Eclair Cake

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/eclair-cake/

I'm not a big fan of semi homemade stuff... but this cake is SO kid friendly and, quite frankly- YUMMY if I didn't already have it on the blog, it should be here. I follow the recipe exactly EXCEPT that I don't add a chocolate layer- I add fresh berries. I usually add blueberries and strawberries for a great patriotic flag cake..  Since I got some really yummy raspberries on sale- this Labor Day I'll be making mine with raspberries and strawberries.

Labor Day menu

So, I just picked up steak tips-- that I'm going to marinade in that UK marinade. Super Yum.
We'll also grill corn on the cob...
I'm going to make that 3 bean salad as my other side dish...

For dessert I think I posted the recipe for it- it's a no bake eclair cake and INSTEAD of using chocolate I'm going to top it with raspberries and strawberries. That also is super yummy.
If I didn't post that no bake eclair cake I'll post it here.

Mexican Taco Pasta

Ok, I've never made this one before.. I always thought... well... that it looked a little gross. But since it said it's a big hit with kids & I've got two of them, I thought I'd give it a shot.

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/07/taco-pasta.html

I may make some changes, but if I do-- I'll post them here PLUS if it was good or not! ;)

UPDATE: This was a crowd pleaser!!!! Here are my alterations from the original recipe above:
I used minced onion and powdered garlic instead of fresh
I used a large can of diced tomatoes
I used dried cilantro
I used about a 1/4 of a bag of Sargento's Mexican Cheese blend...

Everyone liked it.

Thai Chicken Noodle dish.

Yes, a few posts ago I wanted to make a soup dish... but this version ended up having so much STUFF in it that it's more of a noodle dish than soup. Here is the final version...

2T- Sesame Oil
5 cloves garlic, sliced
powdered ginger generously poured over
chicken thighs- cut into cubes (I think I used about 2#)

I browned the chicken (just until the pink was all gone) in a VERY large soup pot
I added

1/2C- Peanut Butter
1C- Tomato puree
6C- Chicken Broth
2T- Fish Sauce
1 large coconut milk (24oz?)
1T- Thai Curry Paste
1tea (approx) soy sauce

Brought all to a boil

added 1 package of rice noodles & cooked for 5 minutes

added 1 small cabbage that I HIGHLY recommend gets shredded (I chopped mine and regret it)- cook that for 5 minutes

add juice of 2 fresh squeezed limes
1 can of rinsed and drained bean sprouts
1/4C- scallions
cilantro
Cooked that for about 5 more minutes and killed the heat.


I would give it a strong B+ but since my husband is a pretty picky person-- I'll put his feedback of the whole thing later after he has some... ;)

8-29-12 UPDATE: I sold it to him as a noodle dish instead of a soup... my husband bought it and REALLY liked it. I would say from his perspective, it was an A dish. I think it would have been an A dish if I shredded the cabbage instead of chopped it up.

Pork Chops with Apples and Bacon Cheese Grits

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/08/pork-chops-with-apples-and-creamy-bacon-cheese-grits/

I am super excited to try this one... Pork & apples- glazed with maple syrup... Grits with bacon, cheese & heavy cream!!! I think this one is going to be a win win situation... I'll update after we've had it. I expect great things from this one though.... ;)

8-28-12 UPDATE I made this dish... 2 days ago... I thought it was pretty good.. my husband hated it. I think the grits reminded him of potatoes au gratin and he HATES au gratin potatoes... I thought my kids FOR SURE would like it.. they BOTH turned their noses to it. I was the only one who liked it and now am the only one eating the leftovers... sigh. Overall B+.

Green Chicken Chili

http://www.womansday.com/recipefinder/green-chili-recipe-122693

I'm making this instead of the Thai Chicken Soup because I realized this morning I didn't have enough ingredients for it.

The ONLY change I make to this green chicken chili recipe is that I add a can of black beans (rinsed)... The recipe is really good...

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipe/soups/thai-chicken-noodle-soup/

I'm going to try this recipe today for dinner... Given the last failure of the Thai Chicken Salad, I'm going to study a few other recipes I have squirreled away and may add to this recipe... I have a fear that this recipe will be a little flat... if I add anything to this recipe, I'll update after I'm done!


UPDATE- I just found this:
http://chefmichaelsmith.com/Recipe/thai-coconut-curry-soup/

This recipe I think is going to be a better one... It has some KEY additions: coconut milk, Thai curry paste, lime, lemongrass... ALL are really big flavors that I think would help the soup... Since I don't have any of those ingredients... I'm putting this one off to the side, going to make another recipe instead... I'll probably make this on Sat. instead...