AJ & LJ's (bro- and sis-in-law) neighbors have a crazy producing apple tree. One day they sent niecey LJ over to ask if they could pick some apples. The neighbors said they wanted to pick first and then they would let them have at it. The neighbors got all they wanted and then sent us crazy Js over. I just can't even tell you how many apples were picked but it was a ton. Our kids got in on the action and had a grand time. AJ & LJ shared some apples with us, and kept a bunch for themselves, making things like apple butter, applesauce and apple chips. JJ didn't want to do any of those things and just wanted to eat them. I let him have at them for a while, but it didn't seem like they would get eaten fast enough and I didn't want them to go to waste, so yesterday I decided I was making apple chips, which, in my opinion was the easiest option! :)
I could NOT find our mandolin slicer, so I resorted to one of our other "slicing" products. Kinda sad that we have multiple options, but if you know anything about JJ, you probably know that he is a gadget kind of guy. And he loves to cook. Ok, two things about him! But put them together and we have A LOT of random kitchen gadgets.
I got out our apple peeler-corer-slicer. After wrangling it a bit, CJ and I figured out how to make it peel the apples, but we could not figure out how to make it core the things or slice them for that matter. It took me a looong time (well a lot longer than it should have) to put them through the peeler, then core them, and then slice them by hand. THEN put them in a lemon water bath. And THEN put them in the dehydrator. TOO much input what seemed like not "enough" output.
I told JJ all about this last night when he was home. He looked at me incredulously. He took one look at the peeler-corer-slicer thingy, flipped up a little knobby, and even moved the handle back into position with another flip of another lever (rather than hand crank it as CJ & I had done all morning)... UGH. We could've saved SO MUCH TIME!
Today in about 10 minutes I had a second batch of apples ready to go. So. Should I count this as a fail? No. I am not. I learned something new and will be much more willing to tackle those apples next time!
Daddy, Mommy, Big Sis, Big Bro, and baby #3!
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Pecan Honey Chicken
I was at a total loss for meal ideas last week. I literally had no go to meals that sounded amazing to me besides our weekly mac and cheese tradition (have I mentioned I can be worse than the kids in the food variety department?). Usually in this case, I go to my Pinterest boards or the binder of recipes I made, but I decided instead to dust off my Grandma's (Dad's Mom) family's cookbook. This cookbook was put together probably ten or so years ago and has some great recipes from some great people! I dove in and found this little gem that came together so well and was very yummy - JJ said the chicken was a bit dry (always my downfall -- I am crazy weird about making so sure chicken is cooked that I USUALLY overcook it.) but otherwise he loved it. C of course ate a helping and a half and M tried it and didn't hate it. Win-win-win!
From my family to yours - enjoy this Pecan Honey Chicken! *Note- I halved the recipe and we had just enough leftovers for one lunch portion. I served it with rice.
6 skinned chicken breasts 1 c flour
1/2 c butter 1 tsp baking powder
1 egg 2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk 2 tsp sesame seeds
Honey 2 TBSP chopped pecans
Melt butter in baking dish. Mix egg and milk for dipping. Mix dry ingredients together. Dip chicken in milk and egg. Coat with flour mixture. Drizzle additional melted butter and honey over chicken pieces in pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn chicken; drizzle with honey and bake for 20-30 minutes more.
From my family to yours - enjoy this Pecan Honey Chicken! *Note- I halved the recipe and we had just enough leftovers for one lunch portion. I served it with rice.
6 skinned chicken breasts 1 c flour
1/2 c butter 1 tsp baking powder
1 egg 2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk 2 tsp sesame seeds
Honey 2 TBSP chopped pecans
Melt butter in baking dish. Mix egg and milk for dipping. Mix dry ingredients together. Dip chicken in milk and egg. Coat with flour mixture. Drizzle additional melted butter and honey over chicken pieces in pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn chicken; drizzle with honey and bake for 20-30 minutes more.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Broccoli Cheese Soup
The weather last week was CHILLY. While I was meal planning, I was in the mood for soup. But, we all know weather is not stable, especially where I live... unless you count winter. Because then it's just freezing cold for like 5 months. Anyways, this week has been GORGEOUS. But, since I bought broccoli and a few other necessary ingredients for broccoli cheese soup, well, I dove right in to make it last night. It's not a HEAVY soup like chili or gumbo that I absolutely have to have in the winter, so it all worked out in the end. And C ate like 3 bowls full, so it must've been ok!! I stole the recipe right from Pinterest, so I'm just going to link it. Mmm-mmm. It was awesome and super easy to make!
