The Way to a Man's Heart...

Lately, my guy and I have been watching a ton of Duck Dynasty on the A & E Channel. We watch it every Wednesday evening (when the new episodes are aired) and watch re-runs from our DVR in between. It's a show that we both love and for once, something that we seem to have in common. They say opposites attract, right?

Anyway...watching how Miss Kay and the ladies are always cooking up something amazing in the kitchen, it inspired me to try out some new recipes in my own kitchen. The first place I went to in order to start my search was of course, Pinterest. I found this cookie/brownie combo recipe and knew that I had to try it right away. Alex and I ate them all! They turned out GREAT. They say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach...I think I'm in! :)

Simply use your favorite brownie recipe and favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. A scoop of brownie batter at the bottom of a greased muffin tin and top it off with a scoop of cookie batter. Bake until toothpick comes out clean. YUM!

Making Him His Favorite Breakfast for Christmas!

I made my man his favorite thing for breakfast this morning since it's a special occasion: Christmas! He loves this turkey sausage breakfast casserole and is always asking me to make it. It's super easy to do and it's always such a huge hit. There's even some leftover, so he can have it again tomorrow morning! 

All you need for this turkey sausage breakfast casserole is: 

• 1 bag frozen hashbrowns
• 12 eggs
• Jimmy Deans precooked turkey sausage
• shredded cheddar
• 1 cup of milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

Use crockpot liner or spray the inside of your crockpot with Pam cooking spray.

Then, layer the hashbrowns, sausage, and cheese.  Whisk 12 eggs together with milk and add salt and pepper. Finally, pour over the layers in the crockpot. Cook overnight on low heat and serve in the morning for breakfast! 

An Onion Holder to Ease Cutting and Cooking

My guy loves to cook, and that makes me so happy! I do not complain one bit when he takes over the kitchen. He has made a ton of amazing new recipes lately and I love it. Last night, we had french onion soup. It was amazing--I wish we would've had leftovers so I could've had it for lunch again! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Watching him cut up the onions made me think that there has to be an easier way out there. Especially since onions don't smell the best, I always like to get them over with as quickly as possible. I was doing some specific searching this morning and found this amazing onion holder. This will make his job much easier! I can't wait to give it to him--maybe I'll get another meal out of the deal. ;)

A Funny Case for His iPhone

My guy loves bread! I tease him because he has a bread product with every meal. It's a good thing he isn't diabetic or he would be miserable having a restriction on the amount of bread he can have. He loves toast, sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, doughnuts, and more. They are his go to food. It's pretty sad when we go to the grocery store and the people behind the bakery counter know him by name and have his "usual" order ready in a few minutes.

I came across this funny iPhone case and I laughed out loud because it is perfect for my guy. All of his friends would laugh and know why he had it too because they always tease him about the ridiculous amounts of bread that he eats. This would fit over an iPhone 4 or an iPhone 4S. He has the 4S, so I know it'll work perfectly. I'm going to order it and give it to him to tease him, although I know he won't take it as that and will put it on his phone keep it on there for a long time!

Meat Tenderizer That Takes Grilling to a New Level

My guy and I love to grill. Well, usually it's more of an event where he grills and I sample the delicious food that he's cooking while sitting down and observing. Hey, somebody has to do it right? It might as well be me! :)

We have tried so many new recipes on the grill this summer. We tried a fun spin on kabobs and added a Hawaiian twist by adding some ham chunks and pineapple! We've also tried some new marinades and fun spices to season the meat with. I am sad to see Fall here because that means Winter comes next and that's the time of the year that the grill has to go back in the garage to keep it safe from the snow!

I found this perfect gift for my guy online while I was checking out some new recipes the other day. I figured I would order it so we could get a lot of use out of it. It is a circular meat tenderizer that has extra sharp blades to quickly tenderize even the biggest cuts of meat. I can't wait to take grilling to a whole new level with this fantastic product!

Treat Him With Homemade Olive Garden Salad Dressing

My guy loves going out to eat at Olive Garden. It is his favorite restaurant in the whole world. We go there as much as possible, but it gets very expensive to go out to eat all of the time! The way to his heart is with a good meal. I found a fantastic homemade dressing that tastes exactly like the salad dressing they have at Olive Garden.

All you need is: 1 packet of Good Seasonings Italian Dressing, 1/2 tsp. dried Italian Seasoning, 1/2 tsp table salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tbsp mayo, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbs white vinegar, and 1 1/2 tbsp water. Prepare the Good Seasonings Italian Dressing first, and add the rest of the ingredients after. It's so easy to do and it tastes fantastic!

This goes great over a mixed salad and served with a delicous pasta dish. I prefer chicken parmasan or spaghetti!

Surprise Him With a Meal on the Grill

Now that summer is here and in full swing, skip cooking inside over a hot stove and move outside in the fresh air and grill out instead. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so surprise him sometime with a delicious home cooked meal on the grill.

