Chicken Enchilada Calzones

I was surprised at how well these turned out considering they started as a "cleaning out my pantry and using up my leftovers" kinda meal.  Everyone loved them.  I made a lot of them because I decided they would also be good picnic food for the next day's lunch.  Who doesn't like cold pizza, right?

Honey Vanilla Lemonade

Lemonade is one of my favorite warm weather drinks.  It's cool, refreshing, and tart.  Better for you than soda, and more satisfying than water.  Sometimes I like to mix things up a little and put a new spin on old favorites.  I found this recipe for Honey Vanilla Lemonade several years ago and I new I had to try it.  I've been hooked ever since.  Its still the same sweet/tart flavor of a regular lemonade, but it has a nice smoothness due to the vanilla, and a subtly sweet honey flavor.  It's delicious. 

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Here's a nice chowder to serve along with those Cheddar Bay Biscuits I posted last week.  I made them together and couldn't have been more pleased by how well they got along. 

Let me tell you how much I love shrimp. 

I LOVE SHRIMP!!!

If I had to request a last meal (we won't get into the details about the events leading up to such a request), it is very likely that shrimp will be involved.  Maybe as an appetizer, possibly as a component of the second course (my last meal would have seven courses, minimum.  No, I haven't put much thought into this, why do you ask?), but definitely involved somewhere. 

Blueberry Muffins

Muffins are fabulous foods.  They're perfect for grab-and-go mornings or just a lazy Saturday when you can sit and enjoy one with a hot cup of tea (or coffee, if that's more your style). 

Reasons why I love muffins:

1. They're technically not cupcakes, but you can fool yourself into thinking they are.
2.  Because they're not cupcakes, you can justify eating two without too much guilt.
3.  They are so versatile!  Savory, sweet, hardy, light, however you want to spin it, a muffin can handle it!

I could go on, but lets just get to the recipe already, sheesh.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

I like these biscuits.  They're tasty.  I want to eat them as a meal, but that would be irresponsible.  And gluttonous.  And I would be setting a bad example for my carbaholic daughter.  I hate setting a bad example. 

Double Chocolate Muffins

Ooooohhh Maaannnn...
That's all I have to say.

That, and it kinda makes me think of UFOs....

Anyone?

...just me?

...nevermind.

Meatloaf

Meatloaf was never one of my favorite foods growing up.  It was always kinda bland, boring, and tasted like... well, like bland boring meat, I guess.  But I think that had more to do with the way it was prepared rather than the dish itself.  Meatloaf, I have discovered, can be very tasty.  It all depends on the kind of flavor you want to mix into it.  I like mine to be a little zesty.  I've come up with a recipe that adds just the right amount of zest without being overpowering and still tastes like a traditional recipe.

Honey Bun Cake

I can't decide if this is a dessert or a breakfast...

Its sweet enough and satisfying enough to fulfill that after dinner sugar craving, but it also sings of cinnamon and brown sugar and that delicious icing I associate with donuts and cinnamon rolls. 

Its a toss up, I tell you.  I've been eating it at night after the kids go to bed, because I want to be able to savor every bite.  And, as anyone with kids can tell you, when there are children present whilst eating, meals are just a shovefest that happens between calls of, "Eat your peas!" and, "Get your finger out of your nose!"

Garlic String Bean Chicken

I had a craving for Chinese food.  It happens a lot. 

I also had a large amount of green beans that I needed to cook.  That happens a lot, too. 

We eat a lot of green beans around here. 

This tastes a lot like the string bean chicken you might order at a well-known Chinese-food-chain-restaurant- with-a-Panda-for-a-mascot who shall remain nameless.

Don't ask me where I got the recipe.  I'll never tell.

Chocolate Andes St. Patrick's Day Cookies

These are probably my favorite cookies ever.  I love chocolate.  I love mint.  I love Andes.  Put it all together and I love, love, love these cookies. 

I always think of these around St. Patrick's Day because St. Patrick's Day makes me think of the color green, green makes me think of mint, and mint makes me think of these cookies.  Therefore, I think they're St. Patrick's Day cookies.  You can't change my mind.