So...I didn't make stuffed french toast.

No, it didn't happen like I had hoped.  But tonight!...It still won't happen because I have mutual.  Tonight it is an oldie but a goodie.  And a fastie which I really love.  Tonight it is going to be Tuna and Toast!  I'll post something! 

But now my son is wanting his second breakfast.  :) 

Stuffed French Toast.

Teaser!  This is what I'm making for dinner.  Let me know if you want to know how I made it!!

Beef. It's what's for dinner.

I promise we have not fallen off the world.  We are still clinging to the edge of it so don't despair yet. 

I'm sure you all know that meat is expensive.  But, have you noticed that the family packs of meat are significantly less so?  If you are like me and only cooking for two...or two people who eat more like four...don't judge...then you are left with a bunch of leftover meat.  Well, you can still take advantage of the deal.  Just make sure you also buy some freezer ziplock bags and label what you put in there so that two months down the road you aren't grabbing a bag of something thinking, "What in the world?!"  Or you could do what I'm doing this week and just make a few dinners involving beef.

This week I bought a family pack of beef cubed for stew.  I made beef stroganoff last night, I'll make some extra baked potatoes tonight and use extra potatoes and beef to make a Steak and Potatoes casserole, and if I have any left over after that they can go into an omelet on Friday!

The beef stroganoff is nothing special and can be found in just about any cookbook.  I did make one change though.  I generally substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream in every recipe.  You can't taste the difference and it really boosts the "good-for-you" factor. 
But just in case you really want to know where mine came from, it's from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Bridal Edition.  My mother got it for me when I got married and I absolutely LURVE it.


*baby's up..gotta go!*

Wilted Spinach Salad

To tell you the truth, I was a little leery - any recipe that starts out with the word "wilted" - but, Meg assured me it was one of their favorites so I gave it a try. And everyone LOVED it, even my husband who is really not a big spinach fan. I'm definitely adding this to our family's list of favorites. :)

*pic*

Wilted Spinach Salad

1 recipe wilted spinach salad dressing (see below)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup fresh baby spinach greens
2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbly
1 green onion, finely sliced

Prepare Wilted Spinach Salad Dressing; set aside. Place mushrooms in a bowl. Pour half of dressing over sliced mushrooms. Microwave for 1 minute. Refrigerate remaining dressing for later use. Prepare salad by placing 1/2 cup spinach greens on each dinner plate. Spoon desired amount of mushroom dressing mixture over each salad. Top with crumbled bacon and green onions. Makes 2 servings.

Wilted Spinach Salad Dressing

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup salad or olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 Tablespoon grated onion

Mix all dressing ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. Keeps up to 3 weeks in refrigerator.

Macho Nachos

First of all, I have to apologize for the hour.  This is technically for Meatless Monday but it is not coming in until 9:40 PM.  Suffice it to say I was simply not home all day and my baby has been in need of his mother all evening.  I think he is finally asleep now so I'll share with you a recipe that really allows you to sort of purge your pantry and veggie drawer.  It also takes something that is sort of naughty and turns it into something very nice.  :) 

 

Macho Nachos

Tortilla chips

Red kidney beans or black beans (drained and rinsed)

diced Jalapenos or diced green chiles

Cheese of choice (I use extra sharp cheddar cheese)

Cumin, Garlic powder, Chili powder or Cheyenne pepper

That's basically the gist of it.  Then you can add what ever other veggies you have or want to put on there.

Corn

Black olives

Bell pepper

Avocado 

Tomato

Layer the chips on a plate that can be put in the microwave or a dish that is oven safe.  Top with drained beans and season to taste with seasonings.  (The cumin is what's going to give it that smokey "Mexican" flavor.)  Add jalapenos and whatever veggies you like and top with cheese.  (I would leave the avocado and tomato until after you have toasted the nachos.)  You could make multiple layers if you wish-- I usually do.  Then either microwave or broil until the cheese is nice and melted.  Top with avocado and tomato if desired and watch these fake-out nachos disappear! 

