Queso Fundido

Queso Fundido

​This is a really true Mexican recipe. I've served this to guests and they look at me like what in the world are you doing? But then once they taste it we never have enough to satisy everyone at the table. This is the perfect compliment to my tortilla soup recipe. It has been by far the biggest "winner" recipe I've posted. People love it. Well wait until you pair it with some queso fundido, thats "melted cheese". This is so simple it really isn't a recipe. All you do is melt some cheese in a little bit of olive oil until it's golden bubbly then slap it into a warm flour tortilla. OMgeeze. It's good. The first time I ever ate this I was probably 19 years old in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico. Our neighbors who were so shocked to have a super young, super white couple living next to them invited us out to a smancy fancy steakhouse. I still remember not knowing if I was dressed appropriately. He was an engineer for an american oil company, she was a dignified "Latin " lady who was raising her children. I grew to love Santiago, and especially Yolanda so very much. I mean why wouldn't you love them? They were warm, hostpitable, friendly and they introduced us to Queso Fundido at the Rancho Viejo. It was love at first taste. ​Here's how you do this thing, Get a little iron skillet. Turn your oven on 400. Get ready to sing " I just died in your arms tonight!" when you taste this!

 

 

I've had this tiny little castiron skillet for awhile. It's traveled the world, literally. From way back when I first got married. Awww. It's 25 years old. Still in good shape! Now, grab some olive oil while the oven is heating up.. and drizzle it into your skillet just like this!​

 

 

 

Now you need to grab your cheese. A good white mexican cheese. Down south we used Queso Oaxaca but you can't really find that here in our gringolandia. So I choose a Cacique Quesadilla or Queso Manchego, or Chihuhua. Just a good meltable white mexican cheese. Or if you can't find it montery jack works just as good. Now chop that cheese up and filler to the brim!

 

 

Now once you've got the skillet full ( as you can see I added some italian cheese I had in the fridge too. Just pop it in the oven and keep an eye on it. This goes fast. You need to have your tortillas warm and ready and some good red salsa too. Have it and your "eaters" on stand by cause you want to eat this immediately so the cheese is all melty. Watch it for about 15 minutes. Once it gets good and bubbly, and slightly golden get ready to pull it out. On your mark, get set, make a cheese "taco" and EAT! Now savor that. Wow, nothing else compares. It just whoops the dog out of a quesadilla in my opinion. MMMM now that's MUY Bueno! Try this and tell me what ya'll think. And I so miss my friends. We spent 6 great years together. Thank God for people like them that took us in and became family to us!

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

One of our favorite things is when summer suddenly waves it's last goodbye and the temps fall. The briskness in the air excites everyone in our neighborhood! This week we had a little cold snap and everyone rejoiced! I decided it was the perfect night to make a pot of our favorite soup. I threw on my sweats and ran to the store. To my amazement it was packed with women in sweats! I guess we are all wanting the seasons to change! I love the changing of the seasons. It reminds me that God never gives up on us and when things seem the darkest we can be surprised by a sudden change that only He can give. It's the good little things in life that bring joy. For our family this soup does that. My newly wedded daughter Bekah loves to make this for her new hubby, and he appreciates it. Although the ingredients seem far from authentic, the taste you get with this is the real deal. It's all about the preparation. Follow closely for some really good soup- that taste just like they make it down in my homeland of VeraCruz. So Kim, thank you for planting the idea of making this! Hubby is coming home today to finish the last little bit at lunch. ​

 

Here are your cast of ingredients. I didn't add chopped avocado but the soup does require it..I just didn't remember to pull it out. It smelled so good I got distracted!​

Ingredients​

1.5 pound chicken breast tenderloins​
1/4 white onion, chopped​
1 tbsp minced garlic​
2 tbsp olive oil​
2 cans Hatch Fire Roasted Tomato Enchilada Sauce​. if not available any red sauce will work
1 quart boxed chicken broth​
1 quart boxed beef broth ( yes it needs this)​
1 can Mexican Stewed tomatoes​
1/8 tsp red pepper​
1/2 tsp cumin​
1/2 lime ​
Baked tortilla strips or corn chips​
Mexican Cheese, cilantro, cubed avocado, sour cream​, skiced limes

