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?
Friday, May 18, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, April 23, 2012
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
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
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
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.
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!
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!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
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
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
Monday, March 5, 2012
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.
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.
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