with Lime Dressing and Crunchy Vegetables from Crazy Foodie Stunts
Slow Cooked Carne Asadas from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Soft Shell Tacos from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Spicy Shredded Beef Chimichangas from Supper for a Steal
Spicy Steak Fajitas from Cravings of a Lunatic
Stuffed Poblano Peppers from Country Girl in the Village
Tequila Lime Chicken from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing from The Weekend Gourmet
Tofu Tacos from Hip Foodie Mom
Yucatan Pollo Pibil and Corn Tortillas from MarocMama

Cinco de Mayo Desserts {Postres}:
Dairy-free Flan from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Dark and Spicy Chocolate Pots de Creme from Happy Baking Days
Fried Ice Cream for a Crowd from Growing Up Gabel
Luxuriously Healthy Chocolate Frosting from What Smells So Good?
Mexican Brownies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Paletas de Tamarindo (Tamarind Popsicles) from La Cocina de Leslie
Peanut Mazapanes from Pies and Plots
Sopapillas from The Wimpy Vegetarian

Cinco de Mayo Drinks {Bebidas}:
Fresh & Fruity Sangria from Webicurean
Frozen Jalapeno Daiquiri from Blueberries and Blessings
Fruity Aguas Frescas from The Foodie Patootie
Mango Aqua Fresca With Chia Seeds from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Margarona from The Messy Baker
Mexaratini from Gourmet Drizzles
Tamarindo Drink (Agua de Tamarindo) from Basic N Delicious

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter on Sunday, May 5th to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and food photos.

Rosemary and Garlic Pork Loin

2013-05-03T09:10:00.001-07:00

I was at the store the other day and saw they had their pork loin roasts on sale, buy 1 get 1 free, YAY!!! I love pork loin and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I have made this recipe several times, but never posted it. Partially because I could never seem to get a good picture of the roast, and partially because when I first started blogging I thought is was silly to post simple recipes. For some reason I thought people were looking for these intricate dishes, not simple, quick and easy ones. Go figure, I know I am not a huge fan of dishes that take a lot of time and effort, AND dishes, but I thought you all were. Since then many of you, OK most of you, have let me know that simple dishes for quick and easy weekday meals is what you really want to see. So I give you this one. Simple, quick, and so delicious!!!

You just do a bit of chopping....chop....chop...chop

chop....chop...chop. OK tough part done!

Mix all your goodies together

Trim some fat from the roast if you want (I left half of it behind) and place it in an oiled baking dish.

Cover your roast with the garlic/rosemary mixture. Make sure to really press it down with your fingers,

and...WALA gorgeous tastiness ready for dinner!!

Rosemary and Garlic Pork Loin

6 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 pound boneless pork loin roast

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub a baking dish with olive oil and set aside. Mix the garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl.

Trim the roast of most of it's fat and place in the baking dish. Cover the roast with the garlic/rosemary mixture using your fingers to make sure it is covered well. Place in the oven and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast reads 155 degrees.

Place the roast on a platter and spoon the juices from the pan over the top.

ENJOY!!!

Ranch Veggie Appetizer Pizza

2013-05-01T09:33:00.001-07:00

I fell in love with this appetizer at a Super Bowl game last year. I had a few of the other items on the table, and one piece of this pizza. I nibbled through the other items first, you know the typical dips and such that there are at these kinds of parties, but when I hit this pizza I perked up. Wow the veggies, the ranch flavor, the crust, it all went together so well and was like nothing I had ever had at a football party before. I didn't feel like I was being swallowed in grease, or mayonnaise, or cheese. Not that those things are completely bad, but when you pile 6 of those kinds of things on a plate you start to feel a bit bloated and blah.

I went back for 3 pieces of the pizza and then tracked down the person that made it. She happily gave me the recipe and as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to switch up the store bought ranch dressing for my Homemade Ranch Dressing the Healthy Way because it has less fat and added protein from the Greek yogurt I use.

Fast forward from Super Bowl till now. Yes, it took me 4 months to make this dang pizza!! Mostly because I didn't want to make a whole pizza for just Kevin and I because, well I wasn't sure if he would even eat it. BINGO!! He wouldn't even try it. He even said, out loud, "It looks too healthy" Are you serious here? Oh well, more for me!

I have since found out that this is a pretty common appetizer, who knew, evidently not me. But I do like my version better because, well I like my ranch dressing. Does that make me bad?

Now doesn't that look tastey??? I want a bite right now!

Ranch Veggie Appetizer Pizza

2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 1 pkg.

(8 oz.) low fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup Ranch Dressing (I used my Homemade Healthy Ranch Dressing)

1 small head of broccoli, separated into small florets

1 carrot, chopped

1/2 cucumber, chopped

4 green onions, chopped green and whites

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Press dough onto bottom and up side of baking pan to form crust (mine was 16x12x1)

Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown; cool.

Mix cream cheese and ranch dressing until well blended. Spread over crust. Top with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate. Cut into squares.

ENJOY!!!

Fresh Homemade Pico de Gallo + More Great Mexican Dishes for Cinco de Mayo

2013-04-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

It is funny. I look forward to Cinco de Mayo almost as much as I look forward to Thanksgiving!! Growing up in San Diego it was a huge holiday and all of the food, drink, and festivities associated with it were so much fun. There would be street fairs with music and dancing and tons and TONS of fabulous food.

Now I live in a little town in Western Washington. Cinco de Mayo celebrations here? Not so much. So I have to take it upon myself to make the party, or at least the food right? So this year I started thinking about what I wanted to make for the blog. You all know I have a ton of Mexican or Mexican inspired dishes here (see list below) so I wanted something fresh. The first thing that popped into my head was Pico de Gallo. I mean how can you get any fresher than that? I can't tell you how many gallons of this stuff I have eaten in my lifetime!! Now I make it at home, and the best part of it is, the longer it sits in your fridge, the better it gets!!!

