Shelly's Famous Potatoes

I got this recipe from one of the most awesome knotties in the world - mcvay! (LovesToNom) This dish was delicious! We made a non-pepper/onion version for Keith and he loved it as well. Yum!

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

* 5 cups chopped red potatoes (about 5 large) (I used russet potatoes)

* 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I omitted b/c grocery store was out)

* 1/3 cup diced green bell pepper

* 1/2 cup diced sweet onion

* 1 teaspoon garlic salt

* 1/2 tablespoon montreal steak seasoning (I used chicken seasoning.. tastes the same)

* 4+ tablespoons butter or margarine

* (I also added bacon bits and sour cream)

* Aluminum foil

Directions

1. Lay out about 2 feet of non-stick foil or non-stick sprayed regular foil.
2. Wash & scrub red potatoes clean. Chop up potatoes into bite sized pieces and place in single layer onto center of foil.
3. Dice peppers and onion and sprinkle onto potatoes, toss with hands if necessary.

4. Place little chunks of butter or margarine over top, space out as necessary.
5. Sprinkle garlic salt and steak seasoning evenly over mixture (amount may be adjusted to taste).
6. Fold foil up over the mixture, covering everything. Take another piece of foil and wrap in opposite direction to make sure the packet is leak-proof.
7. Buy awesome new Kenmore grill :)

8. Place on grill at medium heat (about 350-400 degrees) for 35-45 minutes (flip over packet halfway through cooking), depending on your grill and your potato firmness preference.

9. Cut open foil pouch and serve, careful of the steam!
10. If desired, add additional toppings here (bacon bits, sour cream, etc.) Enjoy!
**Note: If there is not enough butter or you cook the potatoes too long they will stick/burn to the foil.

We served the taters with grilled chicken breast. So delicious!

Turkey Tacos

I've had the worst craving for hard tacos lately, so I finally went to the store and bought the stuff to make them. I haven't had tacos in a longggg time - it definitely hit the spot!

Ingredients

* 1 lb. ground turkey breast
* 12 hard taco shells (I used Ortega)
* 2-3 cups shredded "taco" flavor cheese
* 1 packet "hot and spicy" taco seasoning mix (I used Old El Paso)
* 1 container "medium" Ortega taco sauce
* 1 container sour cream (I used light)

Directions

1. Using large frying pan, add ground turkey and cook throughly. Drain.

2. Add 2/3 cup water and taco seasoning to meat and let simmer.
3. Put taco shells into oven (or microwave) to heat up before serving.
4. In whatever order desired, add taco meat, cheese, taco sauce, and sour cream into shells. Lettuce, onions, tomatos, etc. maybe also be added.

(Okay so the only thing I actually "made" was the seasoned meat, but I never said I was an expert cook! hehe)

Last Minute Peanut Butter Cookies

Keith has been craving sweets every single night lately. Tonight I decided to scour our cupboards to see if we had enough random ingredients to make cookies. Luckily, we did! I got this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens and modified it a bit to suit what we had in the house.

Ingredients

* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (we only had baking powder)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (we only had extra crunchy)
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1 tablespoon milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
2. Cut in the butter and the 1/2 cup peanut butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Beat in honey and milk until well combined.
4. Pat 1 tablespoon of the dough into a 1.5 inch circle. Please on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
(Makes 24 cookies.)

These were delicious! Simple, but sweet, and they certainly hit the spot!

Blue Cheese Baked Pasta

I found this recipe on GroupRecipes. Keith and I have been on a HUGE blue cheese kick lately, so this was the perfect meal to make.

Ingredients:

* 1 lb uncooked spiral tube-shaped pasta
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 2 tablespoons butter (I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
* 1/4 cup flour
* 2 cups whole milk (I used 2% milk)
* 1 cup whipping cream
* 3 cups grated cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
* 1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese, divided (I only had a little less than a cup)
* Salt & freshly ground black pepper or tricolor pepper, to taste
* 1 dash cayenne, to taste (optional)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter a 13x9 glass baking dish.
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally; drain and set aside.
3. While the pasta is cooking, in a large heavy saucepan over medium low heat, melt the olive oil and butter together; add the flour and, stirring constantly, cook for 1 minute (don't let it brown), then gradually whisk in the milk and cream.
4. Simmer mixture until it slightly thickens, whisking occasionally, for 3 minutes.
5. Reduce the temperature to low, then gradually stir in the grated cheddar and 1 cup of the blue cheese and cook, stirring, until the cheese melts.
6. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground pepper, and cayenne (if using).
7. Stir in the cooked pasta, making sure it's well-coated with the sauce.
8. Pour mixture into the buttered baking dish, sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (Like I said before, we ran out of blue cheese, so we didn't add any on top.)
9. Sprinkle with the minced chives and serve.

Obviously this makes a lot of food, so we'll be having this as leftovers for a few days! I would also probably make this as a side dish rather than a main meal next time. It's so cheesy and we got a little sick of it toward the end. It was very delicious though!

I also made a side salad to go with it:

* Hearts of romaine lettuce

* Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

* Sante fe style tortilla chips

* Chunky blue cheese dressing

(Yes, that's a LOT of dressing. I heart dressing though!)

Chai = Love

I know this isn't really a recipe, but you must know that I am in love with chai. I get a venti, nonfat, 8-pump, iced chai latte w/ light ice from Starbucks on my way to work every morning. On the weekends when I'm not driving past SBux, I use the store bought Tazo Chai mix.

* Fill glass 1/2 way with chai concentrate

* Mix in 2% milk

* Add less or more milk depending on how strong you like your chai

* Drink... ENJOY!!

First Attempt!

Here is my first attempt at a food blog! My name is Lindsay, husband's name is Keith. We're newlyweds living in Knoxville, TN.

WARNING: We looove chicken, pizza, and pasta... so this is your warning that the majority of my blog will feature these items :)