Mexican 5 Layer Casserole

One day I was trying to think of what to eat for dinner. I remembered I wanted to make tacos one night and still had a lot of the stuff left over. So I piled everything together to make this delicious Mexican casserole.

What you will need:

• 1 can refried beans
• tortilla chips
• salsa
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 pckg taco seasoning
• 1 green onion, chopped white parts only
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 block monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 pound hamburger meat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the seasoning, salt, and pepper, and season with the hamburger meat. In a small bowl, mix the onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, and salsa. In a glass casserole dish, layer the tortilla chips, cooked meat, refried beans, salsa mix, sour cream, chips, and cheese. Repeat layers.

Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

The Best Store Bought Ice Cream Ever!!!

So, I am so happy to say that Magnum's have finally made it from across the seas from Europe to the states. If you have yet to try these, please go stop at 7-11 and get you one. Better yet, go buy a box of them!!
Four different flavors to choose from: Double Caramel (my favorite), Original, Almond, and Double Chocolate.

Now like I said, my favorite is the Double Caramel. Chocolate on the outside, caramel on the next layer, and then another softer chocolate shell. Underneath all of this goodness is the most incredible vanilla ice cream. I'm telling you there is no other ice cream on a stick I'd rather have from the stores.

Doesn't that just look tasty?

Ranch Chicken Crescent Panini

• 1 roll Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or Sheet
• 2 cups cooked chicken (I use leftover meat from a Rotisserie)
• enough ranch dressing to coat the chicken to your liking
• 2 cups mozarella cheese
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• italian seasoning

Spray a small cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Spread the dough evenly across the pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the chicken with the ranch dressing and the garlic powder until evenly coated. Evenly distribute the chicken over half of the crust.

Top with italian seasoning and sprinkle the cheese on top. Take the other half of crust and fold over the chicken, pressing the edges firmly.

Place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Watermelon Martini

So, it was late at night and I had this urge to make a drink. Why, I wasn't sure but I went into my refrigerator and rummaged through it to see what all I had. On the bottom rack was some leftover watermelon that I had had from the other day. Hmm, a Watermelon Martini....I never tried it before but a martini isnt that hard to make.

Watermelon Martini

• 1/2 cup of fresh watermelon juice (just press some out with a cheesecloth.)
• 1/2 cup vodka (I used Pravda)
• 1/4 cup simple syrup (1 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup of water)
• the juice of 1 lime
• ice
• sugar (optional)
• watermelon slices for garnish (optional)

If you are using the sugar, wet the rim of your martini glass with some of the watermelon juice and dip the rim into the sugar.
Pour the juice, vodka, syrup, and lime juice into a shaker. Top with ice. Shake and pour through the strainer into the glass.
Add the a watermelon edge as a garnish if you like.

Enjoy!!

No Bake Cookies

This is a very easy recipe to make that doesn't take very long. I think I had about 15 minutes before a friend was coming over. In that short time I was able to prep, cook, and plate it. I usually don't like making these because they are so YUMMY and before I know it, I have eaten the whole batch!

Easy No Bake Cookies

What you will need:

• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 stick of butter
• 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder (I use Hersheys)
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups of oatmeal (old fashioned rolled oats, not the instant kind)

Mix the sugar, butter, cocoa powder, and milk in a medium sized saucepan. Boil for 1 minutes, blending it all together.

Add the peanut butter and vanilla. Mix together quickly until the peanut butter melts, then add the oatmeal. Mix everything together until well blended.

Drop spoonfuls onto foil or wax paper. Allow the cookies to set and cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen 3 inch cookies. I like my cookies larger so I made a total of about 12.

