Sunday, January 15, 2012
I'm back after an almost two year hiatus!
Whew. I've been kicking it around to come back to blogging. Not that my blog was *all that* before, but fakebook, whoops I mean Facebook has sort of lost it's luster and what with all my new project ideas from Pinterest, I figure I'd get back into blogging to have a place to share me, myself, & I. So, stay tuned for some good food, fun projects, and a little of this or that.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Scraping the Bottom of the Freezer
Tonight is just a hodge podge of items to make a dinner. Grilling up some kielbasa sausage, frying up some Mrs. T's Pierogies in butter and a side of steamed carrots. Really need to go to the grocery store. Trying to wait it out until the weekend, so Hubs can do the shopping again. I just don't feel like dragging 3, 2, or even 1 kid to the store. Although, since we are no-tv zone this month, maybe I should drag them for something to do.
Yesterday was Dr. Suess's birthday, so in honor of that we had Green Eggs & Ham for lunch. It was not something I had planned in advance, but since I had no bread for sandwiches, it worked out nicely and to my amazement the kids were really stoked about it and gobbled it up. Even asked for more, but sadly, no eggs left.
Yesterday was Dr. Suess's birthday, so in honor of that we had Green Eggs & Ham for lunch. It was not something I had planned in advance, but since I had no bread for sandwiches, it worked out nicely and to my amazement the kids were really stoked about it and gobbled it up. Even asked for more, but sadly, no eggs left.
Here's another recipe for you that is so simple it's like falling off a log and can easily be altered to your tastes. I got it from my dear friend R when I got married, oh almost 8 years ago.
Pizza Casserole Basic Recipe
small box of spaghetti
large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
package of pepperoni
mushrooms
bag of mozzarella cheese
Cook spaghetti according to box directions. In a 9x13 glass pan, layer spaghetti, half the sauce, half the pepperoni, half the mushrooms and cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and toasty.
It is a great dish to make ahead, freeze or travel with. I have taken this to many new moms. Here's the deal...don't like pepperoni? Swap it out for ham. Don't like mushrooms? Swap it out for green peppers. Seriously, any pizza topping you like you can add or delete. I have even used actual "pizza sauce" instead of spaghetti sauce and it worked wonderful. If you don't have spaghetti noodles, use what you have. Add a bag of salad and garlic bread for a complete meal.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Dippin' Dinner
Last night we had a Dippin' Dinner. Everything had to be dipped. The kids loved it. It was one of those nights where I didn't have to beg, plead, threaten even one time! Gawd, I LOVE those nights!!! Our menu was Cheese Fondue and we dipped bread and apples into it, Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce, and of course Chocolate Fondue for dessert. My mom gave me this Rachael Ray fondue pot before she moved and I finally got around to using it. Actually I didn't have any of the alcohol stuff you use to make the fire beneath it, so I just heated it on the stove first and then served it at the table. Safer that way with the kids, I think, anyway.
I used this copy-cat recipe for the cheese fondue that is supposed to be just like The Melting Pot's. I heard that the secret ingredient is to use Pabst's Blue Ribbon for the beer. Well, that's not what we had, I used Mic Ultra. But I used really cheap swiss cheese (ie. kroger brand!) and I think it would have been so much better had I splurged on some decent Swiss. Oh well, it was just for the family.... I mean it was good, who doesn't love melted cheese on bread? It just wasn't as good as TMP. ;)
Chicken Sate
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves (or you could save a little time and use chicken breast tenders)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
12 6-inch wooden skewers (I used chopsticks, because that is what I had!)
2 tbsp olive oil
Spicy Peanut Sauce (below)
1. Rinse chicken, pat dry. Trim excess fat. Season all sides with S & P. Slice chicken length-wise into 12 strips, then place each piece on a skewer.
2. In a saute pan, heat oil over med-high heat. Saute 5-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked. [I actually grilled them on a grill pan since I was using long chop sticks--they didn't fit in any of my pans.] I grilled them in batches and kept the done ones in the oven on warm.
3. Served with Peanut Sauce below:
Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/2 olive oil
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup coconut milk (sold in a can in specialty food aisle)
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped shallot (I left out)
1 tbsp honey
pinch of red pepper flakes (I also left out)
1. Heat olive oil in sauce pan. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth and heated through. Makes a lot-- 3.5 cups.
I just poured a little bit of the peanut sauce into small bowls and we dipped our chicken in it. The boys loved it.
For the Chocolate fondue, I melted half a bag of chocolate chips with 1/3 cup of heavy cream and a half of cup of marshmallows. Served it with cake chunks, bananas, and large marshmallows. It was a little thick, might want to thin it out with more heavy cream.
Even if you didn't have a fondue pot, you could easily just heat these things over low-med heat in a saucepan.
Tonight: LEFTOVERS! :)
I used this copy-cat recipe for the cheese fondue that is supposed to be just like The Melting Pot's. I heard that the secret ingredient is to use Pabst's Blue Ribbon for the beer. Well, that's not what we had, I used Mic Ultra. But I used really cheap swiss cheese (ie. kroger brand!) and I think it would have been so much better had I splurged on some decent Swiss. Oh well, it was just for the family.... I mean it was good, who doesn't love melted cheese on bread? It just wasn't as good as TMP. ;)
Chicken Sate
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves (or you could save a little time and use chicken breast tenders)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
12 6-inch wooden skewers (I used chopsticks, because that is what I had!)
2 tbsp olive oil
Spicy Peanut Sauce (below)
1. Rinse chicken, pat dry. Trim excess fat. Season all sides with S & P. Slice chicken length-wise into 12 strips, then place each piece on a skewer.
2. In a saute pan, heat oil over med-high heat. Saute 5-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked. [I actually grilled them on a grill pan since I was using long chop sticks--they didn't fit in any of my pans.] I grilled them in batches and kept the done ones in the oven on warm.
3. Served with Peanut Sauce below:
Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/2 olive oil
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup coconut milk (sold in a can in specialty food aisle)
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped shallot (I left out)
1 tbsp honey
pinch of red pepper flakes (I also left out)
1. Heat olive oil in sauce pan. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth and heated through. Makes a lot-- 3.5 cups.
I just poured a little bit of the peanut sauce into small bowls and we dipped our chicken in it. The boys loved it.
For the Chocolate fondue, I melted half a bag of chocolate chips with 1/3 cup of heavy cream and a half of cup of marshmallows. Served it with cake chunks, bananas, and large marshmallows. It was a little thick, might want to thin it out with more heavy cream.
Even if you didn't have a fondue pot, you could easily just heat these things over low-med heat in a saucepan.
Tonight: LEFTOVERS! :)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Snow Day, Again!
Ah, I'm really about done with winter. Kids had another snow day today. Third one, which I guess isn't a lot compared to those out East. It's just the kids haven't went to school a full week in 5 consecutive weeks! I actually gave my hard working hubby a nice gift of snow blowing the driveway myself today! He works so hard to support our family and I know that when he gets home, the last thing he wants to do is deal with the driveway. It wasn't all that bad, took me about an hour to do. Then I played with the dog and B for a bit. Tried to make a snow man. Guess I've lost my touch; couldn't get the thing started for anything. Anyway, I didn't feel like spending a lot of time on dinner and didn't have any meat that wasn't frozen. I decided on Tuna Cakes, a recipe that was in that Kraft magazine a few years ago. It always makes me think of my Grandma because I remember making it at her house once. I used to go there every Monday and eat dinner when she was alive. They are actually very simple and very tasty. Kids ate them right up, B even ate two. Hubby was a little skittish about them, but then devoured several of them. Very mild tuna taste. You should try them!
