Lemon Brownies

It's FRIDAY! You MADE it! And tomorrow is my sister's birthday, so let's all sing to her!

♫HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR KELLI!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!♫

:D

Thank you! :D

Anyway! LOL! Today's recipe is brought to you from Rita's Recipes, for Lemon Brownies.

This does, indeed, make up a small pan of brownies - but they're so full of flavor, you don't need a huge brownie to get the lemon!

These are a definite YES, PLEASE around here; we all really like the refreshing taste of lemon. And these are really, really good. :) The only critique I heard was from my dad, who doesn't like chocolate and insisted these weren't brownies, they were "lemonies". :D

The only tweak I did was add just a touch of lemon extract to the brownie recipe, but I'm not sure it was necessary; the glaze's liquid is all lemon juice, so it's very lemony. :) I'm not sorry I added it, however, and might do so again when I make these again. Because it's a given - they were easy! Need something for a treat this weekend? Try these! :) And then let me know what you thought.

OK, I'm off! Enjoy your weekend! Be BLESSED!!!

Mushroom Skewers

Good morning! How's your week going? Are you managing to keep cool? Today's not supposed to be TOO bad here in middle Tennessee; we'll see, though. :)

Today's recipe comes from Dinners & Dreams, and is for Mushroom Skewers.

I requested we make these for my birthday dinner, and my mom readily agreed; we really do like mushrooms around here. And what could be better than starting with baby bellas?

We doubled the recipe, because the original said she'd used them in sandwiches in following days. And that sounded good to us! So on we went.

The ONLY tweak I did on this recipe was to use red curry paste instead of the harissa; we didn't have any on-hand, we needed such a small amount, and it's really nothing any of us would use for anything else. The red curry paste is very mild, so it didn't make a huge impact on the recipe.

The baby bellas were very fresh; the skewers split some of the stems, as you can see from my picture. But they marinated beautifully, and grilled up very nicely.

Unfortunately, no one was knocked out by them. I really didn't care much for them; everyone else said they were "ok". Frankly, I'd much rather have them done in a pan with garlic and butter. The balsamic stained my fingernails for two days, too! :D

So, these are getting a NO, THANKS from me. If you like strong vinegar taste with mushrooms, go for it! I love balsamic vinegar, but not in this usage.

Have a wonderful day! Let me know if you try anything! :) Be blessed!

Spring Rolls

Good Monday morning! I'm on my way to a doctor's appointment today - nothing I'm looking forward to, I assure you - but let me share, so someone is able to enjoy this morning! :D

Today's recipe is from allrecipes.com; I use their recipes quite often, so when I wanted to try making my husband some spring rolls, why not choose their recipe when it came up in my search? :)

I found the rice paper wrappers *somewhere*; I can't remember where, but knew I needed to get them. Kenn LOVES spring rolls, and always orders them at Thai restaurants. Since rice is very high in carbs, I know rice wrappers are, so I don't eat them. <sigh>

These were really easy to make. Of course, I had to modify the filling a bit. :D I did have to purchase a HUGE bag of rice vermicelli, to get the noodles for filling, but I'm hoping they'll get used. :D I have more rice wrappers, after all.... I also didn't use all the ingredients suggested in the recipe for filling; Kenn's tastes are a little more adventuresome. :D So, I used shrimp, fake crab, English cucumber, carrots, regular basil, and cilantro - along with the aforementioned rice vermicelli. I left the dipping sauce recipe alone. :D

This was the first one, so it's a little sloppy on the end; I learned I need to wrap a little tighter. I really like the way the shrimp showed through the wrapper!

Kenn really, really liked these - even the dipping sauce, which he's never a big fan of. :) Two of these made a great meal for him. So, these are a YES, PLEASE! I pinned this recipe originally, and pinned another with different ingredients earlier today. These won't be the last I make, for sure!

OK, I'm outta here. :) Pray that my doctor's appointment goes well! <sigh> Have a wonderful day! Let me know when YOU try something new, or if there's anything you want me to try!

