Tues 1: Skillet Turkey & Noodles
Wed 2: Roast chicken, potatoes, green beans amandine
Thurs 3: Chinese roast pork, rice, Asian vegetable blend
Fri 4: pizza
Sat 5: birthday party for Little Brother. Spaghetti & meatballs, rolls, chili (my best batch ever--I used 4 kinds of beans: pink, red, black and pinto)
Sun 6: Chicken piccata
Mon 7: Father Leo's fajitas from the Grace Before Meals cookbook
Tues 8: Beef paysanne, noodles, broccoli
Wed 9: tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches
Thurs 10: Spaghetti
Fri 11: pizza
Sat 12: corned beef & cabbage at my parents' house
Sun 13: birthday party for a neighbor
Mon 14: "Grandpa's Dark Meat Chicken"
Tues 15: Chicken piccata bites, rice, broccoli
Wed 16: Corned beef in the slow cooker
Thurs 17: Spaghetti & meatballs
Fri 18: pizza
Sat 19: Mexican lasagna
Sun 20: takeout
Mon 21: Leftovers TECH WEEK: I'm serving dinner with the other Stage Mothers to the cast, crew and orchestra of the high school play. Only TheDad and I will be eating at home.
Tues 22: Dinner at the diner with TheDad.
Wed 23: Sort-of-Spicy Orange Chicken and Asian Green Beans. Only TheDad and I will be eating at home.
Thurs 24: BBQ chicken pizza. Only TheDad and I will be eating at home.
Fri 25: TECH WEEK: I'm serving dinner with the other Stage Mothers to the cast, crew and orchestra of the high school play. Dinner out with TheDad afterwards.
Sat 26: Shrimp Scampi with linguine
Sun 27: Tandoori Chicken
Mon 28: Leftovers! TECH WEEK: I'm serving dinner with the other Stage Mothers to the cast, crew and orchestra of the high school play. Only TheDad and I will be eating at home.
Tues 29: More leftovers! TECH WEEK: I'm serving dinner with the other Stage Mothers to the cast, crew and orchestra of the high school play. Only TheDad and I will be eating at home.
Wed 30: Chicken piccata bites, rice, broccoli
Thurs 31: Spaghetti & meatballs
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Corned Beef in the Slow Cooker
Hands down, this is the easiest way to cook corned beef, and the results are tender and delicious. I got this recipe from Living Rich with Coupons but changed a couple of things to reflect our personal preferences. Recipe below is as I made it.
1 corned beef, about 2 1/2 lb.
1 bottle beer (I used Sam Adams)
1 onion, sliced
a handful of baby carrots
water to cover
Put onion slices and carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place corned beef on top of the vegetables. Discard the seasoning packet. Pour beer over top, then add water until it is almost covering the meat.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. I cooked it for 9 1/2 and the meat was beautifully done. Remove the meat and let it rest, covered with foil, for about 15 minutes before slicing.
I prefer to cook the cabbage separately as I don't like the flavor of cabbage cooked in beer. So I just boil cabbage wedges in a pot on the stove for about an hour.
1 corned beef, about 2 1/2 lb.
1 bottle beer (I used Sam Adams)
1 onion, sliced
a handful of baby carrots
water to cover
Put onion slices and carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place corned beef on top of the vegetables. Discard the seasoning packet. Pour beer over top, then add water until it is almost covering the meat.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. I cooked it for 9 1/2 and the meat was beautifully done. Remove the meat and let it rest, covered with foil, for about 15 minutes before slicing.
I prefer to cook the cabbage separately as I don't like the flavor of cabbage cooked in beer. So I just boil cabbage wedges in a pot on the stove for about an hour.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Pantry FAIL is a WIN
Tonight I served Corned Beef & Cabbage, because I don't like to serve it on St. Patrick's Day if I can avoid it. My grandmother always asserted that corned beef is NOT Irish food. But it's cheap this time of year, and I really want to try to make some Corned Beef Hash with the leftovers.
Besides, if I don't serve spaghetti on Thursdays, my children get really bent out of shape.
Anyway, I put the corned beef in the slow cooker this morning and went off to school where I spent the day substitute teaching. It was beautifully done after 9 1/2 hours.
The potatoes were not so beautiful. They were sprouting and kind of soft. So I got rid of the potatoes, but what else do you serve with corned beef and cabbage? Checking the pantry, I found my "emergency" box of instant mashed potatoes. Yukon Gold, even.
I told the kids that the potatoes wouldn't need additional salt. My daughter saw the box and said, "You expect me to eat fake potatoes? I thought I was raised better than that."
None of us could manage more than a single forkful of the potatoes. But the corned beef was delicious.
Besides, if I don't serve spaghetti on Thursdays, my children get really bent out of shape.
Anyway, I put the corned beef in the slow cooker this morning and went off to school where I spent the day substitute teaching. It was beautifully done after 9 1/2 hours.
The potatoes were not so beautiful. They were sprouting and kind of soft. So I got rid of the potatoes, but what else do you serve with corned beef and cabbage? Checking the pantry, I found my "emergency" box of instant mashed potatoes. Yukon Gold, even.
I told the kids that the potatoes wouldn't need additional salt. My daughter saw the box and said, "You expect me to eat fake potatoes? I thought I was raised better than that."
None of us could manage more than a single forkful of the potatoes. But the corned beef was delicious.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Coming Right Up
I will get to the menu plan for March. This March is a weird month--at least it will end oddly. Beginning NEXT Monday, my kids will be eating at the high school for more than a week as they prepare for the school's spring musical. The Play Parents (or as I call them, not disparagingly as I'm part of this group this year, the Stage Mothers,) provide dinner for the entire cast, crew and orchestra for about 10 days during Tech Week.
There are themed meals; parents donate food, labor and time. I'll be bringing part of the dinner each night and serving, cooking and cleaning up for 4 of those nights. It's going to be weird not to cook at home, but this is a nice time for the kids involved in the play to bond with each other over a meal and a common goal. (They also have a Mass on either the Saturday or Sunday during play weekend--it's a Catholic school; they are making sure the kids can get to church even though they are spending lots of time with the play.)
Today my neighbors had a party for their daughter and I wound up with a lot of turkey leftovers. (Long story. We got lots and lots and lots of Dark Meat Turkey. It was a small price to pay for donating the use of my oven to cook it.) I'll freeze some, but some of it is going to show up this week in our dinners. good thing I've got a nice big list of things I can make with turkey!
There are themed meals; parents donate food, labor and time. I'll be bringing part of the dinner each night and serving, cooking and cleaning up for 4 of those nights. It's going to be weird not to cook at home, but this is a nice time for the kids involved in the play to bond with each other over a meal and a common goal. (They also have a Mass on either the Saturday or Sunday during play weekend--it's a Catholic school; they are making sure the kids can get to church even though they are spending lots of time with the play.)
Today my neighbors had a party for their daughter and I wound up with a lot of turkey leftovers. (Long story. We got lots and lots and lots of Dark Meat Turkey. It was a small price to pay for donating the use of my oven to cook it.) I'll freeze some, but some of it is going to show up this week in our dinners. good thing I've got a nice big list of things I can make with turkey!
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Product Review: Purex Complete Crystals Fabric Softener
Unlike other fabric softeners, these crystals are not oil-based, and they don't have to be added at a different point in the washing cycle. Purex Complete Crystals can safely be used on things that traditional fabric softeners shouldn't be used on: towels, athletic clothing, and infants' and children's sleepwear.
I tried the Purex Complete Crystals in three different ways: in a load of laundry that was hung on the line, in a load of laundry that included towels, and in a third load that was dried in the dryer without a dryer sheet. While I didn't notice any difference in softness vs. using a dryer sheet with the laundry, the big difference came when I took the clothes outside. The line-dried load was much softer than my usual results from line-drying.
Purex Complete Crystals come in three scents. I tried the Fresh Spring Waters scent. My husband and I both thought that the scent was quite strong--even after line-drying the clothes. Normally I use unscented detergent and dryer sheets, so we are not used to scent on our clothing. My daughter, who loves perfumes of all kinds, thought the scent was terrific.
To learn more about Purex Complete Crystals and how they work, visit the Purex website.
I reviewed this product as part of the Purex Insider Program. I received a product sample and a coupon for a free full-size product as the sole compensation for my review.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Taco Taco Taco
The last time I made Enchiladas, I was thinking how good the meat-and-Rotel mixture would taste as a soft taco.
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon adobo without pepper
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (10-oz) Rotel
Brown ground beef, onion, adobo and pepper in skillet. Drain. Stir in the Rotel. Simmer 10 minutes and serve with your favorite taco fixings.
No "taco seasoning" required! It's not a traditional taco, but it's really good.
For a party: Triple the recipe. Cook as described above. After stirring in the Rotel, transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on "Low" for an hour and then switch to "Warm" if you have that setting.
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon adobo without pepper
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (10-oz) Rotel
Brown ground beef, onion, adobo and pepper in skillet. Drain. Stir in the Rotel. Simmer 10 minutes and serve with your favorite taco fixings.
No "taco seasoning" required! It's not a traditional taco, but it's really good.
For a party: Triple the recipe. Cook as described above. After stirring in the Rotel, transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on "Low" for an hour and then switch to "Warm" if you have that setting.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Cub Scout Blue & Gold Dinner
For the second year in a row, I'm catering the Cub Scout Blue & Gold Dinner. No, I'm not a caterer--I'm just Mrs. Cubmaster. But I certainly know how to make spaghetti and meatballs, and that's what we're having. It's easy, it's kid-friendly, and you can get some of it done ahead of time.
I was kicking myself earlier this week because I didn't save the papers last year where I calculated how much of everything I would need. Last year we had about 65 people at the Blue & Gold. Today we're expecting 103. Fortunately our parish center, where we host this event, has a fully-equipped kitchen, but there is stuff that I make sure to bring with me. I already spoke to the business manager and she offered us the use of certain staples like salt & pepper, sugar, tea bags, so we saved money there.
Little Brother has two more years in Cub Scouts, so I figured it would be a good idea to write down what--and how much--we used, to make it easier for next year.
We've also learned from some mistakes. Last year we made this dinner "semi-potluck." I made the spaghetti and meatballs. We bought the bread at a local bakery--their bread is amazing AND they give us a special price because we're a Scout troop. And we divided the rest among the Cub Scouts. One den brought beverages, another brought salad, two more brought desserts, and I can't remember what the last assignment was. That semi-potluck thing didn't work out well at all. We ran out of salad with the first 20 people, and I had to send my teenagers to ShopRite to get more soda.
This year we decided to charge $3 per person for the dinner, and each family was to bring a dessert to share. That $3 per person would cover the rest of it.
How did I do on budget this year? Well, I've spent about $300 and didn't even get to the bakery yet. I'll be a little over budget, but I had to buy things like plastic forks--those come in a box of 400 or so; we'll have forks for the next few events. I'm not going to ask the Scouts to give me back more than we take in, so the rest will just be a donation.
I worry a bit about quantity since last year we had quite a few "walk-ins." So I want to make sure I have extra food on hand just in case. I'll keep a few pounds of uncooked pasta ready to go in case we need to quickly make more.
A note about pasta: I say "spaghetti" but I'm really serving penne. It's much easier for young kids to handle this shape, and it's easier for the cooks as well (spaghetti sometimes slides through the colander holes when you drain it and makes a mess in the sink).