Sunday I made a big family style dinner. We were home all day. I had a pretty big pork tenderloin and decided to halve it and make two things out of it. One half I made pulled pork in my crock pot for a different day this week and the other half I made Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin. On the side we had deviled eggs, steamed broccoli, and mashed potatoes. For dessert I made this Chocolate Cake that is sooo good!! Great for snacking and with out frosting. I'm actually not a cake fan, mainly because of the icky frosting. If I make my own, I'm okay with that. :) I threw in the cup of mini chocolate chips and the when I served it sprinkled on a bit of powdered sugar. It was really fantastic! I almost forgot that baking this cake almost turned into a disaster! Hubby was on my computer when I was baking the cake and I had to keep asking him what to do next. Well, I forgot to put in the sugar until the very end!! I was scared that it wasn't going to turn out, but it seemed to just fine.
Last week I also made this Crispy Beef & Broccoli and the whole family just raved about it! It's another one out Parents magazine.
Crispy Beef w/Broccoli
for the beef marinade
1.5 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch
fresh black pepper to season the beef
For the stir-fry sauce
3 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp water
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
to prepare
1 lb beef top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into 1/8" thick strips [I used top sirloin]
1.5 lbs. broccoli, cut into bite sized florets (about 4 cups)
1 Tbs canola oil
1 Tbs minced garlic
1. In med bowl combine the ingredients for the marinade. Add the beef and let marinate for 10 minutes at room temp or refrigerate for a couple of hours.
2. In a small bowl, using a fork, mix together the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce. Set aside.
3. In a wok or large saute pan, add 1 inch of water (about 5 cups) and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and cover to cook for 3 minutes. Broccoli should be bright green and crisp tender. Remove broccoli and pat dry.
4. Discard water from pan and dry it well. Place over high heat and when hot, add the canola oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 seconds. Toss in the steak strips, keeping them in one layer, fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and cook the other side 1 to minutes more or until done.
5. Pour in the stir fry sauce and stir to combine. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.
I served it with the left over Ginger Fried Rice we had earlier in the week.
Hope you had a great Monday!
Sunday I made a big family style dinner. We were home all day. I had a pretty big pork tenderloin and decided to halve it and make two things out of it. One half I made pulled pork in my crock pot for a different day this week and the other half I made Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin. On the side we had deviled eggs, steamed broccoli, and mashed potatoes. For dessert I made this Chocolate Cake that is sooo good!! Great for snacking and with out frosting. I'm actually not a cake fan, mainly because of the icky frosting. If I make my own, I'm okay with that. :) I threw in the cup of mini chocolate chips and the when I served it sprinkled on a bit of powdered sugar. It was really fantastic! I almost forgot that baking this cake almost turned into a disaster! Hubby was on my computer when I was baking the cake and I had to keep asking him what to do next. Well, I forgot to put in the sugar until the very end!! I was scared that it wasn't going to turn out, but it seemed to just fine.
Last week I also made this Crispy Beef & Broccoli and the whole family just raved about it! It's another one out Parents magazine.
Crispy Beef w/Broccoli
for the beef marinade
1.5 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch
fresh black pepper to season the beef
For the stir-fry sauce
3 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp water
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
to prepare
1 lb beef top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into 1/8" thick strips [I used top sirloin]
1.5 lbs. broccoli, cut into bite sized florets (about 4 cups)
1 Tbs canola oil
1 Tbs minced garlic
1. In med bowl combine the ingredients for the marinade. Add the beef and let marinate for 10 minutes at room temp or refrigerate for a couple of hours.
2. In a small bowl, using a fork, mix together the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce. Set aside.
3. In a wok or large saute pan, add 1 inch of water (about 5 cups) and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and cover to cook for 3 minutes. Broccoli should be bright green and crisp tender. Remove broccoli and pat dry.
4. Discard water from pan and dry it well. Place over high heat and when hot, add the canola oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 seconds. Toss in the steak strips, keeping them in one layer, fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and cook the other side 1 to minutes more or until done.
5. Pour in the stir fry sauce and stir to combine. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.
I served it with the left over Ginger Fried Rice we had earlier in the week.
Hope you had a great Monday!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Monday Night Menu
Tonight we had Sweet & Savory Lettuce Wraps, Snappy 3-Pea Stir-Fry, & Twice as Nice Gingered Rice. These recipes were in last month's Parent's Magazine, featuring Jaden Hair author of The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook. I thought I could link to the recipes, but I don't seem to be able to. All were pretty quick and easy, but trying to do them at the same time is a challenge. I did the rice first and put it in a bowl and covered it with foil, then managed the other two at the same time. I got rave reviews from all members. Hubs ate like 5 lettuce cups. The boys loved the pea salad. It was all very good.
Twice As Nice: Ginger & Green Onion Fried Rice (I swapped a little celery in for the green onion)
4 cups leftover rice, chilled cooked long grain rice
2 tbs high heat canola oil
1/2 cup minced green onions
1 tsp peeled and grated ginger (I used some ginger out of those tubes you can get in the produce section)
1 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry (optional) {I used rice wine vinegar, cause that is what I thought it said!}
1 tbs reduced sodium soy sauce
fresh ground pepper
1. Gently separate the rice with a fork, but don't smush it up.
2. Place a wok or 10" pan over med-high heat and add oil. When it's just started to get hot, add the green onion and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant; about 30 seconds.
3. Turn the heat to high and immediately add the rice. Stir well to incorporate the onion and ginger mix.
4. Spread the rice all around pan , letting it cook with out stirring , untill you hear the sound of the grains starting to sizzle. Using a spatula, toss the rice to redistribute it. Let it cook, undisturbed for 1 minute.
5. Add the rice wine, if using, soy sauce, and pepper. Toss well. Fry for an additional minute until all the rice is heated through. Serves 4-6 I used a 10" pan for this, and it was definitely cramped. Also, I would say serves 4-6 adults, we had tons left over.
Snappy 3-Pea Stir Fry
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
1/2 lb snow peas
1/2 lb shelled peas (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs lite soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seeds
1. Was all the peas.
2. Heat a wok or 10" skillet on high for about 2 minutes. Pour in oil and swirl to coat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. {garlic will burn fast, mine did and I had to throw it out. Be Very Careful!!! I would say 30 seconds was even too long) Add sugar snap peas and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add snow peas and shelled peas (I added mine in frozen); stir fry another 30 seconds. Mix in soy sauce. Toss and cook until tender crisp, about a minute. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serves 4 as a side dish.
Sweet + Savory Lettuce Cups
3/4 lb ground chicken, turkey, beef, or pork (I used 1 lb turkey)
2 tsp lite soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp canola oil
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp peeled, finely grated fresh ginger (I used the stuff in tube found in the produce section)
1/3 chopped red onion (left this out)
4-6 fresh shitake mushrooms, stems removed, diced ( I used baby portabellas)
4 peeled water chestnuts, diced (I used canned)
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs oyster sauce
16 cup shaped lettuce leaves (Boston, Bibb, butterhead, iceberg...whatever really)
1 11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1. Marinate meat with soy sauce and cornstarch for 10 minutes room temperature.
2. Heat wok or large skillet over high heat, add oil when hot. Swirl to coat, add garlic, ginger and red onion. Fry 15-30 seconds. (Again, be careful with the garlic...I would add it last of the 3 items). Add ground meat, cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir int he mushrooms, water chestnuts, rice vinegar, and oyster sauce. Simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes until meat is cooked thru.
3. Assemble lettuce cups by spooning in some meat filling and topping with mandarin oranges.
Recipe notes you could sub diced green apple for the red onion, but I did not.
Kids ate every bite, no fight! :) Sorry no pictures, it cooks so fast and then of course we were all starving, so we just dug in! Later in the week we should be eating the leftover rice with Crispy Beef & Broccoli.
