Olive Garden Toasted Ravioli

Good Monday Morning! :) Did you have a good weekend? Did you try anything new? I love trying new things - it breaks the monotony a little of "What's for dinner?" :D

Today's recipe is the fried ravioli I promised you last week, from Easy Restaurant Recipes. It's supposed to be the toasted ravioli from Olive Garden.

Now, then. What I did was took those wanton wrapper ravioli I made from the review post last week and put them in the freezer, uncooked. When I took them out of the freezer, I should have immediately separated them - they stuck together a little bit when I tried to do it later. But they still worked beautifully for this recipe.

I was also in a hurry, and didn't read the entire recipe before I started; I combined all the dry ingredients, instead of having two breading mixes. And it still turned out well. :D

This recipe got a huge YES, PLEASE! from our pastor and his wife, who were our dinner guests the night I tried the recipe. :D They earned me an incredible "The girl can cook!" review from our pastor. :D The sauce, again, was Prego®; it was their Very Veggie sauce, so I snuck extra veggies in on Pastor Ronnie. :D I know that I can make these for him any time I wish, and he'll be THRILLED! LOL!

I really liked them, too - this picture doesn't do them justice, because they were pretty cold by now. But even Kenn loved them; he finished these up the next day for his lunch. And he's not a huge Italian fan!

I hope you try them out the next time you've got some time. They're well worth the effort, and are obviously a crowd-pleaser. :D Let me know if you do try them!

Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED!

Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

It's FRIDAY! Do you have big plans? Going to try something you found online for a get-together this weekend? Fill me in! Tonight - if our car's fixed! - we're going to our friends' house for dinner; I don't know what she wants me to bring yet. That will help me decide: do I take a TNT dish (tried-n-true), or try something new? :D

ANYWAY. Today's recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Not gonna make you wait: it's a definite YES, PLEASE!!!!

I didn't tweak a THING on these cookies. :D I've been looking for a cookie recipe that I had when I was in college; this is the closest thing I've found to it. However! The depression in the middle of the cookie leaves the bottom too thin, in my opinion. I think the next time I make them, it will be more of a thumbprint cookie - and I'll only try to fit one or two cherries in. Not only will that help with them trying to fold in half when you pick one up, it will help with using the dough and the cherries up at the same time. :D I had extra dough after using the two cans, so I opened a can of mixed berry filling and used about a third of it, as well.

I made these for the Fourth of July, so I had red, somewhat-white, and blue on the plate. They were tender, sweet, and a perfect dessert. And they freeze well! :)

Let me know if you try these. I think you'll enjoy them!

Have a wonderful weekend! Be BLESSED!

Ravioli, Pioneer-Woman Style!

 It's Wednesday! Are you having a good week? Can you believe that this time next year it will be the beginning of a new month? Christmas will be coming FAST! :D

Today's recipe is courtesy of the blogger I think every other female blogger is secretly a little jealous of, the Pioneer Woman. :D She's got a wonderful blog, and you can catch her on the Food Network these days, as well!

I will tell you right now: her recipe and method both are a big YES, PLEASE! The photo below is in that clunky pasta dough recipe I reviewed last week. Even encased in that heavy dough, this filling was AMAZING - and I know I had to take her suggestion and get some wonton wrappers to finish out the ricotta cheese I'd purchased on clearance. :D

(I'll give you a free YES, PLEASE review of Pampered Chef's cookie scoops, too - the smallest one is PERFECT for filling these!)

I didn't prep them in any way but the boiling water, because I didn't want to waste any more ingredients on that dough. :D So I boiled them, and then dipped them in Prego.

I love, love, love this recipe. I'll show you what I did with the ones I made with the wonton wrappers next week. :D I can't give you ravioli two posts in a row, can I? :D

Try this filling. I'm pretty sure it will become a go-to recipe for you - it's easy and delicious!

Have a WONDERFUL day! Be blessed! If you find something you want me to try out, leave me a comment!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Good Monday Morning! :)

How are you doing today? Did you have a good weekend? Try anything new? Y'all are SO quiet out there! I'd love to have a comment.... :D

This is a no-bake cheesecake from Eat Good 4 Life. Go ahead, check it out. I'll wait. :D

First, let me say: I love cheesecake. I could eat it all day, every day. :)

Now, cheesecake in itself is relatively low in carbohydrates; usually where it runs into problems with carbs is in the crust and add-ins. So, I did the crust with only peanuts, no cereal or oats. Because both of those can be pretty carb-heavy, even though whole grains are supposed to be good for you. But I digress. :D

For the cheesecake itself, all I changed was using full-fat cream cheese instead of the lower-fat; the substitutions for lower fat items usually increases the carb count.

I'm afraid this one is getting a NO, THANKS from me. It was OK, but didn't knock me out. It was nice to have in the fridge for when I had to have something sweet. :) But I won't make it again. There are too many other things out there to try, and too many cheesecakes that beat this one. :)

OK, I'm out of here - my aunt from Missouri is visiting us this week. :) Lots to do, lots to make, lots to procrastinate about. :D

Have a WONDERFUL day! Be BLESSED, my friends! And let me know when you try something!

