On top of the noodles, she grabbed a hotdog and cut it up.  She cooked the ramen in the microwave and heated the cut hotdog in a pan.  After the noodles were cooked she added the noodles to the pan and the flavor packet.  The first taste was exciting!  I had no idea that something so simple and so cheap could be so tasty!

People all over enjoy ramen noodles.  Unlike my family, most people grow up with the occasional ramen meal here and there.  Why?  Well, like I said about ramen earlier, it is simple and cheap.  You have got to love that combination.  That is probably why college students practically live off the stuff.

It is also low in calories, so if you were to eat only ramen recipes for a while you might find that you drop some weight.  Ramen is like a wonder meal, right?

Check out the infographic below to learn about ramen and some fun recipes you can create with it!

                                      

Now, what comes to your mind when you read the words “dirty rice?”  If you let out an audible “oh yum,” then you are not alone, friend.  I love me some dirty rice.  If you are not familiar with it then you are probably wondering what in the world I am going on about here.  I am talking about delicious rice mixed with all sorts of stuff.

The name dirty rice actually comes from the fact that this type of rice used to be served up with things like chicken gizzards or livers and it would give the rice a brown, or dirty, color.  Today it is used much more loosely and can describe any kind of rice with add-ins.  But if you are looking for a dirty rice recipe that will awe guests and quickly become a fan favorite, I have just what you are looking for.

Now, I’m going to give it to you how it was given to me, so there is no measuring.  Just prepare the amount of rice you need and add in as much of the dirty as you want.  Easy peazy.

Dirty Rice Recipe

• Rice – this is up to you too.  I like brown rice personally, but if you like white rice–go for it!
• Hot sausage – spicy hot prepared.   (Just cook it in a pan)
• Can of stewed tomatoes – drained
• Green bell pepper – chopped
• Fresh Garlic – minced

Cook up your rice as directed on the package.  Cook the spicy sausage as directed.  While cooking the rice and sausage heat up the drained stewed tomatoes, green bell pepper, and garlic.  After the rice and sausage are ready, your tomato mixture should be too.  Mix it all together, and you have got some delicious and dirty rice.

                                      

Just the other day one of the buff women who works at the gym overheard me joking about the dried meat strips they sell.  Of course it is her job to get me interested in them, not laugh at them, and she was talking about how good they taste and that they are better than jerky.  ”Oh, I don’t eat jerky,” I said, and I meant it.  But she mentioned that she is doing the Paleo diet and the strips are a great snack.

The Paleo diet is not something new to me.  I have heard of it plenty of times before, but I was intrigued.  She went on to tell me about the percentage of body fat she lost in just a month, and I was sold–on the diet, not the beef strip things.  Of course, I am not a huge fan of limiting the foods I can eat.  I have been looking into the diet and it seems like their are still so many options, and you can still eat some fruit!

As you can see in the pie chart above, which comes from paleodietlifestyle.com, you get plenty of food options.  You just mainly eat meat and veggies.  With that said, I have found two recipes for Paleo newbies that must be tried.  If you are looking for more, check out the Paleo Diet Lifestyle site (link above).  There are a ton of resources and recipes for dieting Paleo style.

• Paleo spaghetti – You have your sauce (meat, onion, tomato, garlic) and your spaghetti (spaghetti squash).  Cook the onions, garlic, and meat, add the crushed tomatoes to the pot and cook.  Broil the spaghetti squash after removing the seeds until tender.  Once it is tender, hollow it out with a fork.  Easy and delicious! I took this to a pitch in at my company, aspenstoragecenters.com, and everyone loved it!
• Paleo Baconnaise – I love mayonnaise and I love bacon.  I can have a combo of both on the Paleo diet.  Heck yes!  To make about a cup you need 2 egg yolks, 3 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 cup liquid bacon fat.  Start out mixing the yolks and lemon juice, then add in the fat slowly while mixing.

                                      

The good news is that I have found a great way to get my ice cream fix and be a little more healthy.  I had heard of banana ice cream before, but I just figured it was ice cream flavored with banana.  I found out that I can make a tasty frozen treat with a banana though and no dairy required.