Twice As Nice: Ginger & Green Onion Fried Rice (I swapped a little celery in for the green onion)
4 cups leftover rice, chilled cooked long grain rice
2 tbs high heat canola oil
1/2 cup minced green onions
1 tsp peeled and grated ginger (I used some ginger out of those tubes you can get in the produce section)
1 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry (optional) {I used rice wine vinegar, cause that is what I thought it said!}
1 tbs reduced sodium soy sauce
fresh ground pepper
1. Gently separate the rice with a fork, but don't smush it up.
2. Place a wok or 10" pan over med-high heat and add oil. When it's just started to get hot, add the green onion and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant; about 30 seconds.
3. Turn the heat to high and immediately add the rice. Stir well to incorporate the onion and ginger mix.
4. Spread the rice all around pan , letting it cook with out stirring , untill you hear the sound of the grains starting to sizzle. Using a spatula, toss the rice to redistribute it. Let it cook, undisturbed for 1 minute.
5. Add the rice wine, if using, soy sauce, and pepper. Toss well. Fry for an additional minute until all the rice is heated through. Serves 4-6 I used a 10" pan for this, and it was definitely cramped. Also, I would say serves 4-6 adults, we had tons left over.
Snappy 3-Pea Stir Fry
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
1/2 lb snow peas
1/2 lb shelled peas (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs lite soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seeds
1. Was all the peas.
2. Heat a wok or 10" skillet on high for about 2 minutes. Pour in oil and swirl to coat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. {garlic will burn fast, mine did and I had to throw it out. Be Very Careful!!! I would say 30 seconds was even too long) Add sugar snap peas and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add snow peas and shelled peas (I added mine in frozen); stir fry another 30 seconds. Mix in soy sauce. Toss and cook until tender crisp, about a minute. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serves 4 as a side dish.
Sweet + Savory Lettuce Cups
3/4 lb ground chicken, turkey, beef, or pork (I used 1 lb turkey)
2 tsp lite soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp canola oil
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp peeled, finely grated fresh ginger (I used the stuff in tube found in the produce section)
1/3 chopped red onion (left this out)
4-6 fresh shitake mushrooms, stems removed, diced ( I used baby portabellas)
4 peeled water chestnuts, diced (I used canned)
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs oyster sauce
16 cup shaped lettuce leaves (Boston, Bibb, butterhead, iceberg...whatever really)
1 11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1. Marinate meat with soy sauce and cornstarch for 10 minutes room temperature.
2. Heat wok or large skillet over high heat, add oil when hot. Swirl to coat, add garlic, ginger and red onion. Fry 15-30 seconds. (Again, be careful with the garlic...I would add it last of the 3 items). Add ground meat, cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir int he mushrooms, water chestnuts, rice vinegar, and oyster sauce. Simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes until meat is cooked thru.
3. Assemble lettuce cups by spooning in some meat filling and topping with mandarin oranges.
Recipe notes you could sub diced green apple for the red onion, but I did not.
Kids ate every bite, no fight! :) Sorry no pictures, it cooks so fast and then of course we were all starving, so we just dug in! Later in the week we should be eating the leftover rice with Crispy Beef & Broccoli.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Hiatus...
Sorry...I've been on hiatus, after the holidays, I was just ready to relax; but then we got a new dog and well, she takes up A LOT of my time. I'm going to try to get back in the groove, but probably won't be posting daily. Who am I kidding? Have I ever been a daily poster???? :)
Too hold you over, here's a cake I baked last weekend!
Too hold you over, here's a cake I baked last weekend!
It was very good, but not very easy & I definitely jacked mine up. You can find the recipe here.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
I'm hungry!
Hello friends. This week is another busy week. My husband is working second shift two nights this week and we are bowling two nights this week = not much cooking going on here. :) Monday night I didn't feel like cooking so we literally ate Ramen Noodles. They are good once in a while. I like to drain most of the water out so that it is less like soup and more like a bowl of noodles. I felt like baking instead. My Grandma called them Hello Dolly's but most people call them Magic Cookie bars. Mmmh, they are so good. Last night was one of the nights my husband was working so we had the go to meal that my blog is named for. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. I'm happy to report that I did not burn them and I mixed it up a little by making them on Rye bread. Yum. I usually cut the sandwich into several strips for the kids and then they dunk them in the soup. This method has eliminated the "I don't want to eat the crust" drama and they actually eat the soup too this way. I got those mugs for them a few years back at Crate and Barrel. Not sure if they make them anymore. Looks like they make a polar bear version now. They are just the right size for the kids. I know this next thing has nothing to do with food, but I thought it was so cute, I wanted to share. My husband wears a uniform to work and they do the cleaning of said uniform. So we end up with all these wire hangers we don't need so I was determined to find a way to use them creatively. The boys' Christmas parties are next week and I thought what I came up with would be fun for them to do.
To make this, I just bent the wire hanger into a triangle shape. Then glued tissue paper around it then cut it out with pinking shears, though you could use scrapbook scissors too. Then decorated it with a bow and used glitter glue that you can get at craft stores that has the confetti in it already.
Well. I'm hungry, time for lunch! Enjoy your day.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, Already?!
I don't mean for so many days to go by in between posts, but I guess that is life in the real world. :) Last Thursday we had enchiladas. I don't really have a go-to recipe for these. I just use what we have on hand. This time I had Ortega canned red enchilada sauce and used their recipe as a guide line. I browned ground beef and then added 3/4 of a can of sauce and some cheddar a cheese. I had flour tortillas on hand, so I wapped up three 'ladas for the kids in their own pan cause I wanted to bring up the heat level for the grown ups. For that I added a can of diced jalapenos and half a can of black beans. (I love black beans, I will add them to anything! When I lived in Florida, this place had the best black beans and rice, I guess that started my love affair with the black beans. Or maybe I like eating the to remind me a little of that time in my life? Who knows! But you should just eat your black beans cause they are good for you!!) Back to the enchiladas... I filled them, covered them with another can of sauce and lots of cheese. Cheddar is what I had on hand. Bake, and eat. Yum. We had corn on the side. Friday night we had leftover manicotti that I had made before Thanksgiving and froze. Easy night! Saturday we put up our Christmas tree and the past couple of years, Dear Hubby has made soup on this day. Keeping the tradition alive, B made Chicken Barley soup. I had a bag of Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley in the cupboard and we just used the recipe on the bag as a guide. I'll post the recipe as written with our changes in parenthesis.
Chicken Soup with Barley
2.5 cups of water
2.5 tsp salt
3 lbs chicken parts
(we just used 2 boxes of premade stock and cooked up some chicken breast tenders)
1.5 cups sliced celery
1.5 cups sliced carrots
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp dried Thyme (didn't have any, so we used poultry seasoning)
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms (left it out since the only one who will eat 'shrooms is me!)
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Pearl barley
In a large sauce pan combine water, chicken, salt, celery, carrots, onion, thyme, bay leaf and pepper bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until chicken is tender (approx. 1 hour). Meanwhile, slice mushrooms and set aside. Remove chicken from broth and take meat off bones; cut into cubes. Return chicken to sauce pan and add barley and mushrooms. Simmer, covered until barley is tender, about 50 minutes. Serves 8. (since the chicken was cooked in a separate pan, we just added it all and cooked for about an hour.)
Sunday night's dinner I made stuffed zucchini. Saturday I did an impromptu grocery shop (no list, just wandered the aisles trying to figure out what to get {I don't recommend this method! :)}) and I dunno, the zucchini just sounded good. I bought some bulk Italian sausage and decided I could wing the rest. I used this recipe as my guide. I did boil the zucchini as it recommends, and I don't know if I would do that again. The end result made for pretty soft zucchini and I like mine to have a firmer texture. I didn't have roasted red peppers, but a regular red pepper so I diced it and sauteed it in olive oil and garlic and oregano. Then I added some tomato paste thinned with some water. I set that aside then browned the sausage. I didn't have an onion, but I have a huge Sam's size bad of French's Fried Onions, so I chopped some of those up in my Pampered Chef Food Chopper. I combined everything with some Parmesan cheese. I filled the zucchini boats with the sausage mix, sprinkled on a bit more parm, onions and then doused it with pizza cheese (mostly mozzarella in it). Baked for 30 minutes. We had broccoli and jellied cranberry sauce on the side. Both kids ate every bite, no fight. Woo hoo!! :) I thought for sure little B would complain about the spiciness of the sausage but he did not. Impressive!
