Cooking 4 My Girls

Lightened Up Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry

2012-01-04T16:58:00.001-05:00

Dinner tonight could have been better if it wasn't for the tough beef. I am not sure if the problem with the beef was that it may have been a lower quality of beef, or that I over cooked it. Whatever the reason it was TOUGH! We made Anna chew it for a good five minutes before she could swallow it. Granted it was Anna and she tends to over exagerate if it is something she doesn't want to do.
Besides the tough beef, this was a good dish. The broccoli, onions, and mushrooms were all very good and the cream of mushroom soup added a lot of flavor and the sauce that was left behind tried to help out the dried out tough meat. Sarah liked the beef and kept on asking for more, but the rest of us had one piece and that was enough!

Grade:
If the meat would have been tender: B+
As it was: D+
Ingredients: (Recipe from Campbell's)
Vegetable cooking spray
1 boneless beef sirloin steak, 3/4-inch thick (about 1 pound), sliced into very thin strips
2 cups broccoli florets
6 ounces sliced mushrooms (about 2 cups)
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Healthy Request® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup regular long-grain white rice, cooked according to package directions without salt (about 3 cups)

Directions
1.Spray a 12-inch skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the beef and cook until it's well browned, stirring often. Remove the beef from the skillet and set aside.

2.Remove the skillet from the heat and spray with the cooking spray. Add the broccoli, mushrooms, onion and garlic powder and cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring often.

3.Stir the soup, water and soy sauce in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the beef to the skillet and cook until it's cooked through. Serve the beef mixture over the rice.

If you can't tell by Sarah's face, TOUGH!

Not sure what Emily is eating, but she didn't eat much.

Anna "forcing" rice into her mouth.

Looks like Lucy's mugshot.

Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Barbecue Sauce

2011-12-07T19:57:00.002-05:00

What an amazing success with dinner tonight!!!! I wasn't sure how the girls were going to like pork tenderloin because it is hit or miss (usually a miss) with meat, but I wanted to make it. I looked easy to make and something quick I could put together without much prep. When the tenderloin was in the oven I let the girls try a little bit of the rub that was on the tenderloin and they liked it. I made some peas (which I know they love) and gave them a little bit of the pork. They could stop eating it! I had to make them eat their peas just to slow them down. We could have easily eaten the full pound of tenderloin just the four girls and myself. So if you are looking for something that has a lot of flavor and picky eaters might like, I recommend this recipe!!

Grade: A+

What You Need:
1 lb. pork tenderloin

1 Tbsp. GOOD SEASONS Garlic & Herb Dressing Mix
1/2 tsp. each paprika, dried thyme leaves and dried sage leaves
1/2 cup BULL'S-EYE Original Barbecue Sauce

Make It:
HEAT oven to 425°F.
PLACE meat in foil-lined shallow baking pan. Mix dressing mix and seasonings until blended; rub evenly over meat.
BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until done (160°F).
CUT into slices. Serve with barbecue sauce.

Sarah likes big bites!!!

Anna ate her first portion before I
could get the camera!

Lucy with her first of many bites!

Emily mid-bite.

Tuna & Pasta Cheddar Melt

2011-11-13T18:07:00.001-05:00

This was a good, fast, an hearty meal. The best part may be that there was very little dishes to clean up. If I made this again, I would mix the peas and carrots into the tuna/pasta dish instead of having it on the side. The girls all ate it, except for Anna. She thought it tasted bad (I don't think she actually tried it).

Grade: B+

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Chicken Broth

1 soup can water

3 cups uncooked corkscrew-shaped pasta (rotini)

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 cup milk

1 can (about 6 ounces) tuna, drained and flaked

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

2 tablespoons Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs

2 teaspoons butter, melted

1. Heat the broth and water in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat to a boil. Stir in the pasta. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the pasta is tender, stirring often. Do not drain.
2. Stir the soup, milk and tuna in the skillet. Top with the cheese. Stir the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the tuna mixture. Cook until the cheese is melted.

Lucyliked her tuna pasta.

Emily ate all of hers.

Like pulling teeth with Anna!

Sarah doing her best "Emily" face.

Beef and Chipotle Burrito

2011-11-03T19:37:00.003-04:00

This slow cooker meal was great for the adults, not so much for thegirls however. It was a little spicy for the girls under six needed a lot ofsour cream to dip their burritos in order to eat it. Anna and Emily did theirbest to finish it. The adults enjoyed it greatly. Hindsight, I would have onlyput half of the chipotle peppers in. Jen did teach me how to properly fold a burritosso the insides, remain inside.

Grade:

Adults: A-

Kids: D

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds boneless beef round steak, cut ¾ inch thick

1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)

1 14 ½ ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 to 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

¼ tsp ground cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

6 9-10 inch tortillas, warmed

¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 6 pieces. In a3 ½ or 4-quart crockery cooker place meat, undrained tomatoes, onion, chipotlepeppers, oregano, cumin, and garlic.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Remove meat from cooker. Using 2 forks, pullmeat apart into shreds. Place meat in a large bowl. Stir in cooking liquid toreach desired consistency. Divide meat among warm tortilla, spooning it justbelow the center. Top with cheese.

Anna ate all of the spicy burrito!

Emily gave it a good try.

You can tell by the look on Lucy's face, she's not liking it.

Sarah started out on "fire" by did not finish.

Chili Rice with Chicken

2011-11-02T09:41:00.003-04:00

No pictures. Worst meal I have ever cooked! I don't know if the tomatoes were rancid or maybe the chicken, but it was horrible. I ate a few bites and then threw out the rest. I strongly do not recommend cooking this, or maybe it was just a bad batch.

Grade: F

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil

12 oz boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch long by ¼ inch wide strips

½ green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

½ red bell pepper, coarsely chopped (I used 1 green instead of ½ red)

½ cup minced onion

1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper (I omitted this)

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp minced fresh oregano (or ½ tsp dried oregano)

½ tsp ground cumin

3 cups cooked rice (long-grain white or brown)

1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice

½ tsp pepper

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until it is no longer pink on the outside. Stir in the bell peppers, onion, jalapeño pepper, garlic, chili powder, dried oregano (if using), and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the rice, tomatoes with juice, fresh oregano (if using), and pepper. Heat through, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Chicken Fried Steak

2011-10-26T21:47:00.000-04:00

Chicken Fried Steak and frozen peas and carrots (like Forest and Jenny)

This was a good Wednesday night meal. The girls, even Anna, ate a minimum of two pieces of the steak. Lucy and Sarah kept asking for more and more meat. I over cooked it a little bit, as I should have reduced the time I left it on Medium-Low. This was the first time I have ever made gravy and it wasn't too bad.

Grade: B+

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless beef top round steak, cut ½ inch thick

¾ cup fine dry bread crumbs

1 ½ tsp snipped fresh basil or oregano

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 beaten egg

1 Tbs milk

2 Tbs cooking oil

1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings

2 Tbs all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups milk

1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 4 serving-sizepieces. Place each piece of meat between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Working fromcenter to edges, pound meat lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet to ¼ inch thickness. Remove plastic wrap.

2. In a shallow dish or on waxed paper combinebread crumbs, basil, the ½ tsp salt, and the ¼ tsp pepper. In another shallowdish combine egg and the 1 Tbs milk. Dip meat pieces into egg mixture, thencoat with the bread crumb mixture.

3. In a 12-inch skillet cook meat, half at time, inhot oil over medium heat about 6 minutes or until brown, turning once. (Addmore oil, if necessary.) Return all meat to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low.Cover and cook for 45 to 60 minutes more or until meat is tender. Transfer meatto a serving platter, reserving drippings in skillet. Keep warm.

For gravy, cook onion in reserved drippings until tender but not brown. (Add more oil, if necessary.) Stir in flour. Gradually stir in the 1 1/3 cups milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. If desired, season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve gravy with meat.

Sarah eating her first of many pieces.

Anna actually eating steak!

Emily, mid-bite

Lucy chewing away.

Sweet ‘n Sour Chicken Over Potatoes

2011-10-26T17:22:00.003-04:00

This slowcooker meal was made on our “Slow Cooker Monday.”

I don't have any pictures for this meal because I was not "at" dinner during the time the girls were eating this. Actually, I am not sure if they ate this or not. Jen might have taken the path to least resistance and took the pizza route. I had it on Tuesday for lunch and it was moist and the potatoes had a pineapplely taste (yes, I am aware that pineapplely is not a word).

Grade: B-

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and sliced thin

4 whole chicken breasts, skinned and halved

1 cup orange juice

2 Tbs brown sugar

1 tsp dried basil

¼ tsp. nutmeg

2 Tbs cider vinegar

Dried parsley flakes

17-oz can pineapple chunks in water, drained

1. Place sliced potatoes in slow cooker. Arrangechicken breasts over potatoes.

2. Combine orange juice, brown sugar, basil,nutmeg, and vinegar. Pour over chicken.

3. Sprinkle dried parsley flakes over chicken.

4. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

5. Remove chicken breasts and potatoes from sauceand arrange on a warm platter.

6. Add pineapple chunks to sauce remaining in slowcooker. Cook on high until they are at serving temperature.

7. Pour sauce over chicken and potatoes.

Homemade cheese sticks and Creamy Corn and Garlic Risotto

2011-10-23T18:23:00.000-04:00

Tonight’s dinner is a mixture of a cheese stick and a corn risotto. Jen and the girls were out of town, and I had some time to plan the meals for the week, so I will be posting all four meals that are prepared during the week. The Sunday night meal is vegetarian, the Monday/Tuesday is a slow cooker meal, Wednesday is steak, and Thursday/Friday is chicken with rice.

Tonight's meal was a huge success! The cheesesticks came out great, just like the picture in the cookbook (which never happens!). The risotto was creamy and cheesey and tasted amazing. I would make both items again.

Grade: A

String Cheese Sticks with Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1 package of plain string cheese
1 Tbs butter (melted)
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 can pizza sauce
1.       Heat oven to 450. Stir Bisquick and milk until soft dough forms; beat 30 seconds with spoon. Place dough on surface sprinkled with Bisquick; gently roll in Bisquick to coat. Shape into a ball; knead 10 times.
2.       Roll dough ¼ inch thick. Cut into eight 6x2-inch rectangles. Roll each rectangle around 1 piece of cheese. Pinch edge into each roll to seal; seal ends. Roll on surface to completely enclose cheese sticks. Place seam sides down on ungreased cookie sheet.
3.       Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Mix butter and garlic powder; brush over warm cheese sticks before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping (or ranch like my girls).

Creamy Corn and Garlic Risotto

Ingredients:
3 ¾ cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked Arborio or white rice
3 cups frozen whole kernel corn
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1.       Heat 1/3 cup of the broth to boiling in 10-inch skillet. Cook garlic in broth 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice and frozen corn. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
2.       Stir in remaining broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tener and creamy; remove from heat.
3.       Stir in cheese.

Lucy trying to see how far she could stretch her cheese.

Emily with another, "Emily" face.

Anna loved the cheesestick more than her risotto.

Sarah with a mouth full of cheese!

Bunny Puffs

2011-08-09T10:47:00.000-04:00

This recipe is from the Pillsbury Crescents small recipe book that you can buy in the check out line in the super market. Jen bought this a while ago because I looked at the coupons at the back of the book and the expire in 2008, so it is pretty old. These bunnies were not in the dessert category of the book, but I think they are a great dessert. There is one piece of candy and the rest, besides the tiny marshmallow and the M&M for the eyes.

