Tasty Tuesday- Easy BBQ Chicken

Y’all know I love quick and easy recipes!

Here is one of the quickest I know {and one I frequently fall back on when short on time and ingredients}

Ingredients

bag of frozen chicken breasts

1 bottle BBQ sauce

1/2 C. italian dressing

1/2 tsp. chili powder

Directions

Mix the last three ingredients.  Place chicken in a baking dish.  Pour the BBQ sauce mixture over the chicken.

Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes, until chicken is cooked and juices run clear.

So easy and good!

What is your favorite go to recipe?

This post is linked to

Things to do in the Panhandle~ January 6-8, 2012

It definitely feels like winter in the Panhandle!  But, don’t let the cold wind stop you from enjoying time with your family this weekend.  Here are a few things going on in the area that all ages can enjoy.

• Cartoon Fest. Weinberg Center for the Arts, Frederick, MD.  Saturday 1/7 at 2pm. Adults $7, Kids $5.  Contact info@weinbergcenter.org for more information or to purchase tickets.
• Bath-Romney 150th Civil War Commemoration.  Berkeley Springs State Park.  Saturday and Sunday, 1/7-1/8.  10am-10pm on Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sunday.  Free.  For more information visit www.bathromneycampaign.webs.com.

Also, if you and the hubby are looking for a date night idea, consider attending Taste of the Panhandle.  Saturday, January 21st at 6pm.  Want2Dish in Frederick has written a great article about the event.  Tickets are limited so if you are interested in attending reserve your ticket(s) today by emailing me at kmelissasmallwood@gmail.com.

Tasty Tuesday~ Open Apple Pie with a cinnamon roll crust

I saw the concept of using refrigerated cinnamon rolls as a pie crust first on Pinterest.  The pin was attached to a recipe for sweet potato pie, which I am not that fond of.

My daughter was home from college the last few weeks and begging me to make an apple pie.  So, I decided to use the refrigerated cinnamon rolls and improvised my normal apple pie recipe.  We ended up with a yummy open faced apple pie with a sweet, soft cinnamon roll crust.

Ingredients:

• 8 apples, peeled and sliced
• 2/3 C sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1 can refrigerated cinnamon rolls

1. Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon and cloves.  Toss until all coated.
2. Spread each cinnamon roll up the sides of a pie plate, you should have one remaining to spread thin and form the bottom crust.

3.  Add the apples to the crust.

4.  Slice butter over top of apples.

5.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until apples are fork tender.

6.  Drizzle with icing packet from cinnamon rolls and serve warm.

Heavenly!!!

What recipe have you experimented with lately?

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday.

Tasty Tuesday- Candied Orange Cake

One Christmas a sweet friends grandmother made the BEST cake I have ever tasted.

It has the orange slice candy you can get for a dollar at the dollar store!!

I found a similar recipe on About.com and wanted to share it with you.

Ingredients:

Image via Wikipedia

• 2 sticks (8 ounces) margarine
• 4 eggs
• 16 ounces orange slice candy
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 small can (3 1/2 ounces) coconut
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• pinch salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 16 ounces chopped dates
• Glaze:
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250°. Melt margarine and let cool. Cream sugar and cooled margarine. Add 1 egg at a time and beat well. Add buttermilk, soda, flour and salt to the mixture and beat. Add chopped dates, coconut, nuts and candy. Bake in greased and floured tube pan for 2 1/2 hours.

Glaze: Mix 1 cup orange juice and 1 cup sugar and pour over cake while cake is hot.

Granted, with two sticks of butter, buttermilk and sugar it is not the healthiest of holiday treats, but it is OH SO YUMMY!

Have you ever tasted this cake?  What is your favorite holiday dessert?

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday.

Tasty Tuesday- Hot Cinnamon Cider

I hope y’all had a very Happy Thanksgiving and took the time to count your blessings.  I consider each reader a true blessing and thank you for reading Eastern Panhandle Moms and being a part of this community.

Okay, enough with the sappy stuff

Our tradition is to decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving.  We got out our artificial tree {I am allergic to the real thing} and discovered the tree stand is broken.  My wonderful hubby found a replacement at Wally World last night.  We made our hot cider {this year with a twist} and set about decorating the tree.

Normally, I heat up apple cider with a spice mix from the store and we have mulled cider while we decorate the Christmas tree.  We have friends visiting though and she taught me a very simple way to add yummy flavor to cider.

Secret ingredient?

Now, I must warn you we could not find the Red Hots at our local Walmart.  We found them at Dollar General in Shepherdstown.

You simply heat the cider with half a bag of these yummy cinnamon candies until the candies are dissolved.  It does turn the cider a little reddish, but tastes yummy.

Here is what ours looked like:

It was sooo good.

What is part of your Christmas decorating tradition?

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday.

Tasty Tuesday~ Easy Pumpkin Cake

I love pumpkin!

Pumpkin spice lattes, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and pumpkin cake!

