Tuscan Soup

Here's another one for all you Olive Garden fans. This soup is a lot like the Zuppa Tuscana they have there. Enjoy!

1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 T. bacon pieces
2 tsp. minced garlic
10 c. water
5 cubes chicken bouillon
1 c. heavy cream
1 lb. sliced potatoes with skins (about 3 large potatoes)
4-5 c. fresh spinach
Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated (optional garnish)

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat and set sausage aside. Using the same pot, saute bacon, onion and garlic for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions are tender. Mix together the bouillon and water; add to the pot; bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, approximately 20 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook until heated through. Stir in the sausage. Add spinach just before serving.

Pumpkin Muffins

For Jillian :)

INGREDIENTS:
2 c cake flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 c pumpkin puree
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin, buttermilk, egg, and oil together until smooth. Gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix. Divide batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes or until the muffins are deep golden and baked through. Cool slightly and serve immediately. Makes 1 dozen.

I often add a couple handfuls of chocolate chips to these. We love them that way. :)

Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Amanda made these the other night and they are ridiculously good! She put a few chocolate chips in them which makes them even better. :)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not overmix).

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets once during baking. Immediately transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.

When cookies have cooled, set them (still on rack) over a baking sheet or waxed paper. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted. Pour chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner with scissors or a knife to make an 1/8-inch hole; pipe chocolate over cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes.

Menu 10/25-31

Sun - Red Robin :)
Mon - Turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans
Tues - Turkey soup
Wed - Biscuits and gravy
Thurs - Black bean soup
Fri - Turkey pot pie
Sat - Jack o lantern pizza

Browned Butter Sauce

More Rachael Ray saves the day!

6 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh sage (I used a pinch of dried)
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 grated parmeggiano reggiano cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese (variation)

In a small saucepan melt 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt over medium-low heat. Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage and cook, stirring often, until the butter begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream and remove from the heat. Add 1/2 cup grated parmeggiano reggiano cheese when tossing with pasta.

Variation 1: Stir in one cup ricotta with the cream; season with 2 teaspoons pepper.

Our Menu

Mon - Out to Red Lobster ;-)

Tue - Potato Soup

Wed - Southwestern Chicken Soup with Corn Bread

Thur - Hamburger Pie

Fri - Grilled Turkey Legs

Sat - Fish

Sun - Marinaded Grilled Chicken Breast

An attempt of copycat OG Chicken Scampi

1-1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast pounded
2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of parsley
1 teaspoon of basil
1/4 teaspoon of oregano
cloves of garlic (depends on how much you like garlic, at least 2)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 box of angel hair pasta

Brown chicken any way you would like to do it: grill, boil, crockpot, etc. Cool and slice into strips.
Start your pasta.
Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a pan and 1 clove of garlic grated or pressed. Cook until your nostrils are filled with the aroma of garlic and then add the olive oil, parsley, basil, oregano, a bit of salt and pepper and chicken. Cook chicken until done.
Remove chicken.
Add the rest of the butter. Yes, all 1 and 1/2 sticks, just don't think about it. And, the rest of the garlic (grated or pressed) and lemon juice. Cook garlic in the butter for a couple of minutes.
Drain pasta.
Now, you can either put the chicken back into the sauce and then mix it all with the pasta, or put the chicken on the pasta and then drizzle some of the garlic butter sauce over the top and taste before you add more sauce.

This Week's Menu

Sun - Cream of broccoli soup
Mon - Lynne's bacon potato soup
Tues - Orange chicken and rice
Wed - Pumpkin pancakes and bacon
Thurs - Spaghetti alla ceci
Fri - Homemade pizza
Sat - White bean chili (new recipe I'm trying)

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Tasty, tasty!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 onion, chopped (I use about a quarter of one)
  
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 8 cups broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender.
2. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree soup and return to heat. (I like it chunky so I just coarsely mash it with a potato masher.)
3. In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.

Cheesy Potato Soup

I know a couple of other people have posted similar recipes, but this one is really yummy too! I was looking for one that didn't require chicken broth, and found this! It's best with a yellow/gold potato, and it definitely needed salt....but GREAT flavor! I've also served it in homemade bread bowls.

