For a party-

1 pkg marzipan (almond paste)
1 bag white chocolate chips, melted
about 1/2 c. dried cranberries
about 1/2 c. pistachios, chopped

Divide marzipan into 4 equal sections. Roll each of them out into a thin layer like cookie dough. (Use powdered sugar to keep it from sticking instead of flour.)
Then layer marzipan, melted chocolate, cranberries and pistachios.
Do this over and over. Put it in the fridge to harden.
Once it's firm, cut it into little squares.
Serving them cold is best. They're firmer that way.
These are great to take to a party because they are easy, but look pretty. The pistachios are a little greener in person than in the picture. Very festive with the cranberries.

Anyone have holiday recipes to share? or more easy dinners?

Aloha Pineapple Chicken

1/2   8oz. can crushed pineapple in juice
4 1/2 tsp. honey
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
salt and pepper to taste


Whisk Pineapple with its juice and honey in a bowl until combined.
Season chicken cubes with salt and pepper and place in plastic bag covered with 2/3 of the pineapple sauce. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Place chicken on foil lined baking pan and broil on midle rack for 6-8 minutes each side, or until cooked through. For dipping sauce: while chicken is broiling, put the remaining sauce in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 1 minute or until thickened. 


I don't make the dipping sauce with this, I just serve over rice and vegetables and we all love it.

Penne Rustica

so there's always an exception to every rule, right? this is the exception. i make this dish very infrequently. it's not healthy and it takes a good bit of prep. but, you can do everything beforehand, refrigerate or freeze, and then do just the last step when you're ready to eat it. i usually make it on a special occassion or for a party or when i'm feeding a lot of people because it's easy to multiply and just about everybody enjoys eating it. so in response to requests for the recipe, i'm posting it here for ease of access.

Penne Rustica

1 lb. penne pasta
3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 t. butter
1 t. garlic, chopped or pressed
1 t. dijon mustard
1 t. salt
1 t. dried rosemary or 1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 t. chili powder
2 bottles alfredo sauce
2 oz. bacon, chopped
1/2 C. butter
2 green onions, sliced
shrimp - as much as you want, opt.
pepper to taste
1 C. parmesan cheese, divided
paprika and parsly, opt.

1. Cook pasta in a big pot according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large frying pan, cook chicken until just white on all sides. It will finish cooking in the oven. Add to pasta.

3. Melt 2 t. butter in pan. Add garlic, mustard, salt, rosemary, and chili powder. Cook a few minutes until aromatic. Add alfredo sauce. Mix well. Add to pasta.

4. Add 1/2 C. parmesan and pepper to taste to pasta.

5. Cook bacon in frying pan until it begins to brown. Add green onions and cook until soft. If you have uncooked shrimp, add with the onions and cook until just barely pink. If you have cooked shrimp, add it into the pasta or stir into the butter after onions are soft. Add all to pasta. Mix pasta well.

6. Pour into 9x13 pan or individual serving dishes. Top with remaining parmesan cheese and sprinkle with paprika and parsley if desired.

7. Bake in 475 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve.


Helpful Hints:

On step #1, I usually just return the pasta to the pot and add the rest of the ingredients as I go through the steps. Just throw them on top and mix it all one time at the end.

I find it easy to scrape or quickly rinse the frying pan and use the same one for each step... they're all going to the same place anyway, right? And less dishes.

On this recipe, since there are several ingredients, it's easier and faster for me if I measure and prep the ingredients before starting to cook. So, for example, while the pasta is cooking, I put all the stuff (minus the butter) for step #3 in a bowl. I chop the bacon and green onions and have them together on the side with a stick of butter. Then when I'm done cooking the chicken, I just melt the butter and dump the spice bowl into the pan. After the sauce is done, the bacon is ready to go, etc. It seems to go a lot faster if I don't have to stop and prep in between steps.