St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef Dinner

We make this dinner every year on St. Patrick's Day, in honor of our Irish heritage. And then we watch John Wayne's "The Quiet Man". I know, it's corny, but we all love it! :)


St. Patrick's Day Dinner:

Put in Dutch oven:
3-4 lb. corned beef brisket
2 onions sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 whole cloves
2 bay leaves

Put in enough water to cover. Cover and simmer 40 minutes per pound of meat or till fork tender. Take out meat. (So start it kind of early. There's been a few St. Patrick's Days that we have eaten dinner around 8:00 p.m. :) )

Add:
6 medium potatoes pealed and cut up
6 carrots pealed and cut up

Cover and cook 10 minutes.

Add:
1 medium head of cabbage, sliced into wedges with the core removed

Cook 20 more minutes. Meanwhile, care corned beef into thin slices, against the grain. Serve alongside the vegetables.

(Leftovers for breakfast: Finely dice potatoes and corned beef and fry in just a little bit of butter till potatoes are browned on their edges, for corned beef hash.)

Avocado Pear Turkey Burgers

This was an experiment gone right!  :)  First, I had never put pears on a burger.  Second, I have never made turkey burgers.  Turns out it is quite tasty!  Give it a try.

Avocado Pear Turkey Burgers

3 lbs ground turkey
two handfuls of Parmesan cheese
1/2 handful of garlic powder
1/2 handful of dried thyme
one egg

Mix the above and separate into 6 patties. 

Sliced pears and mozzarella cheese.
While grilling the pears, top the patties with pear and melt the cheese on top of it. 

You can serve these any way you would like but I did so with chipotle mayo, avocado, and tomato on toasted whole grain bread.  :)  I made up a side of sweet potato fries (frozen...I cheated) and that's what we had for dinner at my house tonight!!! 

No Pics

I'm having some trouble with uploading pictures.  It seems that while iPhoto lets me upload them Blogger does not retrieve my latest uploads.  I don't understand why that is as it has retrieved my Chicken Penne Alfredo picture, for example.  So, I have pictures of PB&J muffins, Stuffed Pork Chops, and Macho Nachos (for next Meatless Monday) that I can't post.  It makes me rather sad and I wanted to let everyone know that I'm trying to figure it out.  I will not give up!  I WILL NEVER SURRENDER!

Edit:
So I should be at least trying to get some shut-eye.  But I couldn't resist trying just one more thing to get my pictures up.  Lo and behold it looks like I'm going to have to upload my pictures to a photobucket account and then add them to the blog that way.  I don't know what Google's malfunction is but it simply does not "see" my latest uploads.  Hopefully this glitch is not also found in Picaboo or Shutterfly because I have some prints and books I want to make.  But, that's venturing outside the realm of the kitchen so I'll leave it at that. 

In other news, I have purchased a new bandanna to make another "old jeans" apron.  The only problem is that I have not finished my first one.  But I got a sewing machine and one of these days, hopefully this week, I will break it out and get that finished.  I'll post pics because it is going to be adorable.  There's fabric with cupcakes on it.  Who doesn't love cupcakes?!  

Stuffed Pork Chops

These pork chops turn out so moist and flavorful!

Stuffed Pork Chops (From the kitchen of Meg)

1 box of Stove Top Pork Stuffing; prepared
1-2 apples (I like granny smith but jazz worked great last time!)
6 thick cut boneless pork chops (the family pack)

Core and chop up the apples.  Prepare stuffing to box directions.  Mix apples into the stuffing.
Using a sharp knife create a pocket in the side of each of the pork chops and stuff with the stuffing apple mix.  Do what you can to make the pocket as big as possible while keeping the actual opening as small as possible as to keep all the tasty seasoned goodness inside. Place pork chops in a tin foil lined baking dish.  (I line stuff with tin foil because it really helps with the clean up!) Pack any left over stuffing around the pork chops.  Bake at 350 for 40 mins. 

Serve with any veggie of your choice.  Now that we are getting into spring you could roast up some asparagus!  Drizzle some asparagus on a baking sheet with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake until tender.

Italian Vegetable Soup

Here's another family favorite. :) It's a great soup to put leftover veggies in, too.
















Italian Vegetable Soup

1 1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, sliced
1 3/4 cups turnips, diced
2 cups zucchini, diced
3 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup green beans
2 - 28oz. cans diced tomatoes
1/2 - 15 oz. can tomato paste
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried parsley

Heat water and tomato products to a boil. Add all veggies except zucchini. Bring to a boil once again, turn down heat and simmer until veggies are 1/2 done. Add zucchini and seasonings. Continue cooking till done. Serves about 16.