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
4 cups water
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I use yukon golds)
15 slices American cheese - broken into pieces
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/3 cups milk

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions and celery in the butter for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
Stir in the water and potatoes, bring to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
In a separate small bowl, combine the flour and the milk and stir well until the flour is mostly dissolved. Pour this into the soup slowly, stirring constantly, until soup has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits

My husband claims these are even better then the biscuits you get at Red Lobster.

2 c. Bisquick

2/3 c. milk

3/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Combine bisquick, milk and cheese.

Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and smooth tops. Makes 8-10 buscuits.

Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Combine butter and garlic salt. Brush over hot biscuits.

Enjoy!

Tomato Sauce & Variation

Here's a Rachael Ray recipe I found and made last night. It's a basic tomato sauce, but one variation calls for eggplant and zucchini, the two vegetables I was trying to figure out how to use up. It ended up being really yummy!

In a medium skillet combine 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic over medium-high heat. When the garlic is sizzling add 2 cups chopped canned peeled tomatoes with their juice and season with salt (I had Italian style tomatoes and used those). Lower the heat to medium and cook stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the oil begins to separate from the sauce, 20 to 25 minutes.

Variation: Add 1 2/3 cups each finely chopped zucchini and eggplant with the tomatoes.

Varation #2: Add 2 tablespoons capers and 1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives to the sauce.

Mandarin Chic Salad

My sister made this last Saturday and it's awesome!

3/4 c. sliced almonds
8 oz. penne pasta (cooked)
2 c. cooked cubed chicken
11 oz can mandarin oranges
16 oz can pineapple shredded (save juice)
3/4 c. celery
1/4 c. onion (onion omitted)

dressing:
1 c. mayo
2/3 c. sour cream
4 tbs. pineapple juice
1 tsp. salt

mix all ingredients together and chill for at least 1 hour.

Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes

A couple of you asked for this, so here it is. If you're not trying to impress anyone with a fancy meal I would make mashed potatoes seasoned the way it suggests instead of double stuffing the potatoes to save time. They do look impressive, but they are time consuming. Oh and I of course used cheddar instead of Gouda...it's just not something I have on hand!

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 3 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
• Salt
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped, divided
• Ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown or Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese

On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with a hearty drizzle of EVOO and some salt. Bake in oven until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool. Turn off oven and preheat broiler.

While the potatoes are cooling, place a medium skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the bell pepper and half of the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender, 5-6 minutes. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut a thin slice lengthwise off of the top to expose the inside. Scoop out the potato flesh, taking care not to pierce the wall of the potato, and transfer to the bowl with the veggies (reserve the potato shells). Add the sour cream and paprika, and mash. Reserve warm.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the ground sirloin to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to turn golden brown, 4-5 minutes.

Add the remaining onion and garlic to the pan and cook until all the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes more. Push all of the ingredients to the edge of the pan and add the butter to the skillet. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock, mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire, some salt and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Bring up to a bubble and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Fill the potato shells with the beef-mushroom mixture then top each of them with the reserved mashed potatoes. Transfer to a baking sheet and sprinkle with the cheese. Pop the potatoes under the broiler until the cheese is melted and tops are golden brown.

Hey All!

Hope that you will take the time to become a follower!
If you have a recipe that you would like to share and inspire others on their nightly quest to make dinner, please leave a comment or e-mail me!

Eggplant

Hey girls! Thought I'd tell you how I cook up eggplant for those that I know have some this week...
Slice up eggplant into slices.
Put on cookie sheet
Drizzle with evoo
Sprinkle with salt and peppper
Broil in oven approx 10-15 minutes turning half way through
Cover in parmsean cheese and heat until melted
Serve with marinara sauce and I like some pasta to go with it!
There you have it! Eggplant parmasean!

Menu

I thought I would post my last two weeks menus in case any of you can gleen any inspiration! ;)

Monday- BLT's
Tuesday- Stew
Wednesday- Green Bean Chicken Bake
Thursday- Cowboy Spaghetti
Friday- Oh So Tender BBQ Chicken
Saturday- Breakfast
Sunday- Upside Down Deep Dish Pizza

Monday- Easy Chicken Mac
Tuesday- Fried Chicken & Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday- Ham & Potatoes
Thursday- Grilled Cheese & Tomato soup
Friday- Rehersal dinner
Saturday- OUT
Sunday- OUT

Inspiration anyone?

