Feeding My Zoo

Cinnamon Bread

2010-03-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

Like cinnamon rolls? Then this bread is a no-brainer! Tastes super yummy, makes your house smell fabulous, and can be eaten at for a few days (if it lasts that long!). I had to look at a few stores to find the cinnamon chips. They are by Hershey's, and I found them at Albertson's. Worth the hunt...let me tell ya!

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cinnamon chips
Cinnamon sugar mix, for topping

In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the milk, butter, and egg. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until smooth. Cover and let mixture rest at room temperature for 1 hour, then stir in the baking powder and cinnamon chips.

Set oven at 350.

Spoon the batter into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon sugar.

Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven, let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a rack to cool completely. Wait until bread cools to slice.

**And because I love my mixer...here she is in all her glory, helping me out in the kitchen ;)

Heaven in a pan

2010-03-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

Actually, these are called Chocolate-peanut butter mallow bars. But that's a mouthful. And they really are heaven in a pan!! They are even better than brownies. Try them.

Ingredients:

1 pkg devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup cold milk, divided
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 7oz jar Jet-Puffed marshmallow creme
1/2 cup planters salted peanuts
4-6 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 350. Mix dry cake mix, butter and 1/3 cup milk until blended. Press 2/3 onto bottom of a 9/13 pan. Bake 12-14 minutes until almost set. Cool for 3 min. Mix peanut butter and remaining milk. Spread onto cake. Top with spoonfuls of marshmallow creme and remaining cake mixture. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate; pres gently into cake mixture to make a flat surface.
Bake 18 min. Cool before cutting into bars.

The BEST $4.00 I ever spent!

2009-11-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, so my new found technique is to parooze the sale ads, see what meat is on sale, and then search for recipes using those meats. This week, whole chickens were on sale. Little did I know how much I was actually going to get out of that one little chicken! I made Beer Butt Chicken for dinner. Then I picked off all of the remaining meat and made Chicken Salad. Then I boiled the carcass with some herbs and veggies I had laying around and made chicken stock! Holy Moly! Like I said...best $4 I ever spent!!

Beer Butt Chicken

1 12 oz can beer
1 whole chicken (about 3 lbs)
1 large onion, sliced
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to taste
1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
4 red potatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking dish. Pour out half the beer from the can, spray the can with cooking spray, and set it upright in the center of the baking sheet. Loosen the skin over the breast of the chicken, and insert an onion slice, and 1 rosemary sprig under the skin of each side of the breast. Place about half the onion, cracked garlic cloves, and 2 sprigs of rosemary into the cavity of the chicken. Spray the outside of the chicken with cooking oil spray, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste. Place the chicken onto the beer can in an upright position, with the can inserted into the cavity of the chicken. Pour the chicken broth into the baking dish, and place the rest of the sliced onion and the potatoes into the broth. Roast about 1 1/2 hours. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Chicken Salad

Chicken pieces removed from whole chicken
Mayo or Miracle Whip to desired consistency
Sliced celery
Sliced black olives
salt & pepper
Dill (I use dried)

Combine and refrigerate overnight. There is no exact measurements, since this depends on how much chicken you have leftover.

Chicken Stock

1 chicken carcass
1 large onion, quartered
1 carrot, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 bay leafs
2 sprigs rosemary
salt
pepper
6-8 cups water

Combine everything in a large pot, bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer, cover and let cook for 2 hours. Strain through a fine strainer or line yours with a cheese cloth to get out all small bits. Allow fat to come to the top and skim it off with a spoon. Allow stock to get to room temp before placing it in the fridge. Make some yummy soup for dinner tomorrow!!

Owl Cupcakes!

2009-11-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

I saw these on a fellow foodie's blog and gave them a try!! I won't bother reposting the recipe, since she did it so well, but I did take a shortcut; she made her own frosting and I used store-bought. Call me lazy...but they were still a HUGE hit!

Ingredients:

Storebought cake mix
Chocolate frosting
Oreo cookies, divided, only using side with frosting
Brown M&M's or Reeses Pieces
Candy corn

Bake cupcakes as directed, frost and assemble!

Chicken Hashbrown Casserole

2009-09-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

This is another one of those times when I needed to scrounge through and see what I could make with what I had on hand. This is when I love using allrecipes.com. If you click on the ingredients link, you can type in a few main things you have on hand and it'll give you recipes including those ingredients. I changed this one around a tad, and it was really good!

Ingredients:

1 2lb pkg frozen hash browns, thawed
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced into bite size pieces
1/2 cup melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz container sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup french fried onions

Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except french fried onions and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Bake covered in a 3 qt casserole dish for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine french fried onions and cheese. Uncover and top with onion/cheese mix and bake 10 more minutes.

**I made fried eggs to serve on top of this, and it was a really yummy combination, but you can skip that if you'd like.

Sausage Hashbrown Bake

2009-09-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

I made this for our friends who came over for a playdate one morning last week. Delicious and easy!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 of a 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup french onion dip
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
salt & pepper
15 oz shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

In a skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink. In a large bowl, combine 3/4 of the cheese, and the next 7 ingredients. Fold in potatoes. Spread half of the potatoe mixture into a 2 qt baking dish, top with the sausage and cover with remaining potatoe mix. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, uncover and bake 5 minutes more until heated through.

Banana Pancakes

2009-09-20T12:21:00.001-07:00

Another great idea for using up those over ripe bananas! I also read online that you can freeze the bananas until you are ready to use them. So now I have a few in there just waiting for the mood to strike to make banana bread again!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 tbs white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, banana, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be lumpy. Spray a griddle with cooking spray and use aprox 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.

These were amazing. I didn't take a picture, you all know what pancakes look like. I tweaked this recipe from it's original version, using only 1 banana instead of 2 because I thought it would be too mushy. After eating them I know I was right, they were soft, but would've been way too mushy with one more banana. I also added the vanilla and cinnamon - I like those flavors. You could also add nuts!

Chicken Parmesan

2009-09-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

One of my very favorites! I had planned on making Sloppy Joes this night, but my husband said he didn't feel like sloppy joes...so I scrounged around for what other ingredients I had on hand and sure enough, I had everything I needed for Chicken Parmesan. And it was AWESOME!

Ingredients:

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
3 chicken breasts, sliced into about 4 strips
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup jarred spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded italian cheese blend(You can buy the preshredded in the store, or combine what you have. I had shredded mozzarella, fontina and parmesan so that's what I used)
1 tsp dried basil (optional)

Heat oven to 375
Place bread crumbs and egg into shallow dishes. Dredge chicken in egg, then bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over med-high. Cook chicken strips in batches about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a large baking dish. Spoon spaghetti sauce over chicken in dish. Top with cheese blend, and sprinkle with basil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your strips.

I serves spaghetti along side this. It was excellent. Photo coming soon!

Slow Cooker Lasagne

2009-09-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite things: my slow cooker and Italian food. Enough said.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
1 7 oz pkg mozzerarella cheese shredded
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 tbs chopped fresh italian parsley
6 lasagne noodles, uncooked

Brown meat in skillet; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Combine ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 tbs parmesan, egg and parsley in a bowl. Spoon 1 cup meat mixture into slow cooker, top with layer of lasagne noodles, broken to fit. Top noodles with half of the cheese mixture. Repeat with 2 cups meat sauce, then noodles, remaining cheese mixture, then remaining meat mixture. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours. Sprinkle top with remaining cheeses and cover again for 10 more minutes.

**Two more of my favorite things; a messy child and a clean plate!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2009-09-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, I am not much of a baker; I make a huge mess and use way too many dishes. I prefer cooking. And, though I know it is not normal, I do not have much of a sweet tooth. Ice cream is my guilty pleasure, and I actually don't like chocolate; a fact which causes my mother to often claim I am not her child. I rarely bake, because then I end up giving too much of it to the kids so that it won't go to waste, so I usually don't bake sweet treats. At birthday parties, I always pass on the cake. However, tomorrow there is a bake sale at church to raise money for a ministry that I participate in where we go to Mexico and build houses for needy families. So I made my favorite sweet treat. I love white chocolate.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped macadamia nuts (**after eating these, I feel I would have been okay with just 1 cup of nuts...there were alot in each cookie. Your choice.)
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Beat together melted butter and sugars. Beat in the egg, then the egg yolk, then the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just combined. Stir in the chips and nuts gently. Scoop by large tablespoonfull onto lined baking sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are golden and centers are not quite set.

**I used my melon baller to drop cookies onto baking sheet, so I don't have to push the dough off the spoon with my fingers and also makes the cookies all the exact same size (which helps with even baking!). I also line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Much easier cleanup and a much softer cookie!

Kitchen Must-Haves

2009-09-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

Since Christmas is coming up, I thought I'd review some of my favorite kitchen tools - things I use often and feel are VERY worth every penny. So if you are lacking any of the following and would like to change that...read the reviews, and add them to your list!

Slow-Cooker

I have raved about mine many times here. A slow cooker is a mother's best friend; working or stay-at-home. A slow cooker require minimal effort but provides a maximum result. If you don't have one, I highly suggest you get one!

Food Processor

Before I bought one, I never really thought I needed one, didn't think I'd use it much, but found one on sale and decided to grab it. Now I don't think I could survive without it! It is amazing for making dips, soups, dough, and the grater attachment it comes with has saved me tons of elbow grease and money! I despise shredding cheese for some reason, but I also refuse to pay 25% more to buy it pre-shredded from the store. It's too expensive, doesn't melt the same, and generally is a waste. Using the grater attachment, I am able to buy a big block of cheese for much less, cut it into 4 squares, shove it down the top of the food processor, and it is grated in seconds! I dump it into a food storage bag and don't have to think about it again til I have to buy some more. Awesome!

Imersion Blender

Makes for a much easier time making soups. You won't have to pour in batches into your blender. It's soup season people. This is a perfect stocking-stuffer!

A GOOD knife

Cutting onions/meat/potatoes/pretty much anything with one of your steak knifes you got in a kit for your wedding is just painful. Get one or two sharp, good quality knives. Make your life much easier.

