Cooking with Mrs Sea Monster

Menu Pause

2012-02-15T19:07:00.005-06:00

It's that time again...that's right, moving time! Aka, every military family's favorite part of the lifestyle. Ha ha. Right now we're packing our stuff up and eating interesting meals in attempt to finish off most of our freezer and pantry. Menus will resume as soon as we have a place to live at our new station (anywhere from 3-6 weeks), but in the meantime I will post as I have new recipes and as I have new ideas to add to the Toddler Lunch post.

And if you haven't yet, check out my ramblings and see why you don't get more photos on here. :p

Pasta Alfredo with Shrimp, Peppers, and Broccoli

2012-02-14T19:57:00.001-06:00

1 pound dried pasta
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup fat free half and half (or heavy cream)
1 cup grated parmesan and/or Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
12 ounces uncooked shrimp (I went for medium shrimp with tails off for ease)
1 teaspoon original old bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
Fresh parsley, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta. Add in the broccoli to the cooking pasta for the last three minutes. Cook until the pasta is al dente and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan place shrimp and pepper slices. Sprinkle with the old bay, crushed red pepper, and Italian seasonings. Cook on medium for several minutes, until shrimp are cooked throughly (usually 3-5 minutes). If needed, add 1 teaspoon of butter to the pan. Once the shrimp are cooked and the peppers are hot but still crisp, remove from pan.
Add to the pan the 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Bring temperature up to medium-high. Melt butter. Use a whisk to deglaze the pan from the shrimp and peppers if needed (yummy seasoning there!). Then add the 1 cup of half and half. Bring to a boil. Stir in the 1 cup of shredded cheese. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli and the 1/2 cup of reserved cooking water. Continue stirring. Add the shrimp and pepper. Stir more until cheese is melted and the dish is uniformly hot. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.

Don't mind the Christmas plate. It's all we've got for a few more weeks thanks to the military.

Best Ever Chicken Pot Pie

2012-02-12T02:55:00.003-06:00

AKA: KombatKween's Chicken Pot Pie

6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups broth
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
2 cups vegetables (I go lazy and usually use a can of corn, peas, and carrots with the liquid drained)
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I like to poach them and then use the resulting broth in this recipe too)
4 small white potatoes, cooked and cubed
2 pie crusts (or see biscuit alternative below)

1) Melt butter in a pot. Stir in flour to form a thick paste. Add salt and pepper. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Cook on a simmer till thick.
2) Add vegetables, potatoes, and chicken.
3) Pour into a pie plate with pie crust. Top with other crust. Polk holds in top to vent. Cook at 375º for 35-45 minutes. Double ingredients for 2 REALLY full pot pies or 3 smaller pot pies.

Biscuit alternative:
Complete direction steps one and two from above. Make sure after adding ingredients (and before topping with biscuit dough) that mixture is HOT.

Biscuit dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, sliced
3/4 cup milk

In a food processor blend together the flour, powder, sugar, and salt. Add in the butter and pulse just until the butter is smaller than pea sized. Add in the milk and pulse 2-3 times. (Can also mix dry ingredients with whisk and then cut butter using a dough cutter.)
Move dough to counter or other surface dusted with four. Very lightly kneed. Press out into a circle as big as the container you plan to bake the chicken pot pie in (at least 2 quarts, preferably a 3 quart dish). Pour mixture into baking dish. Top with biscuit dough. Using a serrated knife make openings in the dough (at least one).
Bake at 450ª for about 20 minutes or until biscuit topping is golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken pot pie with biscuit dough.

Menu: February 8-14

2012-02-09T17:32:00.001-06:00

Wednesday: Stuffed burritos (shredded chicken, rice, black beans, cheese, salsa, and spinach)

Thursday: tomato and spinach pasta toss

Friday: Chicken pot pie with biscuit topping (this is what happens when you don't have a pie plate and someone throws away your disposable one)

Saturday: brunch – cinnamon apple dutch baby
dinner - Stromboli with dipping sauce

Sunday: brunch – toast and eggs
dinner – pineapple pork chops, smashed sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli

Monday: leftover night

Tuesday: fettuccine alfredo with shrimp, red bell pepper, and broccoli;chocolate lava muffins

Toddler Lunches: Quesadillas

2012-02-07T14:34:00.002-06:00

Quesadillas are quick to make and are a great way to sneak in veggies and fruits that toddlers might otherwise claim to dislike. There are endless variations to try. Here are a few to get you thinking!

Apple chicken quesadillas - pair down this recipe unless wanting to make enough for a family, but it's great tasting containing chicken, apples, corn, and tomatoes.

What's left in the fridge quesadillas - quesadillas are a great way to use up leftovers before they go bad! In this one I included, diced carrots, spinach, and garlic.

Black bean and sweet potato - love this idea I found on pinterest. Will be making these ourselves soon, leaving out the spicy jalapeños.

Mozzarella and veggie - Dice veggies up finely and be generous with the mozzarella cheese! In the picture below I gave my son cucumber, tomatoes, and green bell peppers. Believe it or not this was delicious!

Quesadillas can be cooked on the stove top, in the oven, in toaster ovens, or even the microwave if that's all you have! Even better? They're not bad cold if you need to store them for a child to take to daycare!

Have a unique quesadilla idea? Please share!

Toddler Lunches: Going Beyond Chicken Nuggets, Hot Dogs, and PBJ Sandwiches

2012-02-07T14:08:00.002-06:00

I recently realized that Squish and I have gotten into a lunch rut when he gave me this awful look saying, "PBJ again?! You've got to be kidding me mom." And then tossed it over the side of the table. Time to branch out and find good healthy alternatives!

I'll be updating and expanding this list often, so check back.

mini calzones (make a bunch and freeze them!)
English muffin pizzas (almost whole wheat English muffin recipe)
Quesadillas (think beyond chicken and cheese!)
Hummus and pita bread (or veggies if your child will eat them)
Roll Ups (nut butter and banana, meat and cheese, hummus and veggies)
Whole wheat macaroni and cheese
Whole wheat pancakes (freezes well)
Applesauce pancakes (freezes well)
Whole wheat waffles (freezes well)
Seasoned brown rice or wild rice
Cheese slices and crackers
Steamed veggie sticks
Soups (chicken noodle, vegetable, bean)
Grilled cheese (try different cheeses and adding things like meat slices, tomato slices, and even spinach)
Rice and beans
Whole wheat applesauce muffins
Yogurt (read the labels to avoid sugar and HFCS!)
Pasta salad with veggies
Egg and cheese burritos
Mini quiche (basic quiche recipe - bake in muffin tins instead, these do freeze well)
Ravoili
Pasta in butter and cheese
Pasta in tomato sauce (easy to hide other veggies in there)
applesauce
Soft cooked apple slices or apple slices
Peaches
Grapes (cut in half or quarters, frozen grapes are tasty too!)
Mandarin oranges
Banana
Pineapple chunks
Couscous with vegetables
Sandwiches
Boiled eggs, sliced
Scrambled eggs
Strawberries
Kiwi
Watermelon
Melon
Cheese cubes or sticks
Meatballs
Baked sweet potato wedges or fries
Blueberry and zucchini bread
Pasta and pureed vegetables (perfect for using up old baby food!)
Freeze dried yogurt
Smoothies
S/mashed sweet potatoes
Zucchini chips
Toast and fruit spread
Zucchini parmesan cakes

And don't forget - leftovers from last night's dinner!

Special thanks to the October and November 2010 moms over at pregnancy.org for sharing their lunch ideas. Love you ladies! :D

Menu: February 1-7

2012-02-04T21:32:00.003-06:00

Bad me! Late again! I keep planning out my menu on Sunday and forgetting to post it. :p

Wednesday: Leftover southwest eggrolls from the freezer

Thursday: basic chili and cornbread muffins

Friday: pizza at an event

Saturday: turkey with spinach and white wine

Sunday: brunch- breakfast pizza; super bowl party- deviled eggs and cucumber cups, lemon-garlic chick pea dip with veggies, smores cookies

Monday: baked tilapia, zucchini with tomatoes and cheese, and rice

Tuesday: veggie nuggets, whole wheat macaroni and cheese, andgreen beans

Basic Cornbread

2012-02-02T20:16:00.002-06:00

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil (vegetable, canola)
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir until mixed. Okay to have some lumps.

Bake in an 8 or 9 in square pan that has been greased for 20-25 minutes.
Or bake in 12 greased muffin cups for 15-20 minutes.
Or best yet bake in a 10-12" cast iron skillet that has been preheated in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Menu: January 25-31

2012-01-27T18:05:00.002-06:00

Totally late in posting this week! Whoops.

Wednesday: Lasagna rolls (from the freezer!)

Thursday: beef noodle bowl

Friday: southwest chicken sandwiches with sautéed yellow squash

Saturday: meatloaf, whole wheat mac and cheese, and greenbeans

Sunday: Butternut squash lasagna

Monday: guilt free spinach burgers and tater tots

Tuesday: leftover butternut squash lasagna

Menu: January 18-24

2012-01-18T00:02:00.001-06:00

Wednesday: sesame chicken salad

Thursday: taco calzones

Friday: Garlic brown sugar chicken, steamed broccoli, andrice

Saturday: fish tacos with black bean and corn salad

Sunday: Chicken Caesar sandwiches with baked sweet potatochips

Monday: gnudi with quick and dirty dinner rolls

Tuesday: leftovers/quesadillas for the boys (I’m going outwith the girls!)

Quick and Dirty Rolls

2012-01-15T18:11:00.001-06:00

Won't call these the best rolls ever, but they are very tasty and very quick. I wanted rolls to go with dinner tonight, but only had 30 minutes!

Makes 12 rolls.

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast
1 egg, beaten
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat over to 425º.
In a mixer (I used my Kitchen Aid), mix water, sugar, butter, salt, and yeast. Then add the egg. Then add the flour. Make sure it's mixed well. This is a very sticky, loose dough. Don't add more flour!
Grease 12 muffin cups. Using a spoon drop spoonfuls of dough into each muffin cup. Cups should be half full.

Cover and let rest till doubled. I sat my muffin tins on top of the preheating oven and it was doubled in 10 minutes!
Bake for 10 minutes.

You can mix this by hand. I'd start off using a whisk and then use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour.