Chicken Enchiladas

 It's FRIDAY!!!! Got anything huge planned for the weekend? I'm going to tell you right now, this is a YES, PLEASE! recipe - you should take the time to make them this weekend. :D

These come from Pearls, Handcuffs, & Happiness. (Yeah, I know, but her recipes are fantastic!!!!! :D )

My tweaks: I needed more than the can of enchilada sauce listed - like maybe 4 ounces. I used low-carb tortillas that are made by Mission. (They cost an arm and a leg, but they're fantastic for when you NEED a tortilla!) I used brown rice, to increase the complex-carb count. And, finally, I used a Mexican cheese blend - it has the two cheeses in the recipe plus two more. :D And I LOVE cheese. :D

This recipe made TWO PANS of enchiladas. And ohhhh, were they good. They were moist, and steamy, and filling. We ate one pan, and froze the other. I'm SO glad to know they're in there, waiting for a night when we need something that will prep fast. They DO take a bit of time for assembly, but don't let that put you off. You seriously NEED to make these enchiladas. :D

Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Let me know if you DO try something new, or if you put these together. Be blessed!

Chickpea and Tomato Salad

It's Wednesday! How's your week going? It's supposed to be getting warmer here; today's recipe is a no-cook recipe.

It comes via Green Lite Bites. It's created to be an entree all in its own; I used it as a side dish, but it's full of nutrition and freshness!

Believe it or not, I didn't change a THING on this recipe. :) It's a LOT of garlic; I used bottled minced, instead of doing it myself. I think it was probably a bit milder - which was good, because raw garlic tends to make me nauseous if it's too strong. Go figure. :D

I've made it twice; once for Kenn and me, and one for the infamous barbecue for Kenn's discipleship group. :D I let it sit longer when I made it for the party; the tomatoes were especially tasty! I can't say that chickpeas - AKA garbanzo beans - are my favorite legume, but they're OK. I like hummus, but I think it's because of all the other stuff you add in. :D

So, this is obviously a YES, PLEASE! recipe. It's now safely pinned to my "Favorite Recipes" board! :D Let me know what you think - or if there's something you'd like me to try and review for you. :) Have a WONDERFUL day! Be blessed!

Cheese Ball

Good Monday Morning!!!!!

Did you get to try anything new over the weekend? We did - but that's a later post. :D I also heard from my friend who I took the Meatball Bubbles to:
Thank you so much for the meal you sent us... those meatball things were sooo good! Even tho I was soo sick that first week, I wanted them every meal! thank you so much.

 I love the fact that something that's so easy is so tasty. I know I keep telling you that, but they really are wonderful. :D She's still not feeling too well - please pray for her! - so I'm taking them another meal this week, and doing the bubbles again. :D

OK, on to today's recipe from Chef In Training. It's a different kind of cheese ball than I normally make; I usually do the one that's partially cheddar, partially cream cheese. This one was pretty good, too!

I did modify it a bit. (Shocker, right?? :D) I didn't use the powdered sugar, and kept just a bit of the juice from the pineapple in the mix. But that's it! :)

It was really light-tasting. I *might* use just a bit more ham next time, just to up that flavor a bit. I ate it for breakfast a couple of times; the longer it sat, the more the individual flavors of the things added to the cream cheese flavored the whole thing. It was popular at the barbecue we had with Kenn's discipleship group - I served it and our homemade "salsa"(more like a pico de gallo) as appetizers. Good thing, too - it was LATE when we finally got everyone here and ready to eat! :D

This is a YES, PLEASE! for us. It might be another new addition to the open house this year. :) I hope you'll let me know if you try it! Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED!

Almond Joy Bars

It's FRIDAY! Have you had a great week? Looking forward to the weekend? Trying anything new tonight? :D

Today's recipe is from Just a Pinch recipe club, and for Almond Joy Bars.

I have to say: these are COOKIE bars. They're rich, and the chocolate on top is incredibly thick. The coconut and cookie layer are yummy, but I found the name misleading. I pried the chocolate off my bar, because it was just too overpowering. I did put almonds on mine, but you couldn't taste them because of the chocolate layer.

My dad doesn't like chocolate, so he pried off the chocolate, too. :) Mom LOVED them! :D Kenn liked them, too. But I'm the one who bakes desserts around here.

So, because there's SO much other stuff to try out there, and because these bars were a bit labor-intensive, and because the chocolate was just too much, I'm going to give these a NO, THANK YOU. Tasty, yes. Going back to? No.

Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Try something new! :) And be BLESSED!

Pampered Chef Pasta Cutter

Good Wednesday morning! Are you having a good week?

