Blogging for my 50 free cards!

I heart Shutterfly. I really do. I have been making calendars and photo books with them for years. They make the best Christmas presents for the family that we don't see much during the year. My grandparents love the photo books I make for them every year. And every year, I make my parents photo calendars. 4 or 5 years ago, I made them one calendar for Christmas and they loved it so much, they asked me to do it again the following year. Then my mom wanted one for my office, and then my dad got jealous and wanted one for his office, too. So now I make them a calendar each year and send them 3. Now they make desk calendars, too. Before you know it, they'll probably want one for every room in the house.

I love Shutterflys photo Christmas cards and their holiday cards. Last year, I didn't do Christmas cards, but Shutterfly actually gave me 12 free cards. So I had just enough for our immediate family. They turned out so cute! This year, I am excited to be sending out cards this year. I'm just having a hard time picking out one because I love all their designs. And this year they are giving out 50 free cards if you blog about it. Here is the link http://bit.ly/sfly2010.

Here are a few of my favorite designs:

Go check out Shutterfly!

Sweet Potato fries

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into wedges

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss sweet potato wedges with oil, salt and pepper. Spread the wedges out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned and tender, turning once, about 20 minutes total.

Serves 1-2 people

Homemade oreo cookies

the cookies:

1 German Chocolate Cake mix

1/2 c. butter (or margarine) softened, NOT melted

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

For the frosting:

1/2 cube (or stick) butter, softened

4 oz. cream cheese

1-2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp milk

1 container coconut topping (the kind in the plastic container by all the frostings)

Mix "cookie" ingredients together into cookie batter texture, roll into balls as big as desired (walnut size). Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-9 minutes. Do not over-cook (they may seem underdone but they aren't, you want them to be soft and chewy). Leave cookies on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes after removing from oven. Allow to cool completely before adding frosting.

Cafe Rio green pork burrito

For the sauce:

1 small can diced chilies

1 7 oz. can Salsa Verde (I used "Embasa" brand)

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm. You can also refrigerate it overnight after simmering if you are making it in advance Just reheat in the small saucepan before serving.

For the burrito:

1 LARGE tortilla shell

1 large scoop rice

1 large scoop beans

1 large scoop sweet pork

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, to taste

Green Enchilada Sauce (see recipe above)

Lettuce

Pico de gallo

Guacamole

Sour cream

Roll up rice, beans, pork and cheese in large tortilla shell to form the burrito. Slather with a big ladle full of the green enchilada sauce and top with additional Monterey Jack For cheese. Place in the oven at 450-degrees until cheese is melted. Serve with lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, and/or sour cream.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup lime or orange marmalade

3 large garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed and chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil - divided use

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pound large shrimp, shelled, leaving tail intact, and deveined

In a measuring cup whisk together lime juice, marmalade, garlic,

cilantro, 3 tablespoons oil, soy, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; reserve 1/3 cup mixture in a small bowl for dipping. In a large zip-lock style plastic bag combine shrimp with remaining mixture and marinate, turning occasionally to coat shrimp, for 45 minutes in the refrigerator. Drain shrimp and lightly pat dry between paper towels. In a large non-stick skillet heat 1/2 oil over medium-high heat until hot; sauté half of shrimp until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Sauté remaining shrimp in remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in same manner. Serve shrimp with reserved dipping sauce.

Alton brown's guacamole

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

1 lime, juiced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Cafe Rio Salad dressing

CILANTRO RANCH

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)

1 c. mayonnaise

1 c. buttermilk

2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

1 jalepeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. Thats it!

K so now to make it all PERFECT... Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce (we used the leafy green lettuce, NOT ICEBURG) and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). We made up some gaucamole and put some of that on the salad (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). We also added a little spoonful of sour cream. Add some crushed tortilla chips (we have yet to find the little tortilla strips), a shake of parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch dressing and there you have it!

Cafe Rio!!