In a large pot, add the olive oil and heat on medium. Saute your onion and garlic in oil til soft but not brown. Raise the heat to high and add the cans of enchilada sauce. Fry it in the oil about 4 -5 minutes until the color is darker and it boils. This is called a sofrito and is the key to this recipe. After 5 minutes add the 2 quarts of broth. Bust up the tomatoes with a knife so they aren't whole. I do this in the can. Add to soup. Add 1 1/2 cans of water to the soup. Add the spices. Bring to a boil then turn to medium heat. The longer this simmers the better it is but basically after 15 minutes you can add your chicken if you are in a hurry. Let the chicken cook for about 15 minutes or until it's done then remove and cool to shred. At this point squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime in the broth and let simmer another 5-10 minutes.
Shred your chicken. If you want to bake your own tortilla strips turn oven on 400. Brush the front and back of each corn tortilla with olive oil then slice into strips. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10-15 or browned. Watch them cause they burn easily. I used to do this but now we just crush some corn chips in our bowl. It's the same thing. Not as healty but easier. ​
Prepare your garnishes, mexican cheese, chopped cilantro, sliced limes, cubed avocado, and sour cream. ​
To serve, Add tortilla chips to the bowl, a serving of chicken and ladle broth over. Add garnishes as desired. I love cheese, lime, cilantro and sour cream. Eat and be amazed at how delectable this dish is. This is the real version, not americanized

Step by step photo tutorial​

Saute the veggies and fry the enchilada sauce. ​Fry the sauce for 5 minutes then add the broths and all the spices.

 

Next you need to bust up the Mexican stewed tomatoes. I do this with a knife in the can. If they are still too big I use my spoon in the pot to bash em up a bit!​

Just throw them into the pot. Now at this point you have to make a decision. 1. Am I in a hurry? 2. Do I want the best soup?? This can be finished quickly but if you have time to simmer this broth for about an hour or more it will make a better soup. The slow long simmer gives it time to mingle and meld. But if you are in a hurry it's still fantastic . So you decide which option and follow it. Bring soup back to a boil and add the chicken tenderloins. Don't over cook them . 15 minutes should be enough. Take them out of the soup and set aside.​

Get your garnishes ready. Wash and chop the cilantro, cube the avocado, slice the limes while the chicken is cooling. Get the table set and pull out your bowls. You must add cheese to this soup! It's obligatory! I prefer the authentic Mexican cheese, white blend. But the Colby/jack Mexican blend works. All a matter of taste. Of course, you need a dab of sourcream. MMM. that makes its smooth and velvety! In Mexico they add crema, but you can't find that here. So sour cream works! Now let's continue on. The smell of this simmering makes me weak in the knees!​
​Now is the moment you take that half of a lime and squeeze it into the soup broth. This needs about 10-15 minutes so this is the perfect point to get that lime in there.

The chicken should be cool by now. You want to shred it in bite size pieces. You decide the size of your bites. Our's look like this ( see the picture) I keep the chicken out of the soup. I just hate it getting rubbery. Now get your bowls. The moment you've been waiting for is here. Crunch up some tortilla chips or strips in your bowl. Pile in the chicken to your liking. Add the broth. Add garnishes, cheese, sour cream, avocado, lime, ​cilantro. You gotta hurry cause you don't want soggy soup. So be ready to sit down and eat immediately once you serve it. Say the blessin' and enjoy this. It's one of the finest things in life. I love the Aztecs for this one thing! Let me know how you like it. BTW, if you are traveling in Mexico this soup is called different names in various places. Look for sopa de tortilla, caldo tlapeno or sopa azteca. And then get back with me on how close to the original mine is! Provecho! Happy Eating!