Since I gave you my experience with the pasta on Monday, I wanted to share a tool that I love. :D

I really do love Pampered Chef tools. No, I don't use the stones - you won't see any of them here, because my mom can't stand the thought of cooking on something that's not completely washed and sterilized. :D

This is my PC pasta cutter; it comes with three different edging blades, and all of them are cutters, as well. I really enjoyed using this tool; I'm a lefty, and had no problems using it. It's quick and easy - and stores in the case, so there's no blade exposed. It's a YES, PLEASE!!! Especially if you make pasta. LOL!

Have a WONDERFUL day! Want to send me something to review? Leave your email in a comment, and I'll get right to you! :) BE BLESSED!

Basic Pasta

Good Monday morning! Did you have a good weekend? Did you try anything new this weekend?

I did - it was a big entertaining weekend, and I can't wait to show you some of those recipes. But today's is one I tried a while ago.

Here's another from a recipe website, AllRecipes.com. And it's for Basic Pasta.

I do not have a pasta machine, so that probably had a lot to do with this. I didn't care for it - it was too heavy. But I suspect a lot of that had to do with my not being able to get it as thin as it should have been. But this is definitely a NO, THANK YOU. If I ever get a pasta machine - or if someone wants to send me one to review (even if it's a Kitchen Aid mixer attachment! :D HINT!!), I'll try it again. But for now, it's getting gone from my box!

Keep watching! :) And if you have anything you want me to review, please let me know!!! :) Be blessed!!!

Lazy Sushi Bowls

Good Friday Morning!!!! Have you had a good week? It's been more like two really short weeks, right, since you had Wednesday as a break? :D

Today, I want to share a Foodie With Family recipe; some of her recipes are incredible, and she's really fun to read. I hope you'll follow her blog. :)



Let me tell you, off the bat, this is totally and completely a YES, PLEASE! for both of us, but especially for Kenn. We've already decided that the fixings for this will be in our fridge at the beach on a consistent basis. :)

There's a LOT of prep work involved at the beginning - chopping, slicing, shopping. However, once you have the basics, this comes together really easily! Since everyone assembles their own, with their own favorite ingredients, it's simple to put out. The ingredients are as fresh as you prep them to be, so YUM. :D

I have to be careful with rice, as y'all know, but we used brown rice for this first one. It's still rice, but it's a more complex carbohydrate. This dish really appealed to both of us because we could use what we each wanted. Our tastes differ quite a bit, so the ability to have the same type of food without having to compromise on what it contained was quite fun! :)

Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Why not try this one this weekend? Enjoy yourself! :D And let me know if you try something I've recommended (or not!) how you liked it - or find something you'd like me to try! :)

Ham n Egg Cups

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

So, to proclaim some independence from breakfast - as a diabetic, I *have* to eat breakfast, and I HATE it. <sigh> - I bring you this recipe from Just a Pinch - it's a great recipe community. HOPEFULLY, I'll have gotten to go to the get-together Tuesday. (I'm pre-posting, so you're sure to get a post today! :D)

These got a YES, PLEASE! from both Kenn and I. I have to tell you: they're SALTY. The first time, I added a little more salt. The second, none - and the ham was salty! Kenn says it concentrates the salt, and I guess that's probable. The only tweak I did was to use a few fresh spinach leaves instead of frozen; we try to keep fresh spinach around, to use in place of lettuce on sandwiches, etc.

Well, OK, I fibbed. :D I just went and looked at the original recipe again. I used COOKED ham, not SMOKED. We don't like smoked meats much. And I also used 1/4 piece of an American cheese slice instead of shredded cheese. It's still cheese, right? :D I threw in a piece of high-fiber, lower carb toast, and it was a really nice meal!

OK, I'm outta here! Have a WONDERFUL day - and try something NEW! :)

Copycat Recipe for Cracker Barrel's Hash Brown Casserole

Good morning! How was your weekend? Did you make anything new? Or did you make as little as possible, to not add any more heat to your world? MAN, has it been hot! :) I'm SO grateful for air conditioning!

I did make the Meatball Bubbles again, for a friend's family with three little ones. I haven't heard how they liked them, but they sure turned out wonderfully again. I would DEFINITELY have eaten them! :D

ANYWAY. You can find the recipe for this at Budget Savvy Diva; she's got a great blog! I follow her on FaceBook, too. :D

I made this recipe on the beach, when we had the house in February. I don't remember what main dish I served it with. Hmmm. Let me go see if I can find it.... No, I found which day I made it, but not what I served it with. :D I DO know we ate it for two different meals.

I didn't tweak a thing on it! :D It's DEFINITELY a YES, PLEASE! rating; really simple to make, gooey cheesy goodness. I actually think it was better the second time; I warmed it up in the oven, not in the microwave, because I had plenty of time. I don't eat the Cracker Barrel version enough to say whether it's a true copycat recipe or not - my favorite things at Cracker Barrel are all carb-heavy, so I try not to eat them all together. :D But it is a wonderful side dish, full of comfort and flavor. And it makes a LOT.

Have you found something you'd like me to try? Or have you found a recipe that's wonderful, and you think I should try, too? Let me know! I'd love to! :) And let me know if you try anything I've reviewed! I'd love to know your thoughts.

Have a wonderful day! Be blessed!