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Slow-Cooked Coconut Chicken
I have been CRAVING some Green Mill lately. Spinach Dip and Coconut Chicken Fingers to be exact. When I stumbled upon this recipe from my SIL's magazine stash, I knew I had to give it a go. Almost the simplest dish you could ever throw together. And side bonus? When I FORCED M to try it, she closed her eyes in pure delight and asked for more. Yup. This is definitely being added to our recipe "list!"
Slow-Cooked Coconut Chicken
From: Taste of Home
Ingredients:
1/2 c light coconut milk
2 T brown sugar
2 T soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t ground cloves
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used chicken breasts! - about 1 1/2 lbs)
6 T flaked coconut, toasted
Minced fresh cilantro (oops! I knew I forgot something! Next time!!)
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Pour coconut milk mixture over top. Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender (JJ said I overcooked ours... but it accidentally went a little longer than 5 hours!). Serve with coconut and cilantro. Yield: 6 servings
Slow-Cooked Coconut Chicken
From: Taste of Home
Ingredients:
1/2 c light coconut milk
2 T brown sugar
2 T soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t ground cloves
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used chicken breasts! - about 1 1/2 lbs)
6 T flaked coconut, toasted
Minced fresh cilantro (oops! I knew I forgot something! Next time!!)
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Pour coconut milk mixture over top. Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender (JJ said I overcooked ours... but it accidentally went a little longer than 5 hours!). Serve with coconut and cilantro. Yield: 6 servings
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Tangy Sloppy Joes
Sloppy Joes are a total standard on my meal plan. I am not a huge meat fan (as evidenced by my doc putting me on iron supplements!), but I love me some sloppy joes. Alongside potato chips dipped in ketchup and pickles, and I'm good to go. Yum. In the past I've used a spice packet, but I had several recipes saved so I decided to try one the other day. Oh my goodness. Yum. Yum. A thousand times yum. And easy. So try this Tangy Sloppy Joe recipe from some old recipe magazine. :)
Tangy Sloppy Joes
Prep/Total Time: 30 mins.
1 pound ground beef
1/2 c chopped celery
1/3 c chopped onion
2 T chopped green pepper
1 c ketchup
1/2 c chili sauce
1 T sugar
1 T brown sugar
1 T cider vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
buns
(and pickles and potato chips with ketchup. obviously.)
In a large skillet, cook the beef, celery, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.
Stir in the ketchup, chili sauce, sugars, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins. Serve on buns. 6 servings.
(Can be frozen.)
Tangy Sloppy Joes
Prep/Total Time: 30 mins.
1 pound ground beef
1/2 c chopped celery
1/3 c chopped onion
2 T chopped green pepper
1 c ketchup
1/2 c chili sauce
1 T sugar
1 T brown sugar
1 T cider vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
buns
(and pickles and potato chips with ketchup. obviously.)
In a large skillet, cook the beef, celery, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.
Stir in the ketchup, chili sauce, sugars, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins. Serve on buns. 6 servings.
(Can be frozen.)
Friday, July 25, 2014
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe
We were superexcited to have visitors a little while ago and I wanted an easy to put together meal that would be kiddo friendly. There were 4 kids almost exactly a year apart from 5-2 years old! What a grand time was had by all! I found this little gem tucked away in my recipe folder. It wasn't M's favorite, but she mowed down the rice and C wanted seconds, thirds and leftovers the next day! This recipe COULD NOT be easier. Seriously.
Ingredients:
32 oz package of precooked, frozen meatballs
13.5 oz can of unsweetened pineapple chunks (save juice)
1 lg green pepper, diced
1 c brown sugar
2 TBL cornstarch
2/3 c white vinegar
2 TBL soy sauce
Directions:
Place meatballs in crockpot and top with green pepper and drained pineapple chunks. In a separate bowl, mix reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and soy sauce. Pour sauce over meatballs, pineapple and green peppers. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.
I made brown rice for the side. Yum-o!
Ingredients:
32 oz package of precooked, frozen meatballs
13.5 oz can of unsweetened pineapple chunks (save juice)
1 lg green pepper, diced
1 c brown sugar
2 TBL cornstarch
2/3 c white vinegar
2 TBL soy sauce
Directions:
Place meatballs in crockpot and top with green pepper and drained pineapple chunks. In a separate bowl, mix reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and soy sauce. Pour sauce over meatballs, pineapple and green peppers. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.
I made brown rice for the side. Yum-o!
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Rosy Applesauce
It feels weird to say that in my "old life", I was a teacher, because we always get a summer break. Surely nothing has changed just yet. It will really set in in August I'm sure. I already promised C that when we got Back to School shopping with Miss M, we can each pick out something too. :) hehe Not that that is what I'll miss most about teaching, but just sayin', I love me some office supplies.
