As I mentioned earlier, I am trying several new recipes this week. Time to change up our same old menu ideas. Here are the recipes I am going to try. I will post a review of each after we have tried them!
Shrimp Penne with Garlic Sauce
from: Taste of Home Simple and Delicious Magazine May 2010
2 c uncooked pasta
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c butter cubed
1/4 c all purpose flour
1 can (14.5oz) chicken broth
1 can (5oz) evaporated milk
1 # cooked medium shrimp peeled/deveined
2/3 c shredded Parmesan cheese
2 T. minced fresh parsley
1-1/2tsp. seafood seasoning
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in shrimp, cheese, parsley, and seafood seasoning. Heat through. Drain pasta; place in a large bowl. Add shrimp mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Pineapple Pork Stir Fry
from: Taste of Home Simple and Delicious Magazine May 2010
1 can (8oz) unsweetened pineapple chunks, undrained
3 T. cornstarch
1 T. plus 1/2 cup cold water divided
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 pork tenderloin cut into thin strips 1# (I bought pork stir fry meat to save time and $$)
1/2 c soy sauce
3 T. brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 T. canola oil divided
4 c fresh broccoli florets
1 c fresh baby carrots cut in half lengthwise
1 small onion cut in wedges
Hot cooked rice
Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 c juice; set aside. In a small bowl, combine 2 T. cornstarch, 1T. water, garlic powder and 1 T. reserved pineapple juice. Pour into a large resealable bag; add pork, seal bag and turn to coat.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, cayenne and remaining water, cornstarch and reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Set aside.
In a large skillet, stir fry pork in 1 T. oil until no longer pink, remove and keep warm.
Stir fry broccoli, carrots and onion in remaining oil until tender. Stir cornstarch mix and add to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick. Add the pork and pineapple, heat thru. Serve with rice.
Bacon-Chicken Sandwiches
from: Taste of Home Simple and Delicious Magazine May 2010
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp canola oil
4 tomato slices
4 slices Swiss cheese
1/4 c mango chutney
3 T. mayo
4 kaiser rolls split and toasted
1 c fresh baby spinach
8 slices bacon
Flatten chicken to 1/2" thick and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in oil for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Top each chicken breast half with a tomato and cheese slice. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Combine chutney and mayo; spread over roll bottoms. Layer with spinach, chicken and bacon, add tops.
Easy Sweet Slaw
from: Taste of Home Simple and Delicious Magazine May 2010
4 c coleslaw mix
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/4 c finely chopped celery
1/4 c finely chopped green pepper
Dressing:
1/2 c mayo
1/4 c canned unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
2 T. pineapple juice
2 T. cider vinegar
2-4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
In a serving bowl combine the veggies. Combine the dressing ingredients pour over cabbage mix and toss to coat. Chill until serving.
Primavera Potato Salad
From: Cooking Club April/May 2010
SALAD:
1 1/2 lb. small new potatoes unpeeled
5 oz green beans cut into 1" slices (about 1 c)
1/2 c diagonally thin sliced carrots
2 c baby spinach
1/2 c thin sliced radishes
1/2 c thin sliced green onions
Vinaigrette:
1/3 c olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling/salted water for 10 minutes. Add green beans and carrots and cook 5 min or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain, cool under running water.
Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl until blended.
When potatoes are cool enough to handle, quarter larger ones and halve small ones. Place in a large bowl along with beans, carrots, spinach, radishes and green onions. Toss with vinaigrette to coat. Serve at room temperature.
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday 2/24
Ahh halfway thru the work week. Always a good thing! Not much excitement mid week around here though.
A recipe to share:
JAZZED UP CLAM CHOWDER
This came from Taste of Home Simple & Delicious March/April 2010 . If you have not seen this magazine I highly recomend it some awesome recipes. My mom got me a subscription for Christmas THANKS MOM!
1 can cunky New England Clam Chowder
1 can cream style corn
2/3 c milk
2 T. shredded cheddar
2 T. bacon bits
2 T. minced chives
Mix the soup, corn and milk and heat either on stovetop or microwave. Sprinkle with cheese, bacon and chives.
I doubled the soup/milk and used 1 can of regular corn drained (all I had on hand. This made more than enough for several of us to eat.
I have also started working on some crafts again YEAH! Here is a thank you card I made this week:
I am also on the search for some GREAT craft blogs! If you have a craft blog you love to follow please share!
A recipe to share:
JAZZED UP CLAM CHOWDER
This came from Taste of Home Simple & Delicious March/April 2010 . If you have not seen this magazine I highly recomend it some awesome recipes. My mom got me a subscription for Christmas THANKS MOM!
1 can cunky New England Clam Chowder
1 can cream style corn
2/3 c milk
2 T. shredded cheddar
2 T. bacon bits
2 T. minced chives
Mix the soup, corn and milk and heat either on stovetop or microwave. Sprinkle with cheese, bacon and chives.
I doubled the soup/milk and used 1 can of regular corn drained (all I had on hand. This made more than enough for several of us to eat.
I have also started working on some crafts again YEAH! Here is a thank you card I made this week:
I am also on the search for some GREAT craft blogs! If you have a craft blog you love to follow please share!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday 2/23
Happy Tuesday! Well the rain has returned to Western Washington. **sigh** the sun was nice while it lasted so I will not complain!