Grade: B+

Bunny Puffs
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
8 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cup candies, unwrapped
8 white miniature marshmallows, cut in half
4 pink miniature marshmallows, cut in half
16 blue miniature candy-coated semi-sweet chocolate baking bits (I used M&ms)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper; spray paper with cooking spray.
2. Unroll dough and separate into 8 triangles. Place 1 peanut butter cup in center of 1 triangle. Gently stretch corners closest to and farthest from cup together at top of cup, pinching edges together to seal around cup. Pull up third corner; firmly pinch edges to seal. Place on cookie sheet; twist 2 longest tips of dough o make ears. If desired, bend down longer ear. Repeat with remaining dough triangles and peanut butter cups, shaping and trimming dough as needed for desired shape.
3. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until puffs begin to brown. Place 2 white miniature marshmallow halves and 1 pink marshmallow half on center of each for bunny eyes and nose. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until puffs are golden brown and marshmallows are slightly puffed.
4. For eyes, immediately place 2 blue baking bits on white miniature marshmallows for pupil; remove puffs to cooling rack.

Anna enjoying the peanut butter cup.

Emily thinks it is so funny to eat the bunny.

Sarah attempting to show you her bunny.

Lucy loving the ears!

English Muffin Pizza

2011-08-08T15:56:00.004-04:00

This was a make your own “pizza” night at the Hall household. We let the girls make their own pizza on the toasted English muffin as you will see in the video. The choices for the girls were pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and sliced mushrooms. The videos are all under 30 seconds, but be sure to watch Emily take a bite out of her pizza before cooking it.

Taste Grade: B-

Fun for the girls grade: A+

Sarah

Anna

Lucy

Emily

Sarah digging in.

Lucy took forever to finish her pizza!

Emily finding out that cooked pizza is better than raw pizza.

Anna loves her pizza and she now likes mushrooms!

Breakfast for Dinner

2011-08-07T19:45:00.000-04:00

Pink Waffles, Hush Puppies, Banana/Grape fruit salad

Who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner? Not us, our girls would eat breakfast for every meal if they could. The truth about why we ended up having this for dinner is I promised the girls pink waffles for breakfast and was too lazy to make it in the morning. I saw the hush puppies on the next page from the waffles in the BHG cookbook and I thought, why not. I had never made hush puppies before, but like eating them whenever I had been somewhere that served them. I am not sure if they go with the breakfast for dinner, but who cares? Anna and Lucy did not care too much for the hush puppies (even though they love them at restaurants) but Sarah kept on eating the puppies throughout dinner. In fact, for dessert we had Popsicles and Sarah had a Popsicle in one hand and a hush puppy on the end of a fork in the other.

Grade: B

Waffles

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

2 TBS sugar

1 TBS baking powder

2 eggs

1 ¾ cups milk

½ cup cooking oil or butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In another medium bowl beat eggs slightly; stir in milk, oil, and vanilla. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy.)

3. Pour 1 to 1 ¼ cups of batter onto grids of a preheated, lightly greased waffle baker. Close lid quickly; do not open until done. Bake according to manufacturer’s directions. When done, use a fork to lift waffle off grid. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm.

Hush Puppies

1 cup cornmeal

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp sugar

¾ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 beaten egg

½ cup buttermilk or sour milk

¼ cup sliced green onions (I omitted these)

Shortening or cooking oil for deep-fat frying

1. In a medium bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In another bowl combine egg, buttermilk, and green onions. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy)

3. Drop batter by tablespoons into deep, hot fat (375) Fry about 3 minutes or until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

Sarah eating her first hush puppy

Emily giving you a typical Emily face!

Anna opening her mouth double the amount that she needs for the tiny piece of food.

Lucy telling me to take a picture of Sarah.

Belgium and Butter Night

2011-08-04T22:50:00.000-04:00

I am calling this meal a “Belgium and Butter” meal because of the Brussel sprouts, but I understand that is a stretch to say the least. Anyways, you might be saying, “Your girls ate Brussel sprouts!?” And the answer to that would be, yes we made them try at least one bite. For the most part they like them, but that was because of the excitement that I created before presenting them at the table.

When I came back from the store with my fresh Brussel sprouts, I called the girls together and I showed the sprouts to them and how they looked like little lettuce heads. They thought they looked so cute. This was around 3:00 and they kept coming downstairs hoping that it was dinnertime so they could have the Brussel sprouts. You have to do what you have to do to get your kids to eat healthy, right.

This meal looks/sounds healthy from the listing of food that is included, but it has a decent amount of butter when you combine all three. Maybe that is why it is so good! For the chicken, I took wheat-chex cereal, fresh basil, and oregano and put it into a food processor. I used this instead of breadcrumbs for the coating. I made an egg wash to dip the chicken in before rolling it around in the chex mixture. I set the oven at 350 degrees and put one stick of butter in an 9x12 inch pan and put it in the oven. Once the butter was melted, I put the chicken in a single layer and cooked it for 30 minutes. (Depending on the size of the chicken times will vary.)

The chicken was extremely moist, as it should be considering it was baked in a layer of melted butter.

I did not do anything special for the baby Yukon potatoes. Just boiled and salted and of course stirred around some butter!

Grade: A

Brussels Sprouts Recipe

INGREDIENTS

· 1 lb fresh brussels sprouts

· 4-6 Tbsp butter

· 1/2 onion, chopped

· Salt and Pepper

· 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice, fresh squeezed

· 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

METHOD

1 Remove any ragged or old-looking outer leaves on the brussels sprouts and discard. Parboil the brussels sprouts (or steam them) for 3 minutes or until just tender. They should be almost cooked all the way through (split one in half to test). Strain the hot water and place the sprouts in a bowl of ice water, this will keep their color bright green. Cut the sprouts into halves.

2 Heat 2-3 Tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp more of butter and the brussels sprouts halves. Increase the heat to medium high and cook for several more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, while the brussels sprouts are cooking. Do not overcook! Overcooked brussels sprouts are bitter and are the main reason why some people don't like them.

3 Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and half of the toasted almonds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in serving dish and garnish with the rest of the toasted almonds.

Sarah making sure her chicken is not too hot!

Emily sticking as much of the chicken into her mouth as she can.

Anna pouting because she wanted to eat a whole Brussel sprout and I cut it!

Lucy just put something in her mouth, but I have no idea what it is.

French Night :-)

2011-07-27T21:28:00.000-04:00

French night was a success. The chicken was extremely juicy and the asparagus and cream sauce was perfect. I messed up the sauce that goes with the chicken, but the chicken didn’t need the sauce anyways. Lucy did not eat the asparagus, no surprise there, but all the other girls ate more than one piece.

I personally am enjoying doing the different themes of food from around the world. We talk about where the country is that the meals are originally from. Fortunately because of the Wonder Pets, Dora, Diego, and other shows they are kind of aware of the countries. For this dinner we told the girls how to say hello, goodbye, and beached whale in French.

Grade: A-

French Chicken Breast with Orange Tarragon Sauce

Ingredients

· 8 chicken breasts, skin on and wing bone attached

· 4 tablespoons butter

· 4 tablespoons olive oil

· Salt and pepper

· 1/2 cup orange juice

· 2 cups chicken broth

· 2 sprigs tarragon

· 4 TBS unsalted butter, cut into bits

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet and place it over high heat for 2 minutes. Season the chicken breasts with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and place 4 of the breasts in the pan skin side down. Sear for 1 minute or until the skin is crispy and a golden brown. Turn the breasts and sear 1 more minute. Remove to a baking dish and repeat the process with the rest of the butter, oil and breasts. Place the baking dish into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add orange juice, chicken broth, and tarragon to the hot skillet. Cook until reduced by about 3/4 (sauce should coat the back of a spoon). Right before serving, whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve the chicken with the sauce spooned over the top.

Asparagus in Tarragon Cream Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

· 2 tablespoons butter

· 3 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

· 1 shallot, finely chopped

· 1 teaspoon lemon juice

· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

· 2/3 cup vegetable stock

· 1/3 cup heavy cream

· 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh tarragon (1 teaspoon dried tarragon)

· 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1 1/2 pounds green asparagus, trimmed

Preparation:

In a medium size saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add the shallot and lemon juice to the pan and cook the mixture for an additional 3 minutes.

Stir the flour into the mushrooms until completely incorporated, and then add the vegetable stock, stirring until the sauce becomes smooth and thicken slightly. Stir in the heavy cream, tarragon, and nutmeg, and then heat through. (Do not allow the sauce to simmer) Once the sauce is heated, remove it from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.

Bring a large shallow pan of water to a boil and salt it. Gently place the asparagus into the water, reduce heat, and cover with a lid. Cook the asparagus for 5-7 minutes, until it’s tender. Drain and serve immediately with the hot tarragon cream sauce.

Sarah digging into the asparagus.

Lucy giving me the evil eye as I take her picture.

Anna very tired during her trip to France.

Emily, in Jen's dress, enjoying her chicken.

Mexican Night

2011-07-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

For our Mexican night, I made Cheese Quesadilla with a roasted sweet corn with coconut for the side dish. We went to Dairy Queen for dinner on our way home from vacation a month or so ago and Jen got a quesadilla. We noticed that they made their quesadilla using a waffle maker and we decided to try it. It works brilliantly! All you do is spray the waffle iron with a non-stick cooking spray and turn on. Put down the bottom quesadilla, add whatever you want into the middle, and add the top quesadilla and close the lid. When you hear the cheese melting it is finished. I used Mexican Cheddar-Jack cheese and it was the best tasting cheese quesadilla I have ever had. I highly recommend using the Cheddar-Jack for your Mexican cheese blend.

The roasted sweet corn/coconut was pretty good and easy to make. Because I was making it for everyone, I left the seeds of the jalapeno (which is fresh from the garden) out so it was not too spicy. In hindsight, I should have left some of the seeds of the jalapeno in the corn because with the lime juice it was a little too sweet and needed some spicy to counteract the sweetness. All of the girls tried the corn, except for Lucy and they liked what they ate. Well except Anna said it was too sweet (I think she heard me talking about it).

Grade: A

Roasted Sweet Corn with Coconut

Ingredients

· Nonstick cooking spray

· 5 ears corn, kernels removed (2-1/2 cups)

· 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

· 1 Tbs. minced jalapeno pepper, seeded if desired (optional)

· 2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

· 2 Tbs. flaked or shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened

· 4 tsp. lime juice

· 1/8 tsp. salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Coat a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Mix corn with olive oil and jalapeno, if using, in a medium bowl. Spread the corn mixture out evenly in the prepared pan. Roast corn, stirring once, until browned slightly and crisp tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Scrape the corn mixture back into the bowl and mix in cilantro, coconut, lime juice, and salt. Serve warm.

Sarah showing you what she is eating.

Lucy is still working with chewing with her mouth closed.

Emily chowing down on the quesadilla

The Asian Christmas Meal

2011-07-21T17:21:00.000-04:00

What is great to eat for dinner when it is 95 degrees and extremely humid outside? If you said steak stir-fry and a holiday cauliflower casserole you guessed what we had for dinner tonight. If you are thinking any of the following: “Those don’t go together!” “Why would you make that hot heavy dish when it is the middle of summer?” or “I don’t like Swiss cheese!” then you are thinking along the lines of what Jen was thinking when she saw what was for dinner.
I admit that this doesn’t sound like something I would want to eat on July 20th, but it was good. I made the cauliflower casserole because the girls ate cauliflower on Sunday and I wanted to exploit the fact that they will eat a vegetable that is healthy for them. Granted I put 1.5 oz. of Swiss cheese in with the cauliflower, but it still had something healthy, right?
When I make the Holiday Cauliflower Casserole again I will add some Cyan pepper or something to give it a little kick. It was good, but needed a little something extra. The stir-fry meat was a little overdone. I should have cooked it about two minutes less, but the sauce was good “even though I did not use all of the items that were in the recipe).