So grab a Corona and some fresh chips and enjoy!!

Fresh Homemade Pico de Gallo

3 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

1/2 of a white onion, chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (can use just one if you prefer your salsa milder)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup cilantro (a good handful), chopped

1 lime, juiced

Kosher salt to taste

Soak the onion in a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes, drain and add to a bowl along with the other ingredients. Mix well, add salt if needed.

ENJOY!!!

More Mexican Dishes for Cindo de Mayo:

Mexican Grilled Corn

Healthy Mexican Pizza

Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Style Slow Cooker Beer Chicken

Mexican Fried Rice

Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken Enchiladas with Chili Verde Sauce

Guacamole Pasta

Homemade Taco/Tex-Mex Seasoning

Salsa Rice

Spicy Chicken Tacos

Avocado Hot Sauce

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Chili Rellenos Casserole

Carne Asada + Surf and Turf Burritos

California Chicken and Spicy Spanish Rice

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Roasted Tomato Salsa Roja

Manic Monday Party #32

2013-04-29T08:38:00.003-07:00

Welcome back to Manic Monday! How has the weather been in your neck of the woods? We have had some good and some bad. Washington just can't seem to make up it's mind, which is usual. But I did get some herbs and veggies planted, with more coming later. I just can't wait to have my own fresh veggies and herbs to work with!!

OK enough about me, let's get down to the features from last weeks party.

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake from A Peek Into My Paradise

Lemon Cape Cod from Who Needs a Cape?

Nut Brow Ale Beer Bread from James Everett What's Cooking at Home

The Secret to the Best Blueberry Muffins from It's a Lovely Life

What a wonderful line up!!! I want to thank everyone that shared last week, it was a fantastic party!

But now it is time to kick off a new party and I am excited as ever to see what you all will share. I have been pinning and sharing like crazy and so many people love seeing what you bring!!

Please make sure to read the party guidelines:

If you would like to be featured in next weeks party, or would like your posts shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest the instructions below MUST be followed.

Please make sure to add a text link to the party (if you need help adding a link please go here or check out this great video) or grab one of my buttons from the right side bar and add it to your linked posts

Please link up the picture to the post not your main blog page, and make sure to use the title of your recipe description/name box.

Leave up to 3 of your favorite posts

I love to promote my fellow bloggers and work hard at doing so I want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for all of us!

Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest.

Don't forget to leave me a comment. I love to hear from you!

Warm Potato and Green Bean Salad for #SRC

2013-04-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

This month for The Secret Recipe Club I was assigned Without Adornment. I always get so excited when I get my assignment. I love finding new blogs and then browsing through all of their posts. I was extra excited when I started going through Bean's blog. She has so many gorgeous photos I almost forgot I was there to find a recipe!! I was tempted to make some sweets because she has so many tempting ones on her blog. But since we are starting our new work out schedule and wanting to drop a few pounds, I figured that would be a bit counter productive!

When I stumble across this Warm Potato and Green Bean Salad I immediately knew this was the recipe I had to make. I love the fact that is a warm salad. No worries about a salad getting warm once it has been put out for everyone. Plus it is so versatile. It can be along side everything from steak to burgers.

My photo didn't come out as good as Bean's but I sure wish we could have scratch and sniff pictures on our blogs!!! This smelled so good and tasted even better. Plus it was just as good the next day! This one is a keeper for sure!!

Warm Potato and Green Bean Salad

1 lb. mixed fingerling potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
2 cups green beans
2 shallots, sliced

For the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Champagne mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cut the fingerling potatoes in half, and toss the potatoes in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet. Roast the potatoes in the oven for 10 minutes on each side.

While the potatoes are roasting, prepare the green beans. Boil the green beans in a pot of salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain the beans, allow them to cool a bit, and cut them into thirds. Add sliced shallots to the green beans.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. When the potatoes are done cooking, add them to the bowl of beans and shallots, and pour the dressing over the salad. Mix well and serve the salad warm.

ENJOY!!

Creamy Mashed Purple Potatoes

2013-04-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

I ran across purple potatoes several years ago but never tried them. I thought they were cool, but I guess I was little off put by the color and worried they might not taste like a regular potato. Then, while I was menu planning the other day, I wanted to come up with something as a side that was different from anything I have ever done. I mean I love asparagus, green beans, broccoli, etc. but I was just feeling bored. BING the purple potatoes popped into my head. I hadn't been paying attention to see if they had been available at the store lately, but I crossed my fingers and away I went. I must have had an angel on my shoulder because when I got there they had just enough for me to make this dish!! A sign maybe? This dish was meant to be made!

You should have seen Kevin's face when I brought them home. He kept peering over my shoulder as I was chopping and boiling them. I guess he was worried about how they would taste too. I just figured I would treat them like I would any other potato.I have to admit though, they are kind of cool to work with. They bring out the little kid in you. Just something about the strange bright color I guess.

Kevin even jumped on the band wagon and took over when it came to mashing them. So we both go to "play".

The verdict? We really liked them. Unfortunately I am afraid plain old white potatoes aren't going to work for me for a while. I want Sesame Street colors on my plate!! I will say though, the next time I make these I am going to add some roasted garlic like I do to my regular potatoes from time to time. But this was was so creamy and good!

Creamy Mashed Purple Potatoes

makes 4 small side servings

1 pound purple potatoes, chopped

1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt

1/4 cup low fat/fat free milk (or enough to get the potatoes to the desired constancy)

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped (reserve some for garnish)

Salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes to a large pot and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and cook about 12 minutes, or until a fork easily inserts into the potatoes. Drain and return to the hot pot, roughly mash the potatoes and then add the yogurt and chives. Mash a it more and add milk as needed. Adjust seasoning. Serve warm, topped with chopped chives.