One thing I that is not high on my Things I'll Miss About Teaching list is school lunch. Granted, I found some things I loved in the cafeteria (did I mention that I was a lunchroom supervisor for most of my teaching stint in KS?), but overall, not the highlight of my day for sure. So one of those loves was "Rosy Applesauce". Sounds weird right? Just reddish applesauce... why would I be writing a post about reddish applesauce? I came across this recipe on pinterest the other day, and well, chalk it up to another win for Team Mommy! So, basically, you just add jello to applesauce. And that is it!! My kids gobbled it up, and with unsweetened applesauce and sugar free jello, I happily scooped more on their plate!
One thing I that is not high on my Things I'll Miss About Teaching list is school lunch. Granted, I found some things I loved in the cafeteria (did I mention that I was a lunchroom supervisor for most of my teaching stint in KS?), but overall, not the highlight of my day for sure. So one of those loves was "Rosy Applesauce". Sounds weird right? Just reddish applesauce... why would I be writing a post about reddish applesauce? I came across this recipe on pinterest the other day, and well, chalk it up to another win for Team Mommy! So, basically, you just add jello to applesauce. And that is it!! My kids gobbled it up, and with unsweetened applesauce and sugar free jello, I happily scooped more on their plate!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Pan Fried Chicken with Orange Salad
Last night I officially finished going through some old Taste of Home
magazines, cutting out recipes I'd actually try, and recycling the rest
of the mag. I've been on a mission to organize my random recipes - sorting by type, laminating them, and putting them in a binder. Sounds easy enough right? I have A LOT of random clippings from magazines, recipes I've printed, and old magazines.
I found this gem in a stack. It comes from a Jan 2005 edition of Redbook (No, I don't have THAT many magazines laying around, but I did obviously cut this out awhile ago!). I had about three helpings of the salad the other night and M requested the chicken again for lunch the next day. Can't go wrong when my picky eater loves it!
Chicken Milanese with Organe-Arugula Salad
*Note from my sub list that this is not an exact science for me! :)
Orange-Arugula Salad
1/2 tsp grated orange zest
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil (I used my fancy-pants hubby's avocado oil)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Half of a fennel bulb, stalk, and leaves removed, halved lengthwise, cored, thinly sliced crosswise (1 c) --- I did not go out to get fennel. Instead I used celery! :)
3 small oranges, peeled, in sections
1/2 c thinly sliced red onion strips
2 c baby arugula leaves (another sub! I just used a baby greens mix in one of those rectangular cartons)
Chicken Milanese
1/3 c plain dry breadcrumbs (I used panko)
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
3 T chopped parsley (oops, thought we had some of this, but didn't. Instead I grabbed some basil I think)
4 (4-oz) thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Flour, for dredging
1/4 c fat-free egg substitute (I cracked two eggs!)
Olive oil cooking spray
1. Orange-Arugula Salad: In a medium bowl, whisk zest, orange juice, oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until blended; stir in fennel, orange sections, and red onion. Place arugula on top (do not toss).
2. Chicken Milanese: Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and parsley on a plate to blend. Season the cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets in flour, patting off excess, then dip in egg substitute, letting excess drip off. Coat cutlets with breadcrumb mixture.
3. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place skillet over medium-high heat until hot. lightly spray cutlets with cooking spray (I just sprayed pan... not cutlets). Fry cutlets 1 1/2 to 2 min. per side (I always do a little more... I get worried about cooking meat all the way through!!), until golden and just cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
4. Toss salad and enjoy!
I found this gem in a stack. It comes from a Jan 2005 edition of Redbook (No, I don't have THAT many magazines laying around, but I did obviously cut this out awhile ago!). I had about three helpings of the salad the other night and M requested the chicken again for lunch the next day. Can't go wrong when my picky eater loves it!
Chicken Milanese with Organe-Arugula Salad
*Note from my sub list that this is not an exact science for me! :)
Orange-Arugula Salad
1/2 tsp grated orange zest
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil (I used my fancy-pants hubby's avocado oil)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Half of a fennel bulb, stalk, and leaves removed, halved lengthwise, cored, thinly sliced crosswise (1 c) --- I did not go out to get fennel. Instead I used celery! :)
3 small oranges, peeled, in sections
1/2 c thinly sliced red onion strips
2 c baby arugula leaves (another sub! I just used a baby greens mix in one of those rectangular cartons)
Chicken Milanese
1/3 c plain dry breadcrumbs (I used panko)
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
3 T chopped parsley (oops, thought we had some of this, but didn't. Instead I grabbed some basil I think)
4 (4-oz) thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Flour, for dredging
1/4 c fat-free egg substitute (I cracked two eggs!)
Olive oil cooking spray
1. Orange-Arugula Salad: In a medium bowl, whisk zest, orange juice, oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until blended; stir in fennel, orange sections, and red onion. Place arugula on top (do not toss).
