Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Did you know that Olive Garden shares recipes on their website? I didn't either! You should check it out, I bet they have your favorite on there. Up until a few months ago I thought their alfredo sauce recipe was a well-hidden secret…then I stumbled across the Recipes tab and saw that they have several, if not all of their recipes listed on their website. Who knew?! I'm sure they remove one step or ingredient to keep their secrets well, secret, but still how cool is that? I've never heard of a big, famous chain restaurant like that actually SHARING their recipes with the public. Usually its all hush-hush. I don't know why this isn't big news, broadcasted and exclaimed about in every corner of the media. So here's my slightly tweaked version of Olive Garden's alfredo.

Makes 4 Servings

3 cups half and half

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Romano cheese combo

6 egg yolks

1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (to start, you may need more to taste)

Directions: 

Place egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl and beat slightly. Heat half and half in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until it starts to simmer. Keeping the pan on the burner, turn the heat off and slowly mix in the grated cheese until melted. Remove from heat. Slowly ladle a small amount of the cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Keep adding ladles of cream to the yolks until they're a light yellow and successfully tempered. Stir the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan and return the pan to the burner, turning the heat on medium-low. Stir continually until it reaches a simmer. Take off the heat and stir in seasonings, tasting and adding more as desired. Serve over warm pasta with additional cheese if you like.

So you'll notice in my photos that of course that is not fettuccine. Sadly, I was out of fettuccine and didn't realize it so we suffered through using angel hair instead. ;) Today was Early Release day (as is every Friday) for my kiddos so this made a delicious lunch for them to devour along with a little garlic bread. I'm positive my 4-year-old is going through another growth spurt because he kept asking for more, more, more, until finally on his fourth little bowl I had to tell him that was enough. Silly boy, he is just growing like crazy. Makes me sad. One thing you'll notice about this recipe is that it doesn't use heavy whipping cream, butter or garlic. I know, isn't it madness?! I couldn't believe it. That's why I added some garlic powder to it. I also used half and half rather than milk and cream…since, you know, that's what half and half is…half milk…half cream… Anyway, next time I make alfredo, I'm for sure going to tweak this recipe even further because I feel like it's just sacrilege to NOT have butter or real garlic in alfredo sauce. I mean, come on, garlic and butter are to alfredo sauce what tomatoes are to spaghetti sauce, ya feel me? It's like having the yin without the yang. Or like NYC without the Statue of Liberty. It's just not done. And I can't believe OG has gotten away with it for so long. I am going to choose to believe that that's the "secret" ingredient that they left out of the recipe on their webpage. And with that, I'll be able to sleep tonight. Have a great weekend, folks! :)

Chicken Parmesan--It's Easy, I Promise!

Today was early release day at my kiddos' school and it was absolutely pouring all afternoon. I had picked up Subway for lunch since our microwave (yeah, the one we just got last year…) is still at the repairman's shop being tested for why it mysteriously stops heating every once in awhile. It's been three days so far without it, with no end in sight. This is a big deal: no reheating leftovers, no heating up butter or sauce, no popping popcorn, no boiling water or ANYTHING. Aahh!!

 So since it was still pouring outside, my girls and I decided to have a chick flick marathon after lunch while the boys had Minecraft video marathons on the iPad. We girls watched Julie & Julia first, followed by The Help and finally 27 Dresses. After watching Julie & Julia or The Help, I am always, always, always in the mood to cook. And I'm always craving fried chicken and sweet tea--go figure. So tonight I decided to come close to fried chicken and make Chicken Parmesan for dinner. (I know, not really that close…) But I gotta tell ya, this is a SUPER easy meal and it's relatively quick as well. Don't be afraid! You can do this! Promise.

Makes 6 Servings

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup spaghetti sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat oil over medium-low heat in a skillet. In one bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper until frothy. In another bowl, whisk together parmesan and bread crumbs. Dip raw chicken first in egg, then bread crumbs and place gently in the hot oil. Cook about 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown on both sides--turning gently with metal tongs. (I did three breasts at once, but whatever fits in your skillet without being squished is what you should go with.) Remove to a cookie sheet and bake 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from oven, top each breast with 2 tablespoons of sauce and 1-2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella. Return to oven for another 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted but not browned. Serve with additional parmesan over spaghetti, if desired. 

