If you're going to fry up some cream cheese wontons - why not add in some cowboy candy into the filling!  It's a great little surprise!  These are fun and easy to make.  My most important recommendation is to not overstuff the wontons with filling or they can open up while frying.  Always use egg wash along all sides of the wonton which helps seal all the edges. The fillings are endless - you can make these without the cowboy candy - just add a touch more cream cheese filling.  Enjoy! Diane 

Homemade Cream Cheese Wonton
*with cowboy candy 

Ingredients: 

• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup Cowboy Candy 
• 24 wonton wrappers 
• 1 egg beaten for sealing wontons
• canola oil for frying wontons

Directions:

• Combine the room temperature/softened cream cheese, sugar and onion powder.  Stir until well mixed.
• Place a wonton wrapper on a flat surface and place a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center along with a ring or two of candied jalapeño.
  
• Brush all of the edges of the wonton wrapper with the egg wash.  
• Bring 2 opposite corners together in the middle of the wonton and pinch. Repeat with the other 2 corners and pinch to form a square package shape.
• Repeat - keeping folded wontons on a saran wrap covered tray so they don't dry out.
• Heat 4 inches of oil in a deep pan or fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Fry 4-6 wontons at a time, turning them as needed to make sure they brown evenly. This process takes about 3-5 minutes. Do not overcrowd the fryer as the oil temperature will drop greatly.  
• Drain the cooked wontons on paper towels and repeat the frying process with remaining wontons. 
• Let the wontons cool down a good 5 minutes or more as filling will be very hot. 
  
• Serve with dipping sauce of choice if preferred.  

     We LOVE Chicken Fajitas.  Even more so, the chicken fajita Protein Bowls from Qdoba.  We don't love their price and most times don't have the time to drive into town to get them.  Add in the stress of pandemics and our decision was to make them ourselves!!  You can make up a huge batch of the chicken at home and then add what you want to your own bowls through the week.  Great for lunches or dinners!  Just assemble and enjoy! Diane 

Chicken Fajita Protein Bowl 

Ingredients: 
 (for the Fajita Chicken) 
1 large yellow onion, sliced long and thin
1 large green, yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and sliced long
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced long
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
2 Tablespoons canola or olive oil
Spice Mix**

For Homemade Mexican Spice Mix **:
(for the fajita chicken) 
2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt 
1 Tablespoon cornstarch


Directions:  
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place sliced onion, peppers, and garlic with chicken in a 9x13 baking dish together.
In a small bowl, mix all dry seasoning mix and spread over chicken and veggies. Drizzle oil over all and mix everything together until all ingredients are well seasoned. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes and then give the entire mixture a good stir.  Finish baking the remaining 10 minutes. 

Assemble your protein bowl with all your favorite toppings too:  My Bowl shown has shredded lettuce carrot and cabbage on the bottom (some people add brown or white steamed rice or a cilantro lime rice) then top with baked fajita chicken, salsa, black beans, green onion and toasted sesame seeds along with a light mexi-ranch dressing.

​Optional additions: your favorite dressing, sour cream, guacamole, avocado, ranchera or green chile sauce or salsas, shredded cheese, tomato, shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, sour cream, salsa, crushed roasted peanuts, toasted pepita seeds, lime rice, black or pinto beans and green onion. 

     I've made egg rolls before but, always baked them and wanted to try frying them!  I love the combinations of flavors that you can use for filling.  In this recipe - you can substitute the pork with any ground meat mixture you prefer.  I suggest making this recipe first to get the idea of the whole process before changing things up later on.  These egg rolls were super tasty and a welcome addition to our freezer! Yep, you can bake these now and then vacuum seal and freeze in portions for enjoying later! 
Hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Diane 

Homemade Egg Rolls

1 package (18 ounces) Twin Dragon Egg Roll Wrappers from the refrigerated section 
*usually found near the fresh produce. 