2. Chicken Milanese: Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and parsley on a plate to blend. Season the cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets in flour, patting off excess, then dip in egg substitute, letting excess drip off. Coat cutlets with breadcrumb mixture.
3. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place skillet over medium-high heat until hot. lightly spray cutlets with cooking spray (I just sprayed pan... not cutlets). Fry cutlets 1 1/2 to 2 min. per side (I always do a little more... I get worried about cooking meat all the way through!!), until golden and just cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
4. Toss salad and enjoy!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
#11: Freezer Cooking!
With my OFFICIAL start to summer occurring tomorrow - you heard right folks - my last day of this school year is TOMORROW, I am already rocking out on my list! Before my maternity leave was over, I cooked up a storm and made three separate freezer meals - two of which came from my freezer cookbook. This is the bowtie pasta recipe:
One thing I've learned from freezer cooking is that I am not always hungry for what I've made ahead of time. Grrr. Also, this recipe in particular just really lacked flavor post thaw... good thing I'm married to a creative cook!
There ARE some recipes that have been amazing to freeze, and I'm going to post two of my favorites (from RF, a friend at Church, who brought us these meals after the C-ster was born!). Prepare to fall in love with these two recipes!!
Aunt Evelyn's Potato Casserole
9-12 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled (drained)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
1 stick margarine salt to taste
Mix all ingredients together. (I use an electric mixer.) Place in greased 9 x 13
glass casserole dish. Bake 30-45 minutes @ 350 degrees. May top with grated cheese
last few minutes of bake time.
Poppyseed Chicken
2 lbs of chicken breast, cooked & chopped
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tube of Ritz crackers
1 1/2 T. poppy seeds
1 stick melted butter
Place chicken in a shallow casserole. Mix sour cream and soup; pour over chicken.
Mix crumbs, butter and poppy seeds and sprinkle over top. Bake 30 minutes at 350
degrees or until bubbly.
One thing I've learned from freezer cooking is that I am not always hungry for what I've made ahead of time. Grrr. Also, this recipe in particular just really lacked flavor post thaw... good thing I'm married to a creative cook!
There ARE some recipes that have been amazing to freeze, and I'm going to post two of my favorites (from RF, a friend at Church, who brought us these meals after the C-ster was born!). Prepare to fall in love with these two recipes!!
9-12 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled (drained)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
1 stick margarine salt to taste
Mix all ingredients together. (I use an electric mixer.) Place in greased 9 x 13
glass casserole dish. Bake 30-45 minutes @ 350 degrees. May top with grated cheese
last few minutes of bake time.
Poppyseed Chicken
2 lbs of chicken breast, cooked & chopped
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tube of Ritz crackers
1 1/2 T. poppy seeds
1 stick melted butter
Place chicken in a shallow casserole. Mix sour cream and soup; pour over chicken.
Mix crumbs, butter and poppy seeds and sprinkle over top. Bake 30 minutes at 350
degrees or until bubbly.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Recipes --- QUICK!
I need to post these quick -- M's naptime is burning up and I have a few more things to do!
Crescent Roll Caserole
I looked everywhere for the actual recipe (from my Momma!) and could not find it. Consequently, you get my ramblings. Sorry!
*We've been using an 8x8 pan lately instead of the standard 9x13 to make this -- I'm going to give ingredients for 8x8, about double it for the 9x13!
One tube of crescent rolls
1/2 lb. of ground beef (or turkey or whatever)
chopped onion
12-ish oz. spaghetti sauce (our favorite? Hunts -- use half the can)
random gatherings from the fridge: noodles, peas, carrots, broccoli, etc.
sour cream (enough to spread one layer)
shredded cheese
Parmesan cheese
This recipe is amazing because it's almost a "whatever you got throw it in the pot" type of recipe. I love that it's so forgiving!
So, you layer half of the crescent rolls on the bottom of a greased 8x8 pan (try to spread them out so they cover the whole bottom and pinch the seams together). Cook at 350 for 10ish minutes to puff it and cook it a bit. In the meantime, brown ground meat and add onions. Add the spaghetti sauce for a little bit to blend flavors. Throw in any veggies, noodles, or other things you want to add! Take the pan out of the oven and add the spaghetti mixture to the pan. Spread with a layer of sour cream, add the shredded cheese for another layer. Put the rest of the crescent rolls on top of this - again trying to spread it over the whole thing. Lastly, sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until crescent roll on top is golden brown. Let cool and enjoy!
Mueslix
This is a great go-to breakfast recipe I picked up from my SIL, LJ. Mmmm!
The night before: soak 2 cups of oats in 1 cup of milk.
The next morning: add 3/4 c. of yogurt and 1/4 c. of sugar (or less).
