Guest Recipe - Corn Dip

Here's another great recipe from Leslie just in time for football season! This goes perfect with corn chips.
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Corn Dip
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One 8 oz package of cream cheese
2 cans white shoepeg corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1/2 stick of butter
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Drain all cans, mix together and cook in microwave for 5 minutes to start. Mix 1/2 way thru cooking time.

Guest Recipe - Grape Salad

Leslie sent me this great recipe for Grape Salad. I've tried it before at potlucks and never dreamed it was so easy to make! Thanks Leslie!

Grape Salad
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8 cups of grapes
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 8oz container of sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 ounces of chopped pecans
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
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Wash and dry grapes. In large bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla and white sugar. Add grapes and mix until evenly incorporated. Sprinkle w/ brown sugar and pecans, mix again and refrigerate until serving. Good to make it the night before and chill over night.
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Check out more great recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Back to School Shape Sugar Cookies

MyBlogSpark recently sent me another new product to try - Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!TM Back to School Shape® sugar cookies! They also sent this cute Pillsbury Back to School gift basket. It included great school supplies like a pencil case, ruler, and pencil sharpener. But, of course, the best part is always the sugar cookie! These sugar cookies, with their little yellow bus, are so cute and delicious! They come with all the quality you've come to expect from Pillsbury. Can't you just imagine greeting your child with a plate of these fresh cookies when they come home from school?
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Well, thanks to MyBlogSpark, I have a Pillsbury Back to School gift basket to give away to one of my blog readers. Just leave a comment below and share how you help making going back to school fun for your children, grandchildren, or other little ones in your life. And, if you've got a big kid that loves little school bus cookies, tell me about that too! This contest ends August, 31, 2009 at midnight, and winners will be announced September 1, 2009. If you're already a follower of this blog, you are automatically entered in the contest, but feel free to comment also!
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This contest has ended. The winner is Patsdal! Congrats Patsdal! Please e-mail me your mailing address so that I can send you your prize.

Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt

I love to try new products. I especially love to try new products when I have a great coupon. So, I was very excited to try Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt recently. If you've tried some of the new yogurts on the market that include fiber or digestive aids, you may have noticed they are usually higher in calorie content. Yoplait Fiber One has come out with a 50 calorie cup that has zero grams of fat and includes 5 grams of fiber. I tried the Strawberry flavor and it was delicious. Other flavors include Vanilla, Peach and Key Lime Pie. It's the perfect, guilt-free snack and I'd love for you to be able to try it also. Just e-mail me at simplecookery@aol.com with your name and address. I'll send you a coupon for $1.35 good for any flavor Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt Multipacks - and they don't expire until 1/20/2010. Please hurry though because this offer is open to the first five e-mails that I receive and will end August 31, 2009.

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad is great any time of the year, but makes a great dinner in the heat of Summer. You can use the same recipe to make tuna salad - just substitute a couple of cans of tuna (drained) for the chicken. I like using a boiled chicken breast, but you could also use canned chicken.
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Chicken Salad
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1 skinless chicken breast, boiled & cooled
3 eggs, hard boiled, cooled & chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 or 3 heaping tablesoons of Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
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Remove chicken from bone and shred. Combine all ingredients in an air-tight container. Mix well, adding a little more salad dressing or salt/pepper until seasoned to your taste. Chill 2 hours before serving. (NOTE-If you use boiled chicken rather than canned, add a little salt & pepper to your cooking water.)

Beef & Pasta Casserole

Warning! Don't make this dish. It's terrible. You won't like it. If you make it, you'll be forced to consume all of it to save your family from the terrible taste. Of course, your family will be tempted to save you by eating it all. Seriously, this is one delicious casserole. I used spiral pasta and garden style pasta sauce. But, you can substitute your favorite ingredients. If you don't use chunky style pasta sauce, you will want to add a small can of chopped tomatoes to the dish.

Beef & Pasta Casserole
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1 pound ground beef
1 large onion
2 cans sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup pepperoni, chopped
2 jars Prego pasta sauce, chunky garden style
1 box spiral pasta (16 oz)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon garlic power
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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Pre-heat over to 375 degrees. Coat 9x14 glass Pyrex dish with a little oil or non-stick spray. Cook pasta according to package directions, reducing cooking time by 2 minutes. Add drained pasta to Pyrex dish and cover with one jar of pasta sauce. Brown brown beef, onion, and seasonings. Drain and add to pasta mixture. In small saucepan, cover pepperoni with water and bring to a boil. Boil approximately 1 minute and drain. (This reduces the amount of grease in the dish) Add pepperoni and additional jar of pasta sauce to pasta dish. Stir. Add cheddar cheese and stir well. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned on top.

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Where's the beef?

You can't tell from this picture, but there's a delicious roast under all those yummy vegetables. This is a crock-pot roast and so much easier than using the oven on a hot summer day.
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Crock-pot Roast
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1 chuck roast
5-6 medium potatoes, peeled
4 carrots, peeled & rough chopped
4 ribs celery, rough chopped
1 can beef broth
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
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Heat oil in medium skillet. Season meat with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder. Quickly sear meat on all sides. Add meat to crockpot. Top with vegetables and seasonings. Pour beef broth over all. Cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low. Once or twice during cooking, baste vegetables with a little of the beef broth in the bottom of the crockpot. Continue to cook 6 hours or longer until beef and vegetables reach desired tenderness.

Squash & Ham Casserole

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An abundance of yellow squash and leftover ham led to this quick and easy supper dish.
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Squash & Ham Casserole
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2 cups yellow squash
1 cup chopped ham
1 medium yellow onion
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and slice squash. Slice onion. Cover squash & onion with water in a medium pan. Boil for 15 minutes and drain. Add all ingredients to squash & onion. Pour into small casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Chickpea & Onion Salad

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I like to keep diffent bean salads on hand in the summer for a quick side dish. You can substitute your favorite trio of beans in this dish.
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Chickpea & Onion Salad.
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1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 can green beans, drained
1 can wax beans, drained
1 medium purple onion, sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
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Mix sugar, oil, vinegar, pepper and salt together. Add beans and toss together. Chill 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Easy Vegetable Stir-Fry

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This is a quick stir-fry that only takes a few minutes to make, but tastes really delicious. I love to keep frozen vegetables on hand to make a casserole or stir-fry rather than just a side dish. I used Asian vegetables, but you can substitute your favorite.
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Easy Vegetable Stir-Fry
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1 pkg. Asian-style frozen vegetables (16 oz)
1 medium onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon canola oil
2-3 drops sesame oil
1 cup smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
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In large skillet, heat canola and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add onion & garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes being careful not to scorch garlic. Add sausage and cook 2-3 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and stir. Cook 3-5 minutes until you reach your desired tenderness. Add teriyaki sauce, pepper & salt. Stir and simmer 1 minute. Top with sesame seeds before serving.