Peach Strawberry Jam

Good Friday morning! :) I hope you're doing well today! Have you had a good week? Eaten or tried anything new lately? :)

Today's recipe review is from Jen's Happy Spot. We tried this first last year, and then I couldn't find the blog I'd copied-and-pasted from. When we made more jam this week, I had to search for it so I could share with you! :D

 Obviously, if we've made it twice, it gets a YES, PLEASE! from us. :D It's a wonderful jam, full of fruit and summer flavor. It's also a beautiful jam!

Mom did the fruit prep this year; the peaches weren't quite ripe, so they didn't break down as far this time. So the fruit chunks in the jam are quite large. Never a *really* bad thing, in my opinion. :D

It makes a beautiful gift, too! The jars are just out of the processor, cooling before going on the shelf. This is one of those jams that I love to have around in the dark or winter; just one taste, and it's like being in summer again. What could be better than fresh peach and strawberries?

We used regular peaches, not white ones. We also used all-natural pectin, purchased from an Amish store in Indiana. I WILL tell you that this jam is super-sweet, but it doesn't take much to get a jam taste. :) I use maybe 1/2 teaspoon on toast or PB&J! (That's because I'm being super careful of my carbs, NOT because I don't want more! :D )

You can also use strawberries you've put into the freezer! Now's a great time for strawberries; peaches really don't hit their peak for another three weeks. Get the berries now, and freeze them in measured amounts. If you like more peach than strawberry, then make sure your fruit mix has more of them. :D

OK, I'm off! Enjoy your weekend, try to stay cool, and try something new! If you try something I've reviewed, please let me know what you thought!!!! Hey, anyone made any of the meatball bubbles? I'm taking some to a family next week. :D

Be blessed!

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

My goodness, the day's passing me by! Sorry I'm a bit later than usual. :)

Today's review is of these rolls at Eat Cake For Dinner. :D Now, the first thing I need to tell you is Mom made them. That's right. That means she followed the recipe to the letter. My dad formed the rolls, because Mom says she doesn't do it right. :D We also baked them together, because I don't like crusty bread. I know. I'm strange. But there you go. :D

These were for my birthday celebration on Friday night. They rate a YES, PLEASE!

If you're not going to use them all - it makes a HUGE batch! - then I'd either form and freeze the dough, or give rolls away. But do it quickly; these rolls didn't like being saved for very long. They were beautiful; my parents did a wonderful job on them! :)

Be sure and let me know if you try them - or anything else I've reviewed! :) Have a WONDERFUL day! Eat something GOOD! :) Be blessed....

Strawberry Napoleons

Good afternoon! Did you have a good weekend? I'm still trying to recuperate from my busy week last week. Oooh, LA! :D

Today's review is for Strawberry Napoleons from Six Sisters' Stuff. I chose this for my celebration with my family, obviously for dessert. My dad doesn't like anything chocolate, so I chose this so he could enjoy it, too. :D

YES, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Ok, so I can't make ANYTHING without tweaking the recipe; my mom made most of this, so she followed the recipe *almost* exactly. We had discussed the type of pudding earlier, so she did use sugar-free cheesecake pudding. However, she also used straight milk instead of half and half lower-carb milk, and almond extract when I wished for vanilla. <sigh> :D

This was SO good. I baked off the puff pastry in the morning before going to get my hair cut and run errands, and left them on the cooling rack until we used them. (You can put baked puff pastry in a container for about 24 hours, and then it really starts to get soggy again.) Each person assembled their own; this one's MINE. :D

The puff pastry is a crispy, flaky compliment to the creamy pudding filling. And fresh strawberries just take it to heavenly! :D

Please let me know if you try the recipe, and if you tweak it. Next time, I'm changing the vanilla and milks! :D

Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED!

Check out my review on my other blog!

:D OK, so I've been known to give my opinion on recipes before. This one deserves being brought to your attention (again?) - it's really good! Just click on this sentence to go check it out - and enjoy your weekend! I'd love to hear from you, if you're trying something new or just enjoy visiting me! :)
BE BLESSED!

Papa Murphy's Pizza!

Hi, y'all! I'm setting up all of the reviews ahead of time; yesterday was my birthday, and I'm being whisked away by my husband. :D So! I've got a bunch of stuff set back, but I need to keep SOMETHING in reserve! :D

Today, I bring you a review of Papa Murphy's Pizza!

