Pumpkin Cinnamon Struesel Pancakes

Every week on either Friday or Saturday night, we like to have breakfast for dinner.  It seems like that is the only time I have to actually cook breakfast!  Last week I made these pancakes from twopeasandtheirpod.com:

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-cinnamon-streusel-pancakes/

They were sooooo good! I followed the recipe exact, except I only used half the amount of struesel and I thought they were just right.  I think that if you used the full amount, they would be way too sweet.  Also, we liked them with just butter, no syrup on top.

Tebow’s Pizza Pie

My mom shared this recipe with me from GMA and since it's football season I thought it was a good one to share. Even Allie likes it, so that's huge for us! She said she'd like to eat this all the time, and she never eats meat or green things and this has both and she liked it!


Tebow's Pizza Pie  Servings: 4-6
Difficulty: Easy
Cook Time: 30-60 min

This pizza pie is one of star quarterback Tim Tebow's favorite dishes that his mother made growing up. Although Tebow has never made it himself, he says the pizza pie is great for serving to friends and that it represents the kind of "normal food" he prefers.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
c. chopped green pepper
1 pkg. Italian style spaghetti sauce mix
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
c. water
1 large can baking powder biscuits 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
6-8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions
Brown the meat, drain. Add green pepper, cook until tender.
Stir in sauce mix, tomato paste, and water.
Simmer 10 minutes.

Line greased 9 in. pie pan with biscuits, press together to seal.
Sprinkle c. Parmesan cheese over the crust.
Fill with meat mixture. Sprinkle top with Mozzarella cheese and
remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20
minutes.

(The sauce can be made ahead and reheated to facilitate last
minute preparations.)

I've just used a regular tube of biscuits and tried the jumbo and both worked, but I need to remember to bake it longer if I do the jumbos! Also, I don’t know why but I’ve still never had a pie pan so I always just make it in a 8x8 pan.

ZUCCHINI MADNESS!

Since zucchini season is in full swing, I thought I would post some of my favorite zucchini recipes. 

First, I will start with soups.  This one is my favorite soup containing zuchinni and lots of other goodies from the garden.  It is soooo good and I always crave it this time of year! 

CREAMY MUSHROOM & CHICKEN SOUP

6 T. butter
1 med. onion, chopped
3 T. flour
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
6 c. chicken broth
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
3/4 c. sliced celery
3/4 c. chopped carrots
2 c. quartered baby red potatoes
1 c. chopped zucchini or yellow squash (or a combo of both)
1 1/2 c. frozen corn kernals, thawed
2 t. thyme
2 c. lt. cream (I use half & half)
3/4 c. grated parm. cheese, plus more for garnish
2 c. chopped cooked chicken

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until tender, about 6 minutes.  Stir in the flour, sale and pepper and mix until smooth.  Gradually add the broth, then turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Add the mushrooms, celery, carrots, potatoes, squash, corn and thyme.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 min.

Add the cream, parm. cheese and chicken.  Heat the soup for an additional 10 minutes, but do not let it boil.  To serve, ladle the coup into a bowl and sprinkle with more parm. cheese, if desired.  Makes about 15 cups.


TORTELLINI SAUSAGE SOUP
Next is another zucchini soup that we love!  It is from OBB. http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/10/tortellini-sausage-soup/

Now onto some awesome zucchini side dishes:

CHEESY ZUCCHINI RICE from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/08/cheesy-zucchini-rice.html

CRISPY ZUCCHINI FRIES from Jamie Cooks it Up (we like to dip ours in ranch.)
http://jamiecooksitup.net/category/appetizer/

Moving along to zucchini main dishes.

BREADED CHICKEN WITH ZUCCHINI AND TOMATOES (so so so good!)
http://jamiecooksitup.net/2010/09/got-tomatoes-got-zuchinni-make-this-chicken-dinner/

GRILLED STUFFED ZUCCHINI
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/08/grilled-stuffed-zucchini/

LEMON HERB ZUCCHINI FETTUCCINE
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/09/lemon-herb-zucchini-fettuccine/

The best zucchini bread I have found is from OBB (and I have tried a lot!)  I don't usually make it with the orange zest, and I prefer it without.

