Mandii's Muse

My mom has gifted me the Pioneer Woman's cookbooks for the past several Christmases. I can typically be found Saturday mornings on my couch at 10:00 watching her show. I don't think I've ever said "I don't think I'll like that" with one of her recipes. Instead I'm usually drooling over what she is cooking. Her cookbooks are just fantastic. They are step by step, which I LOVE because you know exactly what you dish should look like at a certain point. I've made many things of hers, and they never disappoint. This dish came out of one of her very first cookbooks. I had to tweak it a little bit because I didn't have the ingredients to make homemade pesto, but I had a jar of prepared on hand. It was a simple swap, and one that you can easily do yourself! Let me know if you like this recipe card format. It might be easier for you to read while you are cooking! I served mine with a piece of breaded chicken, but grilled chicken with this would be abs...

With Christmas days away, I wanted to share with you a quick make ahead breakfast menu that doesn’t leave you in the kitchen while everyone else is opening presents. I have shared these recipes before, but if you are hosting family, these would be great to have on hand. First on the list is Brunch Egg Casserole . This is what I am making for my family this year. It is quick, simple, and you can make it the night before. Plus, you can choose your meat you want to put in. I’m using sausage, but you could easily add in ham or bacon depending on what your family likes. If syrup is more your flavor, you can make the easiest French Toast Casserole . This can also be made ahead, and popped in the oven in the morning. I like to use my homemade French bread for this and shingle the slices. (The picture I have is before I decided I liked this method.) I add a streusel topping to mine, and it is positively delightful! If you have places to go on Christmas morning, and need something sweet, ...

I.LOVE.This.Recipe! I have made this recipe several times, and it is the perfect quick side, or lunch option. It is super easy to make, and with only a few ingredients it comes together in about 15 minutes. Here's what you need: 2 Tbs. butter 1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta 1 can (14.5 oz) low sodium chicken broth 1/4 tst salt 1/4 tst pepper 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/3 cup drained oil packed sun dried tomatoes-patted dry and sliced (I use scissors!) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (I've made it without the mint, and used a little dried parsley and it turned out fine!) Directions: In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add orzo and cook stirring occassionally until lightly browned. (About 5 minutes) Next stir in chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover. Over medium heat  cook until liquid is absorbed. (Depends on your stovetop!)  Remove pot from heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes, and fluff with a f...

Without a doubt, I’m a breakfast person. I love to make quiches, and casseroles. I think these sticky buns would be a huge hit at a breakfast at church, or a brunch baby or bridal shower. They are seriously so easy! Ingredients: 3/4 Cup brown sugar 1/4 Cup honey 1/8 Cup butter (that’s half of a 1/4 for all you math illiterates like me!) 1/2 Cup chopped pecans 1 tube of refrigerator biscuits (I like the buttermilk kind!) Directions: In a saucepan mix brown sugar, honey, and butter until melted and combined. Place mixture in an 8 inch greased round pan. Sprinkle pecans on top. Arrange biscuits on top of mixture. *You should have 1 biscuit left over, I just break it up and put it in any gaps between the biscuits.* Bake at 350* for 13-17 minutes. Here’s where the tricky part comes in: when it comes out of the oven let it sit for a minute or two, then you need to flip it on a large platter so the honey and pecan mixture can be on top. Don’t worry, my heart stops a little every...

Today, I’m linking up with Sarah at Meet the Shaneyfelts ! I’m not sure how I discovered her blog, but I love to read it! I’m linking up with her and sharing my favorite crock pot recipes. To me, the crock pot screams fall and winter food. I’ve used it in the summer a few times, but once Fall hits I love to pull it out! I have an enormous 7 quart one, but a few Christmases ago, my aunt got me a small 2 quart one to have for dips and such. I use that one all the time! I’ve put rice in it for taco night, I’ve put dips in it for get togethers-it is so useful! Here are a few of my favorites that I make every year! I’m showing you my loved recipe cards that I keep in a file. Broccoli cheese soup! The first soup I usually make once the weather gets cooler is broccoli cheese soup! The flavor combination of broccoli and cheese is just the best comfort food. There is some prep work that goes into this soup by making a roux, but it’s only a saucepan. Next with college football and coll...

