Supper Slacker Therapy

Lemon Pepper Chicken and Gravy

2012-01-29T16:19:00.001-08:00

Easy, easy, easy and oh so yummy!

Slice chicken breasts in small strips. Cook in a bit of olive oil in a large skillet. Slice green and yellow peppers and saute together with the chicken. Cook slowly, allowing peppers and chicken to stew together. Add juice of one lemon and 2 tsp. of pepper. Once the chicken is browned and peppers are soft, add 2 cans of chicken gravy. Simmer for 20 minutes.

We prefer to serve over mashed potatoes. Super yummy and warms up nicely for lunch the next day!

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Lasagna . . .

2012-01-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

Brown one pound of hamburger with small medium onion chopped. Add a 15 ounce can of Italian Tomato sauce.

Mix one 15 ounce container of Ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozarella cheese and 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese.

Layer in the following manner:

1/4 of the sauce mixture
4 uncooked lasagna noodles, broken to fit in slow cooker
1/2 of the cheese mixture
1/4 of the sauce mixture
4 uncooked lasagna noodles, broken to fit in slow cooker
1/2 of the cheese mixture
1/4 of the sauce mixture
4 uncooked lasagna noodles, broken to fit in slow cooker
1/4 of the sauce mixture

Cook on low in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours.
Top the lasagna with Mozarella cheese for the last half hour of cook time.

Buttercream Icing . . .

2011-11-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

Buttercream Icing

2 egg whites (large eggs)
3 tbsp. water (omit water when using food coloring)
1 1/2 c. Crisco shortening
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
2 lbs. powdered sugar

Mix well with a mixer on low. You can add Karo or Corn Syrup to make it a bit more fluid, but I did not need to.

Poppers!

2011-11-23T16:00:00.001-08:00

I always like to try something new for family gatherings. The kicker is that it has to be EASY! I hate long and involved recipes with items that you don't normally purchase. These looked awesome on Pinterest and I gave them a shot . . .

Seperate crescent rolls and add a dollop of cream cheese to the middle of the triangle.

Add bacon and jalapeno pepper slices.

pick up three corners and twist together then pinch the sides together so the ooey goodness does not leak out.

Bake on a slightly sprayed cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cream Cheese Icing

2011-11-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

Cream Cheese Icing

1 8oz cream cheese
3 cup of confectioners sugar
3/4 stick of butter
1 T Milk (or cream)
1t almond extract

Mix with hand mixer until smooth

I used the method in this video to fill my icing bags. I will NEVER do it any other way. This is genius!

(The chocolate icing in the photo above is a simple confectioners sugar, cocoa, butter and milk frosting. I wing it. )

Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

2011-10-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

I have seen this floating around Pinterest and thought I would give it a try! It is amazing!

5 pounds of potatoes
1 medium size onion
32 oz of chicken stock
6 cloves of garlic

Cube potatoes and put in the crock pot with chicken stock, onion and garlic.

Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours

Remove 2/3 of cooked potato soup and puree. Add back to crock pot. Add 2 packages of cream cheese cut into cubes. Continue cooking until cream cheese is melted.

Garnish with cheddar cheese, green onions and bacon. Salt and pepper to taste.

(Don't freak out in the initial 6 hours, it smells REALLY garlic-y. I thought for sure it was ruined and was already thinking I would try it without soon, but once it is pureed and the cream cheese is added, it is not so harsh)

Totally gluten free peanut butter cookies

2011-09-13T18:33:00.001-07:00

Totally gluten free peanut butter cookies.

1 c of peanut butter
1/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 t baking soda
1/2 t of vanilla

Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove cookies from oven but leave on cookie sheet to cool.

Stuffed Peppers . . .

2011-06-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

4 Large green peppers
1.5 pounds of hamburger
2 cups of brown rice
half a diced onion
garlic powder
salt & pepper
2 cans of tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Brown hamburger and onions. Drain grease. Add garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Add 2 cups of brown rice cooked. mix with 1 1/2 cans of tomato sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Cut green peppers in half top to bottom and clean out seeds. Lay peppers in a 9x13 baking dish. Scoop the mixture into the peppers and top with remaining tomato sauce. Bake for 45 minutes to hour.

Bean Salad . . .

2011-06-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

2 cans of Cannellini beans rinsed
Grape Tomatoes cut in half
Thinly sliced green onions
Juice from half a lemon
2 T olive oil
salt and paper to taste

Mix all together and refrigerate. It only lasts about a day, but it is yummy good!

Bubble Up Pizza . . .

2011-05-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

I have seen this several places around the web, so I decided to try it. It was a winner!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2 cans of flaky biscuits - cut biscuits into quarters

Toss into a large bowl and add a can of pizza sauce, pepperoni, sausage, green olives, mushrooms (or any toppings of your choice) and stir together.

Dump into a glass casserole dish. Top with 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes

I think there could be so many variations of this. I thought about doing chicken and fettucine sauce with some garlic and mushrooms. My hubby wants to try a Hawaiian pizza version. I also think it could be good with eggs, sausage and bacon.

Roasted Chick Peas . . .

2011-04-22T17:23:00.001-07:00

I saw this over on Aiming Low and decided to give it a shot. They were pretty good!

I rinsed my chick peas (garbanzos) in my colander. I used 2 cans. Then put them on a paper towel to dry a bit. I put the in a bowl with a bit of olive oil, about 3 tablespoons. I sprinkled with cayenne pepper, salt, garlic, and black pepper. I spread them on a cookie sheet and baked them for 50-60 minutes. I stirred them three times over the cooking time to keep them pretty uniformly roasted.

They are yummy! They kind of remind me of corn-nuts, but not so hard.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

2011-04-20T12:11:00.001-07:00

I decided today was the day to make sour cream enchiladas. I searched for a couple of easy recipes and I combined them into a recipe of my own.