Hope your week is filled with great eats & treats. Hugs.
Chicken Soup with Barley
2.5 cups of water
2.5 tsp salt
3 lbs chicken parts
(we just used 2 boxes of premade stock and cooked up some chicken breast tenders)
1.5 cups sliced celery
1.5 cups sliced carrots
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp dried Thyme (didn't have any, so we used poultry seasoning)
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms (left it out since the only one who will eat 'shrooms is me!)
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Pearl barley
In a large sauce pan combine water, chicken, salt, celery, carrots, onion, thyme, bay leaf and pepper bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until chicken is tender (approx. 1 hour). Meanwhile, slice mushrooms and set aside. Remove chicken from broth and take meat off bones; cut into cubes. Return chicken to sauce pan and add barley and mushrooms. Simmer, covered until barley is tender, about 50 minutes. Serves 8. (since the chicken was cooked in a separate pan, we just added it all and cooked for about an hour.)
Sunday night's dinner I made stuffed zucchini. Saturday I did an impromptu grocery shop (no list, just wandered the aisles trying to figure out what to get {I don't recommend this method! :)}) and I dunno, the zucchini just sounded good. I bought some bulk Italian sausage and decided I could wing the rest. I used this recipe as my guide. I did boil the zucchini as it recommends, and I don't know if I would do that again. The end result made for pretty soft zucchini and I like mine to have a firmer texture. I didn't have roasted red peppers, but a regular red pepper so I diced it and sauteed it in olive oil and garlic and oregano. Then I added some tomato paste thinned with some water. I set that aside then browned the sausage. I didn't have an onion, but I have a huge Sam's size bad of French's Fried Onions, so I chopped some of those up in my Pampered Chef Food Chopper. I combined everything with some Parmesan cheese. I filled the zucchini boats with the sausage mix, sprinkled on a bit more parm, onions and then doused it with pizza cheese (mostly mozzarella in it). Baked for 30 minutes. We had broccoli and jellied cranberry sauce on the side. Both kids ate every bite, no fight. Woo hoo!! :) I thought for sure little B would complain about the spiciness of the sausage but he did not. Impressive!
Hope your week is filled with great eats & treats. Hugs.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Crazy week!
So far this week is shaping up to be pretty hectic! I have pretty much been gone all day, every day this week. Whew. I am tired! So, not much cooking has been going on. Monday night my husband had an appointment to go to, so it was just the kids and I. At they boys' request, we had good ol' Kraft Mac n' Cheese. I think I ate mine cold since I was trying to do 10 things at once. Last night we had pancakes. My Grandma made the best buttermilk pancakes. I could eat them as fast as she could make them. Her secret was to buy powdered buttermilk, usually found in the baking aisle and she just followed the recipe on the back of the can for pancakes. The bonus at her house was she made her own syrup too. She had some contraption called a vita mixer that she would make it in. Gosh, I wish she were still here to teach me all she knew. I miss her so much.... Anyway, we just had regular Log Cabin syrup with ours; and of course they get eaten faster than I can make them up. Tonight Hubs brought home Chinese from the Lotus Room. I got General Tao's but didn't love it. A lot of people like this place, but every time I eat there, I'm disappointed and I think it's way over priced. Hmpf... Guess I'm just a 'fast food' chinese kinda girl. :P
I've had a few people ask me about holiday cookies.... I was thinking I'd compile a list if I ever get a few minutes. :) Aaaah, I have so much to do, and so little time it seems! However, I know JESUS is the reason for the SEASON so, if I don't get all the decorations up~ no big deal; if I don't bake 10 different kinds of cookies~ no big deal; if I don't spend endless hours shopping for useless items~ no big deal! The gift I'm trying to give myself this season, is JOY. I want a joyful heart and to be a cheerful giver. I wish for you the same!
HUGS!
I've had a few people ask me about holiday cookies.... I was thinking I'd compile a list if I ever get a few minutes. :) Aaaah, I have so much to do, and so little time it seems! However, I know JESUS is the reason for the SEASON so, if I don't get all the decorations up~ no big deal; if I don't bake 10 different kinds of cookies~ no big deal; if I don't spend endless hours shopping for useless items~ no big deal! The gift I'm trying to give myself this season, is JOY. I want a joyful heart and to be a cheerful giver. I wish for you the same!
HUGS!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Whoops! Sorry 'bout that!
One night I made Cheesy Manicotti. It's just an easy one out of the Kraft Magazine (which is no longer FREE!). The manicotti shells break easily, and stuffing them is kind of a pain, but they really are yummy! I think I made these Tuesday night and we were leaving on Wednesday, so I froze the leftovers. Friday night we had pizza, cause we're low on food. That is the stinky part of going to someone else's house for Thanksgiving, you don't get any leftovers! :( Hubby has done all the cooking this weekend. Love you, babe! Last night he made Buffalo Chicken Cornbread with Blue Cheese Salad and tonight he made Shepherd's Pie. Both were pretty tasty. I love the taste of wings, but not wings (too messy!) so the cornbread dish was pretty good. Oh, B even took a picture of his dinner tonight. (I usually forget!) This frosty mug is filled with Michelob Marzen Oktoberfest Style beer, which in our opinion is pretty good. Sorry for all the recipe links, but too many to type out tonight. Gotta scoot to get my baby girl to bed! Sweet dreams!Friday, November 20, 2009
Lasagna Burgers
Last night I went with Lasagna Burgers (again out of the Rachael Ray Nov 2009 issue!). The concept is really good. I cheated on the burger part of it and wouldn't do that again. But I was tired and it had been such a gloomy day, I didn't have a lot of heart to put into dinner, so I used some premade hamburger patties that were in the freezer. Eh, making your own patties would have been much better. I also cheated by using jarred sauce. GASP! I know RR would be disappointed in me, but hey, when you have a baby glued to your hip and only one hand to attack dinner with, you do what you gotta do. I'm not above a few shortcuts, people! :) My neighbor recently said, and I quote, "Ginger, your super duper June Cleaver skills intimidate me." Clearly, she's not keeping up with my blog. LOL If you can read, you can cook! But K, your super duper NURSE skills totally impress me, why else would I send my kid to your house for sliver removal??? :) You keep my kids sliver free and I'll keep the sweets & treats coming. Deal?
Tonight I think I'll be figuring out a way to finish up that jarred spaghetti sauce but in the mean time here's the Lasagna Burger. Give it a try!
Lasagna Burger
serves 4
1.5 pounds of ground beef, pork, and veal mix (sometimes called meatloaf mix--I can't find it at my local Kroger, but I think VG's carries this blend)
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
one 14.5 ounce can Italian crushed tomatoes
1 handful basil leaves, shredded or torn
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup of milk
a few grates of nutmeg
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese (I just used parmesan)
4 hamburger or ciabatta rolls
1. In a large bowl, season the meat with plenty of S&P. Form into 4 patties, thinner in the middle for even cooking. Drizzle with EVOO.
2. In a sauce pan, heat 2 tbsp EVOO, over med heat. Add the onion and cook until softened about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and season with S&P. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 mintues.
3. In a large skillet heat a drizzle of EVOO over med-hi heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once until med-rare about 7-8 minutes.
4. While patties are cooking, in a small sauce pan, melt butter over med heat. whisk in flour for 1 minute, then whisk in milk. Season with S&P and nutmeg. Then cook until thickend, about 5 minutes. Stir in ricotta and parmigiano-reggiano.
5. Spoon some red sauce on the roll bottoms, then top with the patties. Dollop the cheese sauce on the top of the patties and top with the top of the roll.