Rice Cooker

I am no good at figuring out rice in a saucepan for whatever reason. It always takes too long to cook. A rice cooker turns off when the rice is done, based on a weight measurement inside. My rice cooker is amazing.

Kitchenaid Mixer

The grand master of all kitchen tools. They are expensive, I know. But they are so worth it! No stainding next to a bowl and mixing, no need to knead dough...need I say more? I always bake as presents for Christmas, only because I have my Kitchenaid Mixer. Otherwise the neighbors would get craft projects from my kids. I am sure they prefer cookies!

This week

2009-09-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

Keep your eyes open for: Slow-Cooker Lasagne, Potato-Bacon Torte and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies!

Happy cooking!

Roasted Tomato Soup

2009-09-07T14:44:00.001-07:00

Vine ripe tomatoes were on sale this week for .99 cents a pound. So of course I grabbed a ton and then realized there's no way I'll eat that many before they go bad! This recipe called for a total of 2 1/2 lbs of tomatoes of all kinds, but I used all vine ripe since thats what I have.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs fresh tomatoes (mix of whichever kinds you like)
6 cloves peeled garlic
2 small yellow onions sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450

Wash, core and cut tomatoes into halves. (*I cored mine with my potato peeler/apple corer). Spread tomatoes, garlic cloves, and onions onto baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove roasted tomato mix and transfer to a large stock pot. And 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves and butter. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Chop basil leaves and add to pot. Use immersion blender to puree until smooth (*If you don't have one of those nifty tools, you can pour the soup in batches into your blender). Return heat to low and add cream and remaining stock if soup needs to be thinned. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

***Just as I was making this my husband needed me to bring him something to his work that he forgot, so we ate lunch with him. I left to soup to get room temp, poured it into a freezer bag and am going to freeze it for future use. It is fall afterall...I'm sure one day it will cool down and start to feel like soup weather!

Tex-Mex Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

2009-09-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is another Rachael Ray recipe. I highly reccommend getting her magazine, it has some really fabulous stuff in there. These are excellent. Messy to make, but worth it!

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable oil
2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs paprika
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs onion powder
1 tbs poultry seasoning
2 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
2 lbs chicken, cut into tenders*
Salt and pepper

In large skillet, heat oil over med-high. In a large bowl, combine all spices. Pour half of the spice mixture into another large bowl. Pour buttermilk into one bowl, and flour into the other. Stir to mix spices in. Dip chicken tender into buttermilk, then flour, then buttermilk again, then flour again (makes for a crispy crust!). Add the strips to the oil and cook 3-4 min per side. Sprinkle with salt immediately after removing from oil. Serve with ranch for kids, and ranch/louisiana hot sauce mixture (like Franks Red Hot) for the adults.

*Save money and use whole chicken breasts and cut them into strips yourself. Buying pre-cut strips at the store is always more pricey

New look...

2009-09-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

What do you think? I like the white I think, looks cleaner. But what do you think? Needs more color or you like it white? Recipes to be posted tomorrow!

On the menu this week...

2009-09-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

Some old friends...

Taco Ring

Broccoli Beef

Creamy Pasta ***Made with Orzo pasta this time

And some newbies...

Tex Mex Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, Salisbury Steak, and Delicious Chicken Casserole

See you in the kitchen!

Velveeta tex-mex beef and potatoes

2009-09-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

This is awesome. My kids ate 2 servings each. Perfect kid-friendly dinner that has enough flavor for mom and dad to enjoy too. Put down that Hamburger Helper box, this is so much better! I don't have a picture, sorry!! I'll make it again soon and post one, I promise!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 red pepper chopped (I used a half)
1 onion chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
4 cups frozen Southern-Style hash browns
1 pkg (10oz) frozen corn
8oz Velveeta cheese, cubed

Heat oven to 350

Brown meat with peppers and onions. Drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Add potatoes, corn and velveeta, mix well. Spoon into a 13x9 baking dish; cover. Bake 20 min, stir. Uncover and bake 15 more min.

Fococcia Bread

2009-09-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood for some fresh pizza bread yesterday so I put this together. The kids loved it. I had the BEST fococcia bread EVER when I was in Florence. I wish I could replicate it...I've never been able to. Guess I'll just have to go back there...

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups warm water
2 envelopes dry yeast
1 tbs honey
3 tbs olive oil
4 cups flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp oregano

**I use my Kitchenaid mixer. Her name is Blanca. She is my best friend. You should definately get yourself a Blanca**

Combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let yeast disolve for a few minutes. Add 3 cups flour, then the salt and mix on med-low for 10 minutes. While mixing, add 1 more cup flour. When dough is combined and ready, turn it on a floured board and knead by hand about 6 times. Place dough in a bowl well oiled with olive oil, turn dough to cover with oil. Cover bowl with damp kitch towel. Allow to rest and rise at room temp for 30 min.

Preheat oven to 450.

Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Make a pizza and foccocia, 2 pizzas, save some for later...whatever you like. Roll dough to desired thickness and shape. Push dimples into dough and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano and kisher salt. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Serve warm.

**If making pizza, top with your favorite toppings. Same cook time.

Banana Bread

2009-09-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

Got old bananas?? Don't waste them!! Grab a pack of chopped pecans from the store and make this AWESOME bread...you're sure to have everything you need on hand.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 over ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Combine flour, baking soda and salt - set aside. Mash 2 bananas with a fork in a small bowl. Whip remaining bananas with sugar for 3 minutes. Then add butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat well, scrape down sides of bowl. Mix in dry ingredients until just incorporated, do not over mix.

Fold in nuts and mashed bananas. Pour batter into loaf pan, drop pan on counter a few times to remove air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour 15 min. Let rest for 10 min, remove to rack.

**I should name this One Day Banana Bread, because thats how long it lasts around here!

Carrot Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

2009-05-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

All I can say is wow, you have to make these. If you like pumpkin, you will love these. And they were simple. Not the most diet friendly recipe, but what dessert is, really? Splurge on this one, you won't regret it!

Ingredients:

1 - 8oz pkg cream cheese softened
2 eggs
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
1 - 14oz pkg pumpkin quick bread and muffin mix (I used Pilsbury)
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins (I didn't add raisins, I don't like them)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tbs butter, softened

Heat oven to 350. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 egg, sugar and lemon juice. Set aside. In a small bowl, set aside 1/2 cup of the bread mix for topping. Place rest of mix in large bowl. Add remaining egg, carrots, milk raisins and oil. Stir until well blended.
Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup of batter. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture over the top of each muffin.
Add pecans and butter to the reserved muffin mix. Mix with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the cream cheese in each muffin cup.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool, remove from pan and serve. YUMMY!!

PS - Isn't my picture great? I'm proud of myself on that one!

Pork Quesadillas

2009-05-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

I came across this recipe in my Rachael Ray magazine and it sounded yummy! The kids love quesadillas and this seemed like a nice grown-up version. We were not disappointed, and the kids loved them!

**Photo courtesy rachaelraymag.com

Ingredients

2 boneless pork chops (about 1/4 pound)
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/2teaspoon ground cumin
1/2cup chopped cilantro,plus leaves for garnish
8 medium flour tortillas
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool; cut into thin strips.
In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, the garlic, chipotle (**I added this after I made the kids) and cumin and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes; stir in the pork and chopped cilantro.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush one side of each tortilla with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Working in batches, cook the tortillas oiled side down until grill marks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
Arrange 4 tortillas grilled side down on a baking sheet. Divide the pork mixture among the tortillas and sprinkle with the cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas, grilled side up. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

**We have a quesadilla maker that we got for Christmas, so I didn't have to go through all the grill/bake steps. I just threw it in the quesadilla maker! Nice!

Chicken Cesar Wraps

2009-05-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

I was trying to scrounge around the house and come up with something to make that didn't force me to go to the grocery store along with every other person in town this Saturday, and this is what we had! I put everything into a tortilla for my husband so he didn't feel like he was "only having salad for dinner". I ate it as salad. Kids liked them in tortillas. My youngest threw his tomatoes on the floor. Of course he throws the one thing the dog refuses to eat as well. Lucky me!

Ingredients:

Cooked chicken breast, cubed (*see recipe for marinade below)
2 romaine hearts, chopped
1 tomatoe, diced
Cesar salad dressing, as much as you like
Tortillas

Combine chicken, tomatoes and dressing in bowl and toss to coat. Wrap in tortilla, or eat as is!

Marinated Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 packet Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix

Combine oil, vinegar and season packet in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken and seal. Marinate in fridge for at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours. Bake at 425 for 20-25 min or grill.

Monte Cristo

2009-05-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

As you'll see, I am not posting the recipe. Because it was gross. My husband has been begging me to make Monte Cristos for a LONG time, and I've never tried them so I wasn't in a big rush to make a french toast meat sandwich that you dip in jelly.

Wasn't sure how that could possibly be good.

I was right, it wasn't.

So if any of you have a recipe that is good, post it and I'll try again. Ours had french toast, black forrest ham, turkey, swiss cheese and cream cheese. Sounds good right?

Not so much. Hope your dinner was better than ours!

Taco Ring

2009-04-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, this recipe sounds more confusing than it is. And I took pictures of the steps. Then I forgot to take a picture of the finale-my kids were going berserk wanting to eat. But you'll get the idea. These were a HUGE hit, I will be making them again for sure.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded cheddar
4 Tbs water
4-6 tbs taco seasoning
1 lb ground beef
2 tubes refrigerated cresent rolls

Optional Toppings:

Shredded lettuce
diced tomatoe
sliced green onions
sliced olives
jalepeno peppers
sour cream
salsa

In a large bowl combine water, taco seasoning and 1 cup cheese. Crumble beef over mixture and shape into 12-16 balls. Place meatballs on greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered at 400 for 12 minutes.

Reduce oven to 375. Arrange cresent rolls on a greased 15" pizza pan, forming a ring with the pointed ends facing the outer edge and the wide ends overlapping (**see photo). Place a meatball on each roll; fold point over meatball and tuck under wide end of roll, leaving meatball visible. Repeat. Bake for 15-18 min until rolls are golden brown.