I'd say these were a hit by my family. The three of us ate 8 rolls! :D

Menu: January 10-17

2012-01-10T20:58:00.001-06:00

Tuesday: Southwest Eggrolls (managed to stretch other mealsand this one got pushed back)

Wednesday: English muffin pizzas and side salads

Thursday: Pan Seared Lemon Tilapia with Parmesan Pasta andbroccoli

Friday: chicken nuggets, fries, and sautéed zucchini

Saturday: out to eat

Sunday: Beef pot roast with carrots and potatoes

Monday: leftovers

Tuesday: sloppy joes on English muffins with green beans

Menu: January 3-9

2012-01-02T21:24:00.002-06:00

Tuesday: eggs, ham, and drop biscuits (we went lazy and ordered a pizza Monday lol)
Wednesday: Chicken and dumplings with chopped carrots
Thursday: red beans and rice

Friday: Autumn Salad
Saturday: pork tenderloin with sweet potato hash, andartisan bread

Sunday: cheesy lasagna rolls
Monday: southwest eggrolls

Might be able to stretch out this menu another day or two with leftovers. :)
Went by Aldi this morning (man, I missed living in a city with Aldi!) and only spent $37 on groceries. Just have 10 items to grab from the commissary, so for the first time since we moved I think I'll be able to stay on budget! Woo too!

Menu: December 27 – January 2

2011-12-28T20:33:00.001-06:00

Tuesday: spaghetti and meatballs w/ sauce and diced tomatoes (this time I used oatmeal instead of bread crumbs. I just needed to add more milk as a result. Still super tasty and no body else realized it had oatmeal!)

Wednesday: Out to eat

Thursday: Spinach Hamburgers and macaroni and cheese

Friday: cheesy chicken and rice casserole

Saturday: Pulled pork sandwiches (just throwing a shoulder into the slow cooker!) and fries
make baked artichoke and spinach dip and spicy bean salsa

Sunday: leftovers

Monday: fried ham, eggs, and biscuits

Menu: December 20-26

2011-12-20T16:07:00.001-06:00

Tuesday: spaghetti with chicken and spinach

Wednesday: Slow cooker vegetable beef stew

Thursday: Out to eat

Friday: leftover stew

Saturday: homemade personal pizzas

(Make sugar cookies and sausage balls)

Sunday: ham, sausage dressing, broccoli, zucchini, and rolls

Monday: leftovers!!!!

Menu: December 13-19

2011-12-15T23:13:00.000-06:00

Tuesday: Jambalaya (it was a mix thing I had gotten as a gift)

Wednesday: Chicken tortilla soup

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Dad’s spaghetti and steamed broccoli

Saturday: easy baked tilapia and drop biscuits

Sunday: chicken enchiladas and spinach salads

Monday: spinach and parmesan hamburgers and sweet potatofries

So we're in an apartment in our new city. Rental furniture places are my new favorite people ever after sleeping on the floor. All of our things are off to yet another state and we just brought bare minimums with us. Realized yesterday that I packed 3 whisks but only 2 pans - a large skillet and a HUGE stockpot. WTH was I thinking when I packed?! So cooking should be an adventure. ;)

What's Left in the Fridge Quesadillas

2011-12-02T18:32:00.001-06:00

We're moving soon. I know everyone is very envious. ;) Part of our goal this week is to eat up as much perishable food as we can. Tonight I decided to get sneaky and see if I can't do this while getting my starting to become picky toddler to eat foods that he used to like. He does like cheese quesadillas, but has decided that he no longer like spinach, tomatoes, and carrots. He's never been a big fan of chicken. Of course what's left in the fridge right now? Part of a bag of spinach, cheeses, salsa, and diced carrots. I pulled out a frozen chicken breast this morning and started formulating a unique for us quesadilla.

No real recipe since it was throw what I found in a bowl and put it between two whole wheat tortillas. ;) I combined in a bowl the diced carrots, what was left of our parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese, minced garlic, spinach broken into small pieces, a couple of tablespoons from the bottom of the salsa jar, and diced chicken (I did dice it as small as I could after I poached it).

Before I added the chicken.

Squish is currently 13 months old. He is a full up walker. He sits at the table with us, using the bumbo to give him that bit of extra height he needs. He currently has 6 teeth, 4 on top and 2 on bottom.

Oooo....I like quesadillas! (as mom snickers)

Happy Squish!

Showing off his empty plate!

For once my sneakiness worked (of course the healthy dose of cheese helped)! Who knows if he'll fall for this again, but I'll definitely give it a try in the future. Tonight marks the first vegetables other than sweet potato fries I've been able to get him to eat all week! And best yet, my fridge is a bit more empty. YAY!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

2011-11-09T11:49:00.002-06:00

Over the past 9 months I've tried a lot of different whole wheat pizza dough recipes trying to find one my whole family will eat and enjoy. We've finally decided on a family favorite! I've done pizzas and calzones both with great success.

Recipe adapted from The Joy of Clean Eating.

Makes 2 pizza crusts.

1 tbsp honey

1 cup lukewarm water

1 package active dry yeast

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (but may need up to 3 1/2 cups depending on humidity and your flour)

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 tsp kosher salt

In a large bowl mix together honey, water, salt, 2 tablespoons oil and yeast. If you're unsure about your yeast, allow it to sit in just the water for 10 minutes to check, then add the remaining ingredients in the first line.

Stir in 2 cups of the whole wheat flour. If should form a wet ball. If not, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time. Place dough on counter and kneed in the last 1/2 cup of flour. Dough should not be extremely sticky, but may be slightly more sticky than other pizza doughs. You can easily use a mixer with the dough hook for mixing and kneading.

Cover a large bowl with the remain tablespoon of olive oil. Place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap (this really seems to make a difference for me versus just a tea towel). Let rise for 1 hour.

After the dough has sat for an hour, separate into equal halves. Lightly kneed each half and then use as your pizza crust, calzone, or even make bread sticks.

I recommend cooking pizzas at 450º for 10-15 minutes. No need to precook the crust.

Running short on time? I've had great success skipping the rising by using pizza crust yeast.

Dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 24 hours or place in the freezer in a freezer bag for up to a month.

When I make a pizza, I usually make 2 pizzas - one to cook and eat and one to freeze for later. I top the pizza as usual and then freeze before baking. Once frozen the pizza should easily come up from the pan so you can wrap in foil and not be without your pan.

Menu: November 8-14

2011-11-09T11:25:00.003-06:00

Tuesday: Shrimp and grits w/ peppers

Wednesday: steak bites, mashed potatoes, and green beans

Thursday: waffles with strawberry topping

Friday: homemade pizza with spinach, chicken, and tomatoes

Saturday: veggie burgers and peas in pasta

Sunday: chicken tortellini with yellow squash

Monday: veggie burgers and sweet potato fries (that always come out crispy)

Menu: October 31 – November 7

2011-11-03T20:56:00.000-05:00

Tuesday: Frozen pizza

Wednesday: hamburgers, whole wheat macaroni and cheese, andsquash

Thursday: autumn salad

Friday: best ever chicken pot pie

Saturday: spiced beef kabobs and herb roasted sweet potatoes

Sunday: grilled chicken sandwiches and steamed broccoli

Monday: Tilapia with wine and tomatoes with herb pasta andspinach side salad

Didn't disappear, just went on a family vacation! Just a warning, we're coming up on a PCS that includes living in temp housing for 3 months. I have a feeling there will be some interesting meals and probably a lot more of my crockpot being used. Maybe I'll do a post on how to feed your family with an easy bake oven. :p

Menu: Oct 4-17

2011-10-11T20:43:00.002-05:00

I didn't disappear, just went out of town for a couple of days last minute. Ended up finishing up the last menu I posted after we got back into town. Then last Saturday I, *gulp*, went to the commissary without a menu, let alone a detailed grocery list. Naturally, that lasted for all of 60 seconds before I took out my iPhone and created a menu while standing in the middle of the produce section. I cannot go without a menu. I couldn't figure out where to even begin buying food without a menu! Without a menu how do you keep food from going to waste before it goes bad? I just can't do it!

Tuesday: out of town

Wednesday: pumpkin soup

Thursday: leftover soup

Friday: pizza

Saturday: Sesame chicken salad (my husband's request surprisingly)

Sunday: Butternut squash lasagna (DH and I both loved this....and apparently this is one of Squish's new favorite foods! Definitely making this again!)

Monday: steaks, oven baked fries (rather crisp! Don't skimp on the olive oil and flip every 10 minutes), and fried squash

Tuesday: leftover lasagna

Wednesday: Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Thursday: Chicken kabobs, grilled corn on the cob (soak in water then grill husks and all for 20 minutes), and something rice

Friday: Taco Calzones

Saturday: Fish Tacos with black bean and corn salad

Sunday: guilt free spinach burgers and sweet potato fries

Monday: Gnudi

Menu: Sept 27 - Oct 3

2011-09-26T14:19:00.001-05:00

Tuesday: creamy ravioli with squash, lemon, and chives

Wednesday (ILs): Rudy’s BBQ (pick up that afternoon), bakedoven fries, and steamed green beans or corn on the cob
Bake - dark chocolate cupcakes with sturdy whipped cream frosting

Thursday (ILs): lunch out; Cajun chicken pasta w/ grilled chicken and salads

Friday (ILs): lunch – sandwich fixings and salads; dinner – DH andI gone, ILs and Squish – pizza

Saturday (ILs): grilled hamburgers with whole-wheat macaroniand cheese; dinner – Pork tenderloin w/ sweet potato hash and fresh bread

Sunday: leftovers; pumpkin soup and rolls (Squish: grilledcheese and peas)

Monday: leftover soup and rolls (Squish: elbow macaroni withpurred sweet poatoes and carrots with peas)

Menu: September 20-26

2011-09-20T12:01:00.002-05:00

Tuesday: Sesame Chicken Salad (really enjoyed this salad, and surprisingly so did my husband!)

Wednesday: spinach turkey burgers (super easy and tasty!) and sweet potato fries

Thursday: Garden spaghetti

Friday: steaks, whole wheat macaroni and cheese, and greenbeans

Saturday: waffles; chicken squash bake

Sunday: Mongolian beef with broccoli over rice

Monday: easy baked tilapia

Guilt Free Pasta

2011-09-19T16:41:00.000-05:00

This is what I came up with for the September HouseHold6 cooking challenge (click here to read more about it). I made this meal way back on Sept 7th for dinner using what I had on me without going to the store since I posted those pictures. I felt no guilt going back for seconds.