Enjoy! We had ours with broccoli. I think this one was a keeper.
Tonight I think I'll be figuring out a way to finish up that jarred spaghetti sauce but in the mean time here's the Lasagna Burger. Give it a try!
Lasagna Burger
serves 4
1.5 pounds of ground beef, pork, and veal mix (sometimes called meatloaf mix--I can't find it at my local Kroger, but I think VG's carries this blend)
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
one 14.5 ounce can Italian crushed tomatoes
1 handful basil leaves, shredded or torn
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup of milk
a few grates of nutmeg
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese (I just used parmesan)
4 hamburger or ciabatta rolls
1. In a large bowl, season the meat with plenty of S&P. Form into 4 patties, thinner in the middle for even cooking. Drizzle with EVOO.
2. In a sauce pan, heat 2 tbsp EVOO, over med heat. Add the onion and cook until softened about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and season with S&P. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 mintues.
3. In a large skillet heat a drizzle of EVOO over med-hi heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once until med-rare about 7-8 minutes.
4. While patties are cooking, in a small sauce pan, melt butter over med heat. whisk in flour for 1 minute, then whisk in milk. Season with S&P and nutmeg. Then cook until thickend, about 5 minutes. Stir in ricotta and parmigiano-reggiano.
5. Spoon some red sauce on the roll bottoms, then top with the patties. Dollop the cheese sauce on the top of the patties and top with the top of the roll.
Enjoy! We had ours with broccoli. I think this one was a keeper.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
*Sigh* It's a gloomy morning, I hope it clears up. When I looked out the window and realized it had been raining, my heart sank. The last couple weeks have been so nice. I must have sensed the gloom coming because last night I decided on The White Chicken Chili. It's so easy, it's stupid.....
White Chicken Chili
1 48 oz jar white northern beans
1 large jar of salsa
2 teaspoons cumin
cooked, chopped or shredded chicken about a pound
and a bag of pepper jack cheese
heat through and serve, it's so good and simple!
We also had from scratch corn muffins. Just use the recipe on the package, it's easier than you think and better than the box mix kind! ;)
White Chicken Chili
1 48 oz jar white northern beans
1 large jar of salsa
2 teaspoons cumin
cooked, chopped or shredded chicken about a pound
and a bag of pepper jack cheese
heat through and serve, it's so good and simple!
We also had from scratch corn muffins. Just use the recipe on the package, it's easier than you think and better than the box mix kind! ;)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Teriyaki Pork & Mango Stir Fry
Last night I made Teriyaki Pork and Mango Stir Fry out of the Nov. Rachael Ray mag. It said the prep was only 20 minutes, but I found it to be a lot longer than that...might or might not have anything to do with trying to keep a 3 year old's hands out of everything or keeping a six month old from crying her fool head off. ;) Anyhoo, I followed the recipe exactly and I was a little disappointed. Mine looked nothing like the picture in the magazine. The flavors weren't as sharp as I would have liked...but my husband and kids ate it right up! Hubby had seconds and packed the leftovers for his lunch. Hmpf...go figure. :)
Teriyaki Pork and Mango Stir Fry
serves 4 prep 20 min cook 15 min
serve with steamed rice (I made minute rice)
1 lb of boneless pork chops
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small head of napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
one 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped (about two tablespoons) [I used some premade stuff in a tube, found in the produce section]
3 tbsp store-bought teriyaki sauce
2 mangoes, cut into matchsticks
2 cups bean sprouts
1. On a work surface, place pork chops between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (or use an empty cereal bag), and using a meat mallet pound meat to 1/4 in thick.. Slice into 1/4 inch thick strips. In a shallow bowl, whisk flour and salt. Add pork and toss.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tbsp of oil over med-high heat. Shake off excess flour from pork and arrange in a single layer in the skillet. Cook until browned and crisp on one side about 3 minutes; turn and cook, stirring until browned all over 2-3 minutes. Transfer to plate. [I found the meat to cook much faster than this, so be sure to keep an eye on it!]
3. Add the remaining oil and cabbage to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until the cabbage starts to brown 2-3 minutes. [once cabbage begins to wilt, it goes fast have sauce ingredients ready to go!] Add the garlic and ginger; cook/stir 30 seconds. Stir in the teriyaki sauce then toss pork and mangoes. Serve over rice and top with bean sprouts.
If you've never had bean sprouts they have a very mild earthy taste, but provide a nice cool crunch. The kids liked them. I had a hard time keeping their hands out of the cabbage, mangoes, and sprouts while I was elbow deep in flouring the pork. ;) I'm pretty sure they are super good for you!
Teriyaki Pork and Mango Stir Fry
serves 4 prep 20 min cook 15 min
serve with steamed rice (I made minute rice)
1 lb of boneless pork chops
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small head of napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
one 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped (about two tablespoons) [I used some premade stuff in a tube, found in the produce section]
3 tbsp store-bought teriyaki sauce
2 mangoes, cut into matchsticks
2 cups bean sprouts
1. On a work surface, place pork chops between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (or use an empty cereal bag), and using a meat mallet pound meat to 1/4 in thick.. Slice into 1/4 inch thick strips. In a shallow bowl, whisk flour and salt. Add pork and toss.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tbsp of oil over med-high heat. Shake off excess flour from pork and arrange in a single layer in the skillet. Cook until browned and crisp on one side about 3 minutes; turn and cook, stirring until browned all over 2-3 minutes. Transfer to plate. [I found the meat to cook much faster than this, so be sure to keep an eye on it!]
3. Add the remaining oil and cabbage to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until the cabbage starts to brown 2-3 minutes. [once cabbage begins to wilt, it goes fast have sauce ingredients ready to go!] Add the garlic and ginger; cook/stir 30 seconds. Stir in the teriyaki sauce then toss pork and mangoes. Serve over rice and top with bean sprouts.
Monday, November 16, 2009
where did my weekend go?
Monday already? The good news is, you didn't miss much, last night was the first I cooked since last Wednesday.
Friday night I got to escape for a little night out with my girls R, S, & W. We went back to our hometown (which is only a few minutes away LOL) to enjoy some mexican food at Rancho Grande. This place is seriously a hole in the wall; it's cash or check only, no booze, and I swear the place has not changed one thing in 20 years right down to the velvet pictures on the wall. Luckily the food hasn't changed in 20 years either. I get the same thing everytime, cheese enchilada dinner deluxe. Mmmmh, taking that first bite is so, so good. The corn tortilla and cheese, uh, just so good! I might just lick the plate clean if I weren't in a public establishment....LOL
Saturday we had a spur of the moment "playdate" with my husband's cousin, her husband and kids. We ordered pizza from this place in Linden that is mainly a party store, but they do have good pizza. Actually, it's the bread sticks that keep us coming back to this place. They put about a half inch of "butter" in the bottom of the to-go box and then pile on the bread sticks and put a ton of parmesan cheese all over it. I love soaking the breadsticks in the butter goo and parmesan. They are very reminicent of old school Little Caesar's breadsticks. I even lie to the children that the breadsticks are gone so that I can hog them all. Terrible, I know. I'd rather give myself the heart attack, ya know. I'm just looking out for them. ;-) ha ha ha
The past few weekends Hubby has been making breakfast. I am loving it. About a month ago, we watched this Good Eats episode about eggs, and since then he's been testing out his egg skills. I like my eggs over easy, sunny side up, runny~whatever you call it; however I cannot make them myself. He's also been cooking up pancakes, waffles, and this Sunday was french toast. I could really get used to his weekend specials. I hope he continues! :) So, for last nights dinner, I was pumped up to make this recipe I saw in the latest Rachael Ray mag (nov 2009). I had to buy it because so many things actually looked good in there. I used to subscribe to her mag, but then the recipes got so crazy that I let it go. I found a good deal over at Mags for Less for less than $9, so I decided I'd subscribe again.