The recipe says to transfer ring to a serving platter and fill the center of the ring with all the toppings. I didn't do that. I put each persons rolls on their plate and topped them with the things they liked.

And forgot to take a picture.

Sorry.

Here are the ones I took. Note to self, use parchment paper under the meatball rack next time, less cheesey mess!

Halibut, my favorite fish in the sea

2009-04-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

I never used to be very big on fish. Tuna sandwiches maybe, but that was about it. My grandmother brought back some fresh Halibut from Alaska a few years ago and I've been hooked ever since! It's very expensive out my way, so when it goes on sale I buy extra and freeze it. This isn't really a recipe, since I do as little as possible to it so I don't take away from the flavor, but I thought I'd post it anyhow!

Ingredients:

Halibut filet
salt and pepper
flour
olive oil
butter

Combine equal amount olive oil and butter in saute pan and heat on medium high heat. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly through flour. Saute in pan about 6 minutes per side. Serve with steamed veggies.

**Yes, that is boxed Julienne potatoes you see there. Don't hate, we love them!

Back in the kitchen!

2009-04-25T14:20:00.001-07:00

Well I have taken a little siesta from working - I will be off for the next month, in between jobs. So I get to cook more creative again! A little less pre-cooking, which is fun for me. I have a yummy week planned! Last night we had Spaghetti Pie, and coming up - Halibut, Open Faced Chicken Burgers, Monte Cristos, Taco Ring, and a night out at Applebees since kid's eat FREE on Tuesdays, and they have the two for $20 deal going on! I'll be posting more often again, since I'm home!

Nacho Casserole

2009-04-21T10:01:00.001-07:00

I have made this twice, my husband LOVES it. It seems kind of weird, but it comes out excellent!

Ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil
1/2 lb pre-sliced sweet red peppers (I used jarred)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 tubes refrigerated pizza dough
1 16oz jar salsa (you decide heat level, we use mild for kids sake)
3 cups shredded taco cheese blend
1 can sliced black olives, drained (I used these the first time and was told not to
put them in again, hubby hates olives)
3 large scallions sliced

Heat oven to 375, coat 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
In large skillet, heat oil then add peppers, beef and garlic salt. Drain fat. Remove pizza dough. Cut into 1/2" wide strips then cut each strip into quarters. In a large bowl, toss together dough and salsa (I found it easier to coat each piece individually with the salsa and then lay it in the salsa, so they don't stick). Add meat mixture, 2 cups of the cheese and the olives. Pour into baking dish and top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle scallions on top and bake 5 more minutes.

Chicken Straws

2009-04-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

I watched Robin Miller make these on Food Network and they looked yummy. And I figured the kids would have fun dunking them! I was right - these were excellent. We all loved them.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups cooked thigh meat chopped (*I cooked mine a day ahead in the crockpot)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 - 4oz can diced green chiles
2 tbs fresh cilantro chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
1 cup honey
3 tbs chopped jarred jalepenos (I omitted this for the kids dip)
1 tbs cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Top cookie sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, chiles, cilantro and cumin. Mix well.

Arrange egg roll wrappers on a flat surface. place a small amount of filling along lower third of wrapper. Fold over once, then fold in sides and continue rolling. Dip your finger in water to seal edges and place on cookie sheet. Spray straws with cooking spray then cook for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Combine honey and vinegar for dip, add jalepenos for adults. Enjoy!

Pizza Casserole

2009-02-11T17:39:00.000-08:00

I came across this on Allrecipes and thought it sounded interesting. It totally tastes like pizza! We all really liked it alot.

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 lb ground beef
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup sliced pepperonis
16 oz pizza sauce
4 tbs milk
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles. In a skillet, brown beef with the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Drain fat. Stir in the noodles, pizza sauce and milk, mix well. Pour intl a 2 quart casserole dish. Baje for 20 minutes, then top with cheese and cook for 5-10 more minutes to melt.

Hashbrown Casserole-in your crockpot!!

2009-02-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

I took this to one of our Moms meetups the other day and it was really, really good. The kids and I ate the rest of it for lunch. I had a total of 4 servings in one day. I need to hit the treadmill, I think.

Ingredients:

30 oz pkg of plain, frozen hashbrown potatoes (shredded)
6 cooked sausage links, cut up
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Spray your crock with cooking spray. Place all of the hashbrowns in the bottom and spread evenly. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, cheese, sausage, and veggies. Pour whole mixture on top of hashbrowns. Cover and cook low for 6-8 hrs, high for 3-4.

Penne Chicken Pesto

2009-02-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

This looked quick and easy - which is what I need on nights when we have TeeBall practice.

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli cut into florets
1 box penne pasta
2 cloves garlic diced
2 cups cooked chicken (cook your own or buy pre-cooked)
1 - 7oz container Buitoni basil pesto

Bring a large pot of water to a boil Salt and add broccoli and cook for 3 minutes. Sccop out with a slotted spoon and put aside in a bowl. Add pasta to water and cook. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in broccoli, cook 3 more min. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain pasta. Stir chicken, pasta and pesto into skillet. Cook 2 minutes to heat through.

**My husband dumped a bunch of parmesan cheese on top of his - despite me telling him that pesto has a bunch of parmesan. We all really liked this. It was quick, easy and delicious.

More to come...

2009-02-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

I'm getting back on it, I promise =)

Broccoli Beef

2009-02-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

We order this ALL the time when we eat chinese, so I searched for a recipe and found this one on Allrecipes.com. It is even better that going out!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flour
1 (10.5) oz can beef broth
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs soy sauce
1 Lb boneless steak cut into strips (I used rib eye)
1/4 tsp fresh ginger chopped
1 clove garlic minced
4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 med onion sliced into strips (optional)
2 tbs wok oil (or any kind of cooking oil)

In a bowl, combine flour, broth, sugar and soy sauce. Stir to combine. In a large wok over high heat add oil and beef. Cook for 2-4 min until browned. Stir in broth mixture, ginger, garlic and broccoli. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 5-10 min until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

**My kids LOVED this, even the broccoli. The sauce is excellent. And I highly reccomend using the wok oil - it has a slight garlic flavor to it and really makes a difference. Enjoy!

Philly Beef Sandwiches

2008-12-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

I ordered a cookbook from my son's pre-school fundraiser because it was right up my alley! It's called Fix, Freeze, Take & Bake. Make ahead meals! Perfect! I made this one when I was home one night, so I didn't have to make it ahead.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs butter
1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin steak sliced into thin strips
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
2 beef bouillon cubes
Hoagie Buns
Mozzarella cheese slices

In a large skillet, heat butter. Saute beef until fully cooked. Add onions and green peppers, cook until tender. Add 1/4 cup water and beef bouillon cubes, stirring to dissolve cubes. Cover and let simmer 10-15 minutes. Top buns with meat and cheese and pop under broiler for a few minutes to melt and toast.

If freezing:
Allow to cool and then transfer to freezer bags. Thaw in refrigerator or microwave. Then heat over stovetop. Freeze up to 6 months.

Feedback:
Fabulous! We all loved it. The babies wouldn't eat the bell pepper. I was in shock.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken

2008-12-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

Another one from my BFF Rachael Ray!

Ingredients:

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 scallions, sliced on bias
4 slices good-quality center cut bacon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
2 tablespoons grainy mustard

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butterfly the chicken breast pieces by cutting across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up and pound lightly between parchment paper. Peel paper away and season the meat with salt and pepper.

Cover the seasoned chicken cutlets with blue cheese crumbles, pecans and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken, wrap each roll with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the rolls with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a small baking sheet, place in the oven and cook 10 minutes more.

Melt the butter in the same skillet pan the chicken was seared in over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock. Let thicken a minute then whisk in the half-and-half and grain mustard, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to warm.

Halve the chicken and stack to show off the center. Set chicken in gravy or pour over top.

Feedback:

Super good! The gravy was excellent. Hubby didn't dig the pecans, but I thought they were great and loved the texture they added. Kids inhaled it - surprise, surprise!

So Yummy Spinach Artichoke Dip

2008-12-11T13:15:00.001-08:00

I have taken this to two get-to-gethers and it is a huge hit!

Ingredients:

1 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 10oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
3/4 cup grated paremsan cheese
3/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 onion finely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Pour into a baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.

**Can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Add 5-10 additional minutes too cook time.

Hello??

2008-12-04T15:59:00.000-08:00

Where have I been??!! I can't believe it's been almost a month since I have posted. I promise I have been cooking, I just changed jobs and adjusting to the new schedule has been a bit time consuming. I have some really good recipes to post. I have made a few yummy appetizers for all the parties we seem to be going to lately, as well as my yearly Christmas goodie basket I give to all the neighbors. Don't think I have forgotten about you all, keep checking back, recipes to come!!

Chili with Flat Tire Toppers

2008-11-08T07:41:00.001-08:00

Yet another one by Rachael. It's excellent, we have it all the time in the winter!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 poblano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 pounds ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons grill seasoning
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce
1/2 cup steak sauce
1 cup beer
1 cup beef stock
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy, made to package directions for corn pancakes, listed on the side of the box)
Softened butter, for greasing a griddle
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, half a palm full
2 scallions, chopped

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium high to high heat. When oil smokes, add the sliced poblanos and char them a couple of minutes and scoot them off to the side of the pan and add meat. Break up beef and brown it a couple of minutes then add the onions and garlic. Season the meat with grill seasoning, Worcestershire and chipotles in adobo. Cook until onions are tender, 5 to 6 minutes more, then stir in steak sauce and beer. Cook beer off for 1 minute then add stock and tomatoes and reduce heat to low.

Heat a nonstick griddle pan over medium heat. Butter the griddle then pour in batter to make 3 3/4-inch corn pancakes. Season beans with cumin. Top each poured corn cake with a couple tablespoons of black beans and a little chopped scallion. Flip cakes when bottoms are deeply golden and cook another 1 to 2 minutes on the opposite side. You should be able to make 6 cakes in 2 batches.

Top bowlfuls of the chili with flat tire toppers and serve.