2 boneless chicken breasts
white corn tortillas
sour cream
can of green chili enchilada sauce
can of green chilis
shredded mexican blend cheese

Here's what I did. I boiled and shredded a couple chicken breasts. (my favorite way to shred chicken)

I combined almost a full can of green chili enchilada sauce (reserving a bit for the top after they were wrapped), 2 cups of mexican shredded cheese, half a can of green chilis, and about 8 ounces of sour cream.

I heated the corn tortilla shells in the microwave with a wet papertowel in order to soften them up. I spooned in the filling and rolled them up, placing them in a slightly oiled 9x13 glass dish.

I topped these with some left over green chili sauce mixed with a few chilis and a couple spoonfuls of sour cream and finally about another cup of mexican shredded cheese.

I covered the dish with foil and baked them on 350 degree for 40 minutes. Yum!

Grandma Driver's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-04-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Cream together:

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs

Add 1 tsp of baking soda dissolved in 1 Tbsp of water.

Mix in 2 1/4 flour, followed by 12 oz of chocolate chips.

Grease cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until golden.

Lemon Cream Pasta with Capers

2011-04-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Pasta With Lemon Cream and Capers

4 servings

PASTA

1 tablespoon table salt

2 1/2 cups penne pasta, uncooked

1 teaspoon canola oil

LEMON CREAM SAUCE

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon chicken base (see note)

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons capers

For the pasta: In a pot, bring 6 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a full boil. Add pasta and cook for about 10 minutes, until al dente. Immediately drain pasta and cool in cold water. Drain water completely. Coat pasta with canola oil to prevent sticking.

For the Lemon Cream Sauce: In a stock pot, make a roux by melting the butter and stirring in the flour. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring often to prevent burning.

To the stock pot, add the heavy cream, lemon juice, chicken base, lemon zest, kosher salt and black pepper. Whisk or blend to dissolve the roux. Heat to 200 degrees and simmer 15 minutes, or until thickened. Stir often to prevent burning.

Combine cooked penne with Lemon Cream Sauce and capers. Eat way too much!!!

(Adapted from Souplantation)

Chicken Stuffed Shells . . .

2010-11-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

Totally yummy and super easy!

Here's what you'll need:

Three boneless chicken breasts boiled and shredded.
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
1 1/2 cups of sour cream
1 box of chicken flavored stuffing mix
2 cups of shredded cheese
Box of large pasta shells

Mix together the soup, sour cream, box of stuffing prepare according to box, shredded chicken and 1 cup of the cheese. (I used colby jack)

Stuff mixture into boiled shells and place into a casserole dish.

Spoon over any leftover mixture and top with a cup of cheese (I used mozzarella). Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I made mine early in the day and cooked later.

Yummy!

Thumbs up from the whole family! Next time I think we will add mushrooms and perhaps some broccoli.

Crockpot Beef and Noodles . . .

2010-08-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

Chunk up a chuck steak in the crock pot
Add 2 cans of beef broth
pepper

Cook for 8-10 hours on low

Add a packet of beef gravy mix and stir

Boil a bag of wide egg noodles and drain, add meat and broth.

Serve over mashed potatoes.

Easy Peasy! And super yummy!

Super Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew

2010-07-12T17:32:00.001-07:00

Chuck steak cut into about 1 inch cubes
2 bags of frozen stew veggies
1 onion quartered
sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 small can of beef broth
1 T of Worcestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Dump into crock pot, stir and cook on low for 10-12 hours. Mmmmm!

Hot Dog Spaghetti . . .

2010-05-26T17:43:00.001-07:00

How fun is this? I saw this on a friend's facebook page today and had to try it out! I knew my kids would love it.

All you need is hot dogs* and spaghetti.

Cut up the dogs and get ready to get your old Kerplunk skills out. (Didn't you just hate sticking all those sticks in the game before you could even start? I did!)

McCartney is my tried and true kitchen assistant. She really liked this project. All you do is stick the uncooked spaghetti through a piece of cut up hot dog. We did 5 spaghetti noodles per piece.

Then you make a silly toothless picture to amuse your mother.

Then you have a plate full for really funny looking things.

Dump them in some boiling water for about 10 minutes.

Then you get this!

The kids really wanted to put ketchup on it, but I couldn't handle the thought. They ate them really well without condiments.

*Don't lecture me about the evils of hot dogs. (I mean come on, I bought the nitrate free ones!) I was raised on hot dogs since my grandfather worked the "weiner machine" as he called it as Eckrich when I was little.

Vegetable Soup . . .

2010-02-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

from a facebook friend, Thanks Jody.

One pound of Smoked sausage, cut it into chunks and brown them in a big kettle. (can also use beef chunks)
Add a chopped onion and two 29oz cans of stewed tomatoes.

Add 1 bag each of frozen corn, greenbeans, carrots, and peas. Add 2 cans of chick peas and 1 large can of V8 juice and 1 large can of beef broth.

Last, peel and chunk up 4 large potatoes.

Bring to a boil, turn it down on low put a lid on it and let it simmer 6 hours or more.

Now you can either do it that way or adjust the amount of items to fit whatever size crockpot you have. Put it all in and let it do it's thing. It is amazing. Even better the next day.

Corn Dog Muffins . . .

2010-02-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

2 packages (8 1/2 ounces each) corn bread or muffin mix
2 T brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 can whole kernel corn
5 hot dogs slice (or cocktail weinies)

Combine corn bread mix and brown wugar. Combine eggs and milk and then stir into dry ingredients. Stir in kernel corn and hot dogs. (Batter will seem thin)

Fill paper muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake at 400° for 14-18 minutes or until golden brown

The Coop Keeper's Bread . . .

2010-02-15T16:55:00.000-08:00

Jayme runs a fabulous blog here. I made her bread for the first time last week. Since then, I have made it four more times! It rocks, and I hate to bake. I asked before I pretty much stole her entire post . . .

