Meal in Minutes Monday!

Hello! Tara here with a great recipe that will not only be quick but REALLY yummy!

Coconut Chicken Strips with Pina Colata Sauce

1 cup sweetened coconut
½ all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder (I doubled this part)
1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch strips
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup melted butter

Mix coconut, flour, salt, pepper and garlic in a shallow, flat-bottom dish. Dip chicken in egg then coat with coconut mixture. Place in shallow baking dish and drizzle with melted butter.

Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through, turning once.

Dipping sauce :
½ cup sour cream
¼ pina colada mix
¼ cup crushed pineapple
2 Tbsp sugar

Mix ingredients until fully incorporated.


I really hope that you enjoy this recipe! My family really enjoyed it!

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Meals in Minutes - Homemade Sloppy Joes

Hey Scrappers! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and a great start to the week! I don't know about you, but in our house, Monday's are a little crazy. I have a great go to meal for you!

Turkey Sloppy Joes! Now this recipe is VERY adaptable.. If you don't like a slightly sweet sloppy joe, leave out the brown sugar. These can also be made with ground beef, or chicken..

2 lbs lean ground turkey

1 medium onion chopped fine

1 bottle chili sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1 small can tomato paste (can use no salt added variety)

2 tbsp cup yellow mustard

2 tbsp brown sugar, packed (or to taste)

2 cloves garlic minced fine

2 tsp. dry gravy mix (brown variety)

1 tsp. vinegar (regular white or cider vinegar)

Add onion, and ground turkey to pan. Crumble ground turkey and cook on medium heat until no longer pink.

Drain off any fat (should be very minimal)

Turn the heat down to low, and add the remaining ingredients, adjusting to how "saucy" you like your sloppy joes. I like mine with a lot of sauce but not runny.

Once all the ingredients are added, stir well and let simmer for 15 - 20 minutes for the flavors to meld, stirring occasionally.

I usually serve this with Crash Hot Potatoes (found on the Pioneer Woman website) Soooo YUMMY!

Also as a quick dessert, you could serve my version of Cookie Monster Ice Cream Sundaes! We have a restaurant here called Cheddars (I believe they are a chain but I am not sure) Anyway, they have this awesome Cookie Monster dessert.. Basically a freshly baked Chocolate Chip cookie with ice cream stuff on top.. Here is my version:

Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (I use the pre made to save time, but if you are a purist, then by all means make them from scratch)

Bake according to package directions.

When they are still hot and fresh out of the oven, place one cookie in the bottom of a cereal sized bowl.

Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Drizzle with hot fudge and a bit of caramel

Top with whipped cream and a cherry.

Now THAT is what I call a fun dinner, and you can have this all on the table in about 40 minutes..

Hope everyone likes the recipes! Have a great rest of the week!!

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Meals in Minutes 4//18/11

Good afternoon everyone, Kara here with today recipe. I apologize for it being late. The hospital's internet hates me and keeps kicking me off. So I am hoping I can get this posted before it kicks me of again..lol. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Macaroni Alla Norma Recipe

1 pound eggplant

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1 (28-to 32-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice

1 pound elbow macaroni

Parmigiano-Reggiano for sprinkling

Trim eggplant and cut into 2-inch pieces.

Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook eggplant with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, turning occasionally, until browned and softened, about 6 minutes. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano, and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Season salt with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water. Drain pasta then toss with alla Norma sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/macaroni-alla-norma-142609/#ixzz1Jtxm14Xh


If you try it, be sure to stop by and let us know how you like it! Have a fabulous day!

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Meal in Minutes: Dessert Edition Tiramisu Brownies

What's a meal without dessert, right?

A month or two back, I went to one of my husband's work get-togethers. The hostess had a huge spread of the most delicious foods ever... but my eyes immediately spotted the brownies, all heart-shaped and delicious looking. She must have noticed the drool because she walked over to tell me that they were tiramisu brownies. That ruined it all for me right then and there. I know there are a lot of coffee lovers out there... but I am not one of them. I was disappointed. But they still looked REALLY good. So I sneaked a taste of my husband's brownie. Oh my word. Even with the coffee in them, they were to die for! I had one of my own. (And quite possibly a second but I'll never tell.) And I just had to have the recipe.

Today is your lucky day... because I'm going to share the not-so-secret recipe with you, too. I know you're already drooling. It comes from Taste of Home magazine.