ZUCCHINI BREAD
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/09/zucchini-bread/

Now for desseret time.

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE

1/2 c. butter (softened)
1/2 c. oil (I always use applesauce)
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. grated zucchini
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk
5 T. cocoa
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Mix everything (except nuts and chips) together and place in a 9x13 greased pan.  Top with nuts and chocolate chips.  Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes.  This cake is also really good without choc. chips & nuts, and top with the frosting from this cake:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/09/texas-sheet-cake/ 
I like to add chopped pecans to the frosting before pouring it on the cake.

I hope you will all have more recipes to use up the plethera of zucchini you have invading your garden!  If you don't have any zucchini and need some, please come on by and I will hook you up with a pound or 10!

Sugar Cookie Bars

(photo courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything)

These are WAY better than sugar cookies!!  I'm actually not a huge fan of regular sugar cookies but these are addicting! 

Here's the link to the recipe:
http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/06/sugar-cookie-bars.html

Cilantro Lime Slaw

Can I just say.....I love this stuff!!!  I got this recipe off of makeit-loveit.com and it is supposed to be served on top of sweet pork tacos.  Pork tacos will never be the same without it! But I've also taken it to a few BBQ's and potlucks just as a coleslaw and it's been a hit every time!  I'm only posting the slaw recipe but if you want the pork recipe just let me know...it's delish too!

1 package Cole Slaw or whole shredded cabbage (red cabbage is good!)
1 c. Mayonnaise
1 c. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper or a dash of your favorite hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. Lime juice
1/2 tsp. Cumin

Combine all but slaw in a mini food processor-or chop and combine by hand (I just chop the cilantro and garlic, whisk the other ingredients together, then add the cilantro and garlic).  Mix desired amount of dressing with slaw mix no more than 30 minutes before serving.  **If you use a head of cabbage, I would recommend using half of it then see if you need more if needed. 

-If you try it, let me know what you think!

Spinach Salad Wraps

So....It's been a while but I have a list of recipes that I've been wanting to post so I'll start with this one.  I love this one for summer!  I cut it out of one of Mom's "Better Homes & Garden" magazines last year and it's delicious every time I've made it (plus-it's super easy, which is always a plus).

5 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. snipped fresh parsley (I just use dried)
1 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dry mustard (I just use a little bit of regular yellow mustard)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 5-oz. pkg. fresh baby spinach (about 5 cups)
6 10-inch flour tortillas
6 slices mozzarella cheese-torn in half (shredded is good too)
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
12 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and drained (or just use precooked, crumbled bacon)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions (green onions are good too)
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

1.  For dressing, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, sour cream, sugar, parsley, salt, garlic, and mustard until combined.  Whisk in the olive oil; set dressing aside.
2.  Divide spinach among flour tortillas. Top with cheese, mushrooms, bacon, onion, and sliced egg.  Drizzle with dressing.
3.  Roll up tortillas.  If necessary, secure with toothpicks.  If desired, wrap in waxed paper and cut in half to serve.  Makes 6 servings.

-The only tip I have is that I like to cook the mushrooms in a little olive oil (or toss them in with the bacon) just a little bit before I put the wraps together.  I've tried it both ways but I like them better cooked

Emergency Meals

I was curious what you guys do for those days when kids get sick and you’ve been busy all day and forget about dinner, or the days that you are sick and don’t feel like cooking, (or maybe you’re not sick and just don’t want to cook!) Do you have some meals that you keep on hand for those kinds of days that’s quick and easy and that you can make last second?

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

I’ve been wanting to share this but it was so warm it didn’t feel like soup season, but today feels chilly so I’ll hurry and post this. I just made this for the first time and it is so easy, fast, with few ingredients, and it’s really good. It’s a good recipe that you could keep the ingredients on hand in the freezer and the rest you usually have on hand.
Cream Cheese Potato Soup
6 cups water
7 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, cubed and softened
1 pkg (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 1/2 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. dill weed

In a large pot, combine the water and bouillon. Add cream cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered for 18-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Makes about 3 quarts, approximately 12 servings.

