Good mmmMonday! to you, Dirt Roaders.  I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend. Ours was a little crazy.  That is okay though.  Better a little crazy…than a lot crazy, in my opinion.

We were gonna talk meatloaf today…but due to craziness, we may put that off until next week.  I try to be a woman of my word…so in case you were looking forward to it…keep hanging on.  You will?  Okay…thank you.

I thought that I would leave you with a picture of good things to come today.  This is a little bounty from last year’s garden. The Mr. got ours all plowed up on Saturday and it looks so good.  (Thanks to the MIL for spotting that awesome Troy Built Horse in the paper last year. btw: MIL…that skirt that you had on at church last night….ADORBS!)  He also got our yard mowed and the kids and I got the flower beds and herb bed weeded and ready for mulch.  (Lots of antibiotics and allergy meds on my part….the pollen is nuts here.)

I hope that you have a wonderful mmmMonday!  I hope that it’s filled with all things bright and wonderful.  I hope that you feel the love of Christ warming your heart from the inside…out today.  You deserve it….He said so.  😉

Do you ever just get inspired by a photo and then jump in the kitchen and make something?  That is kind of how this recipe came about.  I was looking through my new BHG and spotted a recipe for grilled quesadillas.  I’m not really sure how they made them but this is what I came up with and it is a keeper.  Oh and by the way…welcome to mmmMonday!

Ingredients:

1 bag of boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins

flour tortillas

yellow and red peppers

onion

salt and pepper

brown rice

pepper jack cheese

sour cream

1 lime

cilantro

butter

I didn’t give exact amounts on all of this…because I think that each person can just adjust to what they need.  If you are only making quesadillas for two you won’t need much brown rice…but I was cooking for a family of five.  You guys are smart…you can just eyeball it.  😉

Directions:

I began by cooking the chicken in an iron skillet.  (My cowboy cookware.)  After the chicken started cooking a bit…I then added the red and yellow pepper.  You could use green if you want.  I just had these on hand.  Then I diced an onion and threw it in there.  While that was going, we cooked the amount of rice that we thought that we  would need to spread a layer on our quesadillas.  Then we  grated our pepper jack cheese.  We used 8 oz.   After the chicken mixture was finished (Don’t forget to season with s & p.) and the rice was done…it was time to assemble and grill.  I preheated my grill pan…maybe on medium/high heat.  I  rubbed the pan with a little olive oil and butter.  On one half of the tortilla I  layered rice, chicken mixture and cheese.  Then I folded the tortilla over and placed it in the grill pan.  While it’s grilling you can brush it with butter to soften it a little. After a minute or two, with tongs, flip it over and grill until the cheese inside starts to melt.  (If you don’t have a grill pan…and iron skillet or just a regular skillet will work too…just like a grilled cheese.)

After my grilled quesadillas were done, I mixed some light sour cream with the juice of one lime and some diced cilantro.  Oh my goodness.  I love that.  You can eyeball that mixture too…and adjust to your own taste.  I probably used about a half cup of sour cream, one lime and a handful of cilantro.

There you have it, Dirt Road Foodies.  My recipes are very casual…with room for invention.  This was quick and easy and delicious.  It’s not rocket science but it puts a good, healthy, meal on the table.  Next week we will be sharing the joys of the Mother/Daughter Meatloaf.  The girls and I whipped up a mean meatloaf together and it was so much fun.  I can’t wait to share it with you.  (They helped with the quesadillas too…my son-in-laws will love me someday.)  😉

Let me know if you think that you might try this or if you have a recipe that you would like to see on here….or if you just like to talk food…like me.  I love your comments.  They make me smile.  (I just realized that I say “eyeball” a lot when I’m cooking. Is that normal?)

Have a great day!

Hey Sweets!  How was your Easter?  Was it wonderful?  I hope so.  I hope that it was filled with all things wonderful….just like ours.  So here we are…back to mmmMonday! Are you guys full of ham?  Did you know that up until a few years ago I didn’t realize that people always had ham for Easter?  WHERE ON EARTH WAS I?  I am a foodie kind of gal and this slipped by me.  Probably because my family didn’t do ham for Easter…maybe.  I don’t know….but NOW I know.  😉

So….it’s mmmMonday! and I have a little squash tip for you. You know…it’s spring….squash is yellow…see the connection?  Okay…moving on. Ha!  Where I’m from, squash is grown to be fried.  Some of our mommas rolled it in flour then dipped it in milk and egg.  Other mommas used cornmeal.  Any way you fry it…it’s a warm bit of heaven on your tongue.  Fried squash is comfort food…no doubt about it.

