Cub Scout Porkalicious End-of-Year Un-Picnic

Another year of Cub Scouts is in the books. And Little Brother only has two more years (more like 1 1/2, really) in Cub Scouts before crossing over to Boy Scouts, so I only have two more end-of-year picnics to cater.

Yesterday we were on Day 6 of the May Mildew-Fest here in New Jersey. The Scouts were supposed to have a cookout, with burgers and hot dogs on the grill, and then camp for the night in the field behind the parish center. When that field turned into a soggy mess and bad weather still threatened, plans to camp out were scrapped. The parents were happy about that; the boys, not so much. What boy has ever let a little mud get in the way of his fun?

With the possibility of thunderstorms, plans to cook on the grill were also scrapped. Fortunately our parish center has a large and fabulously-equipped kitchen, so it was easy enough to come up with a Plan B.

Here's the menu of our Cub Scout Porkalicious End-of-Year Un-Picnic:

• hot dogs
• sausage, pepper & onion sandwiches
• pasta salad
• tossed salad
• baked beans
• potato chips & pretzels
• cookies
• watermelon slices
• Boost*, iced tea and water (5 gallons of each)

*it's a local thing.

We were expecting between 80 and 100 people. I don't know how many showed up but there were a few missing, and a few others we didn't expect.

Here's how I made the sausage, peppers and onions in a Nesco roaster. (Actually, TWO 18-qt. Nesco roasters were needed for this quantity)

12 pounds sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
15 pounds green bell peppers, sliced
10 pounds onions, sliced
Drizzle of olive oil

Line cookie sheets with foil and place sausage pieces on foil, leaving a little space between each. Bake in regular oven for 25 minutes at 350. Larger pieces will take longer!

Layer 2/3 of the onions in the bottom of the roaster. Place all peppers on top of the onions. Place sausage on top of the peppers. Place remaining onions on top of the sausage, drizzle with olive oil and close the roaster. Stir after an hour and turn down to simmer at least another hour until ready to serve.

Birthday Bundt Cake: Chocolate with Caramel Glaze

I'm not much of a cake person. I'd much rather have cookies or pie. But when there's a birthday, there should be cake.

Each Wednesday, we host practice for our church's Folk Group.  It's more comfortable than practicing in church, and people can bring their kids to hang out with my kids.  When there's a birthday, we celebrate with a cake.

I've been on a bundt-cake kick lately, as these are easy to make and serve.  And I've discovered that doctoring up a box cake mix with some pudding and using a glaze rather than frosting makes a cake that even I feel like eating!

Here's tonight's edition of the Birthday Bundt Cake:  Chocolate with Caramel Glaze

CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 small box INSTANT chocolate pudding mix
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon

Mix and bake as directed on box instructions (for me, it's 50 minutes at 350.)

CARAMEL GLAZE
(I found this one over at Bless Us O Lord)

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 ounce milk
dash of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add brown sugar and milk. Cook and stir one minute until mixture is smooth*.
Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients and beat with electric mixer until well blended. Drizzle over cake.

This was only half the original recipe but it still made a very generous amount of glaze!

*DO NOT melt the butter in the microwave, stir everything else in and expect it to get smooth. Ask me how I know this. It still tasted delicious, but was a little on the grainy side.

Takeout You Can Make at Home: Chipotle

Blame it on my college student. He and his friends discovered Chipotle Mexican Grill, where hungry college kids can eat a huge meal for about $8 including a drink. Then he got me hooked on it.

Then I started wondering how I could make it at home. A little Google here, a little help from Top Secret Recipes Unlocked by Todd Wilbur, and a tried-and-true Pork Carnitas recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking got me to something that's pretty darn close. It satisfied two Chipotle-loving college students, plus three more people, and there's enough left over for at least 4 lunches. I'm guessing this recipe would yield 8 servings, probably for the price of 2 meals at the restaurant. (Not everyone likes beans, so I didn't make too many there. Just double the recipe if you need more).