Okay, so it feels like fall and even more than that it feels like I should be cooking decent dinners again...So I was thinking it was time to share our menu's again and hope to get inspired by each other. So, here's our week. What are you having?

Mon - Jalapeno popper mac n cheese
Tues - Shepherd's pie stuffed potatoes
Wed - Sweet n sour chicken and rice
Thur - Tamale pie casserole
Fri - tbd
Sat - Hot wing pizza

Frozen Pizza Dough

I haven't actually done this yet, but have wanted to for a while. I'm too cheap to buy pizza dough ready made, but sometimes would like the convenience of having it in the freezer ready to just plop on the counter and roll out. Here's a recipe I found that looks pretty simple. I plan to give it a try this week.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/4-oz. packet active dry yeast
3 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for coating
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

Place 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water. Let the yeast float there for 1 minute, then stir it into the water. Let the yeast "proof" for 10 minutes. It should bubble a bit; if it doesn't, the yeast is outdated and inactive.

Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl, then stir in the remaining water, and add the olive oil, flour and salt. With a wooden spoon, mix the dough until it forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.

Coat the inside of a large glass or ceramic bowl with olive oil. Press the ball of dough into the bottom of the bowl, then flip the dough over so the oiled side is on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Makes 1 1/2 pounds of dough.

FREEZING DOUGH:
To freeze pizza dough, punch it down once it has risen, place it in a zip-top bag and freeze it. When you need it, thaw it early in the day, then shape it once it is no longer cold.

To freeze individual crusts, roll the dough and freeze the rounds on baking sheets, then remove and place them in plastic bags. When it is time to assemble the pizzas, simply apply the toppings to the frozen disks.

Jalapeno Popper Mac 'n' cheese

This is SO GOOD!

Ingredients:
Salt and Pepper
1 pound hollow corkscrew pasta such as cavatappi
EVOO
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced (we used 2)
2 Serrano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced (used 1)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 cups whole milk
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

In a skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium heat. Add the jalapenos, Serrano's and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to the pasta.

Preheat the broiler. In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream cheese and onion over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until smooth, 5 minutes; stir into the pasta. Stir in the jack cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a baking dish and broil until browned, about 3 minutes.

Upside-Down Deep Dish Pizza

This was with an ad for Ragu that I found in a magazine. Turned out yummy!

1 jar Ragu Pasta Sauce (or whatever kind you like)
1 package (10 oz) frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 can (11oz) refrigerated pizza dough (I made my own)

1. Brown ground beef in skillet; drain. Season with slat and pepper. Stir in Ragu, bring to boil. Turn into 2 quart baking dish. (I didn't have broccoli so I stirred in a bunch of fresh spinach to wilt.)

2. Top with the broccoli, then cheese. Press dough over dish, sealing edges.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until crust is golden. Let stand 10 minutes.

Menu Ideas

While I'm at it... here's my menu for the rest of the week.

Marinaded grilled Mahi Mahi with Asparagus

BBQ Chicken, buttered noodles, fresh veggies with ranch

BLTs, tater tots, green beans

Chicken Alfredo, side salad

Roast Beef Sandwich Roll

I got this recipes off allrecipes.com. Andrea saw it stuck on my fridge and said if we liked it I should post it. Well... we liked it so here it is.

2 (1lb) loaves frozen bread dough, thawed

3/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper (I always get bags of frozen peppers in the frozen veggie section. It's more convenient and much cheaper than getting peppers fresh.)

1/2 cup red onion

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

8 oz thinly sliced deli roast beef, julienned (I used about 1 1/4 cup diced leftover roast beef)

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 egg white

1 T. water

Combine loaves of dough and shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 90 minutes.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the peppers, onion, garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Cover and microwave one minute or until veggies are tender.

Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 15x12 inch rectangle. Combine the beef, cheese and pepper mixture; spread over the dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with the long edge; pinch seams and ends to seal. Place seam side down on a lightly greased baking sheet.