Tips: Ore-Ida brand has a 30 oz bag of hash browns perfect size for this, but I accidently bought the cubed hash browns and it was really good, I liked the chunks of potato. After everything has simmered for a few minutes it said to mash the hash browns with a potato masher to break them up, but not like mashed potatoes, but I didn’t do this cuz I like the soups to have chunks. Also you can buy the ham already diced and cooked in the lunchmeat section in an 8 oz size bag and it was perfect. Oh, and next time I think I’ll warm up the cream cheese in the microwave before because I could never get it all melted, there were little chunks still. Hope you like it.

Super Yummy Punkin Flax Muffins

This is what my kids call these muffins (minus the flax).....so hence the title.  It is mainly PW's Pumpkin Spice Muffins, adapted to be a bit healthier.  And I typically have these ingredients on hand, so it makes it easy. Here goes.....

3/4 c flour
1/4 c ground flax seed
1/3 c sugar
2 tsp b. powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh ground is the KEY....I have just discovered the joy of freshly ground nutmeg and will never go back to the other!  And, you can find it at any grocery store and just grate it with a small grater/microplaner...who knew!)
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp butter (cold-ish)
1 c (heaping...so really like 1 1/4 c) canned pumpkin
1/4 c greek yogurt (not vital...if you don't have it, no big deal, just makes them more moist)
1 c evaporated milk (you can use non-fat withhout any problems)
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (here again...homemade vanilla made w/ rum = YUM)
1/2 c raisins (optional....we don't use these cuz raisins are gross...)

So just mix all the dry ingredients; then cut in the butter with a butter knives or pastry cutter until it's all incorporated and approximately pea-sized. Mix all the wet ingredients together and add to the dry.  Mix until just incorporated.  Put them in greased muffin tins @ 375 for 20 min or so.  (Makes 12 muffins. )  I have found that a big can of pumpkin and a whole can of evap. milk makes a triple batch.....which gets eaten pretty quickly at my house.

Toppings:
Okay...here are a couple of options. The original recipe from PW calls for mixing:
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
And then sprinkling on the muffins before baking, and then making cream cheese frosting to put on top too....which is delish, but more like dessert.

What I do is: No cinnamon/sugar topping, instead mix a block of 1/3 fat cream cheese w/ a couple of tbsp of honey, some ground nutmeg, and cinnamon.  (To taste) Whip it until it is fluffy.  We spread a little of this on the muffins and my kids love it. 



Okay, WOW, my first blog post....aren't you all proud of me? And it was so hard, I think I need to go get a massage now.....or go shopping....or go clean a couple of bathrooms instead.....now doesn't that sound fun??

Serena

Asian Lettuce Wraps

A few weeks ago I got a head of Butter Lettuce in my Bountiful Basket. I really wanted to find a good lettuce wrap recipe to use it.

I made this recipe off of Mel's Kitchen Cafe: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/03/asian-lettuce-wraps.html.

I thought they were delish and they tasted so much like the lettuce wraps I like from Happy's Chinese Restaurant in Idaho Falls. I pretty much followed the recipe exact and I used ground turkey because I couldn't find chicken.

I didn't really dig the sauce and I don't think the lettuce wraps need sauce, so I won't make that next time.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

So I have a list of recipes that I have wanted to blog for awhile now. So here goes. The first one, Honey Lime Enchiladas, ranks in the top 5 of my family's favorite recipes. I would've never thought to put this combo together, but boy am I glad I gave it a try. They are soooo good!

This recipe can be found on Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

*Freezable Meal: Freeze prior to baking. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing first) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until brown and crispy on top.

A tip from the website is to saute diced onion and garlic and add to the marinade. I always do this, using 1/4 to 1/2 cup of onion and 1-2 cloves of garlic. Also, I always use sour cream instead of heavy cream and think it tastes great. I've never been able to find a 16 oz. can of enchilada sauce, so I have used two 10 oz. cans or one 28 oz. can and it comes out just fine. I have also used a variety of cheeses, cheddar, pepperjack, colby jack, just whatever I have on hand. I usually marinade the chicken for a couple of hours, but I have done it for as little as 30 minutes and once I did it overnight and I didn't notice a big difference.

