Thoughts Along Life's Highway

Mid-week meal check-in

I mentioned on Monday I was planning to make meatloaf this week.

Well, I cooked it for dinner Tuesday night. It was a big hit.

I also made roasted vegetables. Loved the fact that everything went into the oven and I didn’t have to stand at the stove while my dinner cooked. Almost as good as the crock-pot.

I thought I’d share the recipes for the different menu items with you because this was a really, really good meal. Very filling – one of those nights when I actually wished my little tummy wasn’t so little so I could enjoy more.

Big Girl says that everyone at school says their meatloaf tastes awful. She said she told them you haven’t had my Mama’s meatloaf, then. *grin*

no… not THAT meatloaf!

Mama’s Meatloaf 

(click on the link to print)

2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
~ 2/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
Houston House Seasoning or Season Salt

Glaze:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup Splenda brown sugar blend (or 1/4 cup brown sugar)
1/4 cup honey bbq sauce
1 tsp ground mustard

1. In a large bowl, mix meat, eggs, bread crumbs & seasonings. Be careful not to over mix the ground beef or it gets tough.
2. Mold into a loaf shape. I put mine in a stoneware loaf pan. Cover with foil.
3. Bake at 350 for about an hour and a half.  After about an hour remove foil and add glaze. Bake uncovered for at least another 30 minutes.
4. Let rest about 5 minutes (tented with foil) before serving.

~*~

Nothing outstanding about the making of these potatoes, but they sure cook up good.

Roasted Potatoes

2-3 Russet potatoes, washed and cut lengthwise into spears or wedges.
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Paprika
Houston House Seasoning

1. In a large zip top bag, combine all ingredients. Shake well.
2. Pour out potatoes on baking sheet.
3. Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.
4. Finish on Low Broil setting for about 5 minutes to crisp up the skins.

 ~*~

Remember my post a while back about “the best broccoli you will ever eat?”  Well, I finally got around to trying this recipe. All I can say is, “Broccoli, where have you been all my life?”  This takes broccoli to a whole new dimension in flavor. Nothing like the “regular” broccoli we eat all the time. Soooo good.

Try this.

Trust me.

You won’t be disappointed.

Roasted Broccoli

Ok, there you go. Now you have the perfect menu for dinner tomorrow night. Or tonight if you have time to get the ingredients on your way home.

Your family will thank you.

Baby, it’s Chili Outside

I mentioned earlier this week that I made chili for us to eat on throughout the week. A few of you have asked for the recipe.  It’s nothing fancy, but my family loves it and folks who’ve had it before say it’s pretty good, too.

I like it because it is quick and easy.  And, it fills you up with warm goodness on a cold day.

This week, I cooked some pasta (ditalini or something similar) and served it mixed in the chili.  Chili-Mac is what Momma used to call it when I was growing up.  If you do that, keep the macaroni separate until just before serving because it will soak up all the chili juices and you’ll be left with dry chili and mushy pasta if you don’t.

I usually cook my pasta al-dente and then drizzle some olive oil on it to keep it from sticking. I store it in a zip top bag and just dump about 1/4-1/3 cup of pasta in a bowl and then ladle the chili on top just before serving.

Here’s a link to print the chili recipe.

 

Lois' Chili 

Yields: 8 Servings

Ingredients

2 cans Chili beans
2 cans Black beans
1 package Chili-O Seasoning
2 pound Ground sirloin
1 can Diced tomatoes with chilies
Chili powder to taste
Ground cumin to taste
1 tablespoon Dried minced onion
1 tablespoon Minced garlic

Instructions

1. Brown meat with minced garlic & onion.
2. Season lightly with cumin, chili powder & Houston House Seasoning.
3. Add beans, tomato and Chili-O seasoning.
4. Add water until chili is desired consistency.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Cook @ a simmer for 30-40 minutes until flavors meld. (You can also put this in a crock pot on low and let it simmer for hours until you’re ready to serve)
7. Serve with/ cheese, sour cream and chips.

Souper Easy ~ Souper Good

I am a big fan of soups – especially in the fall and winter.

I love how they make my house smell when I’m cooking them – homey and warm and welcoming.

I love how they feel when they’re in my tummy – warm and filling.

I love how they feed my family healthy things that taste great and fill them up inside.

I love that I can usually get multiple meals out of one preparation… especially if you pair it with some good bread or a salad.

I made this soup the other day with some leftover vegetables. That’s another thing I love about soups- that I can clean out the crisper and makes something good at the same time.

This soup is one of those “clean out the ‘fridge” recipes. So, use your own veggies that you have on hand – don’t think you have to match my recipe exactly.

