These next 2 weeks will be pretty crazy for everyone, so I am doing some easy, quick dinners and desserts too. I will BBQ steaks and make baked potatoes one night, Whiskey Pork Chops(recipe in a former blog) with mashed potatoes, Potato and Ham soup, and BBQ pork sandwiches.
The potato and ham soup is really fast. It's great when you have a little leftover ham and don't know what to do with it. Just put 3 1/2 cups of water in a pot to boil, add 3 cups cubed potatoes, 1 cup each carrots and celery cut up into small pieces, and a 1/2 an onion diced. Let this boil until the veggies are soft. While they are cooking, chop the ham into cubes and add 2 teaspoons of chicken broth base to the veggies. Also, in a separate pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir it up until it is a paste. Add 1 1/2 cups of milk and stir with a wire wisk. Keep stirring until thick. Add the ham and thickened milk to soup. Season with salt and pepper of course.
For the BBQ pork sandwiches, I will put a pork shoulder in the crock pot all day seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When I get home I will shred the pork and add bbq sauce, then keep it in the crock pot for about 40 minutes.
Now for 2 super easy desserts! The first one is a chocolate cream pie. This is so delicious, don't tell people how easy it is!! Just buy a graham cracker pie crust ($1.38 at Foodmaxx) and a large box of instant (or cook and serve)chocolate pudding. Make the pudding and pour into pie. Put it in the fridge to thicken and when you serve it, cover the slice with whipped cream. If you want to get fancy, you can use chocolate sprinkles or grate a chocolate bar on top of the whipped cream.
The second dessert tastes like spring, it's refreshing in the middle of winter. Buy a loaf of pound cake and cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Put half of the cubes in a glass dish(it's prettier that way, but any dish will do) make a large box of cook and serve lemon pudding. Pour half of the pudding over the cake cubes, add a few fresh rasberries if you want, then cover with the rest of the cake. Top off with the rest of the pudding and decorate with rasberries and mint leaves. Serve with whipped cream on top.
Have a great week!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Thinking about the Holidays......
This week I am going to give you 2 recipes that are great for the holidays. One is a soup that is quick and good to have on hand in case you have people stopping by, the other is a terrific gift that everyone loves. Both of these recipes came from my mother-in-law who is an excellent cook. She is the person who taught me to cook!
This time of year, I am thinking of week night dinners that are inexpensive and quick. Everyone is busy and broke this time of year - right?! This week I will do a whole chicken, tacos, spaghetti and meatballs, and minestrone soup.
Minestrone soup:
Cook 1 pound of ground beef and a medium, chopped, yellow onion. Drain grease. Transfer to a soup pot and stir in 2 14.5 oz cans of Italian tomatoes, 1 can Progresso tomato soup with basil, 4 cups of water, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons dried basil and dried oregano, salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon of chili powder (if you want). Bring all of this to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After the 30 minutes, stir in 1 can of kidney beans (drained) a big handful of fresh green beans cut into bite sized peices and a couple of carrots and a small zuchinni cut up into bite sized pieces. Simmer for 15 more minutes until veggies are soft. Meanwhile, cook 8 ounces of small, bite sized pasta. After the 15 minutes, add the drained pasta to the soup and yell, "Soup's On!!".
Serve with any kind of bread. Something I have noticed about this soup is that the pasta sucks up all of the liquid when I save it for leftovers. You can add another can of tomato basil soup or some beef broth if this happens to you. OR, some people actually like it in the thick form so see what your family prefers.
Now a recipe that is great for gifts. I buy the plastic treat bags at the dollar store and put 4 or 5 of these in and people LOVE them!!!
Crock Pot Peanut or Almond Clusters
Put into a crock pot in this order:
2 bags 11 oz each white chocolate chips
1 large bar of German Sweet Chocolate broken up into small pieces
1 12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
24 oz dry roasted UNSALTED peanuts
OR
24 oz of roasted almonds
DO NOT STIR!!!!!!
Put crock pot on low for 90 minutes then stir very well. The white chocolate is the hardest to get to blend in. It takes a while to stir, Put a few large pieces of tin foil or waxed paper on your kitchen counters and drop the mixture by the teaspoon or tablespoonful. You decide how big you want them. Leave them for several hours until they are hard. Store in an airtight container.
I buy the peanuts and German choc bar at Raleys,they usually go on sale this time of year. The Raleys brand of peanuts is cheaper and works great. I buy the almonds raw at Costco and roast them myself. Put what you need on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 350. You will start to smell them when they are ready. I shake the cookie sheet to turn the almonds about half way through.
Have fun with these 2 recipes!
This time of year, I am thinking of week night dinners that are inexpensive and quick. Everyone is busy and broke this time of year - right?! This week I will do a whole chicken, tacos, spaghetti and meatballs, and minestrone soup.
Minestrone soup:
Cook 1 pound of ground beef and a medium, chopped, yellow onion. Drain grease. Transfer to a soup pot and stir in 2 14.5 oz cans of Italian tomatoes, 1 can Progresso tomato soup with basil, 4 cups of water, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons dried basil and dried oregano, salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon of chili powder (if you want). Bring all of this to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After the 30 minutes, stir in 1 can of kidney beans (drained) a big handful of fresh green beans cut into bite sized peices and a couple of carrots and a small zuchinni cut up into bite sized pieces. Simmer for 15 more minutes until veggies are soft. Meanwhile, cook 8 ounces of small, bite sized pasta. After the 15 minutes, add the drained pasta to the soup and yell, "Soup's On!!".
Serve with any kind of bread. Something I have noticed about this soup is that the pasta sucks up all of the liquid when I save it for leftovers. You can add another can of tomato basil soup or some beef broth if this happens to you. OR, some people actually like it in the thick form so see what your family prefers.
Now a recipe that is great for gifts. I buy the plastic treat bags at the dollar store and put 4 or 5 of these in and people LOVE them!!!
Crock Pot Peanut or Almond Clusters
Put into a crock pot in this order:
2 bags 11 oz each white chocolate chips
1 large bar of German Sweet Chocolate broken up into small pieces
1 12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
24 oz dry roasted UNSALTED peanuts
OR
24 oz of roasted almonds
DO NOT STIR!!!!!!
Put crock pot on low for 90 minutes then stir very well. The white chocolate is the hardest to get to blend in. It takes a while to stir, Put a few large pieces of tin foil or waxed paper on your kitchen counters and drop the mixture by the teaspoon or tablespoonful. You decide how big you want them. Leave them for several hours until they are hard. Store in an airtight container.
I buy the peanuts and German choc bar at Raleys,they usually go on sale this time of year. The Raleys brand of peanuts is cheaper and works great. I buy the almonds raw at Costco and roast them myself. Put what you need on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 350. You will start to smell them when they are ready. I shake the cookie sheet to turn the almonds about half way through.
Have fun with these 2 recipes!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Cold Weather Dinners
I think that my favorite time to cook is winter. Things seem to taste better when it's cold outside. You may be still doing turkey leftovers, but in case you are not - here are some other ideas! This week I am thinking of a beef stew, meatloaf, chili dogs, and a pot roast.
Of course the chili dogs will be the night that I have a meeting. I will throw some french fries in the oven while I get everything else ready. And, one night I will simmer the stew meat as the meatloaf cooks so I can save time also. My stew recipe is a cheeter. I use the packaged mix with a couple of modifications. I use twice as much water and I simmer the meat (after browning), mix,onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper for about 3 hours. I usually throw a bit of red wine in also to simmer. If I do it the night before, I just put the meat in the fridge until the night I want to make stew. If I have time, I chop up carrots, celery, and fresh green beans and put them in a zip lock too. Then, on stew night I just put the veggies and meat in the pan and turn it on high. I peel and chop my potatoes that night and also open a can of corn. While the stew is bioling and the veggies are getting soft, I put some canned buscuits in the oven and dinner is ready quickly. If the stew doesn't have enough liquid, I make a cup or two of beef broth (remember the kind from Costco?) and add it.
My meatloaf recipe is simple too. I use 2 pounds of ground beef and 1 pound of breakfast sausage, 2 eggs, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup ketchup, 3/4 cup water, and 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Just squish it all together with your hands - rings off!- and put in a large loaf pan. I usually put the pan on a cookie sheet for baking in case of spillage. I bake it for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. It's great with baked potatoes or mashed!
