Famished Friday - Black Bean & Corn Salsa

A prior co-worker had made this and brought to work and before she allowed us to dig in her words were 'I must warn you, once you start eating.. it's hard to stop!!' and she wasn't kidding. The best parts (besides it being so yummy) is it is easy and makes a lot. So if you are going to a party and need a quick dish try taking this along with you and see how quickly it disappears:


Black Bean & Corn Salsa

2 cans black bean's (I drained)
2 cans corn niblets (I drained)
1 green pepper (finely chopped)
1 red pepper (finely chopped)
1 yellow pepper (finely chopped)
2-3 tomatoes (diced or you can use canned diced tomatoes, drained)
1 small can diced green chiles
1 (16oz) bottle Italian dressing

Combine and mix beans, veggies, and chiles in a large bowl. Add bottle of Italian dressing and stir to coat. Refrigerate, preferably overnight-as it taste best. Stir and serve with tortilla chips (scoops work well). (sorry no photo)

Famished Friday - Chicken Sesame Noodles

Lately I have been trying new recipes and I have been getting a lot of them from a fellow blogger I have been pleased with everything that I have tried from her site and have enjoyed passing them on to my followers. The family has seemed happy too - especially with this new tasty dish. It is a very light dish so great for the hot summer days ahead, KingB went back for seconds, SportyB asked to take it in his lunch the next day and BabyB was going 'mmmmmmm' after every noodle I put in her mouth. I always like to have additional critics if I can gather a few that are whiling and this go round I was able to have G-ma Becky and Mimi to help judge the new dish.. and I think it's yet another keeper. (however, for the meatloaf I made tonight out of the PEOPLE Magazine is another story.. and I eat anything!! lol)

Chicken Sesame Noodles

Sauce
9 green onions
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 TB ginger root peeled and minced
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes (a pinch of cayenne pepper makes it not so spicy) {I used Paprika}
3 1/2 TB vinegar (rice vinegar if you have it but I used red vinegar)
(2 TB sesame paste- I didn't have this on hand - made without)
4 cloves garlic

Other
1 pound cooked angel hair pasta
2-3 TB oil
1 cucumber peeled and sliced
4 chicken breasts cooked and cubed
sesame seeds

In a skillet heat the oil on high and add all ingredients under sauce. Stir and cook together for 5 minutes. Pour sauce over cooked pasta. Mix together and put in serving dishes. Garnish edges with cucumber. Place the cubed chicken in the center. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Enjoy and let me know how you like it..

Famished Friday - Cream Cheese Tarts

I had gotten this recipe from Suz and oooh they are good and I have a great story to go along with it (don't I Chad/Ute) while we had company for SportyB's birthday it was also Chad's birthday week so Kerry wanted to plan a little surprise for him while the entire family was together.. so I offered to make these great treats and said he wouldn't question anything as I could just say they were for SportyB's party. So after the party everyone was off enjoying each other and watching the kids play so I decided to sneak into the kitchen and whip them up really fast so they had time to cool for the event the next day. No one even noticed - I decided to hide them off in the butlers pantry area (under a dish towel, but right next to the left over birthday cake from SportyB's party.. later I found out, might not of been the best spot). So no worries, my treats were hidden and cooling, right? Right.. or so I think anyway (right Chat/Ute??) I went into check on my cooling tasty treats to find TWO MISSING!!! (remain calm!!!! don't panic!! I'm sure they are around here somewhere!! Surely someone is just playing a little joke on me, right?) WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CREAM CHEESE TARTS?!?!? Everyone looked a little scared (probably due to my tone) and dear ole' Chad fessed up (who they were originally for and he had no clue what just happened) he completed on how yummy they were and how he thought at first they were left over from the party (since by the cake) but once he took a bite and realized they were still warm that he knew he made an oopsy but by then it was too late and they were so yummy that he finished it. Well, while walking out enjoying his warm tasty treat he was greeted by Ute who said 'umm what is that?' he proceed to tell her he didn't think he was suppose to be eating them but they are really good - so she had one too (hence the two missing). AHHH the fun - it all worked out though as I just quickly put together another batch (since we needed 12 originally) we now have 22. To Chad's surprise the next night he was greeted with a Cream Cheese tart with a candle in it - it all came full circle and he had realized what had all happened.