 

Fried Eggs like Grandma made

Hubb​y and son in law both love fried eggs. Something so simple shouldn't be so hard right? I've been amazed at how many women won't even try because they've had bad luck. It's a simple skill. But it can be hard to get a good fried egg! One thing you must do is use fresh eggs. And butter. A pretty good bit. I use my cast iron skillet. Around here we aren't so worried about how pretty the egg is just as long as its cooked the way my boys like. Hubby likes his fried over medium. Son thinks he likes sunny side up? I always make them over medium basically. Here's a break down of the egg terminology!

A style known simply as 'fried' — eggs are fried on both sides with the yolks broken until set or hard.
Over well', also called 'over hard' or 'hard' — cooked on both sides until the yolk has solidified.
'Over medium' — cooked on both sides; the yolk is of medium consistency and the egg white is thoroughly cooked.
'Over easy', also called 'runny' — cooked on both sides; the yolk is a thin liquid, while the egg white is partially cooked. "Over easy" fried eggs are also commonly referred to as dippy eggs or dip eggs
​
'Sunny side up' — cooked only on one side; yolk is liquid (the oil or fat may be used to baste the sunny side, however.) The egg white is often still rather runny as well. This is often known simply as 'eggs up'. Covering the frying pan with a lid during cooking allows for a less "runny" egg, and is an alternate method to flipping for cooking an egg over easy (this is occasionally called 'sunny side down').

 

The only way to really learn how to fry eggs is to keep practicing. Here's how I do mine!​ Doesn't this make you hungry! We love Saturday big brunch.

Here's the ingredients! Super simple and of course, salt and pepper before serving!​

Now grab a great cast iron skillet that's well seasoned. Heat it dry. Then add a touch of cooking spray and some butter. Heat the skillet over low medium. Don't get it too hot or you will have brown butter. Not good. The egg doesn't need to float in the butter but almost. So it doesn't stick. like this! ​

 

You want to crack your egg gently and put it in a saucer. You have to be careful once it's in the skillet.. Don't move it with a spatula until the edges are quite set, then gently move it around. I flip hot butter over the top of the egg if I'm going to do them sunny side up so the yolk gets cooked. ​

​You can tell at this point.. probably 2 minutes or so that the edges are set. At this point cover with a lid if you want sunny side up and let them steam for a few minutes, or if you prefer over medium slide the spatula under the egg, gently but don't hesitate. Lift it up and carefully flip it over. Try to do this in one motion. Not too fast, but don't pitty patter either. Then flip. Hopefully your yolk didn't bust. If it did, at this point you can scramble that egg or just chunk it and start over! But mine didn't bust so, we march forward. Let it keep cooking about another 1-2 minutes until the egg is at the consistency you want. I put mine on paper towels to drain them for just a second then gently slide them onto the plate of the lucky person who is getting to eat them. I always fry 1 egg at time. You need room in your skillet to flip and so the whites don't stick to each other. Below you will see this is an over medium egg. Just the way hubby likes them. Once you have mastered biscuits and fried eggs you are a true Southernbelle! Yum. I love to put a slice of american cheese on my fried eggs! FYI. In case you ever cook them for me be sure you have cheese!

 

Salsa and Cream Cheese Dip - game day snack!

So it's football season again! Lots of fun games this weekend. LSU, Rebels, ULM beating Arkansas, high school football. Oh it's all football this time of year around our house. So Saturday we needed a quick treat while watching the game. Ok, so while hubby was watching the game. I went on the patio with my super pups to get away for a bit. I had been working on cooking like a monsoon for the weekend. I did, dishes everywhere but we ate good. Sometimes you don't have time to make a huge snack. This is a ​super simple family favorite my youngest daughter lovingly refers to as "Bird Dip" more into why later. Anyway unless you are making it for breast cancer awareness month the pink tone isn't that fabulous. It tastes great tho.
I do apologize, hubs was starved and I didn't have time to snap the ingredients but its so simple you truly can't mess this one up.

Ingredients:​

1 block cream cheese ( low fat works as well as regular)​
1 jar of salsa, any kind you like but tomato based ( I use Pace's medium)​
1 bag of corn chips to accompany.​

DIRECTIONS:

Now just soften the cream cheese, pour in about 3/4s of a regular jar of chunky salsa, and take your potato masher or a fork and smush it up until its mixed with kind of chunky pieces of cheese that resemble ​hunks of cream cheese. Then eat it. Just that simple.