Oven Chicken

2008-11-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

This is another one of our favorites. It's definitly NOT a good one if you are calorie counting or on a diet, but it is fabulous!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margerine
1 onion sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
8 chicken thighs (bone in)
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
8 oz linguini noodles
1 jar alfredo sauce
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400. Place butter in baking dish and melt in oven. Once melted, remove and stir in onions, garlic, basil, and pepper. Place in the chicken and turn to coat. Bake for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, warm alfredo sauce in a sauce pan. Add spinach and pepper to taste. Once chicken is cooked, remove chicken from the sauce. Pour alfredo sauce into the baking dish and stir to combine. Serve over noodles with the chicken.

Tai Garlic Chicken

2008-11-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

This is a modified Rachael Ray recipe, and we love it! It has a few ingredients you may not have, but trust me it's worth the extra buck to get them and try this one, it's really good. Spicy though, so not for the kiddos!

Ingredients:

2 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 lb soba noodles
3 tbs wok oil
1/2 cup diced onion
8 cloves garlic minced
1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders
1 cup fresh torn basil

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup water with fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and red pepper flakes. Stir and set aside. Cook noodles. Heat wok or large skillet over medium/high heat. Add 2 tbs oil, onion and garlic. Stir fry for 3 min then transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add last tbs of oil to skillet and cook chicken. Put sauce mix, onion mix back into wok and cook for 2-3 minutes together. Remove pan from heat and toss in noodles and basil. Serve.

Welcome Fall!

2008-11-08T07:26:00.001-08:00

It's finally gotten cold here! I, for one, amd glad to shove all of my shorts and tank tops to the back of the closet and bring in the sweaters! Welcome to a new week, have a yummy one!

Pumpkin Hummus Pizzas

2008-11-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Friday Potluck -
Our mom's group is having a Pumpkin Potluck on Friday. I tried to scroung up a pumpkin recipe that is not a dessert, and I came upon this recipe for Pumkin Hummus Pizzas on Allrecipes.com and thought I'd give it a try. Not sure if I'm going to make my own pumkin hummus, or just buy plain and stir in pumpkin and seasonings, but I'll post the recipe for both ways.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil, or as needed
2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 pound bacon
10 pieces flatbread
5 cups pumpkin hummus
3 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and cut into matchsticks
5 cups shredded fontina cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until they turn soft and begin to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, and continue cooking and stirring until the onions are deep brown, about 10 minutes more. Pour in the balsamic vinegar, and simmer until the vinegar has reduced and become syrupy.
Meanwhile, place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp and evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate then crumble and set aside.
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
To assemble the pizzas, spread each piece of lavash with 1/2 cup of pumpkin hummus and place onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of the caramelized onions. Top with some of the apple and crumbled bacon. Finally, sprinkle with 1/2 cup of fontina cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven until the pizza is hot and the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Hummus

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups dry garbanzo beans (or 2 cans)
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
5 fluid ounces lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup tahini paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
salt to taste

Place the garbanzo beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Or, bring the beans and water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse before using.
Place the soaked garbanzo beans into a large saucepan and cover with several inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the garbanzo beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Once cooked, refrigerate the beans and liquid until cold. (**You can skip all this and use equal amounts of canned beans, if you'd like)Drain the garbanzo beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the beans and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid into a blender, and puree until a smooth paste forms. Add the pumpkin puree, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Cover and puree again until smooth. Use additional cooking liquid as needed to achieve a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt.

If you'd like to do it the cheater way:

32 oz plain pre-made hummus
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Stir together to combine

Feedback:
Well, we had an unexpected funeral come up today, so I didn't get to go to the potluck. But I still had all of the ingredients, so I assembled the pizzas early and took them to my friends house for her to share at the potluck. From what I hear, they were good! I didn't get to try them (or any of the other yummy pumpkin stuff!). Next time!

Garlic Ranch Pizza

2008-11-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Dinner-
Super easy and yummy! And cheaper than ordering it in!!

Ingredients:

1 large pizza dough - whatever is your fave-homemade, frozen etc
3/4 cup ranch dressing
2 cloves garlic
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon
1 cup chicken, cooked and cut in strips
3 tomatos sliced

Mix ranch and garlic together and spread onto pizza dough. Sprinkle some cheese and then top with bacon and chicken. Sprinkle a little more cheese, then add tomatos. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Feedback:
This was okay. I have another chicken pizza recipe that I like better. The dough didn't cook all the way in the time listed, but if you cook it much longer the cheese would start to burn. I think I'll just use my old standby next time!

Bean and Beef Pie

2008-11-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Dinner-
This is an excellent recipe. My mom found it in one of her Taste of Home magazines years ago and has been making it ever since. The kids love this stuff! There are kind of alot of ingredients. But I usually keep alot of this on-hand, so it's not too bad on the wallet!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
11.5 oz can bean with bacon soup
16 oz salsa
1/4 cup cornstarch
15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup sliced scallions
1 Tbs parsley
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
16 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese
2 - 10" deep dish pie pastries (in freezer section)
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 425.
In skillet, cook beef and garlic. In a large bowl, combine soup, 1 cup salsa, cornstarch, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper - mix well. Fold in beans, cheese, onions and beef mix. Pour into one of the pie crusts. Top with the other pie crust and carefully lift off the pan from the top. Push edges to seal. Cut slits on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, top with sour cream and salsa and serve.

Feedback:

We ended up going out to dinner Tuesday night, so no pie. But I have all the ingredients, so I'll throw it in next week. We love it!

Meatball Subs

2008-11-01T08:46:00.001-07:00

Sunday Dinner-
These are really easy for my husband to throw together. And the kids just eat the meatballs.

Ingredients:
Frozen meatballs
Spaghetti sauce
Sub bread
Provolone cheese slices
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Place meatballs and spaghetti sauce in a crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours. When done, place 4 meatballs in sub bread. Top with sliced provolone and place under broiler for 3 minutes to melt and toast. Top with grated parmesan. Serve with spaghetti.

New week!

2008-11-01T08:45:00.001-07:00

The new weekly menu has been posted. They are having leftovers tonight, we have a few selections. It doesn't happen too often around here! There's also a night where hubby will just be using the filet mignons we got from Omaha Steak, so no recipe for that day either. And a day I'm making a recipe I have already posted.

Check out the menu in the side bar, and also the poll for what holdiay recipes you would like to see, as we head into the season of potlucks and family gatherings. I hardly ever make dessert, I make a huge mess when I bake. So I almost always bring a side dish or an appetizer to any kind of potluck. So let me know what you're looking for new recipes for and I'll start digging through my recipes!

Have a great week!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2008-10-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

Friday Dessert -
Since it's Halloween and all! Thanks Rachael Ray (again!).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1 2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.

Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

**Photo from www.rachaelraymag.com

Feedback:
These were so good. I can't believe I made them myself, they look like they came out of a package! I thought they would be more pumpkin-y, the flavor was pretty mild though. I took some next door after trick-o-treating to share, they loved them too. Making these again for sure!

Chicken Salsa Verde Bake

2008-10-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Friday dinner- I am home (I got the day off!), but I want something I can make ahead anyways, so that I can have fun trick-or-treating with the kiddos!

This is a Rachael Ray recipe. Laugh if you like, but I am one of her many fans! She is the reason I started cooking. I was flipping through the TV right after I got married and saw her making a Chicken Chorizo Stoup. I watched her and thought "I could do that", and I did. And it was great! And now I do it everyday. If not for her, we'd be living on Hamburger Helper and meat off the barbeque. Thanks Rachael!

Ingredients:

2 tbs vegetable oil
2 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Two 16-ounce jars salsa verde
One 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
One 8-ounce bag shredded Mexican-style cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. (***I usually use my Foreman Grill to pre-cook chicken for recipes. It's faster) Let stand until cool, then shred the meat into a large bowl. Stir in the salsa, kidney beans, onion and sour cream.

Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, scatter 1 cup tortilla chips on the bottom and top with half of the chicken mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat the layers and cover with the remaining 1 cup tortilla chips. Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes.

**Photo from www.rachaelraymag.com

Feedback:
This was really good. Spicy, and easy. The kids couldn't eat it with us. I will make this again!

Chicken Tetrazzini

2008-10-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday Dinner-
Haven't tried this one before...hope its good!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
4 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
1/2 pound pasta, cooked, drained - whatever you have on hand (I had macaroni)
4 cups cooked chicken cut into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350F.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Saute until liquid evaporates, about 12 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually add broth and milk, stirring until blended. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 3-5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add 3 cups cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir in pasta and chicken. Pour into a buttered shallow 3 quart baking dish.

Mix remaining cheese and bread crumbs; sprinkle over casserole.

Bake, uncovered, until bubbly. 35-40 minutes

Feedback:

I made this today before I left for work, and couldn't help but eat a serving for myself. This is super good! I didn't get to try it with the crumb crust of course, but the sauce is cheesy and creamy, and the mushroom sauted in garlic...oh my, oh my! The kids gobbled it up. And my youngest, who has been acting like he didn't feel too well all day, ate a little and then threw up all over his highchair. Poor thing (him AND my husband, who had to clean it up). Hubby hates mushrooms, but he doesn't mind picking them out. I am determined to change his mind about them, so I refuse to take them out of the recipe...not that he had too much of an appetite, after the above mentioned incident.

Jerk Chicken

2008-10-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Dinner-
I adore this stuff. We went to Jamaica for our one year anniversary and ate jerk chicken at all hours of the day and never got sick of it. This is a pretty close recipe, but nothing is as good as the real thing!

Ingredients:

1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs sugar
2 tsp fennel seed
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp all spice
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground ginger
4 garlic cloves chopped
4 green onions chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
4-5 lbs chicken pieces - bone in

In a food processor, blend all the ingredients (except the chicken) together until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of the marinade. Place chicken pieces in a ziploc bag and pour marinade over them. Seal and allow to marinate for 4-6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat reserved 1 cup of sauce in a small saucepan until reduce by 1/3(about 10 minutes). After 20 minutes, baste chicken with thickened sauce. Raise heat to 400 and cook another 20 minutes.

Serve with rice.