You can flatten your chicken breasts out in between sheets of plastic wrap with a meat mallet if they're too thick or if you prefer them that way. I don't really mind them being a little on the thick side, so I almost always skip this step. Getting all of this together took me less than 45 minutes. I love to cook, but I don't consider myself an expert or a gourmet cook by any means. My husband is usually the one to take care of frying. But this is SO simple, even I can do it. And if I can do it, anyone can! I promise, if you've never made Chicken Parm, you've gotta try it. You'll never spend $13-$15 on it in an Italian restaurant again! Have an awesome weekend, peeps!

What's For Dinner? (An oldie and a new one: Easy Skillet Cornbread)

Tonight my house smells incredible and my stomach is growling in great anticipation of my husband's arrival home from work so we can devour the dish that's been cooking for a few hours in the crockpot and the cornbread that's baking as I type. Here's the original post about these incredible Calico Beans.

And my instagram of it just now in the crockpot, happily bubbling away.

Okay, so I'll share with you my secret for quick and easy skillet cornbread when it's already 6:39pm on a school night and your husband is scheduled to get off of work within the next hour and you've realized you are out of cornmeal and didn't realize it until you've already got the oven preheated and calico beans in the crockpot and now it's really necessary to get some cornbread ready to go alongside the beans or else life just won't make any sense anymore and you just can't let that happen so you turn to the trusty mix that grandma used to use and you sigh in relief.  It fills in the gaps, you see. In the bowl, in the stomach, in the menu…it's necessary. 

Being the good little Southerner that I am, I always keep some of this on hand:

It keeps for 6-12 months on the pantry shelf and it's delicious and easy so on nights like these I don't have to panic. And look how beautiful the result is! Mmmm…

Quick & Easy Skillet Cornbread

Makes 6-8 Servings

2 8.5oz boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix

2 eggs

2/3 cup of milk

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix together cornbread mix, milk and eggs. Place butter in a 12" cast iron skillet and put in preheated oven for about 3-4 minutes until butter is melted and hot. Scrape batter into cast iron skillet, listening for that telltale sizzle that means life is about to be good. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden on top. Cut into pieces and serve.

Not really a true "recipe" considering it's on the back of the box (for muffins anyway), but hey, it's what works for me on nights like these so maybe it can help one of you too. :) Now, if only my hubs would get home so we can EAT! Have a great night,

The MOST Incredible Chicken Ever. Ever.

So several months ago, I came across a simple recipe on my mayonnaise jar and decided to try it. That night, my husband and children declared me the Queen of Food Forever. They worshipped the ground I walked on, kissed my feet and anointed my head with oil. Okay…not really on the last three, but in all seriousness, they were ecstatic over this chicken. I must admit, I was pretty freaking in love too. And it's SO simple. Beyond simple. Like, takes 10 minutes to prepare simple. And, obviously, given the ingredients (heLLO mayonnaise!), it's not the healthiest of recipes, so you really don't want to eat this every day. But, I've experimented with substituting Greek yogurt for the mayo, or even half Greek yogurt and half mayo, and that's pretty good too. I do that most of the time, but sometimes you just want the real thing. So, behold….the real thing, baby. (My apologies that it's on the tray and not plated…this chicken doesn't last on the plate long enough to be photographed.)

Makes 6 Servings

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup Parmesan

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix together mayo and parmesan in a medium bowl. Spray cookie sheet and place chicken evenly. Spoon mayo/cheese mixture onto each piece of chicken and spread to cover. Sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. 