​My loving youngest daughter Rebekah named this Bird dip because it's so ugly she said it looks like something a bird would feed it's babies out of her throat. That doesn't stop her or any of us from eating it though! You really should try it though it's delicious. Simple, easy, one -two-three. I always laugh when I fix this for company because you have to coax them to take the first bite then you have to beat them away with a stick.

​I appreciate all my new followers being so patient and encouraging with me. I've had to learn a a lot in a short time. Please thank my hubby because now it takes twice as long for me to cook while I snap picture after picture with my new Nikon D5100 . Hubby and my mom went in and helped me get this fabulous camera. Now I'm working on my photography skills . Hopefully I'm getting better. Ya'll have a great week! Keep up the Sass! Big hugs!
 

BBQ chopped beef sandwiches

 

Now if you are lucky you had enough roast leftover for another meal. We had plenty of roast but ​not much gravy for po-boys. The men and the ladies loved that gravy! So I decided we should not let the roast go to waste. I had just enough left to make us some bbq sandwiches for supper! Woot! I love easy meals. My mom always made us BBQ sandwiches as kids, and I still love them even today. So this isn't really a recipe per say. It's just thinking smart. If you don't want to eat it right away, make up the bbq chopped beef with the sauce and freeze it for later. It works just fine. We opted to have a chill night and watch the Voice! Sometime simple just works! Here's how I made my sandwiches!

All you need is some BBQ sauce, your roast, and a little water. Just chop your roast up pretty good. . Add it to a pot with about 1/2 cup of water and pour in that BBQ sauce. I go for it! At least 1 cup maybe 2. I put a lid on and let it come to a boil then lower the heat and simmer the meat in the sauce about 15 mins on the lowest heat. It's ready. Just pop it on a warm bun and open up the tater chips! ​A simple quick meal - much better than hitting up the drive thru! It's Sassy!

 

The Best Sunday Crockpot Roast

I love my crockpot. Even though I work from home I still use this handy little piece of electric ingenuity fairly often. Especially on Sundays. We used to eat out after church but lately we've just been doing a lot more "nesting". Coming home, kicking off our shoes, getting comfy and enjoying a home cooked meal with the kids on Sunday afternoon is a joy. It's the simple things in life that mean the most. This roast recipe is one of them. It just exudes homey. Hubby told me he couldn't sleep the night I plugged this in because the delicious aroma kept waking him up. It smelled divine. I knew from the smell it would be a keeper. The menfolk loved this. It's so simple it's embarrassing! The gravy is incredibly delicious. Get a really large roast, because you can do po-boys with au jus or barbecue sandwiches with the left overs. ​I originally saw a similar recipe on Pinterest but decided to tweak it to what I knew our family would like. Besides we sure don't need a whole stick of butter on top of that gravy!

 

 

Here are the humble ingredients that made our Sunday fabulous even though our Saints lost!​

Ingredients:​

​1- 4 to 5 pound beef roast any kind. Chuck is best tho!
1 packet Italian Dressing​
1 packet Ranch Dressing​
​1-2 packets brown gravy mix
1 onion, chopped into quarters​
3-4 large russet potatoes peeled and quartered​
4 carrots​, peeled and chopped in 2 inch rounds
​1 cup water
Rinse off the roast and pat dry. Mix up your seasoning packets in one cup of water, til well blended. Peel and quarter your​ potatoes, carrots and chop the onion. Place the roast on the bottom of the crockpot. Pour the seasonings with water over the roast. Place the veggies on top of the roast. Cover and cook in the crockpot on low overnight or until roast is falling apart.
​

Here are some step by step photos to show exactly how easy this is! This will catch a man girls! Just thought you might like that info! ;)​

Rinse your roast, place in crock pot. Pour the seasonings in a bowl and mix with one cup water. Get out the lumps! Whip it! Whip it Good! ah Devo moment sorry! Peel your veggies, and quarter.