Obviously, this is one of my favorite times of year for cooking and baking!

Today, I wanted to share an easy recipe for a delicious cake using canned pumpkin and yellow cake mix as the base ingredients.

Easy Pumpkin Cake

2 15 oz. cans 100% pumpkin

4 eggs

1 13 oz can evaporated milk

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 package yellow cake mix

1 C. margarine, melted

1 C chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix pumpkin, eggs, milk and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.
3. Pour into a 9 x 13 cake pan.
4. Mix the nuts and cake mix.
5. Crumble over the top of mixture in the cake pan.
6. Pour melted butter evenly over top.
7. Bake for 1 hour.
8. Cool and cut into small bars.

So, so good!  Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe?

Tasty Tuesday~ Easy Focaccia

Here is a quick and easy way to make tomato focaccia bread at home!

Ingredients :

1 tube refrigerated pizza crust

2 TB. olive oil

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried rosemary

dash of salt {I use coarse sea salt}

2 to 3 plum tomatoes, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1. Unroll pizza crust onto a greased baking sheet.
2. Combine the oil, seasonings and 1 tsp. of rosemary and spread over pizza crust.
3. Top with tomatoes and onion.  Sprinkle remaining rosemary on top.
4. bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and slice in rectangles for serving.

Do you have a favorite quick and easy recipe?

Halloween Safety Tips for Parents

Special thanks to the California Poison Control System for providing us with these tips!

1.      Many parents purchase glow-in-the-dark jewelry and glow sticks to keep their children visible while trick-or-treating in the dark.  Children may break open these glow sticks and get the liquid on their hands and in their mouths.  The liquid can be mildly irritating to the skin or eyes but is not likely to cause harm if a small amount is ingested.
2.      Tell children not to eat treats until they return home and all items have been inspected by an adult.
3.      Limit the amount of candy ingested at one time.  Too much candy can cause stomach discomfort, and sugars and other sweeteners can act as laxatives when consumed in large amounts.
4.      If your child brings home a brand of candy that you are unfamiliar with, throw it away.  Some imported candies have high levels of lead that can be harmful.
5.      Candy that is unwrapped should be discarded immediately.
6.      Fruit treats should be washed and cut open before being eaten.
7.      Homemade treats should be discarded unless you know and trust the individuals who prepared them.
8.      Small pieces of candy are potential choking hazards for small children.
9.      Torn, loose, or punctured wrapping may be a sign of tampering. If you suspect tampering, this should be reported to local police.
10.     Commercially produced candy may sometimes have color variation, lumps, or powdered sugar residue – all normal effects of the manufacturing and shipping process. To see photos of candy with these normal effects, go to http://www.candyusa.com/IndustryResources/PRdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=1247.  This candy is generally safe to eat as long as the packaging does not show signs of tampering.

Have fun and stay safe tonight!!!

Tasty Tuesday~ Crockpot Beef Stew

Fall is in the air.  Crisp air, changing leaves..the Panhandle is a beautiful place this time of year, isn’t it?

And, fall makes me want comfort foods like soups and stews.

Here is my go-to recipe for beef stew that will warm your stomach and make your house smell good all day!

Crockpot Beef Stew:

1 lb. stew beef {I actually buy any beef cut on sale and cut it up myself and freeze to save money}

6 potatoes, washed and diced in large cubes

1 onion, cut in wedges

3 stalks celery, washed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces

1 bag of baby carrots

1 bay leaf {remove before serving}

1 pkg. beef stew seasoning

1 large can V-8 juice

1 cup. water

1. Dredge stew beef in flour and brown in a small amount of olive oil for 2-3 minutes {doesn’t need to be fully cooked}
2. Pour V-8 juice and water into crockpot.  Add seasoning and bay leaf and stir well.
3. Add meat and veggies.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
5. Serve with cornbread or biscuits.

What is your favorite autumn meal?

Tasty Tuesday~ Taco Dip

It is football season!  I don’t know if that means anything in your house but it certainly means Sunday afternoons full of football, yummy snacks and family time.

Here is an oldie but a goodie recipe from my album that the family enjoys…

Taco Dip

1 can {I use fat free} refried beans

3 medium avocados, peeled and diced

1 TB. lemon juice

1 TB. lime juice

1 C. sour cream

1 C. mayonnaise

1 pkg. taco seasoning {or 4 TB. fiesta seasoning from Tastefully Simple, that is what I use}

1 C. grated cheddar cheese

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 can sliced black olives, drained

1. Use a deep dish or platter as this is a layered dip.
2. Spoon the refried beans on the bottom of the dish {1st layer}
3. In a blender, blend the avocados, lemon and lime juice.  Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste.
4. Use the avocado mixture for layer 2.
5. Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise and taco seasoning.
6. Use the sour cream mixture as layer 3.
7. Sprinkle the cheese, tomatoes and black olives on top.

Serve with crackers {my kids like wheat thins with this} and tortilla chips.

What is one of your favorite football snacks?

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