I let this cook overnight in my crock pot on low and then SuperMan and I have been eating on it for lunch all week.

Clean out the Crisper Soup

2-3 celery stalks, chopped
onion, chopped
~2 tbsp minced garlic (to taste)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 box beef broth
1 beef bullion cube
~1 cup corn kernels
~1 cup butter beans
~1 cup spinach leaves (chopped or julienned)
~1 cup carrots, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
~1 cup frozen hash brown potatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Sauté the peppers, onion, celery and garlic in some olive oil until transparent.
2. In crock pot, combine remaining ingredients, adding sautéed vegetables when they’re done.
3. Set crock pot on low and cook 6-8 hours.

I also added some leftover roast beef and gravy that was taking up space in my refrigerator.

You can also make this more hearty by adding a cup of barley about an hour before serving, but you may need to add more broth if you do that as the barley will soak up some of the broth as it rehydrates.

I buy Publix’s frozen diced hash brown potatoes. They are great for soups and stews and no potato chopping!

Use whatever veggies you have on hand. I have used squash, zucchini, green beans, peas, etc.  before as well.

So simple, yet so good

I am having one of my favorite salads for lunch today.

I don’t know why, but I have been on a salad kick lately. Maybe my body needs the greens.  It doesn’t matter. I’m just loving eating salads again. I haven’t had many since my surgery because it seemed silly to fill my belly with salad instead of protein.   Now that I’m getting closer to my goal, I’m eating a little more variety and the salads are back! Yay!

This is one of those salads you’d get at a fancy restaurant. All dolled up on a pretty plate and you’d think you were getting something super special. Until you deconstruct the salad and see how stinkin’ easy it is to make.

Then, it goes from “super special salad” that you eat only on occasion to “super duper salad” that you can eat anytime.

The magic of this salad is the blend of flavors.  The creamy, pungent gorgonzola mixed with the sweet crunch of the pears and topped with the bite of the balsamic dressing. 

Yum.

Sigh.

So good.

Here’s what I use:

You need:

• a pear (I used a bosc) Peeled and cored. Slice into about 1/8” thick slices
• mixed greens – I used a spring green mix.
• Balsamic dressing
• gorgonzola cheese

That’s it!

Super-easy.

Assemble your salad thusly and then drizzle with your dressing.

This is not a salad you want to “drown” in dressing.

You want the Balsamic to be a compliment to the cheese and pears.

And, quite honestly, the greens are just the transport vehicle for the yumminess.
(to me, anyway)

 

You can also add a little grilled chicken if you're feeling a little bit crazy. (or hungry)

Try this today.

You will be glad you did.

Trust me.

(have I steered you wrong yet?)

Menu Plan Monday ~ 18 October

Fall is really here now. The air is crisp and cool and it doesn't warm up too much during the day – just enough to make it comfortable to be outside. I LOVE weather like this.

It makes me want hearty, filling foods.  Things that “stick to your ribs” and make you want to go snuggle in front of a fire after you eat.

I’m planning some baking this week, too. Hoping to make homemade whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread and maybe some plain whole wheat bread.  I’m also baking a cake for my ladies’ Bible study on Wednesday morning (thinking it’ll be the Brown Sugar Walnut cake)

Dinner tonight is easy – we cooked a chicken in the crock pot yesterday, so that will be dinner along with some rice and gravy and vegs.

Here’s what else I have planned to cook this week. A few items are familiar from previous weeks that I didn’t get to cook but am still in the mood to eat.

• Salmon Croquettes and Grits
• Sloppy Joes
• Vegetable Soup (I’m thinking a minestrone-ish type soup that I’ll toss in the crock pot)
• Crock Pot pork chops (something like this minus the rice because it gets mushy in the crock pot or this one which the family loves)
•  Beef Stroganoff or Salisbury Steaks w/ mashed potatoes

Join us over at Menu Plan Monday on orgjunkie.com and share your menu plan for the week – and get some great ideas if you don’t have a menu plan!

A recipe for you

Happy Friday to you all!

I haven’t shared any new recipes this week, so I thought I’d give you a treat today and post a new one. It’s not new to me, it’s a well-loved family favorite, but I don’t think I’ve ever shared it on the blog before.

This came to me through some of my past Weight Watchers friends.  It can be WW friendly very easily by using ground turkey and low-fat cheese in the recipe. I’ve tried making it low carb before by substituting sweet potato for the baking potato but that wasn’t very well received by the family. Sweet potato is too mushy when baked and the sweet flavor didn’t meld very well with the spiciness of the cumin and chili powder. Oh well. Lesson learned.