 

Now pour the gravy blend over the roast and arrange all the veggies on top of the roast. Some people prefer to put them in the last 3-4 hours of cooking but I've always just thrown them in from the get go. No problems there! ​

Now plug up your crockpot and put it on the low setting. Make sure the lid is on tightly. I start mine about midnight the night before if we are going to eat it for lunch the next day. If you want it for supper start it at 9 am or so and it should be perfect. WARNING! THE SMELL OF THIS COOKING IS TORTURE. SERIOUSLY!! ​ Shred the roast, and place it all on a beautiful platter. Pour up the gravy in a bowl and serve. I made some white rice and rolls and this was a perfect meal! Please pin this post on your FB wall or Pinterest by using the buttons at the bottom of this post! Big hugs!

 

Southern Sweet Tea

Ok, so here's the truth. I am a tea snob. Very seldom can I order sweet tea when dining in a restaurant and enjoy it. Tea should be silky, sweet and smooth. To me there is nothing more disappointing than strong , over brewed tea. It's awful. Tea is a tender thing. A delicate approach must be taken. I'm going to teach you how to make true southern sweet tea. The secret to a perfect pitcher of tea is not to boil the tea bags. You ruin the tea when you do that. It tastes bitter and burnt. Good tea must be done with patience although it is a very simple process. Sweet tea is supposed to be sweet ya'll! At our house we are either going to drink sweet tea made sweet, or we will do unsweet tea and sweeten it with sweet and lo. Now ya'll don't start fussing at me about how much sugar is in my tea. My boys like it that way. We don't keep sweet tea at our house, it's not a daily occurrence . But if I'm making sweet tea, baby it's gonna be right. Here's the low down. First of all get good tea bags. To make a gallon of sweet tea I use 2 Luzianne Family Size tea bags. You must have a designated tea boiler ( ha .. I do!)​

You really don't have to, but I do. I know just how much water to put in it to make the perfect amount of tea for a gallon. Grab a small boiler, and bring about 3 cups of water to a rolling boil. DO NOT- I REPEAT, DO NOT ADD YOUR TEA BAGS BEFORE THE WATER IS BOILING!​ That's wrong. Like cussing in church. It's just not right ya'll. You can't do that. Ya hear me? Don't you do it. Once your water is rolling nice and hot..throw in your 2 tea bags ( family sized) and poke them under the water. Here's the tricky part. Keep on the stove for 1 minute. No longer.

 

See my pretty tea boiler. It's the only one I use. Now keep an eye on that tea. Turn the heat off after it has boiled one minute. Cover it with a tight lid and let the tea steep. That's what makes it perfect. If you boil the tea too much it becomes bitter because of the tannins. So you coax the tea out not boil it to death. If you are in a hurry the tea can be poured up after about 15 minutes but the longer it sits the better it'll be. Ya'll didnt know that did ya? So always start your tea for supper ( dinner to you yankee's ) at the beginning of your prep time for a meal. Here's what the tea should be doing while you are cooking.. steeping gently on a warm burner.

Now grab a one gallon pitcher and put in 2 cups of regular white granulated sugar. Once your tea has steeped for a long time, pour it into the pitcher and fill with water. Mix well with a spon and cool in the fridge. That is the best tea you will ever taste. Ya'll come pour you a glass and lets sit out on the back porch and watch the sun set. We have the best view of the sunsets here at our new house. Tell me how this works for you. Simple but people can tell if you are a real Sassybelle by the way you make that tea . I promise! Stay Sassy ya'll!​

Ingredients:

2 family size black tea bags, Luzianne is my preference​
2 cups of sugar​
​1 gallon of water
Bring 3 cups of water to a rolling boil, add tea bags. Poke under the water and boil for exactly one minute. Turn off heat and steep 15 mins or more on warm burner covered. Add 2 cups of sugar to a 1 gallon pitcher. Once tea has steeped add sugar and tea , mix. Fill with water and mix again. Cool in Fridge. Makes one gallon of southern sweet tea.​

Sassy Aprons- Things I love!