20 pounds of meat gets you about 320 meatballs. Yes, I rolled 320 meatballs last night. Little Brother helped a bit. I made him wear gloves! He loved it--he was busy squishing and mixing the meatballs, saying "This is SO 'Dirty Jobs'!" TheDad got home when we had about 3 pounds of mix to go, so he helped with the last bit as well.
Here's my shopping list:
24 pounds pasta, which may not be enough, so I'm going to get 4 or 5 more pounds just in case
20 lb. ground beef (80% lean)
92-oz. bread crumbs (I have about 2 cups left)
20 eggs (I donated these)
1 110-oz can tomato paste
12 28-oz cans tomato puree
12 29-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 bottle each "dollar section spices"--garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, crushed red pepper, oregano, basil (I expect to only have crushed red pepper left after I make the sauce)
24 oz olive oil
large can of Kraft parmesan cheese
12 lb. bagged salad
3 large seedless cucumbers
3 pints grape tomatoes
1 large bag croutons
4 pints ranch dressing
4 pints Italian dressing
Here's my nonfoods list:
tablecloths for round tables--a BIG expense; these things are $3 EACH!
heavy-duty paper plates (we like Chinet)
cake plates
bowls for salad
forks
knives
spoons
table napkins (2 bags of 250)
roll of paper towels
extension cords--heavy duty (all that I can round up!)
kitchen sponge (I like to bring a fresh one since the ones in the kitchen are usually icky)
dish soap (just in case--there will most likely be some there)
my apron
oven mitts
scissors
masking tape
Sharpie
index cards (for labeling which coffeepot has decaf, among other things)
Sterno for chafing dishes
camera
Beverages:
2 lb. coffee (not sure how much I will actually use)
2 lb. decaf
1 38-qt iced tea mix
2 gallons Boost (a local favorite--this will make 10 gallons)
ice water will also be available
hot tea (the parish center has tea bags so I don't have to bring any)
4 qts. half & half
Here's the proportions for making meatballs:
For each 1 lb. of ground beef (or meatloaf mix), add:
1 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
That will get you about 16 golf-ball size meatballs. Place on a baking sheet, allowing some room in between. I cover the sheet in foil for easy cleanup! Bake 20 minutes at 400.
Here's how I keep the pasta hot:
Cook pasta as usual. Pour a couple of TBL oil in the bottom of chafing-dish pans. Place cooked pasta in pans. Pour a little more oil over the top, toss, and cover. Keep warm in warm (200 degrees) oven or over chafing dish.
I was kicking myself earlier this week because I didn't save the papers last year where I calculated how much of everything I would need. Last year we had about 65 people at the Blue & Gold. Today we're expecting 103. Fortunately our parish center, where we host this event, has a fully-equipped kitchen, but there is stuff that I make sure to bring with me. I already spoke to the business manager and she offered us the use of certain staples like salt & pepper, sugar, tea bags, so we saved money there.
Little Brother has two more years in Cub Scouts, so I figured it would be a good idea to write down what--and how much--we used, to make it easier for next year.
We've also learned from some mistakes. Last year we made this dinner "semi-potluck." I made the spaghetti and meatballs. We bought the bread at a local bakery--their bread is amazing AND they give us a special price because we're a Scout troop. And we divided the rest among the Cub Scouts. One den brought beverages, another brought salad, two more brought desserts, and I can't remember what the last assignment was. That semi-potluck thing didn't work out well at all. We ran out of salad with the first 20 people, and I had to send my teenagers to ShopRite to get more soda.
This year we decided to charge $3 per person for the dinner, and each family was to bring a dessert to share. That $3 per person would cover the rest of it.
How did I do on budget this year? Well, I've spent about $300 and didn't even get to the bakery yet. I'll be a little over budget, but I had to buy things like plastic forks--those come in a box of 400 or so; we'll have forks for the next few events. I'm not going to ask the Scouts to give me back more than we take in, so the rest will just be a donation.
I worry a bit about quantity since last year we had quite a few "walk-ins." So I want to make sure I have extra food on hand just in case. I'll keep a few pounds of uncooked pasta ready to go in case we need to quickly make more.
A note about pasta: I say "spaghetti" but I'm really serving penne. It's much easier for young kids to handle this shape, and it's easier for the cooks as well (spaghetti sometimes slides through the colander holes when you drain it and makes a mess in the sink).
20 pounds of meat gets you about 320 meatballs. Yes, I rolled 320 meatballs last night. Little Brother helped a bit. I made him wear gloves! He loved it--he was busy squishing and mixing the meatballs, saying "This is SO 'Dirty Jobs'!" TheDad got home when we had about 3 pounds of mix to go, so he helped with the last bit as well.
Here's my shopping list:
24 pounds pasta, which may not be enough, so I'm going to get 4 or 5 more pounds just in case
20 lb. ground beef (80% lean)
92-oz. bread crumbs (I have about 2 cups left)
20 eggs (I donated these)
1 110-oz can tomato paste
12 28-oz cans tomato puree
12 29-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 bottle each "dollar section spices"--garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, crushed red pepper, oregano, basil (I expect to only have crushed red pepper left after I make the sauce)
24 oz olive oil
large can of Kraft parmesan cheese
12 lb. bagged salad
3 large seedless cucumbers
3 pints grape tomatoes
1 large bag croutons
4 pints ranch dressing
4 pints Italian dressing
Here's my nonfoods list:
tablecloths for round tables--a BIG expense; these things are $3 EACH!
heavy-duty paper plates (we like Chinet)
cake plates
bowls for salad
forks
knives
spoons
table napkins (2 bags of 250)
roll of paper towels
extension cords--heavy duty (all that I can round up!)
kitchen sponge (I like to bring a fresh one since the ones in the kitchen are usually icky)
dish soap (just in case--there will most likely be some there)
my apron
oven mitts
scissors
masking tape
Sharpie
index cards (for labeling which coffeepot has decaf, among other things)
Sterno for chafing dishes
camera
Beverages:
2 lb. coffee (not sure how much I will actually use)
2 lb. decaf
1 38-qt iced tea mix
2 gallons Boost (a local favorite--this will make 10 gallons)
ice water will also be available
hot tea (the parish center has tea bags so I don't have to bring any)
4 qts. half & half
Here's the proportions for making meatballs:
For each 1 lb. of ground beef (or meatloaf mix), add:
1 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
That will get you about 16 golf-ball size meatballs. Place on a baking sheet, allowing some room in between. I cover the sheet in foil for easy cleanup! Bake 20 minutes at 400.
Here's how I keep the pasta hot:
Cook pasta as usual. Pour a couple of TBL oil in the bottom of chafing-dish pans. Place cooked pasta in pans. Pour a little more oil over the top, toss, and cover. Keep warm in warm (200 degrees) oven or over chafing dish.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Play Time!
It's going to get crazy for the next 6 weeks: it's spring musical time at my daughter's high school. Even though I only have one child in high school, two of my children are participating in the musical. The school is doing The Wizard of Oz, and they've welcomed about 20 elementary-school students to perform as well as the 95 high-school students who are in the play.
My daughter also runs track, so she gets home around 5. She has to be back at school for play practice from 6:30 to 9, along with her little brother. Normally we don't eat dinner much before 6:30 because of my husband's work schedule and long commute.
So we'll have to do some shuffling around here. The slow cooker is going to be my best friend on play-practice nights, and it's a good bet that I'll have to keep a plate of dinner warm for Dad, since the kids have to eat before play practice. It's a good thing that the high school is only 5 minutes away. During Tech Week, the cast and crew arrives at 5 and the Stage Mothers provide dinner for them. I'll be a Stage Mother this year and am looking forward to that.
My reward for spending a chunk of my evenings shuttling my kids back and forth to school is that it's going to be nice and quiet around here for a couple of hours each evening. Ahhhhh!
My daughter also runs track, so she gets home around 5. She has to be back at school for play practice from 6:30 to 9, along with her little brother. Normally we don't eat dinner much before 6:30 because of my husband's work schedule and long commute.
So we'll have to do some shuffling around here. The slow cooker is going to be my best friend on play-practice nights, and it's a good bet that I'll have to keep a plate of dinner warm for Dad, since the kids have to eat before play practice. It's a good thing that the high school is only 5 minutes away. During Tech Week, the cast and crew arrives at 5 and the Stage Mothers provide dinner for them. I'll be a Stage Mother this year and am looking forward to that.
My reward for spending a chunk of my evenings shuttling my kids back and forth to school is that it's going to be nice and quiet around here for a couple of hours each evening. Ahhhhh!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Cookie Carnival: Vanilla Shortbread
My friend Tami hosts the Cookie Carnival each month, and it looked like a lot of fun--so I decided to play along too. It's easy to do; you just contact Tami and she'll send you the two recipes chosen for the month. Then you bake, photograph, taste-test and post about it!
I chose the Vanilla Shortbread Hearts recipe because the other recipe contained ingredients that I didn't already have around the house!
The cookies turned out delicious, but they were really work-intensive. I love cookies, but I don't like doing cut-out cookies. I'm a "drop and go" kind of girl when it comes to cookies.
I made two changes to the recipe, neither one of which really makes a big difference in the outcome. I couldn't get raspberry jam so I used blackberry. And I couldn't find my tiny heart-shaped cookie cutter, so I made vanilla shortbread stars instead.
I think that 13 minutes might be a little too long to bake these. I'd recommend checking them after 11 minutes.
All in all, they tasted good, but I doubt I'll make them again. These are not a cookie my kids would want to eat.
I chose the Vanilla Shortbread Hearts recipe because the other recipe contained ingredients that I didn't already have around the house!
The cookies turned out delicious, but they were really work-intensive. I love cookies, but I don't like doing cut-out cookies. I'm a "drop and go" kind of girl when it comes to cookies.
I made two changes to the recipe, neither one of which really makes a big difference in the outcome. I couldn't get raspberry jam so I used blackberry. And I couldn't find my tiny heart-shaped cookie cutter, so I made vanilla shortbread stars instead.
I think that 13 minutes might be a little too long to bake these. I'd recommend checking them after 11 minutes.
All in all, they tasted good, but I doubt I'll make them again. These are not a cookie my kids would want to eat.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Honey Mustard Pork Chops
Here's an easy way to make juicy baked pork chops. Since you bake them in a foil packet, clean-up is really easy.
HONEY MUSTARD PORK CHOPS
4 center-cut boneless pork chops (you can use bone-in but add at least 10 minutes to cooking time)
1 TBL olive oil
2 TBL honey mustard
Garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 350.
Line a 9X13 baking pan with foil, leaving enough overlap so you can close the foil over the top of the pan.
Brush the bottom of the lined pan with olive oil. Place pork chops in a single layer in the pan.
Spread honey mustard over the top of the pork chops. Sprinkle garlic powder and pepper on each.
Top the pork chops with the sliced onions.
Close the foil so the pan is covered tightly.
Bake 45 minutes.
HONEY MUSTARD PORK CHOPS
4 center-cut boneless pork chops (you can use bone-in but add at least 10 minutes to cooking time)
1 TBL olive oil
2 TBL honey mustard
Garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 350.
Line a 9X13 baking pan with foil, leaving enough overlap so you can close the foil over the top of the pan.
Brush the bottom of the lined pan with olive oil. Place pork chops in a single layer in the pan.