Something yummy to make to go along with these enchiladas is Mel's Honey Lime Fruit Salad :http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/04/honey-lime-fruit-salad.html

Give these a try! I think you'll love them! Oh yeah, and these are almost better rewarmed the next day!

Mike's Favorites Part 2- Fajitas

This is what we had for dinner tonight & decided I needed to share :)  I actually got this recipe from Serena but it has become a regular in this house (often requested despite my menu plan).  It's simple & delicious!!

Fajitas3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic (minced)
dash onion powder (we like onions in our fajitas so I just leave this out because the onions add enough for me)
1 lb chicken or beef (we've decided that steak is definitely the way to go, especially with the liquid smoke flavor)
Mushrooms (yup-you guessed it...another of mushroom recipe for Mike's Favorites haha and we like baby bella mushrooms)
Onion-sliced or roughly chopped

*Cube or chunk the meet.  Slice onion and mushrooms.  Mix all other ingredients together for the marinade.  Add meat and veggies into sauce and let marinade for 1-2 hours.  Then cook in all of the sauce until meat is cooked.  Serve with warm tortillas, cheese, and sour cream.

-just a couple of personal tips: I always double the sauce recipe because Mike LOVES it and will literally drink the rest of the sauce after everything else is gone...ssshhh don't tell him I told you haha.  And if I slice the meat pretty skinny insteady of thick chunks I only will marinade it for about 20-30 minutes and it tastes great!  I also use almost a whole carton of sliced mushrooms and a whole medium sized onion.  Let me know if you have questions!

Enjoy!!! yum yum

Regis Fruit Cobbler

We had this for dessert yesterday so I thought I’d share the recipe, and it was the first time I had ever made it. My mom has made this a few times for us and I always like it when she does because it smells so good. I’m not a fan of cobblers, but I love this one cuz it taste more like cake. It’s also super easy.
Regis Fruit Cobbler
1 - 20 oz. can crushed pineapple (do not drain liquid)
2 - 12 oz. bags frozen fruit (I like to get 2 different kinds of fruit.)  (We’ve always had one bag of peaches and one bag of the mix of raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries but you can have whatever you want!)
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1 cube butter, melted
(Icecream to serve on top)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In an ungreased 9x13 cake pan spread the can of pineapple with the juice.  Spread 1 of the bags of frozen fruit over the pineapple.  Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix over the fruit.  Spread the other bag of frozen fruit over the cake mix.  Sprinkle the nuts over the fruit.  Melt the butter and add the sugar and stir until combined.  Pour butter/sugar mixture over the nuts and fruit.
Bake for about 1 hour until golden brown.  (May take a little longer to bake.)  Serve warm with ice cream on top.

The $250 Chocolate Chip Cookes

I don't know about you, but I have had a hard time finding a good, reliable chocolate chip cookie recipe.  They end up being too thin & hard, or too cakey, etc, etc.  Until I found these!!!!  These are seriously the best chocolate chips cookies I have ever made!  And the best part is that they have been the the best every time I make them :) 

There is an internet myth out there that was attached to the recipe when I got it from Mike's mom last year.  I don't have it written out anymore but it goes something like this:  A lady & her daughter were eating at a Neiman Marcus restaurant in NYC and they ordered cookies for dessert.  The lady asked the waiter if the chef would sell the recipe to her.  He went & checked with the chef.  When he returned he said "Yes, he will sell it to you for two fifty."  She agreed to that thinking it was $2.50. When she got the bill, she was charged $250!  She was so angry that she posted the recipe on the internet. 

Whether it's true or not-these are G-O-O-D!!!!! I just made them for a Relief Society activity and they were a HUGE hit!  2 Warnings for you: 1-they are addicting!!   2-ALWAYS half the recipe...it makes a lot!!

Enjoy!

Neiman Marcus/Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookiesaka $250 Recipe

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (this is the secret ingredient!  measure 5 cups then toss in a blender to make a fine powder.  It's 5 cups pre-blended)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp bakind powder
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
24 oz chocolate chips
1 8oz chocolate bar, grated (or pulse lightly in a blender-this is important too because it kind of melts into the batter & makes them YUMMY!!)
3 cups chopped nuts (optional-I've never made them with nuts)

*Cream butter and both sugars.  Add eggs & vanilla.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Then add that into the creamed mixture a couple cups at a time.  Add chocolate chips, chocolate bar & nuts.  Roll into balls & place 2" apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375.