My pot roast recipe is simple too. This is a great crock pot meat that you can prepare for the night before to make your morning easier. A 2 -3 pound chuck roast works well for this recipe. Chop 2 pieces of celery - leaves and all -, one small yellow onion and add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 package of Lipton Onion Soup mix, 1 tablespoon of beef bullion, 1 teaspoon sage, salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix it all together. That is the part that can be done the night before. The next morning, just put the meat in the crock pot and cover with the soup mixture. Put it on low for the day and make the carrots and potatoes when you get home. Some people like to put them in the crock pot in the morning too!
Enjoy the week!
Of course the chili dogs will be the night that I have a meeting. I will throw some french fries in the oven while I get everything else ready. And, one night I will simmer the stew meat as the meatloaf cooks so I can save time also. My stew recipe is a cheeter. I use the packaged mix with a couple of modifications. I use twice as much water and I simmer the meat (after browning), mix,onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper for about 3 hours. I usually throw a bit of red wine in also to simmer. If I do it the night before, I just put the meat in the fridge until the night I want to make stew. If I have time, I chop up carrots, celery, and fresh green beans and put them in a zip lock too. Then, on stew night I just put the veggies and meat in the pan and turn it on high. I peel and chop my potatoes that night and also open a can of corn. While the stew is bioling and the veggies are getting soft, I put some canned buscuits in the oven and dinner is ready quickly. If the stew doesn't have enough liquid, I make a cup or two of beef broth (remember the kind from Costco?) and add it.
My meatloaf recipe is simple too. I use 2 pounds of ground beef and 1 pound of breakfast sausage, 2 eggs, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup ketchup, 3/4 cup water, and 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Just squish it all together with your hands - rings off!- and put in a large loaf pan. I usually put the pan on a cookie sheet for baking in case of spillage. I bake it for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. It's great with baked potatoes or mashed!
My pot roast recipe is simple too. This is a great crock pot meat that you can prepare for the night before to make your morning easier. A 2 -3 pound chuck roast works well for this recipe. Chop 2 pieces of celery - leaves and all -, one small yellow onion and add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 package of Lipton Onion Soup mix, 1 tablespoon of beef bullion, 1 teaspoon sage, salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix it all together. That is the part that can be done the night before. The next morning, just put the meat in the crock pot and cover with the soup mixture. Put it on low for the day and make the carrots and potatoes when you get home. Some people like to put them in the crock pot in the morning too!
Enjoy the week!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thanksgiving
At this time of year, I am so thankful for all of my friends and family. I'm also thankful that I love to cook and that I am hopefully helping someone out there figure out what they are 'gonna do for dinner'! This is a busy week for most people and they tend to do quick dinners or eat out. I am going to focus this post on what to do to prepare for the big day and what to do after with all of the leftovers.
I try to do my shopping for the Thanksgiving meal at a time when I wont get frustrated by long lines. I try to be at Costco the second that they open, or at Food Maxx or Raleys at 6am when everyone else isn't shopping. It may be a pain to get up earlier, but well worth it when you can actually think and shop at the same time. Of course I check the Raley's ad to see what I will get there and then I get the rest at Costco or Food Maxx. Of course I have detailed lists of what to get where and that takes planning ahead. I also try to have extra stuff on hand in case we end up with an extra family or if someone doesn't make it at the last minute and I need to replace what they were supposed to bring.
I always do my prep work on Tuesday and Wednesday so that my Thursday is as relaxing as possible. Tuesday is my appetizer day. I can do these things in the evening - especially if I plan a quick dinner. Cheeses can be sliced, veggies cut, dips made, bread sliced ect. Anything that can sit for a day or so can be prepared. I get my serving platters out and find somewhere to store them, and figure out what food will go on what. Appetizers are under control now!
Wednesday is for pie baking and dinner prep. I love the way my house smells on this day!! While the pies are in the oven, usually pumpkin, apple, and pecan, I get dinner stuff ready. I chop my celery and onions for my stuffing and cook the sausage for it also. I cube my banana squash and clean the green beans. If I am making green beans and bacon, the bacon and onions can be made ahead too. I also chop whatever veggies would be good in a salad. Ziplock bags are a lifesaver on this day! On this day I get out the extra serving platters, silverware, and dinner plates that I will need. I usually do festive paper plates for dessert and appetizers.
Leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving!!!! That night, start the turkey soup. Right after you finish getting the meat off of the turkey carcass - get it in the pot of water! Go back to the blog with the chicken soup recipe and go for it! Turkey enchiladas are great and that recipe is in a former blog too. Turkey divan is a yummy treat also and super easy to make, so is turkey pot pie.
Turkey divan: there are 2 ways to make this, every step is the same - it's just the sauce that is different. First steam some broccoli and carrots until almost tender. Put them in a casserole dish - they should fill it up half way. Then cover the veggies with chopped turkey, then sauce. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 and serve over rice. Now for the sauces.
Sauce #1 Mix a can of cream of chicken soup with 1 cup of mayonaise and 1 teaspoon of curry powder. Mix all together and put over turkey.
Sauce #2 Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan, add 1/4 cup of flour and stir right away until it makes a paste. Add about 2 and 1/2 cups of milk (or cream) and keep it at medium heat. Use a wire wisk and stir always until it gets thick. While stiring add salt, pepper, and garlic salt. As it starts to get thick, add a 1/2 cup of white wine and keep stiring until it gets thick again. When thick, add 1/2 cup of shredded parmesean cheese and stir. Pour over turkey, sprinkle a little parmesean cheese on top and bake.
Turkey pot pie is easy and super good! Start by choosing your veggies. Some suggestions are carrots, broccoli, frozen peas, potatoes or any of your other favorites. My family doesn't like the potatoes in it, but loves the broccoli.
Use your biggest pie plate and put one pie crust down in it. Mix together 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of cubed turkey, 1 cup of steamed broccoli, 1 cup of steamed carrots and 1/2 cup of frozen peas. The veggies should be in pretty small pieces. Mix it together with salt and pepper and pour into pie dish. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheddar cheese on top and a tablespoon of flour and then put the other pie crust on top. Cut some small slits in the top pie crust. Pinch the sides togethet so nothing leaks out. Bake for about 30 minutes on a cookie sheet so you don't have a mess in your oven.
I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!!
I try to do my shopping for the Thanksgiving meal at a time when I wont get frustrated by long lines. I try to be at Costco the second that they open, or at Food Maxx or Raleys at 6am when everyone else isn't shopping. It may be a pain to get up earlier, but well worth it when you can actually think and shop at the same time. Of course I check the Raley's ad to see what I will get there and then I get the rest at Costco or Food Maxx. Of course I have detailed lists of what to get where and that takes planning ahead. I also try to have extra stuff on hand in case we end up with an extra family or if someone doesn't make it at the last minute and I need to replace what they were supposed to bring.
I always do my prep work on Tuesday and Wednesday so that my Thursday is as relaxing as possible. Tuesday is my appetizer day. I can do these things in the evening - especially if I plan a quick dinner. Cheeses can be sliced, veggies cut, dips made, bread sliced ect. Anything that can sit for a day or so can be prepared. I get my serving platters out and find somewhere to store them, and figure out what food will go on what. Appetizers are under control now!
Wednesday is for pie baking and dinner prep. I love the way my house smells on this day!! While the pies are in the oven, usually pumpkin, apple, and pecan, I get dinner stuff ready. I chop my celery and onions for my stuffing and cook the sausage for it also. I cube my banana squash and clean the green beans. If I am making green beans and bacon, the bacon and onions can be made ahead too. I also chop whatever veggies would be good in a salad. Ziplock bags are a lifesaver on this day! On this day I get out the extra serving platters, silverware, and dinner plates that I will need. I usually do festive paper plates for dessert and appetizers.
Leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving!!!! That night, start the turkey soup. Right after you finish getting the meat off of the turkey carcass - get it in the pot of water! Go back to the blog with the chicken soup recipe and go for it! Turkey enchiladas are great and that recipe is in a former blog too. Turkey divan is a yummy treat also and super easy to make, so is turkey pot pie.
Turkey divan: there are 2 ways to make this, every step is the same - it's just the sauce that is different. First steam some broccoli and carrots until almost tender. Put them in a casserole dish - they should fill it up half way. Then cover the veggies with chopped turkey, then sauce. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 and serve over rice. Now for the sauces.
