Mr. McGoo and I gave this little slow cooker recipe a try last week... not too shabby, I liked it. Mr. McGoo liked it but said it was a bit on the bland side. I think it had something to do with us not using Italian turkey sausage but smoked turkey sausage instead. Next time we'll add a bit more seasoning to give it a little more taste and kick and use the suggested Italian sausage instead. I have half of this recipe in the freezer so I'll be sure to add more seasoning to that as it reheats before serving.
Ingredients:
* 1 package 16 Bean Soup - I grabbed a bag of 15bean soup
* 3 bay leaves
* 1 tablespoon crushed oregano
* 2 cans no-fat chicken stock
* Additional water to cover
* 3 stalks celery chopped
* 3 carrots diced
* 1 large onion chopped
* 3 cloves garlic sliced
* 1 pound turkey Italian sausage sliced
* 2 cans stewed (or diced) tomatoes
Preparation:
Combine first 5 ingredients (liquid should cover mixture 1 to 2 inches) in slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or until beans are tender. Add remaining ingredients and decrease temperature to low; cook for additional 3 to 4 hours. If desired, add cayenne or crushed red pepper when adding second set of ingredients. Serve as complete meal or over rice. Freezes well.
And what's better with a good meal than a great dessert. This yummy treat was super easy and makes me look forward to cool, crisp days that need a warm treat! Give it a try.
Homestyle Apple Brown Betty
Ingredients
6 cups cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
1 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts - I used pecans
Directions
Coat crock pot slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Place apples in bottom.
Combine bread crumbs, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar, butter, and walnuts.
Cover; cook on low 3 to 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
In light of all the time and attention school is demanding these days, I thought it would be important that I add some crock pot recipes to my repertoire. The ability to prep before work and have a meal available and ready for Mr. McGoo and I later is a great thing. Takes some planning, but once you throw everything in it's pretty much complete.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs - I used 2 chicken breasts instead
1 4-oz can chopped green chiles (hot or mild, depending on preference)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 15-oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup of chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
Directions
Place chicken in crock pot slow cooker.
In a separate bowl, combine chiles, garlic, onion, tomatoes, 1/2 cup chicken broth and cumin. Blend and pour over chicken.
Cook on low for 6.5 hours. When chicken is tender, use the tines of two forks to shred. Adjust seasoning and add additional chicken broth.
Just before serving, put tortilla strips in the oven at 225 degrees for 10-15minutes until slightly made firm.
Add tortilla strips into soup, stir to incorporate. Leave a few tortilla strips to add as topper.
Serve in soup bowls, topping each with shredded cheese.
I asked Mr. McGoo Tuesday afternoon, "What do you want for your birthday dessert Thursday night?" I knew better. I've been married to this man for 4.5 years now, I know what he likes and I should have thought through those desserts, chosen one I was comfortable making and just presented it to him Thursday rather than taking requests. Knowing my husband, I should know better.
Mr. McGoo's answer, "Kentucky Derby Pie".
This is where I interject in the story that I am not a cook. I cook, but I'm not a cook. I bake, but I bake things out of boxes where you add water, oil, and/or eggs. I'm not a baker, and I have certainly never attempted a pie - a Kentucky Derby Pie at that. Oh boy.
Unable to turn down the challenge, I guess, I got to work "Google'ing" recipes for a Kentucky Derby Pie. I found one and quickly passed it by, but the second recipe I found seemed like something I could attempt, so that's what I did.
So before I share the experience, let me give you the source. I found the recipe on this blog.
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. Ky Bourbon OR 1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 9-inch pie shell, partially baked (or I actually used graham cracker crust)
I was intent on making 2 pies. One with Kentucky Bourbon and one with Vanilla. To help reduce my stress level (because I'm prone to stress during new cooking adventures), I went ahead and measured out all ingredients times two and set them out before I began the process. It was very helpful and colorful too when you have Fiesta Ware.
What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream butter and sugar
Add beaten eggs, flour, salt and Kentucky bourbon (or vanilla)
Add chocolate chips and nuts
Stir well
Pour into partially baked pie shell
TIP: Put the pie(s) onto a cookie sheet to catch any possible dripping, or bubbling over of the ingredients (I learned this one the hard way, explained below).