They are divine warm & gooey but they stay soft for days!! We've even frozen some and they were even soft after they thawed out :) 

Just for an example of how many cookies this recipe makes....for the R.S. activity I made a full batch and I baked 7 or 8 dozen cookies and still had 1/3 of the cookie dough left!!  YIKES!  That's dangerous at this house!!

Hope you like them!! :)

Love ya!
Ang

Thai Peanut Noodles

I saw this is the Our Best Bites cookbook and it said it was one of the favorites on the blog so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s also on their site http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/09/thai-peanut-noodles/. I kept putting off trying this, but we were given a ton of peanuts for Christmas so I thought it was a good time to test it. It’s super easy and Everybody loved it, Allie especially. She still talks about it. I liked it except I think I didn’t cook enough noodles and the sauce was too powerful, but that’s just because I don’t know how to judge how many noodles to make, is there a secret way to measure them? How do you judge how many noodles to make?! Here’s the Recipe:

Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot)
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. Udon or linguine noodles
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts

Cook noodles in salted water. In the meantime, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with sauce and divide among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with 2 lime quarters. Before eating, squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.

I didn’t do the Sriracha chili sauce because I couldn’t find it, and I was afraid of having it hot. We will be having this again.

Avocado Chicken Salad

(photo from thekitchencookie.blogspot.com)

I've had this pinned on Pinterest for a while and when I got 10 avocados in our Guacamole Pack from Bountiful Baskets I decided to try it.  I made it just as the recipe calls but I didn't cook enough chicken so I probably only had about 2 cups but it would definitely be better with more chicken.  For the cabbage, I used Napa Cabbage because it also came in my Bountiful Basket and I probably had slightly more than it called for (plus I like it better than regular cabbage).  I made it when Mom was in town & Serena had it with us and we all loved it!! (at least they said they did haha)    I would recommend slicing the avocado and arranging it on the plate then putting the salad on top instead of filling the avocado like in the picture~it was kind of hard to eat out of the avocado. 

We just loved the chicken salad! It would be delish in a pita pocket or just as a sandwich.  The almonds, celery & cabbage gave it a good crunch!  YUM!!

Here's the recipe:

3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

1 cup cabbage, shredded

½ - ¾ cup celery, diced

¼ cup green onions, chopped

½ cup sliced almonds

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

2½ teaspoons mustard

1½ teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Milk, to desired consistency  (I didn't use milk)

Combine all dressing ingredients & whisk together.  Set aside.  Combine chicken, veggies, and almonds then stir in the dressing.  Then top avocado with chicken salad.

Enjoy!
~Ang~

Ham & Cheese Sliders

I love Superbowl Sunday, not because I love the Superbowl, but because I love Superbowl food! When I saw this recipe http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/04/ham-and-cheese-sliders.html, I knew I had to try it for the Superbowl and it did not disappoint!

I followed the recipe exact. I made Rhoades white dinner rolls for the rolls and I bought honey ham from the deli. I also only made half the sauce as recommended and it was just right.

I thought these were super good and they seemed to get good reviews from everyone! I am excited to make them again!

What's for Dinner This Week?

So, I thought it might be fun to start giving a little run down of our weekly dinner menus. I guess it's probably because I have been back in the meal planning mode full swing lately. So, feel free to start posting what you're having for dinner this week (and next week, and the next, etc. ha ha!). As for us, if any of you are interested, here is what is on the menu (as I typed this up, I realized that pretty much everything this week is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe--no real reason, it just happened that way I guess!):