There are a few ways that you can make this tasty goodness, and the way I tried it is depicted below.  I found out today about something called a Yonana that I might be looking to purchase in the near future.  It is a machine that turns bananas and fruit into frozen treats.  Watch the video to learn more about the Yonana.

                                      

Now I know many people might not share my enthusiasm for pickles, and that is okay.  As long as you enjoy a pickle here and there, I have no beef with you.  Now if you were to tell me you didn’t like pickles at all, I would think you were definitely a loon.  Anyways, I have been making pickles at home for the past couple of years from our homegrown cucumbers and let me tell you, they are even better than any store bought pickle.  I found an infographic with the very recipe I have been using.  So if you want to make your own delicious pickles, you can too!

                                      

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• 1 c. milk
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 c. shredded cooked chicken
• 6 c. chopped broccoli
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 c. dry bread crumbs
• 1 jar (6-1/2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained
• 1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt, optional
• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

What to do:

• In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in butter. Mix in flour until blended thoroughly. Gradually add chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until properly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Pour 1/3 cup each into 2 greased 8-in. square baking dishes and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup cheese sauce, chicken, broccoli, eggs, bread crumbs, pimientos, parsley and salt. Spread about 1/2 cup over each lasagna noodle. Roll up the noodle and secure ends with toothpicks.
• Place 6 rolls curly end down in each baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese sauce.
• Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the second casserole at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes until bubbly. Remove toothpicks and enjoy!

                                      

It’s a recipe book, but one that you help put together.  I am gathering recipes from family and scrapbooking them.  Any family member that gives a recipe will write a small note on a note card for the person you are creating the book for so you can include it beside the recipe.  It will take some effort on your part, but it will be worth it.   I saw it just yesterday on the Rachael Ray show.  Nancy O’Dell created this recipe scrapbook, and it is so special and meaningful for any member of the family.  I will be creating a couple of these books for my new sister-in-law and a recently married cousin.  If you’re new to scrapbooking like I am, then take a look to see what Nancy O’Dell has to say about it.

                                      

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1/2 cup better, softened
• 1 cup peanut butter (creamy)
• 3 tablespoons milk (or as needed)
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1. Beat the peanut butter and butter in a medium bowl with a mixer.
2. Slowly mix in the sugar, and once it starts to thicken, add milk in 1 tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed and the frosting is thick and easy to spread.
3. For it to be nice and fluffy it will take about 3 minutes.

Just so you aren’t leaving this recipe without some knowledge, I found a peanut butter infographic to share with you all too!  I never knew so many great facts about peanuts and peanut butter.

                                      

So the tasty recipe for today is obviously going to be pumpkin themed.  It’s pumpkin cheesecake from Paula Deen, which is so tasty!  I included the video so you can see how easy it is.  For you to start off, here are the ingredients:

Crust -

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick melted butter

Cheesecake -

• 3 packages cream cheese (8 oz.), room temperature
• 1 can pureed pumpkin (15 oz)
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Watch how Paula puts it all together.  Get this, it tastes even better than it looks! I topped mine off with caramel sauce and a pecan with some whipped cream on the side.

                                      

Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion
• 6-8 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1 serrano chile pepper, stemmed and seeded
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
• Salt
• Pinch of sugar
• 8 corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded chicken (baked or store bought rotisserie)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for greasing
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to broil.  Slice the onion in half.  Use one half to cut into thin rings, and set those to the side.  Put the other half of the onion, tomatillos, and the serrano pepper on a foil lined baking sheet and broil them for about 8 minutes, turning as needed.  After broiling move the veggies and any juices to a blender, add in the broth and puree.  Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and sugar.
• Prepare the tortillas by stacking them and wrapping them in a damp paper towel.  Microwave them for 1 minute and keep them covered afterward.  Mix together the chicken and two cups of shredded cheese in a bowl.  Using a spoon, add in the mixture to the middle of each tortilla, add a couple cilantro leaves and roll the tortillas up.  In a lightly oiled 9×13 baking dish line up the enchiladas and brush them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Broil until the tortillas are crispy and golden, about 3 minutes.
• Pour on the tomatillo sauce on top of the enchiladas and top it off with the remaining shredded cheese.  Broil it for 3 to 5 minutes and finish it with the onion rings, feta cheese, and cilantro for garnish.