Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

So this may be a no brainer for most people, but it was something I had never made before, and it actually turned out to be pretty good and it was really fast and easy which is always a big plus for me.

For dinner today I had planned on having baked potatoes. They however were not cooperating, and were taking forever to bake and I just did not have that kind of time! So my initial thought was to just make them into twice baked potatoes.

Well that idea also didn't pan out, because I realized that I had wrapped the potatoes in tinfoil to bake them, so the skins were not going to be crispy like they needed to be. I decided then to just make them into mashed potatoes but Chris came up with an even better idea. Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes.

I took the 3/4 baked potatoes and cut them up into pieces with the skins still on them. I put them in a bowl and then added butter, milk, salt and cheese. I then mixed it all up together and served them with bacon bits on top. My kids LOVED them and Chris and I thought they were yummy too.

I'm not exactly sure how well I liked having the skins in my mashed potatoes, I am kind of picky about my mashed potatoes so if I make them again, which according to my kids I will, I may leave them out next time, but other than that it was really fast, and really easy and whenever my entire family eats something, I can happily say it was also a success!

Guacamole

Wow! So it has seriously been 7 months since anyone posted anything on here!

I have somewhat of an excuse. Chris has been doing the Atkins diet for the past several months, so I really don't cook anything!

Last night I did steak salads, basically taco salads with steak in them, but I did do one thing different. I actually made the Guacamole. Chris' mom makes homemade guacamole all the time, so I called her and asked her how to do it. It was so easy and was actually so good that I figured I would pass it on.

Guacamole

2-3 Avocado's peeled, pitted and smashed.

1/4 cup Mayo

1/4 tsp. Onion salt

1/4 tsp. Seasoning salt - whichever one you normally use on things.

1/2 tsp. lemon or lime juice. I used lemon juice because that's what I had, but Anne uses lime juice. I couldn't tell a difference. :)

1/4 tsp. Garlic salt. You could use the real stuff if you like garlic chunks, but I don't really.


I stuck everything in my mini chopper and chopped/mixed it all up and there ya have it! Homemade Guacamole!

Weight Watchers Key Lime Pie

Some of my friends that do weight watchers told me about this recipe.  I decided to give it a try - a guilt-free dessert is always a plus!  Everyone who ate it enjoyed it.  It is really easy and fast.  You could also make different flavors if key lime isn't your fave.  (i.e. strawberry jello with strawberry yogurt, or orange jello with orange dreamsicle yogurt, etc.)

Ingredients

• 1 reduced fat graham cracker crust

• 1 (1/16 ounce) package sugar-free lime gelatin

• 1/4 cup boiling water

• 1 (8 ounce) container fat-free whipped topping

• 2 (6 ounce)  key lime pie yogurt

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
Stir in yogurt with wire whisk.
Fold in whipped topping with wooden spoon.
Spread in crust.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours

Italian Sausage Pasta Toss

This recipe is from my friend Cammie Weaver Hayden...(we went to elementary school in Hardin Montana and have become friends on Facebook)

These are her directions exactly...(I thought it sounded really yummy...and fresh!)

Tomato & Spinach Pasta Toss ( I call it Italian Sausage Pasta Toss)
2 c. penne or bowtie pasta, uncooked
1/2 lb. hot or mild Italian sausage, casing removed (I use ground pork)
1 pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves (or 7 cups) ( I don't use this much, cus it's a buttload)
1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained(I like to add about 4 oz. tomato sauce and more seasonings to make it a little saucier and more flavorful... if you like add about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of basil, etc... )
1 cup Kraft shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T. parmesan cheese

Cook pasta. Cook meat on medium high heat; drain.Add tomatoes, sauce, and seasonings with meat, cook until heated through. Add spinach and cook for two minutes. Put pasta, sauce, and cheeses in bowl and toss! Delicious! Makes 6, 1 cup servings.

Spinach Salad

This is a recipe I got from my mom, and it is our family's favorite.  Anytime I need to bring a salad to something, I bring this one.  It is always a hit.  I am making it for our Mother's Day dinner on Sunday, so I thought I would post it before then in case any of you need a new side dish to serve to your mom.  She won't be disappointed.  :)  This recipe does make a large salad. When I am making it, I usually just wing the salad ingredients - putting in the amount I need for the size of group I am serving.  

Toss together:

1 large bunch spinach

1 head lettace

1/2 purple onion

3/4  lb mushrooms sliced

3/4 lb bacon fried crisp and crumbled (no shortcuts w/ bacon bits)

3/4 lb swiss cheese grated

Dressing (pour in just before serving)

3/4 C. oil

1/3 C. vinegar

1/3 C. sugar

3/4 tbsp. poppyseeds

3/4 tsp. salt

1/3 tsp dry mustard

Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken

I found this recipe earlier this week while perusing other food blogs.  It sounded tasty, so I gave it a try last night.  I love crock pot recipes that take little preparation, and I had all the ingredients on hand.  It was simple, yummy, and my all 3 of my kids ate it (hooray!), so I am passing it on.   Definitely a keeper.  

4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 

1 (18 oz.) bottle of barbecue sauce

1/2 cup prepared Italian salad dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Place chicken in crock pot. In a bowl mix 2/3 of the bottle of barbecue sauce, Italian Salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low.  Remove chicken from crock pot. Pour juices from crock pot into a large bowl. Shred chicken and place back in crock pot. Add remaining 1/3 of bottle barbecue sauce to chicken and mix. Then add some of the liquid removed from the crock pot to make the chicken the wetness that you like it. Makes at least 8 sandwiches.

Marshmallow Popcorn

I actually saw this recipe on my cousin Kim's blog several months ago.  I gave it a try one evening when I needed a quick treat, and it was so good.  It only takes a couple minutes.  Great for a family movie night!

1 bag popped microwave popcorn (pick the seeds out)

1 stick butter

1/2 C. brown sugar

8 large marshmallows

Melt butter, sugar, and marshmallows together in a saucepan.  Pour over popcorn and stir.