It's a recipe that I adapted from the Mother Earth News magazine for No Knead Bread. I don't follow it exactly as they do, and my results are fantastic. I now have about six ziploc bags made up with the 'bread mix' and all I have to do is add water and I'm done.

The recipe:

3 cups of flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1/4 teaspoon of yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

Mix the yeast and water in a large bowl and set aside. Mix the flour and salt together. Add to the water. Stir it around until it forms a shaggy ball. Cover it with plastic wrap tightly. Let it sit for 10, preferably 18 hours, at room temperature.

Now comes the fun part....punch the dough down (it will be VERY wet) and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Take a few more handfuls of flour and mix it into the dough, making it just where you can get ahold of it and it feels sorta like a water balloon. It will be a very soft, loose dough. I like to rub flour all over it at this point and slash it a couple of times on the top. Sit it on top of a hunk of parchment paper and cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit for an hour or so.

Heat your oven to 500. Put your dutch oven in the oven while it's preheating.

Don't let the following step freak you out. After the oven is preheated, you have to lift that bread with the parchment paper and put it in the pot. I've never successfully done it without the bread deflating. It doesn't seem to matter!

Lower the oven temp to 425.

Cover the pot, and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover, and bake about another 20 minutes, or until your bread looks brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Try to let it cool for an hour before you cut it. Try hard.

Jayme also bakes bread in cans . . . check her out here.

Pretzel Salad . . .

2010-01-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

1 cup crushed pretzels

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter melted

Combine above & line a baking dish. Something the size of an 8x8 square dish.

Reserve some for the top.

Cream together:

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

3oz. Pkg. Phila. Cream cheese

Mix together:

1 Box lemon Jello

1/4 cup boiling water

Whip:

1 pt. whipping cream

(or 1/2 pt. whipping cream and 1 pkg. LuckyWhip or

2 pkg. LuckyWhip)

Add whipped cream to lemon Jello mixture. Then fold in cream cheese mixture.

Pour into lined dish. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

When doubling this recipe I use an 8oz. pkg. of cream cheese.

I then increase the sugar from 2 cups to 2 ½ cups.

Increase the vanilla from 4 tsp. to 2 Tab.

Buffalo Chicken Dip . . .

2010-01-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

1 8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 ranch dressing
1/2 Hot Sauce
2 cans (9.75 oz) shredded chicken

Soften cream cheese and stir in a pyrex dish with other ingredients. Heat in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until dip is warm and bubbly. I mixed mine together the night before in a bowl and sat in fridge until the next morning when I heated it and transferred it to a mini crockpot to keep warm for the party.

Sausage Muffins . . .

2010-01-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

These were made by my sister in law Kari. I have no idea what they are called, but I like them. You use a muffin pan thus I called them sausage muffins!

The inside mixture is:
pound of sausage (she added some pepper, garlic etc to the sausage while cooking)
3/4 cup of ranch dressing
3/4 cup of cheddar
1/2 a green pepper diced

Cook the sausage and drain WELL. Toss in other ingredients when done. She said she can do this the night before and put it all in a ziplock bag in the fridge waiting to fill the shell.

The shells are simply store bought wonton wrappers.

She places the wonton in a muffin pan and spoons in the filling mixture. Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Mmmmm!

Cake Pops . . .

2009-12-31T22:33:00.000-08:00

Make a cake per mix instructions. I made a basic chocolate cake. Make sure you let it cool, completely! I cut mine in chunks and put it in the fridge for an hour or so.

Make Cream Cheese frosting. I made mine with this basic recipe:
1 8oz cream cheese (softened)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
3/4 stick of butter
1 T milk (or cream if you're feeling risky)
mix with hand mixer until smooth
Crumble your cooled cake. Add frosting until it is the consistency of playdoh. I used the universal measurement of a "glump". (Probably a cup or so.)

Roll cake with your hands to form smallish balls. Put them on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer.

Melt candy melts or almond bark in a mug per package instructions. Dip cake balls that have been put on a sucker stick. Roll until excess chocolate drips off, sprinkle before chocolate cools.

I stuck my pops in floral foam that I shoved in a basket. (I left it wrapped in the plastic so the foam wouldn't flake and be icky)

Frozen Strawberry Cake . . .

2009-12-16T16:28:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
1 box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed and pureed
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add about 3/4 of the pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared 9x12 pan, and bake for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely before icing

Icing

Powdered Sugar
Butter
Remainder or pureed strawberries
Bit of milk

Mmmmmm!

Green Olive dip . . .

2009-11-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm! This one will knock your socks off if you like green olives!

2 blocks of philadelphia cream cheese softened
1 cup of mayonnaise
4 T of olive juice

Mix all together with mixer.

Add one small bottle of olives with remaining juice poured off and finely chopped
1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans

This is WONDERFUL with Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil Triscuits.

Tomato Salad . . .

2009-08-27T17:13:00.001-07:00

My husband and I planted a garden this summer. We planted way too many tomatoes (is there such a thing?) so I have had to be creative. I invented a Tomato Sald that I LOVE so much!

A while ago at Sam's club they were promo-ing this garlic seasoning with salmon. It is FABULOUS! I simply pan sear the salmon in butter with the seasoning. I have tried it on chicken, not so good. I decided to give it a shot with tomatoes.

I simply cut the grape tomatoes in half, or quarter the romas. We also planted these yellow ones shaped like light bulbs. Then I simply toss them in a little olive oil, Tone's Rosemary and Garlic Seasoning, salt and pepper. Then, I either add grated parmesan or slice string cheese.

I have also added shells and pepperoni which is really good too.

Enjoy!

Greatest tip ever . . .

2009-08-09T13:32:00.001-07:00

A week ago I was eating in a local mexican restaurant. I went to dig into my guacamole and the entire scoop was filled with the avocado seed. When I mentioned it to the waitress she kindly offered to get me another serving, and informed me that the cooks do that to stop the guac from browning. I thought hmmm, wonder if that works?