3 frozen chicken tenders (unbreaded)

2 small to medium yellow squash

1 medium zucchini

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 box of whole wheat penne pasta

pureed sweet potatoes

pureed butternut squash

salt and pepper, to taste

shredded parmesan cheese

I started off by throwing the frozen chicken tenders (yep, frozen! lol) into a pot of hot water. I put on the lid, turned the heat to medium-low, and forgot about it for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, I sliced the squash and zucchini into half moon shapes. I threw them into a large skillet over medium high heat with the butter. I then diced the onion and added that to the skillet. Occasionally I remember to stir the vegetables over the next 10 minutes.

While cooking the vegetables, I filled up a large pot with hot water. Once it came to a boil I added half a box of whole wheat penne pasta (about 8 oz). By this point I remember the chicken and check it. It was cooked! I removed the chicken tenders from the water and SAVED THE WATER (very important!). I set the chicken to the side to cool for a few minutes as I grabbed my pureed sweet potatoes and squash from the freezer (and proceeded to almost trip on my son lol). Once the chicken was cool enough to touch, I shredded the chicken tenders with my hands and added it to the vegetables.

I then I added 2 cups of the saved water from the chicken (by this point the vegetables had browned up nicely). Once bubbling, I added a few ice cubes of my pureed sweet potatoes and squash. In the end I ended up added 6 ice cubes of each.

I kept stirring until the puree became hot and the sauce thickened. Then I added salt, pepper, and rosemary to taste (I have a lot of rosemary that I don't normally use in daily cooking, so I figured why not use it here). I added the pasta to the sauce once the pasta was cooked to al dente. Mix well and serve with shredded parmesan on top.

I found the pasta to be fantastic. DH said it was okay, but it needed more meat (I think he's still bitter from a previous meatless meal). Squish loved it and ate a cup of pasta himself!

Side note about frozen purees:

While most people consider frozen pureed vegetables to be only for baby food, I think it is useful for normal cooking. They are GREAT thickeners for soups and are easy to sneak into meals for picky eaters. My husband had no idea it was pureed vegetables till I told him. The next time you have an extra sweet potato or carrots hanging around, peel them and throw them to steam on your stove. Once tender, throw into a blender or food processor. Add water from the steamer/sauce pot as needed to thin out the puree. Freeze in ice cube trays. Once frozen you can throw them in freezer bags or containers. Super easy! Since Squish never liked baby food, I often throw a cube of our puree into whatever I'm feeding him for an extra veggie serving.

Sadly, this was the state of my kitchen after I finished cooking this meal! My son makes a bigger mess than me these days. . . . oy.

Menu: September 13-19

2011-09-19T16:26:00.001-05:00

Tuesday: leftover turkey chili

Wednesday: Teryiki Madness spicy chicken copy-cat w/broccoli

Thursday: homemade frozen pizzas (pepperoni and Italian sausage; chicken and artichoke pizza)

Friday: oatmeal waffles; Gone

Saturday: breakfast pizza w/ sausage;cheese fondue w/ apples, carrots, bread, sliced sausage; make homemade vanilla ice cream

Sunday: eggs, bacon, and biscuits; Out to eat

Monday: Italian sausage spaghetti (out of freezer)

Jalapeno Tilapia Pasta

2011-09-10T22:50:00.002-05:00

2 1/2 cups whole wheat penne pasta
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz tilapia fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 (5 ounce) package baby spinach leaves
2 roma tomatoes, chopped

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil for the pasta. Cook according to directions to al dente.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Cook the fish in the oil until golden brown, turning once (about 5 minutes total).
Pour in the cream and lemon juice into the skillet. Stir in the jalapeno, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until sauce has reduced slightly and fish flakes easily with a fork (about 2 minutes). Mix the baby spinach into the sauce and cook until wilted. Stir in the chopped tomato and pasta once cooked. Serve with shredded parmesan cheese if desired.
As my husband says, this pasta has a bit of heat to it. ;)

Autumn Salad

2011-09-10T22:37:00.000-05:00

Original recipe from Espresso and Cream.

6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1-2 pears, chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries (or cherries)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
8 slices bacon, crisp cooked and crumbled*
4-6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 roma tomato, diced
1 chicken breast, grilled, and diced
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

In a large bowl combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries or cherries, pecans, bacon, chicken, and feta cheese. Mix well. Pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar over individual servings according to taste.

This salad was FANTASTIC. My husband was rather hesitant when he saw me prepping it. However, he ended up going back for seconds and thirds! We will definitely be eating this salad again.

*I will probably leave out the bacon at times in the future. I seriously doubt if we'd miss it as good as everything else is in this salad.

Menu: September 7-12

2011-09-08T21:08:00.003-05:00

Wednesday: No Guilt Pasta

Thursday: quiche (ham and broccoli)

Friday: Autumn Chopped Salad

Saturday: spaghetti squash tacos

Sunday: jalapeno tilapia pasta

Monday: Slow-cooker turkey chili

Tuesday: leftovers

HH6 Sept Cooking Challenge

2011-09-01T21:33:00.001-05:00

Look, it's a disorganized pantry! Believe it or not I've actually been working on it. I only got half way though, so it looks worse than it really is. I feel like I should post an after pic next week so y'all don't think I'm a slob. lol

A neat, organized freezer. I just cleaned it out two days ago. Not much in there since I'm hoping we'll be moving sooner rather than later. I'm really hopeful sometimes.

A halfway organized fridge. I got halfway through cleaning it the other day.

So why all the photos? It's a part of this month's HouseHold6 Cooking Challenge. I haven't joined in the past couple of months due to several reasons, but I really want to get back with it this month!

The challenge? We all need to be prepared in the event of a disaster. You have stuff in your pantry and fridge/freezer. If a disaster should strike today and you have no access to going to a grocery store but your stove/grill is still working, what would you make with what you have on hand.

Part of the challenge is posting photos of our refrigerator and pantry showing what we have. We have to use just these items to make our meal. Right now I'm thinking I'll be making a pasta dish and use up the frozen pureed baby food before it reaches it's limit as part of the sauce. Probably will do something with chicken. I've also got a few veggies in the fridge like squash, zucchini, spinach, and baby carrots. If nothing else, I'm sure Squish will enjoy it! Sorry, but you'll have to wait until at least the 18th of the month for me to post whatever I actually come up with. :)

Menu: August 30 - September 6

2011-08-30T14:21:00.003-05:00

Tuesday: Italian sausage spaghetti w/ spinach

Wednesday: Grilled chicken citrus teriyaki

Thursday: Grilled hamburgers and sweet potato fries

Friday-Sunday: Hopefully out enjoying a real city!

Monday: frozen pizza

Tuesday: Toasted ravoli with marinara sauce and sautéed zucchini and yellow squash

Banana Oat Cookies

2011-08-29T17:52:00.001-05:00

I always feel really bad when I'm eating my granola bars in front of DS. He's 9 months currently and ALWAYS wants to eat exactly what I'm eating, but honey is on our no-no list for now (and I don't feed him raisins either). Well, here's a recipe that's great for my son that I found to be rather tasty for myself. I'll keep making my granola bars, but when DS is around I'll break these cookies out instead!

(adapted from Oats and Naner Drops recipe found on wholesomebabyfood.com)

1 cup quick oats 
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 cup brown sugar (can easily leave this out if making these for babies/toddlers)
1 cup (about 2) overripe bananas, mashed 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3 Tablespoons oil of choice  

Mix dry together. In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients together. Add the wet to dry ingredients. Drop by the spoonful onto parchment paper or greased baking sheet.
Bake 12-15 min at 350.
Yields about 20 cookies.

Menu: August 24-29

2011-08-24T15:20:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was out of town for the day and DH had yet more potato soup (but no complaints thankfully lol).

Wednesday: Hearty Sausage Skillet (anything requiring more thought and effort is beyond me today)

Thursday: Orange chicken in crockpot over rice w/ broccoli

Friday: Balsamic glazed salmon fillets, green beans, and sweet potatoes

Saturday: Cheese fondue

Sunday: Beef fajitas

Monday: ground turkey stroganoff and green beans

Menu: August 17-22

2011-08-17T22:37:00.004-05:00

Wednesday: pepper steak over rice (yep, got off by 2 days - had enough leftovers!)

Thursday: Pancakes with blueberry syrup and strawberries

Friday: Veggie burgers (yep, DH is gone! Lol) and sweet potato fries

Saturday: chicken quesadillas

Sunday: baked potato soup and green beans

Monday: leftovers

Dessert: pumpkin pie ice cream

Menu: August 11-15

2011-08-11T10:34:00.001-05:00

Thursday: chicken taco salads

Friday: penne a la betsy w/ steamed broccoli

Saturday: grilled bratwursts, crash potatoes, and green beans

Sunday: sour cream enchiladas and spinach side salad

Monday: pepper steak over rice

Baby Led Weaning

2011-08-04T11:10:00.000-05:00

Someone finally called me out on it! With all the cooking I do, why don't I make my own baby food and post about it? Well, that's because I decided I hate pureed baby food. For our family it's just an extra waste of time and energy. When Squish was 5 months he started trying to grab the food off my plate. I would give him one of his baby spoons and sippy to distract him and he would still try to grab the food off my plate. He looked like he was ready to eat! So I spent part of an afternoon making my own pureed sweet potatoes, carrots, and butternut squash. I was very excited to be cooking for my baby. And then I tried spoon feeding him my homemade baby food. He stole the spoon. He was not interested in me feeding him at all. Messy doesn't even to begin to cover what happened to my son, myself, the high chair, the walls, the floors, etc. I quickly found myself dreading giving him solids. I skipped feeding him several days in a row justifying it with "he doesn't need to eat everyday anyways at this point." Well, he didn't need to eat solids but I realized that something still needed to change.

Squish's first stolen spoon.