There are a lot of components to this meal and some need to be made ahead. So I'm listing these in the order of prep.

Pork Carnitas (my kids said the spice wasn't right for Chipotle, but if I ever figure out what spices they use in the Carnitas, I'll just sub them in and use this technique.)

CHIPOTLE-STYLE PICO DE GALLO

3 medium plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), diced
1/4 cup finely-chopped red onion
2 TBL jalapeno peppers, chopped fine (I used the ones from a jar)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Combine and chill for several hours before serving.
(This was so good and so easy to make! It will be great with tortilla chips too.)


CHIPOTLE-STYLE CORN SALSA

2 12-oz bags frozen corn, thawed
2 TBL jalapeno peppers, chopped fine (I used the ones from a jar)
1/4 to 1/3 cup finely-chopped red onion
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
salt to taste

Combine in a large bowl. Serve at room temperature.


CHIPOTLE-STYLE PINTO BEANS
1 can pinto beans with liquid
1 TBL bacon fat
1/4 tsp oregano

Combine in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.

CHIPOTLE-STYLE BLACK BEANS

1 can black beans with liquid
2 TBL bacon fat
1/4 cup finely-chopped onion
1 heaping TBL minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
dash liquid smoke

Combine in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.


CHIPOTLE-STYLE CHILANTRO-LIME RICE

In a rice cooker, combine:
3 measures long-grain white rice (my rice measure is less than a cup)
water to correspond with 3 rice measures, depends on the cooker manufacturer --I just fill to the line on the cooker
1 TBL butter

When the rice is cooked, stir in 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro and the juice of one fresh lime.

ADD YOUR OWN TOPPINGS: sour cream, guacamole, Cheddar-Jack cheese

For the record, I got the fresh cilantro from my garden!

Secret Recipe Club: Lime Meltaways

When I found out that Amanda is hosting a new monthly fun feature, The Secret Recipe Club, I just had to get in on it.  I love trying new recipes, so this club was tailor-made for me.

The idea here is that you are assigned to visit the blog of another club member.  You can choose any recipe from  that blog, prepare it, and write about it on your own blog.

For me, the hardest part was figuring out which recipe to choose!  When I was sent to visit Sweet as Sugar Cookies, I immediately found five recipes I wanted to try.  I finally had to stop looking and just pick something.  They ALL looked so good--and I bookmarked a bunch to try later.  I've been on a "fresh ingredients" kick lately, so I chose the recipe for Lime Meltaways.  Like blog author Lisa, I'm a fan of any lemon- or lime-flavored cookie or pastry.  I think that these delicious cookies would work with either flavor!

WARNING:  Do not eat these cookies while wearing black!!

Here's the recipe with a couple of small changes that I made.  (Bake temp was not given in the recipe, but the author mentioned that it was a Martha Stewart recipe, so I was able to find the original.  And I adjusted the quantity of lime juice and zest since I only had one lime in the house).

LIME MELTAWAYS (from Martha Stewart via Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

12 Tbsp. salted butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar, divided (1/3 cup and 2/3 cup)
zest of 1 fresh lime
juice of 1 fresh lime
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Cream butter and 1/3 c. sugar until fluffy. Add zest, juice, and vanilla. Beat till fluffy. Add flour and cornstarch. Roll dough into two 1 1/4" diameter logs. Chill 1 hour.

Slice logs into 1/8" thick rounds. Place on baking sheets and bake about 15 min. at 350 until barely golden. Let cool slightly, 8-10 min. Place remaining 2/3 c. sugar in a resealable plastic bag. While still warm, place cookies in the sugar-filled bag and toss to coat.

Would I do anything different next time?  I'd probably not shake the cookies in a bag with the sugar to coat them.  Even with only putting in a few cookies at a time, I wound up with a lot of crumbled cookies.  Of course, I ate them anyway--they were still very delicious!  I'll probably just sift powdered sugar over the cookies next time.  And I wished that I had been more careful to shape the logs; mine were kind of flat on one side, so my cookies were a bit misshapen.  Either that, or I'll square them off so I can say they're square on purpose!