Serve cold with any fruits or nuts you enjoy. Examples of things we've added are: cheerios, chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, diced apples, sliced bananas, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, even chocolate chips!
Crescent Roll Caserole
I looked everywhere for the actual recipe (from my Momma!) and could not find it. Consequently, you get my ramblings. Sorry!
*We've been using an 8x8 pan lately instead of the standard 9x13 to make this -- I'm going to give ingredients for 8x8, about double it for the 9x13!
One tube of crescent rolls
1/2 lb. of ground beef (or turkey or whatever)
chopped onion
12-ish oz. spaghetti sauce (our favorite? Hunts -- use half the can)
random gatherings from the fridge: noodles, peas, carrots, broccoli, etc.
sour cream (enough to spread one layer)
shredded cheese
Parmesan cheese
This recipe is amazing because it's almost a "whatever you got throw it in the pot" type of recipe. I love that it's so forgiving!
So, you layer half of the crescent rolls on the bottom of a greased 8x8 pan (try to spread them out so they cover the whole bottom and pinch the seams together). Cook at 350 for 10ish minutes to puff it and cook it a bit. In the meantime, brown ground meat and add onions. Add the spaghetti sauce for a little bit to blend flavors. Throw in any veggies, noodles, or other things you want to add! Take the pan out of the oven and add the spaghetti mixture to the pan. Spread with a layer of sour cream, add the shredded cheese for another layer. Put the rest of the crescent rolls on top of this - again trying to spread it over the whole thing. Lastly, sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until crescent roll on top is golden brown. Let cool and enjoy!
Mueslix
This is a great go-to breakfast recipe I picked up from my SIL, LJ. Mmmm!
The night before: soak 2 cups of oats in 1 cup of milk.
The next morning: add 3/4 c. of yogurt and 1/4 c. of sugar (or less).
Serve cold with any fruits or nuts you enjoy. Examples of things we've added are: cheerios, chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, diced apples, sliced bananas, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, even chocolate chips!
Just call me Julia...
...Ms. Child if you're... uh... oh... nevermind!
I am not a cook. I don't really enjoy cooking like I've heard some people actually do. JJ ENJOYS the whole process of cooking. I think part of it is that I'm so darn picky. New flavor combination? Fancy-pants ingredients? Most likely not super appealing to me. Pooooor JJ. Siiigh.
BUT I do enjoy providing for my family. I get proud of myself when I have made a meal so that JJ doesn't have to. I get REALLY proud of myself when I plan ahead. I get even more proud of myself when I do it thriftily (hey, cool, that's a word!)!
Friday evening was Craft Night at my Church. LOVE IT. I brought scrapbooking stuff. It was fabulous. During that time, one of the fabulous women from the Church did a presentation on organization. I told JJ later that I was that girl who kept right on scrapbooking as she presented (dedicated time when I have everything spread out?? I've got to take advantage of it!). But, I WAS listening intently and DID bring home a bunch of tips --- as well as some follow-up questions. One of the basic things she talked about was meal planning.
So, back to food. Sunday evening I decided to create a meal plan for the week. Here's the catch. JJ could just think of a million meals off the top of his head. I have to a) rummage through our pantry/fridge/freezer to see what we have (and especially what we should be using up) and b) look up recipes for basically EVERYthing. Knowing baby boy will be here TOMORROW(!!!!) added to the meal planning conundrum. But, in the end, I got it done. I delivered. AND, grocery shopped for the whole week for under $40!!! (With a $20 gift card).
I'm not fancy, you've heard me say THAT a few times, but here's what's shaking and baking at the J house this week (not necessarily in this order!):
rotisserie chicken salad (and then later sandwiches!)
crescent roll casserole
meat loaf/mashed potatoes (ok JJ is making the mashed potatoes --- I can't deny him his enjoyment in the kitchen ALL week, can I??)
lasagna
baked corn with pasta (new crock pot recipe... we'll see!)
bean with bacon soup/cheesy bread
I also made a double-batch of mueslix (I think that's how it's spelled! LJ? Help me out!) and then some banana bread yesterday with the Chooch-Monster (baking with a 2 year old is way easier said than done in my opinion!).
This post is long enough, and my 4 am cereal break is over. I will post recipes soon!
I am not a cook. I don't really enjoy cooking like I've heard some people actually do. JJ ENJOYS the whole process of cooking. I think part of it is that I'm so darn picky. New flavor combination? Fancy-pants ingredients? Most likely not super appealing to me. Pooooor JJ. Siiigh.
BUT I do enjoy providing for my family. I get proud of myself when I have made a meal so that JJ doesn't have to. I get REALLY proud of myself when I plan ahead. I get even more proud of myself when I do it thriftily (hey, cool, that's a word!)!
