Why use canned when you can have fresh?

I have never made my own pureed pumpkin before but thought I would give it a try this year thanks to some encouragement from one of my husbands friends and oh the free pumpkins from his work didn't hurt either. :)

1. Split the pumpkins in half and scrape out the seeds/pulp.
2. On a rimmed cookie sheet, pour a half cup of water and put the pumpkins cut side down.

3. Roast at 350 for 45-60 minutes, until soft.
4. When cool enough to handle, I scoop the flesh out of the pumpkin.
You can run it through a food mill so that any seeds, skin or pulp that are missed get strained out when pureed, or alternately use a potato masher, blender, food processor, etc.

Freezing the puree guarantees you have pumpkin to cook with year round instead of hunting around for the canned stuff in the off season at your local grocery store.

Whole chicken in a crock pot

This is a GREAT way to save time and money on chicken.
Buying a whole chicken can be much cheaper then buying it piece by piece and you can have fresh chicken broth when you're done!

I got this from The Happy Housewife's blog and so I encourage you to follow the link on over there!
Whole Chicken in a Crock pot.

Turkey Chili

This one comes from the cookbook "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld (yes she's married to THAT Seinfeld) :)


Prep 15 minutes Total 35 minutes Serves 8
**I doubled this one though so it took a little longer to cook**

Nonstick cooking spray
1 Tbs Olive oil
1/2 C chopped red onion
1 lb lean ground turkey
2 cloves of garlic, minced (I used my grater plater for this one!)
1 Tbs chili powder, or to taste
1 tsp salt
1/4 sp sweet paprika
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (15 oz) can chopped tomatoes
1 (26 oz) carton of reduced fat low sodium chicken broth (I used my vegetarian/organic bouillon chicken cubes for this one)
1/2 C red pepper puree (this is one of her "trick" veggie slip ins since I didn't have this I used red pepper instead to spice it up a bit, only about 1 tsp.)
1/2 C carrot puree (another one of her "truck" veggie slip ins that I just did right there while cooking.)
1/4 C cornmeal
2 Tbs flaxseed meal (I could NOT for the life of me find this so we skipped it)
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Coat the bottom of a large pot with cooking spray and set over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the oil. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile sprinkle the turkey with the garlic, chili powder, salt, paprika and pepper. Add the turkey to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is no longer pink.

Stir in the tomatoes. Add the broth, red pepper puree, carrot puree, cornmeal, and flaxseed meal, stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered. 15-20 minutes, or until the flavors have blended. Stir in the beans and cook a little longer, just to heat them through and to help thicken.

mexi deli rolls revisited

Mexi deli rolls were something my mom used to make as a quick lunch/dinner idea that was fast and very filling when I was kid.
However this time around in making them I didn't have the exact ingredients she had so I improvised a bit.

Mexi Deli rolls

1 package of Flour tortillas (on average we have 1-2 rolls per person depending on the age here so my family usually uses 10 tortillas)
Sliced deli ham
Sliced turkey smoked or regular will do
guacamole (we didn't have this so we used sliced avocado and I liked it better!)
sour cream
shredded iceberg lettuce (I only had romaine so I used 1 leaf per roll)
shredded mexican or shredded cheddar cheese
toothpicks

I spread a little bit of sour cream and guacamole on the tortilla maybe about a 1/2 Tbs but you can do this to taste. Then lay slices of ham and turkey usually about 2 each and finally put some cheese and lettuce on top of that to taste I do about a little less then a 1/4 or so.
Last but not least roll tightly without splitting the tortilla and use a toothpick to hold together if necessary.
Can be served with chips and salsa.

Sweet yam and pumpkin puff

This was originally a recipe I got from the magazine ParentLife in the Taste of Life section titled "Eat What You Love; yummy fall recipes low in sugar, fat and calories"
But I tweaked it so I could use what I had on hand and so now it's no longer low fat or low in calories but still yummy! :)

Sweet Potato Puff (original title)
Ingredients :

2 lbs dark sweet potatoes or yams (2 cups mashed)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree or fresh if you like
1 large egg
3 large egg whites (this is where I fudged it and just used 3 regular eggs instead of the separate egg ingredients)
1/2 c. light sour cream
2/3 c. splenda or other low calorie sweetener (I used organic sugar instead)
1 Tbs margarine or butter, melted
3/4 tsp. cinnamon (I used 1 tsp because I like to lay on the seasoning)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (oops I forgot to add this)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. chopped pecans (I used almond slices because it was what I had and I don't like pecans much.)

Directions :
Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and place in microwave. Cook on high for 10 minutes or until the flesh is soft.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Coat a 2 quart casserole or souffle dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Cut the sweet potatoes or yams in half and scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except the nuts, and beat until smooth. I put my mix in my kitchenaid mixer unit and had it on a number 4 for about 8 minutes or however long it takes me to fold a load of laundry. ;)
Spoon into the casserole dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle the top with nuts.
Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the center slightly puffs.

Thank you to Marlene Koch and her book Eat What YOU love.

Cooking for 2.....ok it's more then that now.

Wow has it really been since June that I last posted? Wow I am SO sorry! *insert blushing face here*
Life has really gotten away from me and so has my goal of cooking well for my family.
I really want to cook I do, I'm just so rotten at it and not to mention a major procrastinator too.

Early this fall we found out that we are being blessed with another little one come spring and so cooking has taken a back seat or rather far far away vacation from my mind.
Don't get me wrong I LOVE to eat! I just don't like having to prepare it so much anymore....though I still love baking...hmmm

Today's recipe is nothing fancy really, just something I threw together for my son's birthday.

1 box of white cake mix (and coordinating ingredients to make such cake)
orange food coloring or red and yellow to create an orange colored batter (color to taste, in our case it was hunters, fluorescent orange!)
Tub of orange frosting (handy this time of year being October, but if not availiable just color white frosting orange in a bowl.)
Colored frosting for whatever design you are making, I got black and yellow as I am making the bat signal on this cake.

My son loves the color orange and camouflage but since camo is hard for me right now to do on a budget I stuck with orange and am using his Lego batman figurines as cake toppers! Yes I made sure to disinfect them before placing them on the cake.

Prepare cake according to package instructions, cool then frost with orange frosting.
Since I am doing a bat signal on this cake I printed out some batman coloring sheets
for inspiration, you can use them as templates if you trace the design on wax paper and then cut it out like a regular stencil. But make sure your frosting has set and hardened before you do this otherwise you will have frosting all over the stencil and a choppy looking top to your cake! :)

To train up a child....in cooking that is!