Sauce #1 Mix a can of cream of chicken soup with 1 cup of mayonaise and 1 teaspoon of curry powder. Mix all together and put over turkey.
Sauce #2 Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan, add 1/4 cup of flour and stir right away until it makes a paste. Add about 2 and 1/2 cups of milk (or cream) and keep it at medium heat. Use a wire wisk and stir always until it gets thick. While stiring add salt, pepper, and garlic salt. As it starts to get thick, add a 1/2 cup of white wine and keep stiring until it gets thick again. When thick, add 1/2 cup of shredded parmesean cheese and stir. Pour over turkey, sprinkle a little parmesean cheese on top and bake.
Turkey pot pie is easy and super good! Start by choosing your veggies. Some suggestions are carrots, broccoli, frozen peas, potatoes or any of your other favorites. My family doesn't like the potatoes in it, but loves the broccoli.
Use your biggest pie plate and put one pie crust down in it. Mix together 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of cubed turkey, 1 cup of steamed broccoli, 1 cup of steamed carrots and 1/2 cup of frozen peas. The veggies should be in pretty small pieces. Mix it together with salt and pepper and pour into pie dish. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheddar cheese on top and a tablespoon of flour and then put the other pie crust on top. Cut some small slits in the top pie crust. Pinch the sides togethet so nothing leaks out. Bake for about 30 minutes on a cookie sheet so you don't have a mess in your oven.
I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
It's Apple Time
Last weekend we picked the last of the apples at my husband's family cabin. We usually make apple juice, but the crop was small this year. I still don't want to waste any apples, so yesterday I made 6 apple pies!! I used Granny Smith apples and my apple peeler (I wouldn't make anything without it!) I got it at the Kitchen Store in our local outlet center. It peels, cores, and slices apples. I also use it when I can pears. I always make the apple pies ahead of the holidays because that's when the apples are fresh. I read a very old cookbook for advice on freezing the pies. First I put the crust in the pie pan (I buy the crust in the cookie dough section of the store. It tastes just fine and I don't like to make crust! Right now there is a coupon for $1 off if you buy 2. This makes them less than $2 a box - 2 crusts - at Food Maxx) then I use my fingers to spread a very thin layer of soft butter onthe crust. I slice about 6-8 cups of peeled apples and add 1-2 cups of sugar depending on how tart you want the pie. I also add 1 tablespoon of flour, and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. When you stir the apple mixture up, pure heaven happens. It makes a wonderful, thick juice that you must be sure to get all of into the pie crust! I then pour the apples into the pie crust, sprinkle with another tablespoon of flour and a couple of small chunks of butter and then plop the other crust on top. Then I pinch the edges together. I don't do it very fancy! I then use tiny cookie cutters to cut out a shape from the top crust. This year I used an apple, last year a leaf. If you don't want to do that, just cut some small slits into the crust. Next, I wrap the pies with saran wrap very well so no air at all can get in. I place the pies in my freezer with nothing on top of them. The next day, I get the HUGE ziplock bags and put 2 pies in each bag stacked on top of eachother. Since they are frozen solid, they won't be damaged. When you are ready to bake the pie, take it out of the freezer and unthaw it first. Bake for about an hour at 350. It's very important to put something under the pie when cooking or it may bubble over all over your oven! I have a special tray to put under pies, but a cookie sheet works just fine too.
Now what about the rest of the apples? Apple sauce to go with the pork loin that Raley's has on sale this week! Apple sauce is easier than you think. Just peel and slice some apples - any kind will do - and put them in a sauce pan with some sugar and cinnamon and a little water. Be sure to taste along the way to get the sauce as sweet or tart as you'd like. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat. Simmer until the apples are tender. Now you have to decide if you want chunky applesause or smooth applesause. If you want chunky, just wait for the apples to be soft and use a hand potato masher to smash the apple mixture up. If you want smooth, you will need to use a handheld milkshake maker or a food processor. My family likes both so I do half chunky and half smooth. You can serve this applesauce cold or warm!
Enough about apples, let's get to more dinners. With the pork loin, roasted potatoes is always good. You can make your pork on the grill or in the oven, just season it with salt, pepper and fresh rosemary and thyme for a great taste. A meat thermometer is a good idea here also.
I will make manicotti this week - something my daughter will eat! Just buy the pasta and 2 jars of sauce. You will need ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesean cheeses, and eggs also. First get your water boiling for the pasta. Cook it for about 12 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water so you can touch touch them. In one bowl combine 2 eggs (put them in the bowl first and whip them with a fork), container of ricotta cheese, half a cup of parmesean (shredded), and 2 cups of mozzarella. Mix it all together. Use a small spoon to put the cheese mixture into the manicotti tubes and put the stuffed tubes into a baking dish that you have spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom first. After all of the tubes are stuffed, cover them with sauce. It will take more than one jar, but not quite two - save the rest of the sauce for another dinner this week. Cover the dish with mozzarella cheese and then cover with foil that you have sprayed Pam on. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 then uncover and bake another 10. It should be bubbly and all of the cheese melted.
Later in the week, make meatball sandwiches with the rest of the sauce. I buy shredded mozarella cheese at Costco so I always have it on hand. When I get it home I split it up into 4 large ziplock bags and throw it them in the freezer. I also keep Costco meatballs handy in the freezer. Just thaw out and heat the meatballs in the microwave, put some on a sandwich roll, cover with sauce and cheese and you've got dinner!
Last week we had leftover sandwich night. The best creation was super delicious. We had venison steaks and sauted mushrooms leftover so we grilled sandwich rolls with butter in the oven, cut up the steak and heated it, sauted some sliced onions in butter, then added mushrooms. We put the steak on the grilled rolls and topped it off with provalone cheese and put it in the oven on broil for a couple of minutes. Then we topped it off with onions and mushrooms. it was so good that we didn't need anythng else!
Now what about the rest of the apples? Apple sauce to go with the pork loin that Raley's has on sale this week! Apple sauce is easier than you think. Just peel and slice some apples - any kind will do - and put them in a sauce pan with some sugar and cinnamon and a little water. Be sure to taste along the way to get the sauce as sweet or tart as you'd like. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat. Simmer until the apples are tender. Now you have to decide if you want chunky applesause or smooth applesause. If you want chunky, just wait for the apples to be soft and use a hand potato masher to smash the apple mixture up. If you want smooth, you will need to use a handheld milkshake maker or a food processor. My family likes both so I do half chunky and half smooth. You can serve this applesauce cold or warm!
Enough about apples, let's get to more dinners. With the pork loin, roasted potatoes is always good. You can make your pork on the grill or in the oven, just season it with salt, pepper and fresh rosemary and thyme for a great taste. A meat thermometer is a good idea here also.
I will make manicotti this week - something my daughter will eat! Just buy the pasta and 2 jars of sauce. You will need ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesean cheeses, and eggs also. First get your water boiling for the pasta. Cook it for about 12 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water so you can touch touch them. In one bowl combine 2 eggs (put them in the bowl first and whip them with a fork), container of ricotta cheese, half a cup of parmesean (shredded), and 2 cups of mozzarella. Mix it all together. Use a small spoon to put the cheese mixture into the manicotti tubes and put the stuffed tubes into a baking dish that you have spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom first. After all of the tubes are stuffed, cover them with sauce. It will take more than one jar, but not quite two - save the rest of the sauce for another dinner this week. Cover the dish with mozzarella cheese and then cover with foil that you have sprayed Pam on. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 then uncover and bake another 10. It should be bubbly and all of the cheese melted.
Later in the week, make meatball sandwiches with the rest of the sauce. I buy shredded mozarella cheese at Costco so I always have it on hand. When I get it home I split it up into 4 large ziplock bags and throw it them in the freezer. I also keep Costco meatballs handy in the freezer. Just thaw out and heat the meatballs in the microwave, put some on a sandwich roll, cover with sauce and cheese and you've got dinner!
Last week we had leftover sandwich night. The best creation was super delicious. We had venison steaks and sauted mushrooms leftover so we grilled sandwich rolls with butter in the oven, cut up the steak and heated it, sauted some sliced onions in butter, then added mushrooms. We put the steak on the grilled rolls and topped it off with provalone cheese and put it in the oven on broil for a couple of minutes. Then we topped it off with onions and mushrooms. it was so good that we didn't need anythng else!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Winter Yum!