ENJOY!!

Crispy Salmon Sliders with Lemon Dill Slaw

2013-04-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

Since I started on my journey to get into better shape, I have been trying to satisfy my cravings for certain foods but make them healthier. As I mentioned a few days ago, I am on an appetizer kick. Between requests and wanting to get ready for football (and NASCAR) season, my wheels are going just about every day. This idea came from my craving for sliders. I can't remember where we were the other day, but they had these little sliders on the menu that looked soooooo good. I immediately knew I wanted to make sliders at home. Once I got home I started rummaging around and saw that I had some canned salmon, which was awesome! I had been craving salmon patties as well. Salmon sliders it is! OK now what to put on them? A sauce? Naaa I use spicy coleslaw on my Southern style salmon patties, so lets go with a slaw. Ya, that sounds good.

When I briefly thought about making a sauce I went straight to lemon and dill. I mean what goes better with salmon right? So I decided to carry that thought over into the slaw. The other thing I did with the slaw was let it sit for a day in the fridge. That let it get nice and creamy. The dressing turned a really pretty purple from the cabbage. Great for photos. But it you don't want to wait that long, I would just suggest making the slaw at least an hour ahead so it has time for the flavors to really meld. I also put the salmon mixture in the fridge for about an hour to let it firm up. It made great patties and didn't fall apart in the oil that way.

I was a bit worried that Kevin wouldn't be happy since I just made the Mini Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders. But that was on the weekend for nibbles while we watched NASCAR. This was for a meal, although, to a certain extent, a slider is a slider. Oh well, he will deal with it! Oh, plus he doesn't like slaw that much. Dang he sure sounds like a picky eater, but I don't think he has ever NOT eaten something I made. He may say it is not his favorite, but has never said he didn't like it. Of course he does have to sleep under the same roof with me right? Smart man!!

I loved these little babies, and surprise, Kevin liked them.....A LOT! He even took the left overs to work for lunch. He was laughing and when I asked what was so funny he said, "The guys are going to think we eat gourmet at home" aaawwwww he thinks my food is gourmet!!! Major points for that one!!!

Crispy Salmon Sliders with Lemon Dill Slaw

Serves 4 (8 sliders)

Lemon Dill Slaw:

1/2 of a small head of purple cabbage, sliced thin or shredded

2 tablespoons sugar (more is sweeter slaw is desired)

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon champagne mustard (mine had dill in is as well)

1 1/2 lemon, juiced + zest of one lemon

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Salmon Sliders:

8 slider buns

2 6-ounce cans boneless skinless salmon

1 grape seed oil (can use olive oil)

1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

1 Fresno chili, minced (I left the ribs and seeds in)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1 heaping tablespoon non fat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon Champagne mustard

3 green onions, thin sliced whites and greens

1 egg, lightly beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

Grape seed oil for cooking (can use canola)

Flour for dredging

In a medium bowl add the yogurt, mustard, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, and sugar. Whisk to combine then add the cabbage and dill. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste (can adjust seasoning before serving as well). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Let sit for at least 1 hour but the longer it sits the better it gets.

Heat 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, pepper, and garlic. Cook until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the salmon, breaking it up with your fingers, bread crumbs, yogurt, parsley mustard, green onions, and egg. Combine with your hands then add the cooled celery/chili mixture and combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture cool in the fridge for an hour.

Remove from fridge. Heat a thin layer of grape seed oil in a skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile form 8 slider patties and lightly dredge in the flour. Set them on the side of the plate until the oil is heated to about 350 degrees.

Carefully place the patties in the hot oil. Cook until golden brown and crispy on each side, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Place a salmon patty on a bun bottom, top with slaw and bun top.

ENJOY!!!

Mini Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

2013-04-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

For some reason I am on an appetizer kick lately. Maybe it is because I have had several requests for appetizers, I don't know, but I am on a rampage trying to make an appetizer every day or so. This was one of the first ones I wanted to make (although we ate these just as a meal) because my son's girlfriend's Grandmother made them for a party we had a while back.

Now mind you, when our families get together there is a TON of food available. All of us (2 Grandmothers, her Dad and Mom, and me) love to cook. They are fantastic on all sorts of appetizers and nibbles, and I tend to go for the side dishes and drinks. The guys of course like to handle the grill *insert grunting like Tim the Toolman Taylor*!

So choosing one of the appetizers to start with was tough, seriously tough. I decided to go with these Ham and Cheese Sliders because we were watching NASCAR and they just seemed like a perfect little bite to go along with some cold beer. We actually just made a meal of them and I am happy to announce that if you put them in a ziplock baggie in the fridge, you can reheat them in the microwave the next day and they are just as good!!

I will admit these aren't the healthiest thing in the world, and I really couldn't do much to lighten them up, but once in a while it is OK to just go for it!!

Mini Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

12 dinner rolls

12 thick cut slices of ham (off the bone if possible)

12 slices of Swiss cheese

1/2 cup fat free mayo

1/2 cup fat free miracle whip

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

2 tablespoons mustard (I used champagne mustard but Dijon would be nice)

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon onion, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix the mayo, miracle whip, onion powder, and garlic powder. Spread the mixture on both sides of each roll. Fold the slices of ham to fit the buns and place one on each bun bottom, then do the same with the Swiss cheese. Place the sandwiches into a baking dish (mine was 13x9x3).

Whisk the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the sauce evenly over the tops of the sandwiches. Allow them to sit for at least 15 minutes.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melted. Remove the foil and allow to bake for an additional minute or two, just to brown the tops. Remove from the oven. Serve warm.

ENJOY!!