The easiest and most delicious chicken you've EVER made, guaranteed. The Best. Chicken. Ever! When my kids ask me if I'm making "The Chicken", I know this is what they're referring to. When my 7-year-old son asks me, "Are you making that really yummy chicken that you make!?!" this is what he means. My daughter loves it so much, she requested it for her 14th birthday dinner, above any catering options I gave her. So I made about 20 pounds of it for her birthday party. I always do half breasts and half thighs just because half of my family likes the dark meat and the other half likes the white meat, but you can certainly do just the one kind that you like if you have a preference. Also, I never measure it anymore. I just eyeball the mixture until it's the consistency I want and sprinkle bread crumbs on top with a spoon…I probably use more of those than what it calls for, but we like the extra crunch it gives them. I bet it'd be phenomenal with some seasoned Panko too. Mmmmm….I'm going to have to make this dish again soon, it's making me hungry typing all this! 

Bev's Famous Meatloaf (Miranda Lambert's mom)

I've been feeling under the weather for a few days and for a person who likes to stay busy and be productive as much as possible, being forced to rest in bed or on the couch is NOT fun! When I'm in the mood for some chill time with a fantastic book or maybe some Pinterest, or some of my DVR'ed shows like (guilty pleasure) The Bachelor, The Walking Dead, Person of Interest or Glee…that's a whole other thing. But when I'm forced to rest, it's ridiculously challenging. I always think of so many more things I "should" be doing than I do when I'm imposing relaxation time upon myself just for the sake of vegging out. Um, anyway, rabbit trail much? My point is that yesterday I finally felt much more like my usual self and to celebrate, I decided to make some delish comfort food for dinner. So, what made it on the menu? Miranda Lambert's mom's famous meatloaf, steakhouse-style baked potatoes, fresh steamed broccoli and homemade creamed spinach. Can we say "Oh my yum!"? So on to the meatloaf.

Serves 6

2 lbs. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork sausage

18 saltines or Ritz, crushed into crumbs

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl using your hands until well mixed. Form into a loaf and turn into a greased casserole dish, shaping as needed. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and pour off grease. Stir together ketchup and brown sugar and spread evenly over meatloaf. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 15-20 minutes. 

So to be honest, the original directions say to mix half of the brown sugar into the meatloaf, but I'm not a fan of the sweetness in the actual meat part of it, so I just mix it all into the ketchup for the glazed part. I'm weird, I know. To the rest of the world it probably tastes the same on top as it does mixed in, but to me, it tastes fine in the glaze on top, but not fine when mixed in. Also, if you're like me and your meatloaf tries to exit your pan while you're pouring off the grease, you can either a) remove the loaf to a dish temporarily, or b) do the more complicated route that I usually do and use a spatula to hold that sucker in place while you pour the grease out. Why keep things simple when you can over-complicate them? Reminds me of that meme of the person performing all sorts of acrobatics to reach the TV remote without leaving their chair/bed. Yep, that's me! I don't think I've made the same exact meatloaf more than 2-3 times each because I am constantly trying new meatloaf recipes, but I must admit this one is probably my new favorite. I loved the addition of the green peppers. I might try adding those to one of my other recipes too--so good! 

Hope you have a great Friday!

Chicken Stuffed Shells

So this was absolutely delish, but if I could have my way, it would've had spinach in it. Since I have a couple picky eaters and we'd been out of town for several days prior, I knew everyone was starving for some good home-cookin'. So I decided to be nice and leave out the spinach. Next time though, [Annabelle] better put her game face on and be ready to ingest some spinach. ;) 

Makes 24 shells

1 box jumbo pasta shells
4 cups cooked, chopped or shredded chicken
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I use my homemade substitute)
2 8oz packages of cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
1 cup evaporated milk
2-4 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar this time but will def try mozzarella next)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Boil pasta in salted water 12 minutes; leave in the pasta water to avoid sticking. Meanwhile mix chicken, ricotta and seasonings until well mixed. Taste and add additional seasonings if desired. In medium saucepan, heat cream of chicken soup and cream cheese over medium heat until cream cheese has fully melted and incorporated. Stir in evaporated milk. Taste and add seasonings if desired. (My homemade cream of chicken substitute had plenty of flavor, but if I used the canned stuff, I'd want to add some salt, pepper, garlic, onion and oregano for sure.) Spread about a cup of the sauce in the bottom of a greased 13x9 baking dish. Fill shells with chicken mixture and lay evenly on top of sauce in pan. (Squish those babies in there if you need to!)  Sprinkle 1-2 cups of shredded cheese on top of shells, then pour sauce evenly over the top of all the shells, making sure it delves into those corners and hard-to-reach areas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly. 