Asian-Accent Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise in thin strips
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark Asian sesame oil
1 Tablespoon corn oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
4 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup water or fat-free chicken broth

Place the chicken strips on a plate and dredge with the cornstarch and brown sugar. Sprinkle with the soy sauce, and sesame oil. Toss well with 2 forks to coat strips evenly.
Place a wok on nonstick skillet or on a burner over high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 teaspoon of the corn oil. Turn the heat to medium-high, add the chicken , andcook until no longer pink and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining corn oil and ginger and stir for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken and water. Stir for 1 minute, or until the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat. Serve with steaming-hot brown rice. Makes 4 servings.

Brown Rice

2 cups brown rice
4 cups water
1 tsp. water

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover. Turn down heat all the way to low and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes until water is absorbed.

Craisin Salad

This is the salad we served with a roast chicken and some really great bread.

Craisin Salad

1 head of each: red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce and iceberg lettuce
1 cup cranraisins ( like to use 1/2 cup of original and 1/2 cup cherry craisins)
1 red onion, chopped
1-2 red apples chopped
1 pkg. slivered almonds (sugar glazed - 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar, 1 - 2 Tbls. butter in frying pan until toasted)
Fresh grated Parmesans or Asiago cheese
1/3 - 1/2 bottle of each: Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing and
Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing

Combine all ingredients except for dressing. Add dressing just prior to serving - or serve it on the side.

Tip: If you keep losing all your salad fixings at the bottom of your serving bowl, try serving your green salad on a big platter. Works great. :)

Spaghetti Sauce

My family LOVES spaghetti. And this is our recipe. :)


Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
4- 14.5 oz. cans stewed tomatoes, un-drained
2 - 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
6 cloves garlic
several (10) baby belle mushrooms, sliced
1 can olives, sliced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
several shakes of Italian Seasoning
a couple shakes of red pepper flakes (omit if you don't like it spicy)

Brown the ground beef & onion with a sprinkle of season salt. Drain. Add remaining ingredients one at a time and simmer until thick. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles. Great with a green salad and garlic bread.

PB&J Muffins

This was inspired by Paula Dean -she's my aunt in my head.  But I tweaked a basic muffin recipe on my own.

Fun story about today.  I made three batches of muffins.  Two dozen were blueberry with lemon and one dozen of these pb&j muffins.  It wasn't until I was typing up the recipe for this post that I realized that I had forgotten the sugar...in all three batches!  That's my epic cooking fail of the day.  I like to say that if you can read you can cook because most recipes will not lead you astray.  I guess today I just can't read.  :) 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

1 1/3  cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Jam or jelly of choice

Grease or line with paper cups a muffin tin (twelve 2.5 inch)
In a medium bowl combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in center of flour mixture, set aside.
In another bowl combine egg, milk and oil.  Add egg mixture and peanut butter to flour mixture.  Stir until just moistened and the peanut butter is mixed.
Spoon batter into the muffin cups to about 1/2 full.
Top with aprox a teaspoon of jelly or jam.
Fill cups with the rest of the batter so that the jam is encased in the batter.
Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 mins.

Serve warm with a tall glass of milk.  :)

Enjoy!

The cook book from previous post.

The natural nine: Cooking with whole grains

^ That link will take you to the Amazon page to buy the cook book that my mom's granola comes from.  It's like $3!  You really can't go wrong with that.

Grand Granola

I get up at 5:00 a.m., so breakfast really shouldn't be a problem. But five in the morning is my only time when the phone's not ringing and nobody needs me and I have time to just sit and read my scriptures and ponder.
So this is one of my favorite "there's-a-delicious-nutritious-breakfast-already-in-the-pantry-so-I-don't-have-to-feel-guilty-that-I'm-not-in-the-kitchen-"making"-breakfast" recipes. In fact, I use it so much, my cook book opens right to that page.