Tiramisu Brownies

Ingredients

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped


• 1 cup butter, softened


• 1-1/3 cups plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided


• 8 eggs


• 1 cup cake flour


• 1/4 cup instant coffee granules or espresso powder


• 2 cartons (8 ounces each) Mascarpone cheese


• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract


• 1 teaspoon baking cocoa

Directions

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate. Stir until smooth; cool slightly. Beat in butter. Gradually beat in 1-1/3 cups sugar. Add six eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.Combine flour and coffee granules; add to chocolate mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined; set aside.For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cheese, vanilla, remaining sugar and eggs until smooth.Pour 4 cups of chocolate batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Spread with filling. Top with remaining batter, spreading evenly to completely cover filling.Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set and brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.Cool on a wire rack. Dust with cocoa. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 dozen.

And a few notes...

*I found the Mascarpone cheese in our specialty cheese section near the deli; it was not in the dairy aisle.

*I forgot to dust with cocoa and they were still yummy.

*To resist the temptation to eat the entire pan in one sitting, cut them up and deliver them to friends, family, coworkers and neighbors. They'll love you for it!

ENJOY!!

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Meals in Minutes 4/4/11

Good Monday morning readers, Kara here with today's recipe. I'm not a huge fan of Rachel Ray, but she does have some great recipe's! Today I want to share one with you, that you can feed a family of 4, for less that $10.00! Awesome right?? Yeah I think so too :) Cheesy Hash brown Chili. Here are the ingredients you will need.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 pound ground beef
• Salt and pepper
• 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 1-pound bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Add the beans and the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Transfer to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cheese. Scatter the potato mixture over the chili. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the chili is bubbling, about 35 minutes.

I think my family will be trying this sometime this week, whenever I decide to go to the store lol. Everything you need can  be fond HERE I do hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, please stop by and tell us what you think, if you loved it, hated it, or loved to hate it, we LOVE to hear from you! Have a great day!

Kara.

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Meals In Minutes Monday 3/28/11

Good morning bloggers, Kara here with another delicious meal for you.

Chicken Parmesan Bundle.

Prep Time 35 mins
Total Time: 1 Hr. 5mins
Total Servings 6

What You'll Need:
4 oz (1/2 of 8oz) PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, softened
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach thawed, well drained.
1- 1/4 cups Kraft Shredded Mozzarella cheese, divied
1- 1/4 cups Kraft grated Parmesan cheese divided
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lb) pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 egg
10 RITZ crackers crushed
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce heated

Mix: Cream Cheese, Spinach, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 3 TBSP of Parmesan cheese until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. starting at one short end of chicken breast roll up chicken tightly, secure with toothpicks if desired.

Beat egg in shallow dish mix remaining Parmesan cheese and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then roll chicken in crumb mixture until evenly coated. Place seam side down in 13x9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is done (165) Remove and discard toothpicks if used. Top chicken with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese. ENJOY!

There you go, I hope you enjoy today's MIM, and like always if you try this yummy recipe, stop back, share a picture and tell us how you liked it. Have a great day!

Kara

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Mushroom Cubed Steakes

Good morning everyone, and Happy Spring!! I know if your weather is anything like my Ohio weather then today will be nice and warm and the rest of the week it's going to be cool and rain, and probably that S word. I'm just ready for sunshine!! Anyway, today I bring you a recipe that I kind of created myself. Here is what you will need.

Couple cans of Cream of Mushroom soup
4-6 Cubed Steaks
Salt & Pepper

Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks, add to your slow cooker, add mushroom soup to the steaks, add some water, just enough to cover the steaks. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. I always serve with mashed potatoes and veggies. And I use the mushroom soup as gravy. The steaks come out nice and tender. Here is my hubby's plate from the other night, I say he really likes it..lol

I hope you all enjoy this yummy recipe, and if you try it be sure to stop back here and let us know. Have a happy Monday all!
Kara/

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Meals In Minutes Monday- Chicken Strips!

Good Monday morning all, Kara here with another yummy recipe that I hope you'll enjoy. Homemade Chicken Strips, here is what you'll need.

6-8(depending on family size) Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup corn flakes crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup melted butter

In a side dish mix corn flakes, salt and pepper. Cut chicken into 1 inch thick chunks, dip chicken into butter and then roll in the corn flake batter until completely covered. Arrange chicken in a single layer foil lined baking dish, bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold with your favorite dipping sauce.

There you go! Something quick and easy, and a real winner and my house. Hope you enjoy, and have a great day!

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Monday Meals in Minutes

Hey Scrappers! Lori here with your Monday Meals in Minutes. I don't know about you, but Monday's at our house are simply crazy! So I need a meal that I can get on the table fast, but that I don't have to baby sit too much either.

Today I am going to share with you one of our favorites...

