Chicken Parm....The Healthy Way

This recipe, believe it or not....Is actually good for you. Usually I think of this dish as super greasy, but this particular dish is baked instead of fried. And for all you Weight Watcher guru's out there, this recipe is only 5 POINTS! Can you even believe that? Yeah I know, exactly my reaction, too. But nonetheless, this dish is delish :)

Ingredients
4 (8 oz) chicken breast halves, sliced in half
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup marinara sauce
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 450*. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.
2. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture. 
3. Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
4. Lightly spray a little more cooking oil on top and bake for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, and bake another 5 minutes. 
5. Remove from oven, spoon sauce over chicken and top with shredded cheese. 
6. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
7. Eat up!!

It's Turkey Day!

My dad barbecuing turkey last year

Thursday at last. I have been looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner for a few months now. Especially since this was mine and Casey's very first Thanksgiving together. It was a great one, too. I was soooo excited to be with amazing people and just enjoy even more amazing food :) Once again, I was NOT disappointed. I really don't think Thanksgiving has ever let me down. I always eat until I can no longer move, and then I eat some more just for good measure. And when you have food that's as good as what I had tonight... it's super tough to EVER stop eating!! So of course, we have our traditional Thanksgiving feast like mashed potatoes, rolls, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and oven cooked turkey, filled with tons and tons of stuffing! The aroma fills the entire house, making everyone drool until 2pm. This year, like some years in the past, we also had the blessing of a good ol' barbecued turkey, which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows my dad. Let me just tell you that barbecued turkey is awesome. Such an amazing and distinct smoky flavor...Oh man, I'm starting to crave it as I'm typing this!! We will be taking some left overs home with us, that's for sure! Only 365 days until our next Thanksgiving, can't wait :)


After everyone had left, my parents surprised us with our Christmas gift. We opened it tonight since we won't be back to Washington for a while. It was the perfect end to an awesome day.... They bought us a full sized leg lamp (comes up to my shoulders) for our front room window!! Haha now some may think this is a joke, but I take it very seriously. I have wanted a leg lamp for many, many years, and was debating whether or not to steal the one my parents own. No need for that now! The classic movie "A Christmas Story" is a huge deal in my family. I even made the pink bunny suit for my little brother for Christmas one year, and asked Santa for an ''Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!'' Yeah, we love that movie. So now if any of you want to see a real sight, just drive by our apartment in Utah! I have a feeling not many houses there put a sexy leg lamp in their front windows... That won't ever stop me :)
Carmie Creech

"Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window." Ralphie Parker

Cake Bites

So for the past few days I have been trying to be really, really, really creative and fun with recipes. I got on this crazy kick and made caramels, whoopie pies, and cake balls. The results have been nothing but delicious! I loved the cake balls so much that I decided to make them super cute and give them as fun little gifts :) I bought little Christmas tins for only a dollar at WalMart, some small cupcake tins, and cake mix and I was on my way to kitchen to start baking. This recipe is a little time consuming, but I feel it's totally worth it! I ended up going with Yellow cake mix, cream cheese frosting, and milk chocolate coating...and with cream cheese icing to make little designs on the dark chocolate surface. In my opinion, I couldn't be happier with how they turned out! I would definitely recommend making these, they're fun and great little gifts. Enjoy!!


Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) box cake mix (your flavor choice)
1 (16 ounce) container prepared frosting (again...your choice)
1 (3 ounce) bar chocolate flavored confectioners coating (chocolate bark)
1 tsp shortening
**NOTE** the confectioners coating can be anything you want to dip the cake balls in...any kind of chocolate chips, Andes mints, bakers dipping chocolate, or bark.

1. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using the 9x13 inch pan size. When cake is done, crumble into tiny pieces while warm into a large bowl.
2. Stir in a little more than HALF of the frosting until well blended.
3. Use a melon baller or small scoop to form bite size balls of the chocolate cake mixture. (I used a tablespoon and scraped it up the side of the bowl to form a dome instead of a ball). Place onto waxed paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
4.  Freeze for an hour or two (or til solid).
5. Once solid, melt chocolate coating with shortening in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth.
6. Dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper on a COLD cookie sheet to set. Decorate :)

Baked Ziti

This baked ziti recipe uses a blend of three cheeses to make it gooey and absolutely delicious. It is easy to make, but tastes like it took hours of slaving in the kitchen. This was the very first pasta dish I made for Casey, back when we were just dating. It turned out well then, and it's never let me down since!!

