MyLitter - One Deal At A Time

This is a specialty dish, that you can get as an appetizer at Bonefish. I am not a huge fan of shrimp normally, but even I like this one! They use Sambal I believe in the original version to give this dish it’s heat. This one is made with ingredients you will find in your grocery store easily.

If you don’t like to buy a big thing of buttermilk, I get a canister of powdered and only make what I need for each recipe! Use peanut oil to fry up your shrimp.

Deep fry shrimp by preheating (canola, vegetable, or peanut) oil to 375 degrees F. Carefully place a small amount of breaded or battered shrimp in cooker. Fry shrimp 2 to 3 minutes, depending on size of shrimp, until golden brown outside and opaque in the center.

Grill or broil shrimp by skewering peeled shrimp in a “horseshoe” fashion. That is, thread the shrimp onto the skewer at its head and at its tail so it curves around in a U-shape. Place 4 inches above a preheated gas grill or charcoal grill at 375 degrees. To broil, place shrimp 4 inches under a heat source. (Leave oven slightly open when using an electric range.) 

Anytime I can put something in the Crock Pot, I do! Like my Macaroni and Cheese recipe. I put this under the side dishes but it can be a main meal as well just depending on what you are having with it. I also add cut up ham or even bacon for some more protein and fat       

The cool thing is that you can use this as a side dish on holidays or times when your kitchen is full. Being able to put side dishes in a crock pot is a huge time and space saver. You can make this and bake it in a 9×13 until heated through and the cheese is melted. 

We have had the Copycat Wendy’s Chili recipe 2 times this week. No one is tired of it yet. The weather has been perfect for some good warm food though, we had ours with oyster crackers and corn bread. Another night we had Fritos and made Frito Pies.

Rumor is that Wendy’s takes the leftover hamburgers and chop them up so they don’t go to waste and add them to the chili. I love this idea and do it often here, add leftover meat and make a chili.

We added chorizo one night. IT WAS AWESOME.

Chop your onion, green peppers and celery. Brown your meat and pretty much add it all together. I think the key is letting it all simmer together.   At least 2 hours!

Are you in the mood for meatloaf but don’t want to wait an hour for it to cook? Welcome to Instant Pot Meatloaf! This recipe takes your cook time from an hour long to only a few short minutes. This recipe is also super affordable!

One thing I love about this recipe is that the meatloaf doesn’t dry out as it would in the oven. It still gets yummy and moist. Not dry and crumbly. Definitely try this recipe if you want the perfect meatloaf.

Don’t have an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi but still want to make this? No worries! Here are some great deals on pressure cookers that you should check out below.

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1

Aroma Pressure Cooker

Pioneer Woman Instant Pot

Ninja Foodi

If you are in the mood for Italian but don’t want to go out and spend an excessive amount at a fancy Italian restaurant, you have come to the right recipe!

In this recipe, I will be showing you how to make the perfect ricotta lasagna with a delicious meat sauce. If you are a fan of lasagna then I hope you make this recipe because you will fall in love with it after one bite!

If the kiddos aren’t typically fond of lasagna and you want to share this meal together, make extra meat sauce and boil some spaghetti noodles along with it. That way, you won’t be going out of the way too much and they will be satisfied! You can double your meat sauce if choosing to do this.

You can also add a salad on the side for some veggie intake. Adding a salad to any pasta dish you make is a great way to stay healthy while eating yummy food! Some of my favorite side salads are:

Broccoli Salad

Cherry Pie Filling Fruit Salad – This one is delicious by itself too!

Caesar Salad

This lasagna serves 8.

TIP: This recipe uses uncooked, regular lasagna noodle but requires refrigeration overnight. If baking immediately, lasagna noodles should be cooked according to package directions, prior to assembling the lasagna.

Start by spraying a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Using a ceramic cooking dish works excellent!

Then, in a large skillet, combine pasta sauce and browned ground chuck. Bring to a simmer and heat through. Add additional oil to the pan if the meat begins to stick. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Stir together well. 

Pour approximately 1 cup of meat sauce into the baking dish. Add water and combine with a spoon or fork. Add a layer of lasagna noodles. Do not overlap the noodles as they will expand overnight. Add rounded spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and spread out evenly throughout the dish. Add about 3⁄4 cup of mozzarella cheese over ricotta. Top with about 1 cup of meat sauce. 

Begin a new layer of noodles and repeat as above, ending with remaining meat sauce. Save any remaining mozzarella cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Once it has rested overnight, place the covered casserole in a cold oven. Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 to 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted completely and the edges are bubbly. 

