Tomato Time

I am so excited because it's TOMATO TIME! I took my boys to our seasonal summer trip to Tuttles Orchard. They always have the earliest tomatoes avaliable in Indiana and they are so delicious! While I am waiting on my plants to mature, I go to this little farm store and enjoy these sweet delicious gems. Since we had a lot of rain early in the growing season they had their Super XXX Sweet Corn avaliable earlier than normal, and it is the sweetest yummiest corn I have ever had. In August, I return to the orchard to buy a bushel of tomatoes to make my homemade tomato sauce which I will post later this August. Just check out the picture of the tomatoes in the farm store and let yourself get excited about TOMATO TIME!!!

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

2 sleeve packages of graham crackers
1 5oz. package of instant vanilla pudding
2 cups of milk
1 8oz. package cream cheese
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 12oz. container frozen whipped topping
1 16oz. container of chocolate frosting

Line bottom of a 9x13 pan with graham crackers overlaping to fit. In a bowl combine pudding and milk and beat until thickened. In another bowl mix cream cheese and sweet condensed milk together until smooth. Fold whipped topping into cream cheese mixture, then add cream cheese mixture into pudding. Place 1/2 of cream cheese pudding mixture on top of graham crackers. Then place another layer of graham crackers on top of mixture. Place remaining cream cheese pudding mixture on top of crackers and then add last layer of crackers. Heat can of frosting in microwave for 30 seconds; just enough to soften it up and making icing easier to spread. Spread icing on top of crackers using the entire can so you will have a really yummy gooey fudge topping! Then place in fridge for at least 4 hours, but overnight is better. Enjoy and share with all your family and friends!

Bardos Shrimp Bisque

I got this recipe from fellow foodie David Bardos, who is a teacher and loves to cook. This is an original recipe that he created which is smooth, silky and full of flavor!  This is one of those soups that warms you on a cold day and just makes you plain old happy.  My kids are not really into any type of seafood with the exception of Tilapia, so this may not be a kid favorite.  But with the adults its a hands down winner to serve with a nice warm crusty bread and a glass of wine.

Printable Recipe


2 sticks of butter
3 t.  seasoned salt
3/4- 1 t.  cayenne pepper
1 1/2 c.  flour
1 1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t.  cracked black pepper
1/2 gal.  milk
2 c.  sour cream
2 -12oz.  can of tomato sauce
2 t.  dried chopped onion
1 t.  dried chopped garlic
1 lb.  cooked, peeled shrimp- food processed


Melt butter in a large soup pot.  Stir in seasoning salt and cayenne pepper.  Add flour; stir thoroughly until paste like consistency.  Remove from heat and add milk and whisk thoroughly.  Return to heat, stir often because it will thicken quickly.  Add sour cream, tomato sauce and remaining ingredients.  Simmer on low, stir often.  This soup is great with lobster, crab or add all three.

Chicken Velvet Soup

I made this wonderful soup tonite at the request of my ten year old son Conner, because it's fast and most importantly it's his favorite.  The surprising thing is when this soup is topped with bacon even my four year old will eat it.  I never have leftovers to take to work.  So when it's cold outside and you just need that little comfort touch just whip up a pot of this and pour you a bowl, cuddle by the fire and enjoy!

Printable Recipe
3/4 c.  butter
3/4 c.  flour
1 c.  warm milk
6 c.  hot chicken broth
1 c.  warm half & half
1 1/2 c.  chopped, cooked chicken
1/2 t.  salt
1 dash of pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan; stir in flour blending thoroughly.  Do not let the mixture brown.  Gradually stir in the warm milk, 2 cups hot broth and cream.  Stir or whisk the mixture until smooth and has thickened.  Add the remaining 4 cups of broth, cooked chicken, salt and pepper; simmer gently to heat through.  Serve with garlic cheddar biscuts.

Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies

My boys love, love, love these cookies! My secret ingredients are espresso powder (you can use instant coffee) Vanilla Kaulua and toasted pecans or walnuts. I also use good vanilla extract it makes a huge difference but if all you have is immitation vanilla extract please by all means use it, your cookies will still taste delicious. When I make one recipe of this cookie it usually lasts about a day with one husband and three boys lurking about when I pull these babies out of the oven. So make plenty and enjoy!

Printable Recipe

2 1/4 c.  flour
1 tsp.  baking soda
1 tsp.  salt
1 c.  butter, softened
1 c.  sugar
1/2 c.  brown sugar
1 tsp.  vanilla extract
1 tsp.  instant espresso powder
1 T.  Kaulua liquor
1 large egg
2 c. chocolate chips or chunks
1 1/2 c.  any nut of your choice, I use pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add the vanilla extract and eggs and mix.  Next, mix in the flour mixture.  Add chocolate chips and nuts.  This mixture should be very chunky and thick.  Scoop the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet with an ice cream scooper, dipping the scoop into water between scoopings to prevent sticking.  Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.  Then get an ice cold glass of milk and enjoy!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

When someone asks me "Tam, what dish can I make for a pitch-in that is super simple to make and delicious that people will just wow over,"  the answer is Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada's.  Even if you have people who hate sour cream they seem to always finish their plate.  I even tried them on my toughest critic's; my husband and three sons.  They all hate sour cream I mean dispise it, but they still seem to go back for seconds because they have no idea of my little secret.  Mexican rice, refried beans & cheese, hominy and corn spoon bread are sides that you can serve with this dish.  Enjoy!  Don't forget to make a pitcher of margarita's. 

Printable Recipe

2 lbs. cooked diced chicken breasts (I shred mine)
2 c. sour cream
1- 4oz. can of chopped green chili's
4 diced green onions
8 -10 inch flour tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 oz. bag cheddar cheese
1 tsp.  Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning

Mix chicken, 1 cup of sour cream, chili peppers and green onions together. Place equal amounts of filling in the tortillas (you may have a couple of tortillas left over). Place tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan. Mix cream of chicken together with the other 1 cup of sour cream. Pour soup mixture over tortillas. Top with cheddar cheese cover with foil and bake @ 375 degrees for 35 minutes and then remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

Easter Pretzle Hugs

 These little gems are the perfect answer for that sweet & salty craving that we get from time to time.  My kids think these are so cool to make because you can use mini carmel eggs or Rolo's, any Hershey Kisses, plain M&M's, peanut M&M's, square pretzels or regular mini pretzels.  The options are limited by your imagination!  But for the ones in the picture I will list what we used.  When finished they just look so adorable and will not last long since you can't eat just one.  This recipe is also great for recycling Easter candy that you have left over later on when you are wondering my god what am I going to do with all this candy.  Have fun be creative and use up your extra candy.

1 bag of mini pretzles
1 bag of carmel bite-sized eggs (I used Nestle brand)
1 bag of Easter M&M's

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Place whatever amount of pretzles you want to make on baking sheet.  Top each pretzle with a carmel egg.  Place in oven for approximately 8 minutes, keep an eye and pull them out of the oven when just starting to melt.  Then place an M&M on top immediately and let cool. It will take a few hours to cool and harden up or you can place in the fridge to speed up the process.  That's it!  How easy was that!