Get Healthy with Bestowed Giveaway

2013-04-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Some of you know, but many of you don't, that I am trying to get myself into a healthier routine. Food blogging can be hazardous to your waistline, and I have been blogging now for a year almost 2 years and 15 pounds.

I finally decided to do something about it, so I have begun a workout routine and am trying to eat healthier. I still eat what I normally eat, but have been trying to focus more on snacking. I tended to just grab whatever was handy when the in between meals munchies hit. Too busy writing, cooking, whatever.

That was why I was super excited when I was asked to try Bestowed.

Bestowed is a service that sends you a box every month containing 5+ nutritional and lifestyle products, from several different brands, directly to your home. The service was designed by Heather Bauer, a nationally recognized nutritional expert. So you know I couldn't wait to get all of my goodies!!

I had just come back from a run when I saw the box from Bestowed on my doorstep.

I didn't know what to expect.

Then I opened it. WOW is all I could say. It was cram packed with tons of healthy goodies.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Kind Healthy Grains Oats and Honey Clusters.

I ran, not walked to my fridge to get my Greek yogurt and topped it with these tasty crunchy little babies!

It was the perfect after workout snack!! I loved it and now I am addicted!

But that is not all that was inside.

Here is the run down......

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts

Hot Chilli Mama Oloves

Gnu Foods Hi-Fiber Minis

EBOOST energy drink mix

Nektar Honey Crystals

And last but certainly not least is a gift card to iTrain.com. Through this you can download workout routines directly to your digital device so you have a workout literally at your finger tips!

In the box you will find information about each items too.

If you would like to sign up for monthly orders you can do it and receive $5 off your order by using the code 5OFFBSTOWED01

But how would you like to win 1 month free from Bestowed? Seriously, you could win a package like mine for free! Just enter below and you can do just that.

(Sorry US residents only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Manic Monday Party #31

2013-04-22T08:05:00.001-07:00

Hello and welcome back to another Manic Monday. I know it has been a few weeks since I have had one, but there have been so many things going on I just couldn't get it planned. I guess I was having a Manic life instead of just a Manic Monday!! Enough about me, let's get to the features. We have a tie so you get a few extra this week!

Flourless Cherry-Chocolate Fudge Cake from Something Sweet

Peanut Butter Easter Egg from Modern Christian Homemaker

Just Like Nature Valley’s Oats ‘n Honeys Bars from Half Baked Harvest

And for a little fun......

DIY Water Bottle Lava Lamp from Spend with Pennies

We had over 70 entries last party, which was the most there have ever been. I hope we can beat that this week!! Make sure to invite your friends. The more the merrier!!

Please make sure to read the party guidelines, as they have changed a bit.

If you would like to be featured in next weeks party, or would like your posts shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest the instructions below MUST be followed.

Please add a text link to the party (if you need help adding a link please go here or check out this great video) or grab one of my buttons from the right side bar and add it to your linked posts

Please link up the picture to the post not your main blog page, and make sure to use the title of your recipe description/name box.

Leave up to 3 of your favorite posts

I love to promote my fellow bloggers and work hard at doing so I want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for all of us!

Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest.

Don't forget to leave me a comment. I love to hear from you!

Beer Battered Fish with Oven Baked Chips and Spicy Tartar Sauce

2013-04-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

I went shopping the other day, and when I shop I am always on the prowl for good sales. Low and behold, as I pass the fish counter, I see they have their cod on sale for $2.99 a pound! Now is cod my favorite fish? No, that distinction is reserved for halibut and salmon. However cod is a wonderful fish to use in fish recipes that don't completely revolve around the fish flavor itself. A blank slate so to speak. Tilapia would be another that would come to mind as well.

So armed with this information many recipes began running through my head. Fish tacos? No Kevin is tired of my Mexican food obsession (although he had better be happy for this little respite because it will be back in full force soon!). Soup? No I am kind of getting out of the soup mood. OhhEmmGeee did I just say that? Hmm OK I know, fish and chips. Believe it or not I have never made fish and chips. Oh yes, I have fried fish, for fish tacos. But honest to gosh fish and chips? Nope, never made 'em. Right then I decided I needed to have them in my life! Weird I know. Big deal? Not so much.

I of course can never do anything the "normal" way, so I decided to take the term chips literally and make oven baked potato chips instead of the french fries/steak fries I am used to having along with the fish. Then of course I couldn't leave the tartar sauce alone right? Of course not. So spicy it is (not super spicy though).

So who needs to go out for fish and chips when you can make some darn tasty ones in the comfort of your own home?

Beer Battered Fish with Oven Baked Chips and Spicy Tartar Sauce

For the fish:

2 pounds of fresh cod, deboned and cut into portions

Tempura batter mix

Substitute beer for the water asked for in the batter (I used an IPA)

Salt and pepper

Oil for frying

For the chips:

4 medium Yukon gold potatoes

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the tartar sauce:

2 cups Greek yougurt

4 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

2 to 4 tablespoons hot sauce (recommend Sriracha sauce)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Pat the fish portions dry with a paper towel. Salt and pepper both sides of the fish. Over medium to medium-high heat, place a large pot with oil (do not fill more than 1/3 full). Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Once oil is hot, mix the tempura batter with the beer according to package directions. Dip the fish portions into the batter gently and allow excess batter to drip off. Carefully place the fish into the hot oil. Deep fry until golden brown, flipping the fish, if needed, halfway through. Remove from oil and allow to drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, brush 2 large baking sheets lightly with oil. Slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices. Arrange the slices in 1 flat layer on the baking sheets. Brush the slices lightly with oil and bake until golden throughout, 15 to 20 minutes, checking often since they brown at different rates and turning once halfway through. Transfer to paper towels and sprinkle with salt while hot.

In a small bowl mix all of the ingredients for the tartar sauce, using the hot sauce to your taste.

Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Sauce

2013-04-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know how you feel about artichokes. I mean, if you think you can have feelings for a vegetable. But I can tell you I want to marry one! I think it would be a toss up between artichokes and asparagus really, so who ever brings the biggest ring wins I guess. Am I crazy? Don't answer that! Food just does it for me....obviously right?

When I was growing up my mother always said that she could get me to eat any vegetable under the sun until I went to school and wasn't home for lunches with her, which is when I was supposedly the wonder child vegetable eater. After I began school the only meal I ate at home, with vegetables available for consumption, was dinner. It was, at that point she says, I realized my father (whom I adored...yes I was a Daddy's girl) refused to eat just about any form of vegetable. The only things my Mom could get by him were asparagus and spinach, both canned *yuck* and potatoes in any form, size, or variety. So needless to say they were the only things I would eat as well.

Once I was a bit older my Mom brought home this strange looking green thing. I had never tried or even seen an artichoke. She told she was making them for dinner. I laughed. She made them. I devoured them!! It was right then and there I knew I wanted to marry an artichoke! It wasn't until much later, when I began eating the non-canned version of asparagus, that I started cheating on my beloved artichoke.

Anyway, long crazy story short, I passed my love for artichokes on to my son but not my daughter. Kevin tolerated them so I could indulge occasionally, but he, like my daughter, was not a big fan. That was until I decided to grill them. Oh, trust me, I was getting the usual sighs and grumbles because I was making artichokes for the side veggie. He scoffed at the whole grilling idea. But once those bad boys came off the grill and were topped with the lemon garlic sauce. Well he sang a new tune and joined in my love for the artichoke. But alas, it is too late....... I am marrying it!!

Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Sauce

serves 2

For the artichokes:

2 large artichokes

2 lemons

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Kosher Salt

Cracked black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

For the sauce:

1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and cracked black pepper

Halve the artichokes. Using a tablespoon or other large metal spoon, scrape the "choke" out, making sure you get it all down to the heart and all of the purple leaves. Lay the artichoke halves on a baking sheet, cut side up. Rub them with a bit of the olive oil and, using your fingers, press the minced garlic in between the leaves. Squeeze the juice of both lemons into a bowl (save the lemon rinds) with the rest of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the halves in the olive oil/lemon mixture.

Meanwhile place the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove to a small bowl and place in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to meld.

Preheat your grill to medium heat.

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Once it boils add a salt and the lemon rinds. Carefully slide the artichoke halves into the boiling water and boil for 20 minutes. Remove from the water and place back on the baking sheet.

Place the artichoke halves on the grill cut side down and grill, basting with the remaining olive oil mixture. Turn artichoke halves every 5 minutes until they begin to char. Remove from the grill.

Top with the sauce.

ENJOY!

How you can help support your favorite food bloggers?

If you see a facebook group or website that posts my photos and writing onto his or her page instead of linking to bobbiskozykitchen.blogspot.com directly, they are in violation of both the Federal DMCA Act and Copyright Law.

The reason why this is bad is because it can cost a great deal of money to operate a food blog each month. When people take content that others have written and developed and put it on their sites, it makes it harder for those offering the content to pay the light bill, for services that they provide free of charge to you. Hours, sometimes days, are put into creating one post, that all the offender’s do is copy and paste in order to drive traffic to and promote their site and/or Facebook page. Once our content is stolen, we are also penalized for having duplicate content on the internet, and our recipes receive lower priority in search engines as well.

Often when this happens, it isn’t meant as a violation of a federal law and is just someone who wants to share a recipe that they really liked. But sometimes, this is done by people and even companies who repeatedly copy and paste content from those who have worked hard to develop it, willingly and knowingly.

Often, these people say “You can’t copyright recipes”. While you can’t copyright a random list of ingredients, our writing (descriptions, introductions, instructions, etc) and photographs are copyrighted – and each post represents hours of work that these folks steal in under a minute and use as a platform to build their sites on.

However, just about everyone reading this who shares recipes do so with no malicious intent, and bloggers realize that. This is intended for those who willingly violate federal law despite having received complaints, and having been reported, by knowingly and repeatedly stealing content from sites to place on their own.

If you see a site or Facebook page with repeated complaints, a blogger who has to build new sites because their old ones are taken down, these are clues that such sites and pages are being run by repeat offenders who fully understand that what they are doing is illegal. A lot of people don’t realize that the websites we enjoy free of charge cost a great deal of money to operate. These sites and pages that run primarily off of stealing content from other sites take all food bloggers one step closer to not being able to afford to continue.

It’s easy for us to share a recipe. While photos are copyrighted, all of the bloggers I know welcome sharing photos as long as a link to the recipe is given to the recipe rather than the entire recipe reposted. See my example below where I use a photo from another blog:

I love this Key Lime Pie by cook.eat.love! Here is a link if you would like to check out the recipe! http://cook-eat-love.com/2010/04/key-lime-pie/

Thank you so much for helping all of the bloggers who provide free sites around the web for all of us to enjoy and special thanks to all of the Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen family members who have emailed and messaged me to make me aware of this growing problem. Without all of you, there wouldn’t be a Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen!

Fried Chicken Cook Off Part 2

2013-04-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how many of you have been following along with the "Great Chicken Challenge" between my boyfriend Kevin and I. If you haven't you have missed out on the major smack talk I have gotten from him over who's fried chicken is the best. I of course tossed a little smack of my own, but it was mostly him. I think that is a male thing. They are geared more for battle, I just want to cook. My kids on the other hand had zero problem telling Kevin straight up that he was crazy to even try to compete with my fried chicken. It had been several years since I had made it but they still remembered begging me to make it at least once a week! My son said he would actually take the leftover chicken to school and sell it!! No wonder there were never any leftovers!

