We are always up for a good Mexi-American dish, so when we had some friends over a few weeks ago, and planned tacos for dinner, we were all over some fresh Mango Salsa (and Pico de Gallo, but I forgot to take photos of that, dang it).  We have made mango salsa on a few occasions before; but this was, by far, the best so far.

Ingredients:
– 2 large, ripe mangoes
– 1/2 large, purple onion
– 1 medium bunch of cilantro
– 1 large, red bell pepper
– 1 large, orange bell pepper
– 1 large, green bell pepper
– Juice from 1/2 of a medium lime (or approx 2-3 Tbsp lime juice)
– 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
– Peel and dice the mangoes.  Put them into a large bowl.
– Chop the onion.  Add to the bowl.  You can add more or less to taste and depending on the potency of your onion.
– Chop the cilantro and add it to the bowl.
– Seed and chop the bell peppers.  Dice and add them to the bowl as well.
– Cut the lime into wedges and squeeze 1/2 of the lime wedges over the salsa.
– Stir the salsa until well mixed.
– Sprinkle the garlic powder over the salsa and mix well.

Chill and serve.
Serves 4-6.

You can always adjust the amounts of the ingredients to taste.  Serve with tortilla chips, in tacos or with a spoon… the latter is my favorite way to eat it!  =)  Enjoy!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

I know, I posted a recipe yesterday… but they are faster and easier to write up than craft projects.  And Mr Gator had his 12 month well baby check yesterday (he got five shots, poor guy!) and was pretty stuck to my hip.  Ever tried to type with a one-year-old on your lap…?  It’s kinda like wrestling a snake… (on a side note:  12 months?  Where did the time go!?  I can’t believe my baby isn’t a baby anymore!)

Anyway, who doesn’t love some good Chinese treats, right?  Chinese New Year just passed; and, as usual, I’m a day late and a dollar short… but these are still delicious, even if you eat them a day (or two – or two hundred) late.  So… on to the good stuff!

Ingredients:
– 1 16oz package Cream Cheese
– Won ton Wrappers (Mr Napping found them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store – like with the cheese.  It was like $3 for 50 of them or something.  We didn’t use them all.)
– Green Onions (optional and as desired)
– Oil to fry your won tons in (we used the Crisco knock-off)
– Small bowl of water to seal the won ton wrappers with

Directions:
– Pull out your cream cheese and let it soften.
– Chop up the green onions (you could also add some crab or Krab.  That’s on our to-do list the next time we do this)
– Place your softened cream cheese into a medium mixing bowl.  Mix the green onions into the cream cheese.
– Lay out your won ton wrappers and spoon the cheese-onion mix onto the wrapper.
– Dip your finger in the water and wet the edges of the wrapper, pressing the sides together to seal them.  We actually sealed the corners together, because it allowed us to put more cheese inside.  It worked best to do one wrapper at a time or the water dried before I got them all filled and sealed.
– Heat your oil in a deep frying pan.  BE CAREFUL!  Hot oil will spatter and cause burns!  Place the won tons slowly and carefully in the oil.
– Fry until golden brown and puffy.
– Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
– Cool to warm and serve!

Yields approx 30 won tons, depending on how full you fill each wrapper.

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

Ingredients:
– One apple
– One can of mandarin oranges
– Two navel oranges
– One can of pineapple
– 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
– Slice and cut the apple.  Then dice.
– Drain the can of mandarin oranges and pineapple.
– Peel and slice the oranges.  Then dice.
– Mix all the fruit in a bowl and serve.

* The longer you let your fruit sit, the better.  So, go ahead and make it the day before.  The citrus juices will keep your apples from browning.  Perfect for a busy date dinner in.  Sweet, healthy and refreshing.  Enjoy!

Serves 2-4

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

Dinner can be so hard sometimes. And my family insists on eating EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. Yours too, huh? It’s like they think they’ll die or something if they don’t eat… oh, wait. What’s a momma to do? Well, some times, I need to liven things up with something I really love so that I’ll be excited when the time comes to make dinner. While these Bacon & Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers are great little appetizers for any party menu… and the leftovers make a great breakfast the next morning… I have been known to make these simply because it’s Tuesday and I want to be excited to make dinner. So, yes, put these on your next party menu and them add them to your meal plan menu too because whatever your celebration may be – Superbowl? Oscars Party?  Valentine’s Dinner? Birthday party? It’s Thursday and the kids are still alive?! – I pinky promise, these will be a hit!

 

BACON & CREAM CHEESE JALAPENO POPPERS

These are absolutely bursting with delicious flavor because, I mean cream cheese and bacon… how could they not be amazing?! If tonight’s dinner plans are really better than cream cheese and bacon, well then, share your recipe! My family eats EVERY. NIGHT. Remember? Help a momma out and give me some new recipe ideas! And make sure you add this to the menu for another night because you won’t regret it and I love to share the good stuff!

The cheese and the bacon fat tame the heat in most of the peppers, leaving just a little bite behind. This is one time when the cheap bacon can actually help you out! The more fat, the more subdued they will be. Want to make sure they are tame enough to enjoy? Be sure to get all the seeds out because that’s where the pepper’s punch is really hidden. These jalapeno poppers definitely still have a kick, but even my kids can handle most of them.

The downside is you can’t really tell the hot ‘n spicy ones from the not-so hot ‘n spicy ones just by looking at them; so, be wary if your heat tolerance is low and have a glass of milk close by. And yes, they are totally worth the Russian Roulette you play every time you reach for another one. Can’t stand the heat and don’t even want to risk it? Try substituting green bell peppers, because these are just too dang amazing to miss out on.

ENLIVEN DINNER WITH BACON AND CREAM CHEESE JALAPENO POPPERS

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

 

I posted this waaay back when this blog was brand spanking new, nearly two and a half years ago.  So, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to revisit it with a little update.  After all it is, still, one of our regulars.  A tasty mix of baked potatoes and taco toppings.  Yum.

Ingredients:
– Baked Potatoes (Enough for your family)
– Sliced olives
– Sour cream
– Steamed Broccoli
– Shredded cheese
– Shredded lettuce
– Diced tomatoes
– Sliced mushrooms
– Ground hamburger
– Salsa
– Sliced Green Onions
– Cheese Sauce
– Any other taco toppings you enjoy (yes, taco toppings)

Directions:
1.  Wash and wrap your potatoes like you normally would for a baked potato – Wrapped in foil, 450F, 45ish minutes.
2.  Chop, slice, dice and in any other way prepare the toppings.  Steam the broccoli, slice the mushrooms, ect.  We put each topping in it’s own bowl and then everyone adds what they want to their potato.
3.  When the potatoes are tender (stab it with a fork or knife) take them out of the oven and unwrap the foil.  Top with your prepared taco toppings.
4.  Serve.  We always do buffet style.  Everyone gets just what they want.

It may sound a little weird… but I promise it’s delish!  And way easy, right?  It’s a meal Mr. Napping enjoyed growing up and brought to our little family when we married.  They used to say (okay, they still do) that “if you have to go back for seconds or can’t finish your firsts, you didn’t make it right.”  It took me a few tries to get what they meant, but it’s so true.  You can eat just a bit or fill up like a king, depending on how much of the toppings you put on your potato.  Try it, I dare you…  Enjoy!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.