Before we got married, I had never heard of PMP. There weren't any in the areas in which I'd lived - but when we moved to Florence, Oregon, we lived right next door to one!

What makes them unique is that they bake nothing in-house. They make pizzas (and now cookies, and breads, and salads!) that you take home and bake. You get fresh, hot pizza in a fraction of the time it would take you to put everything together yourself, on FRESH crust.

Can you tell this gets a YES, PLEASE! from me?!? :D If you go to the website, you can also print coupons - this large pizza (if you click this link, it will take you right to the description!) was only $8.

Talk about a happy camper. :D Fresh veggies, melted cheese, and a super-thin crust, so I don't have to worry *too* much about the carbs. I LOVE pizza, but Kenn's not much of a fan. However, he really like this one - it was his idea to get it! :D

Maybe someday PMP will want me to review another kind, so I'll get to do so. ;D In the meantime, I'm quite happy with this. (The pizza in the picture on their site looks like it's got a lot more toppings than this one....)

Dang, now I want a piece! :D Let me know if there are Papa Murphy's around you - and if you have a favorite kind, what it is!

Have a BLESSED day! Go try something new! :D

Make-Your-Own Rotisserie Chicken

Hello, one and all - or all of one, if that's all who's here! :D I hope you're enjoying my blog; I am really enjoying doing it. I love to try things out! :D

Today's recipe I'm reviewing is from Busy-Mommy.com, and it's on how to make your own chicken that tastes like a store-bought rotisserie chicken.

I love rotisserie chicken; it's versatile and easy to use, tender and juicy. HOWEVER. This recipe makes it in your crock pot.

I'm a huge fan of the IDEA of cooking meals in a crock pot; what could be better than sticking ingredients in in the morning, and having dinner ready later?

In practice, however, I have to tell you: I think the crock pot dries meat out. It LOOKS wonderful, and if tenderness is your game, it wins, hands-down. But JUICY? Nope. Not in my experience.

So, as it stands, I have to give this recipe a NO, THANK YOU. The flavor was great, so I think I'll try it in the OVEN next time, and I think that will change the whole thing for me. But even in my second-day meal, which is sauced with olive oil, the chicken was dry. I'll let you know when I do it in the oven!

OK, I'm outta here! :D Have a WONDERFUL, BLESSED day - and let me know if you've had the same experience with your crock pot, or if I'm doing something wrong. :D

Oreo Poke Cake

Good morning! Did you have a good weekend? Did you try anything new? :D

Today's recipe review is an Oreo® poke cake I found at The Country Cook. Now, remember when I promised that I'd tell you when I made substitutions? I had to do that with this one - but just the pudding.

Even though this cake was for a Stampin' Up!® event, I *knew* it would be around the house for a while. :D I mean, unless a whole lot more people showed up for my open house than I thought were going to! :D So, I decided to save the carbs and calories wherever I could. I did use milk for the pudding; I've been known to use almond milk and another low-carb milk, but didn't want to bother anyone's taste buds or tummies. :D

So, instead of the Oreo® pudding which *only* comes in fully-loaded sugar, I used sugar-free cheesecake pudding. Now, we make poke cakes all the time around here; a Jell-o® poke cake has been known to be my birthday cake. :D I have to tell you, this pudding set up faster than any I've done a poke cake with before, and I'm not sure WHY. As you can see, it didn't go all the way down into the channels I poked into the cake, but there was LOTS on top. :D

Because my pudding wasn't Oreo®, I decided to go ahead with the optional cookies on top. I only used about 10-12, and they were regular, so it wasn't a WHOLE lot more carbs. :D

Overall, I give this recipe a YES, PLEASE! It was yummy, and several people at the event commented on it - calling it "great" and "refreshing". :) Things that are GOOD to hear about your cake!

Try making this for some event where chocolate will score you points! :D Because it's made in two steps, you can bake off the cake one day and do the topping(s) the next. Let me know if you try this one! Have a wonderful, BLESSED day!

Zucchini Chips

Hi! So glad you've come back! :)

These are zucchini chips; I got the recipe from Vittles & Bits.