So we know they are very yummy and a big hit - so hide them while cooling :)

(no picture again sorry but just imagine individually wrapped little cheese cakes with the topping of your fancy)

Serves 12
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 vanilla wafers
1 (21 ounce) can pie filling of your fancy

*Preheat oven to 350 *Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup (12 total) of muffin pan *Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla,beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.*Place vanilla wafer FLAT side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers filling each to about 1/4 inch from top of paper. *Bake for 20 minutes*Allow tarts to cool completely before filling. When you remove the tarts from the oven, they will be puffed up, but as they cool, the center will sink, creating the perfect well to fill with a couple of spoonfuls of your favorite filling.*Chill thoroughly before serving

Famished Friday

I got this recipe from a fellow blogger and it was a big hit at our house. I call it Chicken and Black Bean Salad... yummy and it's low fat and low calorie.. can't beat that!



2 scallions (or sub with red onion) chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped1 green bell pepper, chopped
2- cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Cup frozen corn (I used 2cups as I did more chicken)
4 TB lime juice
2 TB canola oil
2-4 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped into bite size pieces
4 TB taco seasoning
1/3 C cilantro chopped
1 avocado chopped
sour cream or ranch dressing for topping

Combine, scallions/red onion, peppers, beans and corn in a large bowl; toss until well mixed. Add lime juice and oil to bean mixture, toss to coat. Add chicken, taco seasoning and cilantro; toss. Add avocado.Top with sour cream/ranch dressing and serve as is or rolled up in a tortilla or with tortilla chips.This is great the next day- the avocado is fine because of the lime juice

Famished Friday & Other fun stuff

Well I tried a new recipe on Tuesday and we will just say it isn't going to make the post this week, right honey? But my tester's were good sports and finished their meals, they just asked it NOT be one that I make again.. As my sister said you can't win them all - so with not having a new recipe this week I thought I would post one of my favorite party dishes that was given to me by my mother-in-law which was given to her by Rena and it's called Rena's Rocken Salsa:

Rena's Rocken Salsa:

2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes & green Chilies

1 LRG sweet onion (diced)

1/8th tsp Cumin

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

dash of Worcestershire Sauce

Dash of Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 of a small can of chopped Black Olives (optional - but I use entire can)

Combine all ingredients in a dish and serve with chips

Things have been busy around the Miller house. SportyB's soccer team is coming to an end with just two games left. He is so full of energy and can't wait for his 5th birthday next month. He amazes us everyday with the things he learns at school and is very sweet and caring to his sister. He loves to help around the house and is always saying 'can I try'. BabyB turned 8mos yesterday, she is very content where ever you put her (no motivation to crawl - lol). If I put a toy out of her reach she just sticks her fingers in her mouth and puts her head down.. we don't have any teeth yet but we are sure it's just around the corner (SportyB got his first two teeth just before 8mos). She is a babbler though and Daddy is VERY proud to say that she has been babbling her D's - and he is taking that as da'da'da - I was able to catch her on video so let us know what you think?

I think I lost the race for the claim of her first words but I guess that's how it goes. Although SportyB is on my side because he keeps telling his sister to say ma'ma'ma.. Yup that's my boy (although he said da'da'da first too - gesh!!)

For more pictures of the kids click here

Famished Friday - Taco Soup

A co-worker gave me this yummy recipe the other day and I thought I would give it a shot. So I called the cook of the house (AKA KingB) and asked him if he would like Taco Soup for dinner or another recipe I found from a fellow blogger.. he hesitated and asked if that meant I was cooking dinner LOL he asked the ingredients in both dishes and then picked Taco Soup. So we stopped by the store on the way home and picked up the needed items. I will attempt recipes at least once and sometimes twice, but I like them to be exact measurements and tell me step by step what to do (can you tell I'm not comfortable in the kitchen?). Well this recipe wasn't too descriptive, however I managed with a few questions to the cook of the house and I think it turned out pretty good. KingB went back for seconds, SportyB asked to take it to lunch, Mimi took some home with her and QueenB had a huge smile. Let me know how your family likes it.. I served it over rice - yum!

Taco Soup

hamburger meat/onion (I used 1lb hb meat and 1/2 lrg onion)

1 can corn (I didn't drain)

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can rotel

1 can tomatoes (mexican) (I used mexican rotel)

2 cans of pinto beans (I drained one can)

1 can of kidney beans (I didn't drain)

1 small can chillies (I used mild green chillies)

1 small can chopped olives

1 pack of ranch seasoning

1 pack of taco seasoning

Optional Garnishes: Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese, Frito Scoops, Rice

Brown hamburger meat and saute onion. Add all ingredients (including meat/onion) in a pot and simmer on low (cook it like a chili).