COURTNEYSUNSHINE Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1)

Flavorful Flounder

Reviewed: Feb. 3, 2012

I made this exactly as the recipes states, but we did not care for it at all. The mayonnaise really overpowered the flavor of the fish and the parmesan and the mayonnaise just didn't seem to go together. We usually like something added to our fish to give it a little flavor, but this was too much. Sorry.

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Bean and Honey Burrito Casserole

Reviewed: Feb. 3, 2012

Absolutely fabulous! The taste was surperb and a pleasant change from the usual Mexican casserole. I only had to make a few changes based on ingredients I had on hand. I used quinoa, as another reviewer mentioned, because I had some that needed to be used up. I ran out of yellow mustard so have of the mustard was Dijon. I also ran out of regular honey so used some key lime honey we had. None of the changes really altered the texture or flavor much from the original. Definitely a keeper. Tasted even better the next day. The family loved it and went back for seconds. Thanks for the wonderfull recipe!

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Red, White, and Blue Fruit Smoothie

Reviewed: Feb. 3, 2012

This was absolutely amazing! It replaces our favorite smoothie recipe from Disney we had been using for years. I did have to make two minor alterations based on what I had on hand. Our fruit was fresh so I added more ice cubes than what was called for in the recipe. Also, we had blueberry/pomegrante yogurt instead of vanilla. I couldn't tell much of a difference in taste as the flavor of the vanilla extract is what really comes through. To me it tasted similar to cotton candy, without being too sweet and without all the extra sugar. Thanks for the awesome recipe!

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Brazilian Fish Stew

Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2011

This turned out really good for us. It was easy to make and made a lot. The only problem for us was that it seemed very rich so a little went a long way. Still it is a good recipe and a great one for someone who might not like fish very much.

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Shannon's Smoky Macaroni and Cheese

Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2011

I wish I had remembered the note in the reviews to use half the cayenne. I forgot and used a whole teaspoon. Way, way too much! I think for next time I would leave it out completely. Otherwise this is a relatively easy dish to make.....and it makes a lot! Our family of three ate it for four days as a main dish. I had all the cheeses on hand, but I do think it would work with other cheeses. The smoked Gouda does leave a nice smoky taste. Overall a really great twist on mac and cheese and a definite keeper for us. Thanks for the recipe!

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Blackened Tilapia with Secret Hobo Spices

Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2011

Wow! Fantastic! I loved the mixture of spices. Our family doesn't always care for super spicy things so I cut the cayenne in half and the temperature was just right for us. I also didn't have any fresh lemon so I left that off. Otherwise everything was the same as the recipe. Super easy and very quick to make. We are always looking for recipes for fish and this is a definite keeper. Thanks!!

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2 users found this review helpful

Marinated Orange Roughy

Reviewed: Mar. 4, 2011

I was excited to try this recipe, but unfortunaely very disappointed with the results. I followed it exactly as written, however, I left off the sesame seeds at the end. The marinade gave the fish a very strange taste. Our family couldn't eat it. The orange roughy itself tasted fine so I know it wasn't the fish. Just a very odd, unpleasant taste. Sorry.

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Pumpkin Fritters

Reviewed: Mar. 31, 2009

Fabulous recipe! I made these to pair with an Epcot Food & Wine recipe for Durban-spiced Chicken with Spicy Honey-Mustard Sauce. The fritters were a perfect match. Very tasty and very easy to make. I did fry them in olive oil instead of vegetable oil, but left the rest of the recipe the same as written. I drained them on paper towels before serving which soaked up a lot of the oil. Also, by making them small and having the oil at the correct temperature, they don't absorb a lot of oil. The addition of the curry is wonderful giving the fritters a nice taste without them being overpowering. Will definitely make these again. Thanks for the keeper recipe!

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7 users found this review helpful

Irish Champ

Reviewed: Mar. 17, 2009

Wonderful recipe! We've been making the Guinness Corned Beef recipe from this site for years and finally decided to add a different side to it besides carrots and boiled potatoes. I followed the recipe exactly as given and it was perfect. We added just one bunch of green onion as the recipe calls for and didn't think it was too much at all. After reading the previous reviews I was wondering if others had added the whole rubber band wrapped amount sold in the grocery store instead. I think if I had added that much it would be way too much. I did add some green food coloring for St. Patrick's Day as someone else suggested and it added a nice touch and added some great color to the plates. Thanks for the keeper recipe!

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Fabulous Fried Cabbage

Reviewed: Mar. 17, 2009

This was my first time making cabbage other than slaw and this recipe was pretty good. I did make some changes that were recommended by previous reviewers. I halved the amount of broth, sauteed some onion first before adding the broth, added a little natural bacon & the bacon drippings, and added a little natural sugar. I think next time I would leave out the broth completely and saute the cabbage in a little olive oil. Without the sugar and the bacon, I think the cabbage would have been a little bland. Otherwise this is a pretty good recipe and a good way for those not familiar with cabbage to be introduced to it as a side dish.