This is a great make-ahead recipe and it also freezes well and doubles well. So if you are a fan of making 2 while you’re making one, this is a great candidate. You could serve one for dinner tonight and freeze the other one for dinner on another night.  I’ve also doubled it before to serve to a large crowd.

I usually serve with salsa and sour cream to top the casserole. Other than that, I don’t think it really needs much else. It’s just yummy all by itself.

I hope you enjoy.

You can access the recipe for printing from here.

Mexican Potato Casserole 

Hearty and delicious recipe that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Yields: 8 Servings   

Ingredients

1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 pound Ground beef or ground turkey
2 medium Bell pepper diced
1 medium Onion diced
1 can Diced tomatoes (I use mild Rotel or Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Chilies)
2 cups Mexican blend cheese shredded 
1 can black beans
Chili powder 
Cumin 
1 tablespoon Minced garlic 
Salt/pepper to taste 
2 large Baking potatoes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Using a mandolin, slice potatoes on the bias (diagonal) into thin slices (about 1/8" thick). Set aside.
Brown meat in skillet with olive oil, seasoning with Houston House Seasoning, chili powder and cumin.
Add onion & bell pepper and cook until vegetables begin to soften.
Mix in tomatoes and season to taste.
Cook 5-6 minutes.
In a greased 13x9 casserole dish, layer potatoes and meat mixture, adding cheese between layers.
Top final layer with cheese.
Bake 40-50 minutes, covered. Bake additional 10 minutes uncovered to brown cheese if desired.
Serve with salsa & sour cream for topping.

Sprouting Feathers

My family loves chicken.  So much so that I think I could cook it for them every day and they would be happy.  Well, except for BigGirl (the Meatasauraus) who needs her steak and “pork butt” to be happy.

I seem to cook an awful lot of chicken recipes.  Do you?

This past weekend (as you know if you are a regular blog reader) I cooked 2 5-lb chickens on the grill. I used my beer can chicken recipe and they turned out super good. 

We ate some chicken on Sunday with our spaghetti and then I deboned the rest and saved it for recipes this week.

Last night I made chicken and dumplings (and a mess in my kitchen) and chicken salad with those leftovers.

I thought I’d share the recipes with you today.

But first, I must confess one thing.  When I cook, I’m one of those “dab of this, pinch of that, sprinkle a little of this” kind of cooks.  So, when you read my recipes, especially these two, remember that fact and feel free to get creative as you cook them.  I approximated in the recipes what I did last night while I prepared these two things, but other than the dumplings, the rest was just eyeballing it and flying by the seat of my pants (how is that for mixing my metaphors?)

Anyway, thought it was important to get those disclaimers out of the way.

If you don’t think of yourself as a good cook, I know it is a little intimidating to try to follow someone’s recipe when they don’t give you actual, definite amounts to go by.

But one thing to remember.  Cooking is more about the blending of flavors and seasonings and less about science.  Baking, well, that’s a whole ‘nother blog post.  Baking IS science. And I have the disaster stories from my experiments to prove it.  Baking is more precise.

Cooking, on the other hand is more like art.  Just go with the flow and see where it takes you. Usually to something good.

Ok, enough of my ramblings. I know you really just came here for the recipes anyway. ;-)

Here’s a link to the chicken & dumplings recipe. I changed it only in that I used the leftover chicken and I substituted half whole wheat flour for my dumplings.  BigGirl said it was the best chicken and dumplings I’ve ever made. She ate two helpings.

Here’s the chicken salad recipe.  It is an approximation of the chicken salad my friend Donna makes. It’s got some non-traditional ingredients, but I love it. I eat it all by itself, unadulterated with bread or crackers (although it is good that way, too)

I hope you enjoy.

You should bake this

I have it on good authority (my mom) that this is one of the best cakes you will ever bake.  She has just baked it and called me to tell me to bake it right away.  I have one in the oven, because, as we all know, I’m a very obedient daughter.  Of course I hung up the phone and started mixing! Mama said to!

I’m baking 2 small loaf cakes because I’m taking one to a friend who just had surgery. Everyone knows cake is the best medicine when you are recovering from surgery.  That, and my great-grandma’s sausage-rice casserole.  That’ll cure anything that’s wrong with you.

Now that I've baked the cake and had a teensy-tiny sample, I can tell you it is soooo good. There's a rich, buttery taste to it.  I am thinking it would be great served on a cool fall morning with some tea or coffee.

Next time I make it I may add some diced apple and/or cinnamon.

But it is definitely worth a try.