This was a lot of fun and I'll definitely play along again next time.  If you're a fan of lemon or lime, you'll love these cookies; they just melt in your mouth and were super easy to make.

Visit the other blogs in the Secret Recipe Club!

Upcoming Meal Plan: Just Me and the Kids Week

When my husband's on a business trip, some of our regular menu routines change.  They used to change even more, but now his schedule at work has shifted a bit and he misses dinner with the family more often than not these days.  It's not a situation we're thrilled with, but it's the one we live with right now, and I try to make the best of it on the days when he IS able to join us at mealtime by having something he especially likes.

Last night, unfortunately, that didn't work out--and I had to be the gatekeeper over the skillet of Rainbow Stir Fry before the hungry teenagers ate all of Dad's dinner!  (This is such a yummy, quick dish.  I put snow pea pods in it instead of the peas listed in my recipe.  This kind of dish is pretty forgiving that way.)

This week, we'll eat earlier, and a bit differently.  I gave myself one "fast food" night as a break from it all.  We'll see what the kids lobby for that day.

SATURDAY:  TheDad and Little Brother are on a Cub Scout outing.  The rest of us will eat hot dogs or chili with rice (from the freezer) and miscellaneous leftover side dishes.  It's pretty much "Raid the Fridge" night for me and the 2 teenagers.

SUNDAY:  We're going to the diner after church before TheDad leaves on his trip.  Dinner will be Chicken Pitas.

MONDAY:  Pork carnitas, "Chipotle" style.  I've found some copycat recipes for the rice, corn relish, and pinto beans.  If it's a success, I'll post it.

TUESDAY:  Fast-food night.  Halfway point of Mom Flies Solo Week!

WEDNESDAY:  Breakfast for dinner:  French toast, bacon, and fresh fruit.

THURSDAY:  Spaghetti and meatballs.  Of course.  What else would we eat on a Thursday?

FRIDAY:  Cub Scout crossover ceremony and picnic.  Burgers and hot dogs, maybe a giant roaster oven of baked beans if I am so moved, some pasta salad and tossed salad, chips and dessert.  We keep it easy at these events.  I'm still waiting on the number attending so I can get started planning this meal, since the shopping and non-grill cooking/food prep is on me.

SATURDAY:  Chicken parmesan--my husband's favorite dish.

Little Red Wagon

I'm always so tempted by recipes that call for fresh herbs. But buying expensive fresh herbs in the grocery store--only to use about 1/4 of the package--seems so wasteful to me. So even though I am an absolutely terrible gardener, I'd been thinking for a while that I'd like to have a little herb garden.

This rusty old wagon has been sitting in our shed for quite a while. It used to belong to my husband when he was a kid, and my father-in-law had brought it here for our kids. But they're from the age of "plastic is better" and they already had a big plastic wagon. That little red wagon just sat around, useless.

I figured that it would make a great place for a small container garden. If bad weather is predicted, I can just pick up the handle and wheel it into the garage or back porch. Right now I have it in a sunny spot right near the front door.

My neighbor had a ton of mint taking over her garden, so she offered me a sturdy mint plant to get started. I separated that from the other herbs that are in the same box.

Here's what else I planted (besides the mint):

• cilantro
• dill
• thyme
• flat-leaf parsley
• oregano
• basil

I'm already thinking ahead; if I can manage to keep this garden without killing it, I want to get a little rosemary tree (shrub, bush, what do you call a rosemary?) I could keep it in a pot outside until it gets cold, then bring it in and keep it in the house for the winter.

Besides the friendly advice from my neighbor, I got a lot of courage and information from this little book: Get Your Hands Dirty by Jeanne Grunert. It's written for people like me--beginning gardeners, who might even think they have a "black thumb."