Baby led weaning is skipping past the cereals and purred baby food stage. It's letting the baby completely feed themselves. They choose what they want to eat and how much. Once Squish was able to sit at 6 months he was placed in his high chair next to me at the dining room table during meals. If it was appropriate for him to eat, I put it on his tray. He started off with steamed zucchini and sweet potatoes in thin long sticks. Easy for him to pick up and grab and soft enough that he could learn how to chew easily. With a couple of days he figured out the best way to get the food in his mouth and he started trying to chew. Soon he worked on swallowing the food.

Lil' Stinker's first pancake at 6 months!

Squish recently turned 9 months old. He has two bottom teeth and that's it. He loves to eat and will try anything I give him. The only food limits he has is nuts and honey right now. Most importantly though, meal times are fun and relaxing again for the whole family.

Strawberry face at 7 months.

Baby led weaning does require the delaying of solid foods till at least 6 months. The baby needs to be able to sit unassisted, able to grasp and hold on to food, and no longer have the tongue thrust reflex. They should also be showing an active interest in food and eating. For some babies they're very interested by 5 months, for others this may not happen till 13 months. It's good for parents to remember that the main source of nutrition for at least the first year should be from breast milk or formula and to not get caught up in how much solid food a baby is eating. Baby led weaning is definitely not for every family or every baby.

Squish often holds food in both hands and eats out of both!

Here he's enjoying a calzone at 8 months.

Watermelon Sherbet

2011-08-03T09:56:00.000-05:00

Recipe found in Better Homes and Gardens magazine, August 2011 issue.

5 cups cubed watermelon (no seeds!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 envelope of unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup cranberry juice (could also use grape juice or some other similar juice)

In a small saucepan, the gelatin and juice. Let sit for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat to low and stir until the gelatin dissolves.
Meanwhile, puree the watermelon in a food processor or blender. Add the sugar and send it spinning briefly to blend.
Mix the two mixtures together in a large bowl. Place bowl in fridge for at least 30 minutes to get it cold.

Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and turn it on. After 20-25 minutes you should have wonderful sherbet! Store in freezer, removing a few minutes before you want to scoop out servings.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour mixture into an 8x8 pan and place in freezer. Cover and freeze for 2 hours. Break up mixture and put in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Return to pan and cover and freeze for 6 more hours.

My beautiful ice cream maker. It was my birthday gift from my parents!

And 20 minutes later, ready to eat! Super yummy. :)

Menu: August 2-10

2011-08-03T09:41:00.000-05:00

Tuesday: Hamburgers, French fries, and carrots

Wednesday: Scrambled Egg Stromboli

Thursday: chicken kabobs with cherry tomatoes and roasted red potatoes

Friday: Mongolian beef, steamed rice, and green beans

Saturday: iron skillet deep-dish pizza w/ sausage, zucchini (and jalapenos on my half)

Sunday: easy baked tilapia

Monday: pasta with turkey meatballs

Tuesday: sausage, eggs, and biscuits (with I’m sure sautéed zucchini….again)

Wednesday: grilled cheese and French fries

Dessert – Homemade vanilla ice cream with Oreos

Garden Spaghetti

2011-07-29T19:58:00.002-05:00

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti pasta
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup chopped carrots
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
1/4-1/2 cup lemon juice (to taste, but definitely use some!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups-ish of your favorite tomato/spaghetti sauce (even the jar stuff does fine)

Cook spaghetti according to directions, making sure to not over cook.
Meanwhile in a large skillet combine the vegetables, oregano, basil, and olive oil. Stir occasionally over medium heat until hot. Add your favorite tomato/spaghetti sauce.
Once spaghetti is cooked, drain, and add to the vegetable mixture. Add the lemon juice and warm the mixture.

This is a great recipe to adapt to whatever vegetables you have laying around. I added a few spinach leaves to mine since I had some left that needed to be eaten.

And best of all, it's Squish approved! :)

Menu: July 27-August 1

2011-07-25T17:39:00.001-05:00

Wednesday: spinach and chicken calzones

Thursday: Garden Spaghetti with quick tomato sauce

Friday: Fish tacos and sweet potato fries

Saturday: Steak bites, smashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli

Sunday: Corn & Bean Fritters with Tomatoes and fried squash

Monday: mini meatloaves, whole wheat macaroni and cheese, and sautéed zucchini

Weekend deserts - Easy Fruit Pocket Pies and Fat-Free Watermelon Sherbet

Menu: July 19-25

2011-07-20T11:13:00.002-05:00

Tuesday: Out to eat (have to make a run into town w/ DH)

Wednesday: lime and garlic chicken spinach salads

Thursday: sweet potato gnocchi with Gouda cheese sauce (these are good and VERY filling!)

Friday: leftovers and side salad

Saturday: chili-glazed pork over sweet potato hash

Sunday: Southwest chicken sandwiches, sautéed zucchini, and tater tots

Monday: Red beans and rice

(I don't know why I'm on a sweet potato kick, but apparently I am.)

$50 a Week

2011-07-18T13:55:00.000-05:00

No joke, that's all I spend the majority of the time for groceries in a week. If I go over, I tend to have spent less the week before or will spend less the week after. Right now I do find it easier to go once a week since here in the middle of no where we don't get the nicest of products with the longest expiration dates.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT I'M ONLY FEEDING TWO ADULTS AND ONE BABY WHO JUST PICKS AT FOOD. It it unrealistic to expect to feed a family of 4 on $50 if you're having to buy all your food at the grocery store. It's even more unrealistic if you live in an expensive metro area like NYC.

In my food menu, I plan out what I'm going to bake for snacks and lunches. I plan out everything for the week food wise. Many times we eat leftovers for lunches. When we don't eat leftovers, we enjoy salads, wraps, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and other basics. We are also not big snackers. A hand full of crackers and 2 slices of cheese or a hand full of grapes is about the extent of our snacking most days. And if you're able to garden, do it! We're overrun with zucchini which isn't exactly a dream come true, but hey we have cheap (just for the price of seeds!) veggies to eat every week. No food goes to waste and I make every cent of my $50 count!

Other ways I keep our spending down at the grocery store is by using reusable products. We don't buy sandwich and snack bags for lunches because I bought just a few reusable ones (yep, I'm making etsy WAHMs rich!). We also are switching over to cloth napkins, much to my husband's dismay. We've already been using cloth tissues and using washable mop heads and cleaning rags. And cleaning products? We clean with vinegar and water 99% of the time. As nice as it is to be "green" it's even nicer to save money in the long run!

And the best way to keep cost down at the grocery store? Don't enter the store without a complete grocery list. Then only go down those aisles that have products you need. Only buy what's on your list. So simple, but so many people get side tracked and add unnecessary items.

And now for my receipts! Sorry these are "old" now but I've been working on this post for over a month now and when a vacation gets in the way...well, that's what happens!

Week 1: (yes, seriously that was the only trip to the store I made that week)

Week 2:

Walmart - (just the underlined part was food)

Commissary -

Last minute invite that we needed to bring something to -

Week 3 - What happens when you let yourself get off course just a tad.

I circled the extra items that I totally didn't need:

That's right if I stayed on track I would have easily stuck to my budget!

When I got home last week, one of the first things I did was make a quick menu and go grocery shopping! Yes, even before I unpacked my suitcase. If you saw what "food" my husband had in the fridge and pantry, you'd run to the store too. I spent $35 to get me through to my normal shopping day of Tuesday.

Back! Menu: July 15-18

2011-07-15T20:43:00.000-05:00

Ended up extending my trip and just got back home last night at 10pm after a 16 hour drive. Yes, I drove 16 hours straight with an 8 month old. Bright idea? Not really, but hey I survived!

Friday: baked Asian style honey chicken, macaroni and cheese, and steamed broccoli

Saturday: Hamburgers, tater tots, and green beans

Sunday: sausage, tomatoes, and cream pasta

Monday: Homemade pizza and sautéed zucchini

Will also be making blueberry zucchini bread and homemade vanilla ice cream.

Any any ideas of what to do with our monster zucchini? We've got 4 of them and more zucchini coming in every day. Eek.

Menu: June 14-20

2011-06-13T14:50:00.001-05:00

Tuesday: Lettuce Wraps and sautéed zucchini

Wednesday: grilled turkey, cheese, and tomato sandwiches and garlic fries

Thursday: Jalapeno Tilapia Pasta

Friday: Calzones

Saturday: Chili rubbed steak and pan salsa, green beans, baked potatoes

Sunday: Spaghetti squash tacos

Monday: Scrambled cheese eggs and waffles topped with strawberries

No menus for the next 3-4 weeks. Squish and I are headed out of town and poor DH will have to cook for himself.

How I Menu Plan

2011-06-12T17:32:00.001-05:00

There are many, many ways to menu plan. This is just how I do it.

1. I look to see what's in my freezer and pantry that I can use to create a meal. I can usually create at least one complete meal out of what's already available. Do I have a lot of brown rice hanging around? Is there chicken or sausage in the freezer from a previous week's good deal? Is there a half bag of vegetables hiding in the back of the freezer that needs to be used before I completely forget about it? I want to make sure that nothing is going to waste that I've already bought. Often I'll think of another meal that I can make and I'm only missing an item or two.

2. I pull out coupons. I go through the coupons I already have. I search online and see if there is anything useful to print off. Some weeks I find coupons for cheese, lunch meat, cereal that isn't full of sugar, brown rice, fish, and more! Other weeks I find nothing other than junk, which is not entering my house. Another place to find coupons? The store shelves. The best coupons usually come from the stores themselves, and yes, I'm THAT person who takes about 10 for future use.

3. I look at store ads. Even the commissary has an ad online. When I lived in a real city, I looked at the ads of the two closest stores to me that did not require me driving out of my way. I note any great deal that I am interested in.

4. Considering the ads and coupons, I piece together a few more meals for the week. Sometimes this means searching through my recipe binders to remember what they are, but I am able to find them!

5. If I still have empty spaces in my menu, I input a meal that I've been craving, that my husband has requested, or I go searching for something new to try.

I'm working on another blog post about how I approach a grocery store trip to save money. I've even saved a few recipes to prove that I really do only spend $50 a week.

Glazed Smoke Sausage and Fruit Kabobs

2011-06-11T18:47:00.001-05:00

Original recipe from Hillshire Farm.