Spread honey mustard over the top of the pork chops. Sprinkle garlic powder and pepper on each.
Top the pork chops with the sliced onions.
Close the foil so the pan is covered tightly.
Bake 45 minutes.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Super Pizza Bites
On Super Bowl Sunday, we tried Tami's recipe for Pizza Bites. 
I changed it up a bit, since I don't have refrigerated pizza dough around. I also added pepperoni to some. Here's how I made them:
DOUGH:
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbl butter or olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast
Place in the bread machine and use the dough cycle. At the end of the cycle, remove the dough to a floured surface. Allow it to rest 10 minutes before rolling it out into a large rectangle.
Cut the dough into squares (I got about 28 squares out of this batch of dough) and put a slice of pepperoni on each. Top with a bit of shredded cheese. Tami used sliced mozzarella sticks, which was a good idea. In the future I think I will just buy a block of mozzarella and cut it into small cubes. Pick up each square and "bundle it up" so that the seams are all closed. Place seam-side down into an oiled cake pan.
TOPPING:
2 TBL melted butter
1 TBL Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
Brush butter over tops of the pizza bites. Sprinkle seasoning and garlic on top.
Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Pizza bites should be lightly brown.
Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
I changed it up a bit, since I don't have refrigerated pizza dough around. I also added pepperoni to some. Here's how I made them:
DOUGH:
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbl butter or olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast
Place in the bread machine and use the dough cycle. At the end of the cycle, remove the dough to a floured surface. Allow it to rest 10 minutes before rolling it out into a large rectangle.
Cut the dough into squares (I got about 28 squares out of this batch of dough) and put a slice of pepperoni on each. Top with a bit of shredded cheese. Tami used sliced mozzarella sticks, which was a good idea. In the future I think I will just buy a block of mozzarella and cut it into small cubes. Pick up each square and "bundle it up" so that the seams are all closed. Place seam-side down into an oiled cake pan.
TOPPING:
2 TBL melted butter
1 TBL Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
Brush butter over tops of the pizza bites. Sprinkle seasoning and garlic on top.
Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Pizza bites should be lightly brown.
Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
A Whole Pan of Tea
My neighbor has this lovely wooden box in which she keeps tea bags. Her dad made it for her, and it's a beautiful storage space.
I like to keep a variety of tea around as well, but I don't have a lovely wooden box to keep it in. And a wooden box wouldn't necessarily work for me; because some of the tea I enjoy comes in untagged, unwrapped bags, I'd have a lovely wooden box full of Mystery Tea if I just dumped it all in there.
How would I be able to tell the Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger from the Bewley's Irish Breakfast?
I have a couple of glass jars on my counter where I keep black tea. The small jar is for decaf tea and the larger one is for regular. Only unflavored black tea goes in these jars, so it doesn't matter if brands are mixed up.
Beyond that, my cabinet was getting overrun with boxes of delicious-flavored tea bags. Chai, Zinger, and Bengal Spice boxes were everywhere. And beingshort vertically challenged, I had a hard time reaching the tea that was on the back of even the lowest shelf.
So I found a way to repurpose a baking pan. A 9X13 baking pan is the perfect size to hold several boxes of tea. I've got plenty of 9X13 pans in varying conditions--so I used one that's a little past its prime, a little scratched and battered, to hold my tea bags. Tea bags don't care if the pan is no longer completely "nonstick." I can keep my tea-bag pan on the second shelf or even the top shelf; when I want a cup of tea, all I have to do is reach up and slide the whole pan out. It's neat. It's tidy. It didn't cost me anything. Win!
I like to keep a variety of tea around as well, but I don't have a lovely wooden box to keep it in. And a wooden box wouldn't necessarily work for me; because some of the tea I enjoy comes in untagged, unwrapped bags, I'd have a lovely wooden box full of Mystery Tea if I just dumped it all in there.
How would I be able to tell the Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger from the Bewley's Irish Breakfast?
I have a couple of glass jars on my counter where I keep black tea. The small jar is for decaf tea and the larger one is for regular. Only unflavored black tea goes in these jars, so it doesn't matter if brands are mixed up.
Beyond that, my cabinet was getting overrun with boxes of delicious-flavored tea bags. Chai, Zinger, and Bengal Spice boxes were everywhere. And being
So I found a way to repurpose a baking pan. A 9X13 baking pan is the perfect size to hold several boxes of tea. I've got plenty of 9X13 pans in varying conditions--so I used one that's a little past its prime, a little scratched and battered, to hold my tea bags. Tea bags don't care if the pan is no longer completely "nonstick." I can keep my tea-bag pan on the second shelf or even the top shelf; when I want a cup of tea, all I have to do is reach up and slide the whole pan out. It's neat. It's tidy. It didn't cost me anything. Win!
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Menu Plan February 2011
Tuesday 1: Father Leo's fajitas from Grace Before Meals cookbook, tater tots & salad.
Wednesday 2: Melt in your mouth braised & barbecued chicken, Irish potatoes. I'm the only one who seemed to like the potatoes, and I cut the dill about in half. That was a LOT of dill. I liked the method of cooking them, though!
Thursday 3: Spaghetti.
Friday 4: Pizza.
Saturday 5: Swiss Chicken Melt, rice.
SUPER BOWL Sunday 6: Chicken Enchilada Soup with cornbread for dinner. Game snack: Pizza Bites (plain and pepperoni)
Monday 7: Pot roast
Tuesday 8: Skillet Stroganoff
Wednesday 9: Honey garlic chicken with orzo
Thursday 10: Spaghetti
Friday 11: Spicy Citrus Tilapia, roasted potatoes
Saturday 12: Honey pork chops
Sunday 13: we ate out with the kids.
Monday 14: Japanese Hibachi food, at a restaurant for Valentine's Day
Tuesday 15: Chick-Fil-A for a school fund-raiser
Wednesday 16: Back to home-cooked food! I made arroz con pollo. I'll still need to tweak this recipe before I post it--it "needed something."
Thursday 17: Beef paysanne over noodles.
Friday 18: Shrimp Scampi with linguine
Saturday 19: Boy Scout spaghetti dinner
Sunday 20: Lidia's chicken and potatoes
Monday 21: Italian Veal Stew
Tuesday 22: Chicken Piccata Bites, rice
Wednesday 23: Spaghetti
Thursday 24: Skillet Stroganoff
Friday 25: Baked flounder
Saturday 26: Cub Scout Blue & Gold Dinner
Sunday 27: Roast chicken
Monday 28: Tacos
Wednesday 2: Melt in your mouth braised & barbecued chicken, Irish potatoes. I'm the only one who seemed to like the potatoes, and I cut the dill about in half. That was a LOT of dill. I liked the method of cooking them, though!
Thursday 3: Spaghetti.
Friday 4: Pizza.
Saturday 5: Swiss Chicken Melt, rice.
SUPER BOWL Sunday 6: Chicken Enchilada Soup with cornbread for dinner. Game snack: Pizza Bites (plain and pepperoni)
Monday 7: Pot roast
Tuesday 8: Skillet Stroganoff
Wednesday 9: Honey garlic chicken with orzo
Thursday 10: Spaghetti
Friday 11: Spicy Citrus Tilapia, roasted potatoes
Saturday 12: Honey pork chops
Sunday 13: we ate out with the kids.
Monday 14: Japanese Hibachi food, at a restaurant for Valentine's Day
Tuesday 15: Chick-Fil-A for a school fund-raiser
Wednesday 16: Back to home-cooked food! I made arroz con pollo. I'll still need to tweak this recipe before I post it--it "needed something."
Thursday 17: Beef paysanne over noodles.
Friday 18: Shrimp Scampi with linguine
Saturday 19: Boy Scout spaghetti dinner
Sunday 20: Lidia's chicken and potatoes
Monday 21: Italian Veal Stew
Tuesday 22: Chicken Piccata Bites, rice
Wednesday 23: Spaghetti
Thursday 24: Skillet Stroganoff
Friday 25: Baked flounder
Saturday 26: Cub Scout Blue & Gold Dinner
Sunday 27: Roast chicken
Monday 28: Tacos
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Pepperoni Bread
DOUGH:
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbl butter or olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast
FILLING:
1/2 lb. pepperoni, sliced thin
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded
Use the dough cycle of the bread machine, and put in the ingredients in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
Remove dough; cover and let it rest 10 minutes. Then roll it out on a floured surface into a large rectangle.
Sprinkle with: 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Spread a generous layer of pepperoni over the bread. Make sure that cheese and pepperoni are not too close to the edges. Leave 1/2 inch margin all around.
Roll tightly like a jelly roll. Pinch the seam closed, and the ends as well. Place on a foil-covered baking sheet. (The foil is important in case the bread springs a leak.) Cut a few slashes in the top.
Cover and let the bread rise 30 to 45 minutes.
Bake 35 minutes at 350. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Print this recipe!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
Wow, this was good. And super-easy.
This is mostly based on a recipe from Epicurious. Below it is as I made it:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb peeled and deveined medium or large shrimp (raw, tails on)
2 heaping tbl minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 TBL lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons butter
cooked linguine for 4
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add garlic to oil remaining in skillet along with red pepper flakes, wine, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add butter to skillet, stirring until melted, and stir in shrimp. Remove skillet from heat.
Toss with cooked pasta and serve. Serves 4.
The original recipe called for a garnish of fresh chopped parsley. If I'd had any, I'd have used it. I think it would have been pretty. I also think that next time around I'll use fresh lemon and add a bit of lemon zest in the garnish.
ALCOHOL-FREE SUBSTITUTION: If you're concerned about cooking with wine, you can substitute 1/2 cup double-strength chicken broth plus a splash of apple-cider vinegar. I didn't notice a difference in the finished dish.
For your convenience: Printable recipe and shopping list!
Print Recipe | Printable grocery list
This is mostly based on a recipe from Epicurious. Below it is as I made it:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb peeled and deveined medium or large shrimp (raw, tails on)
2 heaping tbl minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 TBL lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons butter
cooked linguine for 4
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add garlic to oil remaining in skillet along with red pepper flakes, wine, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add butter to skillet, stirring until melted, and stir in shrimp. Remove skillet from heat.
Toss with cooked pasta and serve. Serves 4.
The original recipe called for a garnish of fresh chopped parsley. If I'd had any, I'd have used it. I think it would have been pretty. I also think that next time around I'll use fresh lemon and add a bit of lemon zest in the garnish.
ALCOHOL-FREE SUBSTITUTION: If you're concerned about cooking with wine, you can substitute 1/2 cup double-strength chicken broth plus a splash of apple-cider vinegar. I didn't notice a difference in the finished dish.
For your convenience: Printable recipe and shopping list!
Print Recipe | Printable grocery list
Sunday, January 23, 2011
French Country Bread
I got this recipe from the Wooden Spoon Bread Book (a really good book, especially for beginning bread bakers) and adapted it for the bread machine--because I'm lazy that way. If you like "artisan bread," try this one.
Makes 1 round loaf.
1 cup warm water
1/2 tbl salt
1/2 tbl sugar
3 cups bread flour
1/2 tbl yeast
Put all ingredients in your bread machine in the recommended order. Use dough cycle.
Prepare an 8-inch cake pan by brushing it with oil (bottom and sides). Shape dough into a round ball and place in prepared pan. Allow to rise 1 hour.
