Digging through the refrigerator I found some corn tortillas, sour cream, chipotles in adobo sauce and cilantro. When I picked up the cilantro I knew what must be done. Chicken Tortilla Soup. It must have been years since I last had this amazing and flavorful soup.
You can make this soup as simple or complex as you wish. You can use rotisserie chicken and just shred it at home, or you can roast a chicken at home and use the leftover chicken for chicken quesadillas the next night.
I recommend cooking this soup in a Dutch oven. If you don’t have one, you need to buy one right away. You can use either an enameled cast iron or a traditional cast iron. Either one will do the job.
]]>Za’atar is used throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean on meats, breads and vegetables. It is made with sumac, toasted sesame seeds, thyme and some versions even add oregano.
For this recipe I mixed a tablespoon of olive oil with a tablespoon of Za’atar, rubbed the mixture over the pork loin and marinated the pork loin in the Za’atar mixture for a few hours.
This pork loin turned out so moist and flavorful thanks to the Za’atar. The teens wolfed down the pork loin and I almost lost a finger while they were getting seconds.
]]>I love spicy foods and growing jalapenos in our garden is a way for me to ensure that I always have a steady supply. So with anticipation of spring and summer coming soon, I started thinking of ways to use all those wonderful jalapenos. That's where cowboy candy or candied jalapenos came to mind.
Cowboy candy is really simple to make and our recipe only requires four ingredients. That's right only four if you use Idaho Spice Company Habanero Mango Seasoning. If you haven't yet purchased our Habanero Mango Seasoning you should. It goes great on chicken, shrimp and even the rim of your margarita glass. You can simply add 1 tsp granulated garlic, 1/2 tsp cayenne and 1/4 tsp turmeric in place of our seasoning.
A quick tip here... WEAR gloves. This is something I think we all had to learn the hard way. I think many of us have chopped peppers and then rubbed our eyes. Ouch! I have even used the restroom after chopping peppers and... well I learned right then and there to always have gloves on hand. I don't wish that pain on my enemies.
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This cinnamon roll recipe has been a family favorite during the cold weather months and the teens always ask for it once the leaves start to turn color. This year I thought I would share the recipe and even have the husband help. After taking about twice as long, drinking half a bottle of wine and telling him repeatedly that bacon does not go in cinnamon rolls we were finally finished and blessed with amazing cinnamon rolls. Quick reminder to myself… do not under any circumstances bake with the husband. I feel like I shaved two years of my life.
This KitchenAid made mixing the dough for this recipe so much easier than mixing by hand. It saved so much time and so much complaining from there husband. It really is a lifesaver.
]]>While searching the inter webs for a new concoction that would help my throat and maybe just make me feel a bit better I came across the medicine ball. The medicine ball is a drink from Starbucks that many people have been ordering to help alleviate cold symptoms. Once learning of this medicine ball drink I knew I had to make one at home immediately.
]]>Ensure to give yourself enough time to work on this cake. It’s going to take a lot of time from start to finish. After some planning I decided to go with a 10″X10″ cube for Steve’s head.
The cake ended up being about 8-9 layers high to make the full 10″ cube. Steve’s head had a basic buttercream frosting for the filling and my tasty marshmallow fondant for all of the pixels.
I counted all of the pixels that was needed for the entire cake and once counted I counted again. A roller cutter was used and set to a little over an inch. The roller cutter ensured that all the pixels were cut to the same size. I must admit that with out this roller cutter this cake may have never been completed. It was a great time saver.
After cutting out all the pixels I started to apply each pixel one by one. A little sugar glue was used to make sure the pixels stayed in place. I found that my measurements were slightly off when I got to the top of the cake. If I was to do this cake again triple checking my measurements would have been a requirement. I also started from the bottom and worked my way up (maybe starting at the top and working down would have been better??). If you attempt to make this cake, leave a comment letting us know which way you tired and if it worked better. Thanks for stopping Life44…live, laugh, love & learn.