chocolate muffins

with school starting up again, i'm trying to get back into the swing of things, menu and meal preparedness wise... today i tried out two new muffin recipes. i always try to make them healthy but there's a fine line that i have to balance on because let's face it, the kids still have to want to eat them.

the poppy seed muffin recipe was a bust. even i didn't like it.

the chocolate muffin recipe was great. maybe more great because of the poppy seed muffin failure. we'll see how great it really is the second time i make them. i'm still kind of border line with the chocolate muffins because it is after all, chocolate for breakfast. but they are made with all whole wheat flour and they're lowfat because i used applesauce instead of oil. i'm putting down the recipe the way i made it - with all the substitutions.

chocolate muffins

2 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 C. white sugar (could possibly reduce even more to only 1 C)
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 C. skim milk
1 egg
2 T. applesauce (could also use pumpkin puree)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 C. semisweet mini chocolate chips

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

2. in medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt. in mixing bowl, combine milk, egg, oil and vanilla. (i got sidetracked and let the kitchen aid go for a while and the egg got a little foamy - not sure if that helped lighten the muffin but they turned out good). mix dry ingredients into wet. beat well. add chocolate chips. stir well.

3. fill muffin cups. (original recipe also calls for nuts - 3/4 c. chopped walnuts added with the chocolate chips and 1/3 c. whole almonds on top of unbaked muffins. the girls don't do nuts well so i left them out.)

4. bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tester inserted into middle comes out clean.

Chicken Zucchini Chili

2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1 medium zucchini sliced in 1/4's
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin

Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer until zucchini is soft (about 20-30 minutes). Garnish with cheese, avocado, and LIME tortilla chips.

Beef Broccoli and Sesame Noodles

This month, for one of my freezer meals, I put together my grandmother's recicpe for beef broccoli and added a great sesame noodles that I got off the Pioneer Woman website. We love these noodles and they are so easy to make with things we normally have on hand.

Beef Broccoli:

1 lb broccoli (you can either parboil some fresh or used frozen)
1/2 lb steak, sliced thinly (the recipe calls for round steak but you can use whatever you like)

Marinade:
2 t. sugar
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. cornstarch
1/8 t. grated ginger
salt and pepper, optional (I usually leave out since soy sauce has plenty of salt)

Marinate meat for 5-10 minutes and then cook until done.

Sauce:
1 beef buillon cube
1 C. water
1 T. cornstarch
1-2 T. soy sauce

Dissolve buillon cube in water. Allow to cool and add cornstarch or dissolve cornstarch in a little cold water. Add soy sauce. Add sauce to meat in pan and cook and stir until thick and bubbly.

Stir in broccoli. If the sauce is too thick, add in 1/4 C. water. If you want it thicker, dissolve more cornstarch in some cold water and add to meat mixture.

To prepare for freezer, combine uncooked meat and marinade in one bag. Prepare sauce and choose the option to allow buillon and water to cool. Add in cornstarch and soy sauce - this goes in another bag. I use frozen broccoli in another bag. Put all a big ziplock so they are all together and easy to grab when you make this meal.

Prepare from frozen by allowing all the ingredients to thaw. Follow the steps above, skipping the marinating time since it already got that while thawing and reincorporate corstarch in the sauce before adding to the hot pan. You might also want to microwave the frozen broccoli if it's not as soft as you'd like to eat it by just thawing.


Sesame Noodles :

12 oz. spaghetti noodles
1/4 C. soy sauce
2 T. sugar
3-4 cloves garlic (the more the better, I say!)
2 T. rice vinegar
2-3 T. sesame oil
4-5 T. canola oil(I usually use half this amount and don't miss it)
3-4 green onions, sliced
2 T. hot water

Cook noodles according to package directions. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over cooked noodles. Toss and serve.

For my freezer meal, I just put all the sauce ingredients, minus the hot water into a baggie. Keep the pasta on hand in the pantry.

Prepare from frozen the same way as above, allowing sauce to thaw first. Add in hot water and whisk sauce before adding cooked noodles.