Grade: A-

Holiday Cauliflower

Ingredients
6 cups water
6 cups cauliflower florets (1 large head cauliflower)
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
¼ cup chopped green sweet pepper
¼ cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese ( I used 1.5)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large saucepan bring the water to boiling. Add cauliflower; cook for 4-6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain cauliflower; set aside.
2. For sauce, in a medium saucepan cook mushrooms and sweet pepper in hot butter until pepper is tender. Stire in flour and salt. Add the milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in Swiss cheese until melted.
3. In a 1.5-quart casserole layer half of the cauliflower and half of the sauce. Top with remaining cauliflower and sauce.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Sesame Orange Beef

Ingredients:
8 ounces fresh green beans, halved crosswise
2 tsp sesame seeds (didn’t do)
½ cup orange juice
2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS toasted sesame oil (didn’t do)
1 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp finely shredded orange peel
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup bias-sliced green onions (I used ¼ of white onion, diced)
1 TBS grated fresh ginger (used ground)
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces boneless beef sirloin steak, thinly sliced
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned or thinly sliced crosswise

1. In a covered medium saucepan, cook green beans in a small amount of boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet cook sesame seed over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Set aside.
3. For sauce, in a small bowl combine orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, and orange peel; set aside.
4. Coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic to hot skillet; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the precooked green beans; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet.
5. Carefully add oil to the hot skillet. Add beef; stir-fry about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet.
6. Stir sauce; add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubble; cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Return meat and vegetables to skillet. Heat through, stirring to coat all ingredients with sauce. Serve over hot cooked brown rice. Top with orange sections and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Anna making sure there are no seeds.

Emily trying to squash the orange.

Sarah looking suspicious.

Lucy not sure what to think about the dinner.

Italian Night

2011-07-20T20:53:00.000-04:00

"What do you want for dinner girls?" Of course we all know the answer......PIZZA! So I suggested that we have Pizza breadsticks and the girls were all loving the idea, but that is only a side dish what goes with "pizza?" Of course pasta. So our Italian Night was born. Jen found the pasta dish on Kraft.com and the breadsticks were from Better Homes and Garden.

I made the mistake of picking up thin crust pizza dough and therefore the breadsticks were a little too close to burned for my liking, but the girls liked it. The pasta dish was very good. The vegetables I added was red peppers, zucchini, and fresh spinach.

Grade: B+

Creamy Pasta Primavera

what you need

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces

1-1/2 cups cut-up fresh asparagus (1-inch lengths)

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
make itCOOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package.
MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and vegetables; cook 10 to 12 min. or until chicken is done, stirring frequently. Add broth and Neufchatel; cook 1 min. or until Neufchatel is melted, stirring constantly. Stir in Parmesan.
DRAIN pasta; return to pan. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Cook 1 min. or until heated through. (Sauce will thicken upon standing.)
Pizza Breadsticks
Ingredients:1 10-ounce package refrigerated pizza dough2 TBS butter or margarine, melted1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed1/4 tsp garlic powder1/8 tsp ground red pepper1 8-oz can pizza sauce, warmed.
1. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Unroll pizza dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands, press the dough into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the melted butter.2. In a small bowl combine Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper; sprinkle over dough. Using a sharp knife, cut dough crosswise into twelve 1-in strips; cut in half lengthwise to make 24 strips. 3. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with pizza sauce.

Emily trying to suck it up like spaghetti.

Lucy eating so fast her food is blurry!

Anna was in a "special" mood for Italian night.

Sarah giving you a kiss?

Royal Raspberry Cheesecake

2011-07-09T18:41:00.000-04:00

This was a great cheesecake to make. The crust was sweet, but not too sweet. Also, you can have as little or as much of the sauce that you want because you pour it on to individual pieces. This was my second cheesecake that I have made this summer and it definitely came out better than the first one. The adults liked it better than the girls, but oh well, I didn't make it for them! ;-)

Grade: B+

Royal Raspberry Cheesecake
¾ cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbls sugar
½ tsp finely grated lemon peel
6 Tbls butter, softened
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Filling
3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
½ tsp finely grated lemon peel
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 Tbls all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
¼ cup milk
Raspberry Sauce
1 Tbls cornstarch
1 package (10 oz) frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed and crushed
½ cup currant jelly (I used apricot preserves)
3 cups whole raspberries

Directions
1. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and lemon peel. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in egg yolk and vanilla. Pat half of dough onto bottom of a greased 9-in spring form pan with sides removed. Bake at 400 degree for 7 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. Attach sides of pan and grease sides. Pat remaining dough 1-1/2 in. up the sides and press onto bottom crust along the sides of pan. Set aside.
2. For filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, lemon peel, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the sugar, flour and salt; add to cream cheese mixture, beating until smooth. Add eggs and yolk; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in milk. Pour into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour. Chill overnight.
4. For sauce, combine the cornstarch and crushed raspberries in a saucepan until blended. Stir in jelly. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat; strain to remove berry seeds. Discard seeds. Cool sauce; refrigerate until serving.
5. Just before serving, remove sides of pan. Cut cheesecake into slices; garnish with sauce and fresh berries. Refrigerate leftovers.

Lucy deciding against the fork.

Sarah being fed a bite. (really, you don't want to try it by yourself?)

Anna enjoying small bites.

Steak, Rice, and Peas

2011-07-07T18:19:00.000-04:00

Wow was this a big time success and simple. The steaks were grilled straight out of the package. The peas were frozen and then microwaved, and the wild rice out of a box and done on the stove top. I cut each girl one piece of steak and everyone, except for Anna, asked for a second piece. All the girls ate the rice which may not sound like a big deal, but normally they refuse to eat rice. There were not any major fighting/yelling at the table. I gave all of the "recipes" for our dinner above so enjoy the pictures.

BTW: on top of my steak is a grilled banana pepper from our garden.

Grade: B

Lucy chewing away.

Sarah showing you the steak.

Anna delicately placing a pea in her mouth.

The best picture of Emily I took!

What to do with leftover noodles?

2011-04-27T23:45:00.000-04:00

After Dyngus Day, we had a decent amount of buttered noodles leftover and I was just going to reheat them and eat them the same way that we did the night before. However, Jen forwarded me a recipe that she wanted me to cook that was a pasta dish, but I thought she wanted me to use the buttered noodles. The recipe did not make sense with leftover noodles, so I did not follow the recipe but used most of the things she bought for the dinner she was planning. Below is what I did.....

I took a package of coleslaw, sliced mushrooms, and a package shredded lettuce and sauteed them in a big pan. After about ten minutes, I added the noodles and let the flavors combine for another five minutes. That was it and it was really good. I think it was the cabbage taste that I liked so much, but Jen and I liked it much better than the girls. You will notice that Sarah's picture is missing because she refused to even try it!

Grade: B-

Anna looking a little "drugged" out

Lucy discovering slurping the wide noodles are a little tougher than the thin.

Emily trying to figure out what the different pieces are.

Awesome Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

2011-04-26T21:00:00.000-04:00

The garlic toast added a lot to the grilled cheese. Emily ended up just eating all of the butter/garlic off of the bread and ate some of the chex mix. Easy way to make a simple grilled cheese special.

Grade: B+

1 package (11.25 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Garlic Texas Toast

6 slices fontina cheese or fresh mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)

6 thin slices deli smoked turkey (about 4 ounces)
3 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces)
1 jar (12 ounces) roasted red peppers strips, drained

1. Top 3 bread slices with half the cheese, the turkey, prosciutto and peppers. Top with the remaining cheese and bread slices.

2. Heat the panini maker. Add the sandwiches in batches and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted.

Alternate Preparation: If you don't have a panini maker, you can use a grill pan or a skillet. Heat the pan over medium heat. Add the sandwiches in batches and cook for 5 minutes, pressing down on the sandwiches with a spatula, until they're lightly browned on both sides and the cheese is melted, turning the sandwiches over once halfway through the cooking time. You can also weight the sandwiches down with a foil-wrapped brick or a cast-iron skillet instead of pressing down with a spatula.

Flavor Variation: For a spicier flavor, sprinkle a dash of crushed red pepper flakes on the cheese when assembling the sandwiches.

Makes: 3 servings.

Anna's second picture because Lucy was dancing in her underwear in the first!

Sarah putting her pouting face out.

Emily slurping her drink.

Dyngus Day Dinner!

2011-04-25T21:18:00.000-04:00

Being from South Bend, I am the only person that I know, that is not from South Bend, that has heard of Dyngus Day! Dyngus Day is a Polish holiday that is celebrated the Monday after the Easter holiday. I looked up the origins of this day and what traditions go along with Dyngus Day and I suggest you Google it for yourself if you want a good laugh. So being in the mood of Polish food, I designed a dinner menu that would fit into Polish traditions (as far as I know).

This dinner was one of the best dinners we have had for a long time. The buttered noodles had some good flavoring, and who doesn't like Amish noodles? The sausage is always a favorite in my household because the girls just keep on asking for more hotdogs! I think they could have finished the entire smoked sausage if I would have let them. Also, the surprise of the night was the goat cheese. I have never had it and I thought it was going to be gross, but just the opposite, it is really good! Anna and Lucy kept wanting more and Sarah liked it but was way too into the sausage. Emily on the other hand, wiped it on the table exclaming "DISGUSTING!" This was an enjoyable meal that featured no fighting or refusing to eat.

Grade: A+

Buttered Noodles:
I took a wide egg noodle (Amish) and boiled the entire bag (9 cups) until they were done to my likeness. Meanwhile for the butter sauce, I melted a stick of butter with a teaspoon of ground thyme and ground basil. Stirred them all together. After I drained the noodles, I returned them to the original pot and added the butter sauce. Stirred the noodles and butter together and that is all there was to the buttered noodles.

Smoked Sausage: For the sausage, I heated my girl pan to medium heat and cut the sausage length-wise and then into 1 inch pieces. I put them on the grill pan, stirring often, until they were heated all the way through.

Goat Cheese and crackers: Random, I know, but while looking up information about Dyngus Day I read something about goat cheese and desided to try it.

Emily sucking up a noodle.

Lucy loving her "hot dog"

Anna smearing goat cheese on her teeth

Sarah savoring her sausage.

Paprika Chicken with Sour Cream Gravy

2011-04-15T11:21:00.000-04:00

This has been by far the most delicious chicken dish I have ever cooked, or for the matter, eaten! I think it has something to do with the chicken basically being cooked in butter. I didn't say it was healthy, but it is amazing. Also, a bonus is that your house smells like melted butter and who doesn't love that smell? I did not get any pictures of the dish or the girls eating it, but the picture posted above is from Campbell's because that is where the recipe came from. If you like juicy chicken and a really good gravy to go with it, TRY THIS!!!!!

Grade: A++

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup butter
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
2 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
1 container (8 ounces) sour cream

1. Stir the flour, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and red pepper on a plate. Coat the chicken with the paprika mixture.

2. Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

3. Stir the soup and green onions in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the sour cream.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a rice blend, steamed cut green beans and carrot slices. For dessert serve your favorite fruit and gelatin combination.
Makes: 4 servings.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

2011-01-12T18:21:00.001-05:00

I do not have any pictures of the bread or anybody eating the bread, but I can safely say that this is one of the best tasting bread that I have ever made. I made mini-loaves for some people as holiday presents and I got positive feedback. The recipe is from The taste of home Baking Book. It is not difficult and taste very comforting. Enjoy.

