Awesome Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!