Mini Cucumber Sandwich Appetizers

We love these little cucumber sandwiches. If you don't have the luxury of having freshly picked cucumbers from a garden, use English seedless cucumbers. They sub just fine.

I didn't get a really good picture of the sandwiches because my family was eating them as fast as I was making them.

Mini Cucumber Sandwich Appetizers

1-2 English cucumbers, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 oz. mayo
1-2 tsp. milk
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix
1 loaf of cocktail rye bread

Peel and slice cucumbers into thin rounds. Lay rounds on paper towels to remove any water. Set aside.

Mix together cream cheese, mayo and ranch seasoning mix. Stir in milk, 1 tsp at a time, until the mixture reaches a spreadable consistency.

Spread a think layer of the ranch mixture onto the rye breads. Top each bread slice with one or two cucumber slices, depending on the size of your cucumbers. I had to use two rounds on each bread because the cucumbers were thin.

Layer sandwiches into a container that has a tight fitting lid. Add waxed paper between layers of sandwiches. Refrigerate for at least two hours or up to overnight .

Refrigerate any leftovers.

One Pan Pork Fried Rice

I came up with this fried rice recipe to go along with the homemade egg rolls that I made a while back. It's easy to make and very versatile...you can use chicken, pork, beef or even make it without meat. It's great for using bits and pieces of leftovers from the week that's stuck in the frig. The secret ingredient is the sesame oil that really gives it a unique flavor.

One Pan Pork Fried Rice

4 c. quick cooking  rice
3 1/2 c. water for cooking rice
2 c. boneless pork, cubed into 1" pieces
4 eggs
1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables
1 1/2  c. soy sauce
1/2 c chicken broth
sesame oil

Cook rice and set aside. I use quick cooking rice - Cook 4 c. rice in 3 1/2 c of water to make it less sticky.

Using one large frying pan:

Scramble 4 eggs. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Saute frozen stir fry vegetables in 2 tbsp of canola or vegetable oil. Cook until vegetables are fork tender. Remove to the plate that holds the scrambled eggs.

Cook the pork in 2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil + 1 tsp sesame oil.  Cook just until the pork is no longer pink. Be careful not to over cook. Add the cooked pork to the eggs and vegetables.

Add cooked rice to the large frying pan. Stir in one cup of soy sauce + 2 tsp. sesame oil. Heat over medium low heat for 1 -2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in vegetables and pork. Mix well. Pour in 1/2 c. chicken broth + 1/2 soy sauce. Heat through.

Chop eggs into small pieces. Stir into rice.

Serve hot.

Menu Plan Monday - I'm Back :)

I did so well for quite a few months but then I fell of the wagon with menu planning. I've decided to hop back on board. I need to buckle down and start saving money and quit spending wasting it on eating out.

My week runs a little differently with my husband having Mondays and Tuesdays off now. Yes, it really does screw things up when you are used to another schedule for 15 yrs. Our menu now runs from Sat. to Fri.

So, here's our menu for this week:

S - turkey burgers, tater tots and onion rings, salad

M - lasagna and Italian bread - mini chocolate cupcakes for dessert for Valentine's Day

T- pork fried rice w/ egg rolls

W - beef veggie soup w/ grilled cheese

H - grilled chicken, fried potatoes, salad

F - chicken noodle soup

I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday @ I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Have a great week! The weathermen say that we should have some warm, sunny days this week! I can't wait! :)

January Cookie Carnival Round Up!

The round up is finally here and boy do I have some pretty cookies to show you!

The two choices for the month were

Two Tone Cookie Crinkles
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/desserts/two-tone-cookie-crinkles/

Raspberry Limoncello Linzers
http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/recipes/article.aspx?rid=2824

Surprisingly, everyone chose the crinkle cookies. There was a big debate over why these cookies were called crinkles. Really, I have no idea why. 

Our Cookie Carnival bakers are so talented...take a look at these cuties!

Chaya @ Bizzy B. Bakes said "With a vanilla and chocolate component, you know it is good."

Mrs T @ Across My Kitchen Table said "These went over quite well at the potluck I took them to."

Kerri @ Kerri's Texas Kitchen said "I dressed them up a bit in preparation for Valentines Day. Everyone at home and work that tried them out really enjoyed them. I liked that they weren't super sweet but just sweet enough."

Sue @ Munchkin Munchies said "Two-Tone Cookie Crinkles double your pleasure with a chocolate cookie and a butter cookie, sandwiched together with chocolate ganache in between.  A chocolate and cookie lover's delight."

Juliana @ horneandoalgo said "A simple, yet captive cookie."

Krista @ Meet the Swans said "I followed the recipe exactly as written, but added a few drops of pink food coloring and raspberry flavoring to the plain dough. So instead of having a brown and white cookie dough, I ended up with a brown and pink."

Thank you for joining us this month. If you like what you see, please let me know! Share some blog love. Take a minute to stop by these ladies' blogs, too! They are awesome! 

We are working on two new cookies for this month. If you haven't joined the Cookie Carnival yet, I'd love for you to do so! If you've joined but haven't participated in a while, I'd love for you to come back again! The more, the merrier!

Click here for info. on how you can join the Cookie Carnival!

Tomato Chilie Chicken over Egg Noodles

I'm cookin' from the pantry tonight. I had chicken thighs in the frig that had to be cooked, along with some green peppers and mushrooms. I knew that I had some canned tomatoes....sounds like a plan to me.

We've been fighting the flu here for the last week. Things are finally looking up. We're just left with some coughing. Seems like everyone is fighting one strain of flu or another right now. Food is finally starting to taste normal again. :)

This meal came together rather quickly and everyone enjoyed it....well, almost everyone ate without complaining. My daughter won't allow a tomato to pass her lips without complaining about it. She ate some of it anyway.

Tomato Chilie Chicken over Egg Noodles

6 chicken thighs, cooked, skin removed and deboned
2 - 14.5 oz - diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
1 - 28 oz - crushed tomatoes
1/2 c. water
2 green peppers, sliced into thin strips
1 -8oz - package sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
12 oz. cooked egg noodles, kept warm for serving

Cook chicken. Remove skin and pull the chicken from the bones. Set aside.

Into a large frying pan, add the green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes with chilies, crushed tomatoes and water. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Cook for 15 minutes over medium-high heat.

Stir the chicken into the tomato mixture. Continue cooking for 30 -45 minutes over low heat, cooking for 30 minutes if you like the peppers tender crisp or longer if you like them softer like we do.

Serve chicken and tomatoes over egg noodles.