Cajun Shrimp Skewers

If you like shrimp and if you like spicy, you MUST make this recipe ASAP! I made these last night and was amazed at how good they were. I cut this out of my latest Taste of Home and am so glad I did. These will definitely be a summer staple!!

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Cajun Shrimp Skewers

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. onion powder

1 Tbsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 lb. uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 medium lemon, cut into wedges

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first nine ingredients. Add the jumbo shrimp; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. On metal or soaked wooden skewers, thread shrimp and lemon wedges.

Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 5-8 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, turning once.

Seriously, these are FANTASTIC!!!! Enjoy! :)

Juicy Roasted Chicken

A few weeks ago after a friend mentioned that she had roasted a chicken, I decided I needed to try it. Yes, I haven't ever roasted a chicken before. I love rotisserie chickens and they are so easy to pick up at the store that I had just never considered making one myself. But, after my friend raved about how easy it was, I wanted to try it for myself. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it was crazy easy and DELISH! The chicken was literally falling apart. You have to try this!

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Juicy Roasted Chicken

1 (3 pound) whole chicken, giblets removed

salt and black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 cup margarine, divided

1 celery stalk, leaves removed

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken in roasting pan and season generously with salt and pepper on inside and outside. Sprinkle inside and outside with onion powder. Place 3 tablespoons margarine in the chicken cavity. Arrange dollops of the remaining margarine on outside of chicken. Cut the celery in 3 to 4 pieces and place inside the chicken cavity. Bake one hour and 15 minutes (or longer according to the directions on the package of the chicken). Baste with melted margarine. Cover with foil and let rest for 30 minutes before serving.

YUM! Seriously, how good does this look?!?

Perfect comfort food meal if you are in the mood! Enjoy! :)

Broccoli Bacon Raisin Salad

OK, so I have a small obsession with the Broccoli Bacon Raisin Salad that Sprouts sells. Small obsession meaning I buy a container of it EVERY week and eat it for lunch. I LOVE it! Since I love it so much I decided that I would try to make it. I searched and searched for a recipe that seemed to be the "right" one...there are a ton of them out there and I desperately wanted mine to taste like the one I buy each week. I finally picked this one from allrecipes.com and it is pretty darn close. I just might have given Sprouts a run for its money!

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Broccoli Bacon Raisin Salad

1 bunch broccoli, washed, drained, and broken into flowerets

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 pound bacon, fried, drained and crumbled (I did about half that)

1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raisins (I don't care for raisins, so I left these out)

Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. vinegar

Combine salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Combine dressing ingredients together thoroughly.

Pour dressing ingredients over salad ingredients. Stir to blend. Serve chilled.

YUM!!! It was so good and I will definitely be making it again...perfect for summer! Enjoy! :)

Meaty Manicotti

Oh my goodness...you MUST try this recipe!! I made it this past weekend and was surprised at how good it was. It is super easy (like most recipes I try!) and SO unbelievably good!! Seriously, put this on your menu for next week!

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Meaty Manicotti

14 uncooked manicotti shells

1 pound bulk Italian sausage

3/4 pound ground beef

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 package cream cheese, cubed

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups meatless spaghetti sauce, divided

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook manicotti shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage and beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes.

Drain shells and rinse in cold water. Put mozzarella cheese, cream cheese and salt into a bowl. Stir the meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Spread 2 cups spaghetti sauce in a greased 13X9 inch baking dish. Stuff each shell with about 1/4 cup meat mixture; arrange over sauce. (This takes a little bit of time and several of my shells tore so bad I couldn't use them.) Pour remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and heated through.

Doesn't this look yummy?? Trust me, IT IS!!! Enjoy! :)

Chicken Caprese

I cut this recipe out of a magazine and I am SO GLAD I did! It was super easy, but looks like you spent a lot of time preparing it. It tastes great too...really light and fresh.

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Chicken Caprese

2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic Blend

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters (I used more)

4 low-fat tiny mozzarella balls, cut into quarters (I used more)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Spray baking tray with cooking spray. Toss tomatoes with 1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic Blend

Lightly flatten each chicken breast to 1/4 inch thickness. Place tomatoes and mozzarella balls on each chicken breast. Roll up and secure with a toothpick.

Drizzle with olive oil, vinegar and remaining 1 Tbsp. of Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic Blend.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cover lightly with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

Easy, right?!? Aren't these fun? I loved the way they turned out and they tasted delish too! Enjoy! :)