Friday evening was Craft Night at my Church. LOVE IT. I brought scrapbooking stuff. It was fabulous. During that time, one of the fabulous women from the Church did a presentation on organization. I told JJ later that I was that girl who kept right on scrapbooking as she presented (dedicated time when I have everything spread out?? I've got to take advantage of it!). But, I WAS listening intently and DID bring home a bunch of tips --- as well as some follow-up questions. One of the basic things she talked about was meal planning.
So, back to food. Sunday evening I decided to create a meal plan for the week. Here's the catch. JJ could just think of a million meals off the top of his head. I have to a) rummage through our pantry/fridge/freezer to see what we have (and especially what we should be using up) and b) look up recipes for basically EVERYthing. Knowing baby boy will be here TOMORROW(!!!!) added to the meal planning conundrum. But, in the end, I got it done. I delivered. AND, grocery shopped for the whole week for under $40!!! (With a $20 gift card).
I'm not fancy, you've heard me say THAT a few times, but here's what's shaking and baking at the J house this week (not necessarily in this order!):
rotisserie chicken salad (and then later sandwiches!)
crescent roll casserole
meat loaf/mashed potatoes (ok JJ is making the mashed potatoes --- I can't deny him his enjoyment in the kitchen ALL week, can I??)
lasagna
baked corn with pasta (new crock pot recipe... we'll see!)
bean with bacon soup/cheesy bread
I also made a double-batch of mueslix (I think that's how it's spelled! LJ? Help me out!) and then some banana bread yesterday with the Chooch-Monster (baking with a 2 year old is way easier said than done in my opinion!).
This post is long enough, and my 4 am cereal break is over. I will post recipes soon!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Shredded Beef -> Noodles and Beef
Here are two recipes. You need to make the Shredded Beef to make the Noodles and Beef. :)
Shredded Beef
2-3 lb Beef Roast
1 Medium onion
1 Green pepper
1 T Garlic (fresh if possible)
1/2 c Mustard
1/2 c Ketchup
1 T Worcheshire sauce
1 t Thyme, paprika, smoked paprika
1 c Beef broth
1 T Applecider vinegar
2 T Brown sugar
1/2 can of Root Beer
Salt/pepper to taste
This is easiest to just throw it all in the crock pot for a couple hours and let it do its thing. Remove the roast after it is done and shred. Just pour as much of the sauce on the beef after shredding as you would like. Keep any left over sauce and beef for the next recipe.
Noodles and Beef
1-1.5 lbs Shredded beef (from previous recipe)
1 c Shredded beef sauce
1/2 c Milk, Parmesan
1/3 c Sour cream
1 T Butter
1 T Parsley
1/2 t Basil, thyme, worcheshire sauce, garlic
1/2 c Beef Broth
Salt/pepper to taste
Toss this all in a sauce pot and simmer for 20 minutes or so. I also toss in about 1 T of flour at the end for thickening. Top your favorite egg noodles with it or use the noodle recipe that follows.
(if you want)
Homemade Noodles
2 1/2 c All-purpose flour
Pinch of Salt
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 c Milk
1 T Butter
Melt butter, mix with milk and beaten eggs. Add flour, the salt and knead in a large bowl for 5 min or until it starts to become smooth. Let it rest for 5 min then roll out to 1/4" thick or less. I take a pizza cutter at this point and make 1/8" noodles. The less uniform the better, I think. Now let these cut noodles air dry for about 10 minutes then boil for 3-4 minutes or until al dente (to the tooth!!).
When I made this the first time I threw half the shredded beef and 1 cup of the sauce in the freezer and made the noodles and beef about a week later. Freezes very well, so do the uncooked noodles if you air dry them for half a day first.
--JJ
Shredded Beef
2-3 lb Beef Roast
1 Medium onion
1 Green pepper
1 T Garlic (fresh if possible)
1/2 c Mustard
1/2 c Ketchup
1 T Worcheshire sauce
1 t Thyme, paprika, smoked paprika
1 c Beef broth
1 T Applecider vinegar
2 T Brown sugar
1/2 can of Root Beer
Salt/pepper to taste
This is easiest to just throw it all in the crock pot for a couple hours and let it do its thing. Remove the roast after it is done and shred. Just pour as much of the sauce on the beef after shredding as you would like. Keep any left over sauce and beef for the next recipe.
Noodles and Beef
1-1.5 lbs Shredded beef (from previous recipe)
1 c Shredded beef sauce
1/2 c Milk, Parmesan
1/3 c Sour cream
1 T Butter
1 T Parsley
1/2 t Basil, thyme, worcheshire sauce, garlic
1/2 c Beef Broth
Salt/pepper to taste
Toss this all in a sauce pot and simmer for 20 minutes or so. I also toss in about 1 T of flour at the end for thickening. Top your favorite egg noodles with it or use the noodle recipe that follows.