Today I made guacamole. I left two seeds in. (I figured if one works, two works better!) This picture was taken 3 hours after it was made. Look mom no brown!
I have posted my recipe for guacamole before, but here's a refresher. This is what I did today,

4 avocados peeled, seeded and smushed with a fork in bowl
4 garden tomatoes, I prefer roma
5 or 6 shakes of Tabasco
dollop of salsa (more if you don't use fresh tomatoes)
1/4 cup of sour cream (can add a little ranch dressing for a zing)
salt pepper
an avocado seed (or 2)

Mix and put in sealed container in fridge, with pits!

Sheri's fried rice . . .

2009-08-09T13:24:00.001-07:00

I made this last night. I haven't made it in years and forgot how much I loved it. I will let you know how I made it last night, but you can tailor it for you family. . .

2 scrambled eggs finely chopped
1 cup of fresh mushrooms chopped
1 cup of snow peas chopped
1 chicken breast chopped and browned in skillet

Mix these ingredients and toss in pan with a little oil just to warm them. Shake in soy sauce to taste. (I like lots!)

Add to 4 servings of Brown Rice (no butter, yes salt)

Easy!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels . . .

2009-07-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

So very easy, and could be boring, but you can do some really interesting and fabulous combos if you just think outside of the box.

I hadn't made covered pretzels in years. I was in the grocery and found these adorable honey wheat mini pretzel twist rods. I thought they would be perfect for dipping. And they are festive and look great on a platter.

This was the fist batch I made a couple weeks ago. I had some Witlon melts in the cabinet so I used those. I remembered that I also had some white dipping bark left over from something or another. These are simply sprinkle ones and chocolate/white drizzled combo ones. I also had some walnuts so I dipped the pretzels in white bark, sprinkled on crushed walnuts and drizzled choclate over to hold them on. They are fabulous, chunky and I think are becoming my trademark!

We had a July 3rd party to go to last night and I decided the kids would love these little-more-than-a-bite-size treasures. I was right! They were a hit. I once again made all of the above and more. While I was standing in front of the pantry looking for inspiriation I found marshmallow-lovers hot chocolate packets. They have an entire packet of marshmallows only, so I made S'mores pretzels. They were gone in 2 seconds! I had nuked too much white bark and was out of ideas. I had been eating celery and peanut butter and the peanut butter jar was still on the counter. I decided to try to add a hunk of peanut butter to the white bark. I rewarmed it and it worked. Voila! Peanut butter dipped pretzels drizzled in chocolate. Yum!

Which bring us to today. We are heading to a cook-out at my parents house and my kids were begging for more pretzels. They would have been ADORABLE with red, white and blue sprinkles, but I am too cheap and too lazy to run out to the grocery. I did all the old favorites (using chunky peanut buter this time) and added white dipped pretzels topped with crunched up butterscotch candy canes (I know it's July don't judge) and we shall see how those are received. I ran out of pretzels so I also dipped some Town House crackers to fill the platter. I dipped those in chocolate and drizzled the left over peanut butter mixture to half. Mmmm!

I almost can't wait until the next carry-in to make more. I have grand thoughts for dipped pretzels with some ground and roasted coffee beans, Fruit Loop pretzels, toffee pretzels, Oreo pretzels and maybe even some with dried fruits! I will definintely keep you updated!

Tomato Bisque . . .

2009-03-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

2 Large Cloves Garlic, minced (I use bottled minced garlic – 1 Tablespoon)

2 onions (can use frozen for a shortcut)

4 Tablespoons Butter

1 - 28oz Can of Diced Tomatoes

1 – 46oz Can of Tomato Juice

4 – Bay Leaves

1 – 8oz Package of Cream Cheese - softened

1 – Pint of Heavy Cream (you may also use light cream)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Lemon Juice (I use ½ of fresh lemon)

Saute’ onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add tomatoes, tomato juice and bay leaves. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaves from soup. Put two cups of soup in blender with the cream cheese and puree’. Add cream cheese mixture to soup. Add heavy cream and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. May be served hot or cold. You can also add cooked shrimp, lobster or crabmeat.

Famous Dumplings in pictures . . .

2009-03-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Mix together:

5 cups flour
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup of broth
1 tsp garlic
1/2 Tspn Baking Powder
salt and pepper

While you are preparing dumpling dough, put some chicken stock on to boil. I used chicken breast that I have boiled and shredded, but sometimes the family just wants dumplings with no chicken.

Mommy's little helper

Flour the counter and roll out mixed dough (dough will be thick and springy)

Cut into long strips with pizza cutter lengthwise and then crosswise to make
strips about 1 inch by 3 inches.

Gather them up in a big wad. They will come apart in the boiling stock.

Drop in boiling broth - they will cook through in about 3 minutes.

They plump when you cook 'em.

Enjoy!

Mmmmm!

(crossed posted on my regular blog)

Sun Dried Tomato Cheese Dip . . .

2009-02-07T20:36:00.001-08:00

2 blocks cream cheese (softened)
2 c. Mayo
Garlic powder
Onion powder

-blend above together til smooth

Add 1 jar of sundried tomatoes (chopped)
Add 1/2 jar roasted red pepper
Stir into Cr cheese mixture

Stir in:
2 cups italian cheese blend
2 cups mozzarella
3/4 c shredded parmesan

Baked in a greased pan about  30 min. @ 350

Easy Peas-y Tuna Casserole . . .

2009-02-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

1 package egg noodles - cooked
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen peas
2 cans drained tuna
1 can drained mushrooms
2 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix together in casserole dish

Bake 15-20 minnutes at 400 degrees

Top with 2 cups shredded cheese and c rushed chips and bake for 5 minutes more to melt cheese.

Broccoli Salad . . .