Grade:A

Ingredients
3 C sugar
1 c vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
3.5 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground allspice
½ C water
1. Ina large bowl, combine the sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, cloves and allspice; add to the pumpkin mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition.
2. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Chicken with Creamy Corn and Potatoes

2011-01-11T20:04:00.005-05:00

Jen found this recipe on Kraft.com and it was extremely good! It was not that difficult to make and the girls ate almost as much as Jen and I did. It looks like something you might find on the side of the road. It looks so bad because I burned the potatoes and chicken a little and did not remove it from the skillet before adding the cream cheese. The girls' favorite part was squirting the lime over their food.

Grade: A-

What You Need
1/2 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 lb. baking potatoes (about 2), cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can (15-1/4 oz.) corn, drained
1 cup chicken broth
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Make It
HEAT dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and potatoes; cover. Cook 15 to 18 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF), turning occasionally. Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm.

ADD onions and peppers to skillet; cook 5 min., stirring occasionally. Add corn and broth. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer 3 min. or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream cheese; cook 2 min. or until melted, stirring occasionally.

TOP with shredded cheese and cilantro. Serve with chicken and lime wedges.

Emily after the second lime wedge!

Anna excited there isn't anything too "weird"

Minnie Mouse (Sarah) with a piece of chicken.

Waffles

2010-12-30T17:59:00.005-05:00

Well, I got a new 4-waffle-iron for Christmas from my mom because it was taking way too long to make waffles for our family with the small 1-waffle-iron Jen and I got for our wedding. So as soon as we got home from our travels over the holiday week, I busted it out to make breakfast for dinner. Our family loves breakfast and I know that we will love having the updated waffle iron. I did not just use the "just add water" mix from a box. Instead I made the waffles from scratch and the combination of the new iron and amazing mix made these one of the best waffles I have ever eaten. I am not kidding! I also made scrambled eggs and sausage, but the waffles were the hit of dinner tonight for all of us.

Grade: A+

Waffles:

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

2 eggs

1 3/4 c milk

1/2 c cooking oil
1 tsp vanilla

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In another medium bowl beat eggs slightly; stir in milk, oil, and vanilla. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy).

3. Pour 1 to 1 1/4 cups of batter onto grids of a preheated, lightly greased waffle baker. Close lid quickly; do not open until done. Bake according to manufacturer's directions. When done, use a fork to lift waffle off grid. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm.

Lucy eating some eggs.

Sarah (we are potty training and that is why she doesn't have pants)

Emily is happy to be home!

Anna actually eating dinner without a fight!

Kids Are Gross

2010-12-06T19:55:00.002-05:00

I know that I have not been posting lately, but this is how a lot of our meals have been. On the girls plates there was a hot dog in a bun, some yogurt, and grapes, and all of the girls combined the yogurt with grapes and hot dogs. They are nasty little girls!

Ghouls-in-the-Graveyard

2010-10-27T20:03:00.003-04:00

This dinner looked like a cute idea, but the girls did eat the macaroni because it stuck together, but they did eat the hotdogs. In the end I thought it looked like "male-parts" sticking up out of the macaroni rather than ghouls. Also, you need to put the hotdogs close together or you don't stand a chance to transport the section with the hotdog still sticking up. I don't have any pictures, but trust me, they didn't eat any of the mac&cheese and couldn't get up fast enough. And the picture above is the picture that came with the recipe on Kraft.

Grades:
Idea: B+
taste: C
Kid's like it: D-

What You Need2 pkg. (7-1/4 oz. each) KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner 1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 2 eggs, beaten 1 pkg. (16 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Wieners, cut crosswise in half 1 tsp. yellow mustard Make ItHEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE Dinners in large saucepan as directed on package. Stir in mozzarella and eggs.

SPOON into foil-lined 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Stand wieners, in 4 rows of 5 wieners each, in Dinner mixture for the ghouls.

BAKE 20 min.; cool 5 min. Add small dabs of mustard to wieners for the ghouls' eyes.

Why Does McDonalds Tea Come in Non-Recylable Styrofoam Cups?

2010-08-20T14:58:00.001-04:00

Why Does McDonalds Tea Come in Non-Recylable Styrofoam Cups?

This was an article that I found when I was searching about McDonalds styrofoam cups. The cups have a recycling symbol, but will they actually recycle it. Interesting read.

Beer Can Chicken and Corn on the Cob

2010-07-29T21:25:00.009-04:00

Our little chicken fresh out of the grill. Adorable

I have scene/heard of beer can chicken and everything that I have heard about it was how good it was. I was a little sceptical, but thought it was worth a try. Let me tell you one thing about the chicken, besides how cute it looked sitting up, it was not hard and very good. The meat was juicy and it had nice flavor to it. The recipe that I used was from Guy Fieri (Food Network), but I made a few changes to the recipe. First, I cooked it on the grill instead of the oven. I had the grill on medium heat (375ish) and cooked it until it was 165 (about 1.5 hours). The other thing that I did not do was the bacon and the chicken was pretty good without it.
The girls loved it! We had a friend over, so a total of 7 people for dinner, and out of a 4.5 lb chicken, there is only a small handful left. Sarah kept on shoveling it in. All of the pictures have the girls eating corn on the cob, but trust me, the chicken was a hit too.
Enjoy!

Grade: A+ (And for those of you that notice the grades, I am a tough grader!)

Ingredients
1 (2 to 3-pound) whole chicken
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 (12-ounce) can beer
1/2 pound bacon
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Wash chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Mix dry ingredients in small bowl. Rub 1/2 of the ingredients on inside cavity of chicken. Gently peel skin away from chicken and rub mixture into meat of chicken. Open beer can pour out about 1/2 cup. Drop the garlic cloves into the beer can. Place chicken, open end down, over the beer can to insert the beer into the cavity. Place chicken, standing up, in large saute pan. Place 1/3 of the bacon in the top cavity of the chicken and drape the remaining 2/3 of the bacon down the outside of the chicken. Pierce the bacon to the chicken with toothpicks.

Place chicken in the oven for 10 minutes and then lower temperature to 325 degrees F and cook for another 1 hour, or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

My "School-Wife" was over for dinner.

Anna looks like she drank the other half of the beer!

Emily clapping for herself between bites.

Lucy digging into the corn like a harmonica.

Sarah before she discovered the chicken.

Creamy Pork Sauté

2010-07-25T19:55:00.004-04:00

This dinner was so good. It was great the first night and just as good the second night. This dish did not dry the pork out at all and had some great flavor. Other than the pork recipe (which is below) we had mashed sweet potatoes. For the sweet potatoes I just boiled them, mashed them with my potato masher, and mixed in pumpkin pie spice. I have found that using pumpkin pie spice makes it so good.
All of the girls ate, and liked, at least two of the items. Anna ate the pork if that tells you how good it was.

Enjoy.

Grade: B+

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 boneless pork loin (about 1 pound), cut into thin strips
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/4 cup water
Hot cooked regular long-grain white rice

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until well browned, stirring often. Remove the pork from the skillet.

2. Heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the celery, onion and thyme and cook until the vegetables are tender, stirring often.

3. Stir the soup and water in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the pork to the skillet and cook until the pork is cooked through. Serve the pork mixture over the rice.

Anna had to make sure she was taking a bite for the camera.

Sarah loves not using her utensils.

Emily giving you the stink eye.

Lucy loved the rice!

English Muffin Bread

2010-07-21T23:16:00.003-04:00

This summer I am trying to make it all the way through the “Bread” section of the Better Homes and Garden cookbook and I have enjoyed baking the different kinds of breads. We have not bought a loaf of bread in the store since the beginning of the summer because we are using the bread that I make to make sandwiches. Jen and the girls are out of town so I could paint the downstairs and I decided to make this easy bread. It is a no-knead bread so you do not have to knead the dough at all. When I was typing out the recipe I noticed that I only used one package of active dry yeast. I cannot say exactly how it changed the final product. It did taste a lot like an English Muffin.

Grade: B

Ingredients
Cornmeal
6 c all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
¼ tsp baking soda
2 c milk
½ c water
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt

1. Grease two 8x4x2 inch loaf pans. Lightly sprinkle pans with enough cornmeal to coat bottom and sides; set pans aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 c of the flour, the yeast, and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, water, sugar, and salt just until warm (120 to 130 degrees). Using a wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in remaining flour.
3. Divide dough in half. Place dough in prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 45 minutes)
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove bread from pans. Cool on wire racks.

Mock Chipotle Rice and Beans

2010-07-05T21:43:00.007-04:00

This meal came together on accident (kind of). The recipe for the rice was from one of my friends that loved the cilantro lime rice at Chipotle. I mentioned this to my wife and she also loves the cilantro lime rice at Chipotle so she wanted to try it. I went to the store and bought everything for this along with all of the other meals for the week. When I got home I started cooking and forgot that Jen talked about doing the rice with a Mexican dish she was going to make later on in the week. Well, she was out with the girls in the backyard and I was cooking and she came in and wondered what was smelling so good because French Fries usually don't smell like that. Well, we looked at what we could cook with that would go with the rice and she remembered that Chipotle has a burrito bowl and we designed the dinner around that. So along with the rice, we put pinto beans and chopped onion into a frying pan and sauteed them to heat them up and put a little more flavor into the onions. Also we chopped tomatoes and placed all of the above items on the girls' plate. All of the girls loved everything. Once we convinced Anna to try the rice, she ate it all up. Below is the recipe that was taken off of my friends blog. The pictures are not that good because I left my camera out of town and had to take it with my phone. Also, I used fresh spinach for the sauce. Enjoy.

Grade: A

Alicia's Green Rice
(serves 4)
1 cup basmati rice
2 Tbsp butter
juice of 1 lime
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
For Sauce:
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/8 cup green chile enchilada sauce (or enough to make your desired consistency)
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add rice and the juice of half a lime, and stir over the heat for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil stirring often. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes (or until the rice has absorbed all of the chicken stock). Add the rest of the lime juice and the chopped cilantro, then stir in the green sauce (directions below).
Green sauce: Process spinach, cilantro, and enchilada sauce in a food processor until smooth. (Note: I always use Pict Sweet frozen chopped spinach. It's very handy because you can keep it in the freezer and measure out as much as you need to thaw since it's not in a big block like boxed sauteed spinach.)

Emily was the first to try the rice

Lucy did not like it at first, but ended up

loving it as a dip for her chips.

Sarah scooping it up.

Anna being stubborn

Overnight Stuffed French Toast

2010-06-27T08:36:00.001-04:00

This was pretty good and if I could go back I would have added a couple of more eggs. I used bread that I made myself and I think it absorbed more of the egg mixture than store bought bread. It was good with the cream cheese mixture inside the bread. It didn't taste that much like french toast, but I think that was due to the lack of egg mixture. My camera ran out of batteries so I could not take pictures. Too bad because Anna even ate it and liked it. We didn't tell her there was egg in it. Enjoy

Grade: B

Ingredients
2 3-oz packages cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs apple jelly
1 tsp finely chopped crystallized ginger (I used ¼ tsp ground ginger)
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
¼ c chopped almonds, toasted (I skipped this)
6 1.5-in slices bread (I used white bread that I made myself)
4 eggs
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
1. Generously grease a 3-qt rectangular baking dish; set aside. In a small bowl beat together cream cheese, jelly, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir in the almonds. Cut a pocket in the top crust of each bread slice. Divide cream cheese mixture evenly among pockets. Place bread slices in prepared baking dish.
2. In a small bowl beat together the eggs, milk, and vanilla; slowly pour the egg mixture over bread slices, covering all the tops. Cover and chill overnight.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or until golden.