I thought I would share a cute pictures with you. Our kitten Fluffy discovered balloons last night for the first time.
I tried a new to us recipe last night that I also wanted to share.
CHILI MAC
1 c uncooked elbow macaroni
1 lb ground beef
1 small green pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 cans chili with beans
1 can whole kernel corn drained
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in chili and corn. Drain macaroni, add to skillet and heat thru. Sprinkle with cheese.
ORGANIZATION TIP OF THE DAY
I have people ask me all of the time how I remember everything with 4 kids. I struggled for a long time with keep up with all of the appointments, games, practices, forms etc. I have a good system down that works very well for our family.
Each day when the kids get home from school they give me any forms, permission slips, activity calendars etc. I sit down later that evening when they are in bed and add those events to my Google calendar online. My Google calendar is Synched with my Blackberry so I have access to my calendar wherever I am. I also have a large calendar on the kitchen wall that I hand write activities so that they are always visual for the kids and myself.
I know not everyone has a Blackberry but most phones have a calendar feature. This is so helpful for me when at a medical appointment and they need to schedule another in the future, I can look to see when we are available. Also, I often find myself out and about when the kids say can I go do "insert whatever activity here" next Saturday? I am able to look at the calendar and fit that in without having to be physically at home. Saves alot of time, headache, double booking and forgotten appointments!
I thought I would share a cute pictures with you. Our kitten Fluffy discovered balloons last night for the first time.
I tried a new to us recipe last night that I also wanted to share.
CHILI MAC
1 c uncooked elbow macaroni
1 lb ground beef
1 small green pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 cans chili with beans
1 can whole kernel corn drained
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in chili and corn. Drain macaroni, add to skillet and heat thru. Sprinkle with cheese.
ORGANIZATION TIP OF THE DAY
I have people ask me all of the time how I remember everything with 4 kids. I struggled for a long time with keep up with all of the appointments, games, practices, forms etc. I have a good system down that works very well for our family.
Each day when the kids get home from school they give me any forms, permission slips, activity calendars etc. I sit down later that evening when they are in bed and add those events to my Google calendar online. My Google calendar is Synched with my Blackberry so I have access to my calendar wherever I am. I also have a large calendar on the kitchen wall that I hand write activities so that they are always visual for the kids and myself.
I know not everyone has a Blackberry but most phones have a calendar feature. This is so helpful for me when at a medical appointment and they need to schedule another in the future, I can look to see when we are available. Also, I often find myself out and about when the kids say can I go do "insert whatever activity here" next Saturday? I am able to look at the calendar and fit that in without having to be physically at home. Saves alot of time, headache, double booking and forgotten appointments!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Monday 2/22
What a great weekend. I had taken Thursday/Friday off from work for my oldest daughters dental work and to prep for my youngest daughters birthday party. And well, because I needed a BREAK!!
We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather. We were able to have the doors open during my daughters party on Saturday. We had a great time with friends and family. Sunday we were able to spend some time at the park and have a BBQ with some friends. I feel so blessed right now I could burst!
I wanted to share a couple of delicous recipes today. These were very inexpensive to make but delicous. I am hoping my friend Jodei will share the recipe for the salad she made last night so I can share that as well :D (hint, hint Jodei I know you are reading this LOL)
BBQ RIBS
This is how my mom makes her ribs so I have to give full credit to her. I picked up some pork ribs at Safeway a couple of weeks ago in their mark down section at 50% off! Tossed them in the freezer to wait for a sunny day.
Thaw the ribs if they are frozen. Cover liberally with seasoning salt of your choice. Mom uses Lawrys I use Johnnys either works. Let them sit covered in the refrigerator overnight (I did them yesterday and let them sit for 6 hours and they were still really good). Wrap in foil and BBQ for 2 hours. Turn them once 1/2 way thru. The last 20 minutes, open up the foil and put BBQ sauce on the top of the ribs. I used Kraft Honey Hickory. Let them finish cooking for about 20 minutes and pull off the grill. So good (ok I am drooling a bit).
PEANUT BUTTER PIE
This recipe came from Taste of Home Simple and Delicious March/April 2010
3/4 c peanut butter
4 oz cream cheese softened
1 c confectioners sugar
8oz cool whip
1 graham cracker crust
In a large bowl beat the peanut butter, cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth. Fold in whip topping and pour into pie crust. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
This was super easy to throw together at the last minute and a huge hit!
COBB SALAD WITH POACHED EGGS
This is soooo good!! It makes enough for 2 salads. This recipe came from Everyday Food March 2010.
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 head bibb lettuce leaves seperated and torn
1/2 c shredded cooked chicken
2 strips bacon cooked/crumbled
2 T crumbled blue cheese
2 warm easy poached eggs
Whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and season with salt/pepper. Divide lettuce, chicken, bacon and cheese between 2 plates. Top each salad with a poached egg. Serve dressing on the side.
We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather. We were able to have the doors open during my daughters party on Saturday. We had a great time with friends and family. Sunday we were able to spend some time at the park and have a BBQ with some friends. I feel so blessed right now I could burst!
