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Sweet Potato & Ground Turkey Mexican Casserole

When I first posted this recipe, on my old blog, I was nannying (among other things) and I was lucky enough to cook for one of the families I nannied for. This recipe was adapted from a weekly recipe list the mom in one of the families got. I love Mexican food, at first I was a little skeptical about the sweet potatoes, and the taco casserole in general, however, let me tell you this recipe for Ground Turkey Taco Casserole is not only easy but so tastey!

This recipe is wonderful no matter if you are making it for a group or for one person. It is even great leftover – and is a perfect nutritious easy to pack lunch for work!

Prep Time: About 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

•  Taco Meat

•  Olive Oil (a few table spoons)
• 1 Onion
• 1 Sweet Potato
• 1 lb. Ground Turkey (or beef, I use turkey because it’s healthier)
• 4-6 Cloves of Garlic (I like lots of garlic)
• 2 tsp. Oregano
• 2 tsp. Cumin
• 1/4 c. No salt added tomato paste
• 2 tsp. Paprika
• Pinch of Cayenne Pepper (Optional, I don’t love it)
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

• Salsa Layer
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) Can of Organic no salt added tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
  • 1-3 Cloves of Garlic (Again, I love garlic)
  • 1/2 -1 C. Fresh chopped cilantro

• Other Layers
  • Corn Tortillas
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) Can of Black Beans
  • 1-4 C. Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese (Or whatever you prefer, there are dairy free cheeses out there too!)

• Optional Toppers
  • Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
  • Avacado

Instructions:

1.  Preheat Oven to 425 Degrees.
2. Prepare a baking dish by lightly brushing with Olive Oil (8×8, 9×9 or lasagna pan).
3. Dice Onion and cut sweet potato into small cubes.
   

   Peel potato, slice, and cut into 1/2 inch (ish) cubes.

4. Heat up Olive Oil in a saute pan.
5. Add Sweet Potato and Onion to pan. Heat for 2-3 Minutes until onions become translucent.
6. Add ground turkey, garlic, oregano, cumin, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook 7-10 minutes until meat is browned.
7. Set taco meat aside.
8. Chop cilantro.
9. In a separate bowl combine tomatoes, cayenne pepper, garlic, and chopped cilantro.
   

   Mixture of tomatoes, Cayenne, garlic, and fresh cilantro.

10. Set salsa layer aside.
11. Now the fun part creating the casserole.
12. Start by creating a bottom later with your corn tortillas.
    
13. Sprinkle half of the taco meat evenly over tortilla layer.
    
14.  Next evenly distribute half of the salsa over the taco meat.
    
15. After that add half of the can of black beans (undrained) for your next layer.
    
16. Repeat steps 12-15.
17. Sprinkle cheese over the top.
    
18. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
    
19. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes (I like to save the foil to store it, less waste).
20. Let cool, and enjoy your yummy casserole!

Easy Delicious Sweet Potatoes

These sweet potatoes are amazingly easy to make. They are simple and delicious. From the youngest members of your family to the oldest, these will surely be a hit!

Ingredients

• Sweet Potatoes (as many as you want)
• Olive Oil
• Salt (I use sea salt, or kosher salt)

 Instruction

1.  Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Cut your sweet potatoes into bite sized cubes (you can do bigger pieces, I cook for kids so, these are perfect bite sized chunks, they also cook faster).
   
3. Lightly coat sweet potatoes with olive oil (drizzle a little bit over, mix them up with your hands, start with a little, you can always add more later if necessary!).
   
4. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
5. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, take out, “stir” potatoes around bake for another 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
   

The best Chocolate Chip Cookies you will ever eat!

These are my “famous” chocolate chip cookies. I have been debating posting this recipe for awhile, because it is my FAVORITE, and kind of my “go to” cookie. I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell my secrets it, but I think it is time to share it with the world!

These chocolate chip cookies don’t get hard, they are soft even after they cool down and they are the only chocolate chip cookies that I prefer when they aren’t warm (though they are pretty darn good right out of the oven too!).