Brown Sugar Cake

• 1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
• 1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
• 4 Eggs
• 2/3 cup  BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
• 2/3 cup Water
• 1/2 cup  Oil
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup  chopped PLANTERS Pecans
• 2 tsp. Powdered sugar

1.  HEAT oven to 350ºF.
2. BEAT first 6 ingredients with mixer 3 min. or until well blended. Add brown sugar and nuts; mix well.
3. POUR into 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan sprayed with cooking spray.
4. BAKE 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan; invert onto wire rack. Remove pan; cool cake completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

I also added about 2-3 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar to the cake pan after I’d sprayed it with non-stick spray and before I poured the cake in. Next time, I may get crazy and add some to the cake, too.

*Click on the cake name to get a printable copy of the recipe. :-)

Oh, and I'll be sitting over there in the corner in a diabetic coma after my little taste. If you need me, just nudge me.

Menu Plan Monday ~ 13 September

Hi, gang!

Have you missed me?

I took a little mini vacation this past weekend.  Mommies on the loose in the North Georgia mountains… It was very restful and lots of fun.

I wanted to wish a very special welcome to you ladies who are visiting my blog from the retreat! I was so flattered to hear this weekend how much you enjoy reading my blog! And I thought I was just talking to myself all this time. :-)

But today, I’m back to the real world of school lunches, carpools, after-school activities and planning my family’s meals for the week.

I don’t not want to do this, but it sure was nice to have a break for a couple days and only worry about whether or not I would rather nap, read, or scrapbook. :-)

This week is SuperMan’s birthday week. I have asked him a few times if he has any special requests, but he keeps telling me no.  SO, the menu may change if he thinks of something, but at this point, here’s what I have planned:

• Homemade Chicken Nuggets (this is becoming my Monday standby as it’s a busy after-school day)
• Tacos/Burritos (this one is Little Bit’s special request)
• Salmon croquettes and grits
• Asian Beef with Noodles (this is an old Weight Watchers Recipe I love)
• Slow Cooker Crock Pot Chicken

I’m also cooking for a friend and her family this weekend. She is having surgery on Friday so a few of us are going to provide the family with meals so they don’t have to worry about what to eat or cooking – they can focus on taking care of their Mama while she recovers.  I’m thinking I will either cook my great-grandma’s Sausage Rice Casserole recipe or the chicken w/ rotel casserole I made for my family (and it was such a great hit) a few weeks ago.  And, of course, there will be a cake of some sort involved. :-)

What are you cooking for your family this week? Join us over at orgjunkie.com with your Menu Plan Monday.

Flying by the seat of my pants

My menu plan was out the window this week. Between travel over the weekend and the Labor Day holiday AND a raging cold, thinking about what to eat/cook this week was just beyond my capacity on Sunday or Monday.

So, I’ve been winging it.  Which is a little stressful, a lot more expensive, but is also blossoming my creativity. What can I cook with what I have on hand and without a trip to the fast-food takeout joints?

Tonight’s dinner?

Chicken Parmesan.

YUM.

I love Chicken Parm. It brings back memories from my (Italian) childhood. Lots of cheese, garlic, tomato sauce, and of course, chicken.

Today I tried a crock-pot recipe for Chicken Parmesan recipe. I checked out several “traditional” recipes and a few crock-style recipes and invented my own version.

One thing I did differently was that I did not bread my chicken. My grandmother may be watching from up above thinking this is a sacrilege but I was trying to eliminate the extra carbohydrates and I figured that was an easy way to do it. Besides, in the crock pot, the breading would’ve just turned to mush. And I don’t need bready mush – ever. 

I also didn’t make my traditional tomato sauce that I use for spaghetti and most anything else Italian I make.  (Grandma may decide to disown me now.)

I figured I was going to try the super-easy, super-simple method and see how it turned out. So, I just used an extra-large can of crushed tomatoes and seasoned them with some garlic, Italian seasoning and my Houston House Seasoning.

And, I used high-protein pasta.  I like Barilla Plus. They have an angel hair pasta, so that made the decision easy for me.  I like the fact that I’m feeding my family the extra protein and vitamins without the white flour and fillers in regular pasta.

The verdict?

Major yumminess.  And major easiness, too. A win-win as far as I’m concerned.

The kids loved it, too.

I served it with garlic bread and SuperMan will probably get a salad with his (when he gets home from work, that is)

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil
• 4-6 Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless)
• Houston House Seasoning
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic (I use diced garlic in the jar but you can press 2-3 cloves fresh garlic)
• 1 tsp sugar
• pinch of celery seed
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 pound of angel hair pasta
• Garlic Bread (you can’t eat this without it!)