Inspired by a recent visit to the In laws house my daughter really wanted to cook today.
We had already planned to do food lessons all summer long now that school was out but we started earlier then planned now.
So thank you cousin J for your inspiration and the yummy chocolate chip cookies!
Oh and did I mention cousin J is a lovely 10 yr old girl! :)

G (my 9 yr old) has made food without adult help in the past, nothing elaborate just your basic Kraft Man n' Cheese though I now prefer to give them the Annie's Homegrown brand only because it's all organic and much healthier then the other types.
She can also scramble up a mean egg and has started on pancakes though those still need some work.

Today however she made brownies for us, granted they are not from scratch just the boxed kind but she did it alone and got everything assembled and put together without mom reminding her what goes where.
She got a quick lesson in being careful while leaning over to put a pan in a hot oven (ouch moment!) no burns just a bit of warmth. I believe every kid needs to learn this lesson, maybe not completely the "hard way" but enough that they know not to reach willy nilly into a hot oven!
Right now the delicious smell of double chocolate funfetti brownies is wafting through the house as we anxiously await a bit of their gooey goodness!
Here's hoping she remembers how and when take them out when the buzzer goes off!

Sloppys Joes night!

I make my sloppy joes with ground turkey and they still taste alright to me! Normally I admit I cheat and use Manwich
But today since I did not have that and wanted an even healthier alternative I started experimenting with what I had! :)

2 lbs lean ground turkey
2 T dried onion flakes
4-6 T Worcestershire sauce (I do this to taste mainly)
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 c ketchup
2 tsp dried ground garlic
1 package of thinwiches or sara lee hamburger thins

Brown turkey with onion, then add other ingredients save for the buns.
Let sit for a few minutes to sauce to thicken and serve on buns.

In a pinch if you forget....

Soooooo while meal planning, totally blanked that don't have any BBQ sauce!
So here's a handy dandy recipe for some!

Yummy BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup Ketchup
1 Small onion chopped
1/4 cup White Vinegar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 TBSP Butter
2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
2 TBSP Mustard
2 TBSP Molasses
1 Garlic clove minced
Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)



Directions
Start with butter in sauce pan then add onions. Let them cook just a few minutes until a little soft. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Let simmer for about 15 minutes to thicken.

Number of Servings: 24

Low fat and still yummy!

This one is thanks to spark people's recipe book, pulled chicken BBQ sandwiches made easy!

Ingredients

* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* A dash of salt and pepper
* 14 Tbsp (about a half bottle) KC Masterpiece Low Calorie Classic Blend BBQ Sauce
* 6 whole wheat hamburger buns



Directions
Place chicken breasts, along with salt and pepper to taste, in a large pot of water and boil until fully cooked through. (Time will vary depending on whether you are using fresh or frozen chicken.)


Once the chicken is cooked, use a fork to pull the meat apart so it is thickly shredded. (Shredding too finely will cause the sandwich to become mushy once sauce is added.) Place pulled chicken in a large bowl.


Add a half bottle (approx. 7 servings worth, or about 14 tbsp.) of BBQ sauce. Toss until chicken is coated.


Distribute chicken evenly onto buns. You may choose to toast the buns first, or add toppings like lettuce or red onion to the mixture, or spread a small amount of the sauce right onto the bun before assembling. This delicious alternative to the classic bbq sandwich will be a hit any way you serve it!


Makes about 6 sandwiches

crock pot casseroles

I am a huge fan of crock pots, this weekend I used mine yet again to make a chicken and black bean casserole of sorts.
Instead of cutting up the chicken though I laid the half breast pieces flat on the bottom of the crock pot and piled everything else on top of them.

Ingredients

1 can organic black beans
1 cup of frozen organic sweet corn
2 cups of dry long grain white rice
4 chicken breasts (1/2 pieces from Foster Farms all natural packs) ** you can shred or cut up to mix, I left mine whole**
1 cup of medium salsa (I used Herdez salsa)
2 cups of water or chicken broth for rice

Place chicken in crock pot if left whole, otherwise just layer in with rice, beans and veggies lasagna style.
Since I left my chicken whole I put it in first, then the rice with liquid to moisten, black beans, corn and then topped it all with the salsa.
Set crock pot on low for 10-12 hrs or high for 4-6 hrs.
When rice is soft mix all together.

Lamb chops play along!

Ok so the title MIGHT be a little sick sounding to those of you who remember the show.....especially since this is about how to cook a lamb chop! ha ha ha

Herb and Garlic Lamb chop

Ingredients

1 4-ounce lamb chop
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove of garlic, mashed



Directions
Preheat a grill or broiler to high.

Rub the olive oil over the entire lamb chop.

Mix the rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic and rub over the chop.

Grill, turning once, until personal level of doneness is achieved, 10-15 minutes.

Number of Servings: 1

Charoset for the seder

I got this recipe from Spark people.com but have tweaked it a little bit to fit with what I have handy.
Though tasty it is a little muddy looking which is the point! Charoset is supposed to represent the mud/straw mixture that the Israelites used to make bricks or mortar for the buildings they had to make as slaves for Pharaoh.

Ingredients

6 apples, unpeeled
2 cup ground walnuts (I will use almonds as I'm allergic to walnuts)
2 teaspoon cinnamon
Passover wine to moisten (I will use juice instead since we don't drink)
Honey to taste



Directions
Chop apples (do not peel).

Grind walnuts in food processor to make powdery substance.

Combine apples and nuts in bowl and stir in wine. Add enough wine so that the nuts create an almost paste. Add honey to sweeten.

Chill for at least 2 hours. Add more wine and/or honey as necessary.


Number of Servings: 16

Passover Seder

When I was younger my girls group Missionettes used to observe passover somewhat.
Being a Protestant church there wasn't a heavy emphasis on it but because we studied the old testament women we did talk about some of the festivals that they celebrated as well.
The other day I realized my kids didn't know what passover really was, they had no idea that Jews today and some Christians still celebrated the release of God's people from Egypt or how today as a remembrance of Jesus's last supper.
So today and tomorrow I plan on making a few dishes that reflect on passover and hope to teach my children a little bible history through taste and story.

Unleavened Bread for Lord's Supper or Passover

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Flour, 4 cups
Cilantro, 2 heaping teaspoons
Salt, 1 level teaspoon
Canola Oil, 3/4 cup
Water, 3/4 cup



Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a cookie sheet.

Chop fine or crush the cilantro and then mix it with the salt. Add this to the flour.

Add the oil to the flour and mix well.

Pour the water into the flour mixture and knead lightly. It will be ready when the dough is no longer sticky. Add extra water 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is too dry.