Saying all of that…today I’m going to give you a new little take on squash.  We usually have an abundance of it in the summer…as long as the squash bugs are kept at bay.  Even when we don’t have it on the vine…you can usually pick it up at the grocery store year around.  Yellow squash is my favorite.  There are other names for it…but generally we just call it yellow. Last year I was trying to come up with some different ways to fix it.  Enter:  The Panini grill press pan.

Do you guys have a Panini pan or some sort of grill pan?  That is all you need.  That and a little olive oil and salt and pepper.  Squash is wonderful this way.  It gives it an amazing flavor…and that is coming from a girl (Doesn’t that sound young? Yes..it does.) that was raised on fried squash.

GRILLED SQUASH

(I only use the bottom of my grill pan….of course.)  😉

yellow squash (or whatever kind you love)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

Go ahead and get your gill pan warming on the stove.  Maybe a mediumish heat.  You don’t want it too hot…but you do want a nice little sizzle.  Cut your squash length-wise.  Brush them with olive oil and add a little salt and pepper. Lay them on your grill pan and cook for a few minutes until they are starting to get a little translucent and then turn. Cook on this side until they are cooked through. You might need to add a little more S&P to taste.

There ya go, Dirt Roaders.  A healthy easy side just for you.  We want you to be around for years to come.  We want you to grow up big and strong.  😉  I’m being good today.  There is a bowl full of air-popped popcorn beside me…..dressed in a tad of real butter and a drizzle of olive oil.  Of course a little sea salt too. Let’s be healthy and live to be old and crusty.  Now…go forth…and grill that squash!

Hey guys!  How was your weekend?  Hopefully well.  Ours was filled with me cleaning, helping the Mr. scrub a chicken’s tush…and egg salad.  Can you say excitement?  I thought that you probably could. 😉  So…the cleaning part would probably bore you…the chicken booty is a story for another day….but the egg salad…it will work for mmMonday!  Let’s get crackin’.  (You are allowed roll your eyes right here.)

Do you  love egg salad?  Do you hate egg salad?  Are you wondering why I made egg salad?  Well….when you have several chickens…you feel the need to eat eggs.  We sell eggs and give eggs away, but we feel obligated to eat them too.  😉  I love whizzing by the egg cooler at our grocery store and knowing that I don’t have to buy them because my “little ladies” are working on that at home.

Saturday morning we were being lazy and discussing what we were going to eat.  My son mentioned omelets, I mentioned potato salad and my husband mentioned egg salad.  His mom used to fix it when he was little.  So…while I was talking to the MIL on the phone later in the day, I asked if they wanted to come out for an egg salad sandwich.  (I know right?  Such a gourmet meal to feed company.) Hey…at least it’s “springy.”  lol! (She and I were also wanting to get together and ooh and aah over some things on Pinterest.  So the egg salad was a good excuse.)  She brought a homemade cheesecake.  Can. You. Say. Heaven?  (My Mr. is so spoiled…and I get to help reap the benefits.)  😉

Mr. Henry and one of his wives.

It’s kinda crazy.  This last week I have made tilapia, beef and noodles and pork loin..but I am sharing the chicken salad with you.  I told you that I was interested in making your life easier.  I wasn’t joking.  I’ve been having another taco hankerin’ too.  I may have to fix that this week.

Okay…so my egg salad was this:

Eggs

Light Mayo

Mustard

Salt/Pepper

Relish (I used dill but if you like sweet relish…have at it.) 🙂

Onion

Directions:  Boil as many eggs as you think that you will need.  I think that I did 19 or 20. Mash the whole eggs (white and yolk) with a fork.  I added about 1/2 c. of mayo.  Then about 2 tbsp. of mustard.  S & P to taste.  About 2 tbsp. of relish and about 1/2 of a smallish onion. Serve on bread of your choice.

