Homemade Sweet Tea

Ok so today's post isn't a food recipe but it's still just as good. I love southern sweet tea so I experimented with a bunch of different teas until I found one that tasted perfect with it. It makes a really refreshing drink after being out in the heat. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 tea bags of Ceylon Tea
1 cup sugar (you can use more or less depending on your taste)
1 gallon water

In large pot bring water almost to a boil and add tea bags.

Let water boil for several minutes and then remove from heat and let the tea steep for 15 minutes

Remove tea bags and stir in sugar until dissolved.

Let chill and serve.

Sloppy Joes

This is much better than that canned stuff you buy at the stores and just as easy to make!

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup or diced tomatoes
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Directions

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
2. Stir in the garlic powder, vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Spicy Pepper Steak

1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Large Onion
1/4 cup soy sauce
8  tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pkg stir fry steak strips or 2  large steaks cut into strips
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Step 1: Marinade steak in hot sauce, soy sauce, salt & pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder for several hours.

Step 2: After steak has marinated, cut the onion and bell peppers into strips (if you cut the onion next to an open flame your eyes won't water/tear)

Step 3: Put peppers, onions, olive oil, in frying pan

Step 4: Saute bell peppers & onions until onions are golden/translucent in color.

Step 5: Place steak in the frying pan and cook with peppers & onions. Add crushed red pepper, garlic powder. Cover and stir occasionally until ready.


Goes Good With:
White Rice
Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli
Green Beans

Chicken Quesadillas

 This is another recipe that my friend had shared with me. I did change the recipe a bit but only for the chicken. This is makes a great meal whether it's lunch, dinner or a snack.

Chicken brine:

2 1/2 cups Water

1 1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/16 tsp Cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp Garlic powder

1 Chicken bullion cube

In baking dish combine all of the ingredients and then add the chicken. Let it sit for several hours or overnight

Ingredients:

6 Strips of Bacon, diced

1 Red Pepper

1 tbsp Garlic, minced

1/2 Onion, chopped

Cheddar

Chicken breasts or tenderloins

Tortillas 

Take chicken and brine water and add the minced garlic and red pepper and place into the oven at 350 for an hour or until it becomes tender and falls apart.

Remove chicken from the oven and tear into pieces. Remove red peppers as well.

In a skillet cook bacon and onion until tender and done. Remove from skillet

Lay large tortilla flat and on half of the tortilla place cheddar, then chicken, then red peppers, then bacon and onions and then topped with cheese and then fold over the tortilla so that it looks like half of a circle.

In a large fry pan melt a tbsp butter and heat the quesadilla on low-med heat until cheese melts and tortilla is slightly browned.

Homemade Salsa

This salsa recipe was shared by a good friend. It uses all fresh ingredients and has a great taste unlike most of the canned/jarred ones. It goes great with quesadillas, tortilla chips or just about any other Tex-Mex or Mexican foods

Ingredients:
3 tomatoes
1/2 med onion
1/4 cup cilantro
2 tbsp green onion
1 tsp salt
1 lime

Dice green onion, tomato and cilantro and put into bowl.

Add lime juice and salt. Stir vigorously.

Refridgerate prior to serving.

French Toast

One of the best breakfast foods. It's simple, quick and has a nice sweet flavor. This recipe is more than just dipping a slice of bread in a beaten egg and frying it. There's more than just egg as you will see.

Ingredients:
8 slices of white bread or thick slices of a french loaf
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 500 degrees

Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, milk and salt.

Generously butter a baking sheet and heat in the oven for 1 minute.

Dip slices of bread in egg mixture and place on baking sheet and cook for 2-4 minutes and then turn bread over and cook for another 2-4 minutes

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is great for parties, BBQs or just a really good way of satisfying the munchies. This makes a lot of dip so be prepared!

Ingredients:
16 oz cream cheese (let soften)
3/4 cup of Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 lb. of chicken breast
1 cup of bleu cheese dressing
1 cup of crumbled/chopped bleu cheese
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Cut chicken breast into small cubes and cook.

Mix the softened cream cheese with the hot sauce until well blended.

Add chicken, bleu cheese, dressing, and 1 cup of cheddar, mix well. put mixture into oven or BBQ/smoker safe pan

Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar on top to make a nice cheesy crust.

You can place this mixture in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 or until cheese is melted or you can place it in a smoker and heat it off of indirect heat at 225 for 2 hours.

Serve with tortilla chips and/or celery