Holy Cream Cheese

I hope those who see this do not offend easily. If that is the case I apologize in advance, but this post does make a light humorous touch on religion and is all meant in good fun. That being said, I want to introduce you all to what I have dubbed, The Holy Cream Cheese!

At work there is a new associate, and during her first week she brought in this delicious dish that a relative makes. I took a bite and immediately started rewriting the lords prayer in honor of this cream cheese pastry treat. I got the recipe the other day and have made it for myself, altering it slightly. I will post the official recipe, along with the changes I made myself. I will post my cream cheese prayer at the end.

Ingredients:
3x tubes of flaky crescent rolls
3x blocks of cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
sugar
vanilla
cinnamon
milk (maybe)

All right, so one of the best things about this is you don't have to measure ANYTHING!

Preheat your oven to 350.

To start you blend together all of the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and some cinnamon. Add all to taste, add a little, try it, and add a little more depending. Because it's all to taste I did it one item at a time. I also replaced regular granulated sugar with powdered sugar. I did this because I happen to make an amazing cream cheese frosting with powdered sugar, so I knew it would be enjoyed.

I actually stopped at the sugar. My boyfriend, Jay dislikes cinnamon, so I saved that for just the top layer, and I was out of vanilla. Once blended I added just a splash of milk not even 1/4 of a cup, just to thin it a little bit and make it more manageable late for spreading.

Okay so once you have your filling all blended to how you like it, its time to put it all together. Spray down your casserole pan with non-stick cooking spray, or coat it in butter or Crisco, whatever you like for a non-stick surface. Then pop your first roll of  crescent rolls, and lay them out on the bottom of your pan.

Take half of the filling and spread it over the rolls. Between the non stick spray, and the thick filling, this part with bee difficult. Just stay patient, and spread it as evenly as you can.

Then pop the next can, and add a new layer of crescent rolls, followed by the rest of your filling. Spreading out the filling this time will be super easy because the first layer of filling will hold the second layer of crescent rolls in place.

Alright, add the third canister of crescent roll, Then in the microwave, (or on the stove if you prefer) melt one stick of unsalted butter. Then drizzle it all over the top and use a spatula to make sure each pastry triangle is covered. It will gather up between the pastry, don't worry about it, just spread it out as evenly as you can.

Next take your granulated sugar and your cinnamon and dust all over the top.

Bake for 35 minuets in your oven preheated to 350 degrees. After 35 minuets, take it out and smell that sweet cinnamon goodness!

LOOK AT THAT! Oh so good. You are able to dig in almost right away, it cuts easily with a spatula and is great both warm and cold.

It is so simple and easy! Give it a try, play around with the ingredients since it's all just however you like it! This is one backed good that is done by heart, not by head!

And now for the prayer that has already set off way too many laughs!

My taste buds who art in Heaven

Cream cheese be thy name

Thy baked good come

Thy sweet will be done

On my tongue as in my stomach

Give us this day our cinnamon topping

Forgive us eating cheese cake

As we forgive those cheesecake against us

Lead us not into vegetable

But delivers us from Greens

For thine is the cream cheese

The cinnamon,

And the crust,

Forever and ever, amen

Meatloaf Patty

Alright so the meatloaf burger patty is so simple my 2 year old niece could make them. Well, she could start them, I don't think anyone wants a two year old cooking with hot oil. But my point remains, these are so fast and easy, and most importantly, they are GOOD!

My boyfriend became a vegetarian almost two years ago. Until then, he ate meat as much as I do, maybe even more, which is quite a bit as I claim I am more carnivore, over omnivore. But anyway, I had to get creative with a great many meals. I was saving so much money on buying meat since I was only cooking it for myself now. But I also was working like mad at the start of 2014, and I needed something I didn't have to think about when I got home from work so tired. I had so much burger, but was sick of regular burgers, and the other usual dishes too. I love my Momma's Awesome Meatloaf, and since I was the only one eating it I could have leftovers for my lunches and other dinners. But I didn't have cream of soup and I wasn't about to leave the store. Then I remember that there had been times when my mother had made meatballs in a similar way to her meatloaf, sh would serve it with a white gravy. So as I was being sleepy and lazy I decided to make it a meatloaf patty that I could fry up. Over the last few months, I've experimented, and even took a cooking method out of what is essentially a pre-teen kid's book that I discovered and still read today (don't judge me.)