SWEET PORK

2 pounds pork

3 cans Coke (NOT diet)

1/4 c. brown sugar

dash garlic salt

1/4 c. water

1 can sliced green chilies

3/4 can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)

1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours.

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tsp. sugar

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/3 c. tomato juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound boneless sirloin steak, trimmed Cooking spray

6 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (about 12 ounces)

1 chopped onion

3-4 tablespoon butter

1/4 c all-purpose flour

3 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

1-2 Tbsp. worchestershire sauce

1tbsp. garlic powder

salt and black pepper

3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

12 oz package of noodles, cooked

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley Fresh parsley sprigs (optional)

Cut beef diagonally across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips; cut the strips into 2-inch pieces.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove beef from pan; place in a medium bowl, and keep warm. Add cremini mushrooms and onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add cremini mushroom mixture to beef.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly.

Add beef mixture, sherry, salt, and pepper to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 30 seconds. Stir in sour cream.

Combine noodles and minced parsley. Serve beef mixture over noodles. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Eggplant Rollatini

1 pounds eggplant, one small, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 6 (1/4-inch-thick) slices cooking spray

3/4 cup(s) tomato sauce with basil, garlic, and oregano, divided

1 cup(s) cheese, ricotta, part-skim

3 tablespoon cheese, grated Parmesan

2 tablespoon basil, fresh, chopped

1 tablespoon nuts, pine nuts, toasted

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 clove(s) garlic, small, minced

3 tablespoon cheese, mozzarella, part-skim, shredded

Preheat broiler. Place eggplant slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; lightly coat eggplant with cooking spray. Broil 5 minutes on each side or until browned and tender.

Reduce oven temperature to 400°.

Spread 1/4 cup pasta sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish.

Combine ricotta cheese and next 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of ricotta mixture onto 1 end of each eggplant slice. Roll up slices, and place, seam sides down, in baking dish. Spoon remaining 1/2 cup pasta sauce evenly over rollatini, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly.

Spicy Peanut Chicken

1 cup brown or white rice made to package directions

3 tablespoons vegatable oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, diced into small bite-sized pieces

1 red bell pepper, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

Salt and pepper

1 inch ginger root, grated or minced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup Tamari sauce or reduced sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon chili paste

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained 1 bunch scallions, whites and greens chopped on angle into 1-inch pieces

1 cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts

Start brown or white rice and 10 minutes before it is done begin your stir fry.

Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, add bell peppers and stir fry 2 minutes more. Remove chicken and peppers to a plate and add 2 tablespoons more oil to the pan. Add ginger and garlic and stir fry 15 seconds then add in peanut butter, soy, stock, chili paste and sesame oil and stir to combine into sauce. Add chestnuts and scallions and toss 1 minute, add chicken and peppers back to pan with peanuts and turn to coat in sauce. Serve over rice.

Penne with cauliflower sauce

1 pound whole wheat penne rigate

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

3 cloves garlic, smashed, skins removed and thinly sliced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 head cauliflower, stemmed and chopped (about 2 pounds)

1 cup chicken broth

4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped

3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Set aside a ladle of pasta water and drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the EVOO, three turns of the pan, in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, broth and rosemary, then cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Mash the cauliflower with the back of a spoon and cook until golden and caramelized, 7-8 minutes. Add the reserved ladle of pasta water to the cauliflower sauce. Stir in the pasta, then add the cheese and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Baked Potato soup

12 slices bacon

2/3 cup margarine

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

7 cups milk

4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 green onions, chopped

1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble, and set aside. In a stock pot or Dutch oven, melt the margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.

Linguini with Scampi

1 (12 ounce) package linguini pasta

3/4 cup butter

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place the butter or margarine in 9x13 inch glass baking dish, and place in oven until butter melts. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir the shrimp, garlic, and lemon juice into the melted butter. Return dish to oven. Bake for 3 minutes. Remove from the oven, and mix in parsley; continue baking until shrimp are opaque, about 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the shrimp and butter sauce over the linguini, and toss to coat the pasta. Serve immediately.