I wanted to share a couple of delicous recipes today. These were very inexpensive to make but delicous. I am hoping my friend Jodei will share the recipe for the salad she made last night so I can share that as well :D (hint, hint Jodei I know you are reading this LOL)
BBQ RIBS
This is how my mom makes her ribs so I have to give full credit to her. I picked up some pork ribs at Safeway a couple of weeks ago in their mark down section at 50% off! Tossed them in the freezer to wait for a sunny day.
Thaw the ribs if they are frozen. Cover liberally with seasoning salt of your choice. Mom uses Lawrys I use Johnnys either works. Let them sit covered in the refrigerator overnight (I did them yesterday and let them sit for 6 hours and they were still really good). Wrap in foil and BBQ for 2 hours. Turn them once 1/2 way thru. The last 20 minutes, open up the foil and put BBQ sauce on the top of the ribs. I used Kraft Honey Hickory. Let them finish cooking for about 20 minutes and pull off the grill. So good (ok I am drooling a bit).
PEANUT BUTTER PIE
This recipe came from Taste of Home Simple and Delicious March/April 2010
3/4 c peanut butter
4 oz cream cheese softened
1 c confectioners sugar
8oz cool whip
1 graham cracker crust
In a large bowl beat the peanut butter, cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth. Fold in whip topping and pour into pie crust. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
This was super easy to throw together at the last minute and a huge hit!
COBB SALAD WITH POACHED EGGS
This is soooo good!! It makes enough for 2 salads. This recipe came from Everyday Food March 2010.
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 head bibb lettuce leaves seperated and torn
1/2 c shredded cooked chicken
2 strips bacon cooked/crumbled
2 T crumbled blue cheese
2 warm easy poached eggs
Whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and season with salt/pepper. Divide lettuce, chicken, bacon and cheese between 2 plates. Top each salad with a poached egg. Serve dressing on the side.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Few Recipes to Share
I wanted to share a couple of recipes I tried last week!
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (18 ounce) jar peanut butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
Cream butter/sugars. Add all other ingredients. I dump it all into my Kitchenaid Mixer and let it go. I used a Pampered Chef small scoop to put these on a cookie sheet, stamp down criss cross with a fork dipped in sugar and baked at 350 for 12 minutes.
This is a GREAT use for that store brand peanut butter when you find it on sale for .99 like I did a few weeks ago. This makes a large batch of cookies and were a huge hit with the kids!
PINEAPPLE MUFFINS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
TOPPING:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Mix topping and set aside. Mix dry ingredients in bowl and add liquid ingredients. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Top with topping. Bake at 375 for 30 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. I used a mini muffin pan for these and baked them for about 15 minutes they were delicious!
Picture of Pineapple muffins above
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (18 ounce) jar peanut butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
Cream butter/sugars. Add all other ingredients. I dump it all into my Kitchenaid Mixer and let it go. I used a Pampered Chef small scoop to put these on a cookie sheet, stamp down criss cross with a fork dipped in sugar and baked at 350 for 12 minutes.
This is a GREAT use for that store brand peanut butter when you find it on sale for .99 like I did a few weeks ago. This makes a large batch of cookies and were a huge hit with the kids!
PINEAPPLE MUFFINS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
TOPPING:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Mix topping and set aside. Mix dry ingredients in bowl and add liquid ingredients. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Top with topping. Bake at 375 for 30 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. I used a mini muffin pan for these and baked them for about 15 minutes they were delicious!
Picture of Pineapple muffins above
Monday, January 25, 2010
January 25, 2010
Monday. Ah joyous Monday. I find myself each week stressed and in a bad mood suffering from "the Monday's". I decided to approach today with a different attitude. I started off the day telling myself, its going to be a good day. I will not fret over the kids getting out the door on time, they always do but I still worry about it. I will not let the mountain of work from my paying job to should be. The work will wait for me its certainly not going anywhere.
As I do each morning, I wrote out my daily to do list. I work from 3 lists. Yes I am a list addict. I probably need a 12 step program for it but hey it works for me. I have a master to do list, things I slowly chip away at over time. Each morning I write out a to do list for that day for home and one for work. The one from home will contain one or two items from that master list.
Today's list looked like this:
run damp jeans/towels from rack thru drier for 20 min.
put today's load thru the washing machine
kids up and off to school
feed cats
cleaned out personal email
work 8 hours
hang laundry to dry
empty dw
bake french bread rolls for dinner
bake banana bread for after school snack
water plants
vacuum
clean bathroom
sweep/mop
clean out microwave
baskets under bathroom sink
go thru pantry downstairs take mental note of what we have
garbage out to can
general tidy
iron clothes for working in the office tomorrow
Now, did I complete that entire list? NO. Am I worried about it NO. Some days I get thru my list and other days I do not.
One of the BEST parts about Mondays however, are my small group! I joined a small group thru church last January and it is a wonderful group of ladies! We have recently had a couple more join us and it is just an awesome group.
My goal for this week is to approach each day with that positive attitude and see how much it helps! Another thing I am trying to make sure we do is sit down and eat at the table TOGETHER. I know its a "duh" thing but we find ourselves busy and off in different directions so much. Just sit together at the table, pray, talk and eat it is amazing what a difference that makes!