I woke up this morning to the sound of wind and rain and thought - Chicken Soup!!! I am so glad that I saved the chicken carcass from last week's dinner. I will get some sort of delicious bread to go with it and I have an easy Sunday dinner (the recipe is in a former blog). As I was looking at the Raleys ad, they have 2 kinds of roast beef on sale. I will make one this week and serve it with mashed potatoes and gravy and a vegetable. To make the roast beef I heavily salt and pepper it, then put some rosemary sprigs on top. You will need a meat thermometer and plan for about 20 minutes a pound in a 350 degree oven. I have a great roasting pan with a rack, but if you dont, you can just put it in any baking pan. I usually pull it out of the oven about 140 degrees and let it sit a few minutes. The temperature will rise as it sits there. This is for a medium cooked roast.
After the roast beef dinner, you can make french dip sandwiches with the leftovers, or package and freeze the leftover meat for lunch meat.
This week I will also marinate some pork loin chops in italian dressing for 30 minutes and grill them on the bbq. I'll serve that with some wild rice and carrots.
On the quick cooking night, I will make Sweedish Meatballs. I just cheat and buy the packaged mix and serve it over rice with a veggie and call it good! Maybe I'll make some pop and fresh busciuts with it if there is time. You can cook the meatballs the night before and just make the sauce that night if you are really pressed for time. A meatball hint: I use a cookie dough scoop to get my meatballs all about the same size. This makes it easier to cook them!
Now about our winter garden.............................................we planted it yesterday and I can't wait to eat the goods! We planted onions, LOTS of broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, red cabbage, lettuce, and swiss chard. We also have artichokes and asparagus that stay all year, but thrive in the cooler months. The funny thing yesterday was that only in California would we be putting in our winter garden and picking ripe tomatoes on the same day! I'll keep you posted on the success of the crops:)
After the roast beef dinner, you can make french dip sandwiches with the leftovers, or package and freeze the leftover meat for lunch meat.
This week I will also marinate some pork loin chops in italian dressing for 30 minutes and grill them on the bbq. I'll serve that with some wild rice and carrots.
On the quick cooking night, I will make Sweedish Meatballs. I just cheat and buy the packaged mix and serve it over rice with a veggie and call it good! Maybe I'll make some pop and fresh busciuts with it if there is time. You can cook the meatballs the night before and just make the sauce that night if you are really pressed for time. A meatball hint: I use a cookie dough scoop to get my meatballs all about the same size. This makes it easier to cook them!
Now about our winter garden.............................................we planted it yesterday and I can't wait to eat the goods! We planted onions, LOTS of broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, red cabbage, lettuce, and swiss chard. We also have artichokes and asparagus that stay all year, but thrive in the cooler months. The funny thing yesterday was that only in California would we be putting in our winter garden and picking ripe tomatoes on the same day! I'll keep you posted on the success of the crops:)
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Back to Earth!
Well, Homecoming is over and the Austrian visitors have all gone home. Time to start cooking again! I have a few things planned for this week. I bought short ribs (beef) at Costco and will make Beef Au Carrots, a french recipe. I also found some tortelini on sale at Costco and will serve that with alfredo sauce and marinara (everyone can choose) and broccoli (on sale at Raleys). I took a whole chicken out of the freezer and a ham hock. I will make baked chicken with rice and artichokes(on sale at Raleys) and chicken soup as well as ham and beans.
Ham and beans is really easy. Buy a bag of dry great northern beans and rinse them. Put them in your crock pot with a cup each of chopped carrots, onions, and celery. Add a ham hock, pepper, bay leaf, and sage. Fill up with water and set on low for the day. When you get home you can cut the meat off of the ham hock and put it in the soup. Then make some cornbread and you have a great cold night meal! You can get a ham hock at the grocery store if you don't raise pigs.
Beef au Carrots is a bit more complicated and takes a lot of time - it is well worth it! It's great to make on a rainy Sunday when you can be home for most of the day. It will make your home smell like heaven!
You will need:
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 pounds beef short ribs
2 cups dry red wine
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds carrots cut into big chunks
Use a big frying pan with a lid. Saute onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute until the onions are translucent. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 2 more tablespoonsof olive oil and put in short ribs. Cook long enough to brown ribs on all sides. You should have a nice medium high heat. After meat is browned, remove from pan and set aside. Pour in 1 cup of dry red wine and deglaze pan. (This means scrape all of the chunks off of the sides and bottom of pan). After deglazing, add thyme sprigs, bay leaf, salt and pepper and another cup of wine. Add meat and onion mix back to pan with all juices. Cover and heat on low for 1 hour. After 1 hour add carrots and cook for 1 and 1/2 to 2 more hours.
Enjoy your week!
Ham and beans is really easy. Buy a bag of dry great northern beans and rinse them. Put them in your crock pot with a cup each of chopped carrots, onions, and celery. Add a ham hock, pepper, bay leaf, and sage. Fill up with water and set on low for the day. When you get home you can cut the meat off of the ham hock and put it in the soup. Then make some cornbread and you have a great cold night meal! You can get a ham hock at the grocery store if you don't raise pigs.
Beef au Carrots is a bit more complicated and takes a lot of time - it is well worth it! It's great to make on a rainy Sunday when you can be home for most of the day. It will make your home smell like heaven!
You will need:
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 pounds beef short ribs
2 cups dry red wine
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds carrots cut into big chunks
Use a big frying pan with a lid. Saute onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute until the onions are translucent. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 2 more tablespoonsof olive oil and put in short ribs. Cook long enough to brown ribs on all sides. You should have a nice medium high heat. After meat is browned, remove from pan and set aside. Pour in 1 cup of dry red wine and deglaze pan. (This means scrape all of the chunks off of the sides and bottom of pan). After deglazing, add thyme sprigs, bay leaf, salt and pepper and another cup of wine. Add meat and onion mix back to pan with all juices. Cover and heat on low for 1 hour. After 1 hour add carrots and cook for 1 and 1/2 to 2 more hours.
Enjoy your week!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Homecoming Week!
Well, if you don't know - it's Homecoming Week at my school and I am the activities director. This means that I won't be doing much cooking! I picked up a Fettucini Alfredo at Costco, I'll be making grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, those yummy chicken pesto sandwiches and probably bbq ribs on the one night that I will be home all week. Next week I will be in San Francisco with our Austrian exchange students, so I will probably not post anything new for a week or two. There are enough old posts to get you through. I'm thinking that when I get back it will be time for some cool weather recipes!!!!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Chicken Soup!
After I posted yesterday, I realized that I left out a good part! What are you going to do with that chicken carcass after you've made either chicken enchiladas or baked chicken? How about some good old fashioned chicken soup?! It's not as hard as it sounds. Just take as much skin and fat off of the carcass as possible, put it in a large pot and cover with water. Put it on high to boil. While it is heating, chop an onion and throw it in the water along with some black pepper and a whole bay leaf. Don't clean up the knife and cutting board yet. Now a very important part: chicken boullion. I used to use those cubes, but Costco has a wonderful product called Better Than Boullion. It's in the spices section and it comes in a short glass jar. They have chicken and beef. I always have both in my fridge and an extra in the pantry. So, take a couple of tablespoons of this wonderfull boullion and add it to your soup pot. Once the water boils, turn it down to low or simmer and put the lid on. Simmer it for at least 2 or 3 hours. Meanwhile, chop up some carrots and celery so they are ready to go in the pot later. When you are close to eating time, you will want to take the bay leaf and the carcass out of the water . It will be in many pieces by now, so really fish around for all of the bones. All of the meat probably will fall off the bones by now so there is not much to do to the bones but throw them away. If you don't think that there is enough chicken in the soup, hopefully you had leftover meat from the chicken dinner and you can throw some in the pot. While you are doing this, make your noodles or rice and add the carrots and celery to the pot and turn up the heat. You want it boling again until the veggies are soft. After the veggies are soft, add the noodles or rice and enjoy!
There are many variations to this recipe, so go for it! Add different or more veggies, and fun pasta - whatever you think would be good! Also, this soup freezes well so if you want to prepare for your next cold evening or sick day in bed just freeze some!
There are many variations to this recipe, so go for it! Add different or more veggies, and fun pasta - whatever you think would be good! Also, this soup freezes well so if you want to prepare for your next cold evening or sick day in bed just freeze some!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
More Good Ideas!