The Meatloaf Patties have become my preferred method of making burgers now. They are also great for making extra and eating them cold the next day. They can be cooked medium well and remain juicy and moist, even while cold, for a couple of days. They fry up fast, though I do encourage experimenting with baking in the over like a regular loaf, but I haven't tried it myself. Alright, well lets get to it!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 package of saltine crackers
2 large or jumbo eggs. 3 if eggs are smaller than large
Seasoning of your choice
Olive oil

Alright so to start you want to put your ground beef, in a bowl that is big enough to not let it spill over when mixing. Crush up your crackers over the beef, and then crack in your eggs.

Before you begin to squish it all together, start up your frying pan. Cover the whole pan in a good amount of olive oil. You are essentially going to fry the hell out of these suckers. (I never claimed they were healthy!) I always cover the bottom, well then add what I estimate to be the same amount of oil once more. Heat it up on halfway between a medium and high heat setting. too high and that much oil will spit out and you might get hurt, or worse.

Once that is done you can mix/squish/fold everything in the bowl together. USE YOUR HANDS!!! That is the only way to know it's all really and properly mixed together. Meatloaf is home cooked comfort food. The use of your hands over a mixer or a spatula, or whatever it is you want to use adds to the feeling of cooked with love. So again, hands. Use them.

Once all is mixed well, then add in your seasoning. You can season it however you want, or not at all! Many people use just salt and pepper. The great thing about meatloaf is that you can literally experiment with ANYTHING here. The origins of meatloaf was back in the day the poor needed a way to utilize all the scraps and leftovers they had so no food would go to waste. Meatloaf is the loaf version of stew, you can put anything into it and it will still be meatloaf. SO have fun experimenting, try using ginger or dried onion flakes. I like to use Cavender's Greek Seasoning. It is pretty much my favorite all seasoning. I use it on almost everything.

Use as much or as little as you like, and mix in. Once more, everyone say it with me.... HANDS! USE THEM!

Once you have it all mixed well together, start making your patties. I make a lot  for me so I always wind up with like three huge patties. They will be slimy from the egg and they will feel like they don't want to stick together. You might find yourself trying to press them harder, I know I have, but don't worry about it. They won't fall apart on you. Then, with a spatula, lay them in the hot oil. It will sizzle and spit and the frying will begin.

Cook time depends on how thick your patty is, the thicker the longer it takes. Use this time to start up any sides you might want to have with it. I suggest mashed potatoes and green beans. Once your patty is about half cooked, flip it and let it finish. Because of the egg, the inside texture will feel raw still even though the burger is cooked medium to well all the way through. And yes you do want this patty cooked to at least medium. It will be too mushy feeling as you eat it if you don't. But don't worry. If you are like me and like your meat still mooing, this will seem just that way! Once it is well done take off the heat and serve it up!

The outside, top and bottom will be crispy and so delicious. The inside will be medium to well done, and soft, and juicy! Add your sides and you're done!

Suggestions: Feel free to treat it like a burger and add all the fixings, and bread or buns. It's good. Add cheese, A1, or any other condiments you like. You're going to love this super quick twist to the classic burger patty!

If you have any leftovers, toss them int he fridge, and have them cold for lunch the next day. They stay juicy for a day or two. I don't know if they go tough after that, I always eat mine pretty quick!

That's all for today! Happy cooking!

Spicy Chicken and Rice

It has been quite a long time since I've posted, but I have a wonderful recipe for you! This is a change up to the Orange Chicken and Fried Rice. I ran out of several things I needed for that recipe, but all I had was chicken and rice in the house, so I changed it up a bit but I don't have pics, sorry! So ready? Here we go!

Ingredients:

• White Rice
• Chicken
• 2-3 Eggs
• Ground Ginger
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Soy Sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• Olive Oil
• Butter

Alright so you need to start it all by cooking your rice. If you're like us and have a rice cooker (because your Asian significant other eats it at least twice a day) it is easy enough, but other wise I recommend buying a box of Uncle Ben's and cooking it as instructed on the box for however many servings you need.

Once your rice is cooked and is all fluffy go a head and drop a pat of butter into a deep skillet on medium heat. You want a deep one so there isn't a huge mess with the rice later.