Bake for 30 minutes, or until center is set
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream or completely by itself!
My experience:
The process of preparing the pies was a piece of cake. As I mentioned before the pre-measuring of ingredients really helped. I didn't have to think about it as I read the recipe and added the ingredients each step of the way. The "problems" began when I put the pies into the oven.
After about 5 minutes of oven time, Mr. McGoo and I smelled something burning. At that moment, the recipe ingredients FLASHED before my eyes. It read "PARTIALLY BAKED PIE CRUST" not pre-made like I thought and purchased. I bought the pre-made ready to eat or bake graham cracker crust. Automatically I assumed the crust was burning and I had 25 minutes plus to go. I ran to the oven, opened up the door and smoke flew out. I panicked, thinking "my crust"...
However, the burning and smoke had nothing to do with the crust... it was the spillover of the pies causing the issue. I did not know that a cookie sheet underneath a pie is essential. Without it, the bubbling and spillover of the pies falls onto the eyes of the oven = burning. I removed the pies immediately and placed them on a cookie sheet before putting them back into the oven. The only thing to do now was wait... wait to see if the pies could make it through this without coming out smelling & tasting like smoke and ultimately check at the end to make sure the pie crust that I purchased incorrectly was able to survive.
Wait....
Once I took the pies out of the oven they looked fabulous as seen here to the left... but considering the time (after 11pm at this point), I knew I would be unable to check the crust until morning.
Morning came, I checked the crust and everything looked okay. The true test would be that night when the dessert is served for Mr. McGoo's birthday in front of a large group.
Result: Everyone loved it! I thought it could have been cooked a little more to make the insides a little less gooy, but none of our guests complained. The taste was fantastic and delicious. Per Mr. McGoo's request this pie will be made again and again in our household. Next time I'll put the cookie sheet down in the beginning, but I will still use that delicious graham cracker crust!
Place all ingredients in crockpot (YAY!). Cook on low for 4hrs. Garnish with sour cream and serve. Yields 1 1/2 c per serving
* I was pressed for time so I did 2 hrs on high in the crockpot and the dish was more soupy for me than desired. I have not decided if that's because of the extra water (meaning I should reduce that amount) or if it's because I went high heat/short time instead of low heat/longer time. Either way it was tastey. Mr. McGoo added some shredded cheese too.
Thanks to the Slow and Savory Supper recipes that a friend shared with me from a blog she regularly reads (I would give you a link, but I do not remember the site), I was able to try a new recipe in the crock pot tonight. Enjoy... we did.
Spinach Chicken Alfredo Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
8 ounces frozen chopped spinach
1 4oz can mushrooms, drained
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried basil
2 cups chicken broth
2 T corn starch
1 8 oz brick low-fat cream cheese
12 oz whole wheat pasta, cooked according to package directions (store in fridge)
What To Do:
Place chicken, mushrooms and spinach in a greased slow cooker.
Mix chicken broth, parmesan cheese, and spices. Pour over chicken mixture
Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
Stir in cream cheese, until smooth.
Add pasta, and cook for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Oh and the Mr. and I had another first this evening... made bread in our bread maker. Mr. McGoo owned the bread maker before we were ever together, but this was the first time for us to make anything in it... only took us almost 5 years. ha!
A friend shared this article with me today... take a read and definitely watch the ad at the end of this post. As a "drinker", I consume more beverages than I often eat. Always a beverage nearby (water, coffee, hot chocolate, sodas, juices, etc, etc). I definitely need to do better about my choices of beverages. I love the quote in this article that says,
"It does make sense to target sugary drinks as a behavior modification and encourage people to have something else instead," she said. "It seems to be one of the easiest changes people can make in terms of the overall calories they're taking in."
Maybe this article will also assist you in making better choices in the things we put into the body God has blessed us with. And even though Paul is talking specifically about sexual purity when in this section of the Bible, I'm prone to believe that it also applies to our health...1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)- "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
An overweight man is shown drinking a bottle of soda in the morning, a sweet tea at lunch, a giant frothy iced latte in the afternoon and more soda with dinner. The number of packets of sugar in each heavily sweetened drink appears, ending with the staggering total of 93 packets gulped down that day.