Well, it's Saturday and I am looking at the Raley's ad. Lots of good stuff on sale this week and the e-coupons are good too! My plan for the week is to make homemade tuna casserole, chicken enchiladas, chuckwagon casserole, and a chicken and rice meal. My husband is hunting, so the kids always ask for casseroles when he is gone - he hates them!
The tuna casserole is really simple. Just boil a bag of noodles - any shape you'd like - and while they are cooking mix together: One can cream of mushroom soup, one can cream of chicken soup, one or two cans of white albacore tuna, a small bag of fozen peas, salt and pepper, and some milk to thin it out just a little. When the noodles are done mix them into the soup mixture and put it all in a casserole dish. You can top it with potato chips, bread crumbs, crushed Ritz crackers, or nothing at all. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees. If you didn't top it with anything, you should bake it covered unless you like it a bit crispy. Serve with a salad and some dinenr rolls and you've got a great dinner and even better leftovers!
The chuckwagon casserole is fun too. Brown 1 pound of ground beef with some chopped onions and bell pepper, drain and add one can of chili and 1/4 cup of bbq sauce. Mix it all together and put in the pan. Then mix up some cornbread mix (the small Jiffy box is a good size for a small casserole) and add a can of corn - drained - that mix. Spread it on top of the chili mix and bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Be sure to pick a pan big enough so it doesn't overflow while baking, but small enough to spread the corn bread mix over the whole thing.
Raley's has whole chickens on sale for .77 a pound and I have a plan for two of them this week. One night I will serve baked chicken with Rice a Roni (also on sale at Raley's for .99 this week) and artichokes (on sale for .97 each!). I like to bake chicken with a few pieces of onion and lemon on the inside and with pepper and garlic powder on the outside. I usually bake a whole chicken for about one and a half hours.
The other chicken I will put in a crock pot on low for the day and make chicken enchiladas. This is easier than it sounds. After the chicken has cooked with pepper, oregano, and garlic all day I can use it right away, or put it inthe fridge for another day this week. I take all of the meat off of the bone and set it aside. I chop a large onion and saute it in some olive oil. Then I add the chicken and a bit of chicken broth. Next I will dip my tortillas into enchillada sauce, add some chicken and cheese, roll it up and put it in a pan. After I am finished with the tortillas I need I will pour some enchillada sauce over all of them and cover with cheese. I cover the pan with foil (mine doesn't have a lid, but a lid would be better) and bake for about 30 minutes and then uncover for about 10 minutes. A couple of tricks: when covering a dish with foil, spray the foil with Pam on the underside first! This way it won't stick to your food and rip allof the yummy cheese off. When using corn tortillas for enchilladas, you will need to heat them first so that they don't break when you roll them. I just put them on the burner like a flour tortilla, but you can do it in a pan too.
Raley's also has tri tip on sale for $2.77 this week. I'm going to get a few for the freezer!
The tuna casserole is really simple. Just boil a bag of noodles - any shape you'd like - and while they are cooking mix together: One can cream of mushroom soup, one can cream of chicken soup, one or two cans of white albacore tuna, a small bag of fozen peas, salt and pepper, and some milk to thin it out just a little. When the noodles are done mix them into the soup mixture and put it all in a casserole dish. You can top it with potato chips, bread crumbs, crushed Ritz crackers, or nothing at all. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees. If you didn't top it with anything, you should bake it covered unless you like it a bit crispy. Serve with a salad and some dinenr rolls and you've got a great dinner and even better leftovers!
The chuckwagon casserole is fun too. Brown 1 pound of ground beef with some chopped onions and bell pepper, drain and add one can of chili and 1/4 cup of bbq sauce. Mix it all together and put in the pan. Then mix up some cornbread mix (the small Jiffy box is a good size for a small casserole) and add a can of corn - drained - that mix. Spread it on top of the chili mix and bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Be sure to pick a pan big enough so it doesn't overflow while baking, but small enough to spread the corn bread mix over the whole thing.
Raley's has whole chickens on sale for .77 a pound and I have a plan for two of them this week. One night I will serve baked chicken with Rice a Roni (also on sale at Raley's for .99 this week) and artichokes (on sale for .97 each!). I like to bake chicken with a few pieces of onion and lemon on the inside and with pepper and garlic powder on the outside. I usually bake a whole chicken for about one and a half hours.
The other chicken I will put in a crock pot on low for the day and make chicken enchiladas. This is easier than it sounds. After the chicken has cooked with pepper, oregano, and garlic all day I can use it right away, or put it inthe fridge for another day this week. I take all of the meat off of the bone and set it aside. I chop a large onion and saute it in some olive oil. Then I add the chicken and a bit of chicken broth. Next I will dip my tortillas into enchillada sauce, add some chicken and cheese, roll it up and put it in a pan. After I am finished with the tortillas I need I will pour some enchillada sauce over all of them and cover with cheese. I cover the pan with foil (mine doesn't have a lid, but a lid would be better) and bake for about 30 minutes and then uncover for about 10 minutes. A couple of tricks: when covering a dish with foil, spray the foil with Pam on the underside first! This way it won't stick to your food and rip allof the yummy cheese off. When using corn tortillas for enchilladas, you will need to heat them first so that they don't break when you roll them. I just put them on the burner like a flour tortilla, but you can do it in a pan too.
Raley's also has tri tip on sale for $2.77 this week. I'm going to get a few for the freezer!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Something Simple, Like a Sandwich......
Thanks to my friend Karrie for the suggestion of this week's blog topic! What am I gonna do for dinner? Well, how about something simple, like a sandwich. We all have those nights where the thought of making a big dinner is overwhelming, so keep it simple. Here are a few simple sandwiches to get you through those kind of nights.
1. BBQ Chicken sandwiches - plan a night of bbq boneless chicken breasts or thighs, watch the grocery ads for sales or get them at Costco in the frozen section. Cook more than you will need for one dinner and freeze the rest. When you need a quick dinner, unthaw them and shred the meat, add more bbq sauce and heat. Slap it on a roll and call it dinner! If you want to be fancy, saute some onions and bell peppers to put on top and/or butter your sandwich roll and broil it for a couple of minutes in the oven.
2. Classic BLT. Make extra bacon the next time you are cooking it and make BLT's one night that week for dinner! You can get fancy here too by adding avocado and/or onion!
3. Tuna with a special kick. I make bread and butter pickles every summer and my favorite thing to make with them is tuna salad. I put lots of onions in the pickle jars, so when I make my tuna I add the diced pickles and onions as well as some diced celery and/or cucumber. Add some mayo and put it on your favorite bread. Another version of this is a tuna melt. Put the tuna on a toasted english muffin, cover with a slice of cheese and bake for a few minutes. I like to put a slice of tomato on mine too after baking.
4. Pesto Chicken Sandwich - I posted this earlier, but my family loved it! Slice a baguette in half long ways and spread pesto over it. Top with cooked chicken breast pieces (Costco has a great deal on these) and mozarella cheese. Bake in the oven for a few minutes. Tomato is good on top of these too!
5. Tri Tip Sandwiches - next time you bbq tri tip, make an extra one. A couple of days later, slice it thin and put it on a sandwich roll. I like it with sauted oniolns and bell pepper and I also make au jus to dip the sandwich in. The butter on the roll trick is good here too. I noticed that many restaurants do this for french dip sandwiches.
So what do you serve with these yummy sandwiches? French fries are always good, here is a fun way to do them homemade. I cut up yukon gold or red potatoes into wedges and put them in a large ziplock bag. I pour some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in also seal the bag and shake it up. The oil and seasonings coat the potatoes nicely. Put the on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. You can get them crispy or not, whatever you like. I usually turn the potates once or twice during the 30 minutes - if I remember!
Hope you enjoy these ideas!
1. BBQ Chicken sandwiches - plan a night of bbq boneless chicken breasts or thighs, watch the grocery ads for sales or get them at Costco in the frozen section. Cook more than you will need for one dinner and freeze the rest. When you need a quick dinner, unthaw them and shred the meat, add more bbq sauce and heat. Slap it on a roll and call it dinner! If you want to be fancy, saute some onions and bell peppers to put on top and/or butter your sandwich roll and broil it for a couple of minutes in the oven.
