Jam Hands

Best Ever Sloppy Joes

2012-05-16T08:21:00.001-05:00

Okay here we go folks. This is without a doubt the best recipe I have for Sloppy Joes which comes from my mom. Even better than the Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes, which are convenient but I will admit, these just taste better. I love to add a slice of American cheese to my sandwich or if that doesn't strike your fancy, a tiny spoonful of of sour cream. For the purists, it is delicious just on its own. Ready for the recipe?

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Recipe Sharing Monday #18 + Features!

2012-05-14T10:52:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Recipe Sharing Monday, features your best recipes. We're starting a day early this week as I'll be traveling for the next few days and I wanted to get you guys squared away early on.

A quick reminder to participants - If you would like to be eligible to be featured in the round up each week, you do need to link back to me in some way. Either by button or a text link.

Features:

Mexican Beef Tacos at A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

Old Fashioned Meatloaf at Cooking with K

Strawberry Chicken Salad & Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing at The Kitchen is My Playground

Strawberry Chipotle Jam at Cookin' Up Good Times

Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle at Crumbs and Chaos

Banana Rice Krispies Treats at Shugary Sweets

If you were featured and would like a button, it is in the right hand sidebar.

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My buttons are over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

How to be Featured:

I will be picking the features and sharing each week. I'd love to give your blog more exposure by featuring you, so please link 'em up.
By linking up to my party you are giving me permission to use a picture from your blog in a follow up feature post. I'll also be stumbling and pinning the featured posts to share the love.
When I go to select features, if I see you haven't linked up to me in some way, then unfortunately I won't feature your project. Please play fair and link up with either a text link or by using my button.

Great Grandma's Famous Jimmy Cake

2012-05-12T16:41:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite desserts of all time is a family recipe my mom has been making since..well..forever. If you are wondering, jimmies are chocolate sprinkles which are mixed into this moist cake, giving it a hint of chocolate which pairs well with a light coffee flavor.

My mom is a great cook and I have to say of all the great recipes she has made, this is probably in my top 3. Enjoy it with a cup of coffee for breakfast or dessert.

On a side note, my apologies for the lack of posts this week. My son had eye surgery early in the week, then we had a giant Spring cleaning which lasted a few days, so I have been slackin' on updating the ol' blog.

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Recipe Sharing Monday #17 + Features!

2012-05-06T11:33:00.001-05:00

Features:

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches by Semi Homemade Mom

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies at Life's Simple Measures

Pistachio Dessert by Rindy Mae

Chicken with Tri Colored Peppercorn and Mushroom Sauce at San Fernando Street

Chocolate Mocha Madness Cake at Renaissance Woman

No Bake Peanut Butter Fudge Pie at Mrs. Happy Homemaker

If you were featured and would like a button, it is in the right hand sidebar.

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My buttons are over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

How to be Featured:

I will be picking the features and sharing each week. I'd love to give your blog more exposure by featuring you, so please link 'em up.
By linking up to my party you are giving me permission to use a picture from your blog in a follow up feature post. I'll also be stumbling and pinning the featured posts to share the love.
When I go to select features, if I see you haven't linked up to me in some way, then unfortunately I won't feature your project. Please play fair and link up with either a text link or by using my button.

Simple Summer Fruit Salad

2012-05-01T09:25:00.003-05:00

I must admit that I have been making the same Marshmallow Fruit Salad recipe for my entire life. It is a classic and deeelish. For Easter, though, I wanted to branch out and try new recipes and this recipe for Simple Summer Fruit Salad from Real Mom Kitchen looked perfect. If you are on the hunt for a fruit salad recipe I recommend trying this one out.

One note would be to make it the day you are going to serve it and try to finish any leftovers the first day or so. I thought it tasted much better fresh. I would also add marshmallows next time around and play around with different flavors of jello pudding to add. Delicious! Ready for the recipe?

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Recipe Sharing Monday Postponed!

2012-05-01T01:58:00.002-05:00

Hey folks. I have not been feeling so hot. Recipe Sharing Monday will be back next Monday and I will try to get a couple new recipes posted this week in the mean time. Sorry about that and have a great week!

Ravioli with Italian Cheese & Herb Cream Sauce, Chicken and Veggies

2012-04-28T11:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday peeps! Today I have a throw it all together dinner recipe that my mom came up with. It is so tasty, let me tell ya. It isn't baked, so no need to heat up the kitchen by using your oven. The combination of the roasted bell peppers and sun dried tomatoes really adds a ton of flavor so I highly recommend using both if you can. Enjoy!

Ready for the recipe?