And to end this rambling of madness, an ooooooh so good recipe we tried tonight that everyone loved! I served this with homemade french rolls and green salad. Enjoy!!
Tortellini Carbonara
8 bacon strips diced
1 c heavy cream (I used half and half)
1/2 c minced fresh parsley
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 pkg (9oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. While that is cooking bring water to boil for pasta. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon, drain grease from pan and return bacon to pan. Add cream, parsley and cheese. Cook uncovered on medium heat until heated thru. meanwhile prepare pasta according to package directions. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle cheese sauce over pasta. Stir to coat and serve immediately.
One last side note and excitement, we live on a farm. While we do not run the farm we get to enjoy all of the excitement that goes along with it including new babys on the farm! So far this week 9 calves with 20 more to come in the next week or so. They are so cute, yes cows are cute.
As I do each morning, I wrote out my daily to do list. I work from 3 lists. Yes I am a list addict. I probably need a 12 step program for it but hey it works for me. I have a master to do list, things I slowly chip away at over time. Each morning I write out a to do list for that day for home and one for work. The one from home will contain one or two items from that master list.
Today's list looked like this:
run damp jeans/towels from rack thru drier for 20 min.
put today's load thru the washing machine
kids up and off to school
feed cats
cleaned out personal email
work 8 hours
hang laundry to dry
empty dw
bake french bread rolls for dinner
bake banana bread for after school snack
water plants
vacuum
clean bathroom
sweep/mop
clean out microwave
baskets under bathroom sink
go thru pantry downstairs take mental note of what we have
garbage out to can
general tidy
iron clothes for working in the office tomorrow
Now, did I complete that entire list? NO. Am I worried about it NO. Some days I get thru my list and other days I do not.
One of the BEST parts about Mondays however, are my small group! I joined a small group thru church last January and it is a wonderful group of ladies! We have recently had a couple more join us and it is just an awesome group.
My goal for this week is to approach each day with that positive attitude and see how much it helps! Another thing I am trying to make sure we do is sit down and eat at the table TOGETHER. I know its a "duh" thing but we find ourselves busy and off in different directions so much. Just sit together at the table, pray, talk and eat it is amazing what a difference that makes!
And to end this rambling of madness, an ooooooh so good recipe we tried tonight that everyone loved! I served this with homemade french rolls and green salad. Enjoy!!
Tortellini Carbonara
8 bacon strips diced
1 c heavy cream (I used half and half)
1/2 c minced fresh parsley
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 pkg (9oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. While that is cooking bring water to boil for pasta. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon, drain grease from pan and return bacon to pan. Add cream, parsley and cheese. Cook uncovered on medium heat until heated thru. meanwhile prepare pasta according to package directions. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle cheese sauce over pasta. Stir to coat and serve immediately.
One last side note and excitement, we live on a farm. While we do not run the farm we get to enjoy all of the excitement that goes along with it including new babys on the farm! So far this week 9 calves with 20 more to come in the next week or so. They are so cute, yes cows are cute.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
January 23, 2010
I tried a new recipe tonight, it sounded good when I read it. It sounded good as I bought the ingredients. As I started putting it together, I thought to myself "what was I thinking?". Not all recipes are a hit and this one, well, it will not be a repeat in our house. The kids were troopers though they ate it and did not complain. I thought I would go ahead and post the recipe just in case someone else MIGHT like it.
Flavorful Mac and Cheese
7 oz elbow macaroni
8oz mild Mexican cheese sauce
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
8oz crushed pineapple drained
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1/4 c finely chopped onion
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Stir in the cheese sauce until combined. Add remaining ingredients. Transfer to a serving bowl; serve immediately.
So that recipe above was a bust although my children were awesome troopers. However, the recipe below was a HIT. I think this cheesy concoction being on the table is what encouraged them to endure the horrible mac & cheese dish LOL.
Party Cheese Bread
1/2 cup butter melted
2T. lemon juice
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 found loaf sourdough
1 pound Monterrey jack cheese sliced
In a small bowl combine the first six ingredients; set aside. Cut bread diagonally into 1" slices to within 1/2" of bottom of loaf. Repeat cuts in opposite direction. Arrange cheese slices in cuts. Drizzle butter mixture over bread.
Wrap loaf in foil; place on baking sheet. Bake 350 for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer until cheese is melted.
My adjustments:
I picked up a loaf of SLICED Garlic Sourdough at the bread outlet. I put this in a round baking dish and sliced the opposite direction. I did not have Dijon so I used stone ground mustard. I did not add the garlic powder because there was garlic in the bread. This was sooooo good!
Flavorful Mac and Cheese
7 oz elbow macaroni
8oz mild Mexican cheese sauce
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
8oz crushed pineapple drained
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1/4 c finely chopped onion
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Stir in the cheese sauce until combined. Add remaining ingredients. Transfer to a serving bowl; serve immediately.
So that recipe above was a bust although my children were awesome troopers. However, the recipe below was a HIT. I think this cheesy concoction being on the table is what encouraged them to endure the horrible mac & cheese dish LOL.