In a small bowl, beat egg white and water; brush over dough. Cut a slit with a sharp knife in top of dough. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Grilled Lemon Lime Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta

I found the following recipe online at bigoven.com when Kyle and I were looking for a good pre-race meal to have the night before our big day. This is extremely easy and so incredibly good! I think you will like it!


Ingredients
2 each Chicken breasts
4 tablespoon Olive oil
2 each Lime juice of
2 each Lemon juice of
2 cloves Garlic crushed
2 tablespoon Parmesan for garnish
4 servings Angel Hair
1 tablespoon Butter
3 teaspoon Fresh parsley for garnish
1 teaspoon Garlic salt

InstructionsCombine olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, and the skins of the lemon and limes in a ziploc bag. Marinate overnight, or a minimum of four hours.

Prepare hot grill, and bring large pot of water to boil.

Grill chicken 5-6 minutes on each side.

When chicken is four minutes from complete, place angel hair in water, boil for 2-3 minutes until just done, and drain. Drizzle with olive oil, butter, and add garlic salt. Remove chicken from grill, and slice along bias; 1/2 inch pieces. Arrange on bed of angel hair, top with shaved parmesan cheese, and serve immediately

Yummy Chicken Tortilla Soup (courtesy of Kris Erickson)

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
4 cups half-and-half
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup fresh salsa
1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
6 boneless, chicken breast halves - cooked, skinned
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (1.27 ounce) packet dry fajita seasoning
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
16 ounces tortilla chips
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese


DIRECTIONS
In a large pot over medium heat, saute the garlic and onion in the butter or margarine for 5 minutes. Add flour and stir well, cooking for 1 minute more. Add the broth and half-and-half. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
Add the soup, salsa, corn, chicken, cumin, fajita seasoning and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Stir and continue to heat for 15 minutes. Crumble tortilla chips into individual bowls, add 1/2 ounce shredded cheese to each bowl and ladle in soup. Top each bowl with more crumbled chips, remaining 1/2 ounce cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro, and serve.

June 1-13 Menu

Mon - Spaghetti alla ceci
Tue - Biscuits and gravy
Wed - California tamale pie with corn and black olives
Thur - Four grain flapjacks
Fri - Homemade pizza
Sat - Tater-tot casserole
Sun - Spaghetti and garlic bread
Mon - Tacos
Tue - BBQ chicken and rice
Wed - Waffles and bacon
Thur - Homemade Mac n cheese
Fri - Homemade pizza
Sat - Enchiladas

California Tamale Pie with Corn and Black Olives

Super yummy dinner tonight. I only used half the chile powder out of fear, but could have used all of it. It wasn't too spicy.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
2 small white onions, chopped (I didn't have one, so omitted this)
3 tablespoons pure mild to medium-hot ground chile powder
3/4 cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 to 2 teaspoons salt, to your taste (I used 2)
Pinch of ground cumin
1 16-ounce can stewed tomatoes, drained and chopped
3 to 4 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off the cob; or 2 cups frozen, or drained canned whole-kernel corn.
1 14-ounce can pitted ripe California black olives, drained, and coarsely chopped or halved. (I used a small can of sliced olives and it was fine.)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese or a combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions:
Coat the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Heat a medium-sized nonstick skillet over a medium heat. Add the beef and onions and cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is limp, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat. Drain the fat from the pan and sprinkle the meat with the chile powder. Cook for 1 minute and transfer the meat and onion to the slow cooker.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, milk, eggs, salt and cumin until smooth. Stir in the tomatoes, corn and olives then pour the mixture into the cooker and stir to combine all the ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top, drizzle with the olive oil, cover, and continue to cook on HIGH for 10 minutes more to melt the cheese. Serve spooned directly from the crock.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

For Marcy :)

Ingredients:
2-3 Chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1 (40z) can chopped green chiles
1 1/2 cups grated Moterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can black olives (sliced)
1 dozen flour tortillas

Directions:
Boil chicken breasts 25-30 minutes, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Mix soup, sour cream and chiles together. Spread a thin layer of creamed mixture on the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Then taking each tortilla, spread a thin layer of creamed mixture (save half of mixture to coat the top of the enchiladas), then add some chicken pieces, cheese and olives; roll the tortillas up and place in pan seam side down. Spread remaining creamed mixture over top and garnish with cheese and olives. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sweet and Sour Sauce-Tweeked

Here is the "new" recipie for the sweet and sour sauce. It still needs to be tweeked, but I haven't figured it out yet, let me know what you do to get the taste you like...

