Paradise Smoothie

1 can tropical fruit salad undrained
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup dole juice
1 banana
1/2 cup ice cubes

Combine tropical fruit salad, yogurt, juice, banana and ice cubes in blender.  Cover, blend until smooth.

I really liked this.  I don't think the kids did though.

Minty Grasshopper Pie

For St. Patricks day I decided to make this dessert.  It was a pretty good dessert but I don't didn't love it and don't think I will make it again.  Everyone else liked it ok also.

1 Ready Crust chocolate pie crust (6 oz.)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
16 keebler fudgeshoppe grasshopper cookies, coarsely crushed
1 tub (8 oz.) frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
green food coloring

1.  With mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.  Stir in food coloring.

2.  Add crushed cookies, fold in whipped topping, and pour into pie crust.  Chill at least 3 hours. 
Garnish as desired.  Serve chilled.  Refigerate leftovers.

Servings: 8

Rice Pudding

I'm shocked to see the last time I posted here!  I am going to try to do it again to motivate me to cook.  I always have a lot of rice left over when I cook it.  I always plan to use it but never do.  This time I actually did.  I remembered that at some point as a kid I had tried rice pudding and that I liked it.  So today I decided to try making it.  As I was cooking it I wasn't sure I was going to like it and thought it was going to be bland.  I did not put in the raisins because I did not have any.  Boy was I wrong!!  I loved it!  I didn't ask any of the kids if they wanted it because I told them what I was making and they thought rice in pudding was very strange!  Oh well more for me!

Source:  allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3/4 cup uncooked white rice 2 cups milk, divided 1/3 cup white sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten 2/3 cup golden raisins 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.	Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; stir rice into boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2.	In a clean saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg, and raisins; cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Spinach, Tomato and Cheese Tortellini

Salt and pepper
1 20-oz. package dried cheese tortellini
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4 cupz lightly packed baby spinach (about 4 oz.)
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook tortellini for 10 minutes or as package lable directs.  Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add garlic and red pepper and saute until fragrant, about 2 mintues.  Raise heat to medium, add mushrooms and cook, stirring until tender, about 4 mintues.  Add tomatoes and saute 2 mintues.  Pile spanch on top and cover.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until spinach has wilted, about 3 1/2 mintues.  Pour in broth, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

2.  Drain tortellini, add to skillet and stir gently to blend.  Serve in bowls.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Source:  All You magazine

This was ok.  Jeremy thought there wasn't enough sauce.  I think it's because I had to much tortellini and I didn't put in tomatoes or the red pepper.  I also used frozen instead of dried tortellini.

Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

I did this one previously but wanted to make a note on it.  Last time I had used canned mushrooms and wasn't that thrilled with it.  I made it again and this time I used fresh mushrooms.  It was so delicious!!  I loved it and it was so much better with fresh mushrooms.

No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
4 tbsp cocoa
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, margarine, milk and cocoa in saucepan.  Boil one minute.  Add oats, peanut butter, vanilla and salt.  Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper or press in greased pan and cut into squares.

I love these cookies!!  My brother made these every Sunday night when we were growing up.  It's my go to recipe.

Southwest White Chicken Chili

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
4 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
2 cans (about 15 oz. each) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
2 tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese

1.  Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, oinion and pepper and cool until chicken is cooked though and vegetables are tender, stirring often.

2.  Stir soup, water, corn and beans in saucepan and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with cheese.

I liked it but would rather not have the chicken in it.  One kid did not like the corn in it.  One kid commented, "I wasn't sure I'd like the corn but it is good."  Those were my thought also.  My husband said he actually didn't like the chicken in it.  I also forgot to put the cheese in it.