But then the PSA abruptly shifts gears, going into shocker mode. An obese man, presumably the same person later in life after he has gotten diabetes, is seen riding down the street in a motorized wheelchair. Images of blackened, gangrene-infested toes and the man being resuscitated after a heart attack flash across the screen.
The jarring ad ends with the warning: "Don't drink yourself sick" and asks, "Are you pouring on the pounds?"
Is this what it takes to get through to people about the dangers of sugar-laden drinks? The New York City Health Department thinks it is.
"Too many sugar-sweetened drinks are fueling the obesity epidemic," Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said in a statement. "Obesity and the serious health consequences that result are making hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers sick or disabled. This new campaign shows how easy it is to drink a staggering amount of sugar in one day without realizing it."
The Health Department says the graphic ad intentionally tries to frighten people into curbing their consumption of over-sweetened drinks and adopting better eating habits.
Nutritionist Megan Fendt of the Gerald J. Friedman Diabetes Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center said such shock ads can have mixed results.
"Scare tactics are going to work for some people," she told AOL Health. "Other people are going to totally ignore it and shut it off."
Fendt believes the Health Department does have the right idea when it comes to raising awareness about the health hazards of overly sweetened drinks.
"It does make sense to target sugary drinks as a behavior modification and encourage people to have something else instead," she said. "It seems to be one of the easiest changes people can make in terms of the overall calories they're taking in."
But the PSA's depiction of blackened, gangrenous toes as a consequence of diabetes is questionable, since the condition is so rare.
"Those [effects] are not that common. They're usually very end-stage," Fendt said. "Those are generally in people with very, very poor control and not a lot of follow-up. It's not like you get diabetes and you wake up a day later and your toes fall off."
Heart attacks like the ones shown in the ad more frequently befall those with the disease, she said.
More than 700,000 New Yorkers currently have diabetes and more than a million suffer from a condition known as pre-diabetes, according to the Health Department. The blood-sugar illness -- which has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers -- leads to about 1,700 deaths, 2,800 amputations and 22,000 hospitalizations just in New York City alone, the news release said.
It isn't the first time the city's health officials caused a stir with a public service announcement. Last month, an AIDS ad showing explicit photos of anal cancer sparked controversy.
The diabetes campaign was launched on Monday and will run through February 22.
The hubby and I were able to visit with my brother and sister in law (Mr. McGoo's brother and his lovely wife) and our niece on Sunday evening. We learned that Mr. McGoo's brother received a jerky maker for Christmas (totally up his alley) and is now making homemade beef jerky on his own. We were able to sample some of his creations and he even sent Mr. McGoo home with a few.
During this discussion and seeing how the jerky maker simply took raw meet and heated it while pulling out all the liquid within the meat, I came to the realization that I had never really known where jerky came from or what it was made of, just something I never thought about.
I knew I had a guilty pleasure, LOVING SLIM JIM's, but I had never really thought much about the tasty treat to acknowledge what it was made of and possibly how bad it is for me... maybe that's why I never thought about it, I was afraid of the results.
Anyway, today I did a little research on my guilty pleasure. The history of the "slim jim" is actually pretty interesting... see...
Overview
Slim Jim is a convenient, one-of-a-kind snack with the intense flavor and snap that consumers love. Slim Jim's unique combination of spice and attitude is captured in its advertising, sponsorships, and promotions. Slim Jim is the No. 1 brand of meat sticks and is available in a variety of flavors of meat sticks, beef jerky, beef steak, and beef and cheese. Snap into a Slim Jim!
History
Adolph Levis sold pickles, relishes, sausages, and other popular snacks and condiments from his basement in Philadelphia during the Great Depression. But these foods just weren't the easy, spicy treat that bar patrons craved. Levis experimented with different ways to serve sausages, culminating one day in 1928 with the development of a cured beef sausage that would curb consumers' cravings. Printed on the jars that the beef sticks were sold in was a picture of a tall, elegant man complete with top hat and cane. Levis named him "Slim Jim," and the now-famous spicy snack was born. Early advertisements for Slim Jim touted "the ready-to-eat spiced sausage treat" that was packed in cellophane and sold for a dime.