Mix 3 TBL warm water and 1 TBL salt. Brush carefully over the surface of the bread. Sprinkle a little more coarse salt on the wet surface if desired.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 375.
Makes 1 round loaf.
1 cup warm water
1/2 tbl salt
1/2 tbl sugar
3 cups bread flour
1/2 tbl yeast
Put all ingredients in your bread machine in the recommended order. Use dough cycle.
Prepare an 8-inch cake pan by brushing it with oil (bottom and sides). Shape dough into a round ball and place in prepared pan. Allow to rise 1 hour.
Mix 3 TBL warm water and 1 TBL salt. Brush carefully over the surface of the bread. Sprinkle a little more coarse salt on the wet surface if desired.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 375.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Pie-Pan Enchiladas
This is my favorite kind of recipe. I took a little bit of this (sauce inspired by Amanda) and a little bit of that (enchiladas inspired by Barbara who was inspired by Katy who was inspired by the Pioneer Woman) and eliminated the time-consuming stuff (because I'm LAZY) and I really loved the result! (With all this great inspiration, how wrong could I go?)
So here you go. All in one place, my simple "enchilada" recipe from start to finish.
First, make the sauce. This makes just under 3 cups--almost twice what you need for the recipe. I like to double or even triple this sauce as it freezes well.
ENCHILADA SAUCE
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped green chilies and 1 tbl juice (I buy the chilies in a jar)
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 heaping TBL garlic, minced
2 TBL minced onion, mixed with 2 TBL water and allowed to sit 15 minutes
Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5-7 minutes.
ENCHILADAS
5 "fajita size" (8-inch) flour tortillas
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon adobo without pepper
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (10-oz) Rotel
1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese or a Cheddar-Jack combo (like it spicier? Use pepper-jack!)
3 black olives, sliced (optional)
Brown ground beef, onion, adobo and pepper in skillet. Drain. Stir in the Rotel.
Brush some enchilada sauce all over the bottom of a deep-dish pie pan.
Place one tortilla in the pan. Brush enchilada sauce all over it. Add 1/4 of the beef-and-onion-and-Rotel mixture. Top with cheese. Add another tortilla and repeat these steps until you have four layers. Top with the last tortilla and pour remaining sauce over that. Add more cheese to the top and olive slices (if desired.)
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until heated through. Slice like a pizza and serve.
So here you go. All in one place, my simple "enchilada" recipe from start to finish.
First, make the sauce. This makes just under 3 cups--almost twice what you need for the recipe. I like to double or even triple this sauce as it freezes well.
ENCHILADA SAUCE
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped green chilies and 1 tbl juice (I buy the chilies in a jar)
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 heaping TBL garlic, minced
2 TBL minced onion, mixed with 2 TBL water and allowed to sit 15 minutes
Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5-7 minutes.
ENCHILADAS
5 "fajita size" (8-inch) flour tortillas
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon adobo without pepper
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (10-oz) Rotel
1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese or a Cheddar-Jack combo (like it spicier? Use pepper-jack!)
3 black olives, sliced (optional)
Brown ground beef, onion, adobo and pepper in skillet. Drain. Stir in the Rotel.
Brush some enchilada sauce all over the bottom of a deep-dish pie pan.
Place one tortilla in the pan. Brush enchilada sauce all over it. Add 1/4 of the beef-and-onion-and-Rotel mixture. Top with cheese. Add another tortilla and repeat these steps until you have four layers. Top with the last tortilla and pour remaining sauce over that. Add more cheese to the top and olive slices (if desired.)
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until heated through. Slice like a pizza and serve.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
January 2011 Menu
Sunday, Jan. 2: "Christmas" with my family in northwestern NJ. Mom served spiral ham, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.
Monday, Jan. 3: Tandoori chicken, cheesy potatoes (from a box), broccoli
Tuesday, Jan. 4: Shepherd's pie
Wednesday, Jan. 5: Cheesesteaks
Thursday, Jan. 6: Spaghetti
Friday, Jan. 7: ate out
Saturday, Jan. 8: Chili with rice
Sunday, Jan. 9: Slow cooker maple-dijon chicken. Good flavor but the texture was weird. I think I'd use this sauce on baked, bone-in, skin-on chicken as I loved the sauce!
Monday, Jan. 10: Chicken & noodles
Tuesday, Jan. 11: Beef paysanne, noodles, green beans
Wednesday, Jan. 12: Chicken piccata bites, broccoli, rice
Thursday, Jan. 13: anniversary dinner out
Friday, Jan. 14: Baked pork chops, cheesy potatoes (from a box)
Saturday, Jan. 15: Pizza
Sunday, Jan. 16: Italian roast beef sandwiches
Monday, Jan. 17: Chicken marsala
Tuesday, Jan. 18: Enchiladas (maybe Barbara's recipe with my sauce) I wound up making Pie Pan Enchiladas. YUM!
Wednesday, Jan. 19: Chicken & dumplins (Middle Sister's request!)
Thursday, Jan. 20: time to make the big batch of spaghetti and meatballs!
Friday, Jan. 21: takeout.
Saturday, Jan. 22: Pot roast with carrots and onions, noodles and gravy
Sunday, Jan. 23: Chicken Fajita Soup. I tweaked the recipe a bit and the changes are reflected here. On the side, French Country Bread or, as my kids call it, "Salty Bread."
Monday, Jan. 24: Cashew chicken, rice. I found a recipe in the newspaper that looks great! If we like it, I'll post it. (Note: not that great. I'll stick with my old method of making this dish, linked above.)
Tuesday, Jan. 25: Pulled pork sandwiches, tater tots, vegetable
Wednesday, Jan. 26: Chicken Swiss Melt, rice, broccoli
Thursday, Jan. 27: Spaghetti
Friday, Jan. 28: Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
Saturday, Jan. 29: our church is having a bowling party so we'll be eating there
Sunday, Jan. 30: Chinese takeout
Monday, Jan. 31: Balsamic Chicken with Thyme, rice
Monday, Jan. 3: Tandoori chicken, cheesy potatoes (from a box), broccoli
Tuesday, Jan. 4: Shepherd's pie
Wednesday, Jan. 5: Cheesesteaks
Thursday, Jan. 6: Spaghetti
Friday, Jan. 7: ate out
Saturday, Jan. 8: Chili with rice
Sunday, Jan. 9: Slow cooker maple-dijon chicken. Good flavor but the texture was weird. I think I'd use this sauce on baked, bone-in, skin-on chicken as I loved the sauce!
Monday, Jan. 10: Chicken & noodles
Tuesday, Jan. 11: Beef paysanne, noodles, green beans
Wednesday, Jan. 12: Chicken piccata bites, broccoli, rice
Thursday, Jan. 13: anniversary dinner out
Friday, Jan. 14: Baked pork chops, cheesy potatoes (from a box)
Saturday, Jan. 15: Pizza
Sunday, Jan. 16: Italian roast beef sandwiches
Monday, Jan. 17: Chicken marsala
Tuesday, Jan. 18: Enchiladas (maybe Barbara's recipe with my sauce) I wound up making Pie Pan Enchiladas. YUM!
Wednesday, Jan. 19: Chicken & dumplins (Middle Sister's request!)
Thursday, Jan. 20: time to make the big batch of spaghetti and meatballs!
Friday, Jan. 21: takeout.
Saturday, Jan. 22: Pot roast with carrots and onions, noodles and gravy
Sunday, Jan. 23: Chicken Fajita Soup. I tweaked the recipe a bit and the changes are reflected here. On the side, French Country Bread or, as my kids call it, "Salty Bread."
Monday, Jan. 24: Cashew chicken, rice. I found a recipe in the newspaper that looks great! If we like it, I'll post it. (Note: not that great. I'll stick with my old method of making this dish, linked above.)
Tuesday, Jan. 25: Pulled pork sandwiches, tater tots, vegetable
Wednesday, Jan. 26: Chicken Swiss Melt, rice, broccoli
Thursday, Jan. 27: Spaghetti
Friday, Jan. 28: Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
Saturday, Jan. 29: our church is having a bowling party so we'll be eating there
Sunday, Jan. 30: Chinese takeout
Monday, Jan. 31: Balsamic Chicken with Thyme, rice
Involving Kids in the Menu Plan
I don't generally ask my kids what they'll want to eat for dinner in the coming week, figuring that if I'm the one cooking it (and usually cleaning up) then I'm the one who gets to choose the menu.
But as I got Little Brother's breakfast ready this morning, I asked him what he might like to have for dinner this week.
"McDonald's!" he replied, which is yet another reason I don't much involve my kids in menu planning.
When I informed him that his choices were limited to things I could prepare here, he suggested that I make "that chicken that we used to have. The kind that Dad likes."
Pressed for more details, I was told, "It's tan, and it has spices."
Yeah, that narrows it down.
But as I got Little Brother's breakfast ready this morning, I asked him what he might like to have for dinner this week.
"McDonald's!" he replied, which is yet another reason I don't much involve my kids in menu planning.
When I informed him that his choices were limited to things I could prepare here, he suggested that I make "that chicken that we used to have. The kind that Dad likes."
Pressed for more details, I was told, "It's tan, and it has spices."
Yeah, that narrows it down.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
From the Sublime to the Ridiculous
According to the whiteboard on the refrigerator, here's the groceries we need:
The "I've Been Baking" Group:
margarine
molasses
cinnamon
raisins
cardamom
The "Household Staples" Group:
onions
grapes
apples
milk
bread
The "I'm Ashamed to Admit We Buy this Stuff" Group:
chicken nuggets (after-school snacks for Middle Sister, who runs track and eats anything not nailed down when she gets home)
onion dip (to go with the three-pound TIN of chips my neighbor gave us)
peanut butter crackers
macaroni & cheese (not even the Blue Box--my kids like the store brand variety better!)
I will note that with the exception of the mac & cheese, my KIDS wrote down all the other things from that last group.
What's on YOUR list?
The "I've Been Baking" Group:
margarine
molasses
cinnamon
raisins
cardamom
The "Household Staples" Group:
onions
grapes
apples
milk
bread
The "I'm Ashamed to Admit We Buy this Stuff" Group:
chicken nuggets (after-school snacks for Middle Sister, who runs track and eats anything not nailed down when she gets home)
onion dip (to go with the three-pound TIN of chips my neighbor gave us)
peanut butter crackers
macaroni & cheese (not even the Blue Box--my kids like the store brand variety better!)
I will note that with the exception of the mac & cheese, my KIDS wrote down all the other things from that last group.
What's on YOUR list?
Monday, January 03, 2011
Good-Morning Breakfast Rice
This is a delicious and healthy way to start your day AND use up that leftover rice from dinner. It works equally well with brown or white rice. It's like rice pudding without the hassle of separating eggs, baking, and all of that!
You'll find the recipe, including photos and nutrition information, at Cook and Count.
You'll find the recipe, including photos and nutrition information, at Cook and Count.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Post-Christmas Menu Plan
On Christmas Day, we ate: roast of filet mignon, garlic baked potatoes in the slow cooker (YUM), broccoli, mashed rutabagas and Portuguese Easter Bread.
Christmas: The Day After was supposed to be at my parents' house, but the snow put an end to those plans. We had leftover "Christmas meat" in Beef Paysanne over noodles.
Today is Middle Sister's birthday. She wanted "bread-crumb chicken." I think she means Cheesy Garlic Chicken. She's requested broccoli and white rice with that. I made a chocolate pound cake and am going to go for a homemade chocolate glaze on top. Recipe (and maybe a photo) after the taste-test, and only if it tastes good.