For best results when slicing the lasagna, allow the casserole to rest and cool prior to cutting and serving. 

Are you looking for the perfect mid-summer treat? Are the kiddos begging for watermelon and cupcakes but you’re just not sure how to mix them together? 

Well, my friends, let me introduce you to my all time favorite Watermelon Cupcakes. They are so satisfying and have the perfect amount of sweetness! This recipe catches the wonderful flavor of watermelon that mixes right in with the sweetness of a cupcake.

I don’t know about you but that picture sure does make me want to dig right in! My mouth is already watering for these stunning cupcakes.

Also, if you haven’t checked out my Red Devil Dr.Pepper, you definitely should! This drink right here would go FANTASTIC with this summer time dessert.

Watermelon cupcakes with a delicious soda drink?  Sign me up!

Once you and your little ones bite into these, they will definitely be begging for more! These cupcakes are great for any pool side activity, birthday party, family gathering or family cookout. If you have girls, these would make the perfect dessert for a girls night or a sleepover.

Honestly, these cupcakes are the perfect treat for any and every occasion. Everyone that tastes these delicious Watermelon Cupcakes will get addicted within the first bite!

You’ll want to first go ahead & preheat your oven to 350 degrees F then add the cupcake liners to the pan. While the oven is preheating, whisk together the cake mix and watermelon jello in a large mixing bowl.

Once the cake mix and jello are mixed together well, add eggs, buttermilk and oil to your mixing bowl. Mix until completely smooth. If you are using food coloring, add a few drops and mix until you get your desired color. 

When the ingredients in your mixing bowl are smooth, fold in the chocolate chips. Using a wooden spoon is great for this!

Divide the batter into the cupcake liners and use about three tablespoons of batter in each cupcake liner. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack until completely cooled. Decorate with frosting of your choice and sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top.

If you are looking for a natural food coloring, I recommend making your own 

DIY Natural Food Dye. This is a fun way to add a little something to this recipe if you simply want to take a healthier route. If you are feeling a little precarious about making natural food coloring on your own, click here for a local store that sells natural food coloring brands. Whole Foods, Walmart, Target or any other grocery store usually has some brand that you can choose from for natural coloring. 

I do love Crockpot or slow cooker recipes! These Crockpot Baked beans are absolutely amazing and super easy!  The most complicated part is cooking the bacon.  The great thing about using the crockpot though is that you can prep it when you have time & forget about it till dinner time.  Everything is pretty much already “cooked” when you dump it in here, but by letting it slow cook for several hours it helps those flavors marry together and makes for a wonderful flavor.  You will find these to be sweet flavored baked beans

If you aren’t eating meat you can still make this without the bacon & hot dogs, and it will still be just as fabulous!  Well, as fabulous as something can be without bacon.  😉

Pro TIP:  Throw some baked potatoes in the oven about an hour before these are to be served and top with the Crockpot baked beans.  So good for extra carbs for the kids or anyone who isn’t watching those! 

Another favorite to go with these would be mac & cheese for double comfort! Yummy!  Did you know you can also make macaroni and cheese in the crockpot?  You sure can!  Check out my post here about How to Make Easy Macaroni & Cheese in The CrockPot!  Start two crockpots with both of these recipes for a dinner your kids will LOVE just a few hours later!!

What if you don’t have a crockpot?

You can still make these if you don’t have a crockpot, but you’ll have to keep an eye on it.  Just put everything into a casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes to an hour on 350.

But WHY do you not have a crockpot yet?  What are you waiting for? 😉  The Crock Pot has saved our dinner so many times over and over again that it has been so worth it, and you can get a nice one for a great price from Walmart, Target or Amazon.

Can you make Crockpot Baked Beans in the instant pot?

Yep!  You sure can! Just throw everything in (fry the bacon first), stir, and set on about 10 minutes.  Manually release the pressure when done.

What if I don’t have time to fry bacon first?

You can always use pre-cooked bacon or bacon pieces for an alternative.  It is a great time saver!

How pretty is this Strawberry Shortcake in a jar for a summer dessert?! Plus these are SOOOOO super simple and easy to make, you just won’t believe it!

I started making the desserts in a jar recipes after seeing the idea at a wedding a few years ago.  They are great to send to school for the kids teachers or for a really nice presentation for something a little more fancy.

Try to find your jars on sale. I also have good luck finding jars at the Goodwill store.

Obviously this dessert is layered in the jars for a pretty presentation. But you can also follow the same recipe and basically make it in a bowl and serve it in a bowl. Super simple!