Scrambled Egg Pizza

2010-06-24T21:45:00.002-04:00

I loved this pizza. I am always up for breakfast for dinner and this brought it to a whole new level. The girls love scrambled eggs for breakfast and the triplets will eat 6 eggs scrambled by themselves, so obviously they were going to love this dinner and they did! Jen and Anna do not like eggs so I made a section of the pizza without the eggs for them. Jen tried a little of the pizza with the eggs on it and she said that it wasn’t too bad. If you like eggs, I highly recommend this dinner.

Grade: A

Ingredients
1 16-oz loaf frozen whole wheat bread dough, thawed
1 c chopped zucchini
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbs cooking oil
8 eggs
½ c milk
1 Tbs butter
¾ c shredded mozzarella cheese
2 slices bacon, crisp cooked, drained, and crumbled (I did not use bacon in my recipe)

Directions
1. On a lightly floured surface, roll bread dough into a 14-in circle. Transfer dough to a greased 13-in pizza pan. Build up edges slightly. Prick dough generously with a fork. Bake in a 375 degree oven 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook zucchini, mushrooms, and crushed red pepper in hot oil about 5 min. or until vegetables are almost tender. Remove zucchini mixture and drain.
3. In a medium bowl beat together eggs and milk. In the same skillet melt butter over medium heat; pour in egg mixture. Cook, without stirring, until mixture begins to set on the bottom and around edge. Using a large spatula, lift and fold partially cooked egg mixture so that the uncooked portion flows underneath. Continue cooking over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until egg mixture is cooked through but still glossy and moist. (Just make scrambled eggs!) Remove from heat.
4. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over the hot crust. Top with scrambled eggs, zucchini mixture, bacon, and remaining cheese. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes more or until cheese melts.

Lucy loving every bite.

Anna loves pizza!

Sarah eating or covering her mouth for a sneeze?

Emily politely reaching for her food.

Banana Muffins

2010-06-22T21:28:00.003-04:00

I made these muffins with the help of the triplets. It didn’t go too bad and they did a pretty good job of sharing who got to pour the ingredients into the bowl. There wasn’t too big of a mess from the flour or sugar not making it into the bowl the first time. I had to take the flour bowl away because they kept taking spoonfuls and putting in their mouths. Yum!

Grade: B

Ingredients
1 ¾ c all-purpose flour
1/3 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 beaten egg
½ c milk
¼ c cooking oil
¾ c mashed banana
½ c chopped nuts

1. Grease twelve 2 ½ inch muffin cups
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
3. In another bowl combine egg, milk, banana, nuts, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups.

Emily getting a mouthful

Sarah chewing it up.

Lucy picking at it before she digs in.

Father's Day Meal

2010-06-21T09:59:00.006-04:00

Here is what I cooked on Father's Day for myself and a couple of our friends. The meal was not intended for the kids, and they did have a couple of bites of potato and beans, but that was about it. There are not any pictures of the couple of bites that the girls did eat, but again, this meal was not intended to be a kid meal.

I know that it sounds weird that I cooked for my Father's Day meal, but like Jen told our friends that came over, it is what I wanted for my Father's Day. We rarely by steak because the girls do not eat it and for the price, it is not worth the trouble to make steak with the dinner that the girls will eat. The meal turned out pretty good. I didn't cut the stems off of the mushrooms, so we had to do it while we were eating, but other than that, I do not have any complaints. After typing out the recipes for the blog, I noticed that I forgot the lemon juice in the green beans and I didn't reset the temperature to medium once I added the steaks, but they tasted good even with the mistakes. I noted it down with the recipe for the steaks, but I used chuckeye steak. I had never heard of it before, but my mom told me about it a couple of weeks ago and I saw it at the D & R Market when I was shopping for the beef, so I decided to try it. It was a very good cut and it was only 5.00 per pound, so if you see the Chuckeye at your local grocery store it is worth trying. It was hectic to get all of the dishes finished in time because I am used to cooking two or three easy meals that I do not have to look over the recipe more than once, but it was tricky flipping to the different pages to read all three recipes at once! I made the snack mix the night before with Sarah and that is who is pictured above. Also, I made the Apple Cake the night before as well. I have made it so many times and it always taste the same (amazing). I have given each dish a grade next to the title. Enjoy.

Crunchy Party Mix - Grade: B+

Ingredients
5 c pretzel sticks
4 c round toasted oat cereal
4 c bite-size wheat square cereal
4 c bite-size rice square cereal
3 c mixed nuts
1 c butter
3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp garlic powder

1. In a large roasting pan combine pretzels, oat, wheat, and rice cereal, and mixed nuts; set aside
2. In a small saucepan heat and stir butter, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder until butter melts. Drizzle butter mixture over cereal mixture; stir gently to coat.
3. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on a large piece of foil to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Green Beans Amandine - Grade: A-

Ingredients
8 oz fresh green beans
2 Tbs slivered almonds
1 Tbs butter
1 tsp lemon juice

1. Cut fresh beans into 1 inch pieces. Cook fresh green beans, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp and tender. Drain. Keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan cook and stir almonds in melted butter over medium heat until golden. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Stir almond mixture into beans.

Baked Potato Fans - Grade: B

Ingredients
4 medium baking potatoes
3 Tbs butter
¼ tsp garlic salt
¼ c shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbs snipped fresh chives
2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese

1. Scrub potatoes thoroughly with a brush; pat dry. Cut potatoes crosswise into thin slices, but do not cut all the way through. Place potatoes in a shallow baking dish or pan. Gently press potatoes down to fan slightly.
2. Combine melted butter and garlic salt; drizzle over potatoes. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more or until tender. Transfer potatoes to a serving platter. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, chives, and Parmesan cheese. Let stand about 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Bistro Beef and Mushrooms - Grade: A-

Ingredients
4 beef tenderloin steaks (I used Chuckeye steaks)
1 Tbs Dijon-style mustard
2Tbs olive oil
8 oz mushrooms (I used shiitake)
1/3 c dry red wine
1 Tbs white wine Worcestershire sauce (I used regular Worchestershire)
2 tsp snipped fresh thyme

1. Trim fat from steaks. Spread mustard evenly over both sides of steaks. In a large skillet heat 1 Tbs of the oil over medium-high heat. Add steaks; reduce heat to medium. Cook to desired doneness, turning once. Allow 7 to 9 minutes for medium rare to medium. Transfer steaks to a serving platter; keep warm.
2. Add remaining 1 Tbs oil to drippings in skillet. Add mushrooms; cook and stir for 4 minutes . Stir in wine, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Spoon over steaks.

Apple Cake -Grade: A+

2 beaten eggs
3 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp salt
1 c granulated sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
1 c oil
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups chopped, peeled apples
1 c chopped pecans, toasted

1. Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour a 10-in tube pan; set pan aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, lemon peel, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt; set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil eggs, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in apples and pecans. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 1 hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool thoroughly on wire rack. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Cover; store in refrigerator.

Nun's Puffs

2010-06-17T21:54:00.003-04:00

I made this because I was in the mood to cook but it was 8:30 and I didn’t feel like staying up too late. It was a miniature workout with as much beating and mixing by hand, but if you like the smell of melting butter as much as I do, it is all worth it. The taste is a lot like a popover, so if you like popovers, it is a recipe that you might like to try. Enjoy.

Grade: B+

Ingredients
½ cup butter
1 cup milk
¾ cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 Tbs sugar
Honey Optional
1. Generously grease twelve 2.5 in muffin cups, including the edge and around the top of each cup; set aside. In a medium saucepan melt butter; add milk. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that does not separate. Remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes.
2. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating for 1 minute with a wooden spoon after each addition or until smooth. Divide dough evenly among prepared muffin cups, filling cups about two-thirds full; sprinkle with sugar.
3. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 30 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Remove from pan. Serve immediately. If desired, serve with honey.

No pictures of the girls

Tortilla Crisps, Guacamole, Spanish Rice, and Cheese Quesadilla

2010-06-16T18:32:00.009-04:00

Just realized that I did not take a picture of the food, sorry.

The homemade part of this dinner was small and wasn't the major aspect of the dish, but it was by far the best. I made the tortilla chips from a recipe I got in my cooking bible, Better Homes and Gardens. I was looking the recipe for guacamole that Jen wanted and this was on the same page. We initially intended to make this a few days earlier when one of my friends from work was coming over and our power went out during a storm. She ended up picking up pizza and this was postponed until tonight's dinner. The chips tasted good and they were perfect for dipping because they were strong. Jen commented that they were better than the baked tortilla chips that they sell. I thought they were good, but I am trying to figure out the best way to add salt and make it stick on the chip. Jen made the guacamole and we, not Anna, all ate and liked it. The quesadilla's were cooked on a regular pan and the Spanish rice was microwaved. Nothing special. Enjoy.

Grade B +

Tortilla Crisps

1. Cut each of twelve 7 or 8 inch flour tortillas into 8 wedges. Spread on-third of the wedges in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 5 to 10 minutes or until dry and crisp; cool. Repeat with remaining wedges. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 weeks.

Guacamole

Ingredients

2 rip avocados
1/2 small onion, cut up

1 clove garlic, minced

2/3 cup chopped tomato

Use a fork to mash up the avocado and mix in the additional ingredients.

Lucy before she started eating

Emily carefully scooping the guacamole

Sarah before the sour cream got all over her face.

You probably can tell from Anna's expression, but we almost banned her to the backyard during dinner.

Cheeseburgers for Dessert?

2010-06-16T16:20:00.004-04:00

My wife saw this idea from some cooking blog and it wasn't too hard to make. The bun is a vanilla cupcake cut in half and the burger part is a brownie. Jen made cream cheese frosting and dyed it for the other parts of the burger. Needless to say, it was a hit.

Memorial Day Fun

2010-06-11T17:25:00.004-04:00

This post is not really about the recipe that I made because on the menu was corn on the cob, hotdogs, baked beans (from a can) and shish kabobs. Jen made the dessert which is a separate post under Hamburgers for Dessert. Our neighbors came over with their two girls and we had a good time.

Anna taking the hotdog out of her bun because she didn't feel like the hotdog?

The neighbor girls

Chicken Mushroom Risotto

2010-05-26T21:02:00.004-04:00

This recipe was super easy and so good. I made this when one of my friends from the school I work at was coming over for dinner. She had to work past the girls' dinner time, so they ate something else (I think macaroni and cheese). All three of us liked it. The next time I make it I would add some cheese to it, I am thinking some Swiss or white cheddar. Also, I added some extra pepper to it and Jen thought it had too big of a "kick" to it. However, ever since the triplets were born, her sensitivity to spice has been heightened.
Sorry...No pictures of the girls since they didn't take part in this meal.

Grade: A

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 3/4 pound), cut into cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 small carrot, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Healthy Request® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas

1. Cook the chicken in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

2. Stir the onion, carrot and rice in the skillet and cook and stir until the rice is browned.

3. Stir in the soup, stock and black pepper and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

4. Stir in the peas. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Makes: 4 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each).

Mexican Pizza

2010-05-09T10:43:00.004-04:00

Way better than Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza

I stumbled upon this recipe in the Campbells email and I decided to try it. It was amazing. I love the Mexican pizza from taco bell, but most of the time I am disappointed in the lack of ingredients and time the workers spent on slopping the pizza together. This was a pleasant surprised at both the ease of making it and the taste. Everyone liked it and Jen said that it was great and the next day she ate a piece cold and said that it was even better cold. I did not try it cold because I do not like pizza cold, but I will take her word on it. As you can see from the pictures, but triplets were very interested in the sour cream that was on their plate!