This recipe took me about 45 minutes from start to finish. Not bad at all! I put chicken breasts in the crockpot all day to cook so I'd have those ready by dinnertime. A rotisserie chicken would save some time and be delicious in this dish as well. Next time I want to stir in some shredded cheese and chopped, cooked spinach into the filling because I think it would be dynamite! This was a good, quick weeknight meal that our family loved. Those four remaining shells in the photo were taken by my older three kids for their school lunches the next day. Two birds, meet stone! Yes!! :)

Rewind: Timothy's Amazing Turkey Burgers

It's been nearly 5 years since I first posted this recipe, and it remains one of my favorites! My brother Timothy came over last night and cooked some up for us and I was amazed again at how much flavor and moisture can be found in something so lean. He made them in a skillet with a little olive oil last night and I baked up some frozen french fries to go along with them. We had some bakery rolls as well as some of the Arnold Sandwich Thins, which honestly were my favorite, and I'm ALWAYS a bakery-bread kinda girl. The ratio of bread to meat was smaller so it allowed the flavor of the meat to be the shining star of the dish. I like mine best with a little bit of mayo, a slice of romaine and a slice of onion, but the hubs does his up all the way with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mayo, ketchup and mustard. We didn't do any cheese on ours last night but I tend to think a mild tart cheese like Provolone or Swiss would be perfect with these burgers. 

Makes 12 Burgers

3 lbs ground turkey

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely diced onion

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix turkey, bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 12 patties. Cook in a skillet on medium-high with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or grill them about 5-7 minutes per side. Put on a serving dish, cover tightly with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

If you read back over the original post nearly 5 years ago, you'll read about how I had a huge aversion to ground turkey for about 5 years after my pregnancy with my second daughter, Annabelle. I'm so glad that I got over that because I had always been a huge fan of replacing ground beef with ground turkey whenever possible, and now I've gotten back into the practice of doing that at least half the time. These burgers are truly delicious, much lower in fat than beef burgers, and with the awesome flavor they have, you don't even miss the fat. Trust me! 

Have a great weekend, see you next week!

Egg Foo Young

One of our kids' favorite comfort foods is egg foo young. They love to get a big bowl of steamed rice, a couple patties of egg foo young and drip a little soy sauce over the whole thing and eat to their tummy's content. Egg foo young is SO simple to make at home, you don't have to wait until you go to your fave Chinese restaurant to have it...just whip up a batch at home! The only thing you'll need that you may need to get from an Asian market (unless your local supermarket has an ethnic food section) is Squid brand fish sauce. Of course you can use another brand if you want, but Squid is the best, trust me! It sounds weird but once it's in the food you won't notice it overly much and it's not fishy, it's salty. It's a necessity to Asian cooking! Here's what it looks like so you can find it in your store:

Our "usual" egg foo young recipe is simple--eggs, ground pork and green onions. But this is basically an Asian omelet and you can add any type of veggie you normally like in omelets. We also love to add chopped zucchini and minced garlic to ours. Vidalia onion, green pepper, mushrooms and broccoli are also great additions to this dish!

Makes 8 Servings

12 eggs

1 lb. ground pork

1 small bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 cup Squid fish sauce

corn oil

Directions:

Heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Whisk eggs, pork, scallions and fish sauce together until well combined. Pour enough of the egg mixture into the skilled to cover the bottom, about a cup to two cups, depending how thick you want your egg patties to be. Swirl skillet until fully covered with egg. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom and flip. Again, cook until lightly browned on the bottom. About 3-5 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel lined dish to absorb the oil. Continue cooking until all the egg mixture has been used. Serve over steamed rice with soy sauce, if desired.