(if you want)
Homemade Noodles
2 1/2 c All-purpose flour
Pinch of Salt
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 c Milk
1 T Butter
Melt butter, mix with milk and beaten eggs. Add flour, the salt and knead in a large bowl for 5 min or until it starts to become smooth. Let it rest for 5 min then roll out to 1/4" thick or less. I take a pizza cutter at this point and make 1/8" noodles. The less uniform the better, I think. Now let these cut noodles air dry for about 10 minutes then boil for 3-4 minutes or until al dente (to the tooth!!).
When I made this the first time I threw half the shredded beef and 1 cup of the sauce in the freezer and made the noodles and beef about a week later. Freezes very well, so do the uncooked noodles if you air dry them for half a day first.
--JJ
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sneaky Mommy
I did it. I bought the Sneaky Chef cookbook (the blue one). I couldn't resist and it was in a book order M brought home. How cute is that? I had to order. The funny thing is most of the time I feel like I need the sneakiness - not M as much! Although, lately she has been a picky little thing - like with the spitting things out overtly and the eating cereal instead of yummmmmy Italian food at our friends' house.
So anyways- Sneaky Chef. You've heard of her, right? Her ideas seem revolutionary yet doable. It seems like there're a lot of steps involved because she has 13 methods and 13 make-aheads and other information beyond that, but I think a lot of it blends together. So I'll share with you some of the things I learned reading the cookbook -- yes, I read it cover to cover. THEN we'll see if I can put some of the ideas into practice - for M's health as well as baby #2, J and I.
The guiding principal is sneaky nutrition into every day foods kids love. In fact, method #1 is pureeing superfruits and veggies to add to things like macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and french toast-- kid appealing foods. Along with purees there are some sneaky ways to add in things like wheat germ, whole wheat flour, and even just nutritious broth or green tea instead of water in some recipes. The recipes - even the make-aheads (the purees, flour blends, etc.) - seem simple enough -- and if they're still too complicated, the Sneaky Chef even shows some quickie in-a-pinch substitutions like baby food. I *may* go that route for my first trial run - French Toast planned for Saturday morning -- just to get a feel for it before I go overboard and have a freezer full of purees. I have visions of baking up a batch (or doubling it) and freezing it in ice cube trays like my SIL did with baby food. We'll see if it gets that far... : ) I'm good about starting a fad... not quite as good at following through-- alllll the way through. Like poor, poor DDR and then Guitar Hero and then sadly Wii Fit. : ( Just thinking about that makes me sad.
So anyways- Sneaky Chef. You've heard of her, right? Her ideas seem revolutionary yet doable. It seems like there're a lot of steps involved because she has 13 methods and 13 make-aheads and other information beyond that, but I think a lot of it blends together. So I'll share with you some of the things I learned reading the cookbook -- yes, I read it cover to cover. THEN we'll see if I can put some of the ideas into practice - for M's health as well as baby #2, J and I.
The guiding principal is sneaky nutrition into every day foods kids love. In fact, method #1 is pureeing superfruits and veggies to add to things like macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and french toast-- kid appealing foods. Along with purees there are some sneaky ways to add in things like wheat germ, whole wheat flour, and even just nutritious broth or green tea instead of water in some recipes. The recipes - even the make-aheads (the purees, flour blends, etc.) - seem simple enough -- and if they're still too complicated, the Sneaky Chef even shows some quickie in-a-pinch substitutions like baby food. I *may* go that route for my first trial run - French Toast planned for Saturday morning -- just to get a feel for it before I go overboard and have a freezer full of purees. I have visions of baking up a batch (or doubling it) and freezing it in ice cube trays like my SIL did with baby food. We'll see if it gets that far... : ) I'm good about starting a fad... not quite as good at following through-- alllll the way through. Like poor, poor DDR and then Guitar Hero and then sadly Wii Fit. : ( Just thinking about that makes me sad.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Current Fav. Salad
This post has been apparently a long time in the making because I took pics of this salad at our old apartment. notice the paneling. Yuck! So, this is my favorite salad for a lot of reasons. It is forgiving and flexible and you can feel like a master chef throwing a little of this and a little of that in! Now! On to the recipe!
