pizza factory breadstick knock-off

i love pizza factory's breadsticks. every time i go there - no matter what i am ordering - i will order a breadstick. so, when i found this site i knew i had to try these. believe it or not, they are very simple and the mr. told me he likes these better than pizza factory's. it's still up for debate in my mind - although i do think they are delicious, just not quite sure if they are pizza factory delicious. try them and let me know what you think.

rhodes rolls (2 per breadstick)
3 TBS melted butter
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dilweed
1/4 tsp parmesan cheese (i use 1/2 tsp - but i really like parmesan cheese)
bamboo skewers



there is a little prep involved with these, so they can't really be done last minute. but just because they need prep, doesn't mean they aren't simple.

let as many rhodes rolls rise as needed (remember, two per breadstick, so if you want 3 breadsticks, you need 6 rhodes rolls).



once they have risen, knead two of them together and roll into a thin rope and wrap them around the skewers.



let them rise again - double in size.



(you can put them on a flat surface, i.e. cookie sheet, but i don't like mine to have a flat bottom, so i hang mine off of a cake pan, so the bread stick is nice and plump on all sides).

once they have doubled in size, preheat oven to 375 and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. while they are cooking, mix the butter, garlic salt, garlic powder, dillweed, and parmesan cheese together in a small bowl. once they are finished baking, take them out and immediately brush each breadstick with glaze on all sides. serve warm.



mmm mmm good.

chicken fajitas

i can't take credit for making this meal up, but i also don't use a recipe. this is my version of fajitas, although, i am sure there were plenty of people that came up with this long before i did. but, here are my easy fajitas.

chicken, cut into pieces
peppers (i love all the different kinds - red, yellow, and orange)
fajita seasoning
tortillas
cheese
any other toppings you wish to add

i don't even have measurements, because like i said i don't use a recipe. all i do is cut up some chicken and cook it over medium heat in a skillet, until cooked through.



cut up all different colors of peppers and cook those on medium heat until tender.



once both the peppers and chicken are cooked, add them together and pour fajita seasoning on top and mix it all together. i only use half the packet of fajita seasoning, but you can use as much or as little as you would like.



once the chicken and peppers are coated in the seasoning, put the mixture on a tortilla (i like the fresh ones that you have to cook on the skillet).





add cheese and any other toppings (sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc.), wrap it up and eat it. i love how colorful the peppers make it. it makes me happy.



easy and tasty. enjoy.

pot roast

i love my slow cooker. i love pot roast. i love pot roast cooked in my slow cooker. so, when i came across this i knew i had to try it. this meal is one of the mr.'s favorites. when he sat down at the table and saw what was in front of him, he was all smiles.

all you have to do is throw a pot roast (any kind you want) and vegetables in the crock pot, add a few dry ingredients and water, and then leave it alone until dinner time. this meal is easy peasy and yummy. just how i like it.

2-5 pounds of any kind of pot roast
1 envelope of dry ranch dressing
1 envelope of dry italian dressing
1 envelope of dry brown gravy mix
potatoes and carrots
1 cup of water

peel and cut up some potatoes and carrots. (to make it even easier, i just use baby carrots - no peeling or cutting those). and put those in the bottom of your crock pot.

put your roast on top of your vegetables and sprinkle all three envelopes of dry ingredients over the roast and veggies.

add the water.

cook on low for 6-10 hours, until veggies are tender and meat is cooked through.

enjoy.

parmesan crusted talapia

tonight i was not in the mood to cook. when that happens, i usually ask if we can just go out. but we have made a goal to only go out once a week... or less. we are on a limited income and i am also trying to lose the baby weight. therefore, i sucked it up and made dinner. i chose something very easy (remember, my kitchen is all about simplicity), but also very tasty. i got the recipe here , but i made it even simpler than it already was by not using freshly grated parmesan cheese, using lemon juice from a bottle, and individually wrapped, frozen talapia from costco (you can buy it in a huge box and it lasts forever). and guess what? it still turned out tasty. the mr. gobbled his up and asked me to make it again. done and done. so, if you want a simple, yet delicious meal, try this.

3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon parsley
4 talapia filets
olive oil
a few squirts lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400.

In a dish combine parmesan cheese, paprika, and parsley.



drizzle a little bit of olive oil on each filet



then coat each filet in the cheese, paprika, and parsley mixture. don't be afraid to really coat it well, to give it a lot of flavor. (i had some extra mixture and added it on top before cooking, and i am glad i did, the flavor is wonderful).



place each filet on a foil lined cookie sheet and cook until fish is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.



i served it with beans and carrots. and there you have it. a tasty meal in less than 20 minutes.

cinnamon toasted almonds

early in my pregnancy, no food sounded good to me. i did not want to eat, but knew that i had to. i was strolling through the aisles of costco, when i saw a giant bag of almonds. immediately that sounded good. i bought the bag and would munch on almonds everyday for my whole first trimester. because i was in a constant state of nausea my first trimester, i now associate almonds with that. i can't really think about raw almonds without getting a little sick. unfortunately, i still have half a bag left and i hate wasting food. hate it. the mr. won't eat them, either. he doesn't like them. he is picky. however, i know he likes anything sugar coated and he begs for those delicious smelling, cinnamon toasted almonds every christmas when we pass by the kiosks in the mall. hence, the idea to make my own. i got the recipe from here. but i only used 2 cups of almonds and i doubled the amount of cinnamon (2 tsp.). because who doesn't love extra cinnamon? these will make your house smell amazing. give it a try and let me know what you think. enjoy.

1 egg white
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

preheat your oven to 225.

whisk together egg white and vanilla.



add raw almonds to egg white and vanilla mixture and make sure they are all well coated.



in a separate bowl combine white sugar, brown sugar, salt, and ground cinnamon.



pour this mixture over the almonds and stir well to combine, making sure almonds are well coated.



spread almonds on a cookie sheet, spreading them to make sure they cook evenly. bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.



let them cool and enjoy eating them, plus enjoy the added bonus of having your house smell amazing all day.

i think i scored points with the mr. on this one.