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]]>I really love using an Instant Pot for something like hard boiling eggs. It really does take the guess work and timing of making the perfect hard boiled eggs and that leaves you with time to come up with unique ways to devil them.
The four ways I choose to make my deviled eggs was a classic version, avocado deviled eggs, Sriracha deviled eggs and jalapeño bacon deviled eggs. If you cannot tell I really like my heat.
]]>One of the sides that I will be serving for their wedding is skillet jalapeño corn. This side is creamy, sweat and has a little kick to it. It’s also easy to make unless you are doing it for 250 people but that’s my problem not yours. Unless you want to help? No, serious will you help me?
]]>You can easily customize this recipe to your tastes. Add more buffalo sauce or add less. I also used mozzarella, cheddar and pepper jack cheeses but you can use what you have laying around.
With pre-cooked chicken this Mac and cheese can be on the table in less than 30 minutes. Just what you need after a long day at work and then chauffeuring the kids all over town.
]]>I recently had the opportunity to compete on a food truck competition show. No, I cannot say what show but if you put two and two together and come up with five you will know what show I am referring to. The biggest point is that I left home for over a month and was unable to post, test or taste new recipes for my readers. So the moment I arrived home guess what I did? I made a drink because after a month of filming and cooking daily I really needed one.
Living in Idaho for the last 15 years has really brought to me an influx of tastes, flavors and recipes that I didn't really get to taste prior to living in Idaho. Mexican cuisine is supreme around Idaho and you are not going to get any complaints from me. So, I wanted to combine those tastes and flavors into a drink. I love heat. I mean I really love heat... not the heat that is just there to be heat but the heat that compliments the food you are serving.
This drink is the Frank-n-Slides margarita because after being on a food truck for over a month filming and filming and then filming I really needed a drink or four. This drink is the refreshing adult beverage you need after a hard day of cooking. To top it off, you have to try our Habanero Mango Rub on the rim. That added spice makes it amazing!
]]>The Nampa Framers' Market opened up last week and I just knew we had to go and see what delights these incredible Idaho farmers had for us. I just love going to the local farmers' market and becoming inspired and this week was no different.
While walking through the market I came across some of the most beautiful mushrooms I have ever seen in my life thanks to Groves Country Mushroom Farm. These things were unbelievable so I knew I had to get them and then I'll figure out what to do with them. I will say it did not take long to come up with an idea. I haven't made risotto in a long time for some reason or another and I though what a better way to showcase the incredible taste of these mushrooms.
]]>Dutch Oven Cherry Cobbler is our family’s second favorite camping dessert… right behind s’mores. S’mores are hard to top. For this recipe (and I have a hard time calling this a recipe because it is so easy) I am not going to be doing the cobbler over coals but at home in the oven. I mean we all can’t always just pack up and head to the mountains every week… or could we?
The hardest part with this cherry cobbler is pitting the cherries because I know nobody would buy the canned cherry filling. Right? I mean fresh cherries are so amazing. To help speed up the pitting (because I couldn’t find those teens) I used this cherry pitter and it saved me so much time. I highly recommend it for those who cannot find the teens.
This recipe requires just a handful of ingredients because when camping space can be limited. You just need cherries, yellow cake mix, brown sugar, butter and Sprite. It’s simple quick and easy. I hope you enjoy this simple easy camping dessert.
]]>This time I wanted to try the Za’atar on a Margherita Flatbread and see how it turned out. How did it turn out you ask? Well after giving the wife and the three teenagers their portions before I could even plate myself a slice they all wanted more. I split my slice for them and went to work on making more. It really was that tasty.
This recipe will go into detail about how to make your very own Za’atar Margherita flatbread, except for one thing. How to make your own Za’atar. I sell my version at a local farmer’s market and online so I don’t want to give away my secrets. You can buy Life 44’s version of Za’atar here, or you can but some at a local specialty market. But I would really like for you to buy ours…LOL. Anyways, let’s get to the recipe.
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