I love how the name originated. ha!
So I checked the nutrition facts on my guilty pleasure treat... turns out it's about 3.5 grams of fat and 40 calories - however, as long as I only eat one of them instead of the 4 sticks per serving size, I'm looking good on my daily values of fat, cholesterol, sodium, and carbohydrates. I'm only in trouble if I consume 4 at a time, then I'm over my limits for fat and sodium. Also, I confirmed, the slim jim is made of actual beef - it's the first ingredient listed on the nutrition label, and I learned in nutrition class that means it is the most plentiful of all ingredients listed. The only disturbing this is that the second most used ingredient is "mechanically separated chicken" - huh....
Regardless, I've introduced you to my guilty pleasure, the Slim Jim.
Eat happy, my friends. I enjoyed one today (sorry, dad, if your stash is depleting sooner than expected)!
On Monday, my church hosted their monthly Girl's Night Out event. This month it was called ORGANIZE ME and along with enjoying a dinner with our fellow Sunday School classmates, we had a professional organizer, Sandy Wright speak.
Although I consider myself a pretty organized, task oriented, to do list type personality, I can definitely use some hints about organization. Mr. McGoo and I lead a busy life, and unfortunately when busy becomes a bit overwhelming the household can become a bit of a chaotic place: leave a pile here, put a stack of clothes there, you know the routine?!
Ps. I was informed at this event that CHOAS stands for:
Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome
So Mrs. Wright was definitely speaking to me that night. She used Romans 12:12-14 as the basis of her discussion:
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
She pulled five specific points from this verse, calling us to be:
joyful in hope
patient in affliction
faithful in prayer
share with people who are in need
practice hospitality
What a great reminder... we are called to be hospitable, we are called to have people over to our homes and if we are organized it will not stress us. If we have our homes in order with a system that works (file papers here, put clothes there, make bed, etc), then when an opportunity arises to invite someone over we will no longer fret or not invite due to the state of our homes. No more panicked worry about the state of our homes getting in the way.
I have more tidbits to share from the talk, and some things really resonated with me... but for now, I'll share how this reminder of things I know but do not always put into action encouraged me to get back on the horse and get the job done. Over the past few days I have re-worked our budget and put it back into play (we've slacked a bit over the past few months - NO MORE!), I meal planned for numerous meals (2 weeks+), cut coupons, took the time to get e-coupons (if you shop at Kroger - do NOT miss this easy extra savings - today alone it gave me an additional $5 off in 7 e-coupons), grocery shopped with my hubby, and reorganized a couple of the cabinets that hold our groceries (we do not have a pantry, how dreamy that would be one day).
So without further ado, because I know some folks are curious, here are the meals (dinners) I'm ready to do over the next few weeks, plus of course snacks, lunches, and sides we have readily available:
McGoo style chili
taco soup
potato soup - mix kind
potato soup - homemade kind
cheeseburger soup
tacos
chicken divan
grilled chicken salad
salmon
spinach chicken alfredo
creamy chicken and rice
BLT's
italian chicken
tilapia
breakfast - dinner of champions
Moving in the right direction. One thing at a time, right? Now to tackle that office/paperwork area I set as a goal to the ladies sitting near me on Monday night... hmm.....
Central's Girl's Night Out: "Organize Me" - Karli, Erica, and Me
On a whim last night, while waiting on our salmon to come off the grill, I google'd some "easy baked apple recipes". I found one with a quickness and thought it looked easy enough to give it a try... plus I had most of the ingredients.
Turns out... it was super tasty and right up my alley on ease... I left out one of the ingredients suggested, party because it didn't sound that great and ultimately because I didn't have any to give. With Fall on our heels (I can't wait for the crispness in the air), an easy baked apple recipe is something everyone needs. Below is the recipe found on the Simply Recipes blog, tweaked minimally by Mrs. McGoo.