My next project:  I'm thinking optimistically that my herb garden will thrive and I'll have more than I need.  So I'll have to learn all about how to save/freeze/dry these herbs for winter.  The idea is to make back my investment (about $50 for 6 plants, 2 window boxes, 1 bag potting soil, 1 watering can).  I figure that if I use fresh herbs 20 times, I'll have reached that goal.  Anything beyond that is a freebie!

All-Access

See what happens when I hang a whiteboard on the fridge and encourage the kids to write down stuff we need from the store?

A certain Simon & Garfunkel fan felt the need to amend my list. For the record, I've got plenty of parsley, sage, and even rosemary.

Speedy Skillet Dinner

Everyone in my family likes the Skillet Stroganoff recipe that Barbara shared. I leave out the sour cream, which makes it more of a "hamburger helper" type dinner, but that's how we like it.

I've worked out ways to do a good amount of the cooking of this dinner ahead of time, which is great for days like today. My choir is singing at the 5:00 Mass tonight, which means that we get home well after 6 and everyone is hungry for dinner right now. They don't want to wait. This can be on the table in 15 minutes if you do everything possible ahead and have your stuff ready to remove from the fridge and pop on the stove the second you get home!

SPEEDY SKILLET DINNER printable version

1 lb. lean ground beef
salt and pepper
1 TBL vegetable oil
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 onion, finely chopped (or half a large onion)
3 cups* beef broth
3 TBL* red wine
3 cups* wide egg noodles
2 TBL all-purpose flour
2 TBL butter

MAKE-AHEAD:

In a hot skillet, brown ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from skillet.

Add oil and cook mushrooms and onion until liquid from mushrooms has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add broth and the wine, and return beef and accumulated juices to pan. Bring to a simmer.

Remove from the stove and put in a large covered container in the fridge until you're ready to resume cooking.

JUST BEFORE DINNER:

Melt butter in skillet and stir in flour. Return beef mixture to skillet and bring to a boil. Stir noodles into beef mixture, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with a salad or "steam in a bag" vegetables.

NOTE: You can stretch this recipe by adding extra noodles, broth and wine. Just make sure that you add 1 cup broth and 1 TBL wine for every extra 1 cup noodles.

Winter Sunshine Salad

My cousin Sharon shared this recipe with me. It's pretty to look at and yummy to eat! I'd recommend making the dressing first as it has to be cooked, then cooled, before using.  (I'm not sure what's up with the name of this dish; maybe it's because all of the fresh ingredients are easily available in winter.)



Winter Sunshine Salad
Printable version

from For Goodness Taste by Junior League of Rochester
8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:
1 package (10 ounces) frozen French-style green beans
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
1 can (16 ounces) shoe peg or white corn, drained (I used 2 11-oz cans)
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green or red pepper (I used some of each)
1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimiento, drained (I left this out)

Dressing:
¾ cup vinegar
½ cup salad oil
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 to ½ cup sugar


Steam beans and peas, leaving them tender-crisp. Drain.
In a salad bowl, combine vegetables.
In a saucepan, bring dressing ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
Pour dressing over salad. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Chicken Pita Sandwiches

This one was inspired by Barbara's take on a Jamie Oliver recipe.  I took the meat off the kebabs, used chicken instead of pork, and omitted the pepper-relish topping.   Delicious!  It's a great dish to make in the summer.

CHICKEN PITA SANDWICHES
Print this recipe!

8 pita breads

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips

For the marinade:
1 TBL dried mint
1 TBL dried oregano
juice of 1 lemon
2/3 cup olive oil
2 TBL minced garlic from a jar
1 TBL red wine vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt

For the tzatziki:
½ a large cucumber
6 oz. Greek yogurt (3/4 cup)
1 TBL minced garlic from a jar
1 heaped tsp dried mint
1 ½ tsp red wine vinegar


Mix marinade ingredients together. Pour over chicken strips in a ziplock bag or container. Marinate several hours.

