Category: Recipe Reviews - Michelle Bradshaw Author

Michelle Bradshaw Author

Happy National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day

4/2/2016

With today being National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day I thought I would tell you how I make my kiddo's favorite sandwich. I think he could eat PB&J every!

Ingredients:

* 2 slices of bread (My favorite to use is cinnamon raisin bread.)
* Peanut Butter (My kiddo's favorite is Jiff Creamy Peanut Butter.)
* Jelly (My kiddo loves Bama Grape Jelly.)

Directions:

* Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread.
* Spread jelly on the other slice of bread.
* Put the two slices of bread together.
* I usually cut the sandwich in half in triangle shapes.
* Enjoy

If you or your kiddos eat a PB&J today take a picture and send it to us and we will post it in a slideshow on here.

-Candie & Michelle

Brunswick Stew

2/2/2016

I made this recipe last week for my family and it had mixed reviews. I thought it was absolutely scrumptious, while my husband said it was good, but not particularly his favorite, which I think is more of his personal preference and not a jab at my cooking skills. In saying that, I am by no way an amazing chef like Gordon Ramsey or Graham Elliot, but I give it my best effort. I admit that I like to use frozen and canned foods, which I know might not be everyone’s number one choice, but this recipe as well as many others I have posted can easily be converted to fresh produce for a fresher alternative. This recipe I concocted from two recipes I found. I took the ingredients I liked from each and made my own tasty soup. Yet again, I made this recipe in my crockpot. If you don’t have a crockpot or have never cooked from one, you are missing out. I couldn’t live without mine. It makes meat so tender and cooking effortless. Just throw in all and your ingredients, set the timer, and you’re finished.

Ingredients:
*3 cups chicken broth
*2 cans 14.5oz diced tomatoes
*1 cans 14.5oz diced potatoes
*2 can 14.5oz Lima beans
*1 can 14.5oz kernel corn
*1/2 of a small onion
*3 large chicken breast (Fresh or frozen, both work great)
*1/2 cup of Kraft barbecue sauce or a hearty tasting sauce of your choice
*A couple of generous splashes of Worcestershire sauce to your taste
*1/2 or 1 tablespoon of sugar (Of course for a sweeter tasting stew use a whole tablespoon)
½ cup of hot sauce (If you’re brave. Which I am. I think it gave it a great yin and yang of sweet and spicy)
*Salt and pepper to taste
Of course always feel free to add to or take away any of these ingredients for you and your family’s personal preference.

Directions:

Pour your chicken broth into the crock pot. (I use "Orrington Farms" powder, comes in a brown jar. You can find it where the other broths and stocks are shelved. One jar makes 56 cups of tasty broth)
Place your chicken in the pot
Add all of your veggies
Next add the barbecue sauce

   5. Lastly add all of the condiments according to your tastes
     6. Set the timer for 4hrs on high or for 8hrs on low (I always go the longer route. The meat seems more     tender when you do it this way. Prepare your meal, go to work, come home, dinner is done!)
     6. Enjoy!

                                             -Candie Bradfield

Not Just Vegetable soup

1/19/2016

Vegetable soup is one of my top five favorite foods. I prefer homemade, but have discovered a version at a few restaurants I will crave on occasion. My Nana made a sweet vegetable soup that I mourn not having the recipe for. My mom mourns with me. My mom makes a vegetable soup that I will eat a Tupperware container full of in one sitting, reclining backwards afterwards to make room for my swollen stomach. However, at 32, I've never made vegetable soup. I consider myself the queen of finding weird recipes on the Internet and subjecting my family to their taste testing. Many spur of the moment trips have been made to McDonald's to save us from starvation after a recipe ends up being less than edible. Yet, I've never attempted something as simple as vegetable soup.

Something you need to know before I continue, I'm a "craver". I must be craving a food before I want to cook it and I must get what I am craving or I will eat a little of everything in the kitchen. My family eats by the whims of my taste buds. My husband doesn't seem to mind and my kids haven't caught on yet. Bully to me.

A full day of "what am I really craving" later and you have me to my decision to make vegetable soup. First things first, I call my mom and ask her how to make it. As it turns out, her recipe is a basic vegetable soup recipe of cut up potatoes, boil them til tender, add cans diced tomatoes and whatever other vegetables you want (quantity determined by eyeing how much you want to make), salt and pepper. Voila! Vegetable soup!