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Spicy Orange Beef

Reviewed: Feb. 12, 2009

I'm sorry, but I just did not care for this recipe as it is written. It is very quick to make, but following the recipe, there was hardly any orange taste. I left out the red pepper flakes because my family doesn't care for anything too spicy, but I added everything else exactly as written. I had to add almost 3/4-1 cup of orange juice to the beef/sauce mixture to taste any orange flavoring. Definitely not what were are used to having at the local Chinese restaurants. We paired this recipe with one of the authetic egg roll recipes on this site in order to get our veggies in because there are none in this recipe. Some broccoli on the side would have been good with it. Unfortunately, we were so unimpressed that we won't be making it again to see.

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Black Bean and Salsa Soup

Reviewed: Feb. 10, 2009

Thank you for the wonderful recipe!! I followed the recipe as closely as I could based on what I had on hand. I followed one of the other reviewers suggestion of blending only one can of soup and then adding the other and it gave a very nice texture to the soup. I also added al fresco sweet red pepper chicken sausage cut up and a bit of shredded four cheese Mexican blend cheese. The sausage added a little kick to the soup and the cheese made it a little creamier. Absolutely wonderful and amazingly quick. Mixed with a fresh garden salad and you have a complete meal.

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Crab Tuna Souffle

Reviewed: Jan. 13, 2009

I was truly disappointed in this recipe. It isn't the most inexpensive recipe around with the addition of crab meat, and after having spent the extra money on the crab and then the souffle being inedible, it was a major disappointment. I followed the recipe exactly as it is written. DH and DD love seafood, but even they didn't care for this. The crab paired with the tuna was just way to fishy tasting. I used solid white albacore for the tuna so the fishy taste didn't come from the tuna. I also used a premium brand of crab meat so I think it was just having the two together made it just too overpowering. It tasted more like eggs with fish sauce all over them. I really wanted to like this recipe, but we'll never make this again. Sorry.

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Curried Coconut Chicken

Reviewed: Nov. 16, 2008

This was surprisingly great. I'm not usually a fan of curry, but DH has been requesting more Thai-like recipes so I thought the pairing of coconut milk and curry would satisfy him. The recipe is very easy to make. I didn't have to alter a thing and it came out great. Even my 11 year old liked it. We paired it with brown rice and it was a perfect meal. Thank you for the keeper recipe!!

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The Best Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Reviewed: Nov. 16, 2008

These were absolutely wonderful! My 11 yr. old daughter helped make them so it is pretty easy to make and kid-friendly. We did have to make sure they weren't larger than golf-ball sized. Those that were larger fell apart. The sauce is superb and paired with brown rice and a green veggie it is perfect. DH is pretty picky and he asked to have these again. Thank you for the keeper recipe!

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5 users found this review helpful

Creamy Spinach Tortellini

Reviewed: Oct. 18, 2008

Wonderful recipe! Super quick and easy. I doubled the recipe so there would be enough sauce for the pasta. I used dry tortellini and raviolini from Sam's instead of fresh, baby portabellas for the mushrooms, regular cream cheese, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and skim milk. It didn't taste too rich for us and made a perfect main meal. It seemed like we had a lot more spinach than what was shown in the picture, but it was still wonderful. I love the addition of the cherry tomatoes. They give a nice fresh, sharp taste that cuts the creaminess of the sauce. Thanks for the keeper recipe!

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Marinated Grilled Shrimp

Reviewed: Oct. 18, 2008

Very quick and easy recipe. I've made it a few times now and it always comes out perfect. We use large shrimp and leave out the cayenne. In order to save time we also just broil the shrimp instead of grilling on the outdoor grill. Wonderful paired with rice with pineapple juice mixed in and a green veggie. Thanks for the keeper recipe!

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Black Russian Cake I

Reviewed: Oct. 18, 2008

This is a wonderful cake, but next time I will leave out the vodka completely. Way too strong with the amount listed in the ingredients. I felt like I was drinking a shot of vodka instead of eating cake. Otherwise, without the vodka, this cake is delicious. Very moist and tasty. I couldn't really taste the coffee liquor because of the overpowering taste of the vodka, but I wouldn't increase the amount of the liquor, only omit the vodka as stated before. I did check after the stated cooking time and the middle wasn't finished so overall I did have to go for 55-60 minutes as others have said. At that point, though, it was perfect. I also left off the glaze since I felt the glaze would be too strong for my daughter to have.

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Apple Breakfast Bread

Reviewed: Sep. 22, 2008

I found this recipe while doing a search for a quick breakfast with ingredients I had on hand. I was very surprised at how wonderful it was. Preparation was very quick and easy. I was a little nervous right before putting the apple in because the dough was seemed too dry. Once I added the apples, I didn't think they had mixed very well because of the dryness of the dough, but everything worked perfect. The addition of the apples made the bread very moist and tasty. I did double the amount of cinnamon and cloves so it was very flavorful, but using the amount stated in the original recipe would probably be fine as well. I also had to bake it for an additional 20 minutes, but that could be a result of the oven I was using. Thanks for the great keeper recipe!

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Marie's Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Reviewed: Feb. 5, 2008

Super easy & very tasty. I added parsnips and used unpeeled Fingerling potatoes I had on hand. I didn't add salt or pepper since there was plenty in the onion soup mix. The only thing I would change is to remove the visible fat from the roast before cooking. The roast I used was only 2.5lbs, but there was a ton of fat. Easily skimmed off the top, but next time I remove it before placing it in the slow cooker.

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3 users found this review helpful