2. Classic BLT. Make extra bacon the next time you are cooking it and make BLT's one night that week for dinner! You can get fancy here too by adding avocado and/or onion!
3. Tuna with a special kick. I make bread and butter pickles every summer and my favorite thing to make with them is tuna salad. I put lots of onions in the pickle jars, so when I make my tuna I add the diced pickles and onions as well as some diced celery and/or cucumber. Add some mayo and put it on your favorite bread. Another version of this is a tuna melt. Put the tuna on a toasted english muffin, cover with a slice of cheese and bake for a few minutes. I like to put a slice of tomato on mine too after baking.
4. Pesto Chicken Sandwich - I posted this earlier, but my family loved it! Slice a baguette in half long ways and spread pesto over it. Top with cooked chicken breast pieces (Costco has a great deal on these) and mozarella cheese. Bake in the oven for a few minutes. Tomato is good on top of these too!
5. Tri Tip Sandwiches - next time you bbq tri tip, make an extra one. A couple of days later, slice it thin and put it on a sandwich roll. I like it with sauted oniolns and bell pepper and I also make au jus to dip the sandwich in. The butter on the roll trick is good here too. I noticed that many restaurants do this for french dip sandwiches.
So what do you serve with these yummy sandwiches? French fries are always good, here is a fun way to do them homemade. I cut up yukon gold or red potatoes into wedges and put them in a large ziplock bag. I pour some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in also seal the bag and shake it up. The oil and seasonings coat the potatoes nicely. Put the on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. You can get them crispy or not, whatever you like. I usually turn the potates once or twice during the 30 minutes - if I remember!
Hope you enjoy these ideas!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
It's HOT again!!!
Well, I was thinking last week that it was time for soups and stews! Wrong, it's hot weather again, so we will have to wait for the ham and beans, beef stew, and chicken soups! Raleys has some good deals on their ads this week. I logged in and printed a coupon for $10 off when you spend $50. I know that I will spend $10 on Coke because it's a little bit cheeper than Costco this week so coming up with a $40 grocery list will be easy.
This week I will fix Venison backstrap (yes my son got a deer as well as a bear!) with baked potatoes and salad, Beef Stoganoff (rib steak on sale for $1.97/lb at Raleys - recipe to follow), tacos (ground beef on sale at Raleys this week), and grilled boneless pork loin chops marinated in italian dressing with some potatoes and a veggie.
For the stroganoff, pick a day that you will get home with little time for meal prep. The night before, cut up the rib steaks into strips and measure all ingredients out. That morning, put it in the crock pot and when you get home all you have to do is boil some noodles and steam a veggie!! Here's how to make some great stroganoff: Put a small amount of flour in your crock pot with a couple shakes of pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Put the cut up meat (about 2 lbs) in with the flour and stir it around until the meat is coated. Mix a can of Cream of Mushroom soup, half a cup of water, and an enveloope of Lipton Onion Soup. Pour it over the meat and stir it up. Put your crock pot on low for 6 or 7 hours. If you are home during the day it's great to stir it every couple of hours. If you are not home, don't worry. The top may look dry, but just stir it when you get home and it will be fine. The last step is to add a half cup of sour cream and a few sliced mushrooms (fresh ones!) stir it up, put on high for the time that it takes to make the noodles and veggie - dinner is ready!
For the potatoes I am making with the pork loin, I will take a pieceof aluminum foil - the heavy duty kind- and spray it with Pam or another non stick spray. If you don't have heavy duty foil just use 2 pieces so it is thicker. Cut up potatoes (skin off or on) like you would for mashed potato making. Put a half cube of butter and a package of Lipton Onion Soup mix on top of the potatoes. Close the foil tightly and put on the bbq for about 30 minutes.I turn mine twice in that time.
I hope my ideas are helping someone out there! I have had lots of comments around town and it keeps my going:) Thanks!!
This week I will fix Venison backstrap (yes my son got a deer as well as a bear!) with baked potatoes and salad, Beef Stoganoff (rib steak on sale for $1.97/lb at Raleys - recipe to follow), tacos (ground beef on sale at Raleys this week), and grilled boneless pork loin chops marinated in italian dressing with some potatoes and a veggie.
For the stroganoff, pick a day that you will get home with little time for meal prep. The night before, cut up the rib steaks into strips and measure all ingredients out. That morning, put it in the crock pot and when you get home all you have to do is boil some noodles and steam a veggie!! Here's how to make some great stroganoff: Put a small amount of flour in your crock pot with a couple shakes of pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Put the cut up meat (about 2 lbs) in with the flour and stir it around until the meat is coated. Mix a can of Cream of Mushroom soup, half a cup of water, and an enveloope of Lipton Onion Soup. Pour it over the meat and stir it up. Put your crock pot on low for 6 or 7 hours. If you are home during the day it's great to stir it every couple of hours. If you are not home, don't worry. The top may look dry, but just stir it when you get home and it will be fine. The last step is to add a half cup of sour cream and a few sliced mushrooms (fresh ones!) stir it up, put on high for the time that it takes to make the noodles and veggie - dinner is ready!
For the potatoes I am making with the pork loin, I will take a pieceof aluminum foil - the heavy duty kind- and spray it with Pam or another non stick spray. If you don't have heavy duty foil just use 2 pieces so it is thicker. Cut up potatoes (skin off or on) like you would for mashed potato making. Put a half cube of butter and a package of Lipton Onion Soup mix on top of the potatoes. Close the foil tightly and put on the bbq for about 30 minutes.I turn mine twice in that time.
I hope my ideas are helping someone out there! I have had lots of comments around town and it keeps my going:) Thanks!!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Raley's Coupons
Become a member of Raleys.com today! I did and I got a coupon for 4 free AMAZING cupcakes when you spend $20. They really came in handy with my son having 2 friends over to help with the bear he got this week:) Also avocados for .67 starts tomorrow. Watch the dates, the coupons are only good for a couple of days at a time. Be strong and don't buy a bunch of other stuff that you wouldn't normaly buy or the coupon won't really save you anything!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Easy , but delicious
So what's on the menu for this week? Chicken creamy pesto pasta, more tri tip, baked chicken and carnitas!
To make the cramy pesto, just mix pesto sauce with a little alfredo.
This week's baked chicken is an easy way to get the bbq taste without a bbq! I use thighs and legs, but you can use any cut of the chicken - bones or no bones. Just mix 1 cup of bbq sauce, 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of honey. Use a wire wisk and get it all mixed up good. Place the chicken in a baking dish and put an orange or lemon slice in between each piece. The lemon or orange should be touching 2 pieces at once, so put them close. Pour the sauce over the top and bake covered for about 1 hour for bone in and about 40 minutes for boneless. I will serve this with rice and broccoli. An easy and different rice recipe: Use chicken broth instead of water and throw some crushed garlic and green onion or chives in with the rice. Do everything else according to package directions - I'm not talking Minute Rice here! Regular rice is just as easy, it just takes a little longer and tastes WAY BETTER!
For the carnitas I use a pork shoulder - which is on sale at Raley's this week (until Tuesday) for 97 cents a pound. I put the meat in my Pampered Chef stone bowl with lid. I just put a heavy dose of garlic powder and black pepper all over the pork and put it in the oven at 250 degrees all day. When you get home from work, sprinkle some hot sauce over the top and bake for another hour or so. Take the meat out of the oven and take off all of the fat. Then separate the meat with 2 forks to make a stringy type of look. You can add a bit of the juice from the bowl if you think it is too dry. I serve this meat on corn tortillas from Raleys that look homemade. They are in the tortilla section - some even come flavored. I put chopped tomatoes, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, lime, lettuce, chopped onions, quacamole, and canned corn out as additions to the meat and tortilla. Yummy!
As for the tri tip, this is the easiest thing to make. I use Montreal seasoning or Pappys rub on both sides of the meat. I prepare my bbq for indirect heat and cook the meat for about 40 minutes, turning it every 10 minutes. After you take it off the bbq, let it sit for about 10 minutes so that the juices don't run all over when you cut it. I buy several tri tips at a time when they are on sale, so I always have one in the freezer. I vacuum pack them always. My friend Sally puts the Pappy's rub on the meat before freezing - I'm going to try that the next time I buy some! This week I will serve tri tip with baked potatoes with sour cream and chives (from my herb garden outside my kitchen door) and a salad with tomatoes from my garden.