My dinner turned out pretty good, but I would make a few changes if I made it again. I'll put my changes in parenthesis.
Beef, Cheddar and Potato Pie
serves 8 prep 45 min bake 45 min
2 pounds ground beef
2 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup dark beer (we used Amber Bock) -you could totally use beef broth
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but cold
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp water
1. Preheat oven to 375^. In a large skillet, combine beef, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and potato and cook, breaking up the meat, over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through and some liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the beer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cheese, 2 teaspoons salt (I would only use 1--two was way to salty for our taste) and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Let cool.
2. On a floured surface, roll out 1 puff pastry sheet inot a 12-inch round. Place in a 10 inch skillet or deep pie plate. Roll the remaining puff pastry sheet into an 11 inch round. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat mixture into the pie pan. Lightly brush the edge of the crust with some egg wash, then place the second sheet on top. Press the edges to seal, then trim them to a 1/2 inch edge. (NOTE: my bottom pastry did not finish cooking in the allotted time. I would not use a bottom crust if I made this again. I also didn't bother with making the pastries into rounds, I just left them square and formed them into a circle in the pan, only trimming the top crust a little to make a circle shape.)
3. Place the pie on a baking sheet. Brush top with more of the egg wash and cut and "X" into the pastry. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt (again, a little much, just sprinkle a little on) and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Bake for 45 minutes, tenting with foil if the the crust darkens too quickly. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes.
Overall, this was really good. The beer flavor was nice and mild. It was just disappointing that the bottom crust was still a little doughy and the salt was a bit much. The crust thing could have been my fault. I used a Pampered Chef stoneware pie plate, maybe I needed to bake it longer?? Dunno, we were so hungry and of course when I pulled it out, the top looked done, so I had no idea that the bottom wasn't.
Tonight we are having Teriyaki Pork-and-Mango-Stir-Fry, outta the RR Mag again. I'll be sure to let you know how it was!
Friday night I got to escape for a little night out with my girls R, S, & W. We went back to our hometown (which is only a few minutes away LOL) to enjoy some mexican food at Rancho Grande. This place is seriously a hole in the wall; it's cash or check only, no booze, and I swear the place has not changed one thing in 20 years right down to the velvet pictures on the wall. Luckily the food hasn't changed in 20 years either. I get the same thing everytime, cheese enchilada dinner deluxe. Mmmmh, taking that first bite is so, so good. The corn tortilla and cheese, uh, just so good! I might just lick the plate clean if I weren't in a public establishment....LOL
Saturday we had a spur of the moment "playdate" with my husband's cousin, her husband and kids. We ordered pizza from this place in Linden that is mainly a party store, but they do have good pizza. Actually, it's the bread sticks that keep us coming back to this place. They put about a half inch of "butter" in the bottom of the to-go box and then pile on the bread sticks and put a ton of parmesan cheese all over it. I love soaking the breadsticks in the butter goo and parmesan. They are very reminicent of old school Little Caesar's breadsticks. I even lie to the children that the breadsticks are gone so that I can hog them all. Terrible, I know. I'd rather give myself the heart attack, ya know. I'm just looking out for them. ;-) ha ha ha
The past few weekends Hubby has been making breakfast. I am loving it. About a month ago, we watched this Good Eats episode about eggs, and since then he's been testing out his egg skills. I like my eggs over easy, sunny side up, runny~whatever you call it; however I cannot make them myself. He's also been cooking up pancakes, waffles, and this Sunday was french toast. I could really get used to his weekend specials. I hope he continues! :) So, for last nights dinner, I was pumped up to make this recipe I saw in the latest Rachael Ray mag (nov 2009). I had to buy it because so many things actually looked good in there. I used to subscribe to her mag, but then the recipes got so crazy that I let it go. I found a good deal over at Mags for Less for less than $9, so I decided I'd subscribe again.
My dinner turned out pretty good, but I would make a few changes if I made it again. I'll put my changes in parenthesis.
Beef, Cheddar and Potato Pie
serves 8 prep 45 min bake 45 min
2 pounds ground beef
2 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup dark beer (we used Amber Bock) -you could totally use beef broth
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but cold
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp water
1. Preheat oven to 375^. In a large skillet, combine beef, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and potato and cook, breaking up the meat, over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through and some liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the beer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cheese, 2 teaspoons salt (I would only use 1--two was way to salty for our taste) and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Let cool.
2. On a floured surface, roll out 1 puff pastry sheet inot a 12-inch round. Place in a 10 inch skillet or deep pie plate. Roll the remaining puff pastry sheet into an 11 inch round. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat mixture into the pie pan. Lightly brush the edge of the crust with some egg wash, then place the second sheet on top. Press the edges to seal, then trim them to a 1/2 inch edge. (NOTE: my bottom pastry did not finish cooking in the allotted time. I would not use a bottom crust if I made this again. I also didn't bother with making the pastries into rounds, I just left them square and formed them into a circle in the pan, only trimming the top crust a little to make a circle shape.)
3. Place the pie on a baking sheet. Brush top with more of the egg wash and cut and "X" into the pastry. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt (again, a little much, just sprinkle a little on) and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Bake for 45 minutes, tenting with foil if the the crust darkens too quickly. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes.
Overall, this was really good. The beer flavor was nice and mild. It was just disappointing that the bottom crust was still a little doughy and the salt was a bit much. The crust thing could have been my fault. I used a Pampered Chef stoneware pie plate, maybe I needed to bake it longer?? Dunno, we were so hungry and of course when I pulled it out, the top looked done, so I had no idea that the bottom wasn't.
Tonight we are having Teriyaki Pork-and-Mango-Stir-Fry, outta the RR Mag again. I'll be sure to let you know how it was!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
the sun is out!
I'm posting early today since I'm not really cooking dinner tonight. Hubs & I have our first ever parent-teacher conference @6:30! After meeting with B's teacher, Hubs & I are heading to Outback to use up a birthday gift certificate we got. Woohoo! Can't wait for the Blue Cheese Chop Salad and big ol' Raspberry Margarita. Maybe I'll have steak too. lol Before we leave though, I will be whipping up some Kraft mac n'cheese, I think we might have a few chicken nuggets buried in the freezer somewhere and they'll get a frozen veggie too; probably green beans (their favorite!). Dinner is served. Granny is watching them while we are gone, surly they'll get dessert tonight. ;)
Since my dinner is nothing to write about tonight, I thought I'd post this gem. I made these a few weeks back and my friend A wanted the recipe! Here ya go, A!
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
makes 48
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped cocktail peanuts
Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Garnish
chopped peanuts
1. Heat oven to 350* F. Beat peanut butter, sugar, eggs, and baking soda in large bowl with electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth and blended. Stir in chopped nuts.
2. Drop level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart, flat side down, onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and slightly golden. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
3. Ganache: Microwave cream in glass bowl on high 1 minute or until it just begins to simmer. Add chocolate chips; let stand 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth; spread over half of cookie tops and sprinkle with chopped nuts. If ganache begins to firm up, microwave a few seconds at a time until easy to spread.
These are very rich cookies, but oh-so-good. I got this recipe from Woman's Day magazine. I guess I'm old since I read that ol' rag.
Since my dinner is nothing to write about tonight, I thought I'd post this gem. I made these a few weeks back and my friend A wanted the recipe! Here ya go, A!
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
makes 48
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped cocktail peanuts
Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Garnish
chopped peanuts
1. Heat oven to 350* F. Beat peanut butter, sugar, eggs, and baking soda in large bowl with electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth and blended. Stir in chopped nuts.
2. Drop level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart, flat side down, onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and slightly golden. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
3. Ganache: Microwave cream in glass bowl on high 1 minute or until it just begins to simmer. Add chocolate chips; let stand 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth; spread over half of cookie tops and sprinkle with chopped nuts. If ganache begins to firm up, microwave a few seconds at a time until easy to spread.