Monday: Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
(from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, recipe found HERE) It is super delicious and my family loves it! Every time I make it, it seems like it kind of is a lot of work, but in the end it is totally worth it. And I'm probably just not that fast at making it. :) Oh, and another note...along with the vegetables she calls for, I also peel and dice two small potatoes and add to them. I like a few potatoes in a chicken pot pie, so I wanted some in this too.
Tuesday: San Francisco Pork Chops with rice & fresh steamed broccoli
(another from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, recipe found HERE) I needed a good crockpot meal tomorrow, and I like this because it's a little different than the usual crockpot dish and that's good. :)
Wednesday: Taco Pasta
(from The Girl Who Ate Everything, recipe found HERE) It sounded a little different the first time I made this, but we loved it!
Thursday: Leftovers
The taco pasta & chicken pot pie crumble usually have quite a bit left, so I am planning to have them on hand for a leftovers night!
Friday: Pork Tacos
When I make the pork chops, I usually cut them from a pork loin roast which usually uses about half of the roast. So I have another half a pork roast in the fridge that needs used, and I'll use it for some quick and easy pork tacos.
Saturday: Coconut Shrimp Curry
(from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, recipe found HERE) I have just ventured into the world of curry and I am in love! I made this a couple of weeks ago and we LOVE it. And it really isn't that hard to make either, which is a huge bonus of course! I am going to make some with chicken and some with shrimp this week since we are having some friends over and she hates shrimp. :) But I am positive it will be good with chicken too. If you haven't tried making curry, you should. It is SO good!

So, that's a wrap of my week...what are y'all having? :)

Mini Puffed Oven Pancakes

I recently saw this recipe http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/01/mini-puffed-oven-pancakes-with-berry-sauce/posted on Our Best Bites blog and since my family loves breakfast for dinner, especially crepes, I thought I would give it a try and boy did it go over well!

I got comments like: Rhett: "Mom, you are the best cooker ever. You should go on one of those cooking shows and make these because you will win first place." Gracie: "I thought crepes were my favorite food but just for the record, these are my favorite." (I'm not sure where she heard the "just for the record" thing, but she says it all the time!)

I made a double batch and it was a good thing, because Gracie and Rhett ate 12 each! I didn't make the sauce, because I had some raspberry pie filling that I needed to use. I also had some leftover Buttermilk Caramel Syrup (also from OBB) that we used. They were both really good on the pancakes and of course we had to sprinkle powdered sugar on them and top it all off with some whip cream!

To go along with the pancakes I made this Orange Julius: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/01/classic-orange-julius.html
I don't think I had ever made an "authentic" Orange Julius before and this one was it! It was so good! I'm sure I will be getting requests for this meal again soon!

I'm sure I will be getting requests to make these again soon!

Corn Chowder

(Image found here)

Another quick and easy recipe we like at our house and everyone eats it. :) I got it years ago from my friend Emily. I think this would be a really easy recipe to throw into the crockpot and cook since the only thing that really has to cook through is the potatoes. For the bacon, I often use the precooked bacon crumbles. Makes it super easy.

Corn Chowder

1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
3 cups diced potatoes
1/2 lb. bacon, fried (really crispy) and crumbled
2 cans creamed corn*
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. paprika
black pepper, to taste

Melt butter and saute the onions, soon followed by the potatoes. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over low heat for 1 hour. Stir often (or potatoes will stick to the bottom of your pan!). Serves about 6.

*if you don't have creamed corn on hand, you can use regular corn and add a scoop or two of sour cream.

White Chicken Chili

(Image found here)

Here is a quick and easy recipe that I love to make a few times each Fall/Winter. I got it from my friend Mindy Giles, and I believe she said she got it from the back of the can of beans. :) So, it's a pretty basic and easy recipe but it's always a hit at our house.

White Chicken Chili

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-4 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2-16 oz. cans Great Northern Beans (with liquid, don't drain)
1-14.5 oz. can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken breast (I have used canned chicken when I am going ultra easy on this and it works great for this recipe)

In large skillet, cook onion in oil for 4 minutes or until transparent. Add chilies, flour and cumin; cook and stir for 2 minutes (mixture will be really thick and pasty). Add beans and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. The "paste" of chilies, flour, and cumin will start to break up as the chili simmers. Stir often. Add chicken; cook until hot.

Garnish with cheese, sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Meal Planning-What Works For You?

Hi Everyone!