The first obstacle presents itself quickly. I despise peeling and cutting potatoes. DESPISE! When I was a kid, that was always my job, thus I have come to hate it. I understand why it is sometimes used as punishment in the military. The potato juice makes my fingers feel dry and weird and makes me grumpy and I can never seem to get rid of that raw potato smell. Solution? HUBBY! I am never afraid to bat my eyelashes and humbly express how much better he will be at something if I really don't want to do it. He really is much better with a knife. I wander to the kitchen to find the bag of a day away from rotting potatoes and thus decide the entire half a bag must be peeled and cooked. Yeah, I am pretty bad at eyeing quantities. Half of a five pound bag of potatoes was probably a bit more than a family of two adults and two small children needed to make one pot of vegetable soup. I did realize this as I stood eyeing the potato to pot I'm suppose to add vegetables to size similarities. There was no way in Hades one can of diced tomatoes was going in that pot, let alone anything else. Time to bring out the serious cooking pot.

Which brings us to obstacle two. Where the heck did I put the serious cooking pot? It is too big to fit into the cupboards with the other cooking utensils and, thus, I have no clue where I put it so I would always know where it was. One would think there are only so many places a person would put a cooking pot for storage. One would be wrong in my case. I did finally locate it under the stash of juice in the bottom of the pantry. In my defense, I didn't notice it under the 20 or so bottles we store in there. Because, in case of emergency, we will want Juicy Juice.

Crisis averted, large pot is found. I transfer the potatoes and add tomatoes, Lima beans, green beans, corn, carrots and rigatoni noodles. A little salt and pepper to taste and I think I am well on my way to a masterpiece. I am, of course, a genius in the kitchen. Next obstacle presents itself, I must season everything! I don't really have a grasp on how most seasonings will effect food, I just like to sniff and sprinkle til I feel a little more like I should have my own daytime cooking show. I did, however, decide vegetable soup would have it's own mouthwatering flavor and I decided to leave the spice rack alone. It was confusing for a minute there, reaching only for salt and pepper, when I really wanted to browse the names I can't pronounce and add something to give it a "that's interesting" flavor. I did it though. I muddled through. At one point, I actually wanted to add sugar, just to see if that was what my Nana used to give her soup that super sweet flavor. Hubby talked me out of it and gave me the "That's nuts, you are kidding...right?" look so I quickly discarded that idea and stirred my magnificent creation.

The mention of hubby brings me to my final obstacle. "It needs meat." The hubby said it if not once then a dozen times. I finally threatened to put him in my soup. He took me serious. Especially when I started debating whether or not I should save some bones to put in a pot of pintos later in the week. He got quiet, which means I started feeling like I was being a horrible tyrant. I finally gave in, but he had to brown the meat. I refused. I took pictures for proof in case it destroyed my masterpiece and we had to eat McDonald's that night. Never hurts to have all bases covered in case he tried to use it as a cooking disaster antidote story in a social gathering and blame it all on me.

The not just vegetable anymore soup was still really good. Not as good as my moms. Something about hers being soup I didn't have to cook, makes it just all that much better tasting. But it was very good. And we had a lot of it. Like a lot a lot. We had two butter bowls (our recycled version of Tupperware), a jar, and two freezer bags full leftover after dinner that night. That worked. I'm all about days I don't have to cook. All about 'em.

-Heather Blanton

Ingredients:

* Potatoes
* Diced Tomatoes
* Whatever Veggies you want (I used Lima beans, green beans, corn, & carrots.)
* Salt & Pepper
* Rigatoni Noodles
* Ground Beef

Reindeer Snacks (Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer)

12/8/2015

It's December. Time to start making fun Christmas foods with your family. I thought I would start with reindeer snacks (Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer). ;) This is a fun recipe that your kids can be involved in.

Ingredients needed:

* 1 graham cracker
* 1/2 tsp. peanut butter (If you have a peanut allergy then nutella would work.)
* 1 cinnamon red hot: (I like m&m's better so I used a red m&m)
* 2 miniature pretzels
* 2 raisins (I used candy eyes. : You can get them in the baking aisle at walmart.)