Grade: A

1/2 pound Italian pork sausage, casing removed
1 can (about 14.5 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, drained and cut up
3/4 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 cup)
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
Sliced pitted ripe olives

1. Cook the sausage in a 10-inch skillet until it's well browned, stirring often to break up the meat. Pour off any fat.

2. Stir the canned tomatoes, picante sauce and cumin in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through.

3. Place the tortillas on a 14-inch pizza pan or large baking sheet, overlapping to form a 14-inch round. Spread the sausage mixture over the tortillas to within 1/2-inch of the edge. Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes.

4. Top the sausage mixture with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with the lettuce, chopped tomato and olives. Cut the tostada into 8 wedges. Serve with additional picante sauce, if desired.

Anna, probably singing/talking instead of eating

Lucy seeing how far the cheese will stretch!

Sarah loving the tomatoes!

Emily eating before the sour cream is introduced.

Meatloaf cupcakes with peas and carrots sprinkles

2010-05-09T10:16:00.007-04:00

Cupcakes for Dinner!!!

It has been a long time since I have added any meals, recipes, and pictures, but I am back on board. I have been cooking almost as much but I will not be catching up on all of the meals that I missed. This post is one of the favorite meals that I have cooked. It was fun to make and the girls loved it. I am not going to post the recipe that I used because it was a while ago and I cannot remember what one I used.

What I did was make the meatloaf and put it in a muffin pan to cook. I made mashed potatoes to use as the frosting for the cupcake and frozen peas and carrots for the sprinkles. Enjoy.

Grade: A

Valentine's Dinner

2010-02-24T19:46:00.006-05:00

For our Valentine's dinner, Jen brainstormed food ideas that were red/white for the occasion that the girls would eat without a fight and she came up with pizza. I bought the pizza dough already made in a refridgerated canister. I cut it into the heart shape and Jen made heart breadsticks from the dough that was cut out from the heart. I made the pizza sauce from scratch and it is amazing. It is the second time that I made it, so I knew how good it was. I also tried to spell LOVE in mushrooms on the top of the pizza, and as you can see from the picture, you have to use your imagination to see it. The sauce recipe is below. Enjoy! Also, the heart cake's recipe is not included because I lost it. It came witht he heart cake mold.

Grade: A

Pizza Sauce:
In a medium saucepan combine one-8 oz can tomato sauce; one 7 1/2 oz can undrained tomatoes, cut up; 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1 Tbs dried basil, crushed; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tspdried regano, crused; 2 cloves garlic, minced; and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or till the onion is tender.

Skillet Garlic Chicken Dinner

2010-02-11T21:09:00.004-05:00

This meal was very good. It was not hard to make and everyone enjoyed it. I doubled the parmesan cheese to make it a little extra cheesy. I recommend trying this one out with your family tonight. I also made a salad with chopped vegetables. I know that I have been not posting regularly lately, and I will being trying harder to keep the recipes coming more on time.

Ingredients:
Vegetable cooking spray
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika

Directions:

Spray a 12-inch skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken and garlic and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Stir the stock, rice and vegetables in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese.

Return the chicken to the skillet. Sprinkle the chicken with the paprika. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Anna was way more excited about her salad than her main course.

Emily wants YOU to eat your dinner!

Sarah still working on not using her hands.

Lucy licking up the ranch dressing.

Cheeseburger Pasta

2010-02-11T20:47:00.001-05:00

This meal was extremely easy, but had little to no taste. It tasted like a Hamburger Helper meal. I am not going to waste anymore time writing about this meal. No pictures.

Grades: Ease-A Taste C-

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup (Regular or Healthy Request®)
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups uncooked medium shell-shaped pasta

Directions:

Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

Stir the soups, water and pasta in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender, stirring often.

Mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, and veggie hot dogs

2010-01-18T20:00:00.002-05:00

Meal 2 of the vegetarian week
The second vegetarian meal was interesting to say the least. I bought Brussel sprouts and told Anna that they were little cute lettuces. She bought it for the most part and when I mixed it with her mashed potatoes, she ate enough of it. The worst part of the meal was the vegetarian hot dogs. They were disgusting to say the extreme least! The smell was horrendous and the texture was even worse. When I made Anna take a bite, she almost vomited all over the table. Emily, on the other hand, could not get enough of it. She didn’t touch her mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts, but ate at least one hotdog.
Grade: C-

Anna, looking oh so happy that I made her eat that discusting "dog"

Emily, couldn't get enough!!!!

Sarah has learned to cheese for the camera

Lucy wearing her war paint

Look at this horrendous looking excuse for a hot dog! NEVER AGAIN.

Vegetarian Week (Spinach Lasagna

2010-01-18T19:17:00.007-05:00

This was the first night of “vegetarian week.” I was trying to have only vegetarian meals for every meal . This was going to be a hard week for me to stomach I had thought, and for me anyways, I didn’t think it was that difficult. The only hard part was eating a lot of ice cream at the end of the night because I was hungry because of the lack of meat! Enjoy the two veggie meals.
Spinach Lasagna
This meal required a lot of work, but it was worth it. It is the first time that I have ever made any type of lasagna, so it was fun for me. The girls liked it for the most part, and best of all, the adults enjoyed it.
Grade: B
Ingredients
9 dried lasagna noodles
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs margarine/butter
1 7-oz jar roasted red sweet peppers drained and chopped
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried oregano
1 30 ½ oz meatless spaghetti sauce
¼ cup grated parmesan or Romano cheese
1. Cook lasagna noodles for 10 to 12 minutes or till tender but still firm. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook onion, mushrooms, and garlic in hot margarine till tender but not brown; stir in sweet peppers. Set aside.
3. Pat spinach dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl stir together spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, the ½ cup parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, oregano, and ¼ tsp pepper. Stir sweet pepper mixture into spinach mixture.
4. Spread ½ cup of the spaghetti sauce evenly in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Bake, covered in a 375 degree on remaining spaghetti sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake, covered, in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake about 10 minutes more or till heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 main-dish servings

The pictures are all about Sarah, from the start of her meal to the end. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken, peas, mashed potatoes, and salad

2010-01-12T19:52:00.004-05:00

This was a great meal and believe it or not, fun to make. The baked chicken, wasn't really baked I would call it "butter-fried" chicken. The chicken was first dipped in an egg wash and then put in flour before putting it in some melted butter. I cooked half of the chicken in an 8x10 pan in the oven and the other half I did on the stove top in a new skillet that I got for Christmas. The skillet is a grilling skillet and it was good. The mashed potatoes and peas were prepared as usual with nothing special. Anna never liked mashed potatoes, but the girls could not get enough of them. I am going to try to sneak some brussel sprouts pass them by slipping it mixed in with the mashed potatoes.

Grade: A-

Lucy wondering what the mashed potato stuff is.

Anna trying not to pose for the camera

Sarah sucking it all off of her hand

Emily looking a little clueless

Pizza, Garlic Bread, and a Salad

2010-01-03T18:47:00.005-05:00

This is all of the items before being served.

This dinner was definately a favorite with the girls. There was not any complaining or food dumping on the kitchen floor! Granted it was pizza, but still, for all to agree is simply amazing. I had made the pizza earlier this year before the blog, I think, so I knew how easy it was. The pizza dough is puff pastry from the freezer, but the sauce was homade with the help from Anna stirring the "pizza soup" as she put it. The salad is a simple chopped salad, but I made the vinegarette from scratch. And the bread is a simple garlic bread. The recipes are down below. I would stongly recommend using the puff pastry as the crust for an easily made pizza. Enjoy.

Grade: A-

Pizza Sauce:
In a medium saucepan combine one-8 oz can tomato sauce; one 7 1/2 oz can undrained tomatoes, cut up; 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1 Tbs dried basil, crushed; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tspdried regano, crused; 2 cloves garlic, minced; and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or till the onion is tender.

For puff pastry:
Thaw the pastry shells at room temperature for 40 minutes or until they’re easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry shells into 7-inch circles. Put the pastry circles on the baking sheets. Using a fork, prick the pastry circles thoroughly. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Leave the pastry circles on the baking sheets, and place the sheets on wire racks. Set aside.
Spread the pizza sauce over the pastry shells, cheese, and whatever toppings you would like, and return it to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Italian Herb dressing:

Combined 2/3 cup olive or vegetable oil, 1/3 cup Heinz Wine Vinegar, 1 clove garlic, split, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1/2 tsp each salt, dried basil leaves, dried oregano leaves, 1/4 tsp crused red pepper; cover and shake vigorously. Chill to blend flavors. Shake again before using.

Emily trying to stuff her mouth completely full.

Anna loving the cheese garlic bread that she helped make.

Sarah picking up her piece of pizza.

Lucy loving the garlic bread.

Sandies (snowballs)

2010-01-02T09:26:00.004-05:00

This is the first "dessert" that is in the blog. I am going to try to post two desserts a week that I have made for the week. I had broken my mixer and got another one for Christmas, so I am into making desserts again. The pecan sandies were made because of lack of ingredients. I was originally going to make a different cookie that required semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I ran out the previous week when I made 5 batches of toffee. I flipped through the cookbook and decided to try the sandies. After I made them I realized that I had made the "snowballs" that my Mom makes as a part of her Christmas cookie collection. The girls liked the cookies, well at least the powder sugar :).

Grade B +

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
powder sugar

1. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat till combined, scraping bowl. Beat in 1 Tbs water and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour and pecans.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 325 degree oven 20 minutes or till bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a rack; cool. Gently shake cooled cookies in a plastic bag with powdered sugar. Makes about 36 cookies.

Sarah putting her feet up and enjoying.
Emily loving the powder sugar.

Lucy cheesing it up.

Anna is Oh so happy.

New Year's Day Dinner

2010-01-01T21:41:00.001-05:00

Taste better than it looks.

Mashed Potato Casserole and Ham and Noodle Casserole

I merged a past favorite (mashed potato casserole) with a new favorite. I first made the mashed potato casserole earlier this summer when we had a friend over for dinner and we loved it, so I knew it would be good. The ham and noodle casserole was a new one that I found on Campbell’s website and I thought the girls would like it because they love macaroni and cheese and this was similar. Both of these meals were fun to make and tasted amazing. All of the girls ate their entire bowlfuls except for Lucy. She saw a banana before she started to eat, so she was a little preoccupied to eat!

Grade: A+

Mashed Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

6 medium baking potatoes
Small onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs butter

1 8-oz carton dairy sour cream
4-5 Tbs milk

1. Grease a 1 ½ quart casserole, set aside. If desired, peel potatoes. Quarter potatoes. Cook, covered, in boiling salted water for 20-25 minutes or till tender, drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet cook the onion and garlic in butter till tender. Mash the drained potatoes with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer on low speed. Add the onion mixture, sour cream, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Gradually beat in enough milk to make smooth and fluffy. Transfer to prepared casserole. Cover and chill up to 24 hours.

3. To serve, bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or till heated through.

Ham and Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups cubed cooked ham

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
5 cups extra-wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

Directions:

Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ham and onion and cook until the onion is tender.

Stir the soup in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the noodles and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

Sarah couldn't get enough.

Emily too!!!!

Chicken Broccoli Divan

2009-12-29T18:14:00.004-05:00

This was extremely easy to make, but I thought that it didn't have any taste. The girls didn't even think about eating it, but that seems to be their m.o. lately with dinner. Anna and I made gingerbread cookies earlier that they ate about an hour before dinner, so that did not add to their desire to eat the broccoli :).

Grade: B-

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked broccoli flowerets
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:
Place the broccoli and chicken into a 9-inch pie plate.

Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle with the cheese. Stir the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumbs mixture over the cheese.

Bake at 450°F. for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling.

Anna looking oh so happy to eat

Emily actually escaping out of her high-chair so she wouldn't have to eat.

Lucy praying that I don't make her eat it.