Hubs made this for dinner last night, it was a Sunday evening and we usually eat a big meal on Sunday afternoons after church, so Sunday evenings are usually "fend for yourself" days. He was craving this dish and the kids have been wanting it since they went to visit their grandma last week and had McD's nuggets instead of this dish, which they were expecting LOL. Silly kids, disappointed over McD's nuggets...I remember back in my day, we NEVER ate out, so McD's nuggets were a special treat and we'd never have been disappointed over that! Makes me happy to know they get more excited over home-cookin' than restaurant food though, I must say! So we scarfed this down last night and then ate the leftovers this morning for breakfast. Delish! Well, we are off to enjoy a couple days at Disney this week since we are running out of summer days...I'll be back in a few days with a new recipe to share! Have a great week!

Crockpot Mississippi Roast

We eat a lot of chicken. That's probably because I love chicken the best and I'm usually the one doing the cooking. ;) I could probably eat it every day. Or at least 6 out of 7 days in a week. But I wouldn't do that to my family. I know they appreciate it when I mix it up, so I do try to alternate meats when meal-planning. I'll do chicken one day, ground beef the next, then pork, then meatless, chicken again, beef, etc. Last night we had BEEF. And not just plain beef. A delicious, tender, tasty beef ROAST. My kids always cheer when they discover we've got beef roast on the menu. I must admit I really love it, too!

This roast is a simple as you can get. A tablespoon of au jus mix, a tablespoon of ranch seasoning mix, a stick of butter and a handful of pepperoncini peppers is all you need to get some amazing flavor out of a cheap chuck roast or whichever type of roast you prefer.

Makes 6 Servings

1 3-5lb. beef roast
1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
1 tablespoon au jus seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick of butter
6-8 pepperoncini peppers
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3-4 teaspoons water

Directions:

Grease down your crockpot and place the roast inside. Sprinkle the ranch, au jus and salt over the top of the roast. Place a stick of butter on top of that, then put the peppers around on top. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours, or high 4-6 hours. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with water using a fork or whisk. Skim all the oil/fat off the top of the liquid in the crockpot. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture until completely dissolved. Cover and cook 5 more minutes. Stir before serving. Serve with potatoes, rice, pasta or bread.

This roast forms its own gravy that is delicious served over mashed potatoes, our personal favorite, or egg noodles or even rice. We've also used some crusty bread to sop up the gravy. You don't need to add any additional liquid to this roast, the beef gives off its own liquid as it cooks down. I've even put a frozen roast in there and had it turn out just as good! And let me tell you...leftovers in a hoagie with some of that gravy for dipping make an EXCELLENT lunch the next day! Yummo! This is one easy-peasy recipe. Have a great day!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has way too many of these in my pantry!!

...rolled-up bags of chips that are 3/4 consumed, leaving a handful or so of chips and crumbs in the bottom of the bag! I don't know what it is about my kids, but apparently they're afraid to completely finish something. They leave handfuls of chips, half a cup of cereal, two gulps of milk, one slice of cheese, etc., etc., etc., in my pantry, fridge and freezer ALL the time! The chips almost always get tossed and it drives me crazy watching all that money and food go to waste. So one of my favorite ways to use up chip crumbs is to sprinkle them on top of casseroles. The oven bakes them up crispy again and they add a nice crunch and flavor to chicken, tuna or veggie casserole dishes. So Saturday night I was in the mood for a tasty, comforting casserole for dinner. I had about a cup of broccoli in the fridge from when hubs made his Ultimate Twice-Baked Potatoes and these FIVE bags of rolled-up chip crumbs in my pantry. So throwing together a few other yummy ingredients along with these resulted in a good, old-fashioned casserole like grandma used to make. Now, I don't claim this to be low-fat by any means. You could certainly cut back on the fat by using low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt and reduced-fat cream soups and cheese as well if you so desire. But this casserole certainly comes in handy for those busy nights when you need something filling that cooks up in under an hour!

Ready for its first bout in the oven!

On my plate about to be devoured...

Makes 6-8 Servings

16 oz egg noodles

2 cans of cream of chicken soup (or the equivalent of two cans of my homemade Cream of Chicken soup mix)

1 cup sour cream

2 cups milk

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked & cubed

1 1/2 cups of broccoli, cooked/thawed and chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2+ cups of potato chip crumbs, any flavor you want

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Boil pasta for 7-8 minutes and drain. In a large bowl combine the noodles, sour cream, milk, soup and seasonings. Stir in chopped broccoli, chicken and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. Take casserole out, sprinkle with remaining cheese, then top with potato chip crumbs and spread evenly. Bake another 10 minutes until chips are lightly browned on the edges. Serve.