Preparation:

1. Season chicken breasts with Houston House Seasoning.
2. In a large skillet, brown chicken breasts in olive oil.
3. In a large bowl, mix the crushed tomatoes, sugar, celery seed, about 2 Tbsp of Italian seasoning and 2 Tbsp of minced garlic.
4. Add your chicken to the slow cooker.
5. Pour tomato mixture on top.
6. Set your slow cooker on low and let the chicken cook for 6-8 hrs.
7. When you are ready to serve, boil your pasta water and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
8. While the pasta is cooking, place the chicken breasts in an oven safe dish and top with about 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture on each breast. 
9. Sprinkle some of the cheese on top of the chicken.
10. Bake in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.
11. Serve the chicken on a bed of pasta that has been topped with about 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce that is left over in your slow cooker.

And here’s a link where you can print your own copy.

 

And, as my grandpa would say… mangi!

Menu Plan Monday ~ 30 August

Happy Monday, everyone!

This week will be an interesting one for us. SuperMan is going on a new work schedule and won’t be home until after 7 each night (boo!) which means that the girls and I will be on our own for supper most nights. This will be a challenge for me. What to cook that the girls will enjoy/eat and will still be appetizing for SuperMan when he gets home…

Here’s what I have planned for the week:

• Twice-baked potatoes with a salad
• Chicken Parmesan
  This will be a new one to try on the kids. I don’t know if they will like it or not.
• Steaks cooked on the grill with fresh veggies and buttered potatoes
  This is usually a SuperMan-cooked dinner. It will be interesting to see how I do cooking steaks.
• Pizza Braid
  I saw this recipe last week when I was perusing other Menu Plan Monday posts. Have to try it.
• Sloppy Joes with homemade french fries & fresh fruit
  Kid-friendly & fast – good for one of those nights we have dance classes.
• Chicken Pomodoro
  I have had this on my list for two weeks and haven’t made it yet. Maybe this week?

 

What are you cooking this week?

Join us over at orgjunkie.com and share your menu plan!

Menu Plan Monday ~ 23 Aug

Got lots going on this week.

So glad I have planned out my menus. We have dance classes on Monday/Wednesday and Friday this week, plus curriculum night/PTO on Wednesday night and a knitting session for me on Thursday evening.

Without the plan, I think we would devolve into eating a lot of junk and fast food. This way, I know my family is getting healthy food and I can control fat, protein, and portion sizes.  Not to mention we have great leftovers for lunches.

As you can see we’re back into the chicken routine.  I’ve been finding chicken thighs on sale at the grocery and substituting them for the breasts in menus where I can. They are juicier than breasts and easier for my tummy to digest. The rest of the family doesn't seem to mind, either.

Here’s what I have planned for the week:

• Shepherd’s Pie
• “Rotisserie” chicken in the crock pot
• Pasta Pomodoro w/ Chicken
• Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
• Grilled Shrimp with Grits (maybe – if I can find some good shrimp at the store)
• Rotel Chicken Pasta Bake

I’ve included links to all the recipes since so many of you have asked me for them.  Most are mine, a few other folks’.  All are posted on AllRecipes.com so it should be easy for you to access and print.

Join us over at Menu Plan Monday on orgjunkie’s blog – you can get some great ideas for your own dinners and share what you’ve got planned as well!  There are some great recipes over there – I was picking up a few ideas myself this morning that may show up in my own menus in the next few weeks.

 

What's for Dinner?

Here’s one of my favorite go-to recipes for the nights that SuperMan is working late and it’s just me and the girls for dinner.

Sesame Chicken Bites

Yum.

My girls love them just like they are straight out of the oven. No sauces, ketchup or anything needed.

I make them with two gallon sized zip top bags.

I use one for the mayo base coat mixture.  The second is used to hold the breading coating.  Easy cleanup and easy prep. Love that.

I use flash-frozen chicken tenders and cut them into bite-sized pieces.  This makes the dinner such a snap to make!

Here’s the recipe.  I think it would also be great to serve at a cocktail party with a little honey mixed with horseradish for a dipping sauce.

Sesame Chicken Bites

1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup (apprx) sesame seeds
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp Houston House Seasoning
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (Cut in bite-sized pieces)
(you can also use chicken tenders cut into pieces)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large gallon zip top bag, mix the bread crumbs and sesame seeds. Add a dash of Houston House Seasoning
3. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard & house seasoning.  Pour into a second gallon zip bag.
4. Drop chicken pieces into the mayo bag and toss to coat.  I usually let the pieces sit in the bag in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.
5. Drop the mayo-coated chicken into the bread crumb/sesame seed mixture and toss to coat.
6. Place chicken nuggets on sheet pan that has been sprayed with oil.
7. Bake at 425 for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until chicken is done and coating is lightly browned)

I serve them with homemade french fries, a little fruit and sometimes some yogurt. Quick and easy - and healthy!