Sweet and Sour Sauce-
½ cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

(I have figured out that I don't like the whole amount of vinegar in it, yet without it, the sauce is too sweet.)

(Another note: Costco has bags of popcorn chicken in the freezer section that works great for making this a super quick dinner. Stick them in the oven, make the sauce and in a total of 20 minutes you have dinner. And that includes prep and cooking!)

Cheesy Chicken & Mac

2 c. cooked chicken, cubed
2 c. elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 c. milk
2 10- 3/4 oz cans cream of mushroom soup
2 onions diced
8 oz package cheese, shredded

Mix all ingredients together; spoon into an ungreased 13"x9" baking pan. Refrigerator overnight; bake at 350 degree for one hour. Serves 6-8

This is a good overnight meal- throw it together and toss it in the fridge and then pop it in the oven an hour before dinner and you are good to go. My kiddos liked this one too...and you can bet Mama liked how EASY it was. I omitted the onion but added garlic powder and onion powder and I threw it together at about noon and put it in the oven at 5:15 and it cooked up nicely.

Yumm....

What is the meal on your menu for this week that you are most excited about?

And the winner is...

Congrats Rose Family!
I'll be bringing you some cookies in the next couple of days.

The total was $33.63. Making everything less than $1 per item.
And, I have $12 towards my next purchase that should pay for my produce next week!

Menu for this week

On the menu at our house this week...
Breakfast-Hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, waffles, yogurt, bagels, fruit, muffins and cereal
Lunch-Hot dogs, Mac and Cheese, frozen dinners, chicken wraps, baked potatoes, sandwiches, top ramen
Snacks-Fruit, carrots, granola bars, banana bread, cheese and crackers, popcorn, and anything in the breakfast list :)
Dinners-BBQ chicken and corn, Spaghetti and salad, Teriyaki chicken with rice and veggies, Tater-tot casserole and green beans, Noodles and eggs, Malibu chicken
Sweets-Strawberry shortcake and ice cream sandwiches

What's on your menu?

As many of you know, I've been getting into couponing. The past couple of weeks, I've really stocked my cupboards knowing Trent would be out of town and not wanting to have to grocery stop with four kids while he is out of town. I believe that I've done enough to not have to shop, except for parishables, for the next two weeks and on top of that, I've been under my grocery budget. Yeah! So, a little game for those who are interested. Guess how much I spent this week. The one closest to my total, will win a plate of cookies made by me.

Game over at 12am Thursday morning. All items were bought at Safeway. Hee is what I bought in case you can't see in the picture well: 1 Kashi frozen dinner, 5 Healthy choice frozen dinners, 2 packs of all beef Ball Park franks, 2 bags of Sun Chips, 1 box of orange Capri Suns, 8 boxes of Mac and Cheese, 1 box of butter, 1 box of yo-plus yogurt, 2 packs of gatorade, 1 bottle of teriyaki marinade, 2 packages of mission tortillas plus, 1 package of deli ham, 1 large container of cool whip, 2 packages of bertolli spaghetti sauce, 2 Ronzoni past asides, 1 All laundry detergent, 1 package of brocolli and cheese, watermelon, bananas and grapes

Spinach-Artichoke Stuffed Shells

I saw Rachael Ray make this on her show today and it sounds stinking amazing! I plan to make it sometime soon!

Ingredients:
Salt
20 large pasta shells
1 can whole plum tomatoes (28 ounces), preferably San Marzano
3 tablespoons butter, melted
7-8 leaves basil, torn
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 box chopped frozen spinach (10 ounces), defrosted or 3/4 pound fresh baby spinach, chopped
A few grates fresh nutmeg
1 box frozen baby or regular artichoke hearts (10 ounces), defrosted and chopped
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 375ºF.
Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil the pasta. When the water reaches a bubble, salt it well, drop the shells in and cook them to al dente according to package directions. Drain the cooked shells and shock them under cold water to stop them from cooking. Reserve.