1 package smoked sausage (lite or turkey versions work well too)
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 can sliced peaches drained OR 1 1/2 cups fresh peach slices
1/4 cup apricot preserves (strawberry preserves works well too)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Cut sausage into 18 slices. Thread sausage, pepper, pineapple, and peaches onto 6 skewers. Combine preserves and mustard in a small bowl; set aside.
Grill kabobs over medium heat for 10 minutes. Brush kabobs with glaze and grill for 2 more minutes.

(Please excuse the bad iPhone photo.)

Spinach Feta Burgers

2011-06-11T17:27:00.000-05:00

1 lb ground turkey or ground beef
1 egg
5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat spinach for 1-2 minutes in a microwave in a covered bowl.

Combine in a large bowl the ground meat, egg, spinach, pepper, and feta cheese. Mix well. Form into 4 large hamburger patties. Grill or cook in a skillet for 6 minute on each side.

Brownies

2011-06-11T17:22:00.000-05:00

Original recipe can be found here.

1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chocolate syrup

Preheat over to 325º. Grease an 8x8 pan.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and water. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips till melted and smooth. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into chocolate mixture. Mix the chocolate syrup in to the batter. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
Baked for 25-30 minutes.

Almost Whole Wheat English Muffins

2011-06-08T21:37:00.001-05:00

Almost whole wheat since half the flour used is all purpose. I didn't want the muffins to turn into hockey pucks. :)

Orginal recipe by Sarah Fowler.

1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Combine milk, butter, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Warm until butter starts to melt, then whisk. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile pour water into the mixing bowl of stand mixer and sprinkle with yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes. While waiting, line baking sheets with waxed paper and sprinkle with the corn meal (you'll probably need two baking sheets).
Pour cooled milk mixture into yeast mixture. Stir. Add the whole wheat flour. Using the dough attachment, mix very well for 2 minutes. Add in the all purpose flour and salt. Continue to use the dough hook until the dough is no longer sticky. You may need to add a little bit more flour. When done, let rest for 5 minutes.
After resting, roll dough out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into circles. (I used a plastic cup.) Transfer muffins to baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm area. I turned my oven on and once it was a little warm, turned it off and placed the baking sheets in there. The muffins need to rise until doubled in height, anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours (the oven helps!).
After muffins have doubled in size, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook each muffins in the ungreased pan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
That's it! We found them to be very delicious. These do freeze great! I got about 15 muffins out of the dough.

Menu: June 7-13

2011-06-06T15:48:00.004-05:00

Lots of new recipes! Last week I decided to be mostly boring. This week I want new stuff! I'll link and post recipes as I can get to them. :)

Tuesday: Tuna Melts on Whole Wheat English Muffins and sautéed zucchini

Wednesday: whole chicken in a crockpot, fried squash, and butter dips

Thursday: pork chops with honey mustard sauce, green beans, and crash potatoes

Friday: Spinach and chicken tortellini soup (using leftover chicken)

Saturday: Oat waffles; Strawberry glazed smoked sausage and fruit kabobs with brown rice

Sunday: Spinach Feta Burgers and garlic fries

Monday: Sweet potato ravoli

Menu: June 1-6

2011-06-01T12:15:00.001-05:00

Wednesday: Taco Pizza

Thursday: Blueberry Pancakes and eggs

Friday: Lime and garlic chicken spinach salad

Saturday: Red Beans and Rice

Sunday: fish tacos and steamed broccoli

Monday: southwest chicken sandwiches and sautéed zucchini

Menu: May 24-31

2011-05-27T17:36:00.001-05:00

Tuesday: Easy Baked tilapia

Wednesday: Chicken Squash Bake w/ zucchini (my garden is overflowing with zucchini)

Thursday: Ham Quiche (have Easter ham in the freezer)

Friday: Hamburgers, baked fries, and easy apple dumplings

Saturday: Breakfast pizza w/ ham; TBD dinner; oreo cheesecake

Sunday: pineapple skewered shrimp, brown rice, green beans

Monday: Applesauce pancakes; ribs, grilled corn, rolls

Tuesday: Pasta and turkey meatballs

Nutri-Grain Bars

2011-05-25T15:27:00.003-05:00

Original recipe by This Chick Cooks.

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lightly beaten egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup juice (apple, grape, cranberry, etc)
1/2 cup all fruit spread
2 tablespoons wheat germ, optional

Preheat oven to 325º. Mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add oil, egg, vanilla, and juice (I used cranberry since it's what we had). Mix well. Press half of the mixture in a greased 8x8 baking dish. It will be a thin layer. Spread the fruit spread on top. Spoon the rest of the dough on top of the fruit layer. Carefully spread it on top of the fruit. It is a bit messy, but spooning clumps of dough throughout the top helps. Top with the 2 tablespoons of wheat germ. Bake 20-30 minutes. Let it cool before cutting into bars.

Really good! It's a nice change from my normal granola bars that I make most weeks for snacks. In fact, it's rather sweet so I think I'll use less sugar next time. :)

May Cooking Challenge: Chicken and Artichoke Pizza

2011-05-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

This month's HouseHold6 cooking challenge (see the button on the right?) was to make a pizza without tomato sauce. I knew immediately I wanted to make a pizza with pesto. I LOVE this on a pizza. I don't make it hardly ever since DH isn't so fond of anything other than basic pepperoni or sausage pizza (how boring is that?!). I did end up making two pizzas. One used pesto according to the challenge, the other some leftover quick tomato sauce so my DH would actual eat dinner. ;) Do note that the recipe below does make two pizzas. I'm saving the other half of the pesto that I didn't use to go in pasta for lunch this week.

Ingredients
Crust:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1/3 cup yellow corn meal
3 tablespoons olive oil

Toppings:
1 can artichoke hearts, drained well
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Spinach-Basil-Walnut Pesto:
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions
For the dough, pour the water in a bowl. Add to it the yeast, salt, and olive oil. If you're not sure if your yeast is still good, mix just the yeast and water and let it sit for 5 minutes to check it. To the bowl add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon. With your hands add the corn meal until well mixed. Knead until dough is smooth. Place dough into a greased large bowl. Cover and allow to rise, usually takes me 45 minutes. If time is a crunch for you, you can just let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

While the dough is rising, gather the ingredients for the pesto. In a food processor pulse together the walnuts, spinach, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, cheese, and lemon juice until a paste forms. Drizzle in the olive oil till smooth.

During this time I usually cook the chicken and shred it. I also set the artichoke hearts out to drain before loosely chopping them.

When the dough has risen, preheat the over to 450ºF. Separate the dough into two equal pieces. Using your hands spread the dough out on your chosen pizza pan (I choose to lightly spray my pans with olive oil because have issues).

Top each with pesto followed by mozzarella cheese and then the artichokes and chicken.

Bake at 450ºF for about 15 minutes.

Man, was this pizza GOOD!

It was also good using the quick tomato sauce instead of the pesto, but let's be honest... It wasn't nearly as sensational as the pesto version. :D

Why Menu Plan?

2011-05-18T11:49:00.001-05:00

Yes, it does take time and effort. I do spend 2-3 hours a week going through recipes, checking the plantry and freezer, finding coupons, planning my menu, and writing up my grocery list. Keep in mind I tend to change my mind a billion times before settling on a menu some weeks, so it's very possible to spend just a few minutes on a menu. I want to try new dishes, remember old ones that have been neglected, and use favorites that I'm craving. All while sticking to my ideal of only spending $50 a week (keep in mind it's just 2.5 of us here). Which brings me to my first reason why I menu plan.

1. It saves money. Who doesn't want to save money? I make my menus based on what I already have in the house so food doesn't go to waste or get close to expiring. I make a grocery list based on what is needed to complete my menu. I only buy what's on my grocery list (well, most of the time). I'm also not running to the store almost every day, so there's a big gas savings and less opportunity for me to buy items I don't need. A hint for when you're shopping? Don't go down an aisle unless there's something on your grocery list in there. Which leads me to....
2. It saves time. Don't laugh at me! Even with me spending 2-3 hours planning everything out, I'm still saving myself time! I've got time during the week to do other things because I'm not running to the store for something else I've forgotten. I don't have to wonder at the end of the day what I'm going to cook. I just cook what I planned! And by having my organized grocery list on my iPhone, I'm in and out of the grocery store (with a baby in tow) in less than 30 minutes with a full cart.
3. It's healthier when planned accordingly. We very, very rarely eat fast food. There's no reason for it, even when we're stuck somewhere till 6:30 and have to be someplace else at 7pm. If there's a heavily scheduled day, I make food ahead of time to be reheated or I plan something simple. Menu planning means we have enough fruits and vegetables for the week and they get eaten. We eat a balanced diet everyday. If something not so healthy is on the menu for a meal, the rest of that day's meals contain those needed nutrients. Do note that I plan breakfast, lunch, and dinners but only post dinners mainly because it gets boring seeing cereal, eggs, sandwiches, wraps, fruit, and leftovers on the menu constantly.

My biggest tip when deciding to start menu planning? Keep it simple! Start with one week and don't get fancy. Pen and paper work just fine. :)

Menu: May 17-23

2011-05-17T14:25:00.001-05:00

Tuesday: Szechwan Shrimp, stir-fry veggies, and brown rice (I ended up not fixing dinner one night last week.)

Wednesday: Southwest Chicken bowl

Thursday: cheese tortellini in quick tomato sauce

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: whole-wheat blueberry muffins; pot roast, roasted red potatoes, steamed broccoli

Sunday: leftover pot roast and potatoes with sautéed squash

Monday: Easy baked tilapia

Menu: May 10-16

2011-05-10T17:22:00.001-05:00

Ended up having friends over one night and going out to eat another night, so had to move around last week's menu some.

Tuesday: broiled tilapia parmesan (I'd suggest cutting way down on the butter), steamed brown rice, broccoli

Wednesday: meatloaf, smashed sweet potatoes, and corn

Thursday: Spicy roasted chicken legs, whole wheat macaroni and cheese, and green beans

Friday: Stroganoff w/ ground turkey and peas

Saturday: hamburgers, zucchini and squash, tater tots

Sunday: Szechwan Shrimp, stir-fry veggies, and brown rice

Monday: Dad’s Spaghetti

Spaghetti Squash Tacos

2011-05-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

This is our favorite taco recipe with spaghetti squash replacing the usual ground meat.