Weekly Menu of June 27

Monday

• Braised Beef and onions
• Thyme-Roasted Potatoes
• No Bake Cookies

Tuesday

• Ranch Chicken Crescent Panini

Wednesday

• Mexican 5 Layer Casserole
• Cappuccino Souffles

Thursday

• Stuffed Peppers

Friday

• Roast Pork Loin With Rosemary
• Mixed Veggies
• Peach Cobbler

Saturday

• Breakfast day - Pankakor (Swedish Pancakes) and Fin Aggrora (Swedish style scrambled eggs)

Sunday

• Dinner at the in-laws

Sunday Breakfast - Whole Wheat Pancakes

I always go to my in-laws for dinner on Sunday. I wouldn't normally post any recipe today, but I just finished my breakfast and thought I would share. First, I will say that I love breakfast food. Pancakes and quiches are my favorite things to cook, and eat! Next in line would be french toast. This morning I woke up and thought I would make myself some pancakes. Here is the recipe!



Whole Wheat Pancakes

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp sugar (sometimes I will use honey as an alternative, also great!)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 c buttermilk (or 2 c regular milk)

Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk egg and butter, then buttermilk. Make a well into the dry ingredients and add in the wet, whisking together gently until well incorporated. A few lumps will remain, do not overmix. Cook the pancakes over medium heat. Flip when the bubbles start to appear. Cook until the other side is cooked through. DO NOT flip more than once. This causes the pancakes to get tough.

Enjoy!

Barbecue Chicken

I have made this many times and I never get tired of it. This is very easy to make and only 4 ingredients. I love making this with baked beans, macaroni, or corn.



Easy Barbecue Chicken



• Chicken pieces - I used drumsticks and thighs the last time I made this
• Canola Oil
• Salt
• Barbecue Sauce of your choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Salt both sides of the chicken. Sear chicken until browned. Transfer to a cookie sheet or baking pan. Brush the chicken with barbecue sauce. Bake in oven until chicken reaches 165 degrees, brushing on a second layer of sauce about half way through the baking time. Total baking time is between 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes.

Note: To make sure all of your chicken is cooked all the way through, it is best to take a cooking thermometer and stick it through the smallest piece of meat. Let it cook until the alarm goes off and repeat the step with the other pieces going from small to largest. You could put the thermometer in the largest piece of chicken, I never do though. Especially if you are using white meat. Some of the smaller slices will cook faster and can dry out if it is cooked too long.

Enjoy! 

Launch of Nicole's Kitchen

I have always loved cooking ever since I was a little girl. I remember growing up, I would sit in the kitchen and watch my great grandmother knead dough. Weekends were always memorable as a little girl. I would always wake up Saturday mornings with homemade biscuits and grits, or pancakes. Those were the best!!!

Me and my great-grandmother above. 

As I got older as a young teenager, I would go out to the fields with my grandfather or grandmother and pick fresh produce. We would buy bushels of snap peas, or corn, or potatoes, and then go to the peach plantations and pick the sweetest, juiciest peaches. I loved going back home afterwards to clean the vegetables and bag them up in the freezers. I wasn't really into the going to the mall at that time and I really loved just pulling up a chair onto the front porch, peeling the ears of the corn and snapping peas, watching the day pass by.

I guess you can say food has always been a part of me and I always wanted to know how to make all of the things my family made. I'm 23 now and already have a signature recipe I bring to every family function (they always insist that I make it everytime we are together), Banana Pudding. Don't worry I will post the recipe for you all. I cook almost every night and try to make a fresh loaf of bread every week.

I just love to cook. Oh yeah, if you have any dogs, they will be lucky too! I make my little Dachshund his very own doggie treats. He loves them so I'm sure yours will also.

My little Doxie Dude...he's my world!!

Cooking is definitely a passion I have and will continue to have for a long time. I am glad to take you guys on the journey inside my kitchen and learn some of my recipes that I love to cook.

What is in store for you:

• Each week I will try to post my weekly menu. I have been making a weekly menu for the past year now. I have found it very easy when its time for grocery shopping.
• Photos for each dish I make
• Occassional photos of me doing my everyday thing.