Baked Apples
Ingredients:
4 large apples - I used Fuji because it's our favorite
Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash apples. Remove cores to 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples. It helps if you have an apple corer, but if not, you can use a paring knife to cut out first the stem area, and then the core. Use a spoon to dig out the seeds. Make the holes about 3/4-inch to an inch wide.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Place apples in a 8-inch-by-8-inch square baking pan. Stuff each apple with this mixture. Top with a dot of butter (1/4 of the Tbps).
Add boiling water to the baking pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, until tender, but not mushy. Remove from the oven and baste the apples several times with the pan juices.
Makes 4 servings.
Simply Recipes suggests serving the apples with a side of vanilla ice cream... sounds delish, but we didn't have any to try. Thanks Simply Recipes... bon appetit!
After meal planning for the next 15+ days and making our major grocery visit yesterday, I attempted a new dish this evening with some success. My first accomplishment, prior to anyone tasting the dish, was the fact that the entree I prepared looked exactly like the photo from the recipe magazine. This NEVER happens for me. Ever. So I was simply delighted by this and was ready to call it a success regardless of the taste.
I served the meal as shown to the left ... Southwest Zucchini Boats as the entree, served with a condiment of sour cream, a side of baked red potatoes, and a few grapes to Mr. McGoo and my youngest sis... Kelsey took the first bite and quickly gave her compliments. I took the second bite, my sis wasn't lying, and Mr. McGoo admitted that it was one of the best meals I've made. Hmmm...
So I gotta share this different treat.... hope you enjoy too.
Southwest Zucchini Boats
Prep/Total Time: 25 min.
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini
1 lb. ground beef - I used ground turkey instead
3/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro - didn't have it, so skipped it
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
Sour Cream, optional
Directions:
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; cut a thin slice from the bottom of each with a sharp knife to allow zucchini to sit flat. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-in. shells. (Don't throw away the leftover zucchini pulp. Freeze and save it for zucchini bread later. Or add it to vegetable soups and stews.)
Place shells in an ungreased 3-qt. microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef (turkey) over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat; stir in the salsa, bread crumbs, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon into zucchini shells.
Microwave, uncovered, on high for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Microwave 3-4 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and zucchini are tender. Serve with sour cream if desired.
I actually took the time to try something new and cook this weekend. Life has been so busy lately and with classes taking up two of my evenings until 9pm - cooking hasn't been the most important thing on the radar. As long as we eat something, we're good. Therefore, I've gone with most of the quick stapes lately, or have gotten "creative" (lack there of a better term) with finding a way to use what we have to make something edible. For example, last night I made chicken nachos because we had chicken, a thing of taco seasoning, some tortilla chips and the fixin's - voila - chicken nachos are served. Not the healthiest, but not totally unhealthy either (better than beef for sure).
Friday evening, however, with the help of some pre-planning on my part earlier in the week, I was able to embark on a new recipe that was tried and true by a friend. The Grilled Salmon recipe did not disappoint: it was simple and turned out delish. Mr. McGoo was nice enough to grill the salmon for me, but I did all the prep and prepared the sides. With our teamwork, we were able to enjoy a quiet, relaxing evening together on Friday, ignoring the responsibilities that called. Here is the recipe if you're interested too. We will definitely do this one again.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Directions
Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat grill for medium heat.
Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
On Wednesday evening, the Team Ethiopia group made their way to the local Ethiopian Restaurant in town, Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant. Most of us had never partook of Ethiopian cuisine and were looking forward to our first introduction here in the States. With the guidance of Ethiopian veterans, Joe & Karyn... typical Ethiopian dishes were selected and served to the group.
We had two full plates full of food... each plate with the same set of items, one for each side of the table. In Ethiopia they do not use utensils, rather we all were given a plateful of "injera" which was also placed underneath the food. It has a pancake like texture and is what you use to pick up the food off the plate and get it into your mouth. You eat the injera also. Below is a photo with each dish listed and labeled.
We had a chicken dish (dora watt), cheese (ibe), cabbage (gomen), lentils (mizur watt), beef (beef T'ibs), chick peas (shuro watt), salmon goulash (asa watt), turnip greens (habesha gomen), potatoes (den-ni), and some lettuce & tomatoes. For the most part, all of the items were cooked with an Ethiopian spice called berbere. The food was a little hot (in the sense of spicy), but not too much. My favorite combination was the beef T'ibs (beef dish) mixed with a little ibe (cheese). It was delicious - I could have kept that all to myself, but I thought better to share.