Anyway, back to the challenge. Kevin went first and made his version a little over a month ago. You can read all about that here ( Fried Chicken Cook Off Part 1 ), and I had to admit that even with some ingredients you might not expect, I liked his chicken. He also pointed out that his chicken could be made very quickly, spur of the moment dinner kind of thing. Whereas mine needs to be planned ahead so you can marinade the chicken for 4 hours up to overnight. Ok, ok, he has me on that one. Buuuuut we all know that good things take time right? Hehehe see I can give it right back!!

I invited the kids over, like I would have been able to keep them away, and set about the task to make my "famous" fried chicken. I will admit, it takes time, and can be a bit of a messy process, but it makes some dang good crispy friend chicken!!

The verdict? Kevin liked mine but said he likes his better, the kids picked mine hands down, and I of course enjoyed them both. Just call me Switzerland LOL

Bobbi's Fried Chicken

makes 16 pieces

Marinade

1 quart low fat buttermilk

8 chicken thighs

8 chicken legs

2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

6 tablespoons hot sauce (Recommended Franks Red Hot)

Coating

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

Oil for frying

In a large bowl mix the marinade ingredients except the chicken. Pour the marinade into two large casserole dishes (I used 13x9). Place half of the chicken into each dish. Place in the refrigerator overnight (can be marinaded up to 24 hours)

Place the ingredients for the coating into a large paper bag, shaking to blend (you may want to double bag). Place the chicken (2 or 3 pieces at a time) into the paper bag and shake to coat. Remove the chicken and place on a wired rack over a baking sheet. Once all of your chicken is coated allow it to sit for 30 minutes.

In a large dutch oven heat about 3 to 4 inches of oil over medium-high heat (enough to cover the chicken). You want to the oil to be between 300 and 320 degrees. Carefully place a few pieces of chicken at a time into the oil, making sure they are completely covered. Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes, until it is nice and crispy. Remove to drain on paper towels.

Allow chicken to cool for a few minutes before serving.

ENJOY!!!

Rib-eyes with Garlic Parmesan Crust

2013-04-16T11:59:00.001-07:00

As I have mentioned in the past, I am not much of a steak eater. I could be just fine with chicken and fish. But Kevin is my red meat lover. He can only go so long with the chicken and fish diet until that little carnivore in his head goes crazy and demands a nice juicy steak. OK that is fine, but he only like one cut of meat and that is rib-eye. Pricey? Yes. But when it is only once in a while I will splurge and hit our local meat market for a nice thick one. The local grocery store is OK for my chicken and fish, but not his steak I guess, Ppfffttt Seriously though, I do have to admit he is right. I used to tell him there was no difference until I tasted them side by side, there is a huge difference!

OK so he has me on the band wagon. Head to Ray's Meat Market and get some rib-eyes...gotcha! But I get bored with just cooking them with salt, pepper, and some garlic powder. We butt heads on that every time. I like to mix it up once in a while. I had just made my Pork Tenderloin with Garlic, Parmesan, and Balsamic Vinegar a couple of nights before and he had been skeptical about how that would taste. Then he tasted it, haha he loved it! So I was able to convince him to let me "tinker" with the steaks a bit. I told him if he didn't like it he could just scrape it off, but that he just needed to try a bite. WOW that is what I used to say to my kids when I was trying to get them to try something new. Well they say husbands/boyfriends are just another one of your kids right? Sshhhhh don't let him hear that!

I will report that he did take a bite of his steak, and then another, and another. I was so happy he liked it. He said that he would have liked a bit less cheese but I loved it. Of course I am HUGE cheese lover. So if you prefer you could cut the cheese in half.

This is simple and tasty and a great way to "spruce" up any steak in my mind, it doesn't have to be a rib-eye. But it made me feel like we were eating at a fancy steak house!

Rib-eyes with Garlic Parmesan Crust

12 cloves garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 to 4 heaping tablespoons Greek yogurt

2 rib-eye steaks, 2 inches thick

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt

Course black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Remove steaks from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Season the steaks with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a small saute pan over medium-low heat. Once heated add your garlic cloves. Roast the cloves for about 5 to 10 minutes, tossing them once to make sure both sides are golden. Drain the cloves. Once cool, mash them with a fork. Add the parsley and yogurt and mash to combine. Mix in Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Heat your grill or grill pan to high. Drizzle the steaks on both sides with olive oil and place on the grill. Brown both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove steaks from grill and place on a large baking sheet. Cover the tops with the garlic Parmesan combination. Make sure to get the coating to the edges of the steaks. Cook in the oven for 8 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Dark Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

2013-04-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

I have been so nervous to try baking a cake from scratch. I am a wiz at cookies and know my way around a few cupcakes, but the idea of baking a whole cake from scratch made me break out into a cold sweat! Oh don't even get me started on my record with making bread from scratch *sigh* But we were invited over to my son's girlfriend's parent's house for Easter, and I wanted to bring something special along. They always say not to bother bringing something, but this time I was determined to take something different than anything I have ever done before. So of course I thought cake!

I have been digging through cooking magazines and looking online at cakes since January really. I had a resolution to bake 1 cake every month. Well, it is April and I just made my first cake so you see how well that resolution worked out. Oh well, I broke through my fear and did it though. YAY me!!!

I have to say, I am quite proud of myself for the flavor of the cake, and moist? Oh my goodness it was moist. It kind of reminded me of a big cake brownie actually, and helloooo I love brownies!! The frosting was awesome but with it being a ganache it showed every little flaw, bump or uneven layer of the cake. Therefor we took to referring to this as the ugly cake, but that didn't stop anyone from eating it!!

I will be trying new cakes soon, but until then I am actually pretty happy with how this one came out!!