Party Cheese Bread
1/2 cup butter melted
2T. lemon juice
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 found loaf sourdough
1 pound Monterrey jack cheese sliced
In a small bowl combine the first six ingredients; set aside. Cut bread diagonally into 1" slices to within 1/2" of bottom of loaf. Repeat cuts in opposite direction. Arrange cheese slices in cuts. Drizzle butter mixture over bread.
Wrap loaf in foil; place on baking sheet. Bake 350 for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer until cheese is melted.
My adjustments:
I picked up a loaf of SLICED Garlic Sourdough at the bread outlet. I put this in a round baking dish and sliced the opposite direction. I did not have Dijon so I used stone ground mustard. I did not add the garlic powder because there was garlic in the bread. This was sooooo good!
Friday, January 22, 2010
January 21, 2010
I am posting about Thursday on Friday. I couldn't bring myself to sit at the computer last night to post to the blog. It was a long day of excel spreadsheets and formulas that in the end worked thanks to the help of the ever awesome and amazing KIM!
I think I finally hit the wall last night though from work stress, kids, life in general. I decided I need a BREAK so today (Friday) I am taking a mental health day from work and just going to enjoy myself (more on that later in todays post).
I did try a new recipe last night and it was a hit!
For more great recipes check out the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap!
Chicken with Apple Cream Sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 T. oil
1 c apple juice
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 T. cornstarch
1/2 c whipping cream
1T. minced fresh parsley
In a skillet brown the chicken in oil over med. heat for 4 minutes on each side. Combine the apple juice, lemon juice, rosemary, salt and pepper pour over chicken. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken juices run clear (My chicken was thick so it took almost 20 min). Remove chicken and keep warm.
Combine cornstarch and cream until smooth, stirring into cooking liquid in skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick. Add parsley return chicken to skillet and heat thru.
I served this with rice, sauteed brussels sprouts and green beans.
I think I finally hit the wall last night though from work stress, kids, life in general. I decided I need a BREAK so today (Friday) I am taking a mental health day from work and just going to enjoy myself (more on that later in todays post).
I did try a new recipe last night and it was a hit!
For more great recipes check out the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap!
Chicken with Apple Cream Sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 T. oil
1 c apple juice
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 T. cornstarch
1/2 c whipping cream
1T. minced fresh parsley
In a skillet brown the chicken in oil over med. heat for 4 minutes on each side. Combine the apple juice, lemon juice, rosemary, salt and pepper pour over chicken. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken juices run clear (My chicken was thick so it took almost 20 min). Remove chicken and keep warm.
Combine cornstarch and cream until smooth, stirring into cooking liquid in skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick. Add parsley return chicken to skillet and heat thru.
I served this with rice, sauteed brussels sprouts and green beans.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
January 20, 2010
I ran across this quote the other day A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after. ~Peter De Vries which is soooooo true! It seems I am always in the car running the kids from point A to point B and having to be multiple places at once. Today was no exception. Tonight was band practice for one, and ballet for the other at the same time. But, it works out as it always seems to do!
I took some time tonight between running kids around to sneak in some one on one time with my youngest daughter. We spent some time perusing books at Barnes and Noble and chit chatted. Its always nice to get those moments alone with just one of them. They grow up so fast :(
I did manage to bake cookies (recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag) and homemade tortillas with this recipe FLOUR TORTILLAS they were delicious! We had tacos made with some of the ground turkey I bought on sale last week for .99!
The most exciting news of the day was a family friend welcoming their sweet new baby into the world! I love newborn babies so sweet and innocent and QUIET LOL! OOOHHH and I am getting about 4 dozen free canning jars from Freecycle! Will arrange tomorrow to get those picked up. A great start to summer gardening/canning!
I thought I would share a list of a few of my favorite things just for the heck of it!
- Coffee
- My Snuggie (got it for Christmas not sure how I lived without it)
- A good Amish Story
- Scentsy Scents (my house currently smells like apple pie)
- Hearing my kids belly laugh
One of my newest favorite things is my 20x30 photo collage I had made at Walgreens. It has 30 pictures from 2009 and is FULL of memories. I hung it up yesterday and have caught my children standing around it several times sharing stories and memories of an amazing year. Below is a little snapshot!
I took some time tonight between running kids around to sneak in some one on one time with my youngest daughter. We spent some time perusing books at Barnes and Noble and chit chatted. Its always nice to get those moments alone with just one of them. They grow up so fast :(
I did manage to bake cookies (recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag) and homemade tortillas with this recipe FLOUR TORTILLAS they were delicious! We had tacos made with some of the ground turkey I bought on sale last week for .99!
The most exciting news of the day was a family friend welcoming their sweet new baby into the world! I love newborn babies so sweet and innocent and QUIET LOL! OOOHHH and I am getting about 4 dozen free canning jars from Freecycle! Will arrange tomorrow to get those picked up. A great start to summer gardening/canning!
I thought I would share a list of a few of my favorite things just for the heck of it!