The injera wasn't bad either. Joe & Karyn warned us that the injera we'll probably get IN Ethiopia will be little more bitter, or fermented like... whereas the restaurant in town always has a fresh batch. It was good there, so we'll see how different it is in Addis Ababa.
Eating at Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant and beginning to get to know our teammates on a more person level has made me even more excited about our upcoming journey next month!
Thanks to the most recent Bunko Divas hostess, LaLa, I have a new recipe and was able to make this simple dish tonight. I do not know the name, all I know is that it's tasty soup and I was told it was a weight watchers recipe, I believe. Here is what it's made of...
Ingredients:
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb lean ground turkey
1 onion chopped
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of ranch style black beans
1 can of shoepeg corn
1 packet of ranch seasoning
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can of ROTEL
3/4 cup of water
I have no idea what shoepeg corn is, so I got my hubby's favorite instead, white corn. And instead of doing 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground turkey, I wanted to keep it simple and prepare only one meat so I chose the leaner ground turkey for a full pound. Cook the meat along with the chopped onion, and add it to the pot of all the other goodies. Cook and simmer in the pot for 30minutes and wha-laa - a warm tasty simply treat.
I made it this evening and am thankful LaLa shared it with me because it will be added into my arsenal of dinners. Only thing I worry about is the remainder of the evening - - - there sure were a lot of beans in that soup... high fiber. Wonder if that will affect anyone in this house? ha ha. Only time will tell.
I'm having one of those weeks, one of those multiple weeks where the answer the question, "How's it going?" has only one response - IT'S GOING! There is so much going on these days that at times I feel like a chicken with my head cut off. Are there enough hours in the day? From work every day of the week to school, to finding time to study, to cooking dinner, cleaning house, and desiring to get our house in order with painting and organizing and such, to finding time to just BE with my handsome husband, to spending time with friends and catching up with them after being MIA for the past few weeks, to helping friends get prepared for their wedding (SO EXCITED), to seeing friends from out of town (so glad we were able!), to attending short term missions training at church (can't wait to share about the trip), to catching up on the shows we enjoy, to wanting to actually watch the Olympics, to applying for scholarships for financial aid, to answering invitations for weddings, showers, and birthday parties, and hopefully attending a few of them, to desiring to just stop and do nothing or read for fun rather than school, to working out... the list goes on and on!
We've been busy and it doesn't look like it will life will let up for another week or so... so we're doing our best to take one day at a time and complete the task at hand. That's all we can do.
I'm not complaining, because many of the things we're "doing" are things we're so blessed and so greatful to be a part of - investing in people, continuing our education, etc - but some days, you just wish there was an opportunity to let everything stop and simply be still without a thought to the next task at hand. I'm a little concerned that maybe I'm going so fast right now I won't hear when the Lord is speaking to me. I've heard Him so clearly as of late in regards to caring for the least of these and our call as believers that I do not want to miss what He says next! But I am confident and so thankful for this -He's moving around me! He's moving in the hearts of people I care for, and even people I do not know. It's a cool thing to see and experience.
So that's me right now... a bundle of to do's and a bunch of things going on. I'm so thankful that I have a hubby that is so good to help and assist around the house along the way. I couldn't imagine if I didnt have my teammate. :)
The planned meals have been a huge help with all the craziness that has been going on. I haven't even thought about what's to eat besides looking in the morning before work and setting out the appropriate meat to thaw. I'm pumped to know that I have so many meals left and ready to go. So far I've made:
Poppy Seed Chicken, Garlic Bread, Green Beans, and Rice
Broiled Tilapia Parmesean, Italian vegetable medley, and 3 cheese garlic bread - even made that for friends to eat with us
Mr. McGoo made awesome Brauts with french fries
Red Beans and Rice, and salad
Pork Roast, Green Beans, and Mashed Taters
Cuban Sandwiches made from the left over pork roast
The following is left on the list:
Chili
Breakfast food (pancakes, eggs, etc)
Burgers and Fries
Italian Chicken, Biscuits, Pecan Vinaigrette Salad
Italian Chicken Pizza (using leftover meat from night before)
Taco Soup
Chicken Divan and Rice
Potato Soup (tonight's plan)
Turkey Tostadas
Tacos
In regards to our workout routine, I didn't post about it, but on Friday I worked out for 31minutes to The Biggest Loser on Wii. Bob kicked my butt in a 31 minute routine. It was 3 circuits of craziness. From tricep presses galore to a ton of "in plank" position exercises, my abs and shoulder were burning quicker than halfway through. It was good workout though. Since Friday I've done little but stretch and try to complete the many tasks at hand... we're back to it tomorrow am! Ready to Shred again.
