about me:
I love cooking, sharing my kitchen stories, and learning from others. I work in for the federal government, but there is nothing confusing about my food. In addition to cooking, I love horseback riding and am an advid sports fan (esp. the Green Bay Packers). Check out my blog for more recipes: http://cheesecurdinparadise.blogspot.com/
favorite foods:
Blue cheese, roast chicken, apples and brats!!! :)
Jalapeno Popper Burger
Comments (1)
I love jalapenos. I eat them plain and usually get strange looks from people. When Ron orders nachos and asks for no jalapenos my head spins around and he then says "on the side". Smart husband. Anyways, I wanted to create a burger that captured one of my favorite peppers. This is a really easy burger to put together, and while it packs a punch, it is delicious! Enjoy!
Three Cheese Skillet Mac and Cheese
Comments (1)
Ron and I were craving mac and cheese this week and I threw together a quick easy skillet meal. I am definitely on tea skillet when it come to mac and cheese. I love creamy gooey mac and cheese. This recipe is super easy and heats up perfectly for lunch the next day. My recipe is not too friendly on the waistline ... but it's so delicious. Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Coins with Blue Cheese and Bacon
Comments (1)
The great thing about this recipe is you can add any toppings you want, or keep it simple and serve them straight up.
Cream Soup Free Tater Tot Casserole
Comments (1)
I have to admit it.... I love tater tot casserole. This casserole was one of my first blogging recipes, but I felt I needed to update it from 2007. Usually, this recipe calls for a cream soup of some kind, but I decided that I could take care of that part on my own. I loved how this casserole turned out!
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Comments (1)
BBBRRRRRR........ Baby it's cold outside! I was freezing on my way home from work today and couldn't wait to put together this soup. I never made baked potato soup before, but since I Ron and I love potatoes- why not give it a try? This was a really simple dinner to put together, and it tasted wonderful. I didn't use heavy cream or cheese (except for a little on top!) so this soup is a little lighter than something from a restaurant. You can use whatever toppings you like, but we stuck to the traditional bacon, sour cream, cheese, and sliced green onion.
Crockpot Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Comments (1)
Ohhhh...My weakness.... I love spinach and artichoke dip. In my opinion, the cheesier and gooier (?) the better! I made this for a work party and it fits in my mini crockpot (a little bigger than the "little dipper") perfectly. It went over very well with my co-workers, and my favorite part is that it is mayo free. In warm dips I really do not like the taste of mayo.... something about hot mayo makes me a little green. This is a great dip, and it super easy to put together. Perfect for your next PACKER party..he he..
Wild Cherry Kiss Cookies
Comments (1)
found these cookies on Pam's blog For the Love of Cooking. I thought they were so cute and perfect for a work treat today. I decided to make them a little more wild with the stripped candy kiss. These cookies are so yummy, and super easy. I added an egg to the original recipe because my dough came out a bit dry and I was looking for a soft cookie. A great treat for the day of L-O-V-E!
Cheesy Broccoli Mashed Potatoes
Comments (1)
For those who need to "sneak" veggies into food for picky eaters this could be a perfect storm.
Egg, Bacon & Cheese Baked Potato
Comments (1)
I have seen a few pictures of eggs baked in potatoes on Pinterest, and decided I wanted to try and make my own version. It was fun to play around with this because there are so many possible toppings! Ultimately, I decided to go simple with bacon and green onion. If you decide to try this I highly recommend slicing the bottom of your potato so they won't tip while cooking (I had a little issue with this on my first try).
Tilapia with Peppers, Olives, and Capers
Comments (3)
This dish was inspired by one of my favorite dishes to order at one of my favorite restaurants- Cafe Mario in Green Bay. I am not sure how Mario makes his grouper, but I think I came pretty close with this recreation. I am a big fan of olives so anything you put them in I will probably love. This is really simple, but has big flavors. I think it is best served with a nice salad and another green veggie. Delicious. Enjoy!
Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
Comments (4)
remember when I was a kid loving cold pasta salads on a hot summer night. Nothing heavy and nothing rich. One of my favorite restaurants in Green Bay is Grapevine Cafe, and they have a chicken pesto pasta salad to die for. One steamy night in Wisconsin I decided it was the perfect time to whip up my own batch of this yummy salad. This recipe gave me exactly what I was looking for, and reminded me of one of my favorite restaurant to go to with my family or my girlfriends. Enjoy!
Pizza Muffins
Comments (4)
A Pinterest find! I have had my eyes on these babies for a while now, but didn't want an entire batch to devour by myself in the darkness of my closet. I decided bringing them to work would be safer (I still ate two at home and one at work). These muffins are so easy, and taste wonderful.
Crockpot Chicken
Comments (3)
This is one of my favorite things to make for a Sunday dinner. One, it is easy. Two, it is yummy and makes great leftovers. Three, it reminds me of Thanksgiving (in a lot less time!) I make several variations to this recipe depending on what vegetables i have in the house, but it is always a crowd pleaser.
Crazy Mixed Up Beans and Rice (And Chicken Sausage too!)