1 spaghetti squash
taco seasoning (recipe to follow)
Corn taco shells
Baby spinach
Shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cooked black beans (about 1/2 a can)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup diced onion

Split spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Cook however you normally would spaghetti squash. I like to place mine in a glass dish with a bit of water. Cover and microwave for about 15 minutes. While cooking, mix the black beans, corn, and onion in a bowl. Leave it sitting out. Once squash is tender, use a fork to get the squash strands out. Place squash strands in a saucepan, 1 cup of water, and taco seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place taco shells in the oven to crisp.
Fill tacos with seasoned spaghetti squash, black bean mixture, cheese, and spinach.

Taco Seasoning - recipe from Give Peas a Chance

3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon crush red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried cilantro
4 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons black pepper

Mix. Store in an airtight container. Seasons one pound of meat.
This is (obviously) hot.

Menu: May 3-9

2011-05-03T13:36:00.002-05:00

Tuesday: iron skillet deep dish pizza

Wednesday: spaghetti squash tacos w/ corn and black beans

Thursday: Chicken Penne Bake

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: waffles and sausage; broiled tilapia parmesan, steamed broccoli, brown rice

Sunday: meatloaf, smashed sweet potatoes, corn

Monday: red beans and rice

Whole Wheat Pancakes - Two Recipes

2011-05-01T19:41:00.004-05:00

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes from 100 Days of Real Food

2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon of fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed (optional)
1 tablespoon honey
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ¾ cups milk (you can use any kind – skim, 2% or whole)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted + butter for frying
2 ripe bananas, mashed
100% pure maple syrup for serving

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground flaxseed. Stir until well mixed and then make a well (hole) in the center of the bowl by spreading the flour mixture to the sides of the bowl. Pour the honey, eggs, milk, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter into the well, then gradually whisk from the center outward until the ingredients are well combined but still a little lumpy. Do not over mix the batter. Very gently fold in the mashed bananas (and/or other berries).

Preheat a non-stick or cast iron griddle (or sauté pan) over medium-high heat. Set electric griddles at 370 degrees F. Your cooking surface will be ready when a drop of water flicked onto the surface dances and evaporates instantly. Allow some butter to melt then ladle the pancake batter forming circles on the griddle or pan.

When the pancakes have begun to bubble in the center and the underside is golden brown, use your spatula to flip them. Cook until the 2nd side is golden brown, and then keep on a platter in a warm oven (200 degrees F) while you cook the remaining pancakes. Serve with warm maple syrup and a side of fruit. And freeze the leftovers for another day!

Whole Wheat Pancakes from Make Healthy Meals

Make that breakfast favorite just a little bit healthier. Still not exactly healthy, but an improvement. Mix in some berries to add a little something more. You can use other fruits as a topping, with whipped cream or syrup if you need that sweet taste.

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon common granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons oil

additional oil for frying

Oil a frying pan. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, scramble the egg, then add the milk and the 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, well enough to eliminate dry spots but no more.

Heat the frying pan to medium temperature. Pour a pancake. The pancake will bubble. When the bubbling settles down and the edges are slightly dry, flip the pancake. When the pancake looks done, remove it and start another one.

****

Yeah, I fixed two types of pancakes for dinner tonight because I wanted to try them both. Besides, breakfast for the week is taken care of now. ;)

We found both of them to be great. The banana pancakes puffed up nicely and had a great sweet taste from the bananas. I think next time I will add blueberries in the regular whole wheat pancakes. I meant to do that tonight, but totally forgot!

Whole Wheat Macaroni and Cheese

2011-04-28T20:55:00.000-05:00

Just your basic stove top macaroni recipe with whole wheat substitutions. :)

1 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 cup milk
teaspoon ground mustard
1 to 1 1/2 cups grated cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to directions.
Meanwhile, melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Continue whisking for 1 minute. Add milk. Whisk until smooth. Turn heat down to low. Add ground mustard. Add cheese and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta and mix well.

Ravioli Gnudi With Quick Tomato Sauce

2011-04-26T20:44:00.001-05:00

This month's Household 6 cooking challenge was to create a dish from a country that you have lived/stationed at or want to visit (excluding the USA).

Well, I have never lived anywhere but the US. I am just a couple of miles from Mexico, but I wouldn't exactly call that exciting by any means. One country I would like to visit though is Italy. I have fond memories of helping my full Italian grandmother, Nonna, in the kitchen to make homemade ravioli. It was delicious. Nothing has ever compared. Unfortunately she died many, many years ago and no one thought to write down her recipe. :( I wish I could present it, but since I can't I decided to challenge myself to make something that I haven't had before but reminds me of meals my grandmother used to make.

Ravioli Gnudi with Quick Tomato Sauce original recipe by Deborah Mele

Ravioli Gnudi:

9 oz spinach
15 oz ricotta
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (plus more for shaping)
dash nutmeg
dash salt
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place spinach in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Cook for 2-3 minutes. (Can also steam.) Drain and squeeze out all excess water. Chop finely and drain once more. In a bowl mix well the spinach, ricotta, eggs, parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and flour. Bring to boil a large pot of salted water. Lower to a simmer. Form dumplings by hand, lightly rolling the gnocchi to coat with a little flour. Drop one into boiling water to test that your mixture stays together. Afterwards drop dumplings one at a time as you form them into the water. Once they float to the top, they are done. Remove with a slotted spoon. Serve with tomato sauce on top.

Quick Tomato Sauce:

28 oz can imported diced Italian tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon basil (or 3 tablespoons of fresh)
dash red pepper flakes

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic. When garlic begins to sizzle, add the tomatoes. Turn heat to high. When sauce begins to bubble, turn back down to medium low. Season with salt and pepper. Add the basil and red pepper flakes. Cook for a few more minutes.

My finished product.

I really had no idea what I was doing, but this recipe was one I just HAD to try when I ran across while looking for something that reminds me of my grandmother. (Do note that I doubt if she ever made this because ricotta would have been too expensive for her.) I was wondering what the heck I was thinking when I took this picture:

How does one make these little treats? It was a rather sticky dough. Well, I can now tell you that a spoonful of dough dropped into flour and rolled around works just fine. Mine didn't turn out exactly like Deborah's photo, but it was close enough. Plus it tasted wonderful. DH even had seconds despite noting, "There's no meat." (You'll live, honey.)

The quick tomato sauce really was quick. If you're like me and live someplace where finding imported Italian tomatoes is a laughable matter, regular diced tomatoes do work. I added a little bit of sugar to mind and decided it was good enough for me. In fact I'm pretty sure I'll make this again. It's a bit more fool proof than this sauce (which I have managed to burn on the stove when I lost track of time...oops).

Menu: April 26 - May 2

2011-04-24T23:35:00.001-05:00

Tuesday: HH6 Cooking Challenge! (hopefully edible lol)

Wednesday: Hawaiian Pizza

Thursday: The Best Whole Chicken in a Crockpot (really, it's excellent!), whole wheat macaroni and cheese, and sautéed zucchini

Friday: whole wheat quiche w/ ham and broccoli

Saturday: pasta alla vodka

Sunday: spiced beef kabobs, grilled squash, and pasta with herbs

Monday: Blueberry pancakes and sausage

Southern Comfort Cake

2011-04-23T19:06:00.000-05:00

Also known as my new favorite cake. :D Recipe adapted slightly from the Southern Comfort website.

Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 (3oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup Southern Comfort
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup oil
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Glaze:
4 tablespoons butter
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Southern Comfort

Preheat over to 325*. Combine all cake ingredients but the nuts and beat/whisk until smooth. Grease and flour a bundt ban (Baker's Joy is a miracle product for this). Sprinkle the walnuts on the bottom. Pour in batter on top of nuts. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on rack.
For glaze, melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in Southern Comfort.
Invert cake on serving plate. Brush glaze over cake until glaze is all used.

Easter Dinner Recipes

2011-04-23T17:53:00.001-05:00

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400*. Butter a 1 quart casserole dish.

Put potatoes in the casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Bake 1 1/2 hours.

Thoughts: Is good, but it's missing something to make it great. Not sure what that something is though!

Stove-Top Dressing

4 cups firm bread or toast, cut into small cubes

4 tablespoons dried minced onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

2 tablespoons dry parsley flakes

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter

Combine onion flakes, salt, poultry seasoning, and parsley flakes into a large saucepan. Add broth and butter and bring to a boil. Cover and boil 5 minutes. Add bread cubes and reduce heat to low. Let stand until mixture is blended and heated. Fluff with fork.

Don't mind the bad iPhone picture. :)

Fish Tacos

2011-04-23T12:32:00.000-05:00

It's taken a few attempts to set a recipe that DH and I both like. It's not "traditional" but hopefully it'll give some of you a starting off point to find something that works for your family. :)

8 corn or flour tortillas
3 tilapia filets
baby spinach

For rub:
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

For sauce:
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 teaspoon paprika
dash of ground red pepper
1 teaspoon lime juice

Mix together the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the mixture on both sides of fish filets. From here you can pan fry in some olive oil, broil, or bake until cooked. I prefer to bake the fish at 425* on a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with olive oil for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway though (this method doesn't set off our very sensitive smoke alarms). Once cooked, break the fish into chunks.
Mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Warm the tortillas.
Serve fish in tortillas with a small amount of sauce and spinach.

Menu: April 12-25

2011-04-21T14:53:00.000-05:00

Menu: April 12-18

Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings w/ carrots added (FANTASTIC!)

Wednesday: tacos with black bean and corn salad

Thursday: Iron Skillet Pizza w/ sausage

Friday-Monday: I was out of town

Menu: April 19-25

Tuesday: frozen meal thingy (didn't get in till 8:30pm)

Wednesday: hot dogs and fries, proud culinary moment in the Sea Monster household

Thursday: Southwest Fettuccine Bowl

Friday: Fish tacos and Spanish rice (Yes, I will finally get around to posting the fish taco recipe as soon as I finish typing it up. My bad.)

Saturday: ham, rolls, creamy au gratin potatoes, green beans, stove-top dressing, spinach salad (will link/post recipes soon!)

Sunday: leftovers

Monday: tuna fish salad

And I still have no idea what I'm going to do about this month's Household 6 Cooking Challenge. We're supposed to create a dish from a country that you have lived/stationed at or want to visit (not US). I know nothing about authentic cooking from other countries. I don't think living a hop skip and a jump away from Mexico counts. lol.

