Steak, Rice, and Peas

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?

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

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.