Speaking of garden, we are ready to plant out broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. I can hardly wait for that first bunch of broccoli!
To make the cramy pesto, just mix pesto sauce with a little alfredo.
This week's baked chicken is an easy way to get the bbq taste without a bbq! I use thighs and legs, but you can use any cut of the chicken - bones or no bones. Just mix 1 cup of bbq sauce, 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of honey. Use a wire wisk and get it all mixed up good. Place the chicken in a baking dish and put an orange or lemon slice in between each piece. The lemon or orange should be touching 2 pieces at once, so put them close. Pour the sauce over the top and bake covered for about 1 hour for bone in and about 40 minutes for boneless. I will serve this with rice and broccoli. An easy and different rice recipe: Use chicken broth instead of water and throw some crushed garlic and green onion or chives in with the rice. Do everything else according to package directions - I'm not talking Minute Rice here! Regular rice is just as easy, it just takes a little longer and tastes WAY BETTER!
For the carnitas I use a pork shoulder - which is on sale at Raley's this week (until Tuesday) for 97 cents a pound. I put the meat in my Pampered Chef stone bowl with lid. I just put a heavy dose of garlic powder and black pepper all over the pork and put it in the oven at 250 degrees all day. When you get home from work, sprinkle some hot sauce over the top and bake for another hour or so. Take the meat out of the oven and take off all of the fat. Then separate the meat with 2 forks to make a stringy type of look. You can add a bit of the juice from the bowl if you think it is too dry. I serve this meat on corn tortillas from Raleys that look homemade. They are in the tortilla section - some even come flavored. I put chopped tomatoes, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, lime, lettuce, chopped onions, quacamole, and canned corn out as additions to the meat and tortilla. Yummy!
As for the tri tip, this is the easiest thing to make. I use Montreal seasoning or Pappys rub on both sides of the meat. I prepare my bbq for indirect heat and cook the meat for about 40 minutes, turning it every 10 minutes. After you take it off the bbq, let it sit for about 10 minutes so that the juices don't run all over when you cut it. I buy several tri tips at a time when they are on sale, so I always have one in the freezer. I vacuum pack them always. My friend Sally puts the Pappy's rub on the meat before freezing - I'm going to try that the next time I buy some! This week I will serve tri tip with baked potatoes with sour cream and chives (from my herb garden outside my kitchen door) and a salad with tomatoes from my garden.
Speaking of garden, we are ready to plant out broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. I can hardly wait for that first bunch of broccoli!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Dinner ideas for the week
Last week I ended up with extra tri tip, so I didn't make the chicken cordon bleu. We had tri tip sandwiches instead. So this week I will make the chicken, whiskey pork chops, hamburgers, and babyback ribs.
Whiskey pork chops are easy! Hopefully you have a pan with a lid that you can use on the stove and also in the oven. If you don't, just be sure to scrape everything out of the pan when you transfer the meat into an oven dish. Put salt and pepper on the chops cook them in a pan on high heat in oil to sear them. Take them out of the pan and put them on a plate. Add more oil and saute some mushrooms and onions and for a while. Add 1/4 cup of whiskey and cook for 3 minutes. Mix together 1 cup of sour cream, 1 tablespon of flour, salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon of sage. Add this to the mushrooms and then put the pork back in the pan and cover with the mushroom sauce. Put the pan in the oven, lid on and bake at 350 for one hour. This is good served with mashed potatoes. The sauce works well as a gravy.
Whiskey pork chops are easy! Hopefully you have a pan with a lid that you can use on the stove and also in the oven. If you don't, just be sure to scrape everything out of the pan when you transfer the meat into an oven dish. Put salt and pepper on the chops cook them in a pan on high heat in oil to sear them. Take them out of the pan and put them on a plate. Add more oil and saute some mushrooms and onions and for a while. Add 1/4 cup of whiskey and cook for 3 minutes. Mix together 1 cup of sour cream, 1 tablespon of flour, salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon of sage. Add this to the mushrooms and then put the pork back in the pan and cover with the mushroom sauce. Put the pan in the oven, lid on and bake at 350 for one hour. This is good served with mashed potatoes. The sauce works well as a gravy.
Leftover corn on the cob?
I had a few ears of cooked corn left the other day so I made a great salad. It's really simple and delicious. First cut the corn off of the cob - like you did when you had braces! Then dice a red bell pepper, some celery, and a peeled cucumber. Drain and rinse a can of black beans and put all of it in a bowl. Pour some balsamic vinegrette dressing over the top and stir it in. Chill for a while and yum!!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Gift of Fresh Peaches
What do you do when someone gives you fresh peaches?!! This happened to me this weekend and I was soooooo happy! First I made a peach crisp and then I canned the rest. Peach crisp is super easy: first you have to peel the peaches. Put a few in boiling water for about a minute then put them in ice water for a minute. You should be able to grab the peach and the skin will just come right off (it's the same proceedure with peeling tomatoes). After peeling, cut in half and take off of pit - hopefully you have free stone peaches and not clings. Slice peaches until a baking dish is full and then put cinnamon and sugar on top and stir. Next mix the topping. I always mix at least double sometimes triple the topping - it's super yummy! Topping: 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 1/2 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tablespoon apple juice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix it all together and spread on top of peaches. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes with baking dish on top of a cookie sheet or foil because it can get messy. Serve over vanilla ice cream.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Busy Weekend/Busier Week!
So, this weekend we had a huge Labor Day Party and there are lots of leftovers of course. I have incorporated some into my weekly menu so that I don't waste. We had a whole pig on a spit and there was a lot leftover so, Monday night I am making open faced hot pork sandwiches. A slice of white bread, mashed potatoes on top, sliced pork, and turkey or pork gravy on top. With this I will steam the carrots and broccoli left over from a veggie tray. Easy meal and nothing to buy at the store! Raleys has tri tip on sale this week, so Tuesday's dinner is bbq tri tip, mushrooms, green salad and potato salad left from the party. Wednesday night is Back to School Night and we won't be home until late. I will put some leftover pork in the crock pot with some chicken broth and bbq sauce and let it simmer all day. When we get home we can put it on sandwich rolls and break out yet another kind of leftover potato salad from the party. This is a good plan because we will all be home at different times so it will be ready for everyone whenever they are ready. Thursday night will be our first dinner home with our Italian exchange student, Gulia. She will be with us for a little less than two weeks. I am making chicken cordon bleu, rice a roni (she has to try some American favorites!) and broccoli. Don't let the chicken cordon bleu scare you! Just take boneless chicken breasts (Costco's are the best, the frozen ones in the bag) and pound them thin, put a thin piece of ham and any kind of cheese on top and roll it up securing it with a toothpick. After that you can do a couple of things. You can dip it in egg and bread crumbs and bake it for a bout 45 minutes, or you can put it in a pan and cover with a Knorr sauce and bake it for the same time.
So that's another week! Remember to look at the grocery ads and in your freezer and pantry before you plan your week of meals:)
So that's another week! Remember to look at the grocery ads and in your freezer and pantry before you plan your week of meals:)
Monday, August 30, 2010
More tips and weekly Menu
A couple more things that will save you time and money:
* Every Tuesday in our town, the grocery ads come out. The ad starts the next day and runs to the following Tuesday. This is a great way to menu plan for the next week and stock up on things that you use often. Beware of loss leaders! It's ok to go into one store and just buy the stuff on the ad and then go to the reliable priced store for everything else. This is maybe not a time saver, especially if oyu have little kids. You'll have to decide on that one! Another good way to use the ad is to buy meat on Wednesday and if you really like it, you still have almost a week to come get more.
* Do a regular inventory of your freezer and shop there before you meal plan or shop. Once you start buying a larger quantity of meat or other things that freeze well, you will need to keep track of what you have in order to actually save that money. What good does it do to buy ribs on sale and then not eat them or even worse - throw them away 3 years later!
* I did a price comparison between Costco and Food Maxx because I wanted to be sure that I was really getting a bargain. I'd be happy to e-mail it to anyone who would like it, just know that it's the things that I buy and it may not be what you want to know. Ask me about the items you would like and I'll compare the next time I go shopping:)
* Did you know that the Kirkland brand at Costco imitates popular brands, but has a very high standard? It has to be as good or better than the original brand. They just came out with mayonaise that is supposed to be as good as Best Foods - really!- and is about half the price. I bought a jar and will let you know if it passes the husband test!