Directions

1. Place graham cracker on plate. (Make sure you break it in half to make a square first.)

2. Spread the peanut butter or nutella across the graham cracker with a spoon. (This is used for "glue" to hold the pieces in place.

3. Place the mini pretzels on the cracker. (These are the antlers.)

4. Attach two raisins for eyes or use candy eyes like I did.

5. Put a red hot or red m&m in the place of the nose.

6. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed my first Christmas recipe of the season. If you make your own please take a picture and share them in the comments. I would love to see them! I will make a slideshow of any pictures we get. I will be adding mine later.

-Michelle Jetton

Garlic Ranch Potatoes

4/14/2015

If your looking for an easy and appetizing side dish, this is the one is for you. It was simply delightful and will surely have you coming back for seconds.

Ingredients:
3 lbs baby Dutch potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (1-once) package Ranch Seasoning and Salad Dressing Mix
Lawry's Garlic Salt course ground with parsley
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Lightly oil a baking sheet or spray with nonstick spray

3. Halve the potatoes and place them in a large bowl. Then coat potatoes with olive oil, Ranch Seasoning, Kosher salt, table salt and pepper to taste

4. Transfer the potatoes from the bowl onto the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and tender.

5. Top with butter and garnish with parsley, if desired
-Candie Bradfield

Homemade Hambugers

1/13/2015

I have recently discovered and made this mouth watering recipe. I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but it was worth the effort. It made my taste buds tingle with delight and my guests agreed.

Ingredient:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 of a onion finely chopped or dehydrated minced onion to taste
1/2 cup Colby, Monterrey Jack cheese (cheddar cheese is also fine)
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
1 Tablespoon garlic powder

Directions:
In a large bowl mix all ingredients together until well blended. Then form into patties of desired thickness. Cook on the stove top or grill.
- Candie Bradfield

Green Bean Casserole

11/4/2014

Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, I decided that this month I would share with you some recipes that you could prepare at your holiday event. I make this recipe every year. It is so easy to prepare and taste absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:
*8 cups of fresh green beans or 2 28oz cans of your favorite canned green beans
*1 can 10 3/4oz Campbell's cream of chicken soup
*1 can 10 3/4oz Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
*1 cup milk
*2 tsp. soy sauce
*1/8 tsp. pepper
*1 can 6oz French's french fried onions or 2 2/4 cups (I like to make sure my casserole is topped evenly so I usually buy a 2.8oz can just in case.)
*salt to taste (if you do add extra salt go light on it, the soy sauce and f.f. onions already add a good amount of saltiness to the dish.)

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350. In a lightly greased 9x12 baking dish combine the beans, soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, salt and 1 1/3 cups of french fried onions.

2. Bake for 25 mins. Then top the casserole with the remaining french fried onions and bake for another 5 mins or until the onion are a golden brown.

3. Enjoy!
-Candie Bradfield

Taco Bake

10/7/2014

I have made this meal before but it had been a while so I dug it out of my book of recipes and decided to give it a shot. I absolutely love Mexican food anyway and this was no exception. It's not one of your traditional Mexican dishes but that's why I liked it and it was super yummy! It was a big success with the whole family. I will be making this one again soon.

Ingredients:
1 package Velveeta macaroni and cheese
1 pound ground beef
1 package of your favorite taco seasoning
3/4 cup your favorite sour cream
1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup your favorite Thick N Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup coarsely crushed tortilla chips (If desired)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400 F. Prepare macaroni and cheese as directed on the package. While macaroni is cooking, cook meat, drain off grease and add taco seasoning as directed on the package.

2. Stir sour cream into prepared macaroni and cheese; spoon 1/2 of the macaroni into 8-inch square baking dish. Top with layers of meat mixture, 1 cup of cheese and remaining macaroni and cheese; cover with tin foil.

3. Bake 15mins; top with salsa and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered for 5 mins or until cheese is melted. Top with tortilla chips.