This recipe was taken from the Wooster Brush Cook Book they were originally called “Big Dave Heller’s Chocolate Chip Cookies,” I have adapted the recipe a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. Sugar
• 3/4 c. Brown Sugar
• 2 sticks of butter (Original recipe calls for 1 stick butter 1 margarine, read my post on why margarine is horrible for you to see why I adapted to 2 butters!)
• 1 pkg. Jell-O INSTANT pudding (any flavor works, feel free to experiment!)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 1/4 c. flour (I use 1/2 whole wheat 1/2 all purpose)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 pkg. chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and pudding mix in a large bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until smooth. Add flour and baking soda gradually.

 Next stir in chocolate chips.

Put the batter in the refridgerator for about 10 minutes to make it easier to work with (you can skip this step if you are short on time). Roll into about quarter – half dollar sized balls (I like big cookies) about 2″ apart on a non-greased non-stick cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes. Please ignore that when these pictures were taken I hadn’t bought cookie sheets yet!

When they are ready cookies will no longer be shinny (compare the before and after going in the oven pictures). Do not over bake!

 Cookies should be lightly browned around the edges, if you are using a darker colored pudding it may be hard to see.

Place Cookies on a drying rack to cool. I can’t remember where I got my drying racks, but they stack on top of each other, they are great for a small kitchen!

Makes 1-2 Dozen Cookies

Delicious Variations:

• See my post on Heart Cookies for how to make Heart Shaped Cookies!
• I like to use butterscotch pudding with chocolate and sometimes 1/2 chocolate 1/2 butterscotch chips, these are a favorite of my friends, last Christmas I had to make them 3-4 times they kept disappearing!
• I have also done chocolate pudding with butterscotch or peanut butter chips, they went over very well as well!
• Change up your pudding/chip flavors to make amazing flavor combinations! See if you can come up with new combinations! Please comment and tell me what you think would be the best flavor combinations!

Guiltless Cheesy Chicken & Potato Casserole

So digging through the archives from my old blog I am finding recipes I had completely forgotten about! I only made this one once, but I remember loving it! I am a Midwestern girl, give me potatoes and cheese and I’m generally happy. This recipe is comforting and not too bad for you! Feel free to substitute ingredients! Please let me know if you make any delicious changes!

I always see these “guiltless recipes” on Pinterest and in all my magazines so I mixed a few together and made my own cheesy chicken and potatoes, it was delicious!

What you will need for a portion for two (mom’s I’m sure you know how to make more!):

• 2-3 Regular Potatoes or 4-5 Red Skin Potatoes, cut into cubes
• 2 Chicken breasts, marinated in light Italian dressing, pan seared and cut into small pieces
• 3 cups regular Greek Yogurt
• Handful of Spinach
• Your Favorite Cheeses (I used Parmesan and Mozzerella)
• Italian Seasoning
• Garlic

Pan sear the chicken, chop it up. Cut the potatoes, and mix it all up! I threw some Italian bread crumbs on top, that’s up to you. To make it creamier add more Greek Yogurt. Throw it all into a bread pan (Great for two people!) and place in Toaster Oven or Regular over at 350 for about an hour!

*Disclaimer* I have only made this once WATCH YOUR TEMPERATURE AND TIME!! My oven is strange I don’t want you to burn dinner! Feel free to add and subtract ingredients, next time I may add some mushrooms! Yum!

How to Apply your Jamberry Nail Wraps!

I’ve been wanting to make a “How to” Jamberry video for awhile now. Today I had dinner with a friend and she graciously volunteered to be my hand model! If you are curious about Jamberry but aren’t sure you will be able to apply them, watch my short video to see how easy it is!

Like what you see and want to request a sample? Click image below to get a FREE sample mailed to you!

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

So I am in love with this granola bar recipe I found (and changed significantly) on another blog! Though I have not quite found an exact mixture that sticks together, for now my Chewy bars are more like Chewy Bites. So here’s the basic recipe feel free to add different yummy ingredients to flavor or enhance your bars!!

Chewy Granola “Bars”

• 4.5 cups of Rolled Oats
• 1 cup Flour
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 2/3 cup Melted Butter (can also substitute coconut oil, bars come out crunchier)
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1/3 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Shredded Coconut (I use the sweetened kind, next time I’m going to try the unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup – Cup of mini chocolate chips or other fresh fruit spices etc. (I think I’m going to try apple cinnamon next!)
• I also add a few healthy pinches of ground flaxseed, it’s good for you and you can’t even tell it’s there!

Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22min. and there you go, cheap and easy granola your family will love! It is great for breakfast or as a snack, it’s even good warm with some ice cream as dessert!

Healthy & Cheap Vegetable Soup (Meat Optional)

Here’s another migration from my old blog, and another healthy soup to keep you warm! This month has been bitter cold, I don’t know about you but all I want to do is sit around with a bowl of soup and a warm blanket. Here is a hearty inexpensive soup for you to try!

This soup has kind of been a trial and error dish developed over the last few months. Growing up my mom never used recipes, so every time I ask her how to make something I get the same answer “I don’t know I use whatever I have,” which for a long time I replied, “Mom, I keep trying but everything I make tastes like crap.” Well I am starting to get the hang of it. I started out with just veggies, but decided to add some ground turkey for a heartier meal. Here’s my basic vegetable soup recipe.

Vegetable Soup

• Browned Ground Turkey (Optional – you can also use ground beef – I use ground turkey for everything though, it’s healthier)
• 1 Can Corn
• 1 Can Green Beens
• 1/2 head of Cabbage Chopped up
• 1 Large Can of Tomatoes
• 1 Container Vegetable Stock
• 3-6 chopped carrots
• 1/2 onion chopped
• Oregano to Taste (I use a LOT so I can cut down on salt)
• Garlic (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• I rinse out all of the above cans with a little water and throw that in too.

• Let it simmer for 45 min- 2 hours. Stir Occasionally.

This soup tastes amazing it is sweet and savory, and perfect on a warm winter night. Feel Free to experiment with other vegetables. I throw in whatever is in my fridge and needs eaten. One day I will try with all fresh vegetables, right now on a budget these are things I generally have at home. This is a very healthy and hearty soup this recipe as listed could feed a good sized family for under $10.00.

Please let me know what additions you make and how they turn out!

All about Jamberry & Free Samples!

Have you ever heard of Jamberry? Some of you may know from my Before you Join a Direct Sales Company post that Jamberry is my main D.S. business. I love it and I have found that other people seem equally obsessed! So I’m hoping I can share Jamberry with you too, there is a free sample request form at the end of this post (if you want to skip the reading and go right for the free stuff, I don’t blame you!).

Jams are non-toxic nail wraps that last on your finger nails for about two weeks and on your toe nails for 6+ weeks! We also have children’s wraps that are perfect for little fingers!

Save money with Jamberry, going to the salon is expensive a mani pedi can cost $50+. Each $15.00 sheet of Jams gives you 2-3 manicures and 2-3 pedicures. There is no dry time and they don’t chip!

As if those savings weren’t enough – Jams are ALWAYS buy 3 get 1 free!

Request a FREE Jamberry Sample here and find out what all the fuss is about!

Poor Girl’s Healthy(ish) Corn Chowder

I am going to call this poor girl’s healthy(ish) corn chowder. This is another one of my creations that I love. Not long ago I bought a 10lb. bag of potatoes at Costco and this recipe is helping me use those up! I used to make potato soup like my mom does, a ham bone (yum) and lots of fat. When I was volunteering in Mexico in 2012 I couldn’t find chicken stock to use in my soup but they have a wonderful thing I can only really describe as corn stock. I have yet to be able to find it here in the states, I have come close with corn soups, so here is my U.S. adaptation of that potato soup.

Corn & Potato Soup

• 5-10 potatoes (Sometimes I peel them, sometimes I don’t- always chop them up small)
• 1-2 containers of chicken stock
• 1-2 cans cream corn
• 1 can corn (do NOT drain)
• 1-2 Finely Chopped Carrots
• 1/2 Onion
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Butter to taste (optional)
• Sometimes I throw in some garlic
• If I have a ham bone, I usually use that too (cook the ham bone in the soup, after awhile cut off the ham and throw it in, also great to do for fresh green beans)

Stir it pretty frequently, let it simmer for an hour or so. Once the potatoes are cooked I mash them up a little but I like my soup pretty chunky. If you like a soupier soup (great word I just made up) add some water in too (I always rinse out my corn cans and throw the water in the soup for flavor). Soup it delicious and it freezes well!