Another Menu-ish

2011-04-06T13:22:00.001-05:00

DS and I were out of town last weekend. I cooked what I could scrounge up around the house for dinner last night (had too much to do around the house to attempt the commissary). Plans are up in the air for this weekend, so I decided to forgo a week menu. What's better is that DS and I leave for out of town again in little over a week. lol.

Last night we had baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, and fried squash.
Tonight is Chicken and Pasta Frittata. If it's any good I'll post the recipe up soon. If a miracle occurs I'll even have a picture.
Tomorrow night will be spaghetti (DH's request).
Friday is shrimp and grits (again DH's request). Lent is almost over, but I think I'm going to keep up this trend of one night of fish. Might even sprinkle in a few nights of meatless meals (until DH revolts that is).

Menu-ish: March 29-April 4

2011-03-30T20:49:00.000-05:00

Tuesday: we were out of town
Wednesday: Hamburgers, peas, and fries
Thursday: Ground Beef Stroganoff
Friday: I'm out of town/DH is on his own
Saturday: same
Sunday: beef noodle bowl
Monday: cheesy tuna noodle casserole

Yeah, totally an unimpressive menu. I'll get more creative than Kraft Foods next week. ;)

Bill's Steak Bites

2011-03-21T19:43:00.001-05:00

One of DH's favorite dishes ever. Recipe courtesy of my father-in-law.

1lb Steak of your choice
1 cup red wine
2-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
20 drops of Tabasco

Marinate meat for at least two hours in wine and crushed garlic. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinate and broil or grill meat as desired.
For the sauce, melt butter over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and the reserved marinate. Cook for 5 minutes.
Cut meat into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Pour sauce over the meat.

This recipe is really good with mashed potatoes. Perfect with the extra sauce poured on top!

Menu: March 22-28

2011-03-21T19:34:00.001-05:00

Tuesday: Sour cream enchiladas

Wednesday: Spaghetti

Thursday: Quiche

Friday: Szechwan Shrimp with stir fry vegetables and steamed rice

Saturday-Monday: TBD

Menu: March 15-21

2011-03-15T18:59:00.003-05:00

Tuesday: mini meatloaves, pasta, and steamed broccoli

Wednesday: Pasta with turkey, spinach, and white wine (Found this to be very delicious! Note that recipe as written is a meal for 2.)

Thursday: Apple chicken quesadillas

Friday: Fish tacos and Spanish rice

Saturday: Blueberry oat waffles; brown sugar glazed pork over sweet potato hash

Sunday: steak bites, corn, and smashed potatoes

Monday: Southwest chicken sandwiches, fries

Bake Snickerdoodle muffins!

**Note to self: Take more food pictures!!! I keep posting new recipes, but forget to take pictures. Augh!!

Make an MRE?! Me?!

2011-03-14T19:06:00.010-05:00

I recently joined a group of military food bloggers called HouseHold6 Cooking Club. Each month the members take on a new cooking challenge. This month? Create a concept MRE. The conversation deciding on my concept went something like this:

Me: Okay, I know MRE stands for Meals Ready to Eat but what are they really?
Husband: Really bad food. Like 2,000 plus calories of bad.
Me: Care to explain more?
Husband: *pulls up this website* See this meal was awful. Now this meal wasn't all that bad. I remember only trying to trade certain parts of that meal.
Me: So you've had these?
Husband: Yep. 4 years ago in training. Oh, and once since then because my old squadron commander thought it was a good idea to invite us all to an event and make us eat MREs instead of real food.
Me: So what would your ideal MRE have in it?
Husband: Something very simple. As soon as the government attempts one beyond the basics it goes downhill.
Me: Like? Oh, and I don't have to worry about how it would be dried or vacuum packed.
Husband: Meatloaf. That last kind you made. *pause* They sell them at the commissary. Want to try one tomorrow? It's amazing what all the government can do to what was probably once a descent meal.
Me: Uhhhh....no.

So my concept MRE will be mini meatloaves because my husband recommended it. I think it's the perfect size and shape to work well. I like this particular recipe myself because it has the basic ideal meatloaf taste without all the grease others I've tried have. As a side I'm going with smash potatoes, though my husband says they already do mashed potatoes. I think smashed is a bit better since keeps the good for you skins. I'd pair it with bread and butter to follow their format (though I'm pretty sure butter wouldn't keep lol). In trying to think of a dessert, I ran across a yummy snickerdoodle muffin recipe. I've made it and found it to be fantastic! Plenty sweet without being over the top sweet. And I have no doubt that it would be much more popular than their pound cake.

Main course - mini meatloaves
Side dish - smashed potatoes
Cracker/bread - bread slice
Spread - herbed butter
Dessert - Snickerdoodle muffins

Mini Meatloaves - original recipe by Tonya Swope

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well. Divide the mixture into muffin tins - makes about 8.
In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Muffins - original recipe by Heather Christo
1 cup Butter, Softened
1 cup Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2-¼ cups Flour
¾ teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
¾ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
½ teaspoons Salt
1 cup Sour Cream
¼ cups Buttermilk
FOR THE TOPPING:
⅔ cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and mix to combine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.

Use scooper and plop a scoop of batter into the bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Gently roll the batter in the sugar and cinnamon. Place the ball into the muffin liner.

When you have completed all of the muffins, sprinkle the leftover cinnamon sugar onto the tops of all of the muffins.

Bake the muffins at 350ºF for about 15-18 minutes or until they are golden on top and just baked through.

Smashed Potatoes (for 2)
2 medium to large baking potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1/4-1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper

Cut potatoes into chunks. Add to a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Drain. Add butter, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Smash with a potato masher or a fork.

Menu: March 8-14

2011-03-11T12:37:00.000-06:00

A bit late. Got a new computer and still haven't moved everything over. :)

Tuesday: grilled hamburgers, steamed broccoli, and sweet potato fries
Wednesday: Mac and cheese
Thursday: Mongolian BBQ at the base
Friday: Easy baked tilapia
Saturday: Steaks with grilled veggies
Sunday: Italian baked chicken and pastina, green beans
Monday: Baked chicken nuggets, corn, tater tots

Scrambled Egg Stromboli

2011-03-11T12:30:00.000-06:00

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens March 2011 magazine.

8 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
olive oil
head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-2 cups of baby spinach
1/4 Parmesan cheese
Cooked ground Italian sausage or other meat (optional)
pizza dough

Preheat oven to 400* and whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper.
In a large skillet cook onion and broccoli in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add egg mixture. Cook, stirring as little as possible just until the egg is cooked but still glossy.
Grease a 14"x9" (or so) cookie sheet. Roll out pizza dough and cover with baby spinach. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Spoon egg mixture on it next. Add cooked meat if desired at this time.
Carefully roll dough by the long side around the filling. Pinch ends to seal. Brush top of roll with olive oil. Use a sharp knife to cut diagonal slashes every 1-2 inches across the top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with salsa or tomato sauce.

Ground Beef Stroganoff (without mushrooms)

2011-03-11T12:15:00.000-06:00

I'm not the biggest fan of mushrooms and DH can't stand them. So if you're like us here's a version you might enjoy for a quick weeknight meal!

1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 can cream of chicken soup (go for the healthy version)
1 cup sour cream

In a large skillet start cooking ground beef. When it's halfway cooked, add in the onion and spices. Once browned add in the can of soup. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the sour cream and heat until hot.

Serve over rice or noodles. Our personal favorite is egg noodles.

Menu: March 1-7

2011-02-27T16:57:00.001-06:00

Tuesday: ground beef taco salads

Wednesday: spicy chicken stir-fry

Thursday: Scrambled egg and sausage stromboli

Friday: out to eat

Saturday: bacon, eggs, and homemade biscuits

Sunday: quesadillas

Monday: chicken parmesan, herbed pasta, and steamed broccoli

Black Bean and Corn Salad

2011-02-27T16:54:00.000-06:00

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups corn (frozen or drained canned)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot sauce
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill in fridge. Can eat it immediately, but it is much much better if it sits in the fridge overnight.

Menu: Feb 23-28

2011-02-21T20:54:00.000-06:00

Wednesday: BLTs and mixed veggies

Thursday: spicy roasted chicken legs, steamed broccoli, and au gratin potatoes

Friday: Shrimp tacos with mango salsa and black bean and corn salad

Saturday: Out to eat

Sunday: spaghetti squash, hardest red sauce ever, and meatballs

Monday: ground beef stroganoff over egg noodles and peas

Menu: Feb 15-22

2011-02-15T16:25:00.001-06:00

Tuesday: lettuce wraps and sautéed zucchini

Wednesday: red beans and rice

Thursday: Spinach Chicken Tortellini Soup

Friday: Fish Tacos and Spanish rice

Saturday: Out to eat

Sunday: spiced beef kabobs, grilled squash, and sweet potato fries

Monday: BBQ Chicken Pizza

Tuesday: pineapple pork chops, smashed potatoes, and green beans

Menu: Feb 8-14

2011-02-07T15:46:00.001-06:00

Tuesday: chili-glazed pork with sweet potato hash (Thought this was fantastic! Can't wait to make it again. :))

Wednesday: southwest chicken sandwiches and squash

Thursday: easy baked tilapia and steamed rice

Friday, Saturday: will be making veggie burgers since DH will be out of town. :D

Sunday: lettuce wraps and sautéed zucchini

Monday: To Die For fettuccine alfredo w/ Cajun chicken, shrimp, and broccoli

Menu: Feb 1-7

2011-01-31T13:51:00.001-06:00

I got a bit off on the last menu. This week I'm using up stuff that's in the pantry and freezer, so it's a bit odd compared to my normal menu.

Tuesday: Soy Ginger Salmon, green beans, and rice

Wednesday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup

Thursday: Waffles (well, I'll probably change it up some lol)

Friday: Sausage dressing (half a recipe in freezer) and steamed broccoli

Saturday: au gratin potatoes, chicken parmesan, and mixed frozen veggies

Sunday: Breakfast pizza; superbowl food (still debating)

Monday: Lasagna (half a recipe in freezer)

Menu: Jan 25-31

2011-01-23T18:57:00.000-06:00

Tuesday: BBQ Pizza (didn’t eat it this past menu)

Wednesday: Chili and cornbread

Thursday: Salads with grilled chicken

Friday: baked spaghetti squash

Saturday: Waffles; Out to eat!