So, now for the weekly menu. I shopped in my freezer and pantry, checked my calendar for evening activities and came up with this:
Sunday: BBQ'd Salmon with garlic powder and pepper, Pasta with butter and herbs, steamed zuchinni
Monday: Whole Chicken with skin off in my Pampered Chef covered bowl with carrots and potatoes, all of it covered with Montreal seasoning, garlic powder and, pepper.
Tuesday: I have to go to Redding right after school and then have a meeting at school at 7, so it had to be quick. Chili dogs and potato salad (I will make that Monday night)
Wednesday: Pork Chops, Hash Brown potatoes, green salad.
Thursday: Leftover night! Actually we will be at a football game so it's pizza!
Friday: We will be at the cabin expecting who knows how many, so I am making a huge amount of tacos and burritos - easy and re-heatable in case people arrive at different times.
Hope this helps someone:) If you need more specific cooking instructions or recipes, just ask! Have a great week! I will try to do this on Sundays or Saturdays usually :)
* Every Tuesday in our town, the grocery ads come out. The ad starts the next day and runs to the following Tuesday. This is a great way to menu plan for the next week and stock up on things that you use often. Beware of loss leaders! It's ok to go into one store and just buy the stuff on the ad and then go to the reliable priced store for everything else. This is maybe not a time saver, especially if oyu have little kids. You'll have to decide on that one! Another good way to use the ad is to buy meat on Wednesday and if you really like it, you still have almost a week to come get more.
* Do a regular inventory of your freezer and shop there before you meal plan or shop. Once you start buying a larger quantity of meat or other things that freeze well, you will need to keep track of what you have in order to actually save that money. What good does it do to buy ribs on sale and then not eat them or even worse - throw them away 3 years later!
* I did a price comparison between Costco and Food Maxx because I wanted to be sure that I was really getting a bargain. I'd be happy to e-mail it to anyone who would like it, just know that it's the things that I buy and it may not be what you want to know. Ask me about the items you would like and I'll compare the next time I go shopping:)
* Did you know that the Kirkland brand at Costco imitates popular brands, but has a very high standard? It has to be as good or better than the original brand. They just came out with mayonaise that is supposed to be as good as Best Foods - really!- and is about half the price. I bought a jar and will let you know if it passes the husband test!
So, now for the weekly menu. I shopped in my freezer and pantry, checked my calendar for evening activities and came up with this:
Sunday: BBQ'd Salmon with garlic powder and pepper, Pasta with butter and herbs, steamed zuchinni
Monday: Whole Chicken with skin off in my Pampered Chef covered bowl with carrots and potatoes, all of it covered with Montreal seasoning, garlic powder and, pepper.
Tuesday: I have to go to Redding right after school and then have a meeting at school at 7, so it had to be quick. Chili dogs and potato salad (I will make that Monday night)
Wednesday: Pork Chops, Hash Brown potatoes, green salad.
Thursday: Leftover night! Actually we will be at a football game so it's pizza!
Friday: We will be at the cabin expecting who knows how many, so I am making a huge amount of tacos and burritos - easy and re-heatable in case people arrive at different times.
Hope this helps someone:) If you need more specific cooking instructions or recipes, just ask! Have a great week! I will try to do this on Sundays or Saturdays usually :)
Friday, August 27, 2010
The Inspiration
I started this blog after having many conversations with friends who don't meal plan. It's a trip to the grocery store everyday after work, then a hurry to prepare a meal while trying to keep the kids from eating all of the snacks before dinner! When I told them how I do it, they looked at me like I was weird! They said that if someone could just tell them what to prepare and what to shop for, it would be so much easier.
So, a few basic things that I do to save money and time:
*An extra freezer in the garage helps me be able to buy a lot of meat when it's on sale and also to buy a pig and half a cow every year. This way I can go to the freezer on Saturday or Sunday and look at what I have to plan with for the following week.
*A garden is a wonderful way to save money and the extra time it takes is enjoyable for me. Outside my kitchen on my back porch, I have several whiskey barrell halves filled with herbs. This allows me to use fresh herbs in my recipes and that really makes a difference!
*I only shop at the grocery store once a week. Every once in a while I have to make another trip, but I can usually get it all done once. If you notice, going to the store more often increases the chance of extra things getting into the basket leading to extra money spent and maybe even a little extra on your waisteline!
*I am a loyal Costco shopper, but only for things that I know I will use. All paper products, towels, sheets, and only food that we eat a lot of. It makes no sense to buy 96 of something that you THINK your family MIGHT like. Try a small box from the grocery store first!
*Planning meals ahead and combining dinner ingredients saves time and money. For instance, on Tuesday night you can cook two tri tips instead of one (if your family eats a whole on per meal). On Thursday you can fix french dip sandwiches! Just saute up some onions and peppers and add cheese - yum! Or cook a whole chicken one night and make a plan for the leftovers in a salad or soup. Less waste saves time and money.
*Do prep for more that one day at a time. If I know that I am making soup tomorrow and I am chopping onions for tacos tonite, I will chop the onions for my soup and save them in a ziplock bag for tomorrow. It's easier to chop what you can all at once and then you don't have to drag the cutting board out again! An added bonus is that the 5 extra minutes you spent chopping will make your next day's prep so much easier and faster.
Let me say that it doen's always work out this way for me and it won't for you either! Life happens and you just have to go with it. No one is perfect, but I don't get stressed everyday after work like my friends do, so I am thrilled to help. I hope someone benefits from this:)
Also - I am a terrible typist so if you notice an error, please just ignore it unless it's so bad that you don't understand what I am trying to say!
So, a few basic things that I do to save money and time:
*An extra freezer in the garage helps me be able to buy a lot of meat when it's on sale and also to buy a pig and half a cow every year. This way I can go to the freezer on Saturday or Sunday and look at what I have to plan with for the following week.
*A garden is a wonderful way to save money and the extra time it takes is enjoyable for me. Outside my kitchen on my back porch, I have several whiskey barrell halves filled with herbs. This allows me to use fresh herbs in my recipes and that really makes a difference!
*I only shop at the grocery store once a week. Every once in a while I have to make another trip, but I can usually get it all done once. If you notice, going to the store more often increases the chance of extra things getting into the basket leading to extra money spent and maybe even a little extra on your waisteline!
*I am a loyal Costco shopper, but only for things that I know I will use. All paper products, towels, sheets, and only food that we eat a lot of. It makes no sense to buy 96 of something that you THINK your family MIGHT like. Try a small box from the grocery store first!
*Planning meals ahead and combining dinner ingredients saves time and money. For instance, on Tuesday night you can cook two tri tips instead of one (if your family eats a whole on per meal). On Thursday you can fix french dip sandwiches! Just saute up some onions and peppers and add cheese - yum! Or cook a whole chicken one night and make a plan for the leftovers in a salad or soup. Less waste saves time and money.
*Do prep for more that one day at a time. If I know that I am making soup tomorrow and I am chopping onions for tacos tonite, I will chop the onions for my soup and save them in a ziplock bag for tomorrow. It's easier to chop what you can all at once and then you don't have to drag the cutting board out again! An added bonus is that the 5 extra minutes you spent chopping will make your next day's prep so much easier and faster.
Let me say that it doen's always work out this way for me and it won't for you either! Life happens and you just have to go with it. No one is perfect, but I don't get stressed everyday after work like my friends do, so I am thrilled to help. I hope someone benefits from this:)
Also - I am a terrible typist so if you notice an error, please just ignore it unless it's so bad that you don't understand what I am trying to say!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
OMG, It's 3 o'clock and what am I gonna do for dinner?!!!
Today, I came home expecting to make pesto pasta with chicken, steamed broccoli, and french bread. I soon discovered that I had sent my last bag of Costco pasta to the cabin with my teenaged son. Yikes - no pasta, now what? So, I spread my pesto on the french bread and placed Costco grilled/sliced chicken breasts on top and then shredded mozzarella cheese. In the oven for 20minutes and whamo - the best meal of the week. I happend to have a fresh tomato from the garden to slice on top. Add some fresh ground pepper and sea salt and our taste buds were reeling! So, simple and delicious. My teenaged daughter who likes nothing, even liked it without the chicken! Everyone was happy:)
Sometimes the best meals are whatever is in the cupboard:)
Sometimes the best meals are whatever is in the cupboard:)
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