2009-02-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

2 bunches of broccoli
1 lb of bacon crumbled
1 cup red grapes (or I prefer raisins)
1 small size red onion chopped
1/2 c sunflower seeds

Chop and mix

Dressing:

1 cup Mayo
1/4 cup sugar
squeeze of lemon juice

Stir together and stir into salad.

Pizza Poppers . . .

2009-02-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

Your kids will LOVE this.

1can of buttermilk biscuits
pasta sauce
pepporoni slices
string cheese cut into small chunks

Sesame seeds
Oregano

Flatten biscuit and spoon on 1/2 tsp of sauce.
Add pepperoni and chunk of string cheese
Pinch together and roll to make ball
Roll ball in sesame seed and oregano mixture

Place popper on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees 12-14 minutes until golden.

Oriental Slaw . . .

2009-02-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

1 head cabbage thinly sliced
5 green onions chopped
2 pkg ramen noodles
4 ounces sliced almonds

Saute noodles and almonds in 2-3 tsp oil and let cool

Mix together:
1 cup light oil
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup white vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce

Add to cabbage and other ingredients, toss and chill

Lemon Poppy Seed cookies . . .

2009-02-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

From Lisa over at Life in the Grateful House

Martha White Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Mix
2 T Sugar
1/4 C Melted Butter
2 T Milk

Mix well and roll into 1" balls and put on a cookie sheet. Bake 5 -7 minutes until edges are lightly brown @ 350 degrees.
Makes 24 cookies in less than 15 minutes!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese . . .

2009-02-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cup uncooked macaroni noodles (shells, rotini, elbow, anything)
3 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, whatever)
a few slices of Velveeta
1/4 cup margarine - sliced into pats

Mix all together in 9x13 pan, slat and pepper to preference
Bake at 30 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour
Let sit for 5 minutes to firm up

Mountain Dew Dumplings . . .

2009-01-31T07:55:00.000-08:00

2 rolls crescent rolls
1 or 2 Granny Smith apples - thinly sliced
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
Can of Mountain Dew

Unroll 2 cans of crescent rolls

Place one or two slice of apple in each roll and fold up
Place each dumpling with apple in 9x13 baking dish

Melt 2 sticks butter
Add 1 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 t cinnamon
Pour over rolls

Pour Mountain Dew over the whole dish

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes

Portabella Frittata . . .

2009-01-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

Rinse and dry a large Portabella mushroom without stem

Season cap with olive oil, minced garlic and pepper
Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes

Finely chop a red pepper and add to 12 eggs and 1 tsp salt. Scramble mixture and pour over heated cap. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Dot egg filled cap with asiago cheese and prosciutto and return to oven for 15-20 more minutes.

Shortbread . . . from Little Birdie Secrets . . .

2009-01-30T06:12:00.000-08:00

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Recipe From Little Birdie Secrets

(these are mine with the addition of some pink sqiggles with Wilton melts)

4 cups flour
1 lb. butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 bag Wilton Candy Melts or similar melting chocolate (we like "light cocoa" flavor)

Cream the butter and sugar with almond extract, then add flour and mix well. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
(Start checking after about 20 minutes. You want them to be just barely browning
around the edges.) Yields about 3 dozen cookies, depending on size of your cookie cutter.

Allow cookies to cool. Melt chocolate according to package directions. Dip half of each cookie in chocolate and place on wax paper to cool. When you start running low on chocolate, use a spoon to pour chocolate over cookies. Use the back of the spoon to smooth chocolate around until well-covered. Try not to eat too many before you pack them in your tins! They're addictive!

If you haven't checked out this blog you MUST. These ladies are SUPER crafty and have the MOST WONDERFUL ideas on the planet. Every week I find at least one thing I do from their site and I am not remotely talented in the cratfy-ness department. They do recipes, paper crafts, crocheting, sewing, everything! They are SUPER! Add them to your blog reader right now. Go.

Stuffed Peppers . . .

2009-01-29T19:41:00.000-08:00

1 lb hamburger
1 cup cooked rice
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
2 T chopped onions
1 t salt
1/2 t garlic salt

Fry hamburger with onion and drain
add rice, garlic and salt and heat through
Stuff into hollowed peppers and sauce over peppers

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more.

Paula Deen's Breakfast . . .

2009-01-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

I never watch Paula Deen, but I did once and this was on. It was a huge hit with my family! Dustin wanted breakfast food for his birthday dinner last year and it was fabulous.

Ultimate Coffee Cake :

16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls
1 (3-ounce) package regular butterscotch pudding mix, not instant
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Pour melted butter over all.

To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove. Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.

Hash Brown Quiche :

3 cups, shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
1/2 cup diced green onions
1 cup shredded Cheddar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

Omelets for a Crowd:

6 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 re-sealable plastic freezer bags

Optional Add Ins :

Shredded Cheddar
Crumbled feta
Shredded mozzarella
Cooked and crumbled bacon
Cooked and crumbled sausage
Diced ham
Chopped bell peppers
Chopped spinach
Diced red onion
Diced tomatoes
Sauteed sliced mushrooms
Sliced black olives

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together eggs, salt, pepper and any of the desired add-ins. Divide and pour the egg mixture into re-sealable plastic bags.

Boil a large pot of water and drop in the sealed omelette bags. Simmer the bags for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bags from the water with tongs and drain them on a paper towel lined plate.

Allow to cool slightly before handling. Open the bags and pour the cooked omelet out onto a plate.

Baked Rice . . .

2009-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

In 9x13 pan mix:

1 1/3 cup uncooked rice
2 2/3 cup water
2 T butter
1 T salt

Cover with foil and bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes

This can used for many things and makes a simple, easy side dish. Buttery, warm and carbilicious!

Puppy Chow . . .

2009-01-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

Not a dinner, but I certainly would eat it for dinner! :)

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup margarine

Melt together in microwave
Pour over Rice Chex or Crispex cereal
Shake with 2 cups powdered sugar in gallon baggie

The best nacho dip . . .