Comments (4)
As you may have noticed I like rice a lot, and beans, AND chicken sausage. I could literally live off rice and beans, and be completely happy. When I was in Puerto Rico last year, I would eat rice and beans almost twice a day. I would save any dinner leftovers and eat it for breakfast with a poached egg on top. Yum. I miss Puerto Rico. Anyways, this dish came together one night when I was at a loss of what to make for dinner. It turned out delicious. And yes, I did eat some of the leftovers for breakfast with a poached egg on top. Enjoy!
Mediterranean Shrimp Quesadilla
Comments (4)
I was asked to participate in the Red Gold Tomato Bowl 2011. I am on a team with 4 other Wisconsin bloggers trying to beat out Pitt in our own version of the big game! Ths was a recipe I came up with for the contest. I love quesadillas for a game time snack, but this time they have a little twist! This recipe is really easy, and will impress your game day company. Fresh plump shrimp, feta cheese, tomatoes, red onions, and olives make this a quesadilla you will want to make again. If you aren't a seafood fan you could easily sub in chicken or keep it vegetarian!
Chicken Gumbo with Andouille Sausage
Comments (6)
I love a good thick spicy gumbo. The restaurant I work at has the best gumbo ever. I wanted to recreate my own version to make and enjoy at home. In gumbo, roux is key and if burned or undercooked can result in not so good gumbo. Since my favorite gumbo from the restaurant is top secret, I searched around for something close I could follow. The finished product turned out really yummy and spicy. Enjoy! A Classic Gumbo Recipe from Southern Living magazine
Feta Pasta Salad
Comments (2)
Wisconsin had a warm streak! Sunday night involved important matters. Grilling, pasta salad, and The Pacific (which is amazing). I love making pasta salad. One, it is easy. Two, you can basically clean out the fridge. Three, well they are just yummy. This one is really good too. You could also add some mushrooms to boost the veggies even further. Enjoy!
Root Beer Glazed Pork Chops
Comments (2)
My other half loves root beer so I knew this dinner would be an enthusiastic thumbs up. This glaze is yummy. I added a little hot sauce to the original recipe to give it a sweet, but spicy kick. I am so sad that grilling season is leaving us soon (it gets difficult to lug the grill out in half a foot or snow). Boo. Come back soon summer!! Enjoy the chops!
Cuban Burger
Comments (2)
If I had to pick one sandwich to eat for the rest of my life it would be a Cuban. I am drooling just thinking about it. I am not a big mayo fan, but this is the sandwich I make an exception for. I was reading my my blog roll awhile ago, and a cuban burger caught my eye. I am sorry but it doesn't get any better for me. After a few adjustments of my own I sunck my teeth into this baby. Our guests raved about the burger, and I can't wait to make it again! Enjoy!
Italian Pork Tenderloin with Olives
Comments (0)
I love pork tenderloin and anyone who knows me knows I love olives. Why not put the two together!? The pork is cooked for over 15 hours and falls apart at the touch of a fork. Served over a nice crusty piece of bread. Yum! You could also do sandwiches on your griddle with this meat. Or even add some cheese, good salami, capicola and you almost have a muffaleta sandwich- crockpot style!
Shredded Crockpot Turkey
Comments (0)
My cousins were in town for the Packer v. Bear game (Go Pack Go) and I wanted to put something together for them after the game. The football game did not start until 7 pm, and that means the crockpot is in order! Shredded turkey sandwiches are my favorite thing to make. In addition to being really easy- they are really yummy. We serves our turkey over my mashed red skin potatoes and a piece of wheat bread (my Mom calls it a "Hot Shot"), but it is great as a sandwich too. This recipe is pretty big because we had to feed a lot of people, but the meat freezes well. Enjoy!
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Comments (0)
Today was the big Packer playoff game. Unfortunately, the Packers lost in overtime in a nail biting finish. Hopefully they will make it further next year. On another note, I made this yummy dip for the sporting festivities. I really like buffalo chicken wraps, wings, pasta (coming soon!), ect. I have seen a couple different variations of this dip floating around various blogs. This is my version of this delicious dip (the picture does not do it justice). Enjoy!
Grilled Onion
Comments (0)
I love sauteed onions. However, I wanted to try something a little different, and it was great! I used a chicken bouillon cube with this onion, however next time I would love to try beef to get that yummy french onion soup flavor. Enjoy!
Beer Dip
Comments (0)
First, please excuse my hand taking up half the picture! I was having a little trouble getting a good photo. This is one of my favorite cold dips, and one of the easiest too! This is a great recipe for a summer BBQ or just for a great snack. Enjoy!
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Butternut Squash & Bacon Risotto
Comments (0)
I made this dish a few days ago for dinner. Sometimes we get into dinner grooves (especially when there is chili in the fridge), and need a new dish to snap us back to variety. This dish is really delicious! We grilled the pork tenderloin whole with a bit of salt and pepper, but if you do not have two people running back and forth can be a challenge! Searing or roasting the tenderloin works just as well. Enjoy!
-
ShoutBox all shouts
Beautiful Ashley & Ron! Just Gorgeous you two!
You should get some photographs of you cooking together in the kitchen!
Congratulations to the Happy Couple!
Fabulous and what is your Husband's name? Does he like to cook? Congratulations to you both!