Sunday I sat down and planned 10-14 days worth of meals for the coming couple of weeks. This process takes some time and work, but overall I like the outcome of such an endeavor. We not only get a good assortment of meal choices, but we also guard against going to the grocery being unproductive with our purchases. You know what I mean by that... isn't it the worst when you spend over $100 at the grocery and come home to realize that with everything you purchased, very little will make a meal for you and your family. Totally frustrating. So meal planning not only allows my hubby and I to stay on track with our budget (not eating out because we KNOW we have a meal available at home), but it also keeps me away from the dreaded grocery - - - I cannot stand that place! If I can make it where we do not have to go there again until the next pay day, I'll be golden.
Last night we tackled the ready made list of groceries to purchase that I created Sunday night with my meal planning. The hubby and I conquered each aisle together, grabbing the items demanded by the list. For a "To Do List" person like me, this was heavenly... a list to check off items as we put them in our cart.... wow, I am a dork!
Needless to say, we came away with a TON of food, but some yummy meals to look forward to. I originally plotted out the meals on a per day schedule, but I'll only follow this schedule tentatively. If we wake up one morning that chicken is scheduled for the meal that night, and beef sounds better, we'll switch it up accordingly, but AT LEAST I know I have these meals ready and waiting to be prepared. Let's see how I did.
Monday (last night - check): Poppy Seed Chicken, Garlic Bread, Green Beans, and Rice
Tuesday: Broiled Tilapia Parmesean, Italian vegetable medley, and 3 cheese garlic bread
Wednesday (Mr. McGoo night bc I have class): Brauts or Steaks - whichever he chooses
Thursday: Red Beans and Rice, and salad
Friday: Pork Roast, Green Beans, and Mashed Taters
Saturday Lunch: Cuban Sandwiches made from the left over pork roast
Monday: Italian Chicken, Biscuits, Pecan Vinaigrette Salad
Tuesday: Italian Chicken Pizza (using leftover meat from night before)
Wednesday (Mr. McGoo Night): Taco Soup
Thursday: Chicken Divan and Rice
Friday: Potato Soup
Saturday: Turkey Tostadas
Sunday: Tacos
Along with all these yummy meals, we purchased a larger variety of snack foods... most are good for you like celery, carrots, fruits, 100 calorie popcorn packs, etc, and of course some lunch and breakfast options for my main squeeze. As we're working out, we're trying to also eat multiple times a day to keep our metabolism up and running. Breakfast, snack. lunch, snack, dinner. So you can say the "pantry" and refrigerator are packed. Here's to hoping I do not have to go to the grocery again until March. he he!
Anyone have any other meal planning tips? My ears are open.
So thanks to a friend posting something about Chicken Floretine Pasta on her Facebook status, I was able to inquire with her about the recipe and later enjoy this delicious dish! Because I was only feeding my man and myself, I halved this recipe and put it in a 8x8 baking dish. We had plenty and even leftovers. Also, I used penne noodles instead of bowtie because that was what I had in the pantry. Mmm Mmmm good.
Ingredients:
4-5 Chicken Breasts
1 box Bowtie Pasta
1 pk Frozen, chopped Spinach
8 oz Sour Cream
2-3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
To Do's:
Boil & chop chicken breast.
Cook & drain pasta.
Mix spinach (thawed & drained), sour cream, cheddar cheese, cream of mushroom soup, chicken and pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Bake covered in greased dish at 350 for 45 minutes.