2009-01-27T19:26:00.000-08:00

Put the following in the crockpot:

1 pound browned and drained hamburger
1 packet of taco seasoning mix
1 medium onion diced
2 can Amour chili NO beans
16 ounces of Velveeta cut into inch cubes

Stir together and heat through in the crockpot for at least 1-2 hours.

This is a pretty big batch and freezes really well if you have leftovers. Heats nicely in microwave for leftovers as well if you add a little water and stir before heating.

Crab Cakes. . .

2009-01-27T18:48:00.000-08:00

1 cup boiling water

1 pkg. STOVE TOP Cornbread Stuffing Mix

3 eggs

2 cans (6 oz. each) crabmeat, drained, flaked

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 medium lemon

Add boiling water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened. Let stand 5 min.

Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Add crabmeat; mix lightly. Add prepared stuffing; mix well. Shape into 6 patties.

Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat.

Cook patties 5 miutes on each side until heated and lightly browned on both sides.

Serve with the lemon wedges.

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings. . .

2009-01-27T12:52:00.001-08:00

When Robert and I first got married he wanted me to learn how to make his Mammie's chicken and Dumplings. One time when she stayed with us I had her show me . . .

I used to start out with a whole chicken and boil it for hours, pick the meat off the bones, add more water and bouillon to make the broth and then make the dumplings. Then I realized that my family was only eating the dumplings and broth and leaving the chicken in the bottom of their bowls. I figured all that work for nothing was unnecessary. So here is the short version . . .

I fill a stock pot with chicken broth (I like the organic stuff) and throw in a pound or so of shredded chicken that I boiled in water and shredded with a fork.

While that is boiling, I make my dumplings. Mix:

5 cups flour
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup of broth
1 tsp garlic
1/2 Tspn Baking Powder
salt and pepper

Flour the counter and roll out mixed dough (dough will be thick and springy)
Cut into long strips with pizza cutter lengthwise and then crosswise to make strips about 1 inch by 3 inches.
Throw in boiling broth - they will cook through in about 3 minutes.

Oh my gosh! I have to make that for dinner tonight, just typing it out makes me want it. . .

Dreamy Orange Jello Salad . . .

2009-01-23T06:18:00.000-08:00

This one is compliments of JR over at Green Eyed Gurl. Mmmmm there's nothing like jello and cool whip to make me want seconds!

3 c. boiling water
1 sm. pkg. orange Jello
2 pkgs. instant vanilla tapioca pudding
1 can mandarin oranges, cut up & drained
1 (9 oz.) Cool Whip

Mix water, Jello and pudding and put in refrigerator for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. After an hour, fold in oranges and Cool Whip. Serve in fancy dish.

Robert's killer Tuna Salad . . .

2009-01-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

Robert makes the best Tuna Salad ever! That's why I married him, but shhhh don't tell him that. I made it last night . . . Remember I measure nothing so here ya go . . .

4 large cans of tuna drained well
1 medium size onion - chopped coursely
6 boiled eggs - chopped coursely ( I like chunky tuna salad )
4 dill pickles - chopped
celery finely chopped ( I hate the texture of celery )
1 tsp pepper (maybe more)
1 tsp salt
1 glob (probably 1 1/2 cups) miracle whip light or free
a good squirt of mustard
a dollop of sour cream ( maybe 2 tbsp)

Mix and enjoy!

I love to eat tuna salad rolled in wheat tortilla with a slice of yellow pepper and red pepper and a big ole lettuce leaf.

Garlic Sheese biscuits ala Red Lobster . . .

2009-01-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

2 c. Bisquick mix
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. butter
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Mix Bisquick and cheese; add milk. Spoon on an ungreased cookie sheet (makes about 12). Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Brush with melted butter and garlic powder.

Orange Smoothies . . .

2009-01-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

Just Like Orange Julius. . .

1/2 can frozen OJ
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
8-10 ice cubes

Blend til frothy!

Mmmmmm! Orangey-goodness.

Mexican Baked Fish

2009-01-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

(this is courtesy of Postcards from Insanity)

1 ½ lbs tilapia or cod
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup coarsely crushed corn chips
¼ cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 8x12 baking dish with cooking spray. Rinse fish under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Lay fillets in baking dish. Pour salsa over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with corn chips. Baked uncovered for 15 minutes or until fish flakes with fork. Serve topped with sour cream.

Ritz Chicken Casserole

2009-01-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

(this one was courtesy of Postcards from Insanity)

Ritz Chicken Casserole
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
½ cup chicken broth
4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked & cut into pieces
4 ounces margarine, melted

Crumble 1 sleeve crackers in bottom of casserole dish. Drizzle ½ the melted butter over crackers. Mix chicken with soup, sour cream and broth. Pour mixture over crackers. Crush other sleeve of crackers over chicken mix and drizzle remaining butter over top. Bake at 300 for 30-40 minutes.

Mexican Lasagna

2009-01-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

In large pan,brown
1 lb. ground beef
with 2 tsp. chili powder

Add:
2 cans diced green chilies
2 cans (12 oz) mexican stewed tomatoes
Simmer for 10 min.

In a 9 x13 pan, layer 6 corn tortillas, 1/2 can of refried beans, 1/2 of the meat mixture, and 1/2 bag of mexican shredded cheese. You can use just cheddar if you'd like. Repeat the layers one more time: tortillas, beans, meat mixture, and cheese.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes

Can easily be down the night before to pop in the oven the following day.

I tried this the first time from Little Birdie Secrets.

Rumaki . . .

2008-01-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

Our standard "carry in" dish . . . one that is requested and devoured . . . everytime.

Roll whole water chestnuts in 1/3 strip of bacon. Place in pan and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. I usually start with a large turkey pan because I move them out of the grease after the first baking.

While baking, mix 2 cups ketchup and 1 c packed brown sugar and about tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Cook on stove top in sauce pan until mixed and warm.