While the shells are cooking, mash up the tomatoes in the bottom of a casserole dish. Stir in the butter, basil, some salt and pepper into the dish, and set aside.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until aromatic and light golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the spinach, and nutmeg to the pan, and cook to heat through.

Transfer the spinach to a large bowl and stir in the artichokes, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon zest, thyme, egg yolk, parsley, some salt and pepper. Fill the reserved pasta shells with the mixture, arranging them on top of the sauce in the casserole dish as you complete them.

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and turn the oven up to 425˚F. Continue cooking until the filling is golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes more.

Serve 4 shells to each person topped with some of the sauce

Campbelled Eggs

I don't have exact measurements here so you'll have to go with me on this one...but if you have an abundance of hard boiled eggs left over from Easter this is an easy meal!

Start by making a white sauce.

about a tablespoon and a half of butter in the pan

Add some flour and some milk. (not too thin, not too thick)

Add a can of chicken & rice campbelles soup

Cut up hard boiled eggs. (for my family of four I do four eggs.)

Heat on low until warm then pour over toast.

Enjoy.

I know Andrea can't wait to try this one out! ;)

Dinner This Week

Okay, here's my menu for next week. What are you having?

Sun-Easter! Ham, potatoes, etc.
Mon-Taco soup
Tues-Firecracker chicken
Wed-Hot wing pizza
Thurs-cornmeal pancakes & bacon
Fri-I'm at Beth Moore, so Seth's on his own.
Sat-bulgogi & rice

"Perfect Pizza Crust"

I found this recipe in "Taste of Home" and if you have the hour to let it rise it's totally worth it.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Cornmeal
Pizza toppings of your choice

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, 1 cup bread flour and the whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining bread flour to for a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled about 1 hour.

Punch down dough; roll into a 15-in. circle. Grease a 14-in. pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer dough to prepared pan; build up edges slightly.

Add toppings of your choice. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and toppings are lightly browned and heated through.

Hot Wing Pizza

Here are the alterations I made and it was YUMMY! I made my own crust, used Ranch instead of blue cheese and I used more than 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. I also didn't have green onion so omitted them.

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5oz each)

1 Tbsp. steak seasoning

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. Louisiana-style hot sauce

1 Tbsp hot pepper sauce

1 pre-baked Italian bread shell crust (14oz)

1/3 cup blue cheese salad dressing

1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella

3 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken with steak seasoning on both sides; grill, covered, over medium heat for 4-7 minutes or until juices run clear. Cool slightly; cut into strips.

In a small saucepan, bring the tomato sauce, butter, hot sauce, and pepper sauce to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add chicken; heath through.

Place crust on a 12-in pizza pan; spread with salad dressing. Top with chicken mixture, cheese and onions. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10minutes or until cheese is melted.

Cowboy Spaghetti

Rachael Ray saves dinner again.... :)

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
Salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 1 turn of the pan
3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
1 pound ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
Ground black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce, (eyeball it)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, (eyeball it )
1/2 cup beer
1 can, chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes (14 ounces)
1 can, tomato sauce (8 ounces)
8 ounces sharp Cheddar
4 scallions, chopped

Preparation:
Heat a pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and salt the water. Cook to al dente or with a bite to it.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO and bacon. Brown and crisp bacon, 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon. Drain off a little excess fat if necessary. Leave just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add beef and crumble it as it browns, 3-4 minutes. Add onions, garlic and stir into meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Add 1/2 cup beer and deglaze the pan. Cook 5-6 minutes more then stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Add hot spaghetti to meat and sauce and combine. Adjust seasonings and serve up pasta in shallow bowls. Grate some cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with scallions. Garnish with crisp bacon

Pudding Cookies

Oh my goodness these are so good I could eat a bucket full of them! Make sure you use an electric mixer because the batter is really stiff. I did them in my Kitchen Aid and they took about 2 minutes. Mmmm. Yummy.

INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and instant pudding. Stir in the sour cream and eggs until well blended. Batter will be stiff. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool, frost with chocolate frosting if desired.