Use a rolling pin to roll the unleavened bread dough out on a lightly-floured surface. Flatten the dough to about ½ inch in thickness. Try to make the shape as close as possible to the shape of the pre-greased cookie sheet.

Put the dough on the cookie sheet and cut into triangles or squares. Bake the unleavened bread for 15 to 20 minutes. It will be dry in consistency like a cracker.

Makes around 36 cracker size pieces. Serving size is one cracker.


Number of Servings: 36

Birthday fun

The 19th was our little one's first birthday so I made a special cake for the occasion.
Nothing special I admit I used a boxed cake recipe the Springtime Funfetti one by Pillsbury.
But what made it special was the Wiltons cake pan that I used, the ballerina bear to be exact.
Then I piped frosting onto the cake to decorate the raised design as well.

Ingredients

Recipe for 2 layer cake or 2 boxes of cake mix (be prepared to have a cookie sheet underneath to catch drippings)
1 can of frosting (about 12-16 oz)
2 bottles of wiltons canned decorator frosting (the kind int he aerosol can w/decorator tips included) I had a pink and a white one
food coloring or however bottle of mini gel frosting for drawing the face features.
Shortening and flour to grease the pan
1 wiltons cake pan!

Grease the pan with shortening leaving no shiny spots behind then dust with flour, make cake according to package directions and pour into pan.
Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
When done baking take pan out and set on cooling rack for 15-20 minutes to cool.
Remove cake according to the directions in the wiltons pan booklet (this comes with the pan)

Let cool for another 30 minutes once set right side up.
Frost the sides of cake with a solid color, then take the star tip of your icing decorators and ice in the design according to the pattern directions.
I took 2 days to do this so that the frosting had time to set in between colors so they would not run together or smear.

Penne leftovers casserole!

I love leftovers, because it means mama gets a night off from cooking! But sometimes leftovers can be tedious or if you didn't like it much the first time torture!
So this week rather then have spaghetti again or tacos again...I mixed up some of my leftovers with new friends and we had a pretty good casserole!

1 cup leftover spaghetti sauce (with ground beef)
2 cups Prego heart healthy spaghetti sauce
1 lb lean ground beef
8 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 red onion chopped
1/2 clove garlic minced (or you can use garlic powder)
Penne Pasta about 6 servings worth

I reheated the spaghetti/meat sauce mix on the stove top and added in more sauce and 1 lb of lean ground beef (cooked and drained)
Once that started bubbling I added in the onion and garlic for more of a robust flavor.
Boil pasta according to package directions.
Layer meat sauce mix, noodles, mozzarella, ricotta cheese in 9x13 glass baking pan; I did this twice then I topped it all with about a 1/4 c of monterey jack cheese as that was all I had! :)
Bake in 350 degree oven until cheese is melted and warmed all the way through.

Care Bears for the Mare Bear!

This week is a big week in our household, our youngest is turning 1!
I really like to make special cakes for my family members birthdays and it's always a fun challenge to figure out what to do and how to execute the plan.
Sometimes they're great and sometimes I'm just thankful my kids are excited I can make anything be it great or not so great looking. :)

Currently I am toying with 2 different ideas for my daughters cake, either a castle using one of those castle kits from the craft store or just going from scratch and drawing and creating a template on my own.

Today's adventure led me to some Care bear cakes as our litte ones nickname is Mare Bear.

So here is a recipe for buttercream frosting as I will need to make a lot of this for the cake!



Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
* 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
* 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
* 2 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups of icing.


instructions
(Medium Consistency)

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.
NOTE: Changes in Wilton's traditional recipes have been made due to Trans Fat Free Shortening replacing Hydrogenated Shortening.

Pork chops and friends

Toinght is a dash and go meal as my husband and oldest daughter have a special event at church.
So we're having pork chops seasoned with Kirklands organic no salt seasoning (I love the smell of this stuff!) fried potatoes, some croissants and a salad!
Today's recipe that you see out of this mix though will be the fried potatos.
My mom used to make these when I was growing up and I always got excited because they were so good! She would fry them up in vegetable oil with some onions and Mmmmnnnnmmm!
I make mine a little differently now thanks to the influence of my mother in law but the basic concept is the same, take some potatoes chop them up into pieces and fry away!

4 large russett potatos
1 gallon size ziploc bag
salt or seasoning of choice
1 onion sliced or chopped whichever you prefer
2 Tbs vegetable oil (or for a healthy alternative cooking spray)

Chop potatoes up into bit size chunks (my mother did them in a triangular style shape) Place into ziploc bag with 1 Tbs water. Heat in microwafe for 3-4 minutes, let sit for 10 min in microwave to the potatoes have a chance to be "steamed"
Heat oil in pan, toss the taters in and fry them up until browned, add the onion about halfway through for flavor.

Soda anyone?

Here's another "Irish" favorite, don't know how true this is to the Isle original but I'm sure it's good!

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

* 4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 eggs
* 1 pint sour cream
* 1 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, sour cream and raisins and mix until just combined. Distribute batter evenly between the two pans.
3. Bake loaves at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour.

March madness!

Wow, talk about a break form the blogsphere! Really I have been cooking for my family and I have wanted to come back and share about it but time just keeps getting away from me and life insists on popping up over and over again! :)

Well it's March now and so this year I am hopping on the St. Patricks day bandwagon and plan to make themed dished in honor of it.
In our house we remember who St. Patrick is with a little help from Veggie Tales and Focus on the Family.
No pub hopping for us, never really was into that scene anyways so we're not missing much.

Today's meal is the centerpiece for St. Patty's day meals. It will be a first time go of it for me so I picked a slow cooker version to make that seemed simple and had no major frills about it.

Corned Beef and Cabbage


Ingredients

* 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
* 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
* 1 pound baby carrots
* 3 cups water
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1 (3 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet, cut in half
* 1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Place the onion, potatoes and carrots in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet; pour over vegetables. Top with brisket and cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Tater Tot casserole, revisited and revised!