​I'm so excited to become an affiliate for Jessie Steel! I absolutely just adore their products. Jessie Steel makes many cute, girly, feminine aprons that are actually apparel not just any old apron. I can't wait for ya'll to see all the neat things they have. They actually carry pajamas, oven mitts, mommy and me apron sets, etc. Just so many cute things!!! If ya'll play your cards right we might even have to giveaway one of these beauties before too long. I've got my eye on several different styles. Not sure which I'll go for first. Here are a few of my favorites!

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This is the cottage rose collection! Isn't it adorable! You cant help but smile if you were cooking in this!

is is the Courtney style in Zebra. These are very cool products!​ For "Z" ultimate hostess! Zebra print with pink bias, removable pink flower, and ruffled bottom. Functional front pocket with pink button and fully adjustable ties at neck and waist.

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Or I really love the color and style of the Josephine.. this is so girly and feminine. It would go great with my lipstick . I think the hubs wouldn't mind a stay in date night with this little apron! ​

I'd love to hear which is your favorite! today I'm working on art. So we are eating leftovers. It's all good. I got the go ahead from the hubster! Stay Sassy ya'll​

How to stock your pantry!

How to stock your pantry- simple list

I'm an avid cook so I keep my pantry fairly well stocked at all times. I'm amazed at how so many people don't have a "pantry stock"! This is the key to being able to pull the rabbit out of the hat when life throws you a curve ball. You can find a ton of printable lists on the internet with so many different items - but I'm going to give you my simple lists of items I stock. Some of the things I absolutely must have you may not need. Realize this is just a suggestion, not a hard core set in stone list. For example, I hate english peas. So you won't find 5 cans of them in my pantry, etc. We will also go over how to stock your fridge and freezer in later blog posts

BAKING ITEMS
All-purpose flour
Wheat flour
Granulated sugar
Powdered sugar
Brown sugar
Baking powder
Baking soda
Cream of tartar
Yeast
Salt (kosher and table)
Corn meal
Corn starch
Cocoa
Vanilla extract
Olive oil
Canola oil
Spices
Honey
Molasses
Powdered milk
Sweetened condensed milk
Evaporated milk
Chocolate chips
Baker’s chocolate (unsweetened, semi-sweet and sweetened)
Nuts
Food coloring

​

Dried Goods
Cereal
Oatmeal
Beans (kidney, black, pinto, etc.)
Rice
Raisins

Pasta & Grains
Rice
Dried pasta (spaghetti, elbow, lasagna, etc.)
Lentils
Popcorn
​Canned & Jarred Goods
Chicken broth
Beef broth
Vegetable broth
Beans
Tomato sauce
Tomato paste
Tomatoes, stewed
Tomatoes, crushed
Tomatoes, whole
Pumpkin puree
Applesauce
Canned fruits and vegetables
Soup
Canned meats (tuna, salmon, chicken, etc.)
​
Condiments
Ketchup
Dijon mustard
Yellow mustard
Mayonnaise
Salad dressing
Barbeque sauce
Salsa
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce
Maple syrup
White vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Wine vinegar
Pickles
Jam
Jelly
Peanut butter
​
Herbs & Spices
Basil
Thyme
Oregano
Marjoram
Rosemary
Sage
Parsley
Savory
Coriander
Garlic
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Cloves, ground
Allspice
Nutmeg
Ginger, ground
Cinnamon
Cumin
Black pepper
Dill
Bay leaves
Chili powder
Dry mustard

Obviously you shouldn't go out and buy this all at once but it is a good list to have. I'd also throw in some enchilada sauces, rotel, taco seasoning, paprika, liquid smoke etc. But this gives you a basic idea. Watch your local sales papers and stock up on things you use a lot. That way you will not have to constantly run to the store when it's time to cook. Hope this is useful​!