Tater Crisp Chicken

I found this on allrecipes.com and I made it tonight. Super easy. I made the following changes: I used half a stick of butter, not a cup. I added seasoning salt and Parmesan cheese to the potato flakes. It turned out really good! Crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Good stuff. :)

INGREDIENTS
10 chicken legs
1 cup melted butter
2 cups dry potato flakes

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place melted butter or margarine in a shallow dish or bowl, then place potato flakes in a separate shallow dish or bowl. Roll chicken pieces in butter or margarine, then in potato flakes. Place coated chicken pieces in a 9x13 inch baking dish, skin side up.


Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Happy National Pistachio Day

What are you making to celebrate?
Here's mine...It contains no pistachio's at all :)

Mom's Pistachio Salad
1 can of crushed pineapple drained
1 small tub of cool whip
1 small box of pistachio pudding
1/2 bag or so of fruity multi-colored marshmallows
Combine in a bowl. Yummm...

Spinach Ziti

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces ziti pasta (or whatever you like)
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes (I used diced)
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped (or more)
2 ounces cream cheese (I used 4oz)
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot filled with salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook until tender but still firm, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce and hot pepper flakes. Warm over medium-low heat, breaking up tomatoes if necessary.

Drain pasta and return to hot pan. Add spinach, cream cheese,nutmeg, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, over low heat until spinach wilts, 1-2 minutes. Stir and toss gently to mix.

Four-Grain Flapjacks

Four-Grain Flapjacks
Tonight was breakfast for dinner night, but I ran out of Bisquick...this was my substitution this evening. These are really moist and lightly sweet, but definitely heartier than Bisquick pancakes. Seth is usually hungry right after pancakes, but not with these!

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal, preferably stone ground
1/4 cup old fashioned or quick cooking oats
2 tablespoons sugar2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Whisk together in another bowl:
1 3/4 cups milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted (I used salted because it's what I had)
1/4 cup honey
3 large eggs beaten

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently whisk them together, mixing just until combined. Spook 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake, nudging the batter into rounds. Cook until the top of each pancake is speckled and bubbles and some bubbles have popped, then turn and cook until the underside is lightly browned. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree oven while you finish cooking the rest. Serve with maple syrup or honey.

Makes about 18 4.5 inch pancakes

Davy Crockett Cookies

Here it is at last! My first recipe at Dinner Tonight (and then some)!

These cookies are super yummy and super duper easy. They are a favorite at our house.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine:

2 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. sugar

2 c. oat meal

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. chocolate chips

In another small bowl mix:

1 c. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

Add to dry mix.

Press into 9x13 pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes

Fun variation - Instead of 1 c. chocolate chips, make it 1/2 c. choc chips and 1/2 cup peanut butter chips. I'll also add a cup of mini marshmallows if the mood strikes.

Pasta with Citrus Cream Sauce

I haven't made this in a while, but it's really easy and so yummy. I was thinking it was time to bring it back out. I make it with grilled chicken in it. Delicious.

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons cognac or dry sherry (I omitted this)
The zest of 1 lemon
The zest of 1 large navel orange
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons fresh mint chopped (about 3 sprigs)
12 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
1/2 pound linguini, or 3/4 pound fresh linguini cooked al dente(I think I used fettuccine)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a skillet over medium-low heat, warm cream. Add cognac or dry sherry, zest of lemon and orange, salt. Simmer 7 to 10 minutes. Add mint and basil. Toss hot drained pasta with sauce and grated cheese. Transfer to serving dish or dinner plates.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

`Here you go Lynne! :)

2 10 3/4 oz cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
4 cups medium egg noodles cooked and drained
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cloves of garlic minced (a garlic press works great)
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup crushed french fried onions or for non onion people, (Emily) 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers.

Stir the soup, milk, spices, vegetables, chicken, noodles, and Parmesan cheese together.
Place in a 9x13 baking dish bake at 400 for 25 min or until vegetables are tender. Stir the chicken mixture. Top with cheddar cheese and onion mixture (or crackers). Return to oven for 3-5 min. Enjoy!

Dinner This Week

Our menu is not exactly exciting....and of course it's subject to change according to my whim.

Mon - spaghetti alla ceci
Tue - ham, rice & broccoli (I have a bunch of ham in the freezer)
Wed - ham & cheese pockets
Thurs - breakfast (biscuits & gravy?)
Fri - baked potatoes & chili
Sat - pizza

What are you having for dinner this week?