I just made this salad yesterday with my Farmer's Market finds -- I ended up skipping the bacon but adding fresh mozzarella cheese (cubed) and some basil. Give a try and tell me what combination of veggies/additions you used!
 | |
| Start with some veggies! I happened to have a left over veggie tray - it worked for me! |
 | ||||
| Cut up the veggies, really to any size you want, I also added black olives and cucumbers. |
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| Oh! You should also get some noodles al dente. My favorite to use with this recipe is bow tie pasta. |
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| See, and I was getting kind of crazy - I added bacon! Mmmm! |
 |
| So, add that all together... |
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| ... and then the Pièce de résistance... add Coleslaw dressing (enough to wet it all) on top of all of it. Delish! And so easy! |
I just made this salad yesterday with my Farmer's Market finds -- I ended up skipping the bacon but adding fresh mozzarella cheese (cubed) and some basil. Give a try and tell me what combination of veggies/additions you used!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Recipes
Since I am SUCH an accomplished chef, I thought I'd share some recent recipe favs! These are for you, TH -- you can do it!! You know if I can, anyone can! : )
Amazing Meat Loaf
1/2 c. ketchup, divided
2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
2/3 c. dry quick oats
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1. Reserve 2 TBSP. ketchup. Combine ground beef, eggs, dry oats, soup mix, and remaining ketchup. Shape into loaf. Place in slow cooker.
2. Top with 2 TBSP ketchup.
3. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 2-4 hours.
Apricot-Glazed Carrots
2 lbs. baby carrots
1 onion, chopped (I put a few onion flakes in, but skipped this part)
1/2 c. water (I put WAY more in!)
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. apricot preserves
2 TBSP. chopped fresh parsley
1. Place carrots and onions in slow cooker. Add water.
2. Cover and cook on Low 9 hours.
3. Drain liquid from slow cooker. (Oops... I didn't do this! Unless JJ did.... maybe that's why they seemed water logged!)
4.In a small bowl, mix honey and preserves together. Pour over carrots.
5. Cover and cook on high 10-15 mins.
6. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Andes Mint Cookies
Seriously... best I've had in a long time! Recipe courtesy of my friend, CJ. Mmmmm!
Amazing Meat Loaf
1/2 c. ketchup, divided
2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
2/3 c. dry quick oats
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1. Reserve 2 TBSP. ketchup. Combine ground beef, eggs, dry oats, soup mix, and remaining ketchup. Shape into loaf. Place in slow cooker.
2. Top with 2 TBSP ketchup.
3. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 2-4 hours.
Apricot-Glazed Carrots
2 lbs. baby carrots
1 onion, chopped (I put a few onion flakes in, but skipped this part)
1/2 c. water (I put WAY more in!)
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. apricot preserves
2 TBSP. chopped fresh parsley
1. Place carrots and onions in slow cooker. Add water.
2. Cover and cook on Low 9 hours.
3. Drain liquid from slow cooker. (Oops... I didn't do this! Unless JJ did.... maybe that's why they seemed water logged!)
4.In a small bowl, mix honey and preserves together. Pour over carrots.
5. Cover and cook on high 10-15 mins.
6. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Andes Mint Cookies
Seriously... best I've had in a long time! Recipe courtesy of my friend, CJ. Mmmmm!
2 boxes of Devil's food cake
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 pkg of Andes mints (you'll need about 1 1/2 packs)
*Also, with the mints, the Creme de menthe ones are better than the Parfait mints because the chocolate layers will melt better and they taste the same in the end.
Mix all items together. (This is the only instruction I got. I used a hand mixer until it was all consistently wet, it was a bit "grainy" looking)
Scoop onto cookie sheet. I used a cookie scoop to get uniform size and I got 44 cookies.
Cook at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.
Immediately after removing from oven place an andes mint on the cookie. After a few minutes spread it with the back of a spoon. Transfer to a cooling rack, (I have transferred them before adding the mint and it was okay, but this time when I tried, the cookies themselves were too soft and they just needed an extra minute on the cookie sheet, that's why I transferred them after adding the mint.)
Almond Cookies
*Yum-o! Recipe courtesy of my SIL, LJ.
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. baking cocoa
3 t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugars, cocoa and extracts until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to sugar mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls two inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 7-9 mins. or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Almond Cookies
*Yum-o! Recipe courtesy of my SIL, LJ.
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. baking cocoa
3 t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugars, cocoa and extracts until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to sugar mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls two inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 7-9 mins. or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Crock Pot Love
I heart my crock pot. Seriously, best invention in the kitchen EVER. In a big after Christmas sale, I bought myself a slow cooker page-a-day calendar. It came with cookbook dividers for organizing the recipes when the date has passed. Genius! I think my fav. go-to crock pot recipe is chili, sans meat. What is yours? Please share your favorite recipe!
Thursday JJ made pot roast (with carrots, potatoes, onions and celery) in our crock pot. DELICIOUS. It's one of those things when I'm thrilled that there are leftovers after eating leftovers (twice)!
Thursday JJ made pot roast (with carrots, potatoes, onions and celery) in our crock pot. DELICIOUS. It's one of those things when I'm thrilled that there are leftovers after eating leftovers (twice)!
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