Tuesday: Soft tacos
Wednesday: we're going up to my cousin's for a Christmas celebration.
Thursday: Spaghetti
Friday: New Year's Eve.
Saturday: New Year's Day.
Christmas: The Day After was supposed to be at my parents' house, but the snow put an end to those plans. We had leftover "Christmas meat" in Beef Paysanne over noodles.
Today is Middle Sister's birthday. She wanted "bread-crumb chicken." I think she means Cheesy Garlic Chicken. She's requested broccoli and white rice with that. I made a chocolate pound cake and am going to go for a homemade chocolate glaze on top. Recipe (and maybe a photo) after the taste-test, and only if it tastes good.
Tuesday: Soft tacos
Wednesday: we're going up to my cousin's for a Christmas celebration.
Thursday: Spaghetti
Friday: New Year's Eve.
Saturday: New Year's Day.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Christmas Cookies
Usually I only make one kind of cookie for Christmas: Mrs. Wagner's cookies.
Here's the recipe; I do not recommend trying to reduce quantity as it doesn't yield good results. But you can freeze the dough!
Mrs. Wagner's Cookies
Makes 10 dozen, at least, depending on the size of your cutter. I've gotten as many as 180 cookies out of a single batch.
1 pound butter -- softened (margarine works also)
7 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks (reserve whites)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup bourbon (we use Jack Daniel's)
1 cup milk
TOPPING:
5 egg whites
Colored sugar/sprinkles for decorating
Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix flour and butter like pie dough.
Beat remaining ingredients (except egg white and colored sugar) and add to dry mix. If using a stand mixer, use the mixer to beat those ingredients and then add the dry mix to the mixer bowl.
Dough should be STIFF. Chill the dough for at least one hour before rolling.
Roll thin and cut into shapes.
Brush with egg white and decorate.
Reserve scraps and roll into the next section of dough.
Bake on parchment-covered sheet, 6 to 7 minutes at 375. Bottoms should be light brown, tops should be white. Allow to cool on pan for a minute or two, then remove to a rack.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
As I said, I usually only make ONE kind of cookies at Christmas. However, this week I made some delicious chocolate cookies and decided that if I made a batch of these, they'd make a nice addition to my cookie tray. Barbara's Fudge Cocoa Cookies are really good.
And then I got a message from my niece, asking me to make a batch of Michelle's Molasses Crinkle Cookies. How do I say no to that?
There's going to be a lot of cookie-baking this week, I think!
Here's the recipe; I do not recommend trying to reduce quantity as it doesn't yield good results. But you can freeze the dough!
Mrs. Wagner's Cookies
Makes 10 dozen, at least, depending on the size of your cutter. I've gotten as many as 180 cookies out of a single batch.
1 pound butter -- softened (margarine works also)
7 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks (reserve whites)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup bourbon (we use Jack Daniel's)
1 cup milk
TOPPING:
5 egg whites
Colored sugar/sprinkles for decorating
Reserve scraps and roll into the next section of dough.
 |
| Just a fraction of the finished product! |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
As I said, I usually only make ONE kind of cookies at Christmas. However, this week I made some delicious chocolate cookies and decided that if I made a batch of these, they'd make a nice addition to my cookie tray. Barbara's Fudge Cocoa Cookies are really good.
And then I got a message from my niece, asking me to make a batch of Michelle's Molasses Crinkle Cookies. How do I say no to that?
There's going to be a lot of cookie-baking this week, I think!
For the Record
If I didn't keep this list in the planner, I'd have no idea what we wound up eating.
OCTOBER
1: pizza
2: Fall Festival at our church. Polish food!
3: Tandoori chicken
4: Pot roast, noodles
5: Chicken barley soup, rolls
6: Fajitas
7: Spaghetti
8: Chili's
9: London broil, pasta salad, beans
10: Balsamic chicken with thyme and onions, rice
11: Italian chicken, pasta
12: Pork chops, roasted garlic potatoes
13: Sliders, pasta salad
14: Spaghetti
15: Tilapia
16: chili
17: pizza
18: Beef paysanne, noodles
19: Honey drumsticks
20: Chick-Fil-A (school fund-raiser)
21: Spaghetti
22: Flounder
23: not home
24: Pork roast
25: Chicken Caroline
26: Tacos
27: Enchilada soup & bread
28: Spaghetti
29: pizza
30: Honey mustard chicken
31: Pepperoni bread
NOVEMBER
1: Skillet stroganoff
2: Chili's
3: Hawaiian chicken, rice
4: spaghetti
5: Scallops
6: slow cooker pork carnitas, roasted potatoes
7: chicken & noodles
8: lemon mustard herb chicken
9: pot roast
10: enchiladas
11: spaghetti
12: ravioli with marinara
13: pizza
14: roast chicken
15: Skillet stroganoff
16: Chicken lo mein
17: Pork chops, potato patties
18: spaghetti
19: Salmon burgers, rice
20: Pizza
21: Chicken parmesan bake
22: lemon & garlic chicken, rice
23: Chinese
24: Beef paysanne
25: Thanksgiving dinner
26: Leftover Day
27: meatball sandwiches
28: Throwback's
29: Chicken crescent casserole
30: Shepherd's pie
DECEMBER:
1: Chicken
2: Chick-Fil-A (school fundraiser)
3: Tortellini with marinara
4: rainbow stir-fry
5: ate at neighbor's
6: tacos
7: Turkey noodle skillet
8: leftovers
9: spaghetti
10: french-bread pizza
11: not home
12: Olive Garden
13: Garlic cheesy chicken, potatoes
14: Skillet stroganoff
15: Beef stew
16: spaghetti
17: macaroni and cheese
18: diner
19: roast chicken, roasted potatoes & sweet potatoes
OCTOBER
1: pizza
2: Fall Festival at our church. Polish food!
3: Tandoori chicken
4: Pot roast, noodles
5: Chicken barley soup, rolls
6: Fajitas
7: Spaghetti
8: Chili's
9: London broil, pasta salad, beans
10: Balsamic chicken with thyme and onions, rice
11: Italian chicken, pasta
12: Pork chops, roasted garlic potatoes
13: Sliders, pasta salad
14: Spaghetti
15: Tilapia
16: chili
17: pizza
18: Beef paysanne, noodles
19: Honey drumsticks
20: Chick-Fil-A (school fund-raiser)
21: Spaghetti
22: Flounder
23: not home
24: Pork roast
25: Chicken Caroline
26: Tacos
27: Enchilada soup & bread
28: Spaghetti
29: pizza
30: Honey mustard chicken
31: Pepperoni bread
NOVEMBER
1: Skillet stroganoff
2: Chili's
3: Hawaiian chicken, rice
4: spaghetti
5: Scallops
6: slow cooker pork carnitas, roasted potatoes
7: chicken & noodles
8: lemon mustard herb chicken
9: pot roast
10: enchiladas
11: spaghetti
12: ravioli with marinara
13: pizza
14: roast chicken
15: Skillet stroganoff
16: Chicken lo mein
17: Pork chops, potato patties
18: spaghetti
19: Salmon burgers, rice
20: Pizza
21: Chicken parmesan bake
22: lemon & garlic chicken, rice
23: Chinese
24: Beef paysanne
25: Thanksgiving dinner
26: Leftover Day
27: meatball sandwiches
28: Throwback's
29: Chicken crescent casserole
30: Shepherd's pie
DECEMBER:
1: Chicken
2: Chick-Fil-A (school fundraiser)
3: Tortellini with marinara
4: rainbow stir-fry
5: ate at neighbor's
6: tacos
7: Turkey noodle skillet
8: leftovers
9: spaghetti
10: french-bread pizza
11: not home
12: Olive Garden
13: Garlic cheesy chicken, potatoes
14: Skillet stroganoff
15: Beef stew
16: spaghetti
17: macaroni and cheese
18: diner
19: roast chicken, roasted potatoes & sweet potatoes
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Skillet Turkey & Noodles
Better than soup, but serve it in a bowl so you don't lose any of the sauce. I've wanted to figure out how to make this for a long time. Then I was inspired by Barbara's Skillet Stroganoff (which we love) and figured I could do something similar with chicken or turkey. Comfort food? Oh, yes!
SKILLET TURKEY (OR CHICKEN) AND NOODLES
2 TBL butter
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 TBL flour
3 cups turkey (or chicken) broth
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
3 cups wide egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste
Saute onion in butter until translucent. Stir in flour. Add broth and milk and bring to a boil. Stir in turkey, vegetables and noodles. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until noodles are done.
Serves 4.
To increase the recipe and serve more people, add an extra 1 cup noodles and 1 cup broth per person. Also add a little extra milk, meat and vegetables.
Print this recipe!
2 TBL butter
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 TBL flour
3 cups turkey (or chicken) broth
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
3 cups wide egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste
Saute onion in butter until translucent. Stir in flour. Add broth and milk and bring to a boil. Stir in turkey, vegetables and noodles. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until noodles are done.
Serves 4.
To increase the recipe and serve more people, add an extra 1 cup noodles and 1 cup broth per person. Also add a little extra milk, meat and vegetables.
Print this recipe!
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Friday, December 03, 2010
How absolutely pathetic.
I cannot believe that I haven't put a blasted thing up here since HALLOWEEN!!!!!
I've been keeping track of our dinners, so I guess I'll have to take out my planner and write out our menu plan from November. And then get you updated on what's new for December. If anyone's even still reading!!
While you're here, I'm looking for a recommendation on a good probe-style cooking thermometer. I had a Taylor, and something happened to the probe, so the device just kept flashing "LO" instead of a temp. Then I bought a Polder, and it was DOA. "LO" right out of the box. Troubleshooting info for both said that if it says "LO" then the probe is broken.
This is an item that I really do depend on (and Thanksgiving was a little extra challenging without it, since I had to keep opening up the roaster to check on the turkey's progress--slowing down said progress.)
I've been keeping track of our dinners, so I guess I'll have to take out my planner and write out our menu plan from November. And then get you updated on what's new for December. If anyone's even still reading!!
While you're here, I'm looking for a recommendation on a good probe-style cooking thermometer. I had a Taylor, and something happened to the probe, so the device just kept flashing "LO" instead of a temp. Then I bought a Polder, and it was DOA. "LO" right out of the box. Troubleshooting info for both said that if it says "LO" then the probe is broken.
This is an item that I really do depend on (and Thanksgiving was a little extra challenging without it, since I had to keep opening up the roaster to check on the turkey's progress--slowing down said progress.)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thanksgiving Think-Ahead
Since it's Halloween, it's not too early to start thinking about Thanksgiving. This year I will be cooking for 11 (including us). I am not a person who likes to innovate on Thanksgiving. My motto is "keep it traditional" and to me "traditional" means "what my grandmother served on Thanksgiving when I was a kid." I have her stuffing recipe in her handwriting. I make the stuffing INSIDE the turkey.
They were heavy on "creamed" foods when I was a kid, and I won't be going there. I will not be serving creamed cauliflower or creamed spinach, both of which I remember on the Thanksgiving table of my childhood. But I will served mashed turnips (rutabagas) despite the fact that I'm the only one who's going to eat it. It's just not Thanksgiving without it.