Sunday: Beef Noodle Bowl

Monday: Soy Ginger Salmon, green beans, and rice

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

2011-01-20T22:20:00.001-06:00

3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 larger)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease 2 loaf pans (Baker's Joy spray works great if you haven't tried this before). In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla, sugar and zucchini. In a separate bowl combine the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix the two bowls together. Gently fold in the blueberries.
Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for at least 15 minutes before turning them out.

***
DH said this tastes like blueberry muffins in a loaf form. So even those who aren't fans of zucchini should love this!

Meatballs with a Kick

2011-01-19T20:36:00.000-06:00

1 lb ground meat (turkey, beef, or pork)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1-2 cloves garlic
1 heaping teaspoon Italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1/4 grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk

Mix all ingredients well. Form into 1 inch-ish balls. Baked at 400* for 20 minutes or until done in the center.

For less of a kick omit the chili sauce.

Meatballs served with The Most Difficult Red Sauce over spaghetti.

Menu: Jan 19-24

2011-01-18T14:45:00.000-06:00

Wednesday: Spaghetti and meatballs

Thursday: BBQ pizza

Friday: Lime and garlic chicken spinach salads; homemade salsa for poker night

Saturday: blueberry and zucchini bread; chili rubbed steaks with pan salsa, baked potato, and steamed broccoli

Sunday: shrimp and grits

Monday: Saucy Caesar Chicken served over whole wheat pasta

Basic Chicken Kabobs

2011-01-17T20:21:00.000-06:00

chicken breasts
bell pepper
onion
Italian dressing

Cut chicken breasts into chunks. Usually I plan on one normal sized breast per person. Place chicken in a zip lock bag or other container. Cover with Italian dressing - don't be stingy! Let it marinate in fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Cut bell pepper and onion into large pieces. I usually quarter the onion and then separate the layers.
When skewering the chicken and vegetables, I always make sure that there's a slice of onion next to every piece of chicken. It really does make a difference!
Grill the skewers on medium to medium high for about 15 minutes.

Cooking with an Infant

2011-01-16T18:58:00.000-06:00

Most evenings I strap him into his highchair seat in the middle of the kitchen. :)

Thankfully he's normally amused by me running around. We have deep conversations about what I'm cooking and what all the tools I'm using are. Well, except for last week when I took that photo. He was WAY more interested in his shoes.

I'm very lucky to have such a happy, content baby!

Menu: Jan 11-18

2011-01-10T18:27:00.000-06:00

Tuesday: Southwest Eggrolls

Wednesday: Hamburgers and oven baked sweet potato fries

Thursday: pumpkin soup

Friday: Out to eat!

Saturday: Blueberry Muffins; Pulled Pork (pork shoulder in crockpot till cooked), fried squash, and potato casserole (I have half of a recipe in my freezer)

Sunday: leftovers J

Monday: Chicken and veggie kabobs

Tuesday: Fish sticks, mixed veggies, and tater tots

Dad's Spaghetti

2011-01-03T13:36:00.000-06:00

This is a very easy, yummy Carbonara from my friend Becky's dad.
1 lb bacon, cut in matstick lengths
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp minced parsley
1 lb spaghetti, cooked & drained

Cook the bacon until lightly browned. Remove bacon and cook the onion. Add back in the bacon and add the wine. Cook over low heat until the wine evaporates. Start the spaghetti cooking when the wine is added.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, cheese, pepper, and parsley. Mix in the spaghetti and coat well as quickly as possible; then pour in the bacon mixture, stir quickly and serve immediately.

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Menu: Jan 4 - 10

2011-01-03T13:31:00.000-06:00

Tuesday: chicken stir-fry

Wednesday: Tomato Spinach Pasta Toss

Thursday: Easy Baked Tilapia

Friday: "Dad’s Spaghetti" and roasted brussels sprouts

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Blueberry Waffles

Monday: Mini Meatloaves, mixed veggies, and Macaroni Grill Copy Cat Bread

So glad to be back home! I'm now armed with a new tea pot, waffle iron, and baking dish. :D

Menu: Dec 19 - 25

2010-12-18T19:27:00.000-06:00

Sunday: Grilled chicken salads

Monday: Lasagna

Tuesday: Lasagna

Wednesday: Fish sticks, tots, and mixed veggies

Thursday: spicy chicken and rice with broccoli

Friday: Blueberry muffins

Sausage, tomatoes, and cream pasta

Saturday: bacon, biscuits, and fried eggs

Steaks, baked potatoes, corn

No menu for next week - visiting family! :)

Menu: 12/12 - 12/18

2010-12-12T15:32:00.000-06:00

Sunday: Spaghetti squash with chicken parmesan

Monday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup

Tuesday: Red beans and rice

Wednesday: southwest chicken sandwiches and sautéed zucchini

Thursday: quiche

Friday: spaghetti

Saturday: Out to eat/Menu Make up day

Rolled Sugar Cookies

2010-12-12T14:07:00.000-06:00

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 400*. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Use cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven.

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Menu: 11/29 - 12/11

2010-11-29T20:03:00.000-06:00

Nothing exciting. Almost everything is out of the freezer from the meals I made while pregnant. Still working on trying to get a routine going during the day and cooking is lower on the list than the baby and cleaning the house (such a sad reality!).

Menu: Nov 29 – Dec 4

Monday: Leftover turkey and dressing with baked sweet potatoes

Tuesday: Pancakes

Wednesday: Dinner with Santa on base

Thursday: Baked chicken spaghetti and roasted brussels sprouts

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: Wild Game Dinner out in town

Menu: Dec 5 - 11

Sunday: Hamburgers, mac and cheese, and sautéed zucchini

Monday: Chicken noodle soup

Tuesday: Beef ravioli in tomato sauce

Wednesday: Fish sticks, mixed veggies, and tater tots

Thursday: turkey chili

Friday: Mini meatloaves, sautéed squash, and au gratin potatoes

Saturday: White Elephant Potluck

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Crescent Rolls

2010-11-29T19:37:00.000-06:00

Adapted from BH&G

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
6 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup melted butter

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, egg, salt, and half the flour. Beat until smooth. Add in melted butter and remaining flour and continue mixing. No need to knead. Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a circle. Cut each circle into 12 wedges (like you're cutting a pizza). Roll each wedge up from the wide end. Place each roll on a greased baking sheet. Once done, cover and let rise until doubled (about an hour).
Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes.

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Thanksgiving Week!

2010-11-24T14:16:00.000-06:00

It's one of my most favorite times of the year! Lots of food and the Christmas season can start bright and early Friday morning. :D

We ended up having friends surprise us by bringing us dinner last Thursday evening. We ate that for two nights, so I just continued with the menu after that. I did end up taking meatballs out of the freezer last night and eating that with this tomato sauce and pasta. Very yummy!

Tomorrow we're having lunch with friends. I'm bringing a homemade pecan pie and crescent rolls. If they turn out great, I'll post the recipes later this weekend. If they don't get rave reviews you'll never hear about them again. ;)

As always I'm still making our own turkey this weekend. There are just certain things that I only have this time of year, so by golly I'm still making them later this weekend!

Friday-Sunday Menu:
Turkey
Squash Casserole
Potato Casserole
Dressing (okay, so this is a recipe I got from a friend last year)
Salad
Rolls (I bought them this year since I don't need or want 4 tins worth, but this recipe is THE BEST EVER!)
Pumpkin Pie

*****
Pecan Pie recipe - I thought it was excellent and very easy. I liked the fact that it didn't require corn syrup since I never keep that around the house.

The crescent rolls I made were good. It was definitely easy to make and made a lot. Will share the recipe later (need to type it up).

My friend made this sweet potato casserole which I have to say is amazing. I loved the crunchy topping and didn't miss marshmallows one bit.

Back to cooking again (kinda)!

2010-11-15T21:22:00.000-06:00

Aiden Alexander was *finally* born 11/2/10 at 10:23pm. He was 8lbs 7.9oz and 20 1/4"long (I think?! lol). He is a wonderful healthy baby!

This week is my first full week of me being completely by myself. Thankfully I made quite a few frozen meals during my extended pregnancy which is allowing us to eat well without me overdoing it (recovery is going slow for me).

Saturday: Chicken Pot Pie
Sunday: Leftover chicken pot pie
Monday: Beef ravioli in homemade tomato sauce
Tuesday: Chicken enchiladas and corn
Wednesday: Sausage and broccoli quiche
Thursday: Fish sticks, tater tots, mixed veggies
Friday: Mini meatloaves, mac n cheese, and carrots
Saturday: Out to eat!

41 weeks, 2 days...

2010-10-31T16:58:00.000-05:00

That's right, I'm still pregnant! He's being evicted soon though. :)

I haven't made a single meal plan recently which is driving me nuts! Up until a few days ago I was still enjoying cooking, now it's too much for me. But I thought I'd share some of what I've been eating, some old and some new.

Eggplant Caponata with homemade baguettes
Red Beans and Rice
Spiced Beef Kabobs
Applesauce Pancakes
Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili
Pumpkin Cornbread
Homemade biscuits
Cheesy Lasagna Rolls
Zucchini Chips
Chocolate Chip Banana Spiced Muffins

It's that season again...

2010-10-17T13:22:00.000-05:00

...that's right, pumpkin season! My favorite!

If you own a crockpot and a blender/food processor, MAKE YOUR OWN PUMPKIN PUREE!

Save those seeds and roast them! (Sorry, no recipe since I just roast with whatever strikes my fancy.)

Muggle Cookies

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Lattes

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Soup

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cookies

And head on over to Give Peas a Chance. She has a lot of pumpkin recipes! :)

Pumpkin Bread

2010-10-17T13:20:00.000-05:00

Adapted from Irya's Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup canola oil

4 eggs

1 can pumpkin (2 cups using homemade)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups white all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

½ cup water

1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (optional)

Sift dry ingredients together with spices. Cream butter, oil, and sugars. Add eggs and pumpkin and mix well. Add water. Mix wet and dry ingredients slowly. Add nuts if using. Pour into 2 greased floured 9×5 loaf pans or one Bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done at 350*.

For muffins bake for 15 minutes for mini muffin tins or 20-25 minutes for regular muffins tins.

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