So I'm a big planner so meal planning definitely is my kind of thing but I'm wondering what works best for you guys (if you even meal plan).  Now that I've done it a lot, I'm starting to notice what isn't working the greatest for us but I'm not sure how to fix it.  Since I'm getting ready to prep my next meal plan, I'd love some of your inside tips & tricks! :)

Here's what I do:  I like to plan at least 3 weeks out (sometimes as long as a month out) that way I only make 1 main grocery shopping trip a month but can pick up necessities as we run out (eggs, milk, cheese, bread, etc). 

So here is where I run into my problem:  Mike changes his mind!  (so do I, but I like to blame it on him haha)  For example:  I had Chipotle Chocolate Chili on the menu 10 days ago because we both wanted to try it but when the day rolled around, we weren't quite in the mood for it so I skipped it but we still haven't had it!

My main question is do you plan each day individually& stick to it? Or do you just plan a set amount of meals & cook them when you want within that time period?

What works for you?

~Ang~

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

So, for dinner last night, I tried a new recipe. I have had this one pinned on pinterest for a long time and finally remembered to try it. It was really good. Generally, anything with balsamic vinegar is a big hit for me! I would probably do a few things differently next time I make it, though.

1. In her recipe, she says to cook on low in the crockpot for 6-8 hours. Mine cooked for about 7 hours and the top part of it really dried out, which is uncommon for crockpot meats. I think what I maybe would do is turn the roast halfway through cooking so each half gets a turn to sit in the juices. :) We'll see if that works a little better!

2. I would probably make a bigger batch of the glaze. The glaze was definitely delicious and since I served my roast with rice, I felt like I wanted more sauce to cover some of the rice. I don't think I would quite double it since that would seem like a ton, but maybe make it at about 1.5 times the original size.

But nonetheless, it was delicious and I will definitely make it again! Here is the link:

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/09/sweet-balsamic-glazed-pork-loin-slow-cooker.html

Brazil Meal

We had a fun Birthday Party meal for Charlie this Sunday and I thought it turned out really good. We picked all Brazil food, and they all came from www.ourbestbites.com. (Thanks Marilee and Marilyn for doing this with me, it turned out great!) First Marilee made Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/02/quick-brazilian-cheese-rolls-pao-de-queijo-2/ and these were really good. Allie kept saying how much she liked the “muffins”, she loved them. Marilyn made the yummy Brazilian Lemonade: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/05/brazilian-lemonade/ that everybody drank up. Gus was sad because it kept plugging up his sippy cup. Then for the main course we had Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/01/black-beans-rice-with-chicken-and-apple-salsa/ and I think everybody loved that too. The kids had theirs wrapped in tortillas. We just grilled chicken breasts and gave everybody one. The salsa sounded interesting, but it was really good, even with just chips.
(Sorry I don’t have my own picture, we were too busy gobbling it all up.) We doubled the recipe and had tons of leftovers. It smelled so good as we were making everything. And now we know why Brazilians take naps after lunch, that’s when they have their main meal, or dinner. We all could hardly move after that and just wanted to take a nap. We did good surprising Charlie, and he said it was just like being back in Brazil. So if anyone's in the mood for Brazil this was a yummy dinner.

Cranberry Vanilla Granola

Since I shared this recipe with Marilee on Saturday, I figured I would post it here also. I originally found this recipe on the blog called Favorite Family Recipes, and have adapted it a bit to my liking after a few times of making it. It is quite simple to make and my family LOVES this stuff. We eat it with milk for breakfast instead of cereal or by the handful as a snack or on yogurt. It is really, really good and I feel like it is a little bit healthier than other things we could be eating too. :) So, here is my version of the recipe.

Cranberry Vanilla Granola
8 c. oats
1 c. sliced almonds
1 c. wheat germ
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Craisins, to taste (I usually use one small bag of the Wal Mart brand dried cranberries, I think it is between 1-2 cups)
3/4 c. canola oil
1 c. honey
3 Tbsp. vanilla (use the real stuff if you have it-- it tastes much better)

Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Combine first 8 ingredients (dry ingredients) in a large bowl. In a saucepan combine oil, honey, and vanilla and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute then pour over oat mixture. Mix until all ingredients are moistened. Divide and spread mixture over 2 large cookie sheets and bake at 300-degrees for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and leave on pans until the granola hardens (it may be a little chewy and that's ok.. if you prefer it not to be chewy at all, allow to dry completely). Break up granola and store in large Ziploc bags or containers. Serve plain, with yogurt, or with milk. Enjoy!

