Guacamole

This is an easy one- I took the recipe off the back of the seasoning packet and added a twist. I do have to say that my Mom actually made this batch as I watched and chatted with her, but I make this all the time.

Ingredients:
Avocados- 2 per packet of seasoning
Tomatoes
Onions
Cilantro- Fresh
Lime juice
Packet of Guacamole seasoning

Cut open the avocados and scoop the middles out into a bowl, mash up a bit. I find a potato masher works wells. Now, the following items are optional, I add them if I have them- if not- it still tastes just as tasty without them. Chop up tomato and onion into small pieces and add as many as you would like. Cut up the fresh cilantro- I now add this to it EVERY time- to me, it is an essential item, it really gives it a good flavor. Mix this up with the avocado a bit more, then toss in the packet of seasoning- stand back when you pour it in, it is pretty strong stuff. Mix well. Add two cap fulls of lime juice, to prevent browning and gives it a nice taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

To store guacamole- put it in a dish and even if you use a Tupperware it is crucial that you put plastic wrap over the dish and push it down on top of the guacamole so there is no air getting to it, this will also help prevent browning. Note: guacamole is meant to be eaten right away, this is not something you can make a few days in advance.

You can buy the package of seasoning at any grocery store, you can find it in the produce department. This is mild, but we also enjoy Extra Spicy.


ENJOY!!!

(Even though this picture looks gross it is OH SO GOOD!!!)

Fried Zucchini

This is a collaboration of several recipes I found online and then of course, added my own twist!

Ingredients:

Zucchini
Flour
Egg
Lemon Pepper
Garlic salt/powder
Season Salt
Oil

First start off by peeling and slicing your zucchini


Then fill a little bowl with flour and another with egg, I find I start off with 2 eggs and then add another as I need to.


In the flour mix in the lemon pepper and garlic salt/powder. This is my first recipe. The second recipe I just mix season salt in the flour. I don't measure- so I just toss in some, mix it in the flour, and add more as I see fit. I find that I like to be able to look at the flour and be able to see the seasoning in it.

Then you take the zucchini and dip it in the flour, then into the egg and then back into the flour and coat well. I do half the zucchini in the Lemon Pepper mix and the other half in the Season salt. Then lay it on a plate and let them sit for at least 15 minutes, this allows for the flour and egg to set up.


After that has set up I pour in some oil into a fry pan- enough to cover up to the sides of the zucchini. Once that is hot I start putting in the zucchini. 3 minutes on each side. It seems as I go along- the first batch might need closer to 4 minutes on each side and the last batch is closer to 2 minutes on each side since the oil keeps getting hotter.


Then set on a paper towel when you take them out to soak up any extra oil. Then put them on your serving plate. We enjoy them with ranch for dipping.


A little time consuming with the dipping but they taste really yummy. Miley even enjoys them!! But then again, she loves anything she can dip!! I plan on trying fried pickles with this same type of recipe next, maybe I'll try a ranch or dill seasoning mixed in the flour... Humm... maybe I'll attempt that this weekend...

Enjoy!

Family Favorite

Cheese Pizza Hot Dish

I do have to credit the Kraft Foods Magazine for this recipe but it is one of our family favorites and SUPER easy to make that I just had to share it.

All you need is 3 easy ingredients:

1 pound of hamburger
1 jar of pizza sauce
1 box of Deluxe Mac & Cheese
(side note, Deluxe is really not that good when you just make it to eat it as Mac & Cheese but it totally makes this recipe delicious and I would not recommend making it with regular Mac & Cheese, weird huh!)


Brown your meet in a large fry pan.
At the same time boil noodles.
Drain noodles and pour into browned hamburger, add cheese sauce and jar of pizza sauce.
Mix well and Enjoy!!!



How easy huh!!! And it is SUPER DUPER Delicious!! It is very similar to goulash but not quite as it has that creamy cheesy flavor to it. Miley LOVES it. We eat it with bread and butter and it makes for a tasty dinner, and the leftovers for lunch the next day are just as tasty!

My Hobby

I wanted to start this blog with some background. My Grams was a WONDERFUL cook! When I lived next door to her I was the lucky one to always get to taste test her new recipes. It was a lot of fun discussing the recipe's with her and trying new things that I eventually caught the cooking bug and started trying new things of my own and bringing over samples for her and my Gramps to try. Since then I have really decided that cooking, Not baking, cooking, is offically a hobby of mine. I actually have a Hobby!! Grams had a few of her recipe's published in magazines and I just think that is really neat and quite an honor. I hope to one day have one of my recipe's published as well.

Last night as I was again trying something new the light bulb turned on- I told Taylor, my husband, that I am going to combine both of my hobbies, cooking and blogging, and create a blog of all the new things I come up with!

My recipe's all start with ideas that I read about and then I just add a touch of 'Mindi' to them. This blog will be my little cookbook for all my blogger followers. I will include some recipes that I found in other places that are our family favorites and mostly recipes that I have created and/or added my personal touch to. I hope to include photos of all my dishes as well so you can really get a feel for the meal. I hope you find this blog as fun as I do and try some new recipes. As I get older my palate for food is expanding and I encourage everyone to try something new. Life is too short, you should go down knowing you experienced the world!

Enjoy and Bon Appétit!