- Coffee
- My Snuggie (got it for Christmas not sure how I lived without it)
- A good Amish Story
- Scentsy Scents (my house currently smells like apple pie)
- Hearing my kids belly laugh
One of my newest favorite things is my 20x30 photo collage I had made at Walgreens. It has 30 pictures from 2009 and is FULL of memories. I hung it up yesterday and have caught my children standing around it several times sharing stories and memories of an amazing year. Below is a little snapshot!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
January 19, 2010
Happy Tuesday! Its hard to believe that this month is over half way gone! Today I set up the classrooms at school with their boxes for Boxtops For Education. I am the coordinator for the Primary school in our district. I have to say I am very glad to have that checked off my to do list!! I spent the day in the office so had alot of "adult" conversation. You tend to feel a little crazy when most of your daytime conversations are with a 6 year old child or cats!
I wanted to talk a little tonight about Frugal Beauty. I used to go every few months to get my hair cut/colored, eyebrows waxed and even had acrylic nails. Ahh the life. However, those just are not expenses I can justify anymore. So I have made some adjustments. Now, no way am I going to "go gray" but unfortunately, early gray is something I have inherited from my family. I started coloring my own hair with great success. I have found a few colors I really like and was excited to recently find, the "good" brands at the Grocery Outlet for $3.99!! So for $4 and 30 minutes of my time I have great new color and have saved myself about $70. Now to tackle the "eyebrows". I am not a big fan of waxing my own because I was afraid of accidentally taking them off. I tried several products that just did not work well for me. I recently purchased a Skin So Soft waxing kit from Avon for $6. It will last me at LEAST a year. With a little practice, I have it down now and can wax my eyebrows for pennies. That is a savings of $12 each time.
I tried a recipe last week that I was very excited about, Stir Fry Pork and Cabbage. However, a crucial element to cooking is to READ THE RECIPE FIRST. I added salt to the cabbage while I cooked it and then the pork as well to give it flavor. Then realized when I was done cooking it, there was no salt in the recipe because of the chicken stock and soy sauce. It was so salty we ended up throwing it out. But I was determined to try this dish!! So I added it to the menu for this week. I still had 1/2 the cabbage and 3/4 of the bag of carrots left as well as part of the chicken broth. This time it was DELICIOUS. Even my 8 year old asked for seconds and she ate the cabbage!
ORIENTAL PORK CABBAGE STIR FRY
6 cups chopped cabbage cut in 1" pieces
3 tsp vegetable oil divided (I used olive oil)
4 med. carrots julienned (I have a julienne slicer from Pampered Chef LOVE it)
1 pork tenderloin (1 pound) cut in 3/4" pieces (I used marked down boneless chops)
2 T. minced fresh ginger root
1 c chicken broth divided
1/4 c soy sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
Hot cooked rice (optional)
In a large non stick skillet or wok stir fry cabbage in 1 tsp oil for 1-2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add carrots and stir fry 3-4 minutes longer or until carrots are crisp tender. Remove from pan and keep warm.
In the same pan, stir fry pork in remaining oil for 2 minutes. Add ginger and stir fry for 2 in or until pork is lightly browned. Stir in 3/4 cup broth and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. reduce heat and cover, simmer for 3 minutes or until meat juices run clear.
Combine cornstarch and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Stir in the cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil and cook 2-3 in or until thickened. Serve with rice if desired.
Now this was an inexpensive meal:
1/2 cabbage (paid $1.27 for the whole thing) .64
marked down pork $1.78
carrots (paid .88 for the whole bag will use for 3 meals) .30
ginger .05
chicken broth (pd $2 for pkg used 1/4 of it) .50
soy sauce .25
rice .30
I used such small amounts of oil and cornstarch I am not counting those.
Total for this meal: $3.82 this served 5 so .76 per serving and very filling!
I wanted to talk a little tonight about Frugal Beauty. I used to go every few months to get my hair cut/colored, eyebrows waxed and even had acrylic nails. Ahh the life. However, those just are not expenses I can justify anymore. So I have made some adjustments. Now, no way am I going to "go gray" but unfortunately, early gray is something I have inherited from my family. I started coloring my own hair with great success. I have found a few colors I really like and was excited to recently find, the "good" brands at the Grocery Outlet for $3.99!! So for $4 and 30 minutes of my time I have great new color and have saved myself about $70. Now to tackle the "eyebrows". I am not a big fan of waxing my own because I was afraid of accidentally taking them off. I tried several products that just did not work well for me. I recently purchased a Skin So Soft waxing kit from Avon for $6. It will last me at LEAST a year. With a little practice, I have it down now and can wax my eyebrows for pennies. That is a savings of $12 each time.
I tried a recipe last week that I was very excited about, Stir Fry Pork and Cabbage. However, a crucial element to cooking is to READ THE RECIPE FIRST. I added salt to the cabbage while I cooked it and then the pork as well to give it flavor. Then realized when I was done cooking it, there was no salt in the recipe because of the chicken stock and soy sauce. It was so salty we ended up throwing it out. But I was determined to try this dish!! So I added it to the menu for this week. I still had 1/2 the cabbage and 3/4 of the bag of carrots left as well as part of the chicken broth. This time it was DELICIOUS. Even my 8 year old asked for seconds and she ate the cabbage!