You can print the recipe here.

Quick and Easy Dessert

I wanted to share a super-quick and super-yummy dessert idea with you.

My friend Cindy is quickly becoming famous amongst our newest circle of friends for her amazing recipes – all of which are so simple and easy to make that it is amazing how good they are. Something that easy can’t be that good!

But, Cindy is the master of quick, easy and yummy recipes. I think it is because she is a mom to three big, strapping boys and has had to be very creative with her food budget and cooking to feed those growing boys. (and they are BIG boys… football, weight-lifters, etc.)

Cindy prepared this for us for dessert one night when she hosted dinner at her house. It was gobbled up quickly and we were all begging for more – and the recipe!

I haven’t tried to make this sugar-free or WLS friendly, but I think I am going to try this weekend. Maybe substitute the “real” ingredients for sugar-free varieties. I will let you know how it turns out. 

This version, though, is to die for.

Oreo Cookie Ice Cream

• 1 (large) tub of Cool Whip whipped topping
• 1 1/2 gallon container of vanilla ice cream (slightly melted)
• 1 package Oreo cookies

1. Crush Oreos in a food processor (or put them in a ziplock bag and let your kids whack them with a mallet to crush them)
2. In a LARGE bowl, mix the crushed Oreos, ice cream, and cool whip.
3. Freeze 4-5 hours
4. Serve

Print the recipe

This is a great treat to share with friends – and if you do there won’t be any left!

The Best Broccoli You'll Ever Eat?!?

I just stumbled across this recipe/blog this morning (sorry, I can’t find the blog I linked from to find this blog – I’m getting old and my attention span is less than 3 seconds long – and my short term memory is shorter than that!)

ANYWAY

I’m going to try this tonight (or tomorrow night) and I’ll let you know how it tastes. 

Photo is from the Amateur Gourmet’s blog

I’m on a campaign to get my girls to eat more vegetables – and find ways to cook them so they taste good enough that they will WANT to eat them.

This recipe sounds like it might actually do the trick. It’s for roasted broccoli.

Yes, ROASTED.  But it sounds yummy – it’s got garlic (a necessity in my house) and lemon zest/juice on the broccoli.

It just might work.

I’ll keep you posted.

Menu Plan Monday (or, Tuesday)

I have been planning my family menus for years – probably since the time Little Bit was born.  I have been a fluttering FlyBaby for about that long, trying to get myself on plan with the Fly Lady (but it never seems to “stick”). However, one thing I love about her whole thing is the idea of planning ahead. I am a planner. I love my lists and my plans. So, that part works for me.

Enter Menu Plan Monday -

I stumbled across this meme over on orgjunkie.com and I love the idea! Creating your meal plan, sharing it with others, and getting ideas from the meal plans others have created.

So, I’m joining the bandwagon. Want to join with me? It’s super easy. Figure out your meal plan for the week – what will you be cooking for your family?

Write them down – you can even share in the comments here if you’d like – and link them to the linky on orgjunkie’s blog.  It’s been fun looking at other people’s meal plans – and has given me some ideas for next week’s menus.

Here are the meals I’m cooking this week:

• BBQ Chicken (crock pot)
• Beef Stroganoff
• Grilled Asian Flank Steak w/ Rice & Stir Fry veggies
• Porcupines (my mom’s old recipe from when I was a kid – will see how my kids like this one!)
• Sesame chicken bites
• Big Green Salad & Loaded Baked Potatoes

I’m sure we’ll eat out once – usually on Sunday after church.  So, with leftovers, that should carry me through the weekend.

I use AllRecipes a lot – you will see that a bunch of these recipes are linked there.  I love that I can create my own recipes and store them there as well.

Ok, now it’s your turn! What are you serving this week?

Chicken, It's What's For Dinner

Remember that Beef ad campaign?

“Beef, It’s what’s for dinner.”

Well, not around my house, it isn’t. Not much anymore these days.

My little tummy doesn’t tolerate beef too well, and SuperMan might as well be sproutin’ feathers for all the chicken he likes to eat. He and the girls are quite the poultry poppers.  Which leaves me with the challenge of coming up with some interesting new ways to serve chicken.  I mean, you can only do baked chicken, fried chicken, etc. so many times you get bored, right?

Enter the newest recipe in my repertoire:

Beer Can BBQ Chicken – 
the recipe is from the Kraft Foods website (which has some really good family-friendly, and budget-friendly recipes) (photo is also courtesy of the Kraft website)

I’m planning to cook it tonight along with some grilled corn on the cob. 

Oh.my.goodness.

Have I told you about my love affair with grilled corn on the cob?

Have you TRIED grilled corn on the cob before?