**In Jamaica, we had the cook making us a special sandwich. Jerk chicken shredded and put on a hamburger bun with a slice of melted cheese (warmed on the bread in a pan). Like a jerk chicken melt. Fabulous! I'll make this for lunch - if there are any leftovers!

Feedback:
So yummy! I used a poblano pepper instead of a habanero - hubby has a wimpy mouth ;). And there's no leftovers. I scraped off the skin and cut up the chicken for the kids, they ate a ton and so did we. No Jerk Melts for lunch for me!

Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake

2008-10-27T10:16:00.001-07:00

Tuesday Dessert...yummy!-
I got this recipe from a fellow blogger and am so excited to try it!

Ingredients:

3 large Macintosh apples, peeled and sliced
2 1/4 cups sugar divided
1 Tbs cinnamon
3 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup canola oil
1 Tbs vanilla
1/2 cup apple juice
6 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven 350.

In a large bowl, combine apple slices, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine remaining 2 cups sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Pour in oil, vanilla, apple juice and eggs. Stir to just combine. Pour about half of the batter into a lightly greased bundt pan. Top with the apples (do not let them touch sides of the pan). Top with remaining batter. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, run a knife around pan and invert onto a platter.

Feedback:
This is the only time I have ever been able to invert a cake and have it come out clean. I'm usually terrible at it! But it works this time, and this cake is as yummy as it sounds!!

Blackened Chicken Wraps with Balsamic Mayo

2008-10-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

Dinner for Tuesday-
I had this amazing wrap at Mimi's Cafe the other day, and I can not wait to re-create it! It was excellent! So I dug up a few recipes and threw in a little of what I thought I tasted and come up with this:

Ingredients:

Blackened Chicken:
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
Olive oil
4 boneless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all spices together. Drizzle olive oil over chicken breasts. Then coat evenly with spice mixture. Heat a non stick skillet over high heat until it is really hot. Place chicken in hot pan and cook for 1 minute on each side. Transfer chicken onto baking sheet and cook in oven for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of breasts)

Balsamic Mayo:
1 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp cayenne (opt)

Combine all ingredients.

Wraps:
Sundried tomatoe tortillas
Lettuce
Tomato
Shredded cheddar and/or monterey jack cheese

Spread mayo onto tortilla. Lay down lettuce, tomatoe slices, and cheese. Place slices of blackened chicken. Fold tortilla in on the sides and then roll. Cut at an angle in the center and serve.

Feedback:
Oh my gosh, were these fantastic! Even my husband loved them. And I thought FOR SURE he'd give me a hard time about the sundried tomato tortillas, since that would trigger the "healthy flag" in his mind and he is positive that he can't stand any healthy/diet food. So I was surprised I got no resistance, and he loved it too!

New Feature...

2008-10-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

To the right, in the side bar, you will find a new feature. I have listed our menu for the upcoming week - exactly as it is written and hanging on the side of the fridge in my home.

I am thinking of posting all recipes I plan to use for the week at one time, and then posting pictures and feedback as they are made. What do you all think? - Post all recipes at once, or do it day-to-day? What would you prefer? I'd love your opinion!

VOTE IN THE SIDE BAR ~~~~~~>>>>>>

Crockpot Italian Chicken & Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2008-10-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sundays are always the busiest day! Church, making dinner, and then off to work. This recipe is a classic around here, everyone loves it so I make it often. And it allows me to use my crock pot - a working mothers best friend!!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
1/2 cup water
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup

Place chicken in crock. Combine salad dressing mix and water, then pour over the ckicken. Cook on low for 3 hours.

Mix soup and softened cream cheese. Pour over chicken and cook 1 hour more. Serve over rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.

We serve this over Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

5 Potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1/2 cup melted margerine
salt and pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cloves garlic

Cover potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender and drain. Pour in melted butter, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mash well. Add a little milk if you need more liquids. Using a zester, grate garlic over mash potatoes and stir to combine.

Apologies...

2008-10-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of recipe posts the past few days...it's been a busy week. We made alot of easys - left overs, taco's, etc. The kids were home with the babysitter last night and tonight. I will get to the store tomorrow, list in hand, preparing for the coming week!

School Lunch gone Japanese!

2008-10-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

I saw these mentioned on another blog, and had to check them out for myself. These are Japanese lunch boxes called Bento Boxes. They sell dividers, and small silicone cups to divide the food, and silverwear. The thing I found so exciting is how much they can help with portion control! We are so apt to send our kids to school with a "snack size" bag of chips, box of raisins, etc., and all of these are huge portions. The Bento box can help cut down on sending a too-big lunch with you kids which they will either a)throw most of it away, or b)eat all of it and be too stuffed to pay attention in class. Brilliant, and inexpensive. I bought a box, silverwear, dividers, cups, and rice molds for only $6!!! I paid $10 for my sons lunch box this year, and nothing fun inside of it either! This is the way we will be going from now on.

Check them out: Bento Boxes

Foodie Blog!

2008-10-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

Feeding My Zoo is now officially a member of Foodie BlogRoll! Check them out to find all sorts of different food blogs. Vegetarian, Gluten free, whatever your pleasure there is a food blog for you! We are so glad to be part of the group!

Baked Ziti

2008-10-23T11:08:00.001-07:00

I do something new everytime with this recipe! And it always comes out a hit. The kids love this stuff.

Ingredients:

16oz Penne noodles
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbs dried parsley
1 egg
1 jar spaghetti sauce
8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper

Boil a large pot of salted water and cook penne to al-dente. In a large, deep pot, brown meat seasoned with salt and pepper. Once browned, remove from heat and add ricotta, parmesan, parsley, egg, 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce and 1/2 of the mozzarella and stir to combine all. Add in the cooked pasta and combine. Pour mixture into a 9x13 pan. Pour remaining sauce on top and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 mintues.

Feedback:

My one year olds each had THREE servings! And my 2 year old had two servings. Is that normal? Seriously? I think we may need to start limitng their intake. They aren't fat at all, but these kids love food! Better keep a close eye on them!

**Hubby said it took 35 minutes to heat through, not 20. I made it early this morning, so it had been in the fridge quite awhile. If you put it in the oven fresh off the stove top, it probably does take only 20 minutes.

Spicy Shrimp Linguini

2008-10-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

I just realize I didn't post what I made for dinner on Tuesday! It's another one of my throw-togethers, and it was super yummy!!

Ingredients:

Sauce:
1 pint half and half
2 tbs butter
1 1/2 tbs flour
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded pepperjack cheese
1 box linguini noodles

Shrimp:
2 lbs shrimp
2 tbs olive oil
4 tbs butter
8 cloves garlic
salt and pepper

Boil a large pot of water. Salt the water and cook the noodles.
In a large saute pan, melt butter and add flour to make a rue (paste). Slowly pour in half and half, wisking at same time to smooth out clumps. Continue until all half and half is gone. Add cheese and stir to melt. Add more milk if needed to get right consistency. In another saute pan, add olive oil and butter and melt. Combine peeled shrimp, salt and pepper, and garlic cloves (minced) to pan and cook until just pink. Pile noodles on plate and pour alfredo sauce on top. Top with 6-8 shrimp and drizzle with the butter from the shrimp pan.

Feedback:

This came out really great! I just made it up, so I was pretty proud! And it wasn't overly spicy. My brother and his family came over for dinner and everyone loved it!

Beef Chimichangas

2008-10-22T15:20:00.000-07:00

So I have the distinct pleasure of living very close to Mexico. I have been there many-a-times, and never ONCE have I seen a chimichanga on the menu in an authentic Mexican restaurant. Maybe it's just that I go to seedy taco stands...but I really don't know how truly Mexican a chimichanga is. HOWEVER, they are fabulous! I made these with the help of my trusty crockpot.

Ingredients:

1 1/2lb pound top round roast
salt and pepper
1/2 cup water
1 can tomatoes and green chilis (like Rotel brand) - drained
1 can diced tomatoes - drained
buritto tortillas
canola oil

For topping:
diced onions
olives
sour cream
lettuce
shredded cheese

Place meat, seasoned on both sides with salt and pepper, into the crockpot. Pour in 1/2 cup water and cook on low for 8 hours. After the meat has cooked, pull it out of the crock, and skim off fat drippings. Leave about 1 cup liquid in crock. Put the meat back inside, and shed using two forks. Add the canned, drained, tomatoes and chilis. Turn crock up to high and cook for about 20 minutes to warm everything back up. Warm your tortillas one at a time over an open flame on your stove, on each side. Place a spoonful of meat down the center of the tortilla (You can put cheese inside if you prefer). Seal tortilla well by folding top and bottom over the meat and then folding in the sides. Heat up oil in a large skillet to coat the bottom. Place your tortilla seam side down. Fry until golden (about 1 min) and then flip. Remove and continue with as many as you'd like. Top with whatever toppings you choose.

I served ours with canned refried beans. Very Mexican, I'm sure of it! I also put the shredded cheese and diced onions inside the buritto before I fried them.

Feedback:

These were excellent. Not the healthiest meal I've ever made, but probably still better than eating it at a restaurant. And they were great so who cares, really?!

Shopping tips

2008-10-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

I know most of my friends and family find me slightly obsessive compulsive when it comes to the way that I shop. But with the way prices are in the grocery store these days, I think everyone is a little more open to money (and time) saving ideas. So here's my shot at making things a little easier on all of us who are strapped for cash and time.

Be a list maker!

Every Monday, I pull out my cookbooks, recipes I've printed off the internet, recipes I've pulled out of magazines, and my recipe box. I have one paper with the days Monday-Sunday listed (a magnetic pre-printed list I picked up at WalMart), and one blank paper for my grocery list. I start sorting through all the recipes and pick out what I want to make each day of the week for dinner. I write down each meal on the day I plan to make it, and then I write all the ingredients I need to get on my shopping list. I separate the recipes I'll be using for the week and set them aside, and write the page number the recipe came from if I found it in a cookbook. I tend to gravitate toward recipes that utilize items that I keep stocked, so that I am not buying 15 things for each recipe. I then go through the fridge and the pantry to see what staples I am running low on. Then we hit the store.