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:

6 ounces spaghetti

2 tablespoons margarine

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs (well beaten)

1 cup cottage cheese (I use fat free)

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup green pepper (optional, chopped)

1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes

6 ounces tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon tarragon

1/2 teaspoon garlic

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

Cook spaghetti as directed on package

While spaghetti is cooking, brown the ground beef, add onion, green peppers. Drain any excess fat

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano and garlic

When spaghetti is done, drain and add margarine, parmesean cheese and eggs

Mix well

Spray a 9x13 pan with non stick spray and then line the pan with the spaghetti mixture

Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti

Spread meat sauce over spaghetti and cottage cheese

Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Add mozzarella cheese and bake 5 more minutes.

Serve with garlic bread, and salad.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Enjoy!!

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MIM-Italian Pork Chops!

Good morning/afternoon/evening to you all! It's me again, Kara bringing you a yummy recipe for some pork chops. Here is what you will need..

• 1 1/2 cups crushed saltine crackers
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian style seasoning 
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 6-8 bone in or boneless pork chops.

Directions...

Mix crackers, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a bowl. Dip pork chops in melted butter, then in cracker mixture, coating all side. Place in 13x9 baking dishes, bake @ 425 for 30-40 mins. 

Now, I like to serve with Italian potatoes, what I do it wash and cut a few potatoes into wedges, salt and pepper, and add some of the Italian seasoning, and bake them along with the chops. Serve with vegetable of your choice :) I hope you enjoy this yummy dinner, my family sure does!! Have a great day, and be sure to comment below if you try this recipe!!

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Meals in Minutes Monday-Smokey Joes

Good morning readers!! Kara here with today's meals in minutes. My son loves sloppy joes, and I do too, but sometimes you get tired of the same ole' stuff. Searching the web I can across http://family.go.com They have many healthy,quick and easy recipes. Smokey Joe's are awesome, and I hope you will try them one day and let us know here, how you liked them! (Note: They are a little spicy, so to cut back on that, you could not add the chipotle powder. My son loves spicy things)

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped ( I just use garlic powder, it saves me time)
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (or 1/2 teaspoon canned chipotles)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• salt to taste
• 4 hamburger buns

Directions

1. In a large skillet over high heat, sauté the beef, onions, and garlic until the beef is cooked and browning, and all the liquid has boiled off (around 10 minutes).
2. Turn the heat down to low, then add the spices and cook, stirring, for a few seconds.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients, then partially cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
4. Divide the mixture among the buns and serve.

In the end, this is what you'll have...be sure to have LOT'S of napkins :)

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Valentine's Day Meals in Minutes

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! This is Lori bringing you today's meals in minutes!!

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I would share one of my favorite recipes and a story about why it is one of my favorites...

On my third date with my husband, we decided that I would come over to his house, and I would cook a meal for us. When I arrived, I discovered that he totally lived the bachelor life (translation NOTHING to cook with) So we went to the store, and he bought everything I would need to make my recipe. (Pots, pans, knives, measuring cups and spoons; you get the idea) It was then that I started thinking that I could see myself with a guy like that... He was willing to do anything for us to have a nice date! So we went back to his house and I made the following recipe. He said he really liked it, but it wasn't until about a year later that I found out that he had decided that night that he HAD to marry me, because he loved my cooking! Silly story, but true!

What follows is the recipe for simply THE BEST Chicken Marsala EVER! It is super easy, ready in about a half an hour and makes you look like a rock star!

Now the recipe I have calls for you to use chicken breast halves and to pound them out thin for more even cooking. For my family (we have a 4 year old) cutting the chicken into bite sized pieces before cooking shortens the cooking time, stretches the recipe a bit to serve more if necessary and just makes the whole process easier during serving. But... if using cut up chicken offends your sensibilities, then go ahead and use the whole breasts, the rest of the recipe is the same. :-)

Here is what you will need:

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces of uniform size for even cooking
• 4 shallots (If you don't have shallots, you can use 1 small yellow onion and 2 cloves of garlic both minced fine), minced fine
• 1 lb mushroom, sliced (I prefer Portabella, but use whatever mushrooms you like)
• 4 thin slices of prosciutto, chopped small
• 1/2 C. dry Marsala
• 3/4 C. heavy cream (DO NOT skimp on this it MAKES the sauce so YUMMY)
• 1.5 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. parsley

Directions:

1. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken
2. In large skillet, sauté chicken and prosciutto in 2 Tbsp. melted butter until lightly browned and mostly cooked through. Prosciutto should be slightly crispy.
3. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Melt remaining butter in pan and add shallots and mushrooms.
5. Cook until mushrooms are lightly browned and reduced in size.
6. Add Marsala and bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan.
7. Add cream and lemon juice and return to a low boil.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Return chicken to pan for about 3 minutes to reheat and finish cooking.
10. Serve over buttered basil fettuccine and finish with some parsley (also good with mashed potatoes).