Meanwhile, make tzatziki by coarsely grating the cucumber into a sieve set up over a bowl. Add a few good pinches of salt, then use your hands to squeeze out as much water as you can. Mix cucumber with other tzatziki ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat a griddle pan over a high heat. Cook the meat on the screaming hot griddle for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally until done on all sides. Warm pitas in the oven or in a hot dry pan while chicken cooks.

Put a dollop of tzatziki and the meat on each warmed pita. Serve with raw vegetable slices.

Traveling Vegetables

HELP!!!!!!!!!

We're visiting relatives about 1 1/2 hours away on Easter. I have been asked to bring homemade bread (I can do that) and vegetables.

How in the world do I bring a vegetable dish when we're traveling that far? I can put together a raw veg platter, but as for a hot vegetable dish, I'm drawing a blank.

Crock pot is a possibility. But I need ideas!

Menu Plan weeks of April 8-14 and 15-21

Not the most inspired menu plan in the world...

FRIDAY 8: pizza

SATURDAY 9: chicken on the grill, pasta salad, vegetables

SUNDAY 10: we went to the diner.

MONDAY 11: Enchiladas

TUESDAY 12: Chinese buffet

WEDNESDAY 13: Skillet Turkey & Noodles

THURSDAY 14: Spaghetti

FRIDAY 15: French toast & fresh fruit

SATURDAY 16: Chicken caroline, potatoes au gratin, steamed broccoli

SUNDAY 17: "fend for yourself"

MONDAY 18: Barbara's Chicken with Paprika Sauce, noodles

TUESDAY 19: pot roast in the crockpot

WEDNESDAY 20: Paula Deen's Sesame Chicken Strips

THURSDAY 21: Spaghetti

Spices: Rack 'Em Up!

I don't have a spice rack in my kitchen. For one thing, there's no counter space to put one (though I have considered a wall-mounted one, and that's not out of the question.)

For now, I've got them in dollar-store baskets in the cabinets.

I tied index cards to the baskets so I can see at a glance what spices are in which basket. That saves a lot of time when I'm gathering stuff up to cook. I don't even have them all in the same cabinet, but I think I'm going to rework that so that they're all together. (As long as I don't move my husband's coffee, no one around here cares where I put stuff in the kitchen).

I do have a couple of big containers (parsley, oregano, basil and cinnamon) on other shelves because they're too large for those baskets.

It's not the prettiest solution, but it works for now. Where do you keep your spices?

Spice It Up

I was flipping through a back issue of Real Simple (which should more appropriately be titled Real Expensive) when I came to an article about how someone reorganized her kitchen. Since I'm working with a 10 X 11-foot space myself, I'm always interested in articles like that.

One of the "trouble areas" was the homeowner's spice pantry. If I had a separate little cabinet just for spices, no one would be touching it. There's never enough room for spices. But it was clear that either magazine editors or kitchen designers are not cooks, because it was mentioned that the homeowner had 23 spices. Evidently, 23 was too much.

Are they kidding me? That's not the half of what I have in my kitchen, in various baskets. In fact, I counted them all, and I've got 49 spices (not including a couple of jars of homemade spice mixes like Pumpkin Pie Mix, Taco Mix and Italian Mix.) Wait, make that 50--I forgot to count the box of Bell's Poultry Seasoning that's sitting on my kitchen windowsill.

I imagine that anyone who reads this blog also enjoys cooking. How many spices do you have? Would 23 be too much?

The Ultimate Compliment

We were supposed to have Enchiladas tonight.

But TheDad decided that he wanted to go to the diner instead. And Middle Sister had gone to a friend's house.

TheDad mentioned, at dinner, that Middle Sister was waffling about whether she should even go to her friend's house, because she'd miss the enchiladas I was planning to make for dinner.

I took out my cell phone after we left the diner to let Middle Sister know that she had not missed enchiladas. Tomorrow, after all, is another day.

