Copycat Olive Garden House Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 c. white vinegar
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. corn syrup
2 1/2 Tbl. grated romano cheese
2 Tbl. dry pectin
2 Tbl. beaten egg
1 1/4 tsp. salt
t tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. minced parsley
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Pinch dried oregano
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend well. If there are flicks of ingredients in the dressing, you can use cheese cloth or a small colander to strain it. Chill at least 1 hour.

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

Original Recipe Yield 4 servings

Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
40 Min

Ready In:
55 Min

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) package refrigerated pie crust
• 1 (16 ounce) jar Pace® Chunky Salsa
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup or Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (24 ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn
• 2 (9.75 ounce) cans Swanson® Premium Chunk Chicken, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bring pie crust to room temperature.
2. Mix salsa, soup, sour cream, cheese, corn, chicken and beans in large bowl. Spoon into ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
3. Place crusts on floured surface, overlapping about 3 inches in the center. Press seam to seal. Roll into 14x10-inch rectangle. Trim excess crust. Place crust over beef mixture and flute edges. Cut slits in pastry.
4. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until pie crust is golden brown.

MP3/Cell Phone/Camera Pod

I just realized that I completely forgot to post this! I made these for my twin cousins for Christmas. The photo is one I made for Abby, Aaron's was Camouflage. This was a super easy pattern and only took me about a half hour to make. There is a button on either side and a yarn loop to hold the fold in place. You can unbotton it and roll the fold up for added protection when put into an overnight bag or a purse. It will fit just about anything such as an Ipod, Cell Phones, Cameras, etc.

Yummy Basil Tomatoes

Basil Tomatoes are fabulous and I know you'll love them! You can use them in many different ways. They are good alone and for topping other things. You can top Pasta, Chicken, Italian Sausages, Soups, Salads, the possibilities are really endless and they are super easy to make!

2 Tablespoons Corn Oil
2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar(add to taste if you prefer sweeter)
1 Garlic Bud Crushed
1 Teaspoon Basil Crushed

Cut Tomatoes in Wedges, they work great if you peel them first but are just as great with the peeling on.

Add to Mixture.

The longer you leave the Tomatoes in the mixture the better they get. I usually let them sit at least 45 minutes to an hour before serving. Enjoy!

Easy Color Pop Tutorial

I use Photoshop CS4. The photos in the tutorial were done in CS3. There are some other programs that you can use that are similar as long as you have layers and can go into a Channels tab.
Step 1:
Open the photo that you are wanting to add a color pop to and then click on the "Channels" tab.

(CLICK ALL PHOTOS TO VIEW LARGER)


Step 2:
Holding down CTRL, click on the RGB Layer. This will highlight pixels as shown in the photo.



Step 3:
With any tool except the magnifying glass selected, Right click anywhere on the photo and select "Layer via Copy"




Step 4:
After you have done the previous step of making a copy layer, click on the "Layers" tab. Your layer will appear above the background layer as shown. With the Layer selected, click on the Layers pull down tab and select "Overlay" If you click the eyeball icon on and off you will see a difference. To add even more, simply copy the layer as many times as you'd like(CTRL+J) You can also adjust the Opacity to your preference. When you are finished, simply flatten the image and save.




Here is my finished product with the before and after:



I also added a small vignette to it as well.

Hawaiian BBQ Bacon Burgers

These are fabulous! Seasoned hamburger and a slice of pineapple grilled, and wrapped in bacon. It's so easy and adds a wonderful flavor to a regular burger! I must stress though, when you add the BBQ sauce to the meat, don't let it sit for long because the sauce breaks down the meat and makes it very, very tender and it will start to fall apart.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
  
• 1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce(I used a honey BBQ)
  
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced pineapple
• Bacon Slices(I used a thick cut)
  

Directions

1. Prepare grill for indirect cooking. If you don't have an indoor grill/griddle, you can also use a large skillet.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix together hamburger meat and barbecue sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Shape mixture into 4 large patties. Place a slice of pineapple on top of each. Crisscross 2 bacon strips around each burger, and secure with toothpicks.
4. Brush oil on grate. Place burgers on grill over medium low heat. Cook, covered, until the burger is cooked through. Turn often to avoid burning the bacon.

If you prefer, you can cook everything separately and assemble at the end. It's awesome to sear the pineapples in a skillet that the bacon was fried in! You can also add any topping you'd like such as caramelized onions. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

I made this recipe just last night and it's wonderful, so naturally, I want to share it! Enjoy!



Ingredients:

1 pound(2-3 small) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)

2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.