Pasta with Mushroom Shrimp Swiss Cheese Sauce

1/2 lb. pasta
1/2 lb shrimp, devained and shelled
1 small can mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
3/4 c. milk
black pepper
few dashes of garlic powder
dash or two of oregano
2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 - 3/4 c. Swiss cheese, shredded (depends on how much you want!)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, cook the shrimp and mushrooms in a large skillet with the butter over medium heat. Cook about 5 minutes. Add the flour to the skillet, and let it get bubbly (about 30 seconds), then stir in the milk. Add the seasonings. Turn up the heat just a little, and stir constantly for a minute. When the milk has thickened, turn off the heat and add the cheeses. Stir until they are melted in.

Serve the sauce over the cooked pasta. Enjoy!

Texas Style Lemon Chicken

Chicken cooking

3 large chicken breasts, cut into thick strips
1/2 c. butter, divided
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (basil, thyme, oregano)
juice from 1 lemon

Melt 1/4 c. butter in skillet until bubbly. Mix all the seasonings together in a small bowl. Place chicken strips on a plate and season one side with 1/2 of the seasoning mixture. Place chicken seasoned side down in the skillet. Cook on medium heat about 5 minutes.

Dinner is ready, with a side of veggies

Squeeze half of lemon juice in skillet over chicken. Turn chicken over. Season other side with the remaining seasoning. Add the rest of the butter and lemon juice. Cover and cook another 5-7 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.

I served the chicken over rice, and drizzled quite a bit of the sauce over both. Definitely making this again.

Original recipe courtesy of Stephanie Schmaljohann

Chili Cheese Dip

The amount is easily halved if you don't want to make too much. And I again did not measure the spices very accurately, so go by what tastes good.


2 cans No Bean Chili (I used Nalley's)
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
4-5 cilantro sprigs, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cumin
10 - 12 drops Chipotle Tabasco
A lot of cracked black pepper


Add all the ingredients to a crock pot; stir together, mashing up the cream cheese a bit. Set on low for 2 hours. Stir every half hour or so. Serve warm with tortilla chips. It's a great dip for a party!

Eggnog bread with chocolate chips

Before baking

2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. eggnog
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a bread pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and sugar. Make a well in the middle.

In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then mix in the eggnog, melted butter, and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan. Sprinkle the top with the mini chocolate chips. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Mmmmm...

Cool slightly before removing to a wire rack.

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: http://www.roxanashomebaking.com/eggnog-chocolate-bread-recipe/

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Got this recipe from good ol' Betty Crocker: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/mint-chocolate-chip-cookies/22bebeda-ea36-441a-9909-ae78409d6da6

17.5 oz. bag Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. mint extract (which is different from peppermint)
8 drops green food coloring
1 egg
1 c. creme de menthe baking chips
3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, mix together cookie mix, butter, extract, food coloring, and egg. Beat until soft dough forms. Stir in the chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes. Let cool then remove to a wire rack.