***Making a list cuts down on unnecessary purchases, and makes for a much less stressful grocery visit. Plus it helps not to get all the way home and realize you fogot one measly thing (not to say that still doesn't happen to me occasionally, because it does!).

Also, having a set meal plan for the week actually helps you in saving time and money. You won't be running to the store with everyone else after school, grabbing at whatever quick and easy dinner you can find. Fast daily trips to the store rack up to huge expenses. Setting time aside to spend more than a few frantic moments daily in the store can work wonders on your wallet, and your sanity. Coming home from work and knowing whats for dinner and having everything on hand to just throw it together and enjoy is a huge stress relief. It also gives your kids the opportunity to know whats coming for the rest of the week. Our menu hangs on the side of the fridge.

Recipe Hording

I am very guilty of this! I have a HEAP of cookbooks, a recipe box, and I get 3 different magazines that have recipes, plus I'm online looking for new ideas and printing them up all the time. I used to kick myself when I would make something really amazing one time, and then want to make it again only to realize that I couldn't remember where the recipe had come from and no reasonable means of finding it. So I devised a new plan:

1. I decided that the recipe box will be the home for all tried and trues. If we like the recipe, it gets written on a card that very night and put in the box. It holds nothing that we haven't already tried and decided we would like to have again.

2. I finally found a way to keep all of the "want-to-try's" organized. I purchased a 3-ring binder and bought a pack of dividers. I marked them: Appetizers, Sides/Soups, Mains, Desserts, and Good Ideas. When I find a recipe I want to try (either in a magazine or online), I rip the page out of the magazine, punch 3 holes and put it in the binder. Once we try it, if we like it it gets put onto a recipe card and the paper gets tossed. If we didn't like it, into the bin it goes. I used to have an entire cabinet dedicated to dog-eared magazines that I dreaded looking through. The binder has made it SO much easier. The Good Ideas section is for interesting tidbits of info that I could never remember if I didn't keep them, like how many minutes to cook a steak to get rare/med rare/well done...etc.

3. Cookbooks get marked with a round neon sticker on the pages that contain recipes we tried and liked. I don't want to re-write anything that's in one of the cookbooks, my dedication to this effort only goes so far!

Bargain Shopping

Now, in no way do I claim to be an excellent bargain shopper. I only occasionally look at the sale ads, and I definitly do not go to more than one store to get the best deals. It's not a feasable option for me. However, when I see a deal, I stock up. If any of our staple items are marked "2 for", I grab 2. When chicken breasts are on sale, I stock up and freeze them individually in Ziploc freezer bags. Same goes for steaks, ground beef, fish, shrimp, and everything else. Grab it while it's on sale if you know you will use it. When I know we have certain items in abundance in the frezzer (meats), I cook recipes with those involved so as to keep down on overloading the freezer. I can't contribute to the energy crisis by investing in a deep freezer. In no way have we "gone green", but I still do my best to do our part, and getting another electricity sucking item isn't an option.

I hope that all this rambling hasn't overwhelmed any of you! I just know that it works really well for us, and it helps me get an accurate value of what we are spending each week on food. I hope to, as they get a little older, include the kids in what we plan to make for the week, allowing each of them to pick whats on the menu for a particular day. Taking ownership inwhat is being made will help them feel involved and make them more likely to try new things.

We all plan out our daily lives; what we are going to wear, what time we have to wake everyone up and pile them out of the house, what we need to get done today at work, etc. It should be equally important to plan what it is we will be eating and feeding our families. Just a few extra minutes can make a huge difference in your health, and in your family. Studies show that children who eat at least one meal a day with their family are more socially adjusted and self confident. What a wonderful thing to be able to give to your children, just by making a simple dinner.

"Youth who eat more family meals perform better in school. They spend more time on homework, get better grades, and spend more of their free time reading for pleasure. And they are happier. They are less likely to use alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana. They are less likely to engage in early sexual activity or to have eating disorders. Their self-esteems are higher, on average, and they are less likely to become depressed. Teens who eat many meals with their families are half as likely to think about suicide." (from http://www.drgreene.com/21_1906.html)

Sounds like a worthwhile effort to me.

Chicken Rice Bake

2008-10-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

This is an easy recipe that I THINK came from Campbells...but I could be wrong. It's one of my growing collection of recipes I can throw together before I leave and all hubby has to do is throw it in the oven. The kids love rice, and they make a holy mess with it. But I'm not on clean-up duty tonight!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups rice (uncooked)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
3 chicken breasts, halved
I packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Put rice in the bottom of a glass baking dish, add water and salt. Combine soups and pour over the rice. Place chicken breasts on top of the rice & soup mixture, then sprinkle the onion soup mix on top of each chicken breast. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes, then check to see if rice is getting dry. If it is, add a splash of milk to re-hydrate. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle cheese over the top and return to oven for another 5 minutes.

**First let me apologize for the not-so-appetizing looking picture. Keep in mind that I am not home once the dinner is actually cooked, so lets just say that this particular site shows you what it looks like BEFORE it's cooked. Maybe I can coerce my husband to take a pic for me when dinner is done...but somehow I doubt it!

Spaghetti & Meatballs

2008-10-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

This recipe is amazing! I have made it before, but this time I adapted it to the crockpot, since I am back to work tonight. Hopefully the meatballs won't fall apart in the crock!

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 1/4 lb ground beef
3 tbs worchestershire
1 egg
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
Sauce:
2 tbs oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 cup beef stock
28oz can crushed tomatoes
4 tbs parsley
2 tbs basil

Preheat oven to 425.
Mix worchestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add beef and mix with your hands to combine all ingredients. Form into large meatballs (fill your hands cupped together). Place meatballs on a greased cookie sheet (I used parchment paper) and bake 15 minutes. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil, red pepper, onion and garlic. Cook 5 min until onions are soft. Add stock, tomatoes, parsley and basil. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Pour into a crockpot and gently place in cooked meatballs. Cook on low 3-4 hours. Serve over spaghetti noodles.

**If not using crockpot, after bringing sauce to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, add in meatballs and cook 20-30 minutes.

Feedback:
Another winner! The meatballs were intact. And there's no leftovers. Guess I'm eating my soup again for lunch!

Bean and Vegetable Soup

2008-10-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

I threw this together for myself for lunch today, since it finally feels like fall here in SoCal!

Ingredients:

Olive oil
3 slices bacon, sliced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 zuchini, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen spinach
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1 can red kidney beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained

Heat olive oil in large stockpot. Cook bacon until browned, remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add in all diced veggies and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Pour in tomatoes, broth, and beans. Stir to combine. Add bacon back in, and spinach. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to combine flavors and finish cooking veggies. Top with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Feedback:

I threw this together just pulling out things that I had, and it came out super yummy! I have to enjoy soups for lunch, because the hubby doesn't think soup is a meal, so I never make it for dinner. This will last me all week!

Cheesecake Brownies

2008-10-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

I have made these once before for a potluck and everyone LOVED them. I had all the ingredients on hand, so I thought I'd make some for us tonight. I've already had 2...okay 3. And to be honest, the actual recipe calls for the lowfat cream cheese, but personally I think that's a sin. So I abided by the lowfat directions and used the applesauce and egg whites, but this girl will not scrimp on cream cheese. Period.

Ingredients:

1 pkg brownie mix
1/2 cup applesauce
3 egg whites, divided
1/4 cup water
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese-softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350. Mix brownie mix, applesauce, 2 egg whites and water. Pour into a greased 13x9 baking pan. Mix cream cheese, sugar, flour and remaining egg white until well blended. Spoon over brownie batter. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect. Bake 28-30 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs attached.

Feedback:

They were fabulous, as usual. Too fabulous. I don't even care for chocolate, and I can't get enough of these. My son drug one of the table chairs over to the island and dug into them for a few minutes before I caught him. I couldn't get mad, who could blame him? It's the brownies fault. I won't make them for awhile again. After we all come off our sugar high!

Mom's Cheeseball

2008-10-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been awhile, but I was out of town all weekend, so the family lived on pizza, McD's and fair food! I'm home now, but tonight my husband wanted to try out the Omaha Steaks we ordered with a gift card he received, so I was off the hook tonight. He's going to try the NY strips, and season them with Montreal Steak seasoning. Easy enough!

Today I made a treat for myself. My mom always would make this cheeseball only for family get-togethers, no matter how much I begged for it on "regular" days. So as soon as I moved out, I got the recipe and made it for myself whenever I want. She who pays for the groceries makes the decisions! =)

Ingredients:

2 boxes cream cheese - room temp
2 pkgs sliced deli beef (like Buddings brand), diced
3-4 green onions, diced
1 tsp worchestershire
3 tbs butter - room temp

Once butter and cream cheese are room temp, combine them together in a tupperware using a hand mixer. Add worchestershire. Stir in beef and onions by hand. Place back in the fridge to set. Serve with triscuits, wheat thins, or your favorite cracker.

Black Bean Tamale Pie

2008-10-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

I am back to work tonight, and I will be gone all weekend, but my mom has come down to help the hubby with the kids. She makes this recipe for my dad all the time and wanted to make it tonight for our family. Thanks mom!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup salsa
1 pkg (8 1/2 oz) corn bread/muffin mix
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Cook beef, onion, and green pepper together in large skillet over medium heat. Drain. Stir in beans and salsa; set aside. In a bowl combine muffin mix, milk, egg and 1 cup of the cheese. Pour muffin mixture into greased 9" pie plate. Bake at 375 for 5-6 minutes. Spoon beef mixture over the crust, leaving a 1/2" edge. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 15-18 minutes longer until cheese is melted. Yield 6-8 servings

Feedback:

My mom said she accidentally put in 1 cup milk instead of just 1/4. My husband couldn't tell the difference. And as usual, my kids inhaled it so I doubt they really tasted it anyhow. God love em'.

Apples, Apples, Apples

2008-10-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year! We went to a mom's group meet-up today to share apple recipes. Here's what I took, a few I'd been waiting to try:

CrockPot Applesauce

4 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used Gala apples)
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs brown sugar
1/4 cup water

Place apple slices in your crockpot. Add the melon juice and the water. Pour in the vanilla and add the cinnamon. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Once apples are tender, mash with a potatoe masher or fork. Serves 4

Apple Delish

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans cresent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a cresent roll. Place in a 9x13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream and spoon sauce over the top.