*Tip: For a lower calorie meal use low fat cheese and sour cream (which is what I did)
-Candie Bradfield

Chicken Teriyaki Breast

9/30/2014

For sure this is one of the most beloved meals I cook for my family. The chicken is great and the sauce is delicious! When the chicken is gone we are all dipping the sauce into anything and everything lol. The sauce can take a bit of time to prepare so you can either do it earlier in the day before you start cooking or even the day before. Make sure you put it in your refrigerator until your ready to use it. I cook the chicken breast differently than what is suggested here so at the bottom I will add the way I do it in parenthesis.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1 cup soy sauce
1 slice onion, quartered (1/4 inch thick)
2 nickel-sized slices peeled ginger root, halved (if you don't have ginger root, a good sprinkling of ground ginger root works as well)
2 cloves garlic, quartered (you can use fresh garlic or the kind that comes minced in a jar)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup pineapple juice (from canned pineapple slices)
4 canned pineapple slices in juice (5.5 ounce can)
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Directions:
1. Combine 1/2 cup water with soy sauce sauce in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the onion, ginger root, and garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on your sauce if the heat is too high the sauce will boil over.

2. Strain off the onion, ginger root, and garlic and return the liquid to the saucepan over low heat. Discard the vegetables.

3. Add the sugar, pineapple juice, and vinegar to the pan.

4. Combine the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and stir to dissolve any lumps. Remove the teriyaki mixture from the heat, add the cornstarch, then put it back on the heat. Continue to simmer, stirring often, for 1 minute or so, until the mixture thickens. This will make about 1 cup of marinade.

5. When the teriyaki sauce has cooled, pour half of it over the chicken breast arranged in a covered container or casserole dish. Keep the other half of the sauce for later to brush over the chicken while it grills, and serve on the side as additional marinade. Marinate the breast in your refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

6. When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat your barbecue or stove top grill to high. Grill the chicken on each side for 5 to 7 minutes or until done. When you flip the chicken over the first time, put a slice of pineapple on top of each breast, and brush with the leftover teriyaki sauce.

(For this recipe I always cook the chicken breast in my oven. Preheat the oven to 375. Place the chicken in a glass casserole dish topped with marinade that you had it sitting in your refrigerator. Cook the breast for 30 to 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. When the chicken is done place a slice of pineapple on top of each breast and brush with the leftover teriyaki sauce.

Tip: Make sure you don't brush your cooked chicken with the same brush you used to brush your raw chicken.

* I usually eat this with a baked potato, broccoli or green beans and a yeast roll
-Candie Bradfield

Honey Grilled Salmon

9/23/2014

Sadly, I have only made this a couple of times. Unfortunately, I am the only one in my house that seems to enjoy fish but when I did make this I thought it was delicious. The only negative thing I have to say about it was that the original way it was presented was too spicy for my taste. I put in quotations the way I tweaked it and that for me made it perfect. The sauce was so yummy it could easily compliment other proteins such as chicken or pork. I got this recipe from one of my favorite cook books
Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur

Ingredients:
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup pineapple juice
lemon juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons) (to me the bottled juice taste just as good as the real deal)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
1/2 paprika (1/4 paprika)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 8 ounce salmon fillets (without skin)
vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Make the sauce by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Stir occasionally until sauce begins to boil, them simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until syrupy. Watch the sauce closely to be sure it doesn't bubble over.

2. Preheat barbecue grill to medium heat. Rub each salmon fillet with vegetable oil, then add a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Grill the salmon for 4 to 7 minutes per side or until done. Serve salmon with a small cup of the honey pepper sauce on the side.

(Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and season the salmon fillets to taste. Place the salmon fillets into a nonstick glass baking dish and cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil. Bake the salmon for 15 minutes per total pound of the fillets; for instance, if you have four 8 oz. fillets, plan on baking them for around 25 to 30 minutes. Internal temp should be 145 degrees F. Fish should flake easily when tested with a fork.)

*Serves 4

*I served this with a side of steamed mixed vegetables and rice.

-Candie Bradfield

Tuesdays are for.....

The Adventures of Tiny Hermione

Go with me and tiny Hermione as we explore delicious restaurants.

All my reviews for tasty Tuesday are posted on my social media as well as TripAdvisor, Google, etc.

If you have a restaurant that you would like tiny Hermione and me stop by please email:

michellebradshawauthor@yahoo.com

Trivia Tuesday

Learn some fun facts and trivia about me.

Fun in the Kitchen

My son and I have tons of fun in the kitchen. Come join us on our kitchen adventures.

All my reviews for fun in the kitchen products are posted on my social media as well as Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.

If you have a product that you would like my son and I to try in the kitchen please email:

michellebradshawauthor@yahoo.com

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