Filling: 
1 (16 ounce)tube jimmy dean pork sausage - crumbled, cooked well and drained on paper towels.
1 large carrot, sliced thin
1 small onion, finely diced 
1 bag (14 ounce bag) shredded coleslaw mix

Sauce for Filling:
(Mix together and set aside)  
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sherry
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon corn starch

Directions: 

1. Cook your ground pork in a sauté pan and place cooked pork on paper towels to drain off grease as you prepare the vegetable mixture. 
2. Place cut carrot and onion in a large Dutch oven with a minimal amount of oil or butter to sauté vegetables for 5 minutes. 
3. Add in the cabbage mix. 
4. Add in the Sauce. 
5. Let cabbage mixture cook down about 7 minutes and add well-drained meat back into pot with cabbage mixture and warm entire mixture through - place the entire filling mixture in a bowl lined with paper-towels. ((The trick for non-greasy egg rolls; is to get filling really dry and remove as much oil and grease as possible from the filling.))
6. Take an egg roll wrapper out and place it on your work space facing you like a diamond.
7. Using a 1/4 Cup measuring cup place about 1/4 cup of the prepared filling in the lower corner nearest you.
8. Using a pastry brush or your finger, wipe the perimeter of the egg roll wrapper with egg wash.  (This will seal the egg rolls so they don't open while cooking.)
9. Fold the bottom corner up over filling and then fold the sides in, like an envelope. Then roll from bottom upwards, making sure its as tight as you can get it until all the way rolled.
10. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet covered with saran until they are all rolled and ready for frying. 
11. Fill your fryer or Dutch oven with Canola Oil.  You want the oil heated to 350 degrees.  Always use caution when frying! Remember that water droplets will cause the oil to sizzle and can splatter!  I use only the amount of oil that will just cover the tops of the eggrolls and I use tongs to turn them in the oil if need be. 
12. Cook only a few egg rolls at a time or your cooking oil temperature will lower too greatly - my fryer cooks 3 egg rolls at a time.  I fried mine for 4 minutes before moving to the oven. 
13. Preheat your oven to 425F.  *This is an added step to ensure crispiness and doneness of your egg rolls.  Once You've fried your eggrolls - place them on a rack set above a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 3-5 minutes.  
14. Remove egg rolls from oven and place on a paper towel lined plate to cool.  This will help remove any more oil off of the rolls before eating. 

​Makes Approx. 12-16 eggrolls. 
  
Kitchen Notes:
  

• The Filling can be made and refrigerated a day ahead, which helps remove even more grease.  
• Using an egg-wash to seal the egg roll wrapper edges will help prevent filling from spilling while frying. 
• I used refrigerated Egg Roll Wrappers which were great! Just remember to keep them from drying out.  I opened the package but kept a moist paper towel draped over the package while assembling my egg rolls.  
• Serve the eggrolls with; Sweet Chili Thai sauce, Sweet & Sour sauce or Chinese Spicy Mustard. 

Recipe Credit:  I'd like to thank Lynn over at Southern With a Twist for sharing her egg roll recipe!  I used the sauce from her recipe *adding in some toasted sesame oil. She has a few tasty looking egg roll recipes - make sure to stop by and check out her site as well!!   

   Super easy cookie recipe - and as a bonus uses your homemade jam if preferred.  I used my peach jam and cherry jam for this batch of thumbprints. Enjoy! Diane 

Ingredients: 

2 Cups all purpose flour *I prefer King Arthur
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup butter, room temperature
1/4 Cup white granulated sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract *I prefer Rodelle
1 Cup prepared jam 


Directions:  

Preheat oven to 350F. 
   Cream the butter and sugars together on high in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes.)  Lower mixer speed and beat in all the remaining ingredients leaving the flour to add in last until well mixed.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper and roll dough into small 1.5" balls, placing about 2" apart on baking sheet.  Using your thumb, depress each ball so that it makes a small "well" for the jam to set in.  Fill each indentation with the jam of your choice.  Bake cookies 13-15 minutes or until bottom edges are slightly browned.  Let cool on baking sheets for at least 5 minutes before carefully removing to cooling racks.  Cookies can be stored up to one week in an air tight container.