Feedback:

Applesauce - first let me say that I am not, nor have I ever been, an applesauce fan. But this was FABULOUS! I liked that it was warm, and kind of chunky, and the vanilla flavor was delicious. My only gripe is that it makes so little. Note to self ** double recipe for next time! This would be so good over ice cream! YUM!

Apple Delish - is just that - DELISH! Sweet, sticky, yummy good! You will love this dish, you have to make it! I forgot the vanilla. I'm not sure how, since it was on the counter already from being used in the applesauce. But I'm lucky to find my own head most days. At least I remembered to take the dishes I made to the meet up. That's good for me!

Malibu Chicken

2008-10-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

My husband always orders this when we go to Sizzler, and it was his idea for me to pick up the ingredients so he can make it for dinner tonight. I like being off the hook. I'm not sure that this counts as a recipe, but it's what they had, so it's getting posted. Easy, simple dinner!

Ingredients:

4 frozen breaded chicken patties
Sliced deli ham
Swiss cheese slices

Cook chicken patties as instructed on package. Top cooked patties with ham and cheese and put under broiler to melt cheese. Serve.

Feedback:

Hubby said this was great, just like Sizzler. The kids gobbled it up...surprise, surprise!

Enchilada Verde Casserole

2008-10-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

I made this one up. I didn't get to the store today, so I had to use what I had on hand, and this is what came out! Has all the same ingredients as the chicken enchiladas I have made before, just all tossed together. Hopefully its good, it sure looked good to me!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb chicken breasts
8 flour tortillas, torn into pieces
1 1/2 cup salsa verde
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese - separated
1/2 tbs cumin
salt and pepper

Boil chicken breasts until cooked through. Shred. In a large bowl, combine tortillas, salsa, sour cream, 1 cup of the cheese, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken. Pour into 9x9 baking pan. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered, at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly.

Feedback:

Ok, I changed this a little based on what hubby said. He didn't like the corn tortillas I used and he said the beans were kind of hard still. So I revamped the recipe above to reflect the changes. He said the kids really liked it though, of course. I can always count on them to finish their plates!

Shredded Chicken Paninis

2008-10-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

My mom bought me a panini press last christmas, and I use it every chance I get! It makes for the best sandwiches. I picked up some foccocia sandwich bread at the store today in the day old bread bin for cheap, so I figured it'd be best used as a panini! I grilled up some chicken in the good ol' Foreman Grill and made some YUMMY sandwiches!

Ingredients:

Crusty sandwich bread
2 chicken breasts
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
Mayo
Dijon Mustard
Sliced tomatoes
Provolone Cheese

Season chicken breasts to taste and grill. Shred. Spread mayo and dijon onto bread. Layer tomatoes, cheese and grilled chicken. Place sandwich in heated panini press, or on a stove top grill weighted down with a heavy pan. Heat through to melt cheese.

Feedback:

These were so yummy. The bread had some dried herbs on it...yum yum!! If you've never made paninis try them. You're missing out!

Crunchy Chicken Roll-Ups

2008-10-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe on another blog and decided to give it a try. Seems like something the kids will really like.

Ingredients:

1-2 cans of canned chicken (you can also use shredded chicken breasts)
8 oz. sour cream
2 tbsp. milk
1 tbs dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans crescent rolls
2 c. crushed croutons
1 stick butter or margerine melted

Blend together first five ingredients. Separate crescent rolls into triangles. Spoon chicken into the bottom of the triangle, fold in the bottom corners, and roll up. Lightly roll in melted butter then roll in crushed croutons. Place on un-greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20 min.

** Canned chicken smells just like tuna. Next time I'll make a few chicken breasts and shred them, the smell kinda freaked me out! =)
** I forgot to take a picture again, darn it! Sorry!!

Feedback:

My husband asked me if this was canned meat, so he got that funny taste or smell too. But he said they were still good, and of course the kids loved them. Next time I'll just grill up my own chicken. Chicken that smells like tuna...not too appetizing!

Cheesy Enchiladas

2008-10-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

We ended up taking the kids to John's Incredible Pizza last night, and they had a blast! Though, I really hate paying $8.99 for a buffet, when I know I did not eat $8.99 worth of food! But the kids were free, and they eat as much as I do, so I guess it all equals out! Tonight I will be helping at a fundraiser dinner, so I will be pre-making a dinner for the fam again, since I will be gone from 4 to about 7. This is a new recipe, it looks really good!!

Ingredients:

2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
1 1/3 cup water
2 tbs chili powder
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
16 flour tortillas (8 inch size)
4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 medium onions finely chopped
8 oz sour cream
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, olives for topping - optional

In a large saucepan, combine first 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 4-5 min until thickened, stirring occasionally. Spoon 2 tbs sauce over each tortilla.
In a large bowl, combine all monterey jack cheese, 2 cups of the cheddar, onions, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper. Place about 1/3 cup down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in two greased 13x9 baking dishes. Pour remaining sauce over top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheddar on top and bake 4-5 min longer until cheese is melted. Garnish if desired.
Yield 16 enchiladas

**I halfed this recipe. We eat alot, but not that much!!
**Photo does not include cheese on top that is to be added at the end

Feedback:

My husband said it was too cheesey for him, but the babies each ate a whole enchilada themselves! I had one when I got home and I LOVED it. They were freakin' fabulous, I will never be satisfied with a restaurant cheese enchilada again.

Baby BowTie Pasta

2008-09-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

I made this today for lunch for the kids, and it was amazing! They ate it all, and I had some as well. And I got to use those fun new mini pastats from Barilla - Piccolini. I love the name!!

Ingredients:

1/2 box Mini Farfalle pasta (like Barilla Piccolini)
olive oil
1/2 onion finely chopped, or a shallot
1 clove garlic minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, juices drained
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup frozen peas
grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Cook noodles in boiling water. Heat oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Saute until tender, about 2 min. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 min. Stir in the cream and the peas. Add the pasta and toss to coat. You may need to add a ladle full of the pasta cooking water to get a creamy consistency in the sauce. Serve, topped with grated parm and salt and pepper if desired.

Feedback:

The kids gobbled this up, they loved the peas. And the pasta is small enough to not have to be cut up first, which saves me a ton of time. Creamy and delish!!

Mom's Sloppy Joes

2008-09-29T14:17:00.001-07:00

It's my Friday again! Thank goodness!

I'm not sure where my mom got this recipe, but she's made it for us forever. And it's still the best Sloppy Joe recipe I've ever had. Not to mention, I get to use my crockpot. So I love them even more!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground beef
salt
pepper
garlic powder
Olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
12 oz ketchup
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs worchestershire
2 tbs sweet pickle relish
8 oz sour cream
Hamburger buns

Cook onions and celery in saucepan with olive oil for 5 min until tender. Add ground beef to skillet and season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder. When meat is cooked through, pour into crockpot. Add ketchup, sugar, worchestershire, and relish. Stir to combine all. Cook on low for 3 hours (or high for 1 hr). Put sour cream into mix and stir to combine for the last 30 minutes. Serve on buns.

Feedback:
I've made this plenty of times before and the kids love it. My 2 year old eats 2 hamburgers - the same amount as my husband and I!! For those of you who never knew sloppy joes aren't just made my "Manwich", give these a try, you'll never go back to the can!

Pigs in a Blanket

2008-09-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most all of you have had these at one point or another, but believe it or not, I NEVER have! So I made them for us for lunch today and they were great. I've been missing out!!

Pigs in a Blanket

Nathans Hot Dogs (the best, in our opinion! Any brand will work)
1 tube cresent rolls
2 slices cheese

Heat oven to 325. Split hotdogs down the center and put slices of cheese into them. Roll hotdog in cresent roll. Place on baking sheet and bake 12 minutes.

Kids and I LOVED THEM!

Leftover day

2008-09-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Well there was no need for me to make dinner tonight, they had some Spaghetti Pie and Cordon Bleu Casserole left. Back to the grocery store tomorrow! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

2008-09-27T11:00:00.001-07:00

This is another recipe that my Grandma used to make. So yummy! This will be for the babysitter and the kids tonight. We both work late. I'm sure they'll love it.

This is another one of those dishes where I have almost everything I need on hand already. I only had to pick up ham for this recipe. I love when that happens!

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked chicken, cubed
3 cups cooked ham, cubed
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups light cream
1 tsp dill weed
1/3 cup flour
1/8 tsp ground mustard
1 cup cheddar cheese

Topping:
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp dill weed
2 Tbs melted butter
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl combine chicken, ham and cheese. Set aside. In a saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add flour, stir to form a paste. Gradually add cream, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute or until thick. Add dill, and mustard. Mix well. Remove from heat and pour over meat mixture. Spoon into a greased 9x13" pan. Toss bread crumbs, melted butter, dill and cheese. Pour evenly over top of casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Serves 8-10

**Picture is of leftovers the next day - I forgot to take the pic same day!

Feedback:
Our babysitter said this was great and that the kids gobbled it up. Even her son, who is much more picky than my hogs! I had leftovers for lunch. So yummy.

I love eating things that remind me of when I was a kid, it's great when food does that to you. I think that is part of the reason why it's so important to me that my family eat at home as much as possible. I want their memories to be like mine - of family around the table eating good food. Not at whatever fast food place we all agreed on that night.

Three Cheese Spaghetti Pie

2008-09-26T09:46:00.001-07:00

For my bridal shower, my maid-of-honor requested that everyone bring a copy of their favorite recipe for me to cook sometime. This one came from my only Aunt, Aunt Vicki. I made it once for me and hubby, and we really liked it. I know the kids will too.