This post is for my cousin Melinda. She loves the recipe blogs, so this one should be right up her alley! Side note, her room for Bible school was right next door to ours, and her decorations and food were the cutest! She made her kiddos corn dogs! I mean, best VBS teacher ever, right!? Even more importantly, she had 3 kiddos give their lives to Christ! Isn't that just the best?! You just might want to make this recipe tonight and then pop it in the oven on Saturday morning. This casserole might have replaced the one I make on Christmas day. (I'll blog about that one too one day!) This dish has one unusual ingredient, but it should be readily available where you are. As usual, my thoughts and additions are in italics ! Brunch Egg Casserole Ingredients: 2 cups unseasoned stuffing cubes or croutons 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I never measure, and just eyeball!) 4 large eggs lightly beaten (I added 5!) 2 cups whole milk (I used 2% and an extra splash if you use 5 ...

My mom and I took dinner into my grandparent's house one night. She made pepperoni rolls, and I made this peach crisp. I used canned peaches, and omitted some of the sugar, but this would be even better with fresh peaches. I can't wait to make this in the fall with apples! I found this recipe on Pinterest from Sally's Baking Addiction. You can find the recipe here! It is delicious, and if you make it let me know what you thought!

Image I only recently started drinking coffee. I prefer the flavored variety. Think French Vanilla, Mocha, Caramel. I definitely have my favorites from both Dunkin and Starbucks, but don't always have the cash to buy those drinks. #flavoredcoffeeisexpensive So, thanks to my handy dandy Keurig (love!) and Pinterest (double love!) I can have my flavored coffee at home! I have been known to waste coffee creamer. I'm not the type of person who needs to have a cup of coffee to get my day started. I'm more of a mid afternoon, lazy day sip type of gal. So making my own was a perfect alternative. I found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it immediately! I got the recipe from Mrs. Happy Homemaker . I bet you could whip up a batch right now with the simple ingredients! All you need is 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 and 3/4 cup of milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix all ingredients into a large jar and mix well. Chill and serve in your coffee!  She has rec...

I love anything to do with caprese. The flavors are so fresh, the colors are beautiful, and the flavor combinations are out of this world! With this recipe, I'm not reinventing the wheel. I'm just making it more portable, and appetizer friendly. Ingredients: Grape or cherry tomatoes Tortellini pasta Mozzarella balls Pesto (homemade or jarred) Grated cheese Parsley Mozzarella balls that are marinated are expensive. So I got the brilliant idea to use my leftover Italian butter from Christmas and put the balls in there. I left them in the sauce for 3 days, and made the skewers. Easy as pie, and they turned out great! I cooked up the tortellini pasta according to package directions. (I wish I would have cooked them a minute less because some of them broke when I put them on the skewer because they were too done.) I alternated ingredients on the skewer, tomato, mozzarella, pasta until there were two of each on the skewer. I also just made skewers until I ran out of ing...

Monday nights this summer have been called "guinea pig" night at my Bubba's house. Basically, I make a new recipe and try it out on my family at her house. If it was a total bust there was always pizza, but, it has been a real success! I've found recipes that I can add to my collection, and continue to hone my cooking skills while I'm at it. This one was a winner! My Mom makes really, really great barbecue sauce. We really don't even buy it anymore. When I saw this recipe, it was different style of barbecue sauce, and I wanted to try my hand at making my ownI found this recipe on my BlogHer feed from  Quirks and Twists . I made a few changes based on the ingredients I couldn't find, and it still turned out wonderfully! Here is the recipe, and as usual, my thoughts are in italics . Honey Balsamic Chicken Sandwiches Ingredients: 1 pound chicken 1/2 C water 2 Tbsp garlic 1 bay leaf (I didn't use this) 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 C onion 1 C bals...