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Tonight for dinner we tried a new recipe at our house. It was the Crispy Cheddar Chicken from Jamie Cooks it Up. The link is: http://jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken.html

It was really good and everyone (even Rhett) ate their entire plate and raved about how much they liked it. When I make it again, I will grate my cheese smaller or even put it in the food processor for a second to make the cheese pieces smaller so they stick better. Other than that, I woudn't change a thing. I made twiced baked potatoes to go with it and a green salad would've been nice. I will definently be making this again for my family!

Mike's Favorites -Part 1 "Aussie Chicken"

I don't know if you all know this but Mike has a love for mushrooms unlike most.  I mean they are right up there after ME (of course) but up there with his other top loves like bacon, Dr. Pepper, his XBox, potatoes, steak, etc  :)  Needless to say, we eat mushrooms often: in salad, eggs, stuffed, sauteed, and the list goes on.  So when I found this recipe, I knew it would be a hit in this home.  It might not be your cup of tea but it sure is Mike's.

I believe it's supposed to a mimic recipe from a dish at Outback Steakhouse but we've never had it there.  I got it from this blog about 3 years ago so I'm not sure if it's still a good source for recipes since this is the only one I've ever tried.  One of the great things about this recipe is that it's easy to downsize or expand the recipe if needed.  Welp-here it is!

Aussie Chicken
* 4 Chicken Breasts (I like to cut them in half so they are thinner & a better chicken to goodies ratio. For just the 2 of us, I will use 2 chicken breasts sliced thin creating 4 thing pieces so we have leftovers.)
* 8 slices of bacon (I use the crumbled bacon from Costco-saves time & increases simplicity)
* 2 Tsp Seasoning Salt
* 2 Cups Colby Jack or Monterey Jack Cheese Shredded (I prefer Monterey Jack)
* 1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms (you knew that was coming, huh? but of course I use a bit more)
* Honey Mustard -it didn't have a measurement but it will depend on how saucy you like things.  I think originally it had a recipe for this but I like simple & just buy Honey Mustard Dressing (current favorite, suprisingly enough is WalMart brand Honey Dijon Light Dressing) but you could probably try the Honey Mustard dips they have now for a thicker sauce

-Rub chicken breasts with seasoning salt, cover & refrigerate for 30 minutes (sometimes I don't wait 30 minutes because I forget so I just rub it in really well & then start cooking it). 
-Preheat over to 350. 
-Cut bacon into bite sized pieces and cook in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy & set aside.
-Heat a tablespoon or 2 of oil in the skillet & place the breasts in the hot oil for 5-6 minutes per side, or until brown. 
-Drizzle some Honey Mustard in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish to lightly cover the bottom (for just Mike & I, I use an 8x8 dish).
-Once browned, place the chicken in the baking dish & drizzle more sauce over the top.
-Then layer mushrooms, bacon & shredded cheese on top.
-Bake for 10 minutes or unitl cheese is melted & chicken juices run clear (I usually do 15 just to be safe).
-You can use more of the honey mustard for additional sauce if you need it.
                                               Enjoy!!

The Beginning of a Great Thing!

Hi Everyone!

Well, it's finally up and running with lots of kinks to work out (I'm sure) but I am SO excited for this blog!  So let's all embrace the idea & share, share, share!  Share cooking successes & failures (wink wink -you know we've all had them) as well as crafts, DIY projects, or even just great deals that we should all know about! 

So-here we go:

At the cabin for Christmas, Marilee showed me this awesome blog so I've been trying some new recipes on this month's meal plan.  One of our new FAVORITES, which will be a regular in the Searle home is Mel's Crispy Chicken Wraps. They are SUPER easy & SO yummy!!  It calls for a rotisserie chicken which makes it even easier since it's already cooked but I rarely buy those & I'll be using boiled & shredded chicken next time.  We had 4 or 5 left over and they were yummy the day after too! 

Happy Cooking!   Luvs~Ang~