ORIENTAL PORK CABBAGE STIR FRY
6 cups chopped cabbage cut in 1" pieces
3 tsp vegetable oil divided (I used olive oil)
4 med. carrots julienned (I have a julienne slicer from Pampered Chef LOVE it)
1 pork tenderloin (1 pound) cut in 3/4" pieces (I used marked down boneless chops)
2 T. minced fresh ginger root
1 c chicken broth divided
1/4 c soy sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
Hot cooked rice (optional)
In a large non stick skillet or wok stir fry cabbage in 1 tsp oil for 1-2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add carrots and stir fry 3-4 minutes longer or until carrots are crisp tender. Remove from pan and keep warm.
In the same pan, stir fry pork in remaining oil for 2 minutes. Add ginger and stir fry for 2 in or until pork is lightly browned. Stir in 3/4 cup broth and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. reduce heat and cover, simmer for 3 minutes or until meat juices run clear.
Combine cornstarch and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Stir in the cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil and cook 2-3 in or until thickened. Serve with rice if desired.
Now this was an inexpensive meal:
1/2 cabbage (paid $1.27 for the whole thing) .64
marked down pork $1.78
carrots (paid .88 for the whole bag will use for 3 meals) .30
ginger .05
chicken broth (pd $2 for pkg used 1/4 of it) .50
soy sauce .25
rice .30
I used such small amounts of oil and cornstarch I am not counting those.
Total for this meal: $3.82 this served 5 so .76 per serving and very filling!
Monday, January 18, 2010
January 18, 2009
Happy Monday. Well I tried to convince myself anyways. Today the kids did not have school for Martin Luther King Day. I however, had to work. It was an interesting day all four kids are grounded for the week from all electronics due to their behavior. They offered to do chores for something to do HA!
I tried a new recipe for dinner tonight and it was a hit. The "original" came from a Taste of Home Cookbook but I have tweaked it quite a bit so here is MY version of:
Cheesy Chicken Pasta
1 pkg spiral pasta cooked per pkg directions
1 can green beans drained
1 can corn drained
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts diced and sauteed in olive oil
salt to taste
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/3 cup milk
Mix all of the above in a casserole dish. Then mix in 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
I served this with garlic bread and salad. You could put in whatever vegetables your family likes.
I tried a new recipe for dinner tonight and it was a hit. The "original" came from a Taste of Home Cookbook but I have tweaked it quite a bit so here is MY version of:
Cheesy Chicken Pasta
1 pkg spiral pasta cooked per pkg directions
1 can green beans drained
1 can corn drained
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts diced and sauteed in olive oil
salt to taste
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/3 cup milk
Mix all of the above in a casserole dish. Then mix in 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
I served this with garlic bread and salad. You could put in whatever vegetables your family likes.
Monday, January 11, 2010
January 11, 2010
We had a fun filled and busy weekend! Friday night I was able to go out to dinner with family/friends for a birthday at one of our favorite places. Great food and lots of laughs and free for me dinner gotta love that (thanks mom!). Saturday I spent the morning getting completed scrapbook pages into page protectors and albums. Sadly, these are pages that have been completed for over a year, some around 2 years that have been in a box. I am glad to have that project completed. I also managed to go thru a box of old pictures and memorabilia and get that sorted and purged!
Sunday I spent the entire day on the go running kids from one place to another. The younger 2 and I spent some time at the park thanks to some fairly nice weather!
Today it was back to the normal work week routine. However, tonight our small group started the FLIP study. This is a study we are doing thru our church Cornwall Church and I am very excited about it! Learning about living a life of service!
I tried 2 new recipes today I wanted to share! Apricot Bars and chicken piccata!
First the Apricot Bars. These were delicious and to die for yummy! I am not going to post the recipe but instead link to the source the Pioneer Woman website. She has some AMAZING recipes check her out!! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of her new cookbook!
Chicken Piccata
2 boneless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
flour
Non stick spray
2 T. veg oil
1/4 c dry white wine
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c chicken broth
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. capers drained
2 T. butter
fresh lemon slices
parsley
Season cutlets with salt/pepper and dust with flour. Saute cutlets in veg oil over medium heat until cooked thru. Remove to a plater. To pan add wine and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add capers and lemon juice. Return cutlets to pan and cook 1 minute. Move cutlets back to platter, finish off sauce with lemon slices and butter. Pour over chicken and garnish with parsley.
Ok my pictures are not great. I need to have my friend Kim show me how to take great "food" pictures with the lighting. For some GREAT pictures check out Kims Blog
Sunday I spent the entire day on the go running kids from one place to another. The younger 2 and I spent some time at the park thanks to some fairly nice weather!
Today it was back to the normal work week routine. However, tonight our small group started the FLIP study. This is a study we are doing thru our church Cornwall Church and I am very excited about it! Learning about living a life of service!
I tried 2 new recipes today I wanted to share! Apricot Bars and chicken piccata!
First the Apricot Bars. These were delicious and to die for yummy! I am not going to post the recipe but instead link to the source the Pioneer Woman website. She has some AMAZING recipes check her out!! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of her new cookbook!
Chicken Piccata
2 boneless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
flour
Non stick spray
2 T. veg oil
1/4 c dry white wine
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c chicken broth
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. capers drained
2 T. butter
fresh lemon slices
parsley
Season cutlets with salt/pepper and dust with flour. Saute cutlets in veg oil over medium heat until cooked thru. Remove to a plater. To pan add wine and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add capers and lemon juice. Return cutlets to pan and cook 1 minute. Move cutlets back to platter, finish off sauce with lemon slices and butter. Pour over chicken and garnish with parsley.