Herbed Roast Chicken

I saw this one on Rachel Ray and decided to try it. While it was cooking it smelled so good! I loved using all these fresh herbs and it really is a pretty simple recipe.

1 Whole Chicken
Fresh herbs like tarragon, parsley, thyme, etc.
Butter or Olive Oil

Roasting Veggies:
Potatoes
Carrots
Onions
Fresh Basil (optional)

Rosemary Garlic White Sauce:
3T butter
2T flour
1 C cream or milk
chicken stock
2 bulbs of fresh garlic
about 1/2 C fresh rosemary, chopped

Chop up your fresh rosemary. Slice about 1/4 of the bottom of the garlic bulb off (the rest of the bulb will stay in tact). Smash the side of bulb of garlic that you cut off into your rosemary pile and then drill liberally with olive oil. Wrap it in tin foil and roast it in the oven for about an hour. You will make the sauce with this later.

Prepare your potatoes - if you can find small ones, pour them on the bottom of you roasting pan. If not, cut them into the size of pieces you'd like. Cut the carrots into about the same size as your potatoes. Same thing goes for the onions, if you can find small ones, great, if not cut the onions into the same size pieces as your potatoes and carrots. Mix all this in the bottom of your roasting pan. I also added some fresh basil in the mix.

With the chicken, pull the skin away the meat (around the breast and also the legs) a bit and slip in your fresh herbs in between the skin and meat (I only had fresh tarragon and I loved it). Rachel Ray said to rub your bird down with butter - you probably could use some olive oil - and then salt and pepper. Place it on top of the veggies and cover with tin foil.

Bake at 375 for about an hour or till the juices run clear. Remove the tin foil after about 40 mins to allow the chicken to get some color. (I put my garlic in to roast at the same time as the chicken.)

Once the garlic is done, gently squeeze out the roasted garlic/rosemary into a bowl and set aside for the sauce.

For the sauce:
Melt 3 T butter in a sauce pan. Add about 2 T flour and cook to form a ball for about a minute. Slowly add 1 C of cream (or milk) while stirring. After that, add in chicken stalk until you reach the desired consistency of sauce you'd like. Add the garlic rosemary and stir into the sauce for about another minute.

Prepare:
Remove and cut your chicken into pieces. If you want to add some fresh spinach to your veggies and toss it around for a side salad you can. Top your chicken with the sauce.

Father's Day Steak and Pan Sauce

I made up this pan sauce tonight and it was GOOD. Not just kind of good....double O, capitalized GOOD.

4 Ribeye Steaks - about 1 inch thick
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup beef stock/broth or water
1 tsp mustard -- I used yellow, but I think brown or the "Poupon" would be even better
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Fresh ground Sea Salt and Freshly coarsely ground Black Pepper
olive oil

Add about 1 Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. You want it HOT. Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper--however much you like. When the pan is pretty darn hot, add the steak. Don't overcrowd the pan or it will steam instead of sear. I had to do 2 batches of 2 steaks each.

Now, don't touch the steak....Resist the urge. No, No....Hands off. Just leave it alone. It will get a nice sear and crust that keeps the juices in. After 6 minutes for medium rare or 7-8 for medium, flip it over. Then hands off. Don't touch for another 6 minutes for medium-rare, 7-8 for medium. Then take it out, sit it on a platter and don't touch. Let it rest for 10 minutes. It's carry-over heat will make it perfect and the juices will stay in the meat. Repeat for the other 2 steaks if they didn't fit.

After the steaks are done and resting, turn the heat to medium. Add stock/broth or water to pan to deglaze, scraping up the yummy brown bits. Add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and stir for a couple of minutes until it thickens a bit. Then serve either poured over the steak or on the side for dipping.

Herbed Onion Focaccia with Basil Vinaigrette Dressing

This is from the pampered chef book, which I recently found and became a fun thing to add to pasta meals (like a pizza without all the pizza ingredients), especially cause I've got fresh basil bushes in the back that I LOVE! and some starts of oregano. I recently got some tarragon that I added also. I assume you can experiment with the herbs you want to put on it.