So today around 4pm I realized oh no I forgot to defrost meat for dinner!
Then I remembered I had this HUGE package of ground beef in my fridge from my costco trip the other day. Hooray!
Well back to it being 4pm, still didn't have much of a dinner plan so I thought what the hey tater to casserole!
Too bad I didn't quite have all of the ingredients needed so I improvised some.... hope it works out! ha ha ha

1.25 lbs ground beef
salt and pepper to season
Kirkland signature, organic no salt seasoning
1 can cream of celery
1/2 can of milk
1 12 oz jar of turkey gravy
1 C of frozen peas
1 C of frozen corn
1 C shredded cheese
1 28 oz bag of frozen tater tots

Fry up the ground beef (I seasoned the meat with Nortons Salt & Pepper seasoning) drain off fat and layer in bottom of 9x13" glass pan.
Shake organic seasoning over top of layered meat, about 4-6 shakes worth.
Spread peas and corn over meat, then pour cream of celery, then gravy, then milk over top of that.
Cover with tater tots and then top that all with the cheese.

mmmmmmnnnnn, tacos

So I hope to make some tacos for the family this week and wanted to make my own shells!
How many of you have tried buying ready made corn shells only to open the box and find a 1/3 of them broken to bits!?! Annoying right?
So here is a simple way to do it yourself.
How to fry up your own shells at home

As for my meat, I will most likely fry it up in some taco seasoning (which we buy in bulk at Costco) and maybe some chopped onion as well.
I use romaine for lettuce around here and just chop it up finely as romaine has better nutrients in it then regular iceberg which is just a filler food with no good value to it at all.

Marinating in thoughts.....

A lot has been going on around here lately and it has me thinking about marinating for cooking juicier meats.
This evening we had pork chops that I had marinated (unintentionally) for a day and a half.
I kind of threw this sauce together by the skin of my teeth but it came out pretty good!

1/2 C low sodium soy sauce
2 C chicken broth
2 shakes of lemon/pepper seasoning
4 shakes of cumin
4 shakes of curry
3 shakes of dried parsley

I made sure the liquid covered all of the chops and also flipped the bag once in the morning after it being in all night and then again the next night so it had an even "swim" time. :)

Then I baked the chops for an hour at 325 degrees Fahrenheit and then finished it off at 350 degrees until the temp reached 130 degrees.

Creamy Fettucini Alfredo

Ok so no cute names for this one, but it sure is good tasting!

Creamy Fettucini Alfredo

1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed
3/4 C (3 oz) grated parmesan cheese
1/2 C margarine
1/2 C milk
8 oz fettucini, cooked, drained

I am also adding steamed broccoli to this one for my sake, and maybe some chicken for my husband and kids.
Also I am using low to non fat cheeses.

In large saucepan, combine cream cheese, parmesan and margarine and milk.
Stir over low heat until smooth.
Add fettucini; toss lightly.

4 servings

Chicken Stir (crazy) Fry

I have to admit I'm going a bit stir crazy around here, don't know why but I am!
Maybe it's all the sun we've been having, one day it's spring outside and the next you remember it's still February....oh well.

I've been a bit lax on the blog lately and I apologize for that. We have been eating at home, well ok one day we had KFC but at least it was grilled chicken!

Chicken Stir-Fry


You MUST use the sesame oil in order to attain the flavor that really makes this dish. You will find it in the Oriental section of the supermarket. It does not need refrigeration after it is opened. The meat from chicken thighs is excellent in this recipe. Breast meat tends to become dry if cooking in not precise. Some supermarkets sell thighs deboned, which speeds up the preparation time.

1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, skinned and boned (1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
4 drops Louisiana or Durkee's hot sauce
2 Tbs canola oil
1 C diced zucchini or broccoli flowerets
1 C diced celery
1 C diced fresh mushrooms (I will probably leave this out due to the muchroomaphobes in my house.)
1 tsp cornstarch
pre cooked rice

Cut chicken into strips or bite sized squares, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, garlic and hot sauce. (This mixture is the marinade for the chicken)
Place chicken into marinade and let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Heat the canola oil in a wok or large skillet and stir fry the zucchini (or broccoli), celery, and mushrooms until tender-crisp.
Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon to a warm platter.
Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade.
Stir the cornstarch into the reserved marinade and set aside while you cook the chicken.
Add the chicken to the wok and stir fry over medium heat until cooked through, stirring and flipping the pieces to separate them.
Add the marinade-cornstarch mixture to the wok along with the cooked vegetables.
Turn the heat to high and let mixture boil to thicken, stirring constantly.
Serve at once with hot fluffy rice.

Serves 3

LaZZzzzzy Lasagna

The Great American Brand Name Cookbook, is a wonderful tool. It is a collaboration of all those recipes you see on soup can labels or different food packagins.
Instead of having to carefully peel a label off of something though you can just crack this book open and have a browse!

Lazy Lasagna (with a few tweaks of my own)

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 jar (32 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 lb cottage cheese ( I am using cottage and ricotta cheese as I prefer this mix)
8 oz dairy sour cream
8 uncooked lasagna noodles (I am using the no boil kind)
3 packages (6 oz each) or sliced mozzarella cheese (or you can do what I did and just use a package of pre-shredded cheese)
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 C water

Cook beef in large skillet over medium-hight heat until meat is brown, stirring to separate meat; drain fat.
Add spaghetti sauce, reduce heat to low.
Heat through, stirring occasionally; set aside.
Combine cottage cheese and sour cream in medium bowl; blend well

Spoon 1 1/2 c of the meat sauce in bottom of 13x9" pan.
Place 1/2 of the uncooked noodles over sauce, then 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture, 4 slices of the mozzarella, 1/2 of the remaining meat sauce and 1/4 C of the Parmesan cheese.
Repeat layers starting with the noodle.
Top with remaining 4 slices of mozzarella cheese.
Pour water around the sides of the pan.
Cover tightly with foil, Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.
Uncover; bake and additional 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Let stand 15-20 minutes.
Garnish and desired.

Makes 8-10 servings.

That's just Tarragon!

Can't say I have EVER used this herb before but it looked interesting, this is another goody from the beginners cookbook.

1 cut up chicken (2 1/2 to 3lbs of meat)
2 Tbs oil
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 can cream of chicken soup (10oz)
2 tsp tarragon
2 Tbs Parmesan cheese
1/2 C white wine
(we don't drink at our house so it was an adventure finding wine! I ended up getting one of those cheapo single serving ones that have about 8 oz in a bottle)

Wash and dry chicken well, heat oil in a large frying pan.
Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder and paprika, then brown in oil on all sides.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove chicken to shallow baking pan.
In a small to medium sized bowl, combine the chicken soup, tarragon, cheese and white wine; mix well then spoon over chicken pieces.
Cover baking pan with a lid or aluminum foil and place in oven.
Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
Serves 4

Oven vs. Crockpot

I have often wondered if crock pots are really all that better then just a low temp bake in a standard oven.
Are they really that much safer then just leaving your oven on say 200 degrees all day long?
When I was younger a friend of mine left her coffee maker on and started a house fire so if a little coffee maker can do that, what can a crock pot do!?

This week I got my meal ideas from 2 different recipe books that I've had for awhile, so long in fact that one was really my husbands before we even met and the other I snagged from my mom after begging for it.
Funny thing is that I rarely refer to either one of them!
The one from my husband is called 'The absolute beginners cookbook 2' and it is where I got tonight's dinner from.

