I have two toddlers in the house. Need I emphasize how much I love semi-homemade cooking? This chicken pot pie is made with Betty Crocker's Bisquick mix. I actually got this recipe straight from the back side of the box. It's very easy and tasty! My kids love it and even eat all the vegetables.



PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: about 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 6

1 lb frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 400F.
2. In ungreased 2-qt casserole dish, mix vegetables, chicken, and soup until blended.
3. Stir the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl with wire whisk or fork until blended. Pour over chicken mixture
4. Bake uncovered about 30 mins or until the crust is golden brown

I love it when I have these extra ripe bananas on my kitchen counter that look too hideous too eat. That just means I have an excuse to make or bake something out of them. I think the extra ripe bananas have just the perfect amount of sweetness to make banana bread, banana muffins, or banana fritters. This time I chose to make banana bread with extra chunks of walnuts (which is my husband's favorite).



PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOKING TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes
SERVINGS: 1 loaf

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cream sugar and butter
2. Add eggs, flour, baking soda, and bananas. Combine well
3. Stir in the walnuts
4. Grease or spray a loaf pan and pour batter into it
5. Bake at 325F for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

This ham and potato soup is so tasty and is one of my favorite comfort food on a cold rainy day like today. A friend of mine came over for lunch today and I served this soup with my favorite tuna melt sandwich. It made a simple and delicious lunch.



PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 45 minutes

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onions
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cup water
2 tbsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
5 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
2 cups milk

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine potatoes, celery, onion, ham, and water in a stock pot
2. Bring to boil, and cook at medium heat until potatoes are tender (10-15 mins)
3. Add salt, chicken bouillon, and pepper
4. In a separate sauce pan, melt butter over medium low heat. Whisk in flour. Cook and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk to prevent lumps. Continue stirring until it thickens (about 10 minutes).
5. Stir in the milk mixture into the stockpot and cook the soup until heated through (about 20 minutes).
6. Serve hot.

Need a simple lunch idea? Try this simple tuna melt sandwich recipe. I had a friend came over for lunch today and served this tuna melt sandwich with this delicious ham and potato soup.



PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 3 minutes
SERVINGS: makes 4 sandwich

12 oz can solid white tuna in water, drained
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 tbsp finely chopped onions
1/2 tsp vinegar
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
8 slices tomatoes
4 slices Swiss/Cheddar cheese
4 slices rye bread (or your favorite bread)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, mix tuna, mayo, celery, onion, parsley, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
2. Preheat the oven broiler
3. Place bread on a baking sheet, and broil for 1 minute until lightly toasted
4. Remove bread from oven and spread with the tuna salad
5. Place 2 tomato slices on each piece of bread and top with a slice of cheese
6. Return sandwiches to the preheated oven and broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted (watch closely to avoid overheating)

This barbecued roast pork is my husband's specialty. Yes, my husband cooks. That's what made me fall in love with him actually. I find men who can cook very attractive, and... the best thing is: they can back me up when I don't feel like cooking, :D.

This is another semi-homemade cooking that never fails! The cooking time is a little long (about 1 hour) but the only ingredients you need are pork shoulders (or boneless pork tenderloins) and this Lee Kum Kee brand Chinese barbecue sauce. Keep reading for his secret technique on keeping this dish very tasty and moist.



DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut the pork into long strips (about 1x2x5 in.)
2. In a large bowl, marinate the meat generously with the Chinese bbq sauce
3. Transfer the meat mixture into a ziplock bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow for flavor absorption
4. Preheat oven to 350F
5. Arrange the pork slices on a roasting pan and pour the remainder of the marinating liquid on top of the pork
6. Bake for 15 minutes
7. Take the meat out of the oven and brush the surface with more sauce then return to oven
8. Repeat step 6 and 7 three more times until the meat is fully cooked
9. Slice thinly and serve immediately over steam rice or fried noodle

*Do not skip step 6 to 8, it is the secret that prevent the meat from drying out in the oven.

It was raining outside and we were stuck inside the house. Watching the food channel on TV, my husband and I suddenly had a craving for something sweet. I saw a box of Duncan Hines brownie mix in my pantry and decided to make it. I love the Duncan Hines brand because it's not overly sweet. It literally only took me 5 minutes to prepare before throwing it in the oven. And less than an hour later, voila! It was ready to serve with chocolate fudge and our favorite Haagen Daaz coffee ice cream. Yummm!!!

I am a big fan of the Bakerella blog, especially of her brilliant cupcake pops creations. After seeing the irresistable Spring cupcake pops featured on her blog recently, I decided to give them a try for this year's Easter treats while modifying her instructions slightly because I don't have the ingredients that she used, like the pastel color candy corns. So I just used a cookie cutter to make the bunny shapes then drew the faces with an edible pen and used a flower confetti for the nose. I also attempted to make the Spring Chicken pops but I realized at the last minute that I forgot to buy yellow candy melts and I had no yellow food coloring. Oh well, I made those chickens anyway, :D. They don't look nearly as pretty as the ones made by Bakerella but I had so much fun making them.





For complete instructions on how to make these cupcake pops, please visit the Bakerella blog and don't forget to check out her brilliant bunnies and spring chickens.

This dish is made with very strong spices, you'll either love it or can't stand it. Everyone in our house loves it though. I especially love it because it is so easy to make. A little warning: it is a salty dish.



PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 40-45 minutes
SERVES: 6

1 lb ground pork
4 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp chinese five spice powder
1 tbsp salt
4 tbsp preserved cabbage

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine pork, five spice powder, salt, and preserved cabbage in a bowl
2. Add the beaten eggs and mix well
3. Steam for 40-45 minutes, or until cooked