By now, after two months of mmmMonday! you guys are realizing that I LOVE…lovity..love simple recipes with no brainer directions. This would be a delightful little sandwich for a shower or some kind of little meeting or luncheon.  It is so pretty for this time of year.  Okay…okay…so I’m kinda crazy and chickens and eggs and by the way…which came first?  Was it the chicken….or the egg salad? 😉

Have an awesome day, Dirt Roaders!  Why?  Because you deserve it!

p.s.     What if we added a little pinch of dill and a sprinkle of paprika?  There we go!  Now we’re cluckin’!

p.p.s.  A big hello to the DQ girls from last night!  It was so fun to see some of my blog buddies….and that Blizzard was scrumptious!

Yes, I know.  It’s a huge claim.  It’s true for our home though.  I think that I have made the best chicken salad that has ever graced our bread.  I am not kidding you.  So I had to share it with my precious Dirt Roaders on this mmmMonday!

You guys know, by now, that I am one of those cooks who add a little of this and a little of that.  Actually…whether it’s cooking or home decor…I’m known to spend quite a bit of time “tweaking.”  (No..no…nothing drug related…just fine tuning.) 🙂

One of these days I will post a recipe for you that is actually a full-blown meal.  Lately though…I’ve been having fun with the simple things. (I want to make your life easier…not more complicated.)  I hope that you enjoy this mmmMonday! recipe…from the tippy tip of your taste buds, down to your belly.

Best Chicken Salad Yet

2 cans of chicken (You can also used cooked and shredded boneless skinless chicken breasts.)

2 stalks of celery

1 small apple

1/2 of an onion

1/2 c. of raisins

1/4 c. chopped parsley (fresh)

1/2 c. light mayo

a tad of Lawry’s season salt

freshly cracked pepper and salt, to taste

chopped almonds or pecans (optional)

The big sha-bang in this recipe is the parsley.  I have never added it before but it was definitely the star of the show. Parsley just brightens it up so much.  The raisins were a new touch too and they were heavenly. (I usually use grapes.)  This recipe is a keeper for our home.  I hope that you all enjoy it too.

Happy mmmMonday! Dirt Roaders.  Go forth….and feed those faces.  😉

p.s.  Don’t be afraid to “tweak” this recipe yourself.  Adjust everything to your taste.  You will love me for this one.  😉

I know…I know.  Up until now our mmmMonday posts have lacked anything very gourmet.  I promise that I do know how to cook.  We actually love to try new recipes here, along the dirt road.  I just thought that with your busy schedules that you might appreciate something simple once in a while.  Was I right?  Thought so.  🙂

Sometimes the Mr. has to be out-of-pocket on a week night for a board meeting.  I usually don’t push much structure on these nights and try to do something fun with the kids. Sometimes we just eat whatever we want and they love that.  Poor kids…so mistreated…having to eat those well-balanced, home cooked meals, most nights.

So cruel…to make our children eat healthy meals…full of vitamins!

This particular night we decided to do bagel pizzas.  They are so easy and so fun.  Mine actually wound up being made on a thin bun.  (Moms still have to be a leetle responsible.)  It was really good, as well.  (Not so many carbs.)

Doesn’t he make it look good? 🙂

So what do you need for these bagel pizzas?  It’s not rocket science…which I’m sure you already knew.  Bagels, marinara,  pepperoni, cheese, banana peppers…really whatever toppings you choose.  We lay a couple of pepperoni slices over the hole first…to keep our stuff ON the bagel.  Then you just add marinara and cheese and toppings. Bake at about 350 degrees until the cheese is bubbly and melty.  mmm!

Don’t forget to plug the hole with slices of pepperoni!

On my version I added pepperoni, olive oil, feta cheese and tomatoes.  Of course anything with feta needs a grind or two of fresh pepper.  🙂  Maybe a little sea salt too! Wouldn’t they be luscious with some marinated artichoke hearts?  Yes, I knew that you would..I agree.  😉 (I’m cracking up thinking about those of you who are grossing out over artichoke hearts.) You know…a sprinkle of Italian seasoning would be good too!

My “skinny” version.

Let’s make a list.

1. bagels (Everything bagels are great!)

2. marinara (Pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce works too.)

3.  mozzarella cheese

4.  toppings (pepperoni, olives, banana peppers orrrrrr…. artichoke hearts)

There you have it.  Simple and delish.  Fun and not much clean up.  How great is that?  It’s great and that is the kind of day that I’m wishing for you, Dirt Road Runners. 🙂  I hope that it’s filled to the tip-top with blessings from above.

I would love to hear about your “fun” meals!  Happy eating!