If you haven’t, you need to. It should be a law that everyone has to try it at least once in their lives.

If you ever eat corn this way you will not ever want it boiled again.  The grilling intensifies the sweetness of the corn and gives it a richness of flavor. YUM. I just slap the corn on the grill (still wrapped in their husks) for about 20 minutes (turning every five or so).  They stay even juicier if you soak them for about 10 min in some water before you cook them – the husks won’t scorch as bad, either. (oh, and pull the silk off the top unless you want a cute little fiery candle on your grill)

Anyway, enough about the corn. This is supposed to be about the chicken.  I get distracted easily. Sorry.

So, I’m braving cooking on the grill with ALCOHOL and FIRE and SuperMan is not even at home. He’s off cutting grass and doing manly things at our rental house.

Let’s hope I don’t burn THIS HOUSE down while I’m cooking on the grill.  That would stink.

And probably ruin my dinner plans.

I’ll let you know tomorrow how it turns out. I’m optimistic that the news will be good – as long as I don’t burn anything I shouldn’t. (like my house)

So, what’s your favorite chicken recipe? Have any you’d like to share?  I’d love some new ideas. 

** UPDATE ** I've just wrastled that poor chicken onto the grill. Little Bit thought it wasn't very kind to put a beer can in it's heiney.  But it's there now and not going anywhere.  I'll let you know how this turns out.

Barbeque Dry-Rubbed Chicken

I subscribe to Cook’s Country magazine. I love it for many reasons… the fact that it has no advertising, the fact that they give reviews of cooking tools/appliances and foods… but mostly for the awesome recipes.  Their sister magazine Cook’s Illustrated is also great (I subscribe to that one, too) but I find I cook more of the recipes in Cook’s Country than the other one. 

They are two magazines that I can’t wait to sit down and read when they arrive in the mailbox.  And I mean read, not browse through, like I do most magazines. I find I learn something new in every single issue. So, when I got the latest issue, I couldn’t wait to dive right in.  And, I found a mother lode of recipes to try this month (in fact, this week!)

Last night, we tried the Barbeque Dry-Rubbed Chicken.  One word to describe it?  YUM.

We love barbeque chicken.  But the girls are a little picky about the “black stuff” on the chicken (also known as the caramelized barbeque sauce, which, to me, is the best part) so sometimes it is a little tricky to prepare. I was also intrigued by the fact that the recipe promised great tasting chicken – most of the time, what you taste is the barbeque sauce, not the chicken itself.  The chicken is just the transport vehicle for the sauce. 

I decided I had to try it.

I bought two packs of thighs and legs at the grocery store the other day.  So, yesterday morning, I made up the dry rub mix.  SuperMan and I decided to triple the recipe for the rub mix… once I made one batch it didn’t seem like enough. I am glad we did. We had just a tiny bit left over when the whole thing was finished and our chicken was well coated in the rub (did I say it was yummy!?! It was!!)

Recipe is below.  I served it with saffron rice and steamed vegetables.  I think grilled corn would be a great compliment to the rub seasonings, too. (the picture is a scan from the magazine. I didn’t think to take a picture last night.)

Oh, and I did not include the cayenne the recipe calls for. I am allergic (think  swollen, puffy lips and you get the idea) to cayenne, so I left it out.  Even without that kick from the cayenne, it was awesome. 

Next time I think I will add a teaspoon of smoky paprika and see how that does.  I love the flavor of smoky paprika and think it would add even more depth of flavor to the recipe and maybe replace the flavors from the cayenne.

And the girls’ verdict? They ate every single bite.  Gotta love that!

Try it!

Cook’s Country Barbequed Dry-Rub Chicken

(serves 4-6)

3 Tbs dark brown sugar
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3 lbs bone-in, skin on chicken pieces

1. Rub chicken – Combine brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, pepper, dry mustard, onion powder, salt and cayenne in small bowl. Transfer half of dry rub to shallow dish; reserve. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and coat over and under skin with remaining rub. Transfer to plate and place in refrigerator, covered, for one hour.
2. Grill chicken – Grill chicken (skin side down) until skin is well browned and crisp (15-20 min)
3. Dredge chicken – Lightly coat skin side of chicken with reserved rub and return to grill, skin side up. Continue to grill, covered, for 15-20 min (until rub has melted into a glaze)
4. Rest – Transfer chicken to a plate, lightly tent with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

I have to say, this was the juiciest, most flavorful barbequed chicken I have ever eaten.  We will definitely be making this one again and again.

Another one for the crock pot!

We tried another new crock pot recipe this week.  It turned out very, very well.  Even the littlest of the household proclaimed it “yummy.”