Other likely items on the menu: mashed potatoes, Granma's rolls, gravy (from a can, since I'm no good at making the real thing), cranberry sauce (possibly from a can, but maybe I'll try to make the real thing if I can get my friend's recipe), corn and steamed broccoli or green beans. I will also have a vegetable platter (carrots, celery, peppers and cucumbers) and plenty of chips and salsa.
Dessert is apple pie, of course, plus a pan of brownies for the kids. (Not my kids--they love my apple pie--but the visiting kids who are already "iffy" on most of the Thanksgiving menu.)
They were heavy on "creamed" foods when I was a kid, and I won't be going there. I will not be serving creamed cauliflower or creamed spinach, both of which I remember on the Thanksgiving table of my childhood. But I will served mashed turnips (rutabagas) despite the fact that I'm the only one who's going to eat it. It's just not Thanksgiving without it.
Other likely items on the menu: mashed potatoes, Granma's rolls, gravy (from a can, since I'm no good at making the real thing), cranberry sauce (possibly from a can, but maybe I'll try to make the real thing if I can get my friend's recipe), corn and steamed broccoli or green beans. I will also have a vegetable platter (carrots, celery, peppers and cucumbers) and plenty of chips and salsa.
Dessert is apple pie, of course, plus a pan of brownies for the kids. (Not my kids--they love my apple pie--but the visiting kids who are already "iffy" on most of the Thanksgiving menu.)
Monday, October 04, 2010
Chocolate-Craisin Cookies
These cookies are a delicious combination of sweet, tart and crunchy! Find the full recipe at Cook and Count.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Pumpkin Spice Syrup II
In my quest to make my own fancy coffee at home, I've been trying various pumpkin-spice syrups. Here's one that stood up to refrigeration. It's the spice, not pumpkin, that gives the syrup the signature taste. That, and the brown sugar.
1 cup water
1 cup dark brown sugar (must be dark brown)
1/4 tsp each cloves and ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
Bring to a boil, then cook over lower heat until the syrup is reduced by half. This takes 5 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then pour into a glass jar and refrigerate. This makes about 1 cup of syrup.
1 cup water
1 cup dark brown sugar (must be dark brown)
1/4 tsp each cloves and ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
Bring to a boil, then cook over lower heat until the syrup is reduced by half. This takes 5 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then pour into a glass jar and refrigerate. This makes about 1 cup of syrup.
Menu Plan for September 23-30, 2010
Thurs 23: Chicken Caroline, rice
Fri 24: Flounder, hash brown casserole, green beans
Sat 25: Pot luck dinner after 5:00 Mass. We hosted. Our contributions: meatballs and sauce and beef barley soup.
Sun 26: Sloppy Joes.
Mon 27: Ham steak
Tues 28: Sichuan chicken, rice
Wed 29: Spaghetti
Thurs 30: Takeout. We had a hellish schedule and I gave in to the pressure.
Fri 24: Flounder, hash brown casserole, green beans
Sat 25: Pot luck dinner after 5:00 Mass. We hosted. Our contributions: meatballs and sauce and beef barley soup.
Sun 26: Sloppy Joes.
Mon 27: Ham steak
Tues 28: Sichuan chicken, rice
Wed 29: Spaghetti
Thurs 30: Takeout. We had a hellish schedule and I gave in to the pressure.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Shuffle the Plan!
I was pretty impressed with myself for showing restraint this afternoon. My daughter called after school and said she needed a ride home, as her field hockey game was canceled. Then she wanted to know if she could visit a friend. This meant that she wouldn't be home for dinner--a dinner that she had requested this morning and that I had rearranged the menu plan to accommodate. (GRRRR!)
Fortunately I hadn't yet done any cooking, just defrosting. I figured I'd refrigerate those ingredients for later this week, and shuffle around my menu plan.
Also fortunately, the ham steak that was on sale at Shop Rite today and that I had a great coupon for turned out to be a very small slice of ham steak. It'll feed 1 1/2 people (or my husband and younger son). They can have that tonight. I have some leftovers I'll be happy to eat.
The moral of this story is: always write your menu plan in pencil! You never know when someone's going to make you shuffle it!
Fortunately I hadn't yet done any cooking, just defrosting. I figured I'd refrigerate those ingredients for later this week, and shuffle around my menu plan.
Also fortunately, the ham steak that was on sale at Shop Rite today and that I had a great coupon for turned out to be a very small slice of ham steak. It'll feed 1 1/2 people (or my husband and younger son). They can have that tonight. I have some leftovers I'll be happy to eat.
The moral of this story is: always write your menu plan in pencil! You never know when someone's going to make you shuffle it!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
I love Pumpkin Spice Lattes but I don't love paying over $4 for a beverage. I'd tried a few recipes in recent weeks but it wasn't quite "it." So I thought I'd make some of this syrup.
I had more pumpkin in the fridge (from those recent experiments) than this recipe required so I figured I'd double it and use up that pumpkin. I adjusted the spice a little as well. So here's how it worked out:
PUMPKIN SPICE SYRUP
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
Stir water and sugar in a saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Add spices and pumpkin and simmer 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. (A whisk is a good tool for this job!) Allow to cool. Pour into jars and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Makes about 4 cups syrup--enough to share!
To make my "latte" I make 2 cups (coffeemaker measure, which is not actual cups) of coffee using 2 1/2 measures of ground coffee. I warm up 1/2 cup milk in the microwave for 45 seconds and then use my frother to foam it up. Then I add some pumpkin syrup (about 2 TBL), pour in some of the milk, then the coffee, then the frothy part of the milk. That makes enough to fill my favorite travel mug--and there's even room for whipped cream, if I happened to have any, which unfortunately I did not today.
Delicious! And WAY cheaper than that expensive coffeehouse chain's (or even Dunkin' Donuts, who makes a mean pumpkin latte for about $3.)
NOTE: This tasted good, but I found that it wound up separating over time, especially in the fridge. So, on to a new recipe!
Menu Plan for September 16-22, 2010
Thurs 16: Spaghetti and meatballs
Fri 17: Salmon burgers
Sat 18: "Fend for yourself" night. I had Polish Gnocchi.
Sun 19: Chicken on the grill
Mon 20: Nachos, salad
Tues 21: Pasta party for the Freshman Field Hockey team. I served spaghetti and meatballs, ziti, baked ziti with cheese and beef, Italian bread, salad, brownies and banana bread.
Wed 22: Beef paysanne (made with leftover pot roast--whoa, this was the best paysanne yet--even better than when we make it with leftover filet mignon!) over noodles
Fri 17: Salmon burgers
Sat 18: "Fend for yourself" night. I had Polish Gnocchi.
Sun 19: Chicken on the grill
Mon 20: Nachos, salad
Tues 21: Pasta party for the Freshman Field Hockey team. I served spaghetti and meatballs, ziti, baked ziti with cheese and beef, Italian bread, salad, brownies and banana bread.
Wed 22: Beef paysanne (made with leftover pot roast--whoa, this was the best paysanne yet--even better than when we make it with leftover filet mignon!) over noodles
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Honey Garlic Chicken
The original recipe, from Family Circle magazine, calls for chicken thighs. This would work well with any bone-in, skin-on chicken; just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
6 chicken thighs
1/3 cup honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and place on baking sheet. Mix honey, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Brush some of the honey mixture on chicken. Bake 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with more of the honey mixture.
6 chicken thighs
1/3 cup honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and place on baking sheet. Mix honey, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Brush some of the honey mixture on chicken. Bake 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with more of the honey mixture.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Comfort food: Polish Gnocchi
I miss one of the Polish dishes that used to be served at our parish carnival: kluski. This was not proper kluski, but instead a way to use up lots of leftovers from other dishes. It included any pierogi that didn't make the cut (that is, the ones that broke in the pot). Those would be scooped out and dumped into a pan where someone would chop them into bite-sized pieces. I had that job a few times, and all that chopping really is an upper-arm workout. It was worth it, though.
The chopped pierogi were then fried with plenty of butter, chopped onions, and the pieces of cabbage that were too small to be made into golabki (stuffed cabbage).
Not having easy access to broken pierogi, I figured that gnocchi might do the trick. It worked great.
1 package gnocchi (fresh or frozen)
1 TBL butter per serving, based on serving size on package
1/2 small to medium onion, chopped fine
dried parsley, salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese (Romano, Parmesan, or Cheddar, depending on the flavor you're after)
Cook gnocchi as directed on package and drain.
Saute onion in butter. When onion is soft, add gnocchi to the pan and cook a few minutes until everything is well mixed. Season with parsley, salt and pepper to taste. It's even better if you cook it long enough for it to start to brown. Serve to plates or bowls and top with shredded cheese.
The chopped pierogi were then fried with plenty of butter, chopped onions, and the pieces of cabbage that were too small to be made into golabki (stuffed cabbage).
1 package gnocchi (fresh or frozen)
1 TBL butter per serving, based on serving size on package
1/2 small to medium onion, chopped fine
dried parsley, salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese (Romano, Parmesan, or Cheddar, depending on the flavor you're after)
Cook gnocchi as directed on package and drain.
Saute onion in butter. When onion is soft, add gnocchi to the pan and cook a few minutes until everything is well mixed. Season with parsley, salt and pepper to taste. It's even better if you cook it long enough for it to start to brown. Serve to plates or bowls and top with shredded cheese.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Menu Plan for September 9-15, 2010
Thurs 9: Spaghetti and meatballs. I made a big batch, enough for 9 more dinners! I love having spaghetti sauce in the freezer, ready when I need it.
Fri 10: takeout pizza
Sat 11: Honey Garlic Chicken thighs (recipe soon! This was a keeper!)
Sun 12: dinner out in honor of TheDad's birthday
Mon 13: Roast chicken, garlic roasted potatoes, skillet brussels sprouts
Tues 14: Cheesy garlic chicken, rice, green beans
Wed 15: Pot roast in the slow cooker
Fri 10: takeout pizza
Sat 11: Honey Garlic Chicken thighs (recipe soon! This was a keeper!)
Sun 12: dinner out in honor of TheDad's birthday
Mon 13: Roast chicken, garlic roasted potatoes, skillet brussels sprouts
Tues 14: Cheesy garlic chicken, rice, green beans
Wed 15: Pot roast in the slow cooker
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Extra-Frugal Couponing
Here's my tip for extra-frugal couponing:
Save those single-sided notices & newsletters that your kids bring home from school (provided they're not too crumpled to work in your printer.) Load them into your printer so the printing will be on the back side of the paper. Use this paper to print those Internet Printable coupons!
Save those single-sided notices & newsletters that your kids bring home from school (provided they're not too crumpled to work in your printer.) Load them into your printer so the printing will be on the back side of the paper. Use this paper to print those Internet Printable coupons!
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Menu Plan for September 1 - 8, 2010
Wed 1: Chicken Marsala, rice, broccoli
Thurs 2: Spaghetti with meatballs
Fri 3: Pizza rolls (new recipe--we weren't too crazy for these; my kids all said my regular recipe is better)
Sat 4: Barbecued chicken, orzo, mixed vegetables
Sun 5: picnic at a friend's house
Mon 6: went to Oktoberfest in Philly. Potato pancakes!!