These are very rich cookies, but oh-so-good. I got this recipe from Woman's Day magazine. I guess I'm old since I read that ol' rag.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
<3 Comfort Food <3
Tonight we are having Grandma's Biscuits & Sausage Gravy. Mmmmh.... I think I have perfected the biscuits after a few attempts, well as good as I'm gonna get, I suppose. Ya know how even if you make something *exactly* the way someone else did but it's still not quite right?! No matter how close I come, I'll always be missing the LOVE that she put into it. Maybe one day my kids will say the same of me. Here's my plate of love:
I also made a couple of loaves of Pumpkin Bread. It actually uses the entire can. I hate pumpkin recipes that call for 1 cup--use the whole darn can, please and thank you! My lovely neighbor J was gracious enough to give me a brick of cream cheese so I could slather it all over my pumpkin bread slices. Mmmmhhh! Yummy!
I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com I use that site a lot. I like how you can type in ingredients you have and search for a recipe.
Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans. (I used two 9x4s and it took a little longer to bake.)
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
I did follow the recipe as posted and found it to be a mild pumpkin flavor. The outside has a nice crust and the inside is nice and moist. The cream cheese on it is a nice addition. I would probably bake this again.
I also made a couple of loaves of Pumpkin Bread. It actually uses the entire can. I hate pumpkin recipes that call for 1 cup--use the whole darn can, please and thank you! My lovely neighbor J was gracious enough to give me a brick of cream cheese so I could slather it all over my pumpkin bread slices. Mmmmhhh! Yummy!
I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com I use that site a lot. I like how you can type in ingredients you have and search for a recipe.
Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans. (I used two 9x4s and it took a little longer to bake.)
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
I did follow the recipe as posted and found it to be a mild pumpkin flavor. The outside has a nice crust and the inside is nice and moist. The cream cheese on it is a nice addition. I would probably bake this again.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Terrific Tuesday
Ha! That is said very sarcastically. It hasn't been a terrible day, but Tuesdays are usually busy as E goes to preschool & I must drive him. While he is there my friend A & I try to walk. Today was a nice day for it. After I pick up E we usually hang around to pick up B 45 minutes later, as they attend school in the same building. Today we ran an errand to kill time. Then we zip home & I have to fend off the boys from eating too much. The baby needs to eat. The dog wants out. Looking through the mail, nothing good today. Of course, check my email. ;) All in all it's a crazy time from 4-6 pm.
Tonight for dinner we are having Pork Chops & "The Pioneer Woman's Sweet-Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges," along with some mixed frozen veggies. For the pork chops I searched around for a good one this morning and decided to combine a couple I looked at.
Here's my version, what I'm calling Ritzy Pork Chops
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
coupla sleeves of Ritz Crackers, smashed to smitherines
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounded out thin, pork chops
Scramble eggs and add the garlic & onion powder to it. When you pound out your pork chops, be careful of your fingers! (Tip: You know those heavy plasticy bags that cereal come is, well save them when they are empty--they are great for smashing meat in, won't break. Sadly, I never remember to keep the bags!!!) Then dry the meat with paper towels, dredge in eggs, then cracker crumbs, and into the hot fry pan with the oil. Cook to desired doneness, depending on thickness. I made mine pretty thin, so it should only take a couple of minutes per side.
For Ree's squash recipe, please visit: here. If you've never checked out The Pioneer Woman, nows the time! She's the whole package, folks! I just saw that she was featured in People magazine!
How was it? Pork chops were pretty good, I over cooked them a bit (naturally with three distractions!). The squash was good, maybe go light on the rosemary unless you really love it. The kids had to pick out all the little stems. I let Joy try a bite of the squash. She seemed to like it, but really she has no idea what to do yet.
Tonight for dinner we are having Pork Chops & "The Pioneer Woman's Sweet-Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges," along with some mixed frozen veggies. For the pork chops I searched around for a good one this morning and decided to combine a couple I looked at.
Here's my version, what I'm calling Ritzy Pork Chops
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
coupla sleeves of Ritz Crackers, smashed to smitherines
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounded out thin, pork chops
Scramble eggs and add the garlic & onion powder to it. When you pound out your pork chops, be careful of your fingers! (Tip: You know those heavy plasticy bags that cereal come is, well save them when they are empty--they are great for smashing meat in, won't break. Sadly, I never remember to keep the bags!!!) Then dry the meat with paper towels, dredge in eggs, then cracker crumbs, and into the hot fry pan with the oil. Cook to desired doneness, depending on thickness. I made mine pretty thin, so it should only take a couple of minutes per side.
For Ree's squash recipe, please visit: here. If you've never checked out The Pioneer Woman, nows the time! She's the whole package, folks! I just saw that she was featured in People magazine!
How was it? Pork chops were pretty good, I over cooked them a bit (naturally with three distractions!). The squash was good, maybe go light on the rosemary unless you really love it. The kids had to pick out all the little stems. I let Joy try a bite of the squash. She seemed to like it, but really she has no idea what to do yet.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wow, Six months is a long time...
Okay, so my last post was in May. I had a baby, ya know! Besides being busy doing all that a mom of three precious hoodlums does, I didn't really think anyone kept up with my writings besides my bff, and she's only doing that because she's obligated to do so. LOL I felt this blog was lacking a direction. However, I think I have decided on one and hopefully from here on out will be able to keep up with it and have something to say that might be interesting.
I recently had a FB friend approach me for advice on what to make for a party she was hosting. I was so flattered that she thought of me! Then, my neighbor suggested that I blog about my cooking/baking as she is always asking me for a recipe or oohing and aahing over my "status updates" on Facebook when I talk about food. I had been thinking about it, and with that little encouragement, decided it was a good idea. :) Thanks Jess!
This blog will now be about what's for dinner in the real world! I am a busy mom of three kids under 5. I love to try new recipes, and, of course, have quite a few good ol' standbys. I tend to wing it a lot times, and some things I make (like chili) never seem to come out the same way twice. I'm not good at planning ahead. I know some who do that, but for me, how do I know on Monday what is going to sound good on Thursday night? I usually only shop every other week. We don't eat out that much. I do make things that are a total flop and some stuff is just outstanding, that I totally impress myself! Some things have special meaning to me and I make them with lots of love. When I bake, I usually wear an apron becuase I get so messy! So there you have it, a little bit about my habits.
Ironically, after a busy weekend and a late night last night I have no motivation for dinner tonight. So Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup it is. Hopefully I won't burn it.... ;-)
I recently had a FB friend approach me for advice on what to make for a party she was hosting. I was so flattered that she thought of me! Then, my neighbor suggested that I blog about my cooking/baking as she is always asking me for a recipe or oohing and aahing over my "status updates" on Facebook when I talk about food. I had been thinking about it, and with that little encouragement, decided it was a good idea. :) Thanks Jess!
This blog will now be about what's for dinner in the real world! I am a busy mom of three kids under 5. I love to try new recipes, and, of course, have quite a few good ol' standbys. I tend to wing it a lot times, and some things I make (like chili) never seem to come out the same way twice. I'm not good at planning ahead. I know some who do that, but for me, how do I know on Monday what is going to sound good on Thursday night? I usually only shop every other week. We don't eat out that much. I do make things that are a total flop and some stuff is just outstanding, that I totally impress myself! Some things have special meaning to me and I make them with lots of love. When I bake, I usually wear an apron becuase I get so messy! So there you have it, a little bit about my habits.
Ironically, after a busy weekend and a late night last night I have no motivation for dinner tonight. So Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup it is. Hopefully I won't burn it.... ;-)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Still here...