I'm looking to plan out a menu for this week and am wondering what might be on yours. One thing I know that we will be having is a Fettucine Alfredo with chicken using this new recipe for the sauce I found this week. If anyone else wants to give it a whirl, here it is...

Alfredo Sauce Recipe

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Tablespoons fresh chopped garlic
3 Cups heavy cream
1 Large pinch of salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 Cups Parmesan or Asiago cheese, finely grated

Place the butter & olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat & melt the butter. Add the garlic & turn heat down to low. Stirring often so the garlic doesn't brown, gently cook garlic until very aromatic & cooked through. Next, add cream, salt & pepper & turn heat to medium, bringing to a gentle simmer. Allow the cream to reduce by about one third. Whisk in the cheese.

Jerry's Chili

2 lbs ground beef
1 lb sausage
2 lbs beans (kidney, black, or red)
2 large onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 jalepenos, chopped and seeded
2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 cube beef bullion
2 Tbs Worcestershire
1 Tbs salt
6 Tbs chili powder
6 cups water
1 12oz bottle of your favorite beer (yes, really)

Prepare beans according to packaging (can substitute two 27oz cans of kidney beans, rinsed).
Brown meat and set aside. Sautee onions in bottom of stock pot in butter. Add water, tomatoes, peppers, bullion, Worcestershire, salt, chili powder, and beer. Bring to simmer. Add meat and beans. Simmer for 20 minutes (cooks out alcohol) or until peppers are at desired doneness. Very flavorful. However, if allowed to sit at room temp too long, the yeast in the beer will begin to react, thus altering the flavor. Be sure to refrigerate or freeze leftovers.

Laundry Detergent

I just found this, I'm not sure what to think yet, so if any of you try it, let me know what you think of how well it cleans.


Laundry Detergent Reciepe:
1 cup of Washing Soda (found at Fred Meyer in the laundry section for $ 2.99 a box)
1 cup of Borax (at Walmart in laundry section for $2.99)
1 bar of grated bar soap


Mix together and use 1 Tabelspoon per load! (I've done 170+ loads and I'm super happy with it! It makes it .04-.06 a load! (FYI: It cleans really well, but doesn't get sudsy like other detergents)

Sweet and Sour Chicken

sauce
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons catsup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Mix all ingredients together. And heat through. Sometimes I add a little cornstarch to thicken it up. Other times, I just buy the sauce :)

Really Simple Dinner Idea- Chicken Pot Pie

I personally use the recipe off the back of the Bisquick box with a couple of minor alterations. I have also used turkey, and it has come out great. If I'm out of Bisquick and I happen to have a can of dinner rolls, I plop those on top and it tastes great as well.

Sausage & Pizza Bake

This is what Marie G. made for dinner last night. She said it looked and tasted great, so I thought I'd share. Looks good to me... :)

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked rotini pasta (6 oz.)
1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausages
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup water
4 oz. sliced Canadian bacon, cut into fourths
1 (14 oz.) jar pizza sauce
1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
3/4 cup multi-cheese shredded cheese blend (3 oz.)


Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°. Spray 3-quart casserole with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta in 3-quart saucepan as directed on package. Return drained pasta to saucepan.
2. While pasta is cooking, cook sausage and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir sausage mixture, bell pepper, water, bacon, pizza sauce and mushrooms into drained pasta. Spoon pasta mixture into casserole. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. Cover and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

Serves 6

Happy Chicken & Lemon Spaghetti

A friend had us over for lunch while we were in ID and this is what she served. It was delicious and looks simple to recreate!

"Happy Chicken"
2 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken cut into pieces
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 T fresh rosemary
3 T EVOO
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 T grill seasoning ( I use quite a bit more)
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450. Arrange chicken in baking dish, 9x13. Add garlic, rosemary, evoo, lemon zest, and grill seasoning to the dish. Toss to coat chicken - then place in oven. Roast 20 minutes. Add wine (broth) & lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices. Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer then remove from the oven. Serve by spooning pan juices over the chicken.

"Lemon Spaghetti"
1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.