Tues 7: Taco Skillet Dinner Kit style, salad
Wed 8: Slow-Cooker Pork Chops, rice, broccoli
Thurs 2: Spaghetti with meatballs
Fri 3: Pizza rolls (new recipe--we weren't too crazy for these; my kids all said my regular recipe is better)
Sat 4: Barbecued chicken, orzo, mixed vegetables
Sun 5: picnic at a friend's house
Mon 6: went to Oktoberfest in Philly. Potato pancakes!!
Tues 7: Taco Skillet Dinner Kit style, salad
Wed 8: Slow-Cooker Pork Chops, rice, broccoli
Survival Dinner: Slow-Cooker Pork Chops
This meal is great for days like today. I have to pick up my daughter from her sports practice sometime after 6, then get dinner on the table, eat, and return to her school for a 7:00 parents' meeting.
I am thankful for my rice cooker (it's filled and ready. When I leave to pick her up, I'll turn it on) and for microwave "steam-in-the-bag" broccoli. Those things, and my slow cooker, will allow me to get dinner on the table quickly tonight!
Slow-Cooker Pork Chops
4 boneless pork chops
2 cups barbecue sauce
2 tbl olive oil
Oil a skillet or griddle and brown the pork chops on the outside. Do not cook them all the way through--they'll finish in the slow cooker.
Spread a little of the barbecue sauce over the bottom of the slow-cooker crock. Place pork chops on top. If they overlap, make sure there's some sauce in between the pork chops. Pour the rest of the barbecue sauce over the pork chops.
Cover and cook 1 hour on high, then switch to low for 3 hours.
I am thankful for my rice cooker (it's filled and ready. When I leave to pick her up, I'll turn it on) and for microwave "steam-in-the-bag" broccoli. Those things, and my slow cooker, will allow me to get dinner on the table quickly tonight!
Slow-Cooker Pork Chops
4 boneless pork chops
2 cups barbecue sauce
2 tbl olive oil
Oil a skillet or griddle and brown the pork chops on the outside. Do not cook them all the way through--they'll finish in the slow cooker.
Spread a little of the barbecue sauce over the bottom of the slow-cooker crock. Place pork chops on top. If they overlap, make sure there's some sauce in between the pork chops. Pour the rest of the barbecue sauce over the pork chops.
Cover and cook 1 hour on high, then switch to low for 3 hours.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Supermarket Hint
Tonight at Shop-Rite I discovered why it's a good idea to save that little printout you get when you use the "Dexter Deli" machine to order cold cuts.
There was a coupon in this week's circular for Shop-Rite American cheese, making it $2.98 a pound (a $1.01 saving). I needed some American cheese, since we're having a picnic tomorrow evening for the Cub Scout leaders and their families to kick off the new year. So I ordered a pound of American from the deli computer.
When I picked up the cheese, I noticed that they had marked "out" next to the roast beef I had also ordered (it was also on sale this week). I looked around for a trash can to throw away my little printout, since I had matched up the order numbers, but I didn't find one, so I put it in my pocket and headed to the checkout counter.
The cashier rang up the cheese, but the coupon I handed her didn't work. She asked me to unpack the cheese from my bag so she could check it--and then she told me that it was the wrong cheese and I couldn't get the coupon price. I then pulled out my receipt, showed her that the orders matched, and the manager said that I should pay the sale price since it was not my error. (The manager then headed over to the deli counter, where I imagine the person manning the slicer would hear about it.)
I just checked--that was $6.49-a-pound cheese they gave me by mistake. UNfortunately, it was "slender" cheese which probably means it doesn't taste or melt quite the same as regular cheese does. But that's what I have; I'm not going back to the store tomorrow; we're eating it on the burgers tomorrow.
And here's my coupon brag of the day: spent $116.50; saved a total of $101.52 in sales, coupons, and Cellfire coupons. Woot!
There was a coupon in this week's circular for Shop-Rite American cheese, making it $2.98 a pound (a $1.01 saving). I needed some American cheese, since we're having a picnic tomorrow evening for the Cub Scout leaders and their families to kick off the new year. So I ordered a pound of American from the deli computer.
When I picked up the cheese, I noticed that they had marked "out" next to the roast beef I had also ordered (it was also on sale this week). I looked around for a trash can to throw away my little printout, since I had matched up the order numbers, but I didn't find one, so I put it in my pocket and headed to the checkout counter.
The cashier rang up the cheese, but the coupon I handed her didn't work. She asked me to unpack the cheese from my bag so she could check it--and then she told me that it was the wrong cheese and I couldn't get the coupon price. I then pulled out my receipt, showed her that the orders matched, and the manager said that I should pay the sale price since it was not my error. (The manager then headed over to the deli counter, where I imagine the person manning the slicer would hear about it.)
I just checked--that was $6.49-a-pound cheese they gave me by mistake. UNfortunately, it was "slender" cheese which probably means it doesn't taste or melt quite the same as regular cheese does. But that's what I have; I'm not going back to the store tomorrow; we're eating it on the burgers tomorrow.
And here's my coupon brag of the day: spent $116.50; saved a total of $101.52 in sales, coupons, and Cellfire coupons. Woot!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Friday, August 06, 2010
Sweet & Spicy Citrus Fish Fillets
This is "what's for dinner" tonight and it was SO delicious--and very easy. Middle Sister didn't even notice the soy sauce.
source: Cooking Light magazine, August 2010 (slightly modified)
5 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets (or flounder, sole or other white fish)
Olive oil for the pan
juice and zest of 1 orange
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin OR ginger (pick only one)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tbl minced garlic
Arrange fish in a single layer in a 9X13 glass baking pan brushed with olive oil. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over fish. Let stand 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425.
Bake 15 minutes or until done. Drizzle sauce over fish.
NOTE: depending on the thickness of the fish, baking time will need to be adjusted.
5 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets (or flounder, sole or other white fish)
Olive oil for the pan
juice and zest of 1 orange
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin OR ginger (pick only one)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tbl minced garlic
Arrange fish in a single layer in a 9X13 glass baking pan brushed with olive oil. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over fish. Let stand 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425.
Bake 15 minutes or until done. Drizzle sauce over fish.
NOTE: depending on the thickness of the fish, baking time will need to be adjusted.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Kitchen Confidential
Tonight for dinner I'm making Barbara's recipe for Italian Roast Beef Sandwiches. I browned the meat in a heavy pan on the stovetop and then transferred it and the broth and onions to my crockpot and cooked on high for 3 hours. I skipped the green peppers because my people are just not so fond of those.
I was doing just fine until I grabbed the cutting board and the meat fork so I could take the roast out to settle before slicing it. The fork's handle bent, dropping the roast back into the crockpot full of spicy au jus, which flew all over the wall behind the crockpot and ran down to the floor.
I sorted that out and cleaned up the mess, then sliced the roast and prepared to return it to the crockpot. As soon as all the meat was in there and the lid was on it, I went to pick up the cutting board so I could put it in the dishwasher, and it tipped over, pouring all the accumulated juice and little scraps down my shins, onto my shoes and socks, and onto the floor.
Good thing mopping day is tomorrow.
This recipe had better be good for all the trouble it has been today!
UPDATE: And the verdict is in...it's fabulous. Definitely a keeper. Wish I could say the same for my kitchen fork.
I was doing just fine until I grabbed the cutting board and the meat fork so I could take the roast out to settle before slicing it. The fork's handle bent, dropping the roast back into the crockpot full of spicy au jus, which flew all over the wall behind the crockpot and ran down to the floor.
I sorted that out and cleaned up the mess, then sliced the roast and prepared to return it to the crockpot. As soon as all the meat was in there and the lid was on it, I went to pick up the cutting board so I could put it in the dishwasher, and it tipped over, pouring all the accumulated juice and little scraps down my shins, onto my shoes and socks, and onto the floor.
Good thing mopping day is tomorrow.
This recipe had better be good for all the trouble it has been today!
UPDATE: And the verdict is in...it's fabulous. Definitely a keeper. Wish I could say the same for my kitchen fork.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Penne Vesuviana
This recipe is loosely based on Amanda's Farfalle alla Vesuviana.
1 pound penne or mini penne pasta, cooked al dente (reserve 1 cup pasta water)
3 TBL olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
4 cups crushed tomatoes (if they're fresh) or 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp capers, drained
1/3 cup Italian green olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 tsp each oregano and basil
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbl dried parsley flakes or 2 tbl fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for topping
Saute garlic in the olive oil until softened. Add tomatoes, capers, olives, and seasonings, except parsley and cheese. Simmer until the pasta is done. Add pasta water a little at a time if needed to moisten the tomato sauce.
Toss the sauce mixture with the pasta and parsley. Top with grated cheese before serving.
1 pound penne or mini penne pasta, cooked al dente (reserve 1 cup pasta water)
3 TBL olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
4 cups crushed tomatoes (if they're fresh) or 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp capers, drained
1/3 cup Italian green olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 tsp each oregano and basil
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbl dried parsley flakes or 2 tbl fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for topping
Saute garlic in the olive oil until softened. Add tomatoes, capers, olives, and seasonings, except parsley and cheese. Simmer until the pasta is done. Add pasta water a little at a time if needed to moisten the tomato sauce.
Toss the sauce mixture with the pasta and parsley. Top with grated cheese before serving.
Friday, July 09, 2010
July 2010 Menu
Thurs 1: visited my parents
Fri 2: pizza
Sat 3: Barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, salad
Sun 4: Mexican steak, burgers & hot dogs on the grill, Dr. Pepper baked beans, salad, fresh vegetables for dipping
Mon 5: burgers, hot dogs on the grill
Tues 6: Spanish Pan Roast from Cooking Light magazine (I left out the chorizo). Made it in a 12-qt roaster oven. Delicious!
Wed 7:
Thurs 8: Spaghetti and meatballs
Fri 9: Tilapia with Mandarin Oranges& Honey in the slow cooker
Fri 2: pizza
Sat 3: Barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, salad
Sun 4: Mexican steak, burgers & hot dogs on the grill, Dr. Pepper baked beans, salad, fresh vegetables for dipping
Mon 5: burgers, hot dogs on the grill
Tues 6: Spanish Pan Roast from Cooking Light magazine (I left out the chorizo). Made it in a 12-qt roaster oven. Delicious!
Wed 7:
Thurs 8: Spaghetti and meatballs
Fri 9: Tilapia with Mandarin Oranges& Honey in the slow cooker
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Garlic Caesar Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup Caesar salad dressing
4 TBL minced garlic
3/4 cup chicken broth
Mix salad dressing, garlic and broth in large skillet. Add chicken chunks, bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook 10 minutes.
Serve with mini farfalle noodles and peas (it's really good if you mix that all together)
1/4 cup Caesar salad dressing
4 TBL minced garlic
3/4 cup chicken broth
Mix salad dressing, garlic and broth in large skillet. Add chicken chunks, bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook 10 minutes.
Serve with mini farfalle noodles and peas (it's really good if you mix that all together)
Welsh Cakes
I first enjoyed Welsh Cakes when I was a college student in Scranton, PA. You could buy bags of these in the local convenience store. But they're even better when they're homemade and warm from the griddle. And you don't have to turn on the oven and heat up the house!
The taste is kind of like a scone, but with a slightly different texture. These can be made in 20 minutes, start to finish.
2 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg or mace (mace has a milder flavor)
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick butter
7/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk (more if needed but don't be too quick to add this)
Stir together flour, baking powder, nutmeg/mace and salt. Add butter and mix like pie dough. Add sugar and raisins. Add eggs and milk and mix until a stiff dough is formed. Roll or pat to 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds. Cook on greased griddle for about 3 minutes per side.