This serves 4-6 people

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Meal in Minutes - Orzo with Spinach and Tomatoes

Happy Monday, everyone! Terra here with a quick Monday pasta recipe for you. I recently discovered Rachael Ray's quick and easy recipes and since I am single parenting this week, I knew it would be the best place to look for some quick recipes to cook while my husband is away. I am going to share the recipe I am most looking forward to making with you today.

Orzo with Spinach and Tomatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound spinach, washed, dried, stems removed

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

2 lemons, zested

1 1/2 cups orzo, cooked to al dente

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the bowl

24 basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

Preparation

Pile spinach leaves in stacks 1 on top of the other. Thinly slice stacks of leaves to make spinach confetti. Pile shredded spinach into the bottom of a medium sized mixing bowl. Halve grape or cherry tomatoes with a paring knife and add them to the mixing bowl. Add the zest of 2 lemons to the bowl and save the lemons in the refrigerator to juice for another recipe. Add hot cooked and drained orzo pasta to the mixing bowl. The heat of the pasta will wilt the spinach and warm the tomatoes at the bottom of the bowl and get the juices flowing from veggies. The heat of the pasta will also release the flavor and oils in the lemon zest. Drizzle 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over the pasta and toss to combine the veggies and orzo. Add basil and salt and pepper and toss to combine. Taste your orzo to adjust seasonings and serve.

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Monday Meals in Minutes...

It's no secret around my house that I love to cook. I love to experiment with food! I have a bit of a cookbook obsession, so I've got close to a million recipes at my fingertips (not counting the infinite number of recipes on the internet!). So today, I'm bringing you all one of those myriad recipes. Without further ado, I give you Parmesan Roasted Broccoli!! (Yeah yeah yeah, I know it's a side dish, but it's quick and easy and delicious!)

Ingredients

4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.


Seriously...best. broccoli. ever. We have this at least twice a week. It takes mere minutes to put together and it's just so delicious!! Give it a try, I know you'll love it!

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Monday's Meals in Minutes: Meatball Mania!

Meatballs!  Besides calling my kids that, I love to eat them!  I hope you do too - cause that is my meal to share today!  Hello to everyone out there, this is Jenn (jk703) here to share an easy family favorite!

Crock Pot Meatballs!

You will need (the winded version):
Frozen Meatballs!  I choose to use Turkey meatballs...and I made 96 meatballs. 
Red Spagetti Sauce - homemade sauce or bottled sauce will do! 
Diced Veggies -  approx. 2-3 cups - onions, mushrooms, squash, zucchini, green pepper, carrots, or any others that you might like. 
McCormack Grinders Italian Seasoning
Optional:  Cheese, Garlic (Powder, Salt, or even Fresh... add if you like)


1. Plop the meatballs in your crock pot....set to Low Temperature. I have a 96 piece bag!
2. Add either your own sauce or any other sauce you like, approx. 32-48 oz.  I tend to use about half of the number of meatballs! For today, since I have 96 meatballs, I used approx. 48 oz. of sauce. Here is a pic as I am adding the sauce in... Turkey Meatballs are sooo yummy!

3. Add the diced veggies.  I've added onion, green pepper, mushrooms - they are very small because I try to hide them from my kids!  LOL!
4. Stir it all together; coat meatballs and veggies well. 
5. Sprinkle some garlic salt or garlic powder, or even a fresh clove of garlic. 
6. Grind the McCormack Grinders Italian Seasonings.  I used about a 1/2 tsp for my large amount. Stir. 


Cook for  4-6 hours on low. Remember to check your meatballs at 4, 5, and 6 hours depending on your crock pot and temperature settings.  Here are mine after a good stir and 6 hours of cooking... 

Now at the end... you have some choices for your dinner. You could boil some pasta and serve the meatballs over.  Just toss the cooked pasta in with the meatballs and serve... OR you could do what we did and make mini Meatball Hoagies!  My boys love them, and they are yummy!  Sprinkle the cheese goodies on top if you like... We didn't tonight, but it is my fav topping!

This big batch is perfect for lunch later in the week or a second meal one night! Easily freezes too!  Hope you've enjoyed it!  


Thanks for visiting!  If you have any recipes that you are looking for a fast version for, let me know -- I love a good challenge!  Have a great Monday!
Jenn
(jk703)

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