Sarah...she looks like she is going to eat it, but she just set it down beside the bowl.

Sausage and Broccoli with Pasta

2009-12-29T13:26:00.003-05:00

This dinner was very good. I made it during half time of a football game that a friend of ours came over to watch. It was quick and easy, like most of the dinners that I make are! Jen actually started to crave sausage after eating this dish. I used flower shaped pasta that Anna picked out instead of the corkscrew variety.

Grade: A-

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. sweet Italian pork sausages, casing removed
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/2 cup milk
1 bag (about 16 ounces) frozen broccoli cuts
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 1/2 cups corkscrew-shaped pasta (rotini), cooked and drained
crushed red pepper

Directions:
Cook the sausage in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic to the saucepot and cook until they're tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir the soup, milk, broccoli and 1/4 cup cheese in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through and the broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Serve with the red pepper, if desired.

"Aunt" Jane posing for the camera

Anna taking a bite

Emily putting her milk aside.

Sarah guzzling her milk down.

Lucy is showing Jane that she is strong.

Super Easy Toffee

2009-12-20T19:48:00.003-05:00

This toffee recipe is amazing and easy you cannot ask for anything more. This recipe was circulated around the school that I teach at so I must give credit. there is not any pictures for this, but trust me, it is great.

Grade: A+

Easy Toffee
1 box of Saltines (any variety, I used multi-grain)
1 cup butter (NOT MARGARINE)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 12 oz chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Grease an 11x15 in jelly roll pan very well with non-stick spray. Line the jelly roll pan with the saltines. Boil the brown sugar and butter to 235 degrees or for 2 minutes (forms all in cold water). Pour over crackers and bake for 10-12 minutes on 325 degrees.
Take out of oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips. When the chips turn glossy, spread over evenly and sprinkle with nuts. (Chill to set 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator)

Spinach Tortellini Soup

2009-12-04T18:14:00.003-05:00

I made this soup when Jen and the girls were in Columbus. I put a little bit more pepper in it than it called for and it had a nice kick. It was easy to make and really good.

Grade: B+

Ingredients:

4 cups Swanson® Natural GoodnessTM Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp. garlic powder or 1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 cup frozen or shelf-stable cheese-filled tortellini (about 3 ounces)
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves

Directions:
Heat the broth, garlic powder and black pepper in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the tortellini. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach. Cook for 5 minutes or until the tortellini is tender but still firm.

Time-Saving Tip: Use 1 cup frozen cut leaf spinach for the fresh spinach.

Ranch Chicken Nuggets with French Fries

2009-11-13T10:35:00.004-05:00

Not an impressive picture of the food, but it really wasn't that "impressive" of meal.

I made the ranch chicken for Jen when we were first dating. Of course it was not in nugget form however. This was an easy meal to prepare and make and only took 35 minutes from start to finish. I do not have an exact recipe for this one, so I will just write what the ingredients are and what I did and when. Enjoy!

Grade: B

Ingredients:
Ranch dressing
Breadcrumbs
Boneless chicken breast
Potatoes
Seasoning salt
Vegetable oil
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:
First turn your oven on to 350-400 degrees depending on how hot or cold your oven cooks. Next wash the potatoes and slice them into what ever shape/size you want your fries. Place the fries into a bowl and add oil to coat and as much seasoning salt to your own families specific taste. Put the fries in a baking pan/sheet. Place them in the oven for 20 minutes and give them a shake or turn them to check them. I am assuming they will need more time, but you would not want to burn them.
After your potatoes are in the oven, take your chicken breast out and give it a quick wash. Take out a skillet and put it on a burner on med-high heat to pan fry the chicken. Cut the chicken into the size that you want the nuggets or keep it bigger if you would want. Add vegetable oil to the skillet. In two separate bowls pour in the ranch and breadcrumbs. Put the chicken pieces into the ranch dressing and then the breadcrumb bowls and then place in the skillet. After all of the chicken is in the skillet keep an eye on it and turn it over before it starts to burn. It should have a nice brown color to it, but not BLACK. ;-)
When the chicken is ready to take out of the skillet, place on a plate that has paper towel on it to soak up any grease that is present.
Once the fries are complete, take them out of the oven. And enjoy dinner.
I made this when Jen wasn’t home and had the triplets and Anna running around. It really is that easy.

Anna showing impecable table manners ;-)

Lucy stuffing her face

Emily drinking her milk between nuggets

Sarah considering eating

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

2009-11-11T22:44:00.003-05:00

This was an easy dump the ingredients in the crockpot and let it slow cook. I highly recommend it. The next time I make this I will by the reduced sodium beef stock because the beef was a little too salty.

Grade: B

Prep Time:
15 min
Total Time:
7 hr 30 min
Makes:
8 servings
What You Need
2 lb. boneless beef for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes
10 oz. mushrooms, halved
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
1 pkg. (16 oz.) egg noodles, uncooked
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Make It
PLACE meat, mushrooms, onions and garlic in slow cooker. Add broth, paprika and salt. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 7 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 5 hours).

MIX sour cream, flour and mustard. Add to meat mixture in slow cooker; stir until well blended.

Cover and cook on LOW for 15 min. Meanwhile, cook noodles as directed on package. Drain noodles; place in serving bowl. Add meat mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Anna with some noodles on her face.

Sarah trying to stab the noodles before throwing it on the floor.

Lucy giving you the evil eye.

Emily taking her passafier out to squeeze in a bite.

Grilled cheese (mozzarella & Basil Pesto) and Broccoli Soup

2009-10-23T21:26:00.008-04:00

This was a great meal. The girls had the "fancy" grilled cheese and Jen and I had 1/2 sandwich and the soup. This meal was fun to make and much more fun to eat. I do not have a food processor so I used my blender to make the pesto and soup. I got the soup recipe from watching a Chef Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmare over the summer. I saw how he made it with no effort and he said how good it was. I didn't believe how good or easy the broccoli soup would be, but Chef Ramsey didn't disappoint. It was great! The girls all tried one spoonful of the soup and they all liked it (for the most part). The grilled cheese was a hit with everyone.

Grade: A+

Grilled Cheese (Smoked Mozzarella & Basil Pesto)

Ingredients:

Basil Pesto

2 c fresh basil leaves

1 c fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/2 c pine nuts, toasted

3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Bread

slices of smoked mozzarella

butter

I added cheddar cheese

*for pesto, in a food processor combine basil, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and oil and pulse until well combined but still rough in texture.

After you make the pesto, assemble the sandwich like a regular grilled cheese putting pesto, on one half and mozzarella on the other. Put them together and place in a frying pan.

Super Easy Broccoli Soup:

All you need is:

water

salt

2 large heads of broccoli. Cut the florets off of the broccoli and make the stems cut down to the same size.

1. Water in a large stock up to a boil. Place the broccoli in the water for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes.

2. Using a slotted spoon pick the broccoli out of the water and into a blender.

3. Add water from the broccoli pot into the blender. Do not start with too much water as you can always add more if the soup is too thick.

4. Puree the mixture. If too thick add more water. Make sure the water is from the pot that you boiled the broccoli in.

Emily: sampling the soup

Sarah: thinks it is so good, she needs to kiss before she eats it!

Lucy: Copying Sarah

Emily: Finally feeling good enough to eat it all up!

Anna:Not pictured (sorry)

Crockpot chicken and wild rice

2009-10-19T10:48:00.002-04:00

This was a typical crockpot meal. Easy and quick to prepare, all day to cook, and made the house smell great. After preparing this meal, I have decided that we might have to buy a new crockpot because one side of the crockpot is obviously running warmer than the other side based on the scorched evidence. I have only made one or two things in it before and have never noticed it. Jen has burnt her fair share of meals in the crock pot, but I just marked it up to Jen not setting it correctly. :-) This meal was simply to buy for and make. I didn't take any pictures because the girls were having an "off" day and it was a little too crazy. Enjoy

Grade: B

Ingredients:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast
8 oz package of wild rice mix
2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup
1 1/2 cups of water
4 large carrots thickly cut up.

1. Add/mix the soup, water, wild rice mix, carrots, and water into the crockpot.
2. Place the chicken into the crockpot and mix in with the mixture, make sure it is coated.
3. Cook for 7-8 hours on low or 4-5 on high.

Pretty simple.

Taco Puffs

2009-10-04T20:02:00.005-04:00

This meal only takes a little more time than it takes to make tacos, but adds the taste of buttery buscuits. If you like flaky busciuts and tacos I highly recommend trying this one. All of the girls, (and one boy) loved this meal. It is neat and easy. Also, we steamed some green pepper and onion for the non-children.

Grade: A-

Ingredients

1lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 envelope taco seasoning

2 tubes (16.3 oz each) large refrigerated flaky biscuits (I used the ones with butter)

8 oz cheddar cheese slices or 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1) In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Cool slightly.

2) Flatten half of the biscuits into 4-in. circles; lace in greased 15-in x 10 in x 1 in. baking pans. Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture onto each; top with two cheese slices or 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Flatten the remaining bisuits; place on top and pinch edges to seal tightly. Bake at 400 degree for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Anna, giving herself a round of applause for the camera

Emily is ready for bed before eating her dinner, but that's OK.

Sarah picking her food apart before she eats it.

Lucy, being Lucy, stuffing her face.

Meat and Corn Bread Squares

2009-09-22T20:15:00.005-04:00

It doesn't look that great, but this was the rest of the dinner after the first night.

This recipe was another good one. I had to tone the spiciness of the meal because of the young girls, but it was still good. If I was going to make this again, I might cut the recipe in half and then make half spicy and half mild. If you like corn bread and a meat filling that taste tacoish, then this would be a good one to try. It didn't take that long and it didn't have too many ingredients.

Grade A-

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 Tbs cornstarch

1 Tbs dried minced onion

1 to 2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 14 1/2 oz can tomatoes, cut up

1 4 oz can diced green chili peppers drained

3/4 c all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

2 beaten eggs

1 8 1/2 oz can cream=style corn

1/2 c milk

3 Tbs cooking oil

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet cook meat till brow. Drain off fat. Stir in cornstarch, onion, chili powder, and garlic salt. Stir in undrained tomatoes and chili peppers. Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. (I didn't add chili peppers and not all of the chili powder).

2. In a mixing bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, and baking powder. In another bowl combine eggs, corn, milk, and oil. Stir egg mixer into dry mixture. Add cheese. Stir just till moistened.

3. Spread half of the batter into a greased 2 qt rectangular baking dish. Spoon meat mixture atop. Top with remaining batter. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 30 min or till golden brown. Let stand for 5 min to serve, cut into squares. If desired, pass salsa.

And believe it or not, Anna did enjoy her dinner, after her melt down.

Emily after a rough chiropractor appt.

Sarah enjoying her food.

Lucy eating away

Anna having a pre-dinner fit, how adorable

Tortellini, Chicken, and Vegetables/ Green Beans with Cream Sauce

2009-09-20T21:21:00.004-04:00

These two meals both turned out wonderful. I prepared this meal on a Sunday because I would have the most time to cook, but it only took me a little over an hour to make both dishes. The Lucy didn't "dig" the food to much. However, she hasn't enjoyed very much today. The main dish was very bright and colorful. Anna said it looked like a rainbow. The sauce that went with the green beans was amazing. I am going to look to use the sauce in some other meals in the future. The Tortellini was easy and I doubled the recipe so it would be plenty for two nights worth. The recipe that is below is not doubled (just a warning). Also, I used fresh green beans and milk in the green bean dish.