Kay's Pork chops

4 pork chops (roughly 1/2" to 1"thick)
1 egg, beaten
pinch of salt
pinch of paprika (I used more)
pinch of pepper
1/4 to 1/3 C of fine bread crumbs
2 Tbs of margarine
1 Tbs oil
1 Tbs water***

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, trim excess fat from chops.
Dip pork chops into beaten egg and then dip moistened chops into bread and seasoning mixture.
Heat a large frying pan and add the margarine and oil, brown chops over low to medium heat until nicely browned on both sides (about 3 minutes each side)
Place chops in a single layer in a shallow baking dish and add water to the pan (just enough to moisten the bottom of the pan; you don't want the chops sitting in water.)
Cover tightly (foil is fine) and bake for 4 hours.
Serves 4

***If you use a 9x13" pan, 1 Tbs of water is enough o add; however if you plan to serve these chops at a party and need more than 4 you will need to increase the recipe proportionately and use a larger pan-roasting pan or even a cookie sheet-and add 3-4 Tbs water. Remember to keep the chops in a single layer and covered.

Tortillas are my friend

Dinner today is from the recipe book of Sally Crawford, that wonderful lady who is my Mother in Law! :)

Chicken Casserole in a Crockpot

9 corn tortillas
6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (can be cut up or used whole)
1 medium diced onion
1 can ortega green chilis
1 can chopped black olives (I used jumbo olives that I chopped myself)
3/4 C grated mexican cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup (since my husband HATES mushrooms I use cream of celery or just 2 cans of cream of chicken instead)
1/2 can of water

Layer tortillas, onion, chilies, olives and then chicken on top of that. Repeat 2 or 3 times.
Mix cream of whatever soups with 1/2 can of water then pour over top of layers.
Using a long handled knife or spoon, separate casserole from walls of crock pot make sure the soup is circulated throughout dish.
Cook on high for 3 hrs.

Smooth(ie) Sailing

As most of my friends know I have been trying to lose a few pounds this past month or so and so far so good!
What helps me out is drinking smoothies instead of eating a regular meal. If it works for those on Slimfast why not me?
I first learned about nutrient smoothies a few years ago but never really got into that health craze.
It wasn't until a MOPS meeting a month ago that I really hopped on the bandwagon, so here is a recipe for my current favorite smoothie along with the extras I put into it to help super charge me for the day! :)

Breakfast Smoothie

1-2 c. Sliced frozen strawberries
1 banana
1/2 C Odwalla Superfood (this comes in green or red, I prefer the red one)
1 scoop Trader Darwins Soy Protein Powder
1 scoop Trader Joes Super Green drink powder
1/2 C plain non fat yogurt

I place the strawberries and bannanas in first, then the powders, yogurt and juice last.
Blend on high until smooth and everything is mixed well together.

We're on a roll, a casserole that is!

My mother in law always the helpful one likes to give me recipes from her church cookbook that she and the other ladies have put together.
This one I have done before with success so I feel confident in sharing it with you all!

Chicken Casserole

2-3 chicken breasts chopped
1 C rice (cooked in 2.5 c water or steamed if not instant)
1/2 onion diced
1/2 C celery diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C milk
Grated cheese for topping

Brown chicken with garlic powder, set aside.
Saute onions and celery
warm up cream of chicken soup with 1/2 C milk
Mix all ingredients together, then top with cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted all the way.

Grandma Wise's Potato salad

This is a potato salad that my own mother makes every Easter and Thanksgiving or she has a mutiny on her hands if she doesn't.
We as in my brothers and I LOVE this stuff! It is not like the salads you buy or would normally have at a church potluck either.
Sadly I have not been able to make it yet this week due to illnesses in our home so my cooking has been happening but nothing fantastic really.
Bragging about how well I can bake salmon fish sticks didn't seem all that cool so my blog is a few days behind now.
I can brag though that they are all natural and hormone free! Go Costco! :)

Granda Wise's Potato salad

6 medium to large russett potatoes
8 hard boiled eggs
6-8 stalks of celery
4-6 medium sized dill pickles
1/3 C onion
3/4 C mayo
1-2 Tbs Milk
1 Tbs Cider vinegar (optional)

Peel, boil and cut into chunks the potatoes.
Cook until fork easily punctures potatoes but not so much they become mushy.
Chop the following; celery, pickle, onion, hard boiled eggs.
Mix mayo with a small amount of milk (1-2 Tbs) and 1 T cider vinegar (optional)

My mom usually judges everything by the amount of potatoes after they are cooked and chopped into bowl, she likes a balanced look in the colors and flavors.
Blend the liquids together set aside, mix the potatoes and veggies then mix with liquids.
Sprinkle top with Johnny's seasoning salt (like we do) or paprika if you prefer.

DeFrost Master 2000

Ok so this has nothing to do with what I learned form my mom but it's a cool gadget that my husband picked up for me at our local thrift store.
It came complete in box and seems to work as it claims.

Instead of thawing frozen meat in a bath of hot water or leaving it on the counter to defrost you put it on this metal tray, that sits in a drip dish and has a cover too.
Supposedly the metals in the tray work with the ambient heat in the air to naturally defrost the meat quickly.
So far we have melted an ice cube in 78 seconds on the thing which was fun to watch and worth the few bucks we paid for this item.
I plan on using it tonight to thaw the chicken breast for dinner so hopefully it works out!
The unfortunate thing is that they no longer sell this product in the stores or online (it is an older as seen on TV item) they do have something called the Miracle thaw the reviews seem to be very mixed on that one so I can't tell you if it works or not, though or thrift store does have that one as well....hmmm maybe time for a science experiment!

Quit loafing around!

Meatloaf has been created and recreated thousands of times by many different people.
I have never been able to find and make a "great" one really because somehow I always manage to mess it up.
Well I finally found one courtesy of my mother in law that even I can't screw up!
Her trick is to add sausage to the ground meat so it has a little kick to it when you take a bite.
I have one other recipe that I've tried before with success as well, but since it is moms week and not what I learned from the great ladies at church we're going with this one. :)

Meat Loaf

1lb ground beef/turkey (I used 98% lean ground beef)
1/2 lbs Farmer John sausage links removed from casing (I ended up using Jenni O turkey sausages that don't come in casings. Defrost them before mixing in meat)
1 egg
1 green bell pepper chopped (I chop mine finely as my husband prefers it this way)
1 small onion (again finely chopped)
2 or 3 slices of day old bread or 1/2 C of bread crumbs
1/4 C milk

Mix all together, shape into loaf in meat loaf or bread pan.
Bake in 375 degree oven for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hrs.
Drain liquids/fat from pan
Top with 1/2 ketchup, let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

What I learned from my mom (or mother in law) week!