Ingredients
1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped (optional)
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
4. Layer ingredients in the dish as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. I love this dish with Caesar Salad and crunchy french bread!

Baked Apples

I just made this tonight for the very first time...And WOW, so delicious!! I was craving oatmeal, and ice cream and then somehow I landed on baked apples. Funny how the mind works, huh? You have to try this recipe. It's so gooooood and super easy to make! Hope you enjoy it as much as Casey and I did :)


Baked Apples (serves 4)
4 large Golden Delicious apples
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup instant oatmeal mix (I used cinnamon oatmeal)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/8 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup apple cider
1 pint vanilla ice cream

1. Carefully peel each apple entirely. Cut the 1/2 inch of the apple off (to make a lid).
2. Remove the cores, taking care not to pierce through the bottom of the apple. Make a nice wide core, so there is plenty of room for the filling :)
3. Soak each apple and their lids in lemon juice for 30 seconds.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
5. Mix next 7 ingredients together and over-stuff each apple, pack filling tightly to fit even more. Place lid on top.
6. Place apples in an 8x8 baking dish and pour apple cider in bottom of dish.
7. Bake for 25 minutes.
8. Put each apple in a bowl with a large scoop of ice cream.
9. Drizzle a couple spoonfuls of the baked apple cider juice on top of each apple.
10. Enjoy!!

Carmie Creech

Creech Tradition

For the Creech family, the first Saturday in November is always the same. Casey says that it has been a tradition for many, many years...he remembers hearing stories from his grandfather's childhood about this very day. What is it you ask? It's the Creech Family Annual Pheasant Hunt. Every year the men go a huntin' while the women stay home and make tons of delicious food! I wasn't sure just how big a tradition this was until the morning of the hunt. Every man was up and gone by 8 am, guns in hand, and dressed all in camouflage. They all piled into their trucks and were off to the fields all day long. They ended up shooting 3 pheasants, one with its wing blown completely off! It was a very fun day, with good people and great food. Next November I'll know what to expect :)

Carmie Creech

From back left: Casey, Earl, Joe, Dyson, McKoy, Jason, Colton,
Cassidy, Justin, Nick.   From front left: Payton, Dylan, Drex, Ryan

Hey All!

Hey all, Carmyn here! 
    Well everyone keeps asking me how things are going and what I've been up to lately, and since I don't have time to answer everyone individually... I figured starting a blog would be the perfect answer! I always seem to have plenty to say anyways, so what the heck right?
    I guess this blog won't just be news though, I plan on throwing in some crazy recipes here and there that I create and force Casey to test out... Plenty o' pictures of our many wacky shenanigans. And of course anything I like or just find funny!! I mean you guys all know me, you should expect some weird things! But I'm new to the whole "blog scene" so I'm really not sure how exactly this will all turn out :) Wish me luck!
     I also encourage you guys to leave comments on posts if you'd like! It'll keep things fun. And as far as the recipes go.... I'm only posting ones that turned out super tasty so don't be worried too much. But still feel free to leave feedback if you're brave enough to try them out. Mwahahahaha... Just kidding :)

Thanks all! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do, and welcome to Creecher Corner!
Carmie Creech

Crepes with Cream Cheese Filling

This recipe I absolutely LOVE, and so does Casey. And it's surprisingly simple to make! I was able to make it perfectly the first time, without any crepe-making experience...and for those who know me well, that's really saying something!! Here we go.


Crepes (serves 4)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. As you pour the batter, tilt the pan in a slight circular motion so that the batter evenly coats the pan's surface.
3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, flip and cook the other side for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Set flat onto a plate.

Cream Cheese Filling
One 8 oz. package of cream cheese (softened in microwave for 20 seconds)
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk (I love the extra large brown eggs)
1 tsp. almond or vanilla extract

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl with either a whisk or a beater on low speed, until smooth.
2. Scoop about a spoonful or so of filling onto each crepe as they come off the stove. Spread evenly and roll up the crepe. 
3. As a lovely finish, I usually sprinkle each finished crepe with a little lemon juice, a drizzle of melted chocolate and some powdered sugar. Voilà!!

Carmie Creech