I am really enjoying this new habit I’ve accidentally started. We’re trying out a new crock pot recipe every week. 

And you know what I am really loving about it? The fact that my kids come home from school and the house is filled with the smell of whatever is cooking in the crock pot. They are already hungry and they start asking what's for dinner right away. By the time dinner is ready, they've been smelling it for 2 or 3 hours and they can't wait to dive in!

It works great for luring picky eaters into trying something new. Hee hee.

I’ll continue to share with you the recipes that make the cut in the house.  The ones we reject, I will save you from. How does that sound?

And, since I’m going to be doing this, I am going to have to get better about remembering to keep my camera close by so that I can take pictures of the dish as I go.  I totally forgot again yesterday. Oops.  So, you will have to trust me when I tell you this turned out really well. I’ll do better next time, I promise.

Since I'm so slack, I scanned the picture from my cookbook so you would at least have an idea of what it looked like. I am not one to try a recipe if I haven't seen a picture, so I figure this is better than nothing. It's a little grainy, but you get the idea.

Here is the recipe:

Slow-Cooked Pork Loin

1 boneless whole pork loin roast (3-4 lbs)
1 tbs canola oil (I used olive)
1 med onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 c water
1 c unsweetened apple juice
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Houston House Seasoning

1. Cut roast in half (I didn’t do this, mine was already in two pieces)
2. In a large skillet, brown roast in oil.
3. In the same skillet, sauté onion and celery until tender.
4. Add roast and vegetables to slow cooker.
5. In a small bowl, combine gravy mix & water.
6. Stir in other ingredients and pour into crock pot.
7. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
8. Skim fat from cooking juices; thicken if desired (I didn’t)

And here are the few things I did differently than the recipe.

• I generously seasoned the roast with House seasoning before browning and again after I added everything to the crock pot.
• I used 3 celery ribs. One seemed like it would be lonely in the crock.
• I have a big giant thing of brown gravy mix (thanks Costco!) and so I used 2 tbs in what I made.
• I poured a little of the gravy into the skillet to cook off the fond on the pan and then poured that into the crock
• I poured the gravy onto each serving of meat as I fixed each plate. It was so good!
• We served with mashed potatoes and veggies.

I am looking forward to “repurposing” the leftovers. Wondering if it would do well in some BBQ or maybe Brunswick Stew.  SuperMan has an awesome Brunswick Stew recipe. Maybe one day I will sweet-talk him into letting me share it here.

Ok, that’s it for now. I hope you enjoy!

Yummy for Your Tummy

I tried a new recipe today – another crock pot recipe. I’ve told you I am big (*huge*) fan of the crock pot. I mean, seriously, why wouldn’t you be when it takes a cheap cut of meat and makes something scrumptious out of it with little to no effort on your part? 

And this was definite scrumptiousness.  SuperMan said it reminded him of something his mom would’ve cooked. High praise, let me tell you, and something I have never  heard with regards to my cooking in almost 20 years of marriage.

So, this one is worth trying out.  Ok?

I actually had both crock pots going tonight. I had the big one with a batch of tortilla soup that I had made earlier in the week and felt like it needed a little more “doctoring.” So, I added a can of enchilada sauce and put it back on to simmer for a while.  The little one had tonight’s dinner yumminess in it.

The recipe comes from a Taste of Home Slow Cooker recipe book.  It’s called “Beef in Onion Gravy” but I think that sounds way too bland for how this tastes.

Here’s the recipe, and my modifications are noted as well. (because I hardly ever cook anything exactly like the recipe, unless I’m baking)

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used the low fat variety)
2 Tbsp Lipton Onion Soup Mix (I used the whole pack)
2 Tbsp Beef Broth (I used about 1/4 cup)
1 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1 lb beef stew meat (I used 1 1/2 lbs)

1. (I seasoned my meat using Houston House Seasoning and then browned it off in a skillet for about 10 minutes)
2. In a 1 1/2 quart slow cooker, combine the soup, soup mix, tapioca, broth.  Let stand 15 min (I let stand while I browned the meat)
3. Stir in the beef. (I also used about 1/4 cup water and deglazed the skillet and added that yumminess (the fond) to the crock pot)
4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs (I cooked on high for 4 1/2 hrs)
5. (While it was cooking I thought the gravy mixture was too gelatinous so I added about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of water and mixed it in. )
6. I cooked some egg noodles al dente and dumped them in the pot with the beef and gravy just before serving.

We served it with a salad. 

My 8 year old said, “Mom, when I first saw this I thought it looked gross. Then, I tasted it and it’s YUM!”  She proceeded to clean her plate.

So, kid-tested and hubby-approved.

I hope you give it a try and let me know how your family liked it!