Baked Chicken Salad

3 C. cooked chicken-cut up
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C. finely chopped celery
2 C. cooked rice
1 medium onion chopped
1 C. mayonnaise
1-3oz bag sliced almonds
1 tsp. salt
2T. lemon juice
Buttered crumbs for topping (about 20-25 saltines crushed mixed with 2T melted butter).

Mix all ingredients together except topping. place in a greased 9x13 casserole dish and top with buttered crackers. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge and bring to room temperature. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min.

Cough,congestion,fever and body aches!

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while but as you have heard me say here several times recently-FLU IS IN FULL SWING!!! I think every room I go into the complaints are the same and the questions and answers are the same. "He really doesn't need an antibiotic?" No-flu is viral-antibiotics won't touch the flu! "Can he go back to school tomorrow?" NO he can't go back to school tomorrow! HE HAS THE FLU!!! "Is he really going to be sick for a week?" YES-HE HAS THE FLU!!! I feel like tattooing this across my forehead! Can you tell I have seen enough of the flu!!!!! Anyway, I hope all is well with you and yours-and hope you don't get the FLU! I promise a new recipe before the weekend is over.

The Thing

2 pounds hamburger meat-browned and drained

2 packs of 8 count crescent rolls

1/4 C. Ketsup

2 T. mustard

honey BBQ sauce

2C. sharp cheddar cheese

Lay out all 8 crescent rolls on cookie sheet. Press all the seams together to make 1 sheet. Mix meat,ketsup,mustard and enough BBQ sauce to coat all the meat mixture well . Approx 1 C. Sprinkle meat mixture with cheese. Place the other package of crescent rolls on top of meat mixture and press all these seams together and press side of top and bottom crescent rolls together to totally enclose meat mixture. Bake according to crescent roll instructions or until golden brown. Serve with a side salad and you have got a good meal. Enjoy!

How 'bout them DAWGS!!

With flu season in high gear, when I get home from the office-I am tired! I have a few recipes that are my tried and true, quick and easy favorites. Here is my most favorite. My brother created it when he was a student at The University of Georgia. He named it also. Not quite sure why he chose this name. My godson, who I love like my own, plays football there now and this is his favorite thing I cook. Hope you enjoy it and don't think for a minute that just because it is simple that it ain't good!

Crusted Salmon

1/4 C. Mayonnaise

2 T.grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper

4 salmon fillets

2 T. lemon juice

10 Ritz crackers

Combine mayonnaise,cheese and pepper. Place salmon on a foil lined pan and drizzle salmon with lemon juice. Top salmon with mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled crackers. Cook at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily. Enjoy!

Better late than never!

I promised a recipe and here it is. Sorry it is so late. This is really a good one though for all of you who love salmon. My son even called me from college to get this one because he liked it so much! It was taken from an old issue of the Kraft foods magazine. If you aren't familiar with this magazine, it is a free one that Kraft foods puts out. Just go to their web site and sign up for it to be sent to you. It has lots of great recipes.

Oh what a day!

After a long day at the office, and practice with my daughters for their upcoming fashion/bridal/prom show, I am just now gracing the steps of my humble abode. Boy am I tired! I do have to tell you that I had a blast at tablescape thursday. I can't wait until next week. Thanks to all of you who left comments. Well no recipe today-I promise I will post one tomorrow!

Don't miss the tablescape on my very first post-scroll all the way down!

My Valentine Table

While Valentines Day is a great holiday-I have never really been good at decorating for it. I always change my own table our for the holidays so here is my attempt at my valentines table. Be sure and check out my ya ya table on my first post.

My valentine Table

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

1-(20oz) package frozen cheese ravioli

1-(16oz) jar classico roasted garlic Alfredo sauce

1 T. white wine

1-(14oz) can petite cut diced tomatoes-drained well

1/2 C. finely chopped fresh basil

1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Pour Alfredo sauce into large saucepan. Pour wine into empty jar and shake well. Pour wine into saucepan. Stir in tomatoes and basil and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until heated well. Drain ravioli well and add to sauce. Top with cheese. Enjoy!

Baby it's cold outside!

Hello from the deep FREEZING south. Man is it cold here! I know some of you are thinking I don't know cold-but let me tell you- We ain't used to this!! It's supposed to be 19 degrees here tonight. Anyway having fussed enough about the cold, let me tell you I am so excited about tablescape Thursday!! This will be my first one although my very first blog included a tablescape so be sure and check it out. I hope I can figure out how to do the link. Well, time will! Well, let me tell you about my recipe for the day. I found it in Southern Living a while back and absolutely love it. My family loves pasta and I can literally pull this together in about 10 minutes. Throw on a side salad and you got a great meal-Try it if you get a chance!