This week is all about the yummy things that have been passed down to me by my mother and her mother before her or something I learned from my wonderful mother in law! :)
Today because I have so many sickies in the house I made Sally Crawfords (my MIL) Chicken Noodle Soup and it was great!

Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup

1 49.5 oz can of Chicken broth (I used bouilion and made my own broth as I made a huge batch)
1 can of water (is using the premade broth)
2 packages of frozen egg noodles (or like I did use the yolk free egg noodels, 2 packs)
1 medium onion
1 small bag of baby carrots or 5 regular carrots
3-4 stalks of celery
1 26 oz can of cream of chicken soup warmed up
3-4 chicken breast cooked and shredded

Cook chicken, set aside to cool so it is easier to break up into bite size pieces.
In a stock pot add broth, water, celery, onion and carrots till cooked through-take out veggies-set aside
Cook noodles according to package (since I used the yolk free noodles I was not able to cook them in the broth but rather separately in water.)
Add chicken and veggies, then warmed up cream of chicken soup.
Check consistency, if too thick add more broth, if too think add more cream of chicken soup.
Season with Morton's seasoning or just regular salt and pepper. (Generally I don't add seasoning to the pot but rather after each person is served that way we all have it to our personal taste)

Chuck Wagon...salad?

I won't be getting around to actually making this today but I thought I would share it anyway.
We lasted on leftovers a lot this week, hence the quiet blog.
Today we are finally going to have those chuck wraps and I know for sure I will be making that chili again, it has become my new favorite food!

Chuck Wagon Salad

* 1 cup uncooked wagon wheel pasta
* 1 cup sliced, cooked lean sirloin, cold
* 3/4 cup sliced onion
* 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
* 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 cups red leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
* 2 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
* 1 tomato, sliced

Directions

1. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine pasta, beef, onion, and green pepper. Mix well. Stir together barbecue sauce and prepared mustard, and mix into beef mixture.
3. Serve beef mixture over mixed greens, and garnish with tomatoes.

That's a wrap!

Here in our house most anything can be eaten with a tortilla....just ask my husband! He is the king of tortilla wrap ups.
So this is in honor of you John.

Chuck Wagon Wraps

Ingredients

* 1 lb lean ground beef
* 1 (28 ounce) can barbecue baked beans
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn, thawed
* 4 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
* 1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
* 12 (8 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
* 3 cups shredded lettuce
* 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
* 3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

In large nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the beans, corn and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
Spoon about 1/2 cup off center on each tortilla; top with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream. Roll up and serve.

Is it just me or is it 'chili' in here?

I have never tried my hand at making home made chili before so why not during "chuck week!"
Today's meal idea comes from www.allrecipes.com


Best Ever Chuck Wagon Chili

Ingredients

* 2 pounds ground beef (I ended up using the leftover chuck roast meat, shredded)
* 1 teaspoon butter
* 2 large white onions, chopped
* 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
* 1 habanero pepper, chopped (I put in a small can of Trader Joes green chilis)
* 3 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
* 3 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1 drop super-hot hot pepper sauce


Directions

1. In a large pot, cook the ground beef over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain off grease, and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions, green pepper and habanero pepper until onions are translucent. Remove from heat. Transfer the onion mixture to the pot with the ground beef, and set the heat to medium.
3. Add the kidney beans and tomato sauce to the beef mixture, and season with chili powder, salt, garlic salt and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a simmer, and adjust seasonings to taste if necessary. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

OR you can do what I did and put it all in a crock pot on low for the entire day! :)

Footnotes
Tip
You can leave the hot sauce out, and add at the end if you are unsure on how spicy you want it.

Crockpots, the poor cooks friend.

I love my crock pot, it has been in the family for many years as it was given to my parents as a wedding gift and then it was given to me when I got married. It is an original Crock Pot slow cooker, orange insert and all!
Chuck roasts are one of the cheaper and easiest roasts to make and it's hard to mess them up.
This particular recipe is from http://www.grouprecipes.com, my roast will be larger so I will have to double some of the ingredient portions.

Ingredients

* 2 pounds beef chuck roast
* 2 cloves minced garlic
* 1 small (or medium) onion, sliced
* 1 sprig fresh rosemary
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
* 3 cups water
Directions

1. Place the roast in the slow cooker. Put in the garlic, onion and rosemary. Mix the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce together and pour in the crockpot. Add three cups water. Cook on low for eight hours. Shred the beef and serve on rolls with some of the juice from the pot. You may want to skim some of the fat off, depending on how fatty your roast was.
2. (My roast was small. If you use a bigger one, you may want to increase the amount of liquid. You want the liquid to nearly cover the roast.)

Chuck!

In honor of my favorite show having come on again last week, this weeks theme is all about foods with the word Chuck in them! :)

Chuck Wagon Casserole

1/2 C onion, chopped
1/2 C green bell pepper, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef or lean ground turkey
1 can (15 1/2 oz) mild chili beans in sauce
1 can mexican corn (I ended up just using regular canned corn)
1/2 tsp salt
1 package (8 1/2 oz) corn muffin mix
3/4 C BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop onion and bell pepper. In frying pan, cook and stir meat, onion and bell pepper over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in chili beans, BBQ sauce and salt. Bring to a boil; Spoon into 9" square pan.
In small bowl prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions; stir in corn.
Spoon over meat mixture.
Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 6 servings

(Note- the woman I got this from adds a little mayple syrup to her corn bread mix to make it taste a little sweeter but that is just an option. I used honey.)

Breakfast doesn't always have to be an omelette.

So I didn't get this ready in time to make for this morning, but I'm hoping to have it for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Orange Kisses (Breakfast Rolls-Bread Machine) From Electric Bread!

1 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons butter
4 cups white bread flour
1 tablespoon orange rind, dried
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fast rise yeast or 4 teaspoons active dry yeast


Coating
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons orange rind, freshly grated
1 cup sugar
1. Remove dough from your machine after the dough or manual cycle is completed.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form a large ball.
3. Divide into 16 portions.
4. Form into balls, and coat each ball with softened butter.
5. Roll in orange-sugar mixture.
6. Place 8 balls into a 9" pie pan.
7. Allow to rise until dough doubles, about one hour.
8. Bake at 350 degrees or until just golden brown.
9. Success HInts: Use only the orange portion of the orange rind.

Dessert time!

Oreo Cookie Bread

3/4 cup milk
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
3/4 cup Oreo cookies, crushed

Bake according to manufacturer's instructions, adding the Oreos during the
raisin-bread cycle, or five minutes before the final kneading is finished.