Grand Granola



2 cups rolled oats, quick-cooking or old fashioned
1/2 cups slivered almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup honey or molasses
2 cups raisins (I let my family add these if they want to their own bowls)

In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Melt butter or margarine and honey together in a small saucepan. Pour over dry ingredients, and blend well. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven , and add raisins. Store in an air-tight container. Makes 6 to 7 cups.

Note: Diced dates, dried apricots, cherries, cranberries or blueberries may be substituted for the raisins. Cashews, walnuts, pumpkin seeds or other nuts may be used in place of the almonds. I always double this recipe and I keep the same cooking time. So if you aren't doubling, yours may turn out a bit more toasty than mine. :)

from: "The Natural Nine: Cooking with Whole Grains" by: Lorraine D. Tyler

Meatless Monday ideas

The Word of Wisdom says a lot of things that we know and have down pat.  We know not to smoke, drink alcohol, coffee, or tea, and to not use drugs.  However, there is a part that is not as emphasized that speaks of eating grains and fruits in their season.  And probably the hardest part, at least for me, is that meat, while ordained for our use, is to be eaten sparingly.  So, in that light I present to you Meatless Monday! 

It also should be noted that having at least one vegetarian/meatless meal a week will greatly reduce your grocery bill.  A head of lettuce or can of beans is significantly less expensive than a pound of ground beef.  Just sayin'.  However, the point of Meatless Monday is not to make you have to gag your dinner down.  No, in fact there are many many meat free dishes that are exceptionally satisfying and incredibly tasty!  And that's what we hope to bring to you -- veggie main dishes that are tantalizing to the taste buds!

And we will.  Next week.  This week I will present some ideas to help get your gears turning when it comes to veggie dishes. 

-Pasta is a super easy way to have a meat free dish.  You don't even have to add veggies to it, but why not?!  I'm a big fan of broccoli and penne with ricotta.  I'll share that recipe later so keep watching.

- There is also the option of veggie burgers, either pre-made patties or you can make them yourself.  (Again, watch for the recipe!)  The key here is to make sure your bun is super tasty.  I'd suggest something whole grain and toasted. 

- Breakfast...pancakes do not have meat in them.  At least I've never had one.  Nor do waffles or french toast.  Scramble some eggs for protein and you're ready to roll. 

- You can use beans in place of meat or to stretch meat out in more recipes than you would think.  Case in point, Mom's enchilada recipe says that she uses a can or two of beans sometimes.  But wait, there's more!...later. 

- There are a ton of soup options that are meatless!  A ton.  I don't think I'm exaggerating either. 

I hope those got you thinking and I hope you'll join us in trying to be a little more healthy.  I don't know about you but when I run, I get weary.  ;) 

Stay tuned for the FHE treat of the week.

Chicken Enchiladas

Well, wouldn't you know it? By the time I got home from the baptism this evening, my children had already given up on me and bought pizza. :( But I did make up the enchiladas so they are all ready to pop in the oven after church. This is also a family favorite.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 large onion, chopped
16 fresh mild green chilis or 2- 4oz. cans
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 scallions
5 cups shredded chicken (sometimes we add a can or two of beans as well)
salt
1 teaspoons cumin
Monterrey jack - about 2 cups grated
Cheddar - about 2 cups grated
Flour Tortillas

Chop onions & chilies. Mince garlic. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and chicken broth. Add chilies, garlic, salt to taste and cumin and chicken, simmer about 15 minutes to blend flavors of sauce.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease rectangular baking dish. Grate cheese. Slice scallions. Put some of the chicken mixture in a strip down the tortilla and top with 2 -3 Tablespoons of cheese. Roll it up and put in baking dish seam side down. Repeat until pan is full. Pour any remaining sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese and scallions. Bake until hot and bubbly - about 30 minutes. Serve hot. Garnish with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, salsa, etc.

The cook book from previous post.

Here is a link to buy that cookbook mom was talking about on Amazon.  It is also available from Deseret Book.

It really is an amazing cook book and I, like mom, have not found a recipe in here that I didn't like.  I made the wilted spinach salad twice in one week last month.  Now that's saying something! 

So check it out, I'm sure you'll like it too! 

Best - Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'll have to do dinner later because right now we have a baptism to get ready for. :) So here are the cookies I'm taking...