Yep, I'm still here. Still pregnant. Just in case there are any strangers out there that follow my blog. The plan is for me to be induced on Thursday night, so it's expected for the official arrival to be on Friday, May 15th. Yay! Finally! Light at the end of the tunnel...er maybe literally?! ha ha! I've been having a lot of contractions, last night they even woke me up from my deep slumber. But, I guess they puttered out and haven't had much going on since I got up. My midwife keeps telling me that third pregnancies are the weirdest so... I guess all the contractions just play into that. I've been Believing for a manageable and quick labor, so maybe all these contractions are good, getting the body ready so that when labor kicks in for real, it will go fast. I'm confident it will go smoothly.
I had a great Mother's Day. We spent it will all parts of our family, it was very nice. The night before, I was really missing my Grandma. I had been in a pretty bad mood all day Saturday and then it kind of hit me like a ton of bricks... my first Mother's Day without her. I had a good cry, then felt a lot better. I miss her terribly. I am so sad that she isn't here to share in my excitement and joy for my daughter. I know she would have been so happy for us to finally be getting our girl. I'm sure she'll be "visiting" us from the other side, but gee, it would just be nice if I could converse with her!! I had a dream about her a few weeks ago that was pretty funny. I dreamt that her and I were at Bob Evans and the waitress pointed out that a tornado was coming. We just sat there. When it was over, she wanted to go back to her house to change her clothes or something. I was like, "grandma, your clothes are gone." She said, "WHAT!??!?!" and I had to tell her that she'd been dead for over 6 months and we got rid of her stuff. She was really mad (about getting rid of her stuff).
Okay, well kids want breakfast. Suppose I should feed them and myself. Have a great day!
I had a great Mother's Day. We spent it will all parts of our family, it was very nice. The night before, I was really missing my Grandma. I had been in a pretty bad mood all day Saturday and then it kind of hit me like a ton of bricks... my first Mother's Day without her. I had a good cry, then felt a lot better. I miss her terribly. I am so sad that she isn't here to share in my excitement and joy for my daughter. I know she would have been so happy for us to finally be getting our girl. I'm sure she'll be "visiting" us from the other side, but gee, it would just be nice if I could converse with her!! I had a dream about her a few weeks ago that was pretty funny. I dreamt that her and I were at Bob Evans and the waitress pointed out that a tornado was coming. We just sat there. When it was over, she wanted to go back to her house to change her clothes or something. I was like, "grandma, your clothes are gone." She said, "WHAT!??!?!" and I had to tell her that she'd been dead for over 6 months and we got rid of her stuff. She was really mad (about getting rid of her stuff).
Okay, well kids want breakfast. Suppose I should feed them and myself. Have a great day!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Almost time...
Three weeks. Three [short] weeks until the hopeful arrival of my bundle of Joy! It's hard to believe that 9 months have gone by already. It's so funny how when you're young you can't wait to be older. The time seemed to drag by. Then you grow up and you realize time moves a lot faster. And when you have kids, it literally just zooms by. I long to go back sometimes. Not to before kids, but just rewind to the beginning of kids and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Not that I didn't, because I did, thus baby #3. ;-) I love being a mom, I love babies. Three year olds, not so much. Kidding!!! I never knew for sure if we were going to even have a #3 baby, so I feel very blessed that God provided this opportunity to us and I plan on savoring every moment I can. I have enjoyed this pregnancy and for the most part it's been problem free and very easy (minus the one week of hell from sciatica nerve pain). But then again, the first two were pretty simple too.
I can't wait to see my baby girl's face. Who will she look like? My oldest son is the spitting image of his father, and the middle one favors me a lot. What color hair and eyes will she have? B has brown hair and green/hazel eyes, EO has blond hair and the most beautiful blue eyes. There is a good chance she could be a red head. There's red on all sides of the family. That would be kind of funny if we had three kids that were three completely different combinations. I suppose it's entirely possible. I'm really hoping her personality is really easy going. At least the first year. ha ha ha... Oh, the anticipation! I can't wait, and now I really don't have to wait that much longer. My schedule is pretty busy, so hopefully my time spent waiting will be full of fun and adventure. Certainly, tomorrow night. Spending the evening with some of my bestest friends for dinner and a movie. On little last hurrah kid free kind of night. Can't wait!
I must rant about my lovely dog. Using the term lovely real loose here. Okay, this might be TMI, but he won't stop chewing up my underwear!!! He demolished TWO pairs just LAST NIGHT! I am about out of underwear now! In the past couple of weeks he's managed to ruin like 6 pair. Then the two last night. Like I want to run out and get underwear now?!! AND it's not my fault that he's gaining access to them. I am really good about putting my dirty clothes in the basket, but it has holes in the side of it that are probably the size of a 50cent piece. He some how pulls them through the holes. BUT someone keeps leaving the door to the bathroom open and it's NOT ME! If you know me, you know I'm super anal about doors being shut. I can't stand for a cupboard to be left open, or not shut evenly. I have to have the bathroom and closet doors shut in our room, especially when it's time for bed. I hate it when my husband doesn't clear out the microwave and it's flashing some random message. {okay enough of my pet peeves} You get the point. I'm not responsible! So... I guess this is just one way to clean out your underwear drawer... you can come have Roscoe visit for a week. You'll definitely be down a few pairs. :P
Oh, and a few words about American Idol. I wasn't surprised to see Matt go home. For a second I really wondered if it was going to be Adam. You know, one of those OMG-Can't-Believe-It things that would have everyone talking for days... I read in TV Guide that next year is to be Simon's last year. He assures that the show will go on with out him. He also predicts that Danny will be the winner this season....per usual, I just wanted to punch Paula in the face over and over. They really need to ditch her!!! OH! I never watched the season that Taylor Hicks won...so I don't know much about him. After last nights performance, I can see I'm not missing much. So is he a country artist?? what-ever!
I can't wait to see my baby girl's face. Who will she look like? My oldest son is the spitting image of his father, and the middle one favors me a lot. What color hair and eyes will she have? B has brown hair and green/hazel eyes, EO has blond hair and the most beautiful blue eyes. There is a good chance she could be a red head. There's red on all sides of the family. That would be kind of funny if we had three kids that were three completely different combinations. I suppose it's entirely possible. I'm really hoping her personality is really easy going. At least the first year. ha ha ha... Oh, the anticipation! I can't wait, and now I really don't have to wait that much longer. My schedule is pretty busy, so hopefully my time spent waiting will be full of fun and adventure. Certainly, tomorrow night. Spending the evening with some of my bestest friends for dinner and a movie. On little last hurrah kid free kind of night. Can't wait!
I must rant about my lovely dog. Using the term lovely real loose here. Okay, this might be TMI, but he won't stop chewing up my underwear!!! He demolished TWO pairs just LAST NIGHT! I am about out of underwear now! In the past couple of weeks he's managed to ruin like 6 pair. Then the two last night. Like I want to run out and get underwear now?!! AND it's not my fault that he's gaining access to them. I am really good about putting my dirty clothes in the basket, but it has holes in the side of it that are probably the size of a 50cent piece. He some how pulls them through the holes. BUT someone keeps leaving the door to the bathroom open and it's NOT ME! If you know me, you know I'm super anal about doors being shut. I can't stand for a cupboard to be left open, or not shut evenly. I have to have the bathroom and closet doors shut in our room, especially when it's time for bed. I hate it when my husband doesn't clear out the microwave and it's flashing some random message. {okay enough of my pet peeves} You get the point. I'm not responsible! So... I guess this is just one way to clean out your underwear drawer... you can come have Roscoe visit for a week. You'll definitely be down a few pairs. :P
Oh, and a few words about American Idol. I wasn't surprised to see Matt go home. For a second I really wondered if it was going to be Adam. You know, one of those OMG-Can't-Believe-It things that would have everyone talking for days... I read in TV Guide that next year is to be Simon's last year. He assures that the show will go on with out him. He also predicts that Danny will be the winner this season....per usual, I just wanted to punch Paula in the face over and over. They really need to ditch her!!! OH! I never watched the season that Taylor Hicks won...so I don't know much about him. After last nights performance, I can see I'm not missing much. So is he a country artist?? what-ever!
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