Angel's Vodka Pasta

I saw Rachael Ray make something kinda like this the other day on tv. I don't know if it's the geographical difference in food tastes but I'm not a terribly huge fan. I saw this dish and thought hmm I'm gonna do this my way. Here's my interpretation of a vodka pasta recipe. My Way.. I did it my way.. hear that music as you read this. Ok well here goes.. btw, the men folk around here ate this but said , aw just fix your spaghetti and meat sauce next time. I must tell the truth. bah. Not what you want to hear after you've spent that much time cooking. But at least they are good honest feedback. I still thought this was fab enough to share the recipe.

Ingredients:

​1 pkg turkey sausage

1 small pkg ground beef, I subbed venison​

1/2 onion chopped​

2 tsp garlic chopped​

1 tbsp butter​

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil​

3 cups dried pasta or 1 lrg package I did macaroni​

​1 cup chicken broth

1 cup vodka ​

1 cup half and half​

1 can 28 0z crushed tomatoes​

1 can 14.5 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes , drained​

1/2 can tomato paste​

1/2 tsp salt, black pepper​

pinch of red pepper flakes​

2 tbps fresh chopped basil​

1 - 2 cups grated parmesan cheese​

​Saute your onions in the butter, add garlic and cook 2 minutes until sweated but not brain. Brown your meats and drain. Start your water boiling for your pasta and add salt and olive oil.

Add your meats back to the skillet and add your broth and vodka, along with all the tomato ingredients and salt and pepper,, and red pepper flakes.​ Simmer together for about 20 mins on medium low heat so vodka cooks off.

​Cook the pasta according to package directs, al dente and drain. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350F

Add the basil to the meat sauce and let cook for 4 minutes, then add the cream. Cook on medium for an additional 5 minutes and let cool.​ Let sauce rest 5-10 minutes or if you want to serve later- mix pasta and noodles together ( This is what I did then cooked the following day after church as a casserole) Serve or if preferred turn into a greased large casserole pan and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 20 minutes on 350 or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

 

 

First steps are get those veggies nice and done.. See.. don't burn em brown. Just cooked through. Now add both meats and brown. Be sure you drain under hot water to take off the extra grease ( health tip ) shake off excess water. Put meat back in same skillet. Now add the broth, vodka, and all the tomato products. Add a little water if you need it. Season with salt and peppers. Let simmer 20 mins or so on medium heat.

 

Now it's getting time to get your oven heated at 350 and to boil that pasta. Get the water to a rolling bowl, add salt and olive oil. Cook the noodles according to package directions, about 6-8 minutes for al dente. Drain and set aside.

P​ut in the basil. Look how pretty. This is the magic. Yum. Well that and the vodka. Just get the teensy one. No big vodkas--ya heard me? ok. Then simmer it for a few more minutes. Get out a casserole dish or plates depending how you want to serve it. I made this the day before and served it after church the next day. Easy. ​

​Look how pretty the sauce gets! Add your cream and it will turn this color. Looks gorgeous all put together. This made a huge pan for us. After you've cooked the cream for a few minutes over low medium heat let the sauce rest. Then pour your sauce into your drained noodles and put into a greased casserole dish. Pour the cheese on top!​

Now my Sassy Belles and Beauxs this is a thing of beauty. Oh yes. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Man does it smell good, get in my belly great while it's cooking. Just get it nice and golden brown and you are gonna be the queen of the castle or king of the hill! check out the final finished product. They wiped it out so fast I didn't get to get a plate pic. Now you know that's good! ;)​

 

Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon

 

I love green beans. I do. After asparagus and potatoes, my favorite veggie. I keep bags of frozen green beans on hand in my pantry, wait I mean in my freezer. I love them sauteed. Or with new potatoes and boiled in broth. Here's a quick little way to serve up some killer green beans thats lightening fast and tastes so good. Sorry I didn't get the ingredients photographed for you. I just forgot. I'm still learning ! Give me credit. It's hard to remember to stop and take a picture of each step. Too hard. Sometimes it slips my mind. A whole lot slips my mind but I just blame it on being an artist.​