Ingredients:

6 oz spaghetti, cooked, drained and rinsed
1 large egg, separated
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 1/4 cups spaghetti sauce
3/4 cups ricotta cheese
1 tsp dried parsley
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 9" pie plate with cooking spray. Combine spaghetti, egg white and parmesan in a bowl. Press mixture into pie plate to form a pie shell. Cook beef in a skillet. When browned, stir in spaghetti sauce and simmer 5 min. Set aside. Combine ricotta, egg yolk, parsley, and 1/2 cup mozzarella in bowl. Spread mixture into pie shell. Spread meat sauce over cheese mixture and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, removing foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Allow to stand for 5 min. before serving.
Serves 6

Thanks Aunt Vicki, the kids are going to love this!

Feedback:
They all loved it. My 2 year old had 2 helpings. My husband is a much better parent than me. If we have anything with red sauce when I am home, I won't give it to the babies because I hate the mess, especially since they are both in a "I-throw-my-food-on-the-floor-when-I'm-done" phase. I'm so mean! Hubby lets them have at it AND cleans it up. Im so lucky!

Monday, Monday

2008-09-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

It's back to the grind for me. I didn't get a chance to shop for the week, so Hubby will be making the kids and himself Tuna Helper. They all like that, and it's quick and easy to throw together. I'll get my butt to the store tomorrow! Have a great day everyone!

Buffalo Sloppy Joes

2008-09-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today I made Rachael Ray's Buffalo Sloppy Joes. They were not bad. The sloppy joes I usually make in the crockpot are thicker, these ones seemed a little runny to me. But I did like the carrots and celery running through it, and the blue cheese crumbles!

I served it to the kids before I added the hot sauce. They ate it, of course. I'm not sure my kids are really valid in helping determine whether or not something is good. The other day I just missed as my daughter pulled Lord knows what out of the sliding glass door track and stuck it in her mouth. Must have been ok, since she didn't spit it out!

Anyways, if you like spicy, give these a try!

Frog Eye Salad

2008-09-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

This recipe came from my Grandmother, and for a long time I only got to enjoy it at family get-togethers. But I finally got the recipe from her, and after a few failed attempts, I've finally got it down! And though nothing ever tastes as good as Grandmas, this is even excellent when I make it now. Plus, it deters me from eating ice cream every night (for a few days =)). Not to mention, my kids LOVE it!

Frog Eye Salad

1/2 cup Acini de Pepe pasta
1 8oz can pineapple chunks (Save juice)
1 11oz can mandarin oranges
1 cup coconut - optional
1 8z container cool whip
1 egg
1 cup sugar
reserved pineapple juice
2-4 tbs flour

Boil water and cook Acini de Pepe. Rinse and allow to cool. Cook sugar, egg, pineapple juice and flour together, wisking often until thick. (Takes about 8 min). Allow to cool, wisking every few minutes.
Combine fruit, coconut (if using), coolwhip, pasta, and pineapple mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.

**After you first combine the ingredients, they will appear soupy. They will set overnight and be a firmer, tapioca-ish consistency.

Baked Chicken Finger Bites

2008-09-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

Last night, I had a migraine from "you-know-where", so I was in no mood to cook. We ordered pizza and one of those new pastas from Pizza Hut. We got the chicken alfredo. It was pretty good!

Today I made my toddler a warm lunch to send to school. I got this recipe from my moms group, so I thought I'd share it. I tried one while I was packing the rest up for him. They are really good!

Baked Chicken Finger Bites

1 cup corn flakes

1 cup plain bread crumbs

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 2-inch pieces

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

Turn the oven on to 375 degrees F. In a pie pan or other shallow, large dish, pour out the corn flakes. Crush the cereal up with your hands. Mix in bread crumbs, sugar, salt, pepper. Drizzle about 3 tablespoons vegetable oil evenly over the breading, tossing it to mix the oil through the bread crumbs and crushed-up corn flakes. Cut the chicken fingers into smaller bite sized pieces, 2-inch pieces. Turn the chicken in flour, eggs and then in the crunchy breading. Arrange the chicken toes on a nonstick baking sheet. Place the chicken bites in the oven and cook 15 minutes or until crisp and brown all over.

*Use your favorite ranch or honey mustard to dip these treats in! (I sent ranch)

Student says:

"Mamma, I eat my chukin (chicken). I like it lot! And my raynins (raisins). They all gone!"

Crockpot Tamale Pie

2008-09-22T12:05:00.001-07:00

Today is my Friday! WOO HOO!!

Ingredients:

2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix (the little ones)
1 lb ground beef
1 can drainded rinsed black beans
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can drained corn
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Spray crock pot with cooking spray (just realized I didn't do this!! Oops!) Brown meat in a sauce pan ( I seasoned it with salt and pepper). Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl (including the cheese), add meat once it is completely cooked. Dump into crockpot. Mix 2 boxes of corn muffin mix per insturctions on box. Top the mix in the crockpot with the miffun mix and spread to cover. Cook on low 4-7 hours.

Feedback:

My husband said this was good. He only had a few bites though, because the kids were making him nuts. And my 2 year old wouldn't touch it because he saw a cake I made on the counter, and this wasn't it! I know my husband is so glad I'll be home the next 2 nights!

Crockpot Steak and Blue Cheese

2008-09-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

This looked fabulous to me, and I was super jealous that I wasn't going to get to try it straight out of the pot! I had 10 minutes to throw this all together before jetting out the door, so I forgot to take pics - sorry!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb flat beef - I used round tip
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs Worchestershire
2 cloves garlic smashed
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Marinate meat in sauces and garlic in a ziplock bag in fridge overnight. Pull meat out of bag, and pour liquids into the crockpot. Lay out pieces of meat and sprinkle blue cheese on them. Roll the meat around the cheese into a log. Place meat seam-side down into the crockpot. Repeat with all meat. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Feedback:
My husband said this was way too salty for him. Which means I KNOW I would have thought it was fabulous, because I have a salt addiction. I should have probably used sodium free soy-sauce, since the cheese is salty already. But he said that the kids gobbled it up. My 2 year old had 2 helpings. There was none left for me. Bummer!

Ultimate Lasagne

2008-09-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight I work again, and had to pre-make dinner early, since we have a birthday party to go to at noon. I decided to make lasagne from a recipe I watched on Tyler's Ultimate on FoodNetwork. I loved that he snuck in SO MANY veggies. My kids will eat any veggie, but I usually have to sneak them past my husband, so I thought this would be a good recipe to try. I know many of my mom friends that are big fans of the Deceptively Delicious Cookbook, that hides veggies in everything from dinner to dessert. I think I may need to invest in that cookbook, though if I come home with another cookbook I may be enjoying them while I live in my car after my husband kicks me out of the house!

As you will see by the ingredients picture...there are ALOT. Once I started pulling everything out, I came to the conculsion that unless I hear "This was the best lasagne I've ever had!" tonight when I get home, I'll probably never make it this way again. It's alot of work!

Ingredients:

Ultimate Lasagne

1 lb lasagne noodles

Extra virgin olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground italian sausage

1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots
1 celery stalk
1 tbs basil
1 handful Italian parsley
1 tbs oregano
1 tbs flour
1 cup red wine
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbs heavy cream
1 cup frozen spinach thawed
1 quart ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper
1/2 lb grated mozzerella

Preheat oven to 350

Cook lagane noodles untile pliable but still firm.

Coat large skillet with olive oil, brown meats together, seasoned with salt and pepper. Blend onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, parsley and oregano in food processor until pureed. Pour into sauce pan with cooked meat and combine. Stir in flour. Add the wine and cook 5 minutes. Then add tomatoes and cream. Cook on low.

In a mixing bowl combine ricotta, mozzerella, egg, salt and pepper.

Coat 9x13 pan with olive oil. Line bottom of pan with noodles. Top with cheese mix, then spinach, then meat mix. Top with noodles and repeat layers. Top with noodles. Shred more mozzerella and parmesan on top of completed lasagne. Cook for 45 min to 1 hr until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

**I just had to take this picture, and this doesn't include the noodle pot and sauce pan that were still on the stove. YIKES!

And the zoo says:

Hubby said "the lasagne was really good, but it tasted like alot of vegetables." He caught that! He has a better palate that I thought...time to restrategize! The kids ate it up, of course.

Home-Style Ribs

2008-09-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight I work until 11pm, so the family will be eating without me. I made dinner in the trusty crockpot, and my husband will probably make a quick rice or potato side dish and some corn (or he won't and the kids won't know the difference anyways!).

The Ingredients:

Home-Style Ribs

4-5lbs bonless pork spareribs, cut into pieces
1 med onion sliced
1 cup ketchup
1/2 to 1 cup water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tbs Worchestershire sauce
2 tsp ground mustard
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika

Place half the ribs in slow cooker and top with half the onion. Repeat layers. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over all. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours
Yield: 6-8 servings (Recipe Courtesy Taste of Home Magazine)

**I will be cutting the meat portion of this recipe in half. My very young children eat like a herd of teenagers, but I think there would still be a lot left over. I bought 2 lbs of the ribs but still made the full recipe amount of sauce - the kids will love to dip bread in it. I also cooked mine on low for 6 hours, since I had less meat.

**I love that all I had to do was purchase ribs for this dinner. Every other ingredient is something that I always have on hand. Makes for a rather in-expensive dinner - which I am ALL ABOUT these days!

Feedback from the zoo:

They ate it up, which never surprises me! Hubby said it was really good, falling apart and moist. He said the 2 babies inhaled it, and my toddler looked at it for awhile before eating it. He usually sees if the babies are eating it, and then he goes for it - like the King making his subjects test the food before he will eat it! Another hit! Can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch - if there are any...

Babysitter night

2008-09-18T18:24:00.001-07:00

Tonight, both Shawn and I work late. So our babysitter, N, is in charge of feeding time tonight. I always have ingredients for spaghetti and similar quick dinners on hand for her, if I don't have time to prepare something ahead. They are fending for themselves tonight!

Welcome Everyone...

2008-09-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

To my new blog! I plan on posting daily (if at all possible!). I am currently a full-time working mom. So I am only home to make dinner 2 nights a week. On the other 5 nights, I have to come up with something that will be an easy, healthy and delicious dinner for my husband and kids. Left to their own devices, it would be pizza and chicken nuggets 5 nights a week! I am blessed to have a husband who will try anything once, and 3 kids who are virtual garbage disposals! Happy cooking everyone!