I tried making this yesterday and I either did something wrong or it's just not that great of a bread....
But my machine doesn't have a special order for putting things in for raisin bread either.
Either way, I ended up with a chocolate loaf of bread and not the speckled thing I expected.
It might taste good with peanut butter though, who knows!

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling on the counter.....

Today's idea, Dinner rolls! Some may know that I enjoy the frozen Sister Schubert dinner rolls that you just pop into the oven to reheat with meals.
But they can be somewhat expensive, so my husband suggested I learn to make them at home!
Some books suggest making the dough in your machine and then putting it into muffin cups or if you want a round roll just make little balls and drop onto a cookie sheet then bake!
Well tonight I plan on using the muffin tin plan as that is what was requested of me.

Here are 2 ideas, 1 can be found HERE or you can use this one, which I got from my cookbook that came with our bread machine.

Dinner Rolls (the only exception here is that I put them in muffin cups instead of rolling flat and then wrapping them up like croissants.

3 1/4 C flour
1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbs dry milk
3 Tbs butter or margarine
7 1/2 fl. oz. water
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast

Optional

1 egg, beaten fro brushing on top.
3/4 Tbs poppy or sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

Variation: Whole wheat dinner rolls, replace 1 1/2 C bread flour with whole wheat flour.

After the machine is done, take dough out onto lightly floured surface and divide into 18 pieces. Roll each portion into a ball. Cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes.

Roll one end of the ball on a lightly floured surface to make a cone shape.
Roll each cone into a wedge, approximately 1/4 inch thick using a rolling pin.
Starting with the wider end, roll up the wedge loosely towards the narrower end.
Place seam side down on a greased baking pan.
Spray water on top, proof (let rise) at 90 degrees F or in a warm area for 30-50 minutes or until doubled.
Brush rolls with beaten egg, and sprinkle with seeds if desired.
Bake in 350 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Is it Superbowl yet?

Dinner tonight may not be so healthy but sure is good!
Hungry man Casserole with a soft pretzel on the side (ok these are really just a treat for my kids, but I had to tie it in somehow!)

Today's meal was given to me by an old MOPS friend named Terra Coppinger.

Hungry Man Casserole

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 tsp. salt
1 (16oz) can pork and beans
1/4 C BBQ sauce
1/2 C ketchup
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 chopped onion or 1 Tsp dehydrated onions
1 can refrigerated biscuits each cut in half
1 C cheddar cheese grated

Brown and drain meat, salt and onion in a large skillet. Stir in BBQ sauce, ketchup, sugar and beans; heat until bubbly. Transfer into a casserole dish and arrange biscuits on top. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.


Soft Pretzels (for the bread machine)

* 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry active yeast
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 3 cups flour
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 1 egg white, slightly beaten
* coarse salt
* butter

Directions

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
Select White Bread setting, Manual and then press Start.
After the machine has completed the second rising cycle, it will beep.
Remove the dough onto a very lightly floured surface.
Divide into 4 parts.
Divide each fourth into 3 pieces.
Roll each piece into an 18 inch rope.
Shape rope into a circle, overlapping about 4 inches; from each end, leaving ends free.
Take one end in each hand and twist at the point where dough overlaps.
Carefully lift ends across to the opposite edge of circle.
Tuck ends under edge to make a pretzel shape; moisten and press ends to seal.
Place on greased cookie sheet.
Let rise, uncovered, until puffy, about 20 minutes.
In a 3-quart saucepan, combine 2 quarts of water and 1/3 cup baking soda; bring to a boil.
Lower 1 or 2 pretzels into the saucepan; simmer for 10 seconds on each side.
Lift from water with a slotted spoon.
Return to greased cookie sheet.
Let dry briefly.
Brush with 1 egg white slightly beaten.
Sprinkle with course salt or sesame seeds or leave plain.
If you leave them plain, after they bake dip into melted butter then in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake at 425°F for 4 minutes; then turn cookie sheet around and bake 4 more minutes.

Back to the sticks!

Since we had so much leftover from last nights feast of pizza bubbles we plan on finishing it off for dinner tonight.
But I face the dilemma of not having a bread machine recipe to show off today, or do I? :)
To go along with our meal I plan on making garlic bread sticks, hey they offer them to you when you order a pizza so why not make them at home instead!

Soft Garlic Breadsticks from allrecipes.com


Ingredients

* 1 1/8 cups water (70 to 80 degrees F)
* 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
* 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 3 teaspoons garlic powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh basil
* 3 cups bread flour
* 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted

In bread machine pan, place the first nine ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed). When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 20 portions. Shape each into a ball; roll each into a 9-in. rope. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Brush warm breadsticks with butter.

Sandwiches are beautiful, Sandwiches are fine.....

That was a song I used to sing a lot as a kid...if you don't know the tune sorry, if you do welcome! :)

Today has been a busy day for me thus far, I have made no pudge brownies (thank you Trader Joes!)
loaded up my bread machine with some ingredients to make sandwich bread dough and am now waiting for it to rise so I can bake it!
I also have a continuation of the MOPS cookbook week for tonight's dinner, pizza bubbles!

Basic Sandwich bread (or small loaf)

3 C bread Flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tbs Dry Milk
1 1/2 Tbs Butter (used to use margarine but butter just works better and is natural)
1 1/2 Tbs Sugar
1 1/4 C warm water
1 tsp Dry yeast

Now I use a bread machine on the dough option because I don't like the way the bread looks after baking in a bread machine pan. So I'm picky and prefer my "wonder bread" appearance oh well.
If you want to make life super easy just load up your machine and let is mix, knead and bake all in one.
I on the other hand only let it mix, kneed and rise in there for a bit.
Then I take it out onto a lightly floured surface, punch the dough down in the middle with my fist and then fold the outer edges over into the middle.
Then gently shape the ball into a loaf shape by patting and pinching the sides together.
Lay the dough seam side down into your prepared baking pan, cover and set in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes OR until it has doubled in size. For some reason mine took almost an hour to do so, must be a temperature thing but it did rise!
When that is done and your dough has finished rising again, bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes.
You know it's done when it is hollow sounding when you tap on the top.

Now as for dinner tonight we are having Pizza Bubbles, thanks to Julie Culwell for her recipe!