While the butter melts, crab a frying pan and put some olive oil in it, heating it up on medium heat.

Chop your chicken into bite sized bits, and toss into the frying pan. Take the rice and put it in the skillet, using a spatula to spread it out evenly in the pan.

Now for your eggs. If you have eggs Large or smaller you'll need 3. If you have XL or Jumbo you will be fine with two. Crack your eggs and drop them onto the rice, each on opposite halves of the skillet. Break the yolks with your spatula then start to fold and mix it all in. The idea is to coat the rice evenly in egg. Something else you could do is crack the eggs into the blow and stir them like you would for scrambled eggs, then pour that over the rice and fold in. Once the egg is evenly mixed in spread it out evenly once more and leave it be to fry. Every couple of minuets during the next step fold the rice on top, into the bottom, bringing the fried rice from the bottom up top.

Now its time to focus on cooking up your chicken. Once it is cooked through, pull it out and place it in a bowl. Add a little more olive oil to the frying pan, and reheat. Turn the heat up just a little bit as well. Then add in your ginger and red pepper flakes to the pan. Add a lot of each, the point is SPICY! Once that is in shake in some soy sauce. It should be enough to sizzle hard and turn it all into a thick kind of goo. This is where you add in your water. Fill the bottom of the pad about quarter of an inch. Add in a little more ginger then let it simmer just enough for it to thicken. Toss in your chicken and coat all of it. Once all your chicken has been coated, remove from heat and set aside.

Your rice should be well fried by more. Now it is time to add more ginger and red pepper flakes to the rice. Remember with the rice it is more like folding then spices in rather than mixing or stirring them in. Rice love to jump out of the pan and make a huge mess. So folding allows for better control and less mess. Once it's added in you are ready to serve it up!

I like to serve this in a bowl, rice on bottom, chicken on top. If you make more sauce than the chicken needed you can drizzle it on top of everything else as well. DELICIOUS!

LEFTOVERS!!!!! If you make extra of both rice and chicken, one of my favorite things to do is put it all together in a container and eat if cold for lunch the next day. It's almost better cold than cooked fresh.

Who will like this:

Anyone who likes spicy food. You can always tame it down but just adding less ginger. Then it could be more tolerable for the more sensitive pallets. Children or elderly for example. 

Thanks for tuning in everyone! See you next time!

~Alex~

Baked Cinnamon Apples

Alright I have a REALLY simple SO DELICIOUS treat for you today!

I was looking for something healthy and yummie. To add to my criteria list, my boyfriend recently became a vegetarian, and I needed something he could share with me. Something sweet and treat like that can be thought of as a dessert as well. Then I was struck with gold...or maybe red. Baked apples with cinnamon! It is so unbelievable easy, and so good too! My boyfriend ate almost all of it in one sitting haha!

Ingredients:

• Red Apples sized medium to large
• Cinnamon

Starting note. There is no measurement for this. The amount and size of the apples all depends on how you want to slice them up, including the kind of slices and how thick they are. The cinnamon is strictly to taste. Lets begin!

First preheat your oven to 200. Now you are going to slice your apples. Be sure to core them. I sliced mine two different ways. the first was into quarters then into eighths. The second was simply cutting off the top and bottom, and making nice round slices.

I also had a third apple that cut into eighths and then proceeded the make them even thinner. Next, be sure to take the seeds out. Some may prefer to core the apples entirely. Then arrange them on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon to taste.

Place them in the heated oven and let back for about an hour. Your house will start to smell like apple pie, your mouth will be watering! After an hour, choose a thicker slice and test with a bit. The apple should be hot and soft as though it really were in a pie. If it is not return to oven, checking regularly. In the end you will have a delicious finished treat that's great for home made lunches and snacks!

It is so good and great for you! If you are looking to lose weight like we are, this is a great way to change up all those apples you've been eating!

Note: The thinner the slice the quicker it will dry out. Some very thin pieces with harden like apple chips if left in for too long.

FUN TIME CREATES GREAT MEMORIES! This is a great way to get the kids involved in healthy eating! When I was little I had a teacher who taught us a story about the star in the center of the apple. I had already loved apples at that time, but every time I have one, I still think of that story. Use this super SIMPLE COOKING recipe to make some great memories for you and your little ones!