It's a super-easy recipe, especially if you use a mandolin to slice your zucchini, which I did.

However, I found that, for me and my oven, there was an incredibly thin line between "crunchy" and "burnt-tasting". They take a really long time to dry, and I thought about using our dehydrator to do them instead.

I still might do that in the future, but Maggie's original recipe says, " These are best eaten within a couple hours of removing from the oven, as they start to get chewy if left out." I *might* try it if someone blesses us with a lot of zucchini, but to me, these chips were a lot of effort for little pleasure. My chips were either chewy or half-crisp or too-crisp (read: burnt). They might be healthy, but they use a lot of resource for little pleasure.

So, I'm going to have to rate these a NO, THANKS. But let me know if you try the recipe, and what you think - and how you did them! :)

Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED!

Meatball Bubble Biscuits

Here's another YES, PLEASE! for you. With my tweaks, of course. :D

First, here's the original post from Kathie Cooks!

 Now, then. :D to do my variation, I decided I really didn't want to use BISCUIT. I mean, it cries out for real bread to me! So, I used a basic bread machine dough recipe, and substituted garlic salt for the regular salt. I just threw it into my machine to do the mixing, kneading, and rising for me while I did LOTS of other things.

From there, I did exactly what the original recipe called for; I pinched off little pieces of dough, and roughly shaped them into circles. Then tucked the half meatball and piece of cheese stick in.

The GOOD thing? These can be thrown into the fridge until you want to bake them off, my way. I took them out about 45 minutes before I wanted to bake them, so they could come up to room temp (or close, anyway). I got 25 out of my bread machine, so I needed 13 meatballs and four cheese sticks instead of the original recipe (I like more cheese!).

Just before throwing them into the oven for 20 minutes, I sprinkled the topping on.

They came out SO beautifully! And OH, are they good! And my way? You could make up a pan and throw them into the freezer, for an emergency meal - or to take to someone who needs a meal for any reason. Especially for a family with KIDS, this would be a HUGE blessing! You could take them freshly-baked, or include the topping mix and the how-to-finish. A salad, cookies, and you'd be DONE. :D

Anyway. My friend who is also an incredible cook was asking for the recipe, so I know my tweaks were good ones. :D It didn't take much longer, either, than the biscuit would have, because the machine did all the work! I HIGHLY recommend these!!!!!!!!!!!! Be sure and let me know if you try either one, the original or my tweak. :D Have FUN!

Welcome to my new blog!

I'm so glad you found me! :) My name is Lori, and I love to try new things - whether it's a new recipe, a new restaurant, or a new gadget. My hope is to try lots of things, and give you my opinions on them. That way, you have someone's viewpoint about things other than the creator's opinions! :) I'll be doing lots of recipes that I find on Pinterest; some of the photos look soooo good, but then they turn out kind of...odd? :D

Today, I'm reviewing the Strawberry Chocolate Nachos that can be found at Our Best Bites. I did tweak it a bit - and that's something you'll find out about me. I rarely use a recipe exactly as written. :D Anyway. Here's *my* picture of my strawberry chocolate nachos!

This recipe gets my YES, PLEASE! rating! Let me tell you my tweaks, and then I'll tell you why I enjoyed it so much - although LOOK AT IT. :D

First, I'm a diabetic. Whenever possible, I'm going to lower the carb count or sugar content - but I will never compromise on taste, so if it's going to be REAL something, I'll tell you. If I change it, I'll tell you. :)

With that said: I used lower-carb tortillas (probably a review coming up on them! :D). I used real butter to brush on the tortillas; I used baking Splenda and cinnamon to sprinkle on them. Fresh strawberries, semi-sweet chocolate chips and vegetable oil (surprisingly, a few chocolate chips have a pretty low carb count!), and real whipped cream.

Oh, GOODNESS. Was this ever YUMMY! It doesn't take too many chips to satisfy, either; six chips topped with two diced strawberries, a scant tablespoon of melted chocolate, and a dollop of whipped cream on each was a great breakfast one day, a cooling, satisfying dessert the next.

Let me know if you try this out! :) I think you're going to LOVE it - and so will anyone you decide to share your nachos with. :)