Everyone probably has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, but if you don't the search is over! These are wonderful! It is out of the Essential Mormon Cookbook: Green Jell-O, Funeral Potatoes, and Other Secret Combinations. I've yet to make anything out of that book that I don't like. It's under the "Love Thy Neighbor" section - which is good advice for me. Because if I don't take these to a couple different houses, I'll end up eating the whole batch. I bet they'll be your new favorite, too. :)

1 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour ( I like to use half white, half wheat)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 (12-ounce) bag of semi- sweet chocolate chips
(I like to add a cup of chopped walnuts, but if you're not a nut person, leave them out :)

Cream together butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture and bet well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes (12 in our oven) until lightly browned. Makes about 3 dozen.

Chili, Chip, and Cheese.

I'm sorry, everyone, that this did not get posted yesterday as it should have. To be honest, there were a few stressful things but I still could have done it. I just plain forgot. Until 11:30 at night and by then what's the point?! So now at 8:45 in the morning here you have a really fast recipe for throwing together when the sitter is on his/her way and you are going out for date night. Or on one of those nights when something more difficult than "make-it-with-one-hand-tied-behind-my-back" is just not happening.

I present to you...
*drumroll*



Chili, Chip, and Cheese!

Canned chili or leftover chili
Tortilla chips
Cheese of your choice, shredded

Crumble chips into and cover the bottom of a baking pan. (9x13, 8x8, pie dish...it doesn't matter, just whatever is clean and how ever much you want. I like glass pans though.)
Spoon chili over chips to make a thin layer.
Sprinkle cheese over chili to cover.
Repeat, layering like lazagna until all your ingredients are gone or the pan is full. Whichever comes first.
Broil until the cheese is melted and there is a light toast to the edge of the chips. But watch closely as it goes from toasted melty goodness to well done in a hurry.

Chicken penne alfredo

This is an easy dish and my husband really likes it.  It is really filling, especially if you use a whole wheat pasta and it's an easy way to stretch chicken, too.  I'm not amazing with estimating the servings as I'm not one to just have one "serving size" portion of something I like but if I had to take a stab at it I'd say this would feed 6 adults.  If you added a side salad and some dinner rolls or crusty bread it would go even further!  Hope you like it. 

Chicken Penne Alfredo
(from Meg's kitchen)

1 lb penne pasta
1 jar of Alfredo sauce
1 carton of mushrooms
1 bag of frozen peas
1 lb bacon
4 chicken breasts
Salt & pepper for seasoning chicken

Season chicken and bake at 350 until internal temp is 170 F. (aprox 15-20 min) Slice chicken into strips.
While chicken is cooking, boil penne in a large stock pot to aldente and drain.  Return pasta to pot.  Defrost peas according to directions on the package.  (I used a microwave)
Cook bacon on a griddle until crispy and then crumble.
Add chicken, bacon, peas, mushrooms, and alfredo sauce to the cooked pasta and heat through.
Enjoy!  :)

Lining Up My Ducks - Come on little guys...line up!

I'm writing this first entry at about 8:00 p.m. while munching on a cold slice of Dominoes Pizza. I know what you're thinking, but I can cook - and I even enjoy cooking. I'm afraid my current calling has been keeping me really busy and neglecting some things at home that I shouldn't be. So I hope this blog will help me get my ducks in a row, maybe improve our family's health, as well as give me and Meg a chance to have some fun. :) I hope you have fun with us too!

Meg's Intro

Hi, all!
I'm flattered that you're still reading and in hopes that you will keep reading I'll continue.
This blog is going to be a hodge-podge of anything involving the heart of the house, ie: the kitchen.  From cooking to baking, from menus to "It's-5:00-what-am-I-making-for-dinner" dinners, from cookbooks to aprons, we are hoping to at least dabble in it all.  Hopefully between the two of us we will be able to post at very least every other day.
By we I mean my mother and myself.  I'll let her introduce herself but I have to get this out in the open right now.  I rarely follow recipes exactly.  I usually will read the recipe to get a feel for what's going on in the dish and then do my own thing, sometimes revisiting the recipe to make sure I don't absolutely ruin dinner.  Which is why I'm not the most experienced baker.  A baker cannot fly by the seat of his/her pants -- the results would not be pretty.


What's for dinner at my house: Chicken penne alfredo with bacon, peas, and mushrooms.