Ok my pictures are not great. I need to have my friend Kim show me how to take great "food" pictures with the lighting. For some GREAT pictures check out Kims Blog
Monday, January 4, 2010
January 4, 2010
Back to school and regular routines today and all went well! I think the kids were excited to be back with their friends. The silence in the house seemed strange after 2 weeks of solid noise.
I have decided I need to cut down on use of the drier and pulled out my awesome and amazing clothes rack that my dad helped me build a few years ago. We have a free to us drier that takes 3 cycles to dry a load of clothes. I need to get it repaired or replace it but until then this works wonders!
I didn't get any organizing done today however, I did complete my to do list and got some errands run. I tried the new waffle iron this morning and the homemade "eggos" were a hit. Made enough for breakfast and 4 extras for the freezer. That batch has already paid for the waffle iron SWEET!
This evening was spent in a thrilling game of Phase 10 DICE! (I won hehe). We love playing Phase 10 and DJ got Phase 10 Dice in his stocking this year. If you haven't played either of these you must they are a blast and a lot of family fun!
Now to finish up writting the to do list for tomorrow and head off to bed!
A recipe for today. This comes from one of my FAVORITE cookbooks Not Just Beans
WAFFLES
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 T sugar
1/2 c oil or melted butter
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 2/3 c milk
Mix all ingredients do not overmix. Bake in waffle iron and enjoy! These freeze very well also!
I have decided I need to cut down on use of the drier and pulled out my awesome and amazing clothes rack that my dad helped me build a few years ago. We have a free to us drier that takes 3 cycles to dry a load of clothes. I need to get it repaired or replace it but until then this works wonders!
I didn't get any organizing done today however, I did complete my to do list and got some errands run. I tried the new waffle iron this morning and the homemade "eggos" were a hit. Made enough for breakfast and 4 extras for the freezer. That batch has already paid for the waffle iron SWEET!
This evening was spent in a thrilling game of Phase 10 DICE! (I won hehe). We love playing Phase 10 and DJ got Phase 10 Dice in his stocking this year. If you haven't played either of these you must they are a blast and a lot of family fun!
Now to finish up writting the to do list for tomorrow and head off to bed!
A recipe for today. This comes from one of my FAVORITE cookbooks Not Just Beans
WAFFLES
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 T sugar
1/2 c oil or melted butter
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 2/3 c milk
Mix all ingredients do not overmix. Bake in waffle iron and enjoy! These freeze very well also!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
January 3, 2010
Ahhh, the end of Christmas vacation. Tomorrow its back to regular routines and our crazy hectic schedule. But I love it :). DJ came home today and finally got to open his Christmas presents here. I loved having all of my kids back home at dinner time!
Today we tackled the rec room and the garage. I sorted the games, books and coloring/art supplies they are now organized and neatly put away. The garage we gathered up all of the extra cardboard and misc. items and hauled a load to recycling and the dump. Discovered I can drop off recycling items for FREE why am I paying to have ours picked up at the curb every 2 weeks? HMMMMM. Took my oldest daughter to get shoes for the ball she is attending this week at church. Love that my kids want to check consignment shops first! Awesome pair of silver sparkle flip flops at Goodwill for $3.99. Also found around waffle iron for $6.99 one of my main "wants" for this year. My youngest son loves Eggo's and I can now make him his own (he doesn't like the waffles from my Belgian waffle maker they are not the right "shape").
My steak did not thaw in time for dinner so I improvised. My mom had given me a cookbook a while back Taste of Home Busy Family Cookbook. I tried the following recipe:
Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
8 oz uncooked pasta
1 pound ground beef
6 bacon strips diced
1 can undiluted tomato soup
1 cup shredded cheese
Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel and drain. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Stir in the soup beef and bacon and heat thru. Sprinkle with cheese and cover/cook until cheese is melted.
The kids LOVED this!
Today we tackled the rec room and the garage. I sorted the games, books and coloring/art supplies they are now organized and neatly put away. The garage we gathered up all of the extra cardboard and misc. items and hauled a load to recycling and the dump. Discovered I can drop off recycling items for FREE why am I paying to have ours picked up at the curb every 2 weeks? HMMMMM. Took my oldest daughter to get shoes for the ball she is attending this week at church. Love that my kids want to check consignment shops first! Awesome pair of silver sparkle flip flops at Goodwill for $3.99. Also found around waffle iron for $6.99 one of my main "wants" for this year. My youngest son loves Eggo's and I can now make him his own (he doesn't like the waffles from my Belgian waffle maker they are not the right "shape").
My steak did not thaw in time for dinner so I improvised. My mom had given me a cookbook a while back Taste of Home Busy Family Cookbook. I tried the following recipe:
Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
8 oz uncooked pasta
1 pound ground beef
6 bacon strips diced
1 can undiluted tomato soup
1 cup shredded cheese
Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel and drain. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Stir in the soup beef and bacon and heat thru. Sprinkle with cheese and cover/cook until cheese is melted.
The kids LOVED this!
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