Strawberry-Orange Smoothie

Hello my loves!

I am sorry! I know it has been so long since I've updated.But that is life and it happens. As it is, I have a wonderful new juicer and have begun some delicious drink recipes! Today I give to you, Strawberry-Orange smoothies!

Ingredients:

• One package of strawberries
• Seven Oranges
• Half a cup of milk
• Eight ice cubes

First you are going to roll your oranges on the counter and between your palms This softens them up and helps get more juice out. If you have a juicer, go ahead and use that, otherwise, after softening your oranges, cut them into quarters and peel.

Next juice or blend your oranges. Seven oranges with pulp should come to about 24 ounces.

Next put your Ice and milk in the blender. Crush the ice, but only just enough to make it easy for the blender later.

Now add in your strawberries. Be sure the greens are cut off. Put the lid on and hit the blend button for a few seconds. Once you see the white milk consumed you can stop.

Now add in your orange juice, and blend one more time to mix it properly.

Your finished product will be a delicious, thick, smoothie that makes about three pints. Plenty of orange and strawberry perfectly blended so one doesn't over power the other!

Added bonus!!! This is a nice healthy drink with no added sugar. Completely fresh and healthy for you and your loved ones!

Jello Salad!

This is a delicious treat I only got at Easter time... SOMETIMES at a 4th of July picnic or other special holiday but it was never really make any other time. I associate it most often with Easter though, and I hope you try it out this year for yourselves and enjoy it!!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pack of Jell-O (any flavor you choose. I used cherry)
• Mini Marshmallows
• Cool Whip

First your'e going to make your Jell-o and let it sit for the directed time. When the Jell-O is ready, open a bag of marshmallows and dump it into a large bowl.

Then with a spatula or spoon dump the jell-o into the bowl as well.

Add in an entire small container of cool whip (or half a large one if that's what you bought)

And mix it all up! A rubber spatula works best for getting the marshmallows from the bottom in the center of the bowl. It should look like this when finished....

So good! You can use any flavor you want. You can also ass in things like mixed fruit cups or pineapple or apple chunks. adding in fruit really changes it up texture wise since it's so soft. Experiment with flavors of Jell-O and different add in foods!

When you're all done refrigerate until ready to serve!

Tip: If you making for more people simply add in another half bag or even an additional full bag of marshmallows. That's all you really need to do for a big family gathering!

That's all for now! Happy Easter!!!

Strawberry Shortcake

I know it's been just over a month since the last entry, I apologize. A lot has happened in the last five weeks but to make it up to you all I am going to post my dad's Strawberry Shortcake. This is for those who are always asking for dessert, and its probably the one I remember the most from my childhood. It was always a really special treat when my dad made this, and even now when I buy the things for it, I get really excited and just can't wait for it, haha. I hope you all love and enjoy it as much as I do.

Ingredients:

• Two packages strawberries
• Sugar
• A package of mini angel food cakes
• One pint of heavy whipping cream
• Whipped Cream (optional)

First you're going to wash your strawberries and cut the tops off. Slice them in half and place them in a blender. Don't cut them all up, save a few to garnish your finished product!

Next pour in about a third of your heavy whipping cream.

Then sprinkle in about a quarter cup of sugar.

Place the top on your blender and turn it on. The blend or the whip setting are what I prefer to use but whatever floats you boat as long as it mixes it well. When done it should be nice and thick and creamy.

Give it a taste, if you find it to be a little bland, add more strawberries to counter out the whipping cream. They also balance it out if there is too much sugar.

Next place a cake round in a bowl, and pour the strawberry sauce over it, to drown it.

Place another cake on top of the first and add more sauce. Top it all with whipped cream and the left over strawberries for a delicious treat!

Who will like this: Everyone! Kids love it because it's a rare and special treat, parents love it because it's easy to make, and really not that messy.

LEFTOVERS! Yes that's right! Depending one how many you are serving there is usually some sauce left over. I like to place it in the refrigerator and save it for a delicious treat later, when I'll simply sip it out of a glass. I think this was my favorite part grown up, drinking the leftover strawberry goodness!

There you go guys one more insanely super Simple Cooking gone right! I hope you all enjoy it, leave comments let me know what you think of if you have questions!

Remember you are all amazing and wonderful! I love you all!

~Alex~