Ingredients:​

1 bag frozen green beans​

​2 slices chopped raw hickory smoked bacon
1 tsp minced garlic​
​1/2 tsp salt, and coarse ground black pepper
​1 tbsp. Light soy sauce
​Get out a nice iron skillet, and heat it up. Add your chopped bacon and saute until nice and crispy. Throw in the garlic, and keep stirring while your beans get nice and thawed and really green. Add the salt and pepper. At this point they should just begin wilting a tad. Not much. I like them to keep the crunch. Pour in soy sauce and cook another 2 mins. This will smoke, keep stirring. Delicious . I also do broccoli this way and its great as well. Here's how it looks plated! Let me know what you think of this recipe! It's yummmy!!! If you like this please hit the share button. Don't forget to enter the contest on FaceBook! Happy weekend ya'll

 

Easy Agave Balsamic Chicken Breasts

 

​Ok, so I've accidentally cancelled this blog entry 3 times today. What gives? ugh sometimes I just feel like throwing watermelons at the wall. Except I'd have to be the one to clean it up. So instead I'm going to go pour me a cold Diet Coke and try to remain calm. I felt the same way the night I made this dish. Tired, edgy, frustrated. Hungry. So did hubs. But neither of us wanted to eat out of a bag. Yes we do eat out more than I'd like to admit. I wanted to get in and out of the kitchen ya know? Like let's just do this and get it over. Sometimes I feel less than "inspired". I don't always just jump up and down to cook. This was one of those nights. Kinda like today. So we did a 30 min meal. In and out yes mam! So I took a look around and remembered this balsamic recipe I had seen earlier in the week. I thought that looks fast and easy! Plus healthy. So I put my own little spin on it . Oh yeah! Frozen green beans in the freezer. I keep them for nights like that. And healthier than canned. I also spied a box of good ole' Uncle Ben's wild rice. Yes mam. Nothing wrong with Uncle Ben's rice. He's great- Uncle Ben has saved my skin more than once. This is were keeping a well stocked pantry comes in handy Sassybelles! For those lack luster week night meals. It's a must. I'll do a special entry on that later. Right now I'm going to attempt to not void this out for the fourth time when I jump to the ingredients.. but after 3 times I learn so I'm copying and pasting this just in case ! Ha! Of course it won't happen now! ​

Ingredients​

​4 boneless chicken breasts

1 tsp. minced garlic or 3 minced cloves​

​2 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper​

1 tbsp olive oil​

1/2 cup chicken broth​

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar​

1/2 lemon squeezed.. about 2 tbsp​

​2 tbsp Agave Nectar (light)

​Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Season well with the salt and pepper. Melt your butter over medium heat then add olive oil. Add the chicken to your skillet and cook until it browns nicely. About 7 mins on each side. Take the chicken out of the pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the broth, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, and agave to the pan. Cook this for about 5 mins over medium heat. Scrape the drippings with a spatula from the bottom of the pan. Slice your chicken on the bias if so desired and pour the sauce over. I served with my fresh green beans ( recipe soon) and wild rice.

 

 

​Season your chicken after you rinse it and pat dry. Be sure you spray your sink afterwards with an antibacterial cleaner. Raw chicken carries a lot of germs. I let my sink disinfect the time the product says then rinse. Pays to be safe ya'll! Oh and of course be sure you are washing your hands a LOT before, during and after cooking! I'm OCD about that.​

 

Get your butter in that skillet on medium high heat, and let it melt. Then add your olive oil. Brown your chicken about 7-8 minutes on each side. It will look like this when it's ready. Monitor your skillet for too much heat. Then remove chicken and cover with foil.

Now we are going to make a yummy balsamic reduction. You can use variants on this but this is a basic reduction. Add the broth, the vinegar, lemon ( to taste) garlic and agave to the pan. Let it cook for about 5 minutes. It will reduce down to about half. Scrape the bottom to have the chicken drippings meld with the sauce. If you are using a non stick pan be sure you don't use a metal utensil - it will scratch your skillet. Basics, but some of us need this info.​ I've done variants on this reduction using peach jam, or raspberry instead of the agave you would skip the lemon juice though! Great over baked pork loin or chops too!