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Pumpkin Spice Donuts

2012-04-26T13:24:00.002-05:00

Last time around we tried out Chocolate Chip Donuts which were delicious. Today let me introduce you to a moist pumpkin treat -- Pumpkin Spice Donuts. Topped with cinnamon and sugar, they are sweet but not overly so. Ready for the recipe?

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Steak 'n Shake Copycat - Frisco Melts Update

2012-04-21T16:50:00.001-05:00

Another update! This time around I remade the Frisco Melts to get a picture for the ol' blog. The recipe can be found here. Enjoy!

Shredded Beef Nachos

2012-04-21T09:19:00.002-05:00

This weekend I have a special treat for you guys. Flavorful and delicious Shredded Beef Nachos. The recipe for the shredded beef comes from Epicurious and originally, Texas Cooking. While the ingredient list may seem a little long, it is broken up into three sections. The marinade for the meat, the ingredients added and simmered with the meat until it is falling apart, then the garnishes to serve it. It is amazing with a spiciness that isn't overwhelming but still packs a little bit of a bite. Ready for the recipe?

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Chocolate Chip Donuts

2012-04-19T22:48:00.000-05:00

Normally I am not a huge fan of lots of appliances in the kitchen, but my mom picked up a little Sunbeam Donut Maker and I have to say, I love it. Having made both fried and baked donuts in the past, I prefer this appliance as it is very convenient, it cleans up quick, and most importantly it makes some damn tasty little donuts.

The recipe provided in the manual for these Chocolate Chip Donuts made tender and delicious treats that my family loved. I topped them off with a dark chocolate glaze and chocolate sprinkles. Ready for the recipe?

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Twice Baked Potato Casserole

2012-04-18T08:15:00.003-05:00

One of the new recipes we tried out this Easter was this delicious Twice Baked Potato Casserole by Six Sisters' Stuff. Instead of going through the hassle of having to scoop out and refill potato skins, it is all mixed up and baked in one giant casserole dish. It received many compliments at our dinner and I bet it will at yours too. Many thanks to Six Sisters' Stuff for sharing this! Ready for the recipe?

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Recipe Sharing Monday #16 + Features!

2012-04-16T04:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Recipe Sharing Monday, features your best recipes.

A quick reminder to participants - If you would like to be eligible to be featured in the round up each week, you do need to link back to me in some way. Either by button or a text link. I picked up 6 features this week and half of them had no link back unfortunately, so I had to find alternatives.

Features:

Cranberry Orange Bagels at Lady Behind The Curtain

Raspberry Cutie Pies at French Press

Cake Mix Blueberry Muffins at Semi Homemade Mom

Gooey Cinnamon Carrot Cake at Life's Simple Measures

Heavenly Oreo Dessert at Mandy's Recipe Box

Creamy Rigatoni with Sausage and Red Peppers at Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

If you were featured and would like a button, it is in the right hand sidebar.

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My buttons are over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

How to be Featured:

I will be picking the features and sharing each week. I'd love to give your blog more exposure by featuring you, so please link 'em up.
By linking up to my party you are giving me permission to use a picture from your blog in a follow up feature post. I'll also be stumbling and pinning the featured posts to share the love.
When I go to select features, if I see you haven't linked up to me in some way, then unfortunately I won't feature your project. Please play fair and link up with either a text link or by using my button.

Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake

2012-04-14T15:14:00.000-05:00

This past Easter we tried out a bunch of new recipes, one being this delicious Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake which I saw originally posted over at Easybaked. A few things to note, besides that it is yummy, is that the lemonade 'frosting' is more of a filling mixture that is spread all over the cake and between the layers. If you make it and prefer a stiffer more traditional frosting, add a bit of powdered sugar (just a little at a time until you get the consistency you like).

Secondly, I only used half of a packet of lemonade in the filling and it was quite tart with just half. So I would highly suggest you taste test it with half and see if you want to use the rest. Many thanks to Easybaked for this awesome recipe.

Doesn't that look so good? I agree! Ready for the recipe?

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Ultimate Baked Ziti Update

2012-04-13T20:28:00.000-05:00

Hooray! I have finally managed to snap a picture of the much loved Baked Ziti recipe. Check out the recipe here.

Teriyaki Avocado Pineapple Burgers

2012-04-13T11:33:00.001-05:00

If you haven't lived in California you may have never heard of the delight that is the Teriyaki Avocado Burger. It used to be available from a food joint named Spike's Teriyaki Bowl which have closed down. I have heard rumblings that one of Spike's children has opened a place, B-Man's Teriyaki & Burgers that serves similar food items.