I know I've posted about a Potato Soup already, but I'm looking for that one super easy, but tasty recipe to stay in my collection. I have a "from scratch" potato soup recipe that I got from my mom. I love my mother's potato soup, and when I make it, it's not bad. But it takes lots of work, from boiling the potatoes to dicing celery and carrots and all sorts of things like that. Boiling potatos takes awhile, and if you're zoom zoom and do not have the time nor want to take the time to stand in front of the stove too long, I want a recipe to call for backup.
By the way, does anyone else have the same issue as me... every recipe I've gotten from my mom, dishes that are TO DIE FOR and super delicious when she makes them, when I prepare them (FROM THE SAME RECIPE), they somehow just don't turn out as good or right? Am I the only one that suffers from this issue? Perfect example, hashbrown casserole. I use my mom's recipe. Mom made it for Christmas brunch last year, my hubby and I devoured our servings, and probably got seconds. I made the same thing for my hubby's family Christmas event that same night (just hours later), and my man looks at me while he's eating it, and says, "do you do something different than you mom with this? It's good, but it's different". SEE?! What does my mom do that I can't seem to grasp and complete within a recipe!???
Sorry, didn't meant to get sidetracked that substantially, back to the Zesty Potato Cheese Soup. Super Easy, And Yummy. I made it and my husband concurs, Mmm Mmm. So we're going to put this one in the recipe book to keep for a quick meal. It seriously took 10 min. Quick!
So we finally slowed down a little bit, well as much as we can to an extent, and I have tried three new recipes in the last several days. Yup, three new recipes. So I'll post one for the next few Mondays. They were all SUPER SIMPLE, so don't get your hopes up to find something fully Julia Child worthy, but they were all edible. One we'll definitely make again, one probably, and another I probably will not add to my recipe book.
The first one I'll post is the:
Layered Mexican Bake
what you need:
3/4 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/4 cups Thick N Chunky Salsa - the specific recipe recommends Taco Bell Home Originals brand, I just used Pace Picante brand.
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen corn
3 high-fiber whole wheat tortillas (8 inch) - I used flour tortillas because that's what was in the pantry
1/2 cup Light Sour Cream
3/4 cup 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided - my hubby does not like Sharp cheddar, so he brought me back Mild from the grocery.
make it:
heat oven to 375
brown meat with onions and peppers in large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir in chili powder, cook 1 min. Add salsa and corn; mix well. Simmer 5 min.
spread 1 cup meat sauce onto bottom of 8-or9-inch square baking dish; top with layer of 1 tortilla. 1/2 cup meat sauce, sour cream and 1/4 cup cheese. Cover with 1 tortilla. 1 cup of remaining meat sauce and 1/4 cup of remaining cheese; top with remaining tortilla and meat sauce. Cover with foil.
bake 25 min or until casserole is heated through. Top with remaining cheese; bake; uncovered; 5 min or until melted.
I forgot to put the onion on the grocery list, so I did without (sad day, because I love onions), but the dish was still good without it. This is one we'll probably make again, but not something I'd put as a staple meal in our schedule. bon appetit!
After a food event at the office, I had to get the recipe from a coworker of her delicious potato soup. She quickly shared the recipe and confessed that it was "easy", so I had to give it a whirl.
To celebrate my father in law's birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday, Larry!) , we invited family and a friend or two over for dinner and birthday cake. I made an attempt at the "Easy Potato Soup" and folks came back for seconds, so I think I did alright. I doubled the recipe to feed 6 adults and 1 kid, I had PLENTY of leftovers, so I probably should have gone with just one recipe, not the double.
Time to share the recipe. Easy Potato Soup:
1 bag of hash brown potatoes (I think they are called country style)
1 can of chicken broth
2 pkts of country gravy mix (I used one regular and one pepper flavor)
1 block of Velveeta cheese – cut in chunks
Cover the potatoes with water and boil til soft
Pour out about the equivalent of 1 can of water and add the can of chicken broth
Bring back to a boil and then empty the pkts of gravy mix one at a time and stir with wire whisk til dissolved
Turn down heat a bit and add velveeta
Season to taste
Put some yummy bacon bits on top and serve. Enjoy.