Now that's a compliment--that a kid thinks twice about visiting a friend because a favorite meal is going to be served at home.

Menu Plan week of April 1-7

Friday 1: Crab Mac 'n Cheese

Saturday 2: Leftovers

Sunday 3: Cast party after the school play

Monday 4: Lemon Mushroom Herb Chicken, rice, corn. I did the chicken in bite-size pieces this time and it was fabulous!

Tuesday 5: Skillet Beef & Noodles (we skip the sour cream & lemon in this stroganoff recipe)

Wednesday 6: Pork Roast with Orange Pan Sauce, red potatoes and carrots

Thursday 7: Spaghetti & meatballs

Mac 'n Cheese with Crab

Inspired by a recipe by The Barefoot Contessa, this is my low-rent but very delicious version!

See the whole recipe and nutrition facts at Cook and Count!

Roast Pork with Orange Pan Sauce

Get the recipe with photo and nutrition information at Cook and Count!

Product Review: Purex Complete with Zout

I've been a fan of both Purex laundry detergent and Zout pre-treater for years.  Little Brother is nine years old and it doesn't look like he's going to be giving up his messy ways anytime soon.

When you're this muddy, you know it's been a good day.

I was happy to try new Purex Complete with Zout.  It's got detergent and stain remover in one!  And since I'm fragrance-sensitive, I tried the "free and clear" version of this product.  (It also comes in Fresh Morning Burst scent).

This detergent is designed to work in ALL washing machines, regular and high-efficiency.  And my experience proves that it does work.  It took care of the muddy knees of Little Brother's school uniform pants as well as food drips (chocolate ice cream and tomato sauce were no match for this detergent.)

I also tried it as a pre-treater on a few stains I thought would require extra attention.  I poured a little bit of Purex Complete with Zout directly on the stains, rubbed it in, let it sit a few minutes and then washed as usual.  Success!

You don't have to buy expensive detergent to get great results.  Purex works great on the stains my family dishes out.

Disclaimer:  This post is part of the Purex Insiders Blogging program.  I received a full-size bottle of Purex Complete with Zout, but no other compensation, for the purposes of this post.  The opinions expressed in this post are my own, and this is a product that I continue to use in my home.

April Fool's Day Lunchbox Surprise

I got this idea from a Family Fun article.

Your kids will think it's an ordinary bag of cheese puffs...

but when they open the bag, they'll discover:

baby carrots!

All you need to pull this off is:
individual-serving-size bags of cheese puffs
baby carrots (about 6 for each bag you're making)
glue stick
slip of paper with the note:  "April Fool!"

Open the snack bags carefully.  Dump the contents of the cheese-puff bags into a sandwich bag.  No sense wasting a perfectly delicious snack!  Use a damp paper towel to pick up any crumbs left in the bag.  Add about 6 baby carrots--and don't forget the note!   Then run the glue stick along the very top inner edge of the bag.  Press to seal, and pack in the lunchbox!

I wish I'd be able to be there when my kids find these.

UPDATE:  My daughter just found hers when she opened her lunch.  I got a text message:  "Mom this is just gross.  I mean carrots?  In cheesecrunchy bag?"  (For the record, she likes carrots.  It's not like I put in her most un-favorite food ever.)  She's threatening revenge.
And Little Brother never noticed:  he gave his snack to another kid who had forgotten to bring a snack.  And she never said a word.  (Kind of disappointing, really!)

March Cookie Carnival: Chocolate Brownie Oatmeal Cookies

With a name like that, how wrong could you go with this recipe? Answer: there's nothing wrong at ALL here--just plenty of deliciousness.  It's one of the selections for the March Cookie Carnival, hosted at Tami's Kitchen Table Talk.