I made this lasagna recipe, and I think my grandma declared it the best thing she's ever eaten. She kept going back to the dish, and cutting off a small slice. Each time she would say, "This is so good!" So, if only she liked it, my day was made. However, every member of my family loved this dish, and I know you will too! It is a perfect way to use up Summer vegetables, and enjoy a delicious meal! My comments are in italics! Vegetable Lasagna Ingredients: 1 container (15oz) ricotta cheese 1 egg 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1Tbls olive oil 2 cups zucchini shredded 1 red bell pepper chopped 1 pkg frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry 2 C French Fried Onions divided 3 cups prepared Alfredo sauce No boil lasagna noodles 2 C shredded mozzarella cheese divided 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Combine ricotta, egg, and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl. (I added some red pepper flakes, onion and garlic salt, and parsley to ...

My first college roommate texts me and asks me for the buffalo chicken dip recipe at least once every two months. I could eat this stuff by the spoonful. With all of the cream cheese, shredded cheese, and ranch goodness, comes inches to the waistline. Not cool buffalo chicken dip, not cool . So I scoured the internet for a skinny version. I found one on Gimme Some Oven . I made it, and was impressed with the taste! Here's the skinny version if you don't want to add extra inches to your waistline! Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip 4 oz reduced fat cream cheese softened 1 c plain Greek yogurt 1 c shredded cheese (low fat if you can!) 1/2 c hot sauce (I like Frank's!) 1/2 c crumbled light bleu cheese A few squirts of ranch dressing 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used a large can from Costco or Sam's)  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a baking dish (mine was 8x8 I think) and sprinkle your cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and dip...

These little buggers are addicting! I had never heard of these until I went to Columbus with my Aunt and Uncle. She made some for snacks, and I could have very easily ate the whole bag. My aunt gave me the recipe and they could not be easier! Beware, you could eat the entire batch if you don't have any willpower! There are two variations of this recipe, so I am going to post both. I made version 2, but you make what suits you! My comments will be in italics . Whiskey Pretzels Version 1 2 pkgs pretzel rods 1 stick margarine (Butter is ok too!) 3 Tbls whiskey (I used Crown Royal!) 1 rounded Tbls brown sugar 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper Heat over to 250 degrees. Lay pretzels in a single layer on cookie sheets. Melt butter, and stir in remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour over pretzels. Roll pretzels to coat evenly. Bake 20 minutes, turning pretzels after 10 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container. Whiskey Pretzels Version 2 16 ounces pretze...

Today, I'm linking up with Andrea for her Recipe Club! In the summer, I love to try out new recipes, and cook. I'm so looking forward to doing that! Only 4 and a half school days left until I can do just that! I wanted to share with you this recipe that I made for Cinco de Mayo. I love, love, love Mexican food, and love cooking for this holiday! This recipe is simple, low in calories, and delicious! Use whatever brands, and add ins you like, but here is what I used! Ingredients: (Sorry for no picture!) 2 cans Enchilada sauce (I used hot and medium) Shredded chicken 1 can green chilies Shredded cheese Tortilla wraps (I used whole wheat sandwich wraps cut in half) First, I cooked my chicken in a skillet with lots of water to almost steam cook it. I flavored my chicken by adding taco seasoning, cumin, cilantro, salt and pepper to both sides. Once it was cooked through, I let it cool then shredded it. In a sauce pan, I mixed the two cans of enchilada sauce to get it hea...

Even though Fall isn't here yet, the weather has been giving us a short glimpse as to what the upcoming autumn season will bring. I have wanted to make these muffins/cupcakes for a while now, especially because they are low calorie, aren't we all trying to lose weight? If you have these 4 ingredients, you can whip these up this afternoon! I call these Cinnamon Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes. Ingredients: 1 box Spice cake mix 1 15oz can of pumpkin ½ C water ¾ C Cinnamon chips In a medium sized bowl empty the cake mix, pumpkin, and water. Using a mixer, mix the ingredients until smooth. Gently fold in the cinnamon chips. (For kicks and giggles, I added a few dashes of cinnamon and vanilla to the batter!) Line a muffin tin with baking cups. Using an ice cream scoop, fill wells 2/3 of the way full. Place in a 350 degree oven for 18-21 minutes. *All ovens vary: my oven cooks hotter, so I lowered the temp and cooked them for 18 minutes. Depending on how you want...