Place toothpicks in each piece of Rumaki and move to another baking dish. I use a glass 9x12 pyrex dish. Pour the sauce over the Rumaki and bake for another 45 minutes at 350 degrees. You can do the first stage the night before and do the final baking before your event.

You can also do pineapple in the bacon alone or along with the water chestnuts. Mmmmmm.

Winter Soup . . .

2007-12-21T06:06:00.001-08:00

My favorite cold weather soup. . .

In about 4 cups of water boil 3 potatoes cubed and a chopped onion until potatoes are tender. Add 4 bouillon cubes, 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, one package of chopped broccoli pieces thawed, one pound of velveeta cheese cubed.

Curl up on the couch with a comfy blankie and eat broccoli soup while watching football. Recipe for a great Sunday!

Chicken Stroganoff . . .

2007-06-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Super easy crock pot meal . . .

4-6 chicken breasts (can be frozen)
1 can of mushroom soup
1 envelope of onion soup mix
8 oz sour cream

Plop into crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over mashed potatoes or noodles .

Mmmmmm!

Egg Casserole

2007-03-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

My mom made this for us in Florida and it is by far my favorite . . . .

6-8 eggs
1 cup milk
6 peices of bread cut into 1 inch squares
1 pound of bacon cooked and crumbled
2 cups cheese of choice (I use sharp cheddar)
1 tsp pepper

Place bread in 9x12 casserole dish. Mix together reminaing ingrediants and pour over top of bread. Dish must sit in fridge overnight. All liquid will be soaked in by morning. Cook on 350 for 1 hour next morning. Mmmmmm!

I sometimes do this in the morning and cook at night for supper.

Lemon Pepper Chicken with gravy . . .

2007-01-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

I found this in a magazine years ago and it is a staple around our house. . . next to no prep time.

Fry up some chicken strips in a little olive oil until they are browned. Towards the end add some green and yellow peppers giving them a quick fry. Add 2 cans of chicken gravy and 2 tablespoons of lemon pepper seasoning. Heat through and simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes. The chicken and gravy freezes well and reheats in a pan easily.

Fast and easy chili . . .

2007-01-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

A pound of hamburger
4 small cans or 2 large cans of chili beans
1 can or kidney beans
1 can of tomatoes and chilis
1 can of stewed tomatoes optional
1 medium onion optional
2 cans of mushrooms optional
As much chili powder as you like

Dump all or the above together and cook for about an hour so that all the favors mix together nicely. You can add tomato juice if it needs to have more liquid.

We like to eat it with buttered saltines. You could also eat it over pasta, or add shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Chili is always easy to freeze and reheat, I make double batches and freeze one half.

Savings!

2007-01-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

I got up early today with McCartney, my little rooster, and made a killer grocery list. I took the ;aptop in the kitchen and made a list of everything in the deep freeze. Then I put together meals with what we had. I made a detailed list of what else was needed for a complete meal and I went to Meijer. I only spent $150 and have 21 meals. WOOHOO!

I came home and fried up 3 pound of hamburger to freeze. Shredded 4 pounds of chicken breast for the freezer. Made a 2 pound meatloaf. Fried bacon, boiled eggs and made salads for lunch for Robert and I for 3 days. AND mixed and made "Letterman" hamburgers ( a recipe from David Letterman's mother that I MUST post).

I'm tired!

Guacamole . . .

2007-01-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

I dont typically measure anything. My measurements are more like a handful, a pinch and a shake. Here is a recipe that I'm not going to try to "convert" for you because t depends on how big you avacados are. . .

Several avacados - I use anywhere from 1 to 4 depending on how much I wanna make - peel them, seed them (my favorite part) and mush them with a fork in a bowl. Add salsa, about half the amount as the avacado, a dolop or two of sour cream, about half as much ranch dressing, couple shakes of tabasco sauce to taste, salt and pepper. Mush it all together and make sure you cover as it will turn in the fridge. This is awesome made the night before so that it can be ready the following supper. I have also frozen a portion when avacados are very cheap and I want to take advatage of the price. I have also frozen the avacados after I peel and seed them.

Progress...

2007-01-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

Last night's supper...Kentucky Fried Chicken

Tonight's supper....chicken and cream cheese enchiladas, refried beans, spanish rice and canned apricots.

And it is 5pm right now and everything is IN THE OVEN on "warm" so that we can eat as soon as hubby is home.

Patting myself on my back. Wish I could massage myself on my back.

Quesadillas to die for . . . .

2007-01-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

Boiled and shredded chicken breast
Cooked and crumbled bacon
Shredded cheese, mexican blend or cheddar or monterrey jack
can of tomatoes and chilis
Cilantro - chopped

Fill a tortilla with the above ingredients and fold over. Heat a skillet on high. Add a tablespoon of oil and quickly fry the folded tortilla on both sides until brown and insides are melted together. Cut into quarters with a pizza cutter and dip into salsa and/or sour cream.

If you making a lot, I heat the oven to 275 and place the pan fried quesadillas in the oven to wait for the remainder to be cooked. A "stone" helps keep them crispy, but a cookie sheet will do the trick as well.

My favorite little yellow tags . . .

2007-01-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

By the way . . . I went to the store tonight and stumbled upon a TON of clearance meat. I was doing the happy dance LOL

Lazy lasagna . . .

2007-01-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

This is a favorite of my kids. I have changed this recipe a little from my mother in-law's recipe, but it works great. I think any changes would be easy and would work well. She called it baked spaghetti, but we like to call it lazy lasagna . . .

Line the bottom of a casserole dish with pepperoni (we use turkey pepperoni) and then layer with cooked pasta. The original recipe called for spaghetti (hence the baked spaghetti name) but I like to use rotini. My little ones seem to be able to stab the rotini better, but you could aways use elbows, bow ties, or even shells.