Anyhow, back to the burgers. They are so delicious! When we lived in California we would make quite a long trip to get Teriyaki Burgers and Teriyaki Rice Bowls. Now that I live very far away, making it at home is a great substitute. This is more of an outline of ingredients than a recipe per se, but I hope you enjoy it. Onto the recipe!

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Recipe Sharing Monday #15 + Features!

2012-04-09T00:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Recipe Sharing Monday, features your best recipes.

Features:

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins at Cooking for My Kids

S'mores Bars at Homegrown Beanes

Asparagus Tart at Shopgirl

Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge at Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Cinnamon Toast Pull Apart Bread at French Press

Raspberry Rhubarb Slab Pie at Crumbs and Chaos

If you were featured and would like a button, it is in the right hand sidebar.

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My buttons are over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

How to be Featured:

I will be picking the features and sharing each week. I'd love to give your blog more exposure by featuring you, so please link 'em up.
By linking up to my party you are giving me permission to use a picture from your blog in a follow up feature post. I'll also be stumbling and pinning the featured posts to share the love.
When I go to select features, if I see you haven't linked up to me in some way, then unfortunately I won't feature your project. Please play fair and link up with either a text link or by using my button.

Bacon Horseradish Chip Dip

2012-04-05T10:02:00.002-05:00

Delicious, easy to make and the flavors are awesome. Enjoy!

Bacon Horseradish Chip Dip
Makes many servings

8 oz. cream cheese, softened (regular or whipped, I used whipped)
12 to 16 oz. sour cream (Use as much as you need to get the desired consistency)
1/2 cup (or more to taste) real bacon bits, a small handful reserved to sprinkle over the top
1 - 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, to taste
3-4 Tbsp. prepared horseradish, more or less depending on how strong you want it
pinch of salt (I skipped)

1. Mix all ingredients and store in the fridge. Before serving, sprinkle with reserved bacon bits.

Recipe from Just A Pinch

Bacon-Corn Chowder with Shrimp

2012-04-03T09:27:00.000-05:00

As it turns out, bacon does make most things better. Today we have a lightened up recipe for Bacon-Corn Chowder with Shrimp, recipe courtesy of Cooking Light. It is delicious and light while still being filling. Ready ready?

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5 Ways Using Pinterest Can Improve Your Food Blog

2012-04-02T11:44:00.002-05:00

Pinterest! It is the wonderful time suck that many of us love to use. I was thinking this morning of how often I use their website. Let's just say, I use it a lot. Lot lot lot. Which led me to think about some ways that you can utilize their website to improve your own. Are you ready? Let's jump in.

1. Create a visual recipe index.

One way to (somewhat) quickly create a visual recipe index without having to mess with creating one hosted at your own site is to create a board on Pinterest.

How to do it:

After you have added the Pin It code to your posts, simply click and add them all to the boards of your choice. You can do one board and pile them all in there, or create categories if you would like.

Alternatively, you can put the Pin It code into your internet browser of choice and go through your archives and pin each of your old recipes.

It takes a bit of time but it really isn't too bad compared to creating a recipe index from scratch and having to upload all the photos, set up links, and hope and pray that you don't mess up somewhere along the way and lose your work.

2. Allow your readers to easily pin your posts by filling in the info for them!

When a reader clicks your Pin It button the box will pop up with all the information already in it.

The end result! With a clickable link to your website.

How to add the Pin It Button for Web Sites:

Start off by visiting this link.

The main page we are working with. The top half is the info we need to fill in. The bottom half is the generated code that we need to add to our website.

Taking a closer look at the important stuff. There are three boxes to fill out.

URL of the page the pin is on: Be sure to use the direct link to your post. Not to a category, or a comment section, or anything silly like that.

URL of the image to be pinned: Go to the published post and right click the image and select Copy image URL.

Once you have all the fields filled in, copy the code generated and insert it into the HTML of your post. Update and you are done!

3. Gain exposure like woah.

Did I ever imagine that 120,000 people would pin a very basic recipe for Cheesy Garlic Sticks? Nope, but they did!

Or 59,000 pins for my trashy Mexican Dorito Casserole? No way!

4. Analyze what is popular on your site.

At a quick glance I can see what has recently been pinned. People really like my trashy casserole, what can I say.

How to do it:

Type the following URL into your browser, replacing your URL with mine. Notice that when I typed in my personal URL at the end, I left out the 'www.' part. Just put in the address without that.

5. Organize your inspiration for future posts.

How to do it:

Create boards and organize them by course. It takes a few minutes to set it up but believe me, in the long run you will appreciate the organization.

Those are my five tips to improve your blog using Pinterest. If anyone wondered, this is not a sponsored post. I just enjoy using their website like many of us do. Do you have any Pinterest tips to add? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Oh, and before I forget, be sure to follow me!

