Okra and Tomatos

I love okra - so I found this recipe and tried it out and it was really good! It makes a great side!

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, diced into small pieces
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chicken base (I didn't have this so just used a little chicken stock)
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups fresh okra, cut into 1-inch pieces (may use frozen, if fresh not available)
• Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Cook bacon slightly. Saute onion and garlic with bacon until tender. Add tomatoes, chicken base, sugar and pepper. Stir well and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed. Meanwhile wash okra and remove fuzz if using fresh and cut into pieces. Add the okra and simmer until okra is done, about 20 more minutes (less if using frozen okra.)

Coca Cola Cake

This is a VERY rich and sweet dessert (and not low fat in way, shape or form) but it is SO good!

Ingredients for cake:
1 cup coke
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup butter, softenened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350. Combine coke and buttermilk. Beat butter at slow speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until blended. Add eggs and vanilla/ beat at low speed until blended.
Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with coke mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in marshmallows. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13x9 inch pan.
Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes.
Pour Classic Coke frosting over warm cake. (Sprinkle with toated pecans - optional)

Classic Coke Frosting (the best part)
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup coke
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 16 oz pkg powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted. Remove from heat; whisk in sugar and vanilla. Use immediately.

Chicken Spinach Artichoke Squares

I made this recipe up the other night because I just happened to have these ingredients and was trying to use them all.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts cut in strips
Pkg of frozen spinach
1 can of drained artichoke hearts
8 oz sour cream
Parmesan cheese
Garlic salt (to taste)
1 can of crescent rolls

Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook chicken strips 5-7 minutes on each side or until done. Add in frozen spinach and artichokes and cook together 7-10 minutes. Add in sour cream, parmesan cheese (as much or little as you want), and garlic salt.
Heat oven to 350 degrees and open up crescent rolls. Put a small amount of mixture on each roll and fold up. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cook 10-12 minutes.