My favorite recipe on the grill is honey mustard grilled chicken with some grilled vegetables on the side. To make this you will need a grill (of course), two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tin foil, and an assortment of rinsed red potatoes and baby carrots, 1/4 cup honey. 1/3 cup dijon mustard, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, and 1 tsp of your favorite steak sauce. Combine the honey, dijon mustard, mayo, and steak sauce in a bowl and dunk the chicken breasts in the mixture (make sure they are completely soaked in this dressing). You can place this on the grill when you are ready and make sure the chicken gets cooked to an internal temperature of at least 170 degrees Fahrenheit. To prepare the vegetables, cut up the red potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Lay out a larger piece of tin foil and place the potatoes in the tin foil. Pour some carrots on top and season the vegetables (I usually add some butter as well). Fold the sides of the tin foil up and make sure the vegetables are completely covered. This can be placed on the grill next to the chicken. Enjoy!

The Way To A Man's Heart....

....is through his stomach. You've all heard that one before, right? It's so true. Especially with this delicious and amazing Snicker's Cake. This will be a huge hit and he'll sure think he's getting the best present in the world when he's eating it. I got this recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs and thought I would share it.

This makes two 8 x 8 cakes or two 4 x 8 loaves.

Ingredients:

• 16 whole crackers

Pudding

• 2/3 cup cornstarch

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 6 cups cold whole milk

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 3/4 cups dark chocolate, chopped

• 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter

Caramel sauce

• 1 cup sugar

• 6 tablespoons water

• 4 tablespoon butter

• ¼ c heavy cream

Ganache pouring sauce

• 2/3 cups dark chocolate

• 1 tablespoons heavy cream

• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted

• 4-5 tablespoons water, warm

• 12-14 mini Snickers, chopped

Instructions:

To make pudding

1. Combine cornstarch, sugar, salt and milk in a blender or food processor and pulse until well blended. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk vigorously. Transfer mixture to a heat proof bowl and place over (not on) simmering water for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pudding is ready when mixture coats the back of the spoon.

2. Add vanilla to mixture. Split mixture in half and add chocolate to one half and whisk to combine. Add peanut butter to remaining half and whisk to combine.

To make caramel sauce

1. Place sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat and stir the until sugar has dissolved. Dissolve any crystals forming on the side with a wet pastry brush.

2. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high.

3. At this point do not stir the mixture directly. Now and then, using the handle, give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute or so.

4. Once the mixture starts to turn a light golden shade, add the butter and heavy cream. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Set aside to cool completely.

To make ganache pouring sauce

1. Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. Then slowly stir mixture to combine. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. Set aside and let sauce cool to warm.

To assemble

1. Create a foil sling by placing a piece foil in the pan with a 1 inch overhang on each side.

2. Place graham crackers side-by-side until bottom of pan is covered. Spread a thin layer of chocolate pudding on top. Place second layer of graham cracker on top of chocolate pudding. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter pudding on top. Continue alternating layers with chocolate and peanut butter pudding while separating each pudding layer with a graham cracker layer.

3. Pour cooled caramel sauce on top and set aside to set. Pour cooled ganache sauce on top and add chopped Snickers on top. Finish with caramel and chocolate drizzle.

Place cake in refrigerator or freezer for at least 8 hours to set or overnight. (Freezer will create a pudding texture closer to ice cream).

Recipe

I've said it before--the way to a man's heart is through his stomach! I am going to share this delicious recipe with you and it's guaranteed to make his day.

You will need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups of spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp grated mozzarella cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup bread crumbs

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 of a 16 oz package of angel hair pasta or spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained

Directions: Put oil in frying pan and turn on the stove so it can head. Crack eggs and put them in a bowl along with milk and whisk. Put grated mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs on plate. Dip chicken in egg and milk mixture and then cover it in bread crumb mixture. Do this with each chicken breast and put each one in the frying pan (about 3 minutes on each side). Place each chicken breast in a baking dish (I use a 9 x 13 glass one) and pour spaghetti sauce in the dish. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes (or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees). Serve over angel hair pasta and enjoy!

The Gift of Food

So we ladies know that a way to a man's heart is definitely through his stomach. That's just plain common knowledge and common sense.

I am making this recipe (I call them yummy chicken "packets", I really don't know any other creative names for them) tonight for Alex as a surprise "gift" to him when he gets done with work.

Here is the recipe:

You will need 1-2 cooked chicken breasts, cut up. 1 can of cream of chicken soup. 1 cup of milk, 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. 1 can of crescent rolls. (These can also be prepared homemade).

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Unroll the crescent rolls into a 9 x 13 glass dish. Put chicken and cheese in each triangle and close it as much as possible. There's no need to try and roll it. Just fold the corners and try to get them to stick together. Prepare the soup on the stove, adding the can of condensed cream of chicken with the milk. Pour the soup over the chicken "packets." I usually add the extra cheese and soup at this point as well on top. Bake for 30 minutes and you will have an amazing meal and "gift" for the man in your life.