Yet another one of those amazingly versatile recipes that you can really do so much with to create the flavor you're in the mood for. You could substitute peas for the broccoli. Adding in a half a cup of chopped onions would be amazing also. You could use tuna instead of the chicken or even cubed ham if you had some on hand and needed a quick dinner. Like I said, you can easily lower the fat content by using lower fat ingredients if you want. I always use fat free dry milk when making my cream of chicken soup mix, so that's already lower in fat than the original canned stuff. This was a hit and my kids all had seconds! Only a small serving, enough for one person, was put away as leftovers, so this will definitely be added to the repertoire of regulars! So what did everyone do this weekend? Happy Monday!

Rewind: Risi e Bisi (Rice & Peas)

One of my very favorite meals ever is Risi e Bisi, Italian for Rice & Peas, a side dish with rice, peas, ham and parmesan in it...yum! I first posted this recipe 6 years ago, but it's one of our favorites that just doesn't get the recognition it deserves so I'm featuring this beauty again today. :) My mom made it when I was a kid and now my kids love it too so it's a regular at our dining table. It's technically a side dish but we serve it as a main dish. After all, it has protein, carbs, vegetables...everything I need to meet my criteria for a one dish meal! It's really easy (isn't everything I make easy??) to throw together and doesn't take long at all, less than an hour to cook.  I make ours in the rice cooker, but it can be made on the stovetop as well. I actually had to prepare this batch on the stovetop since my rice cooker decided it didn't feel like reaching the boiling stage and kept shutting off. Fickle thing. It's a new fancy digital one and it doesn't hold a candle to our old basic one from the Asian market. Unfortunately the one from the Asian market took a bath in the sink thanks to a certain two (now four) year old and we thought we'd be improving by getting the fancy one. Nope! Oh well, it works. Just not as well. But it gets the job done, right? Right. Enough complaining, on to the EXCITING part, the recipe! I love recipes. I may have an addiction...

Makes 4 Servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup diced ham
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Rice cooker: Plug in rice cooker and press "Cook" button. Put oil and onion in rice cooker pan and saute 4 minutes. Add rice, chicken broth, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir and cover. Cook until machine function switches to "warm." Add peas and ham and stir. Close lid and let rest for 10 minutes. Open lid and stir in butter and parmesan. Serve immediately. 

Stovetop: If you want to cook on the stovetop, use a deep saucepan and sauté the onion in the oil as directed, over medium heat. Add the 5 ingredients listed next, raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook until the rice has thickened and soaked up all the liquid and is almost done at al dente. Turn the heat off but leave the pan on the burner. Stir in the peas and ham, close the lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in butter and parmesan and serve.

My daughter Annabelle loves this dish, she cheers when I tell her I'm making it for dinner and she requests it for her birthday dinner almost every year. This year she actually requested daddy's grilled cheeseburgers, my deviled eggs and chips and dip, an equally delicious meal if I do say so. I'm partial to my husband's grilled burgers. He works magic on that grill. So what are you doing with your Wednesday? Anyone going to see fireworks tonight? Me, I sit here with The Notorious B.I.G. blasting on my Pandora summer jams station, it's 11:30 am and my kids are just now starting their routine of running around the house and bickering at each other (late start, it's summer, they sleep in...I'm blessed. I know.) and I'm contemplating what daily craft to do today. Do I feel like baking or making some paints for the kids? Maybe not paints, those have to dry overnight. Maybe we'll make magnets today. Also on my to-do list (and has been for months awhile if I'm being honest...) is to reorganize my office desk in the middle of the family study which is right off of our great room. I don't have anywhere private to move it where I can write in peace (peace? what is that??) so the least I could do is make it more aesthetically pleasing and as zen-like in organization as possible. Who knows, maybe you'll be seeing a before and after tomorrow of my workspace...miracles could happen! Have a great Wednesday whatever you're up to today!