Shrimp Linguine Alfredo

1-12 oz package linguine noodles

1/4 C. melted butter

4 T.diced green onion

4 tsp. minced garlic

40 medium shrimp-peeled and deveined

3C. half and half

2 tsp. ground black pepper

6 T. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until done. Drain well. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saucepan. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until tender. Add shrimp and saute for 1 min. stirring constantly. Remove shrimp and set them aside. Stir in half and half to saute pan and bring to a simmer stirring constantly until mixture is reduced by half. Return shrimp to the saute pan and add cheese and pepper. Add salt to taste. Add sauce over drained noodles and mix well. Enjoy!

Greetings from the deep south!

As I was rushing from the office today after seeing what seemed to be a million kids lying on exam tables like limp dishrags (that's southern for the looked very sick!), I was thinking-what will I write about today? As I pulled into my youngest daughter's school, I thought-that's it-I will write about what I know best-my kids. Let me start by making a very true statement-If I died today they wouldn't starve to death!! My kids are 7,10 and 20. I know what you are thinking-why the long break. Well, I will tell ya why-The Medical College of Georgia-that's why. Had to finish school between #1 and #2. Having said that, I must say that one of the things I guess I am the most grateful for is that ALL 3 of my kids are great cooks. They are GREAT cooks-not GREAT cleaners. When I come home from a long day at the office I am amazed sometimes at the dishes they come up with and have cooked in my kitchen. I am talking without recipes and I mean even the 7 year old! When my son graduated from high school I gave him one of the best gifts I think a mom could give a child. I wrote a cookbook for him-not a publically published one-but a handmade one filled with my moms, my mother-in-law, and my recipes. We even included history on each recipe like when it was developed, by whom it was developed and what family events they were typically served at. All of this was written in our handwriting. I even drew all the pen and ink drawings in it. I hope it is one of his most prized possessions. Anyway-enjoy my latest recipe. it is very simple but even at the most elegant dinner can make a big impression!

Blueberries & Cream Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 C. AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 C. rolled quick cook oats
1/2 C dried blueberries
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C white chocolate chips
pinch of salt
1 stick softened butter
1/4 C. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour,baking soda, and salt. In mixer cream butter and sugars. Add egg. Slowly add flour mixture, oats, blueberries,pecans, & white chocolate chips. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat mat. Dip out 1 T. size balls of mixture and place on baking sheet. Press down slightly with your hand. Bake for 10 min. Remove from oven and leave on baking sheet 1-2 min. before transfering them to cooling racks. Enjoy!

Oh Beautiful Day!

What a glorious weekend we had here in the deep south. It's hard to believe it's Feb. here! We are heading into "a cold snap" as we call it here in the south. If it's gets below freezing southerners go into hibernation! Well, with the cold weather coming and me being home from work with 2 sick little ones- I thought what a better time for a warm cookie recipe. You know this being at home with my little ones when they are sick is not something I am use to. I'm supposed to be at work taking care of everyone elses sick little ones. It is nice to still be needed on the homefront every now and then-just wish everyone felt better. Anyway, I first came up with this recipe on thanksgiving weekend 2008. I sent my son to the grocery store for the ingredients when he called and said he could not find any dried peaches-which is what I wanted for the fruit. He said-how about dried blueberries and I thought-you know I bet that would be good! They turned out great. My husband said they were possibly the best cookie he had ever eaten. If you know my husband you know that's a great compliment. Anyway, be sure not to overbake these. They are a great alternative to chocolate chip cookies-and by the way if you notice typing errors-it's because the dog is asleep on my arm and I don't have the heart to move him!

My crew!

Chicken, bacon &corn chowder

1 rotisserie Chicken-chopped
1 small diced onion
4 stalks of celery-diced
1 1/2 C chopped carrots
7-8 diced potatoes
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 large cans chicken stock
1 large bag frozen corn
1 package of fully cooked bacon slices-chopped
salt and pepper to taste


Mix chicken stock,potatoes,celery,and carrots. Boil until slightly tender. Add salt and pepper,bacon,corn, whipping cream and chicken. Thicken with 2 T. flour. Simmer until vegetables are soft and soup thickens