Recipe Sharing Monday #14 + Features!

2012-04-02T01:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Recipe Sharing Monday, features your best recipes.

Features:

Cadbury Egg Fudge at Shugary Sweets

Salsa Verde Rice and Guacamole at Living Rancho Delux

Cream Cheese Jalapeno Sausage Pinwheels at Aunt Nubby's Kitchen

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Churros at 5 Little Chefs

Roasted Garlic Cheese Bread at The Chic Geek

Mushroom Toast Bites at My Hobbie Lobbie

If you were featured and would like a button, it is in the right hand sidebar.

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My buttons are over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

How to be Featured:

I will be picking the features and sharing each week. I'd love to give your blog more exposure by featuring you, so please link 'em up.
By linking up to my party you are giving me permission to use a picture from your blog in a follow up feature post. I'll also be stumbling and pinning the featured posts to share the love.
When I go to select features, if I see you haven't linked up to me in some way, then unfortunately I won't feature your project. Please play fair and link up with either a text link or by using my button.

Addicting Sweet Potato and Black Bean Freezer Burritos

2012-03-29T09:03:00.002-05:00

If you have not had the pleasure of eating a sweet potato & black bean burrito, the time is now folks! I love making freezer burritos just for the fact that you can spend one session of time quickly preparing them, then store them in the fridge or freezer and they are ready to grab when you are rushing through the week.

The spices I have included to add to the bean mixture are just a guide. Whatever sounds good to you, use it! I would just recommend that you taste the two components of the sweet potatoes and the bean mixture to check for any needed seasonings before you assemble the wrap. Ready for the recipe?

[Continue reading...]

Recipe Sharing Monday #13 + Features!

2012-03-26T14:56:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Recipe Sharing Monday, features your best recipes.

Features:

Lemon Blueberry Bars at Mandy's Recipe Box

Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake at It's In There

Ham and Cheese Stromboli at Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Ruben Burgers at Miz Helen's Kitchen

Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole at Cook Lisa Cook

Crunchy Sweet Potato Cupcakes at Life's Simple Measures

If you were featured and would like a button, it is in the right hand sidebar.

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My buttons are over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

How to be Featured:

I will be picking the features and sharing each week. I'd love to give your blog more exposure by featuring you, so please link 'em up.
By linking up to my party you are giving me permission to use a picture from your blog in a follow up feature post. I'll also be stumbling and pinning the featured posts to share the love.
When I go to select features, if I see you haven't linked up to me in some way, then unfortunately I won't feature your project. Please play fair and link up with either a text link or by using my button.

Orange and Balsamic Chicken

2012-03-26T09:45:00.002-05:00

Okay folks today I have a very special treat for you. This Orange and Balsamic Chicken was dinner last night and let me just say, I have not enjoyed a chicken recipe this much in a long time. It was divine.

This recipe has only a handful of ingredients which is always a plus in my book. You start by cooking chicken thighs skin side down in a pan. The reason this is important is it lets the skin get really crispy. If you have ever cooked chicken in the oven and the skin is still fatty and gross, this is the solution!

Once the skin is crispy, transfer the chicken to a roasting dish and throw it in the oven to finish cooking. While it bakes, you make a super fast sauce and you are done. Amazingly tasty and easy. Here we go!

[Continue reading...]

Recipe Sharing Monday #12 + Features!

2012-03-19T07:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Recipe Sharing Monday, features your best recipes.

Features:

Caramel Rice Krispies Bars at Stella B's Kitchen

Spaghetti Salad at A'lil Country Sugar

Chicken Enchiladas at Polish The Stars

Savory Crab Dip at The Lovely Cupboard

Cookies and Cream Baked Donuts at Crumbs and Chaos

Hot Fudge Brownie Milkshakes at Kristin's kNook

If you were featured and would like a button, it is in the right hand sidebar.

The Guidelines:

Link back to me either by a text link on the post or by putting a button on your blog. My buttons are over on the right sidebar of my blog.
Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party before. Link to your direct post, not just your main blog URL.
I would love it if you became a follower of my blog, and also clicked around and commented on the other submissions. Saying hi and making new friends is part of the fun after all.

How to be Featured:

I will be picking the features and sharing each week. I'd love to give your blog more exposure by featuring you, so please link 'em up.
By linking up to my party you are giving me permission to use a picture from your blog in a follow up feature post. I'll also be stumbling and pinning the featured posts to share the love.
When I go to select features, if I see you haven't linked up to me in some way, then unfortunately I won't feature your project. Please play fair and link up with either a text link or by using my button.

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