Follow that with layers of hamburger or sausage, more pepperoni, spaghetti sauce, more pasta etc. For those of you who do not have picky children you could even use mushrooms, peppers, olives, tomato slices, or squash. Finish the layers with addidtional sauce.

Bake in an oven for about 45 minuites depending on the thickness at 350 degrees, sometimes Icover it with foil, sometimes I don't. Pull out the casserole, remove the foil, add mozarella and place back in the oven for about 10 minutes. You can always finish off with the broiler for a couple minutes if you like the cheese a little crusty.

The best part about this is how easy it freezes. After I have layered the lassagna, I add the final sauce and freeze it. If you use some pre-browned hamburger or sausage, you could easily make 2 or 3 of these in about 30 minutes after the kids have gone to bed. It doesn't require any defrosting when you are ready to use it. Simply pull it out of the freezer and pop it into the oven. You may need to add some extra cooking time for a frozen batch. I even make the ones I am going to freeze in disposable pans so I don't have to clean up. Lasagna pans stink to clean!

Perfect for nights when you've had a rough day and you have nothing ready. All you need is some cheese and some garlic toast and you have an awesome meal!

Money Savers . . .

2007-01-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some ways I scrimp and save . . .

1. I LOVE clearance meat. Nothing makes me happier than saving 30% or more on meat. Now, it goes without saying that you have to be careful and make sure it hasn't already gone bad, but usually you can get some great deals. I immediately cook it and freeze it or simply freeze it depending on the meat. I pre-cook all my ground meats and stew meats. It saves tons of time and it's easier to defrost pre-cooked. When it's on sale, I also precook, shred, and freeze chicken as well for quesadillas or tacos or barbeque or casseroles . . .

2. I save all my margarine tubs and sour cream containers etc. They are awesome to freeze sauces or meatballs in and they can be tossed when I'm done. Once again, I hate to wash dishes.

3. Cheese can be frozen. I will by shredded cheese, which we go through like mice, when it's on sale and toss it in my deep freeze. Saves me a ton, and I always have it handy!

4. I also shop in bulk. I love Sam's Club. It is well worth the cost of a membership for the food alone. We buy large bags of cheese, butter, chicken wings, etc. The seafood is usually frozen individually which is awesome. We also shop the meat department for the hamburger, fresh seafood and roasts. It kills you to write that big check, but when you don't have to shop for weeks it makes up for it.

Save, save, save

Helpful Hints . . .

2007-01-03T09:20:00.001-08:00

I had a co-workeer a couple summers ago tell me how she tackled the supper rush each night. She had 2 small children and both she and he husband worked full time and went to school. They NEVER ate out. She had some awesome hints and she's the one that got me to prepare better for meals. Here are some things I learned from her, sprinkled with a fewe things of my own . . .

1. Buy disposable pans. I don't do this all the time, because I am a tight wad with my money, but I do it with some of the more messy meals. Any baked pasta, or cheesy potatoes can get so baked on and difficult to clean. What's the point of doing a quick and easy dinner if you are in the kitchen for 3 hours scrubbing a pan? They are also far easier to stack in the freezer if you are doing a batch of stuff at the same time. You can also get pans on clearnace after the holidays. The pans with the printed christmas designs get clearanced out cheap at the end of the season.

2. Pre-brown hamburger or sausage. I've already posted about the hamburger, but you can also pre-brown sausage for pizzas, gravys, and pastas.

3. If you are making spaghetti for dinner, make twice as much sauce and freeze half. It doesn't take any more time than a regular batch and then the next time you have saved a bunch of time. Same thing with chili or soups.

4. My friend would cook one Saturday a month and make about 15 meals for the month. I don't have the time or the energy for that, so I do it on a smaller scale. If I have extra time on a Sunday evening particualrly after my weekend grocery shoppingtrip, I make about 3 meals for the week and either freeze them or simply pop them in the fridge. That way most of the prep is done and all you have to do is heat it up.

5. When I come home from the grocery, I always make a list of meals that we can make with the food I purchased. That way you don't have to stand in front of the fridge with your mouth open in a daze for 20 minutes trying to decide what to make for dinner. (Come on, I'm not the only one who does that) It's way easier to look at the list and decided what sounds good or what works for the time you have.

Stroganoff . . .

2007-01-03T09:20:00.000-08:00

For this stroganoff recipe I use flat iron steaks because it cuts so easily and is so tender. You can also use beef strips or even round steak that you thinly slice. I have even bought meat that is specifically cut for making jerky since it is already thin. I suppose you could use stew meat also.

Brown 1 pound of beef thinly cut in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil. When done add 1 can of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup of water. Stir in a package of onion soup mix. You can add mushrooms either fresh or canned if desired. Cook on medium for 20 minutes or so, until flavors are melded together and soup is evenly cooked. Reduce heat and add 1/2 cup of sour cream and just heat through, do not boil or cream will turn.

Serve over egg noodles.

Let's start out simply . . .

2007-01-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

The biggest time saver I use is pre-browning hamburger. I used to come home with a large container of hamburger, break it into pound hunks and wrap and freeze it. Then I had to defrost in the microwave, and then brown it. UGH! Now I buy the "big mama" size hamburger container at Sam's Club (like Cosco) and break it up something like this :

I usually make 2 - 2lb meatloafs and freeze them (awesome recipe I'll post later). Then we make about 16 - patties, stacked on wax paper and frozen. Then I make my husband brown and bag the rest in quart size ziplock baggies. He makes 2lb and 1lb baggies.

This pre-browned meat is perfect for tacos, spaghetti, sloppy joes, chili, baked spaghetti etc.

Welcome!

2006-12-29T10:43:00.000-08:00

Thanks for taking the time to visit our collective blog that we hope will help us all avoid that 5:00pm "supper scramble" to the table. I, for one, know that is a difficult time for us! Several contributors have large families, but any recipe can be double, tripled, or even cut in half.

So, pull a chair up to the table and enjoy. Make sure you relax because you're gonna have to help with the dishes. . .