I tried this recipe today, since I needed some cookies to bring to a school event. The only change I made was to omit the nuts, as nut allergy can be an issue in large groups. Next time I make these cookies, I WILL add nuts. I'm thinking chopped hazelnuts would be awesome in this recipe.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE OATMEAL COOKIES

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
8 tablespoons (1 stick) margarine or butter, softened (I used butter)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup chopped nuts

Preparation
In large bowl, beat cream cheese, margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Add combined flour and baking soda; mix well. Add oats and nuts; mix well. Cover; chill at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. (I'm not sure why 3 inches apart--mine didn't spread much at all.)

Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until cookies are almost set. (Centers should still be moist. Do not overbake.) Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

NOTE: I'd recommend using "quick" oats, as the old-fashioned oats are rather large pieces, and they do "show" in the finished product. It's more a visual thing than anything else, as the taste will be the same no matter what.

Also, I chilled the dough overnight in a glass bowl, and it was very hard to work with at that point. Even after it was out of the fridge for an hour, it was quite cold.

These were a big hit with me and my kids. Little Brother thought they'd be even more delicious with sprinkles. (Of course, he thinks anything would be more delicious with sprinkles.)

Asian Green Beans and Sort-of-Spicy Orange Chicken

Cheaper than takeout and very easy! This made enough for 2. Double everything except the sauce to feed 4--there was plenty of sauce for the chicken.

ASIAN GREEN BEANS

Find this recipe and nutrition info at Cook and Count.

SORT-OF-SPICY ORANGE CHICKEN

Find this recipe and nutrition info at Cook and Count.

40 Days of Soup--and More!

My Chicken Fajita Soup recipe has been published in Ave Maria Press's 40 Days of Soup feature! Check out all the great soup recipes, one for each day of Lent. There are also daily reflections from Ave Maria Press's vast library of Lenten resources. Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

I got this recipe from Tami, and tweaked it a bit.  It's delicious!  A lot of prep work, which is why I avoid making lasagna, but a foil pan means no cleanup afterward.

1 lb lasagna noodles, cooked, drained, rinsed and set aside.
1 lb ground beef
1 medium-sized onion
1/2 can EACH corn and black beans, drained & rinsed (freeze the rest for the next time you make this!)
3 cups shredded "Mexican blend" cheese (not the kind with seasoning added)
1 10-oz tub Philly Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme
16 oz mild salsa
1 8-oz can tomato sauce

While lasagna noodles are cooking, brown the beef and onion together. Drain it and return to the skillet. Stir in the Philly cooking creme until well mixed.

Mix salsa and tomato sauce in a measuring cup with spout (for easy pouring).

Spread some of the salsa mixture on the bottom of a lasagna pan. I used a foil pan set on a cookie sheet to support the bottom of the pan.

Keep in mind, as you add the fillings,
Be careful not to overload the noodles. These are thin layers of all of the fillings. (Thanks for that tip, Tami! I would have had to learn it the hard way if you hadn't mentioned it.)

Layer in this order:
Noodles
Cheese
Meat
Corn & beans
Noodles
Salsa
Meat
Corn & beans
Cheese
Noodles
Salsa
Meat
Corn & beans
Cheese
Noodles
Salsa
Cheese

Bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes. After removing from oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

March 2011: A Month of Menus

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

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.

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.

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!

Product Review: Purex Complete Crystals Fabric Softener

I'm a longtime fan of Purex laundry detergent, but I figured that they had their work cut out for them when they asked me to review the newest addition to the Purex product line: Purex Complete Crystals Fabric Softener. You see, I don't usually use liquid fabric softener in the wash, preferring to use a dryer sheet.  This is fine in winter when I'm using the dryer for most of the laundry, but now that the weather is getting warmer, I'm bringing more clothes outside to hang on the clothesline.  Fresh air is great for laundry, and a spring breeze dries the clothes quickly, but they also turn stiff as a board if you haven't added fabric softener to the wash.  My children are not fans of rock-hard T-shirts. 

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 being short 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!

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

Pepperoni Bread

Make the dough in your bread machine, then fill, roll, rise and bake!

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

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.