Dark Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

adapted slightly from recipe seen in Taste of Home Magazine

For the cake

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups hot strong coffee

4 eggs

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup baking cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups light buttermilk

For the ganache frosting

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups fat free condensed milk

5 teaspoons cane syrup

Preheat over to 325 degrees F.

Grease and flower three 8 inch cake pans.

Place chopped choclate in a bowl and pour the hot coffee over it. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl beat the eggs on high speed until they are a lemon yellow. Gradually add the sugar, oil, vanilla, and the chocolate/coffee mixture. Beat until well blended.

In another bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, salt. Add to the chocolate mixture slowly, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat well after each addition.

Pour even into prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted int he middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans and placing on wire cooling racks. Remove paper, cool completely.

For ganache, place chocolate in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring condensed milk and cane syrup just to boil. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let stand at room temperature to cool and thicken, about an hour, stirring occasionally. Mixture will be soft but will thicken on the cake.

Spread one cake layer with 1/2 cup ganache. Top with the second layer and another 1/2 cup of the ganache. Add the third layer and spread the remaining ganache over the top and sides of the cake.

ENJOY!!

Beer and Brat Mac and Cheese

2013-04-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

I know I always talk about trying to make things healthier but there are just times you want a good ol' mac and cheese right? The idea for this one popped into my head when we were shopping. I was picking up some Italian sausage for the Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs and right next to it was Johnsonville's Beer and Brat bratwurst. For whatever reason it just logically turned into a mac and cheese in my head (I know it is a strange place in there sometimes) so I grabbed a package of it and took it back to the cart. When Kevin saw the package he thought I had grabbed the wrong thing and pointed out that the meatballs would probably taste a little strange made with bratwurst instead of sausage. I paused before I responded just long enough for him to get a strange look on his face as he thought I might actually be planning on making them that way. After giggling a bit I told him it was for a new mac and cheese I wanted to make. Of course this idea he was completely on board with. I mean Guy+Beer+Brats = Happy right?

I even went a step farther and stopped by our local brewery, The 7 Seas, to grab some of their beer to make the cheese sauce with. After talking with one of the girls there about what kind of beer I should use we settled on one of their seasonal brews they just came up with. It is simply called Brown Ale. After tasting it I knew it would be perfect for the dish. Oh, by the way, the have the best beer ever!!

This mac and cheese turned out sooooo good. Definitely not like any other mac and cheese I have made thanks to the beer in the sauce. We really enjoyed it, Kevin ate his so fast he was back in the kitchen for seconds before I had half of my bowl gone!! I can't wait to make this one for the kids when they come over!

Beer and Brat Mac and Cheese

1 pound whole wheat elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pound bratwurst (I used Johnsonville's Beer and Brat bratwurst), casings removed

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

Kosher salt

Cracked black pepper

2 cups milk

1 cup beer (I used 7 Seas Brown Ale)

3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups Fontina cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 3 quart baking dish with non stick spray.

In a large pot cook macaroni just shy of al dente. You want it to still have a good amount of bite to it as it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and return to pot

Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat butter over medium-high heat. Once it melts whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, then whisk in the beer, milk, and mustard. Continue stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 2 cups of the cheddar cheese and all of the Fontina cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese has completely melted. Remove from the heat.

In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Push the onions and garlic off to the sides of the skillet and crumble the bratwurst into the center of the pan. Using a wooden spoon continue to break the meat up. Cook until there is no pink remaining.

Add your meat mixture and cheese sauce to the pot with the macaroni, stir to combine. Pour mixture into the baking dish, top with the remaining cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is brown and bubbly.

ENJOY!!

Serves 6

Wheat Berry Chili from Frontier Soups for the #SampleWholeGrains Toast

2013-04-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

As you have heard from me over the last couple of weeks. Today is the Sample Whole Grains Toast at 12 PM EST (9 AM PST). Many of us are trying so hard to incorporate more whole grains into our diets. We know they are good for us and want to eat healthier, but if you are like me you just have no idea where to really start. I mean I have done brown rice and even branched out into quinoa (woohoooo go me!!) but when it comes to much more I am lost.

That was why I was so happy to receive my box of whole grain sample products from Oldways. There were so many wonderful things to try, I really didn't know where to start. But I was quickly drawn to the Wheat Berry Chili Mix from Frontier Soups. We both love chili, and to be honest I had never heard of wheat berry before. So I figured it would be an adventure!

The mix has everything you need to make a vegetarian chili with options to add other ingredients if you chose. We of course opted to go the non vegetarian way since Kevin can't even tolerate the thought of a vegetarian meal. So I added one of his favorites, Italian seasoned turkey sausage, and one of mine, black beans. I also added some onions and garlic because, well I just couldn't help myself But these extras are purely a choice I made and not necessary.

I will admit I pulled one of my famous moves and didn't read through the recipe completely before I began cooking. We had plans to go somewhere at a certain time and I figured an hour and a half would be plenty of time to have the chili ready and eat before we left. WRONG!! When will I learn? Sheesh!! The wheat berries are much like dried beans when it comes to cooking them. They needed to be boiled for 1 hour. Then you mix everything together and cook it for an additional hour. OOPS!! That wasn't going to work. So I boiled them for 1 hour ad then covered them and they soaked overnight. The next day I finished the recipe and I am pleased to say, it came out amazing. I was shocked that Kevin loved it! We topped it off with some fat free Greek yogurt and reduced fat cheddar cheese.......YUM!!!

We would definitely have this again and I am excited to try some of Frontier Soups other items!

Wheat Berry Chili

Wheat Berry Chili Mix from Frontier Soups

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound Italian seasoned turkey sausage

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

2 cups vegetable stock

1 28-ounce can of Chef's cut tomatoes

In a 4 quart pot, bring wheat berries to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Let stand until ready to use.