I’m a firm believer in getting treats in the mail. My mom and I made this fudge to send to a 95 year old pillar of our church who lives in another state. I know that when she opens the package and sees this fudge made with love, she will be happy! This is a homemade fudge recipe that has been passed down from my Grandma. She makes this fudge, and everyone fights over the last piece! Case and point, my whole family was together celebrating Christmas and we hosted a white elephant exchange. Her gift was the fudge, and it was traded back and forth until the lucky recipient finally got to take it home! (Luckily, they shared it with all of us!)  I want to share this recipe with you, so you can surprise those you love, or be the hit at your next white elephant exchange! Here’s the recipe! 3 Cups sugar 2 Tablespoons cocoa 1 Tablespoon white Karo syrup 1 cup milk Bring to a soft boil stage. (I HIGHLY recommend getting a candy thermometer. It tells you the correct temp ...

Today, I am switching things up and linking up with Shay, from Mix and Match Mama! Have you read her blog? Oh my goodness, every time I read her blog I have to wipe the drool from my mouth because all of the food looks so good! You should check out her family blog too. Her kiddos are just precious, and I love that they are a Christian family. On her blog today, we are sharing our favorite Summer desserts! I mean, how good does this look? I have two words for you... peanut butter and chocolate. Need I say more? I will, because this recipe is just TOO GOOD ! I came across this recipe while clipping coupons. Look closely, there are some great recipes mixed in there! I present to you, Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie. Crust Ingredients: No stick cooking spray 1 package Martha White Chocolate Chip muffin mix 4 tablespoons butter softened 1/3 cup salted peanuts chopped (I have also left these out, and it is fine without them too) Filling Ingredients: 1/2 cup creamy peanut...

I had cut this recipe out of my newspaper several years ago, and just stumbled upon it in my recipe holder. I had all of the ingredients handy, and it is a clean dish so I decided to make it! The thing I love most about this dish is that is a one pot wonder. I cooked all of my ingredients in one skillet, and put everything in one casserole dish. I love these type of meals! Here is what you need! Ingredients: Olive Oil 1/2 small onion chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 cup frozen chopped spinach (I used a 10 oz bag thawed) 1 cup quick cooking brown rice (I used minute rice and cooked it for half the time) Salt, Pepper, Onion salt, Garlic salt, Oregano 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes 1 cup chicken broth Reduced fat Feta cheese 2 tbls slivered almonds Put a little bit of olive oil in a skillet, then add your onions. Add your garlic and spinach when your onions are almost done. Season with a little salt, pepper, onion and garlic salt, oregano and red pepp...

Image found here For some reason lately, my soup of choice has been tortilla soup. I've had it at a couple restaurants, and both have been different. One style has been broth based, and another tomato based. Both were very good, but I preferred the broth based soup. I should also mention that I LOVE Mexican food. I make a mean enchilada bake, which I usually make for Cinco de Mayo. Mom and I love to can our own pico de gallo (which would be awesome on top of tortilla soup!) So basically this post is going to be a pre-post to an upcoming post. I found the Pioneer Woman 's recipe of Tortilla Soup, and I decided that I absolutely have to make it. It looks delicious! I will make sure to fill you in on how it goes! Do you have a favorite tortilla soup recipe? I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a comment with your favorite recipe!

Doesn't the Fall weather just scream apples and bread pudding? I've never been a huge fan of bread pudding, probably because I am not a huge fan of custard. But this sounded delicious, and we had copious amounts of bread leftover from a party we cooked for. I found this recipe on Pinterest , of course! Here's the recipe: 8 cups bread cubed 2 medium apples, cored and cubed 1/2 cup raisins 4 large eggs 1 cup brown sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cardamom 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp salt 3 cups milk 1 cup apple cider Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. In a very large bowl, combine bread cubes, apple cubes and raisins. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and all spices until well combined. Wish in milk and apple cider, then pour mixture over the bread cubes. Toss gently with a spatula until cubes are evenly coated. Let stand for 15 minutes. Pou...