Grilled Chicken with Lemon, Garlic, and Oregano

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Whisk together lemon juice, oregano, garlic, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and add oil in a slow stream, whisking.

Add all of ingredients to a plastic bag and marinate chicken for atleast 1 hour.

Heat up grill and BBQ. Or heat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

pesto- 4 ways

Sun-dried tomato pesto

1 1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (I bought the jar at Costco).

1 clove of garlic

1/4 c. toasted walnuts

1 c. fresh basil leaves

1/2 c. parmesan cheese ( I probably use a lot more.)

salt and pepper

Put all the ingredients in the food processor and then use the oil from the sundried tomatoes jar to thin out the pesto until it is the consistency that you want. Tastes great on pasta.

Spinach basil pesto

2 c. spinach leaves

1 c. fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/4 c. toasted pine nuts

1/2 c. parmesan cheese (Again, I probably use a lot more.)

salt and pepper

Olive oil

Put all ingredients in the food processor and blend. Slowly add olive oil until it is the consistency that you want.

　

cheese

salt and pepper

Olive oil

Same instructions as the rest of the pesto recipes. Put everything except oil in food processor and blend. Add oil until it is the consistency that you want. Tastes great on quesadillas.

Basil pesto

2 c. fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/3 c. toasted pine nuts or walnuts

1/2 c. parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

olive oil

same instructions as rest of pesto recipes.

Coconut Shrimp

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp - peeled and deveined

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon ground white pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup ice water

2 cups shredded coconut

vegatable oil for frying

Peel, devein and wash shrimp. Dry well on paper towels. Mix together flour, cornstarch, salt and white pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the ice water. Stir to blend. Pour the coconut into a shallow pan. Dip the shrimp one at a time into the batter, then roll the shrimp in the coconut. Once coated, place each shrimp into a frying pan of oil heated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the shrimp in the hot oil until golden brown.

　

Balsamic Glazed Tuna

Cooking spray

1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 3/ 4" thick)

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup diagonally sliced green onions

Place a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Sprinkle pepper and salt over fish. Place fish in grill pan; cook 3 minutes on each side until medium-rare or desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat.

Combine broth, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon glaze over fish; top with green onions.

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

1 pound pasta cavatappi or orecchiette

2 pints grape tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, grated

A few drizzles of extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

20 leaves fresh basil, roughly chopped

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Preheat oven 425°F.

Place a large pot filled with water over high heat and bring up to a boil to cook the pasta. Once boiling, add some salt and the pasta, and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve about a 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid before draining the pasta.

While the water is coming up to a boil to cook the pasta, place the tomatoes on a cookie and grate the garlic over them.

Drizzle with some EVOO and season with some salt and pepper. Transfer cookie sheet to the oven and roast tomatoes for 8-10 minutes or until the tomatoes start to burst. Remove from the oven, discard the garlic cloves and transfer roasted tomatoes to a large serving bowl. Add the reserved pasta water and, with a potato masher or a fork, lightly smash the tomatoes. This is a great job for a K.H. (kid helper)!thumbnail_thumb.jpg"

Add basil, drained pasta and Parmigiano cheese and toss to coat.

Toss to combine, taste and re-season with some salt and pepper then serve.

Baja Fish Taco

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 (1.25 ounce) package ORTEGA® Taco Seasoning Mix, divided

1 pound cod or other white fish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 package (12) ORTEGA® Taco Shells, warmed

Toppings: shredded cabbage, chopped tomato, lime juice, ORTEGA® Thick & Smooth Taco Sauce

COMBINE sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro and 2 tablespoons seasoning mix in small bowl. COMBINE cod, vegetable oil, lemon juice and remaining seasoning mix in medium bowl; pour into large skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork. FILL taco shells with fish mixture. Top with cabbage, tomato and sour cream mixture, lime juice and taco sauce.