Pizza Bubbles

1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 C pizza sauce or marinara
8 refigerated dough biscuts (pillsbury country)
4 oz can of mushrooms (I'm not using these as my husband hates them!)
4 oz diced green peppers or half of a diced bell pepper
sm can of black olives
1 onion
8 oz mozzarella cheese

Brown meat with diced onion. Add pizza sauce and pour into 9x13 greased pan.
Top with green peppers, mushrooms and olives. Quarter each (unbaked) biscut and press into pan.
Top with cheese and bake @ 400 degrees Farenheight for 25 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.
(you can use any pizza toppings you want, these are just the Culwell family favorites)
I will be adding some pepperoni, more veggies to ours.

Bread Machine week!

Today is Sunday, day of rest, therefore it is traditionally the no cook day for me but rather a leftovers or going out after church day! :)
Come back tomorrow to help kick off dinner ideas from the bread machine week.

To eat or not to eat....that is the question

Well yesterday's meal was hit and miss, parts of it we all enjoyed but the part we all agreed on not liking was the mushy bread.
We're texture people over here and that is one texture we could do without!
We will finish off the dish yes......sometime this weekend but to give my family a break I am making some baked Ziti tonight for dinner. Thank you Patti Garcia for the recipe!


Baked Ziti

15oz Ricotta cheese
2 C. Mozzarella
1/2 C. Parmesan
Italian seasonings
Salt and Pepper
Crushed Garlic (optional)
1 lb. ground meat (beef, turkey, etc)
1 jar of Prego pasta sauce (or your favorite, we like Newmans over here!)
Cooked pasta (can be Ziti or Penne)


Brown meat with some chopped onion. In large lasagna pan or baking dish, combine meat, noodles and Ricotta/Mozzarella cheeses.
Top with Parmesan.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30-40 minutes.
This recipe can be varied so much. If you want some veggies, you can saute some chopped carrots, onion, celery or even spinach and add to casserole mix.
Enjoy with warm bread!

A day late and a whole lotta dollars shorter!

Did my weekly grocery shopping yesterday only to discover today I forgot to get more bread! aacckk!
So today I get to make some home made bread instead, I'm sure my family will enjoy that too. :)
I generally use the basic white bread recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook, but a lot of bread machines (like mine) come with a bread book that tells you all sorts of great ideas.

The meatloaf was a success and as for the Farmer's Strata that is yet to be determined as the meatloaf ended up being a 2 night meal we had so much of it! Hooray!
I love leftovers, makes my life so much easier that way.
Be forewarned when making the strata, it does take quite a bit of prep time and isn't the healthiest of dishes either. I did a lot of substitutions to make me feel better ie using turkey bacon, non fat milk, low fat cheese etc. I also used red potatoes instead of russet as they have more antioxidants in them too.

Tomorrow I plan on making a Baked Ziti courtesy of Patti Garcia recipe to follow!

Theme of the week.

Yesterday we took my mom out for dinner for her birthday so cooking at home didn't happen! :)
Today however kicks off my theme of the week cooking.
This weeks theme comes from the ERCC MOPS cookbook, things we've had at MOPS luncheons!
To start off with though I want to show you a neat little chart that our MOPPETS coordinator shared with us one day during our "learning to cook" day at MOPS.

Cooking Chart

Now back to the Dinner of the day! :)
Tonight's MOPS inspired meal is provided courtesy of Lori Osbourne



Farmer's Strata

1 lb bacon sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 C chopped fully cooked ham
1 sm. onion chopped
10 slices white bread, cubed
1 C cooked potatoes cubed
3 C (12oz) shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs
3 C milk
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
Pinch of salt and pepper

In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp, add ham and onion: cook and stir until onion is tender then drain. In a greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish layer half the bread cubes, potatoes and cheese.
Top with all of the bacon mixture. Repeat layers of bread, potatoes and cheese. IN a bowl beat eggs, add milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over all. Cover and chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered, at 325 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the strata comes out clean.
Yields 12-16 servings

Ok, so this is really for tomorrow night but I have to make it today! :)
We're actually eating a Meat Loaf from a recipe that I got from Mentor Mom Beth Koontz.

Meat Loaf

2 eggs
1/2 C fine dry bread crumbs
2 Tbls snipped parsley (or dried)
1/2 tsp. ground sage
1/4 C catsup (ketchup)
1 tsp. dry mustard
3/4 C milk
1/4 C chopped onions
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs ground beef or turkey
2 Tbls. brown sugar

Combine eggs and milk, stir in crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, sage and 1/8 tsp pepper.
Add meat; mix well. Pat into a 8x4x2 loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/4 hours.
Spoon off excess fat. Combine catsup, brown sugar and mustard; spread over meat.
Return to oven for 10 minutes.
Makes 6 servings

Hooray for soup!

The soup was a success! Once I remembered to add salt that is....lots of dirty dishes later my family has requested I make this again. :)

Never did get my meal plan list finished so I hope to do that on Monday.

Split pea and ham!

Today is the day I attempt to make Andersons Split pea soup with ham.
First off I need to gather my ingredients which does mean a dash to the local grocery store but that's alright.
In the future though I plan on meal planning a weeks in advance, ok when I say future I mean tomorrow I plan on sitting down and meal planning for the week.
I also have a plan for tonights breakfast, but it does require a bit of prep.
Thank you to Karen Brookes for providing this yummy dish at MOPS and for sharing the recipe too!

Breakfast Casserole

-Scramble 12-18 eggs (depending on how many people you're feeding)
- Put scrambled eggs in the bottom of a 9x13 pan
- Pour ("glop" is more like it) approx. 1 pint of sour cream on top of eggs (you decided exactly how much sour cream to use)
- Combine 2 cups cheese, 1 cup cooked crumbled bacon, and 2 Tb. chopped green onions
- Sprinkle cheese mixture on top of eggs and sour cream
- Bake 20-25 minutes at 350

Off to a new start......or so I thought.

Well First of all......



Ok, well I had thought to start the day by making a nice breakfast for the family but it turns out they had other ideas!
Due to the nature of the beast of New Years and our all staying up so late you could say I was a bit tired.
I was woken up to the sounds of "mom we made you breakfast in bed!" I buried under my blankets, and trying to figure out what they were talking about responded with a "oohhh uggghhh, huh what??"
So breakfast by me was scrapped, but thank you G and Daddy for making me waffles! :)
Next up was lunch, easy right? Nope! Yet again I am beat to the punch by my husband who while I was getting kids ready to go for an afternoon/evening of fun at family's house made sandwiches for the everyone! Guess what kind....come on! Guess!!
That's right, HAM!
I won't even pretend to try and say I had dinner all planned out, we were out at family's house today so we ordered pizza.
So today's day of kicking of the new year with a bang ended with a thud in the cooking department, but at least we had a great time together and with family!
To me that is way more important then being the master of the grill, oven or kitchen.