Grade: A

Tortellini, Chicken, and Vegetables

1/2 c chopped onion

1 Tbs margarine or butter

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 c dry white or red wine

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 9 oz package refrigerated fresh cheese-filled tortellini

2 c loose-packed frozen mixed vegetables

2 c chopped cooked chicken

1 Tbs cornstarch

1/4 c cold water

1. For sauce, in a medium saucepan cook onion in margarine or butter till onion is tender but not brown. Add undrained tomatoes, wine, thyme, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook tortellini according to package directions, except stir in frozen vegetables along with tortellini. Drain cooked tortellini and vegetables; keep warm.

3 Stir chicken into sauce. Combine cornstarch and water; stir into sauce. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Pour sauce over tortellini and vegetables; toss well to coat. Makes 4 main dish servings.

Green Beans with Sherry Cream Sauce

1 lb green beans (fresh) or two 9-oz packages frozen cut green beans

1/2 c sliced fresh mushrooms

1/4 c chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbs margarine or butter

1 Tbs all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper

1/4 c bee broth

1/4 c milk
2 Tbs dry sherry, dry white wine, or beef broth

1. cut fresh green beans into 1 inch pieces. Cook fresh green beans, covered in a small amount of boiling water for 20-25 minutes or till crisp-tender. (or, cook frozen beans according to package directions.) Drain; return beans to saucepan.

2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small saucepan cook and stir mushrooms, onion, and garlic in margarine or butter about 4 minutes or till tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Carefully add beef broth and half-and half all at once. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in sherry. Stir sauce into cooked beans in saucepan; heat through. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Sarah trying to excape

Emily, actually enjoying her dinner for once.

Anna trying to figure out how to get the food to fly out of her bowl and into her mouth.

Lucy trying out the new horizonal drinking cup.

More Macaroni

2009-09-14T12:59:00.003-04:00

Okay, this is the first repeat recipe to be on the blog. It is and it isn't. It is almost the same recipe as down below, the same ingredients, but I free handed the amount. I dumped the entire box of macaroni in and used 2 cups of milk with a spoonful of flour and a countless number of American cheese slices. The sauce wasn't setting up at all, so I added more cheese and some flour. It thickened up and when combined with the whole wheat noodles, it was great. There isn't any pictures, but it was thick and delicious. Also, we added diced ham to it.

Grade: B+

"Wet" Burritos

2009-09-08T10:23:00.002-04:00

This is not an exciting post, and no pictures, but I figured that I haven't posted anything in a few weeks, so it here is a little something.

For my burritos, I took 1 lb of ground turkey and browned it with sliced tomatoes from our garden and very mild yellow peppers. The reason I added the tomatoes and peppers during the browning phase is because I find ground turkey dries out easily. After it was browned, I drained the liquid and added the taco seasoning mix and 3/4 cups of water mixed it all together and brought it to a boil.

While the meat was browning I set the oven to 350. Place the soft taco shells face up and fill them with the meat and sliced cheddar cheese. seal the burritos and place them in an 8x10 pan. Layer the top with shredded cheese and place in the oven until the cheese is melted. It's pretty simple and easy and that is why it was my quick meal for the week.

Grade: B

Macaroni and Cheese and Zucchini Cornbread

2009-08-26T21:53:00.005-04:00

This is all that I got after all my girls were fed. Boo Hoo, luckily it is an easy meal to make again.

What an amazing meal. Everything was eaten by everybody. I do not like baked macaroni and cheese. I hate how dry it always is and crusty cheese top. But this mac/cheese tasted almost exactly like shells and cheese that you buy in the store. I knew that the food would be a big hit with Anna because that is one of the few things that she will always eat. Anna didn't "dig" the cornbread, but it was awesome! I should have taken a picture of Lucy after she shoved everything into her mouth area! The one complaint that I have about this dish is that we ate everything and did not have leftovers for the next day, not even for my lunch. The picture above is all that I got to eat. If you make this I would definately double it if you have more than three people eating it. Enjoy.

Grade: A+

Macaroni and Cheese
1 c dried elbow macaroni
¼ c chopped onion
1Tbs butter
1 Tbs flour
¼ c milk
1 ½ c shredded American cheese
1 medium tomato
1. Cook macaroni in unsalted water about 10 minutes or till tender but still firm
2. Meanwhile, for cheese sauce, in a medium saucepan cook onion in margarine or butter till milk all at once. Cook and stir till slightly thickened and bubbly. Add American cheese, stirring till melted. Stir in cooked macaroni. Transfer mixture to a 1-quart casserole.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or till hot and bubbly. If desired arrange tomato slices atop macaroni for the last 5 minutes of baking. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Zucchini Cornbread
1 c coarsely chopped zucchini
1 c milk
½ c chopped onion
2 eggs
¼ c vegetable oil
1 ¼ c cornmeal
1 c all-purpose flour
2 Tbs white sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F Grease a 10-in cast-iron skillet, and place it into the oven while it preheats.
2. Place the zucchini, milk, eggs, onion, and vegetable oil into a blender, and pulse 5 to 8 times, until thoroughly mixed and the zucchini and onion have been chopped into very small pieces.
3. Mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the zucchini mixture into the cornmeal mixture, stirring to combine, and gently mix in the Cheddar cheese.
4. Carefully pour the batter into the hot greased skillet, smooth it out with a spoon, and bake until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Anna happily eating away.

Lucy before the macaroni exploded on her face.

Emily stuffing her face while Sarah drinks

Sarah deciding when to jump in

Weeknight Spaghetti and Meatballs

2009-08-24T18:34:00.005-04:00

This was a quick meal from Rachael Ray's Comfort food cookbook. I cannot stand Rachael Ray, she bugs the hell out of me, but Jen had this book so I decided to look through it. Obviously, it took 30 minutes. Plus, I added garlic bread on a French loaf. The kids seemed to like it (of course Anna thought it looked awful and filled her plate with Ranch dressing). There are a lot of ingredients, but it is simple.

Grade: B

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef

1 egg beaten

1/2 small onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c grated Parmesan

1/2 c Italian bread crumbs

Ground black pepper

1Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 c beef broth

1 can (28 oz)crushed tomatoes (I had know idea that they had "crushed tomatoes)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 pinches dried oregano

3/4 lb spaghetti, cooked (I used a whole 13 oz box)

Combine meat, egg, onion, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, and little pepper in a bowl.

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in oil. Roll small balls and drop into hot pan. When all the meat is rolled and in a pan, give the pan a good shake and cover. Cook meatballs for 8 min, giving the pan a good shake frequently to keep meat from burning. If balls are browning too quickly, reduce heat a little.

Add broth and let reduce for 1 or 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and red pepper flakes, then oregano and parsley. Simmer until pasta is ready. Toss pasta with sauce and serve with garlic bread and grated cheese for topping.

I made garlic using butter and garlic salt. (Pretty complicated)

Anna adding her Ranch

Sarah looking very Beatleish

Lucy, picking a choosing what to eat (or throw on the floor)

Emily, nice and neat (tonight)

Chicken, Corn, and Tomato Skillet

2009-08-23T20:52:00.005-04:00

This recipe was fast and good. Everyone ate it and enjoyed it. The chicken broth kept the chicken moist and added flavor to the basmati rice. I have never had/worked with basmati, and was pleasently surprised at the aroma and taste that exploded out of the rice. Also I steamed some squash from our garden. Below is the recipe and some quick pictures.

Directions:

1. Stir together 1 c chicken broth and 1 (14 oz) can of diced tomatoes, with juice in a large nonstick saute pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.

2. Stir in 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast haves, cut into 1/2 in pieces, 2/3 cup basmati rice, 1 c frozen corn, 1 tsp basil, and pepper to taste. When the liquid returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium; cover, and cook for about 12 minutesor until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is done.

That's all!

Grade A-

Anna: Cheesing it up

Sarah looking cute while eating her hand.

Emily enjoying every minute

Lucy is having a hard time. :(

Foolproof Beef & Broccoli

2009-08-15T14:47:00.004-04:00

This was a nice take from the traditional beefe & broccoli. The cream of broccoli soup gives it a little cheesey taste and once again the soup keeps the meat tender. I used egg noodles for the base.

Grade: B

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak OR beef top round steak, 3/4" thick
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups broccoli flowerets
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1/8 tsp. garlic powder OR 1 clove garlic, minced
1 can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup OR Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Broccoli Soup
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp. soy sauce
4 cups hot cooked egg noodles

Directions:
Slice beef into very thin strips.Heat 1 tbsp. oil in skillet. Add beef and stir-fry until browned. Remove beef.Add remaining oil. Add broccoli, onion and garlic and stir-fry until tender-crisp.Add soup, water and soy. Heat to a boil. Return beef to skillet and heat through. Serve over egg noodles.Tip: To make slicing easier, freeze beef 1 hour.Serves 4.

Anna adding her cheese and butter

Lucy

Emily

Sarah

zucchini brownies

2009-08-10T18:52:00.004-04:00

It has been about a week since my last post because Jen and the girls were out of town. They are now back and I have a great recipe for you to try. It is zucchini brownies. I don't have any pictures for this one because Anna was off taking pictures of who knows what, but it looks and taste like a regular brownie. I made a chocolate peanut butter frosting for the top. Amazing!
Grade: A

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded zucchini

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in yogurt and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in zucchini.

2. Pour into a greased 13 in x9 in baking pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

3. For frosting, in a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter. Cook and stir over low heat until smooth. Spread over warm brownies. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

OMG

2009-08-04T19:35:00.004-04:00

Emily and the Squash

I am going to be taking most of this week off because Jen is taking the girls to Ohio so I can get some work done in my classroom, but I just wanted to share a picture of this ginormous squash that was grew in our garden. I check every other day for squash and zucchini that are ready to be picked, and I obviously overlooked this one. I will resume posting on 8-10.

Chicken and Asparagus Skillet Supper

2009-08-02T09:35:00.003-04:00

Tonight's dinner was a success, except for the fact that I did not make enough rice for everyone. This meal was quick and easy with extremely tender chicken. I believe the chicken stock that you add at the end of the cooking process helped with keeping it tender. The squash was from our garden. Steaming the squash and asparagus was a great way to prepare these two veggies. One of the blog's followers was over for dinner and she also said that it was good. She is not pictured. :)

Grade: B+

Directions:

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

3 slices of bacon

1/2 cup chicken breast

1 lb of asparagus

1 small yellow squash

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In 12-in skillet cook chicken and bacon over medium-high heat 12 min, turning over to brown evenly. Carefully add broth; cover and cook 3-5 more or until chicken is tender and no longer pink.

2.Meanwhile, in microwave-save 2 qt dish combine asparagus, squash, and 2 Tbs water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with vented plastic wrap. Cook on 100 percent power 3-5 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring once. Transfer to plates. Drizzle cooking liquid; top with chicken, bacon, and onions.

Sarah

Emily

Lucy

Creamy Pasta Primavera

2009-07-29T20:56:00.003-04:00

Tonight's recipe was based on a recipe that Jen found, but we tweaked it to be our own dish. Using the basil, zucchini, and yellow squash all from our garden, we made this easy pasta dish and it was great. The last meal lacked not only taste (that was not cream of mushroom) but also color (as I commented the picture looked like vomit). So the meal tasted great and extremely colorful. Anna helped tear the basil. She loved the meal as well.

Directions:
Cook 3 cups of pasta (we used heart pasta)
Meanwhile, Saute the veggies with 2 Tbs Zesty Italian salad dressing, basil, and oregano. When the veggies are ready, add 1 cup of chicken stock and 8 oz of cream cheese. Stir the pasta into the veggies. If it is too runny, add some parmesan cheese.

It is pretty easy and really good. I give it an A-.

Anna with her basil

Emily and Lucy

Sarah and Anna (of course)