In a separate soup pot, add olive oil and saute onions for about 5 minutes until translucent, add garlic and cook for another minute. Push the veggies to the side and crumble the ground turkey sausage into the center of the pan. Using a wooden spoon break up the sausage and cook until no pink remains. Stir in the contents of the wheat berry chili packet.

Drain the wheat berries and add to the soup pot along with the stock, tomatoes, and black beans. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for an addition hour.

Serve with fat free Greek yogurt and reduced fat cheddar cheese.

ENJOY

Serves 8

Disclosure: I received a selection of whole grain products to sample but was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

"All recipes and their respective images are original and the sole property of Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen © 2011-2013, with all rights reserved. All content herein is meant for your personal enjoyment only and is in no way to be used for commercial purposes. Other than linking to a page, sharing on social media sites (with credit and links), or pinning an image on Pinterest, Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen asks that you do not copy or otherwise use these food images or original recipes for any other purpose without contacting her first and getting express written permission. Use of this site automatically constitutes your agreement to these terms."

Spaghetti with Marinara and Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

2013-04-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Ever since the kids moved out on their own we have tried to have them over for dinner at least twice a month. Both my son and his girlfriend work nights so we only have a couple of days open that they both have off together, and we have to take turns with her Mom and Dad. I know, I hate sharing. Just kidding I know how hard it is for them. It is the first time either of our "babies" have been out on their own so we miss them like crazy. Although I am very happy because my daughter moved back to Washington from California, so I have both of my kids in the same state.

I always try to make a big meal when they come over so I can send leftovers home with them. You know how kids eat, frozen or fast food, BLEK! I want to get "real" food in them as much as possible! So for this night I decided a nice pot of Spaghetti and Meatballs would be great. But I didn't want to make just regular meatballs. I saw the tubs of the little mozzarella balls when I was at the store and got the idea to stuff the meatballs with mozzarella. Anytime you can add cheese to something my kids are happy campers!

We had a great time together. My daughter helped me make my Classic Pesto and Homemade Ranch Dressing for another recipe. Then we got down to the spaghetti and meatballs. She helped with the marinara sauce while I mixed up the meatballs. Once the meatballs were ready we plopped them into the sauce and let them cook while we shared some fun family time.

The kids were so excited when the food was ready!!

A "small" plateful for my "adopted son Avin

Enjoying their meal. My son and daughter.

Post food coma!!!

Spaghetti with Marinara and Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes (Recommended San Marzano)
2 6 ounce cans of tomatoes paste
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

1 12-ounce container of Mozzarella Frescas ( I used Galbani )
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage (if your grocer doesn't have bulk just cut open the link type)
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb spaghetti noodles

For the sauce:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in half of the minced garlic and cook one more minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomatoes paste, water, half of the chopped oregano, and the bay leaf. (Add more water if sauce seems too thick). Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer.

For the meatballs:
In a large bowl mix the ground beef, sausage, bread crumbs, oregano, garlic, parsley, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Take a golf ball size handful and form it into a patty in your palm. Press a mozzarella ball into it and roll into a ball (I was able to use the entire container of mozzarella balls). Drop all of the finished meatballs into the sauce. Cook in a covered pan 40 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, generously salt the boiling water and add the spaghetti noodles. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

Serve the meatballs and sauce over the cooked spaghetti. Top with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

ENJOY!!

Serves 6

Stuffed Pepper Soup with Turkey Sausage and Orzo

2013-03-29T08:33:00.001-07:00

I tend to come up with ideas for dishes at the weirdest times. When I am driving or in the shower, or I dream about them. Yes my friends, I dream about food. So much so that I have taken to leaving a note pad and pen by my bedside so I can write down my ideas before I forget them. You know how you will have an awesome dream but by the time you get a chance to tell someone you have forgotten most of it? Well I didn't want that to happen with my food ideas.

This night I was dreaming of my Turkey Sausage and Orzo Stuffed Peppers. It is one of the meals I make that the whole entire family loves and requests over and over. But now that it is just the two of us living here, 6 peppers is just way too much, so my mind was evidently searching for a new way to make it. Soup of course popped into my head because well, I just love soup. If I could make a soup out of all of my dishes I probably would!

Once I really looked at my ingredients list I knew that soup was a perfect twist for my stuffed peppers, and boy was I right! Even my non-soup lover, who wrinkles his nose every time I say I making soup for dinner, had to admit he really really liked this soup. It is hearty and flavorful, yet very light. I made a huge batch so we could freeze some for later. Now that I say that I think I will be pulling some out for dinner tonight!

Stuffed Pepper Soup with Turkey Sausage and Orzo

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large sweet bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow), diced
1 (28-ounce) can of chefs cut or diced tomatoes
2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then sliced into half moons
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup orzo (rice shaped pasta)
1 pound turkey sweet Italian sausage ( I used Jennie-O)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom soup pot over medium heat. Add your peppers, onion and garlic. Cover the pot to sweat the veggies a bit, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Push the veggies to the sides of the pot and add the turkey sausage to the middle, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until there in longer any pink, combine with the cooked veggies.

Add the tomatoes, zucchini, chicken stock, paprika, cayenne, oregano, and thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Allow soup to simmer about 20 minutes, then add your orzo. Cook an addition 7 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked al dente.

Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Ladle into soup bowl and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread to sop up that yummy broth.

Serves 4

ENJOY!!

"All recipes and their respective images are original and the sole property of Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen © 2011-2013, with all rights reserved. All content herein is meant for your personal enjoyment only and is in no way to be used for commercial purposes. Other than linking to a page, sharing on social media sites (with credit and links), or pinning an image on Pinterest, Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen asks that you do not copy or otherwise use these food images or original recipes for any other purpose without contacting her first and getting express written permission. Use of this site automatically constitutes your agreement to these terms."