This makes about 21 cakes, if you reshape the dough scraps until you completely run out!
The taste is kind of like a scone, but with a slightly different texture. These can be made in 20 minutes, start to finish.
2 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg or mace (mace has a milder flavor)
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick butter
7/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk (more if needed but don't be too quick to add this)
Stir together flour, baking powder, nutmeg/mace and salt. Add butter and mix like pie dough. Add sugar and raisins. Add eggs and milk and mix until a stiff dough is formed. Roll or pat to 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds. Cook on greased griddle for about 3 minutes per side.
This makes about 21 cakes, if you reshape the dough scraps until you completely run out!
Sunday, June 06, 2010
JUNE 2010 menu plan
I like filling it in as the month goes on, especially when I get such a late start! I did make the plan on paper, though let's just say it's a good thing I plan in pencil!
TUES 1: Fajitas (using leftover steak), corn, rice
WED 2: Pizza
THURS 3: Spaghetti
FRI 4: Shrimp fried rice. Easiest ever, no recipe needed! I used precooked shrimp, cooked rice, and a bag of "steam in the bag" frozen vegetables that I cooked 1 minute less than normal time. Sauteed a little garlic, added rice, then a splash of soy sauce, added shrimp and vegetables, mixed up, stirred in a dash of sesame oil and it was dinner!
SAT 5: Grilled chicken, corn, wild rice
SUN 6: either French toast or hot turkey sandwiches, depending on who's eating here. Everyone is off in 5 different directions.
MON 7: Hawaiian chicken, jasmine rice, green beans
TUES 8: Taco skillet
WED 9: Chicken divan
THURS 10: Spaghetti with sausage
FRI 11: Baked flounder
SAT 12: Picnic
SUN 13: Luau chicken
MON 14: Enchilada stack
TUES 15: Pork chops with lemon-garlic marinade, Alfredo noodles
WED 16: Beef paysanne, noodles
THURS 17: Spaghetti
FRI 18: pizza
SAT 19: Party (that's a post in itself!)
SUN 20: Father's Day--we went to Outback Steakhouse
MON 21: party leftovers
TUES 22: Chicken piccata, salted skillet potatoes
WED 23; tacos
THURS 24: spaghetti
FRI 25: pizza
SAT 26: tilapia
SUN 27: Caesar garlic chicken
MON 28: Beef stroganoff skillet
TUES 29: Clearly a 5-star meal; I never wrote down what it would be and I cannot remember at all!
WED 30: Chicken crescent casserole
TUES 1: Fajitas (using leftover steak), corn, rice
WED 2: Pizza
THURS 3: Spaghetti
FRI 4: Shrimp fried rice. Easiest ever, no recipe needed! I used precooked shrimp, cooked rice, and a bag of "steam in the bag" frozen vegetables that I cooked 1 minute less than normal time. Sauteed a little garlic, added rice, then a splash of soy sauce, added shrimp and vegetables, mixed up, stirred in a dash of sesame oil and it was dinner!
SAT 5: Grilled chicken, corn, wild rice
SUN 6: either French toast or hot turkey sandwiches, depending on who's eating here. Everyone is off in 5 different directions.
MON 7: Hawaiian chicken, jasmine rice, green beans
TUES 8: Taco skillet
WED 9: Chicken divan
THURS 10: Spaghetti with sausage
FRI 11: Baked flounder
SAT 12: Picnic
SUN 13: Luau chicken
MON 14: Enchilada stack
TUES 15: Pork chops with lemon-garlic marinade, Alfredo noodles
WED 16: Beef paysanne, noodles
THURS 17: Spaghetti
FRI 18: pizza
SAT 19: Party (that's a post in itself!)
SUN 20: Father's Day--we went to Outback Steakhouse
MON 21: party leftovers
TUES 22: Chicken piccata, salted skillet potatoes
WED 23; tacos
THURS 24: spaghetti
FRI 25: pizza
SAT 26: tilapia
SUN 27: Caesar garlic chicken
MON 28: Beef stroganoff skillet
TUES 29: Clearly a 5-star meal; I never wrote down what it would be and I cannot remember at all!
WED 30: Chicken crescent casserole
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
MAY 2010 Meal Plan
Since I'm SO behind, I figured I'd just set it up for the month.
SAT 1: Barbecued chicken, roasted potatoes
SUN 2: out to dinner!
MON 3: Teriyaki pork, brown rice
TUES 4: Arroz con pollo (that one didn't work out well. Very soupy. Tasty, but I wasn't after garlic-and-tomato flavored rice pudding.)
WED 5: Tacos, mac & cheese
THURS 6: Spaghetti
FRI 7: Visited cousins
SAT 8: First Communion Party for my niece
SUN 9: we had a big (and late) lunch so we just had pasta marinara and "Olive Garden" breadsticks
MON 10: Cheesy garlic chicken, spinach, wild rice
TUES 11: Barb's Skillet Beef Stroganoff; this was REALLY good and REALLY easy!
WED 12: Cheesesteaks
THURS 13: Spaghetti
FRI 14: Pizza (emergency dinner; kitchen sink has a big leak, I had a tough day, and I wasn't up to improvising!)
SAT 15: Barbecued chicken, chicken-flavored noodles (Knorr mix), corn
SUN 16: Mexican steak on the grill, baked potatoes, broccoli
MON 17: UB's onion chicken
TUES 18: hamburgers
WED 19: spaghetti, since we're not having it Thursday
THURS 20: Big Brother and I are going to his senior awards banquet; everyone else is having tacos
FRI 21: Cub Scout picnic
SAT 22: Grilled chicken, Olive Garden breadsticks, salad
SUN 23: Chili
MON 24: Balsamic chicken with onions
TUES 25: Spaghetti
WED 26: Pot roast
THURS 27: Fast food on the run
FRI 28: Spanish Garlic Shrimp, rice
SAT 29: Country-style ribs with barbecue sauce in the slow cooker
SUN 30: Barb's beef stroganoff; this time I forgot to add the sour cream and lemon juice but this was JUST as delicious without it. I think my kids preferred it this way.
MON 31: Grilled steak, orzo
SAT 1: Barbecued chicken, roasted potatoes
SUN 2: out to dinner!
MON 3: Teriyaki pork, brown rice
TUES 4: Arroz con pollo (that one didn't work out well. Very soupy. Tasty, but I wasn't after garlic-and-tomato flavored rice pudding.)
WED 5: Tacos, mac & cheese
THURS 6: Spaghetti
FRI 7: Visited cousins
SAT 8: First Communion Party for my niece
SUN 9: we had a big (and late) lunch so we just had pasta marinara and "Olive Garden" breadsticks
MON 10: Cheesy garlic chicken, spinach, wild rice
TUES 11: Barb's Skillet Beef Stroganoff; this was REALLY good and REALLY easy!
WED 12: Cheesesteaks
THURS 13: Spaghetti
FRI 14: Pizza (emergency dinner; kitchen sink has a big leak, I had a tough day, and I wasn't up to improvising!)
SAT 15: Barbecued chicken, chicken-flavored noodles (Knorr mix), corn
SUN 16: Mexican steak on the grill, baked potatoes, broccoli
MON 17: UB's onion chicken
TUES 18: hamburgers
WED 19: spaghetti, since we're not having it Thursday
THURS 20: Big Brother and I are going to his senior awards banquet; everyone else is having tacos
FRI 21: Cub Scout picnic
SAT 22: Grilled chicken, Olive Garden breadsticks, salad
SUN 23: Chili
MON 24: Balsamic chicken with onions
TUES 25: Spaghetti
WED 26: Pot roast
THURS 27: Fast food on the run
FRI 28: Spanish Garlic Shrimp, rice
SAT 29: Country-style ribs with barbecue sauce in the slow cooker
SUN 30: Barb's beef stroganoff; this time I forgot to add the sour cream and lemon juice but this was JUST as delicious without it. I think my kids preferred it this way.
MON 31: Grilled steak, orzo
Homemade Pizza Lunchables
Makes 32 mini pizzas.
BREAD:
yeast 2 tbl
water 3 cups
flour 8 ½ cups
butter, softened 4 tbl
sugar 4 tbl
salt 2 tbl
Proof yeast in ¼ cup of the water in mixer bowl for 5 minutes. Add flour, butter, sugar, salt and remaining water. Mix with paddle attachment until slightly sticky dough forms (5 minutes).
Knead 3 minutes. Divide into pieces and, with oiled hands, shape into balls. Then roll out on a floured surface. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes.
LUNCHABLE:
Pack 3 mini pizzas along with small containers of your favorite spaghetti sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Don't forget a paper plate and a spoon.
So much cheaper--and healthier--than the commercial version. And with reusable containers, it's greener as well.
BREAD:
yeast 2 tbl
water 3 cups
flour 8 ½ cups
butter, softened 4 tbl
sugar 4 tbl
salt 2 tbl
Proof yeast in ¼ cup of the water in mixer bowl for 5 minutes. Add flour, butter, sugar, salt and remaining water. Mix with paddle attachment until slightly sticky dough forms (5 minutes).
Knead 3 minutes. Divide into pieces and, with oiled hands, shape into balls. Then roll out on a floured surface. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes.
LUNCHABLE:
Pack 3 mini pizzas along with small containers of your favorite spaghetti sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Don't forget a paper plate and a spoon.
So much cheaper--and healthier--than the commercial version. And with reusable containers, it's greener as well.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Roasted Potatoes, inspired by Cindy
The original recipe for these potatoes is on the MomsMenu with Cindy blog.
I made a few changes to the recipe, partly because of personal tastes (some people in this house are anti-Parmesan; others are anti-onion), partly because of what I had in the house, and partly because I was cooking in a roaster oven.
So here it is, as I made them. They were good! Definitely a keeper!
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into wedges or cubes (I didn't weigh the potatoes; I used 3 small ones and 4 big ones to serve 4 people).
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp kosher salt
Heat the 4- to 6-qt. roaster oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the potatoes in a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Toss to coat potatoes.
Spread in preheated roaster oven. Bake, stirring several times, until potatoes are tender and brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
I made a few changes to the recipe, partly because of personal tastes (some people in this house are anti-Parmesan; others are anti-onion), partly because of what I had in the house, and partly because I was cooking in a roaster oven.
So here it is, as I made them. They were good! Definitely a keeper!
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into wedges or cubes (I didn't weigh the potatoes; I used 3 small ones and 4 big ones to serve 4 people).
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp kosher salt
Heat the 4- to 6-qt. roaster oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the potatoes in a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Toss to coat potatoes.
Spread in preheated roaster oven. Bake, stirring several times, until potatoes are tender and brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Menu Plan April 4-10, 2010
SUN 4: Happy Easter! We celebrated with Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed rutabagas/turnips, stuffing, roasted asparagus, gravy
MON 5: Meatball/mozzarella calzones, salad
TUES 6: Tacos
WED 7: Turkey a la king over rice
THURS 7: Spaghetti
FRI 8: pizza
SAT 9: Pork carnitas
MON 5: Meatball/mozzarella calzones, salad
TUES 6: Tacos
WED 7: Turkey a la king over rice
THURS 7: Spaghetti
FRI 8: pizza
SAT 9: Pork carnitas
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