1 loaf frozen bread dough (I don't have this luxury here to I just do a quick pizza dough)
2 t olive oil
1 onion, sliced in rings
3 fresh garlic cloves, minced
fresh basil leaves
fresh oregano
1/4 C Parmesan cheese

Saute the onion and garlic in oil until the onion is tender and garlic turns golden brown (I actually like it when the onion are a little caramelized, even looks burnt). Prepare the dough and spread onto a pizza stone. Brush the olive oil over the bread. Spread the onion and garlic mix over the dough and sprinkle the herbs around it also. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese (I actually usually just use a local brand cheese. I bet you could use the cheese of your choice as long as it's not too strong to over power the herbs.) Bake at 375 for 20-25 min. Serve.

I usually use this dressing to dip the bread in:

Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
1 C olive oil
1/3 C apple cider vinegar
1/4 C honey
3 T fresh basil
2 cloves minced fresh garlic

In a bowl whisk together.

Scones and granola

Inspired by Kam's breakfast post, I wanted to share our latest breakfast favorites.

I recently discovered scones. I like them. I like something bread-y but I don't like to wait for bread to rise. These are fast and flavorful. The kids like to eat them with milk in the mornings or as an after school snack (it's a step in the healthy direction away from cookies).

Orange Chocolate Scones
2 C flour
1/3 C sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1/3 C cold butter
1/3 C orange juice
1/3 C + 2 T buttermilk (you can also do this by using regular milk, squeezing 1 T lemon juice in it and let it sit for 5 min)
2 T orange zest
1/2 C dark chocolate chips

Wisk flour- baking soda together. Cut in butter. Combine wet ingredients then add to dry ingredients until moist (Don't pour it all in at once cause sometimes, the flour is not really dry, so it comes out too wet. Add the mixture a bit at a time and mixing it). Stir in chocolate chips. Kneed to combine. Pat the dough into a flat circle and cut into wedges. Bake at 350 for 12-15 min. I keep some of these for the next day and then I freeze the rest. Take out what you want and warm them up in the microwave.

Apple Scones
2 C flour
1/4 C sugar
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 C cold butter
1 shredded apple
1/2 C milk

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in cold butter. Add the shredded apple. Slowly add the milk until moist. Knead it till mixed and form a circle. Flatten it and cut wedges. After dip the top of the wedge into a cinnamon-sugar mix. Bake at 350 for 12-15 min.

Last, I've started to make my own granola. This has actually become a staple breakfast food, even replacing prepared cereals. It's pretty easy and I like it cause I know what is going into it so I can consider it to really be healthy for my family. It's a fun way to get my kids to eat oats. It also sticks better in our stomach than prepared cereals.

2 C oats
1/2 C flaked coconut
1/2 nuts (I usually use peanuts)
1/8 C sesame seeds
1/8 C flax seeds
1/4 C shelled sunflower seeds (I actually haven't added this in before, but the recipe calls for it)
1/3 C oil
1/3 C honey
1/4 C raisins, dried fruits or chocolate chips/m&m's

Combine oats - seeds (if you don't have some seeds or if you like another kind of seed, use what you have and what you like). Add oil and then in the same cup you measured the oil, measure the honey (this way, the honey comes out of the cup easier). Mix this together. Bake at 300 for 20 min stirring after 10 min. Check on the granola every so often. As it darkens, stir it. Remove from oven. Turn onto a foil and allow to cool. Add dried fruits and chocolate. Store in an air tight container and it'll last for quite some time (even in the humidity of the Philippines!)

We love to eat this with yogurt and banana's (like an acai bowl type thing). We've also eaten this on banana splits. Yum! and it's healthy!

Japanese

I started out this post dedicated to miso soup, but then when I was looking for my recipe, I came across a few other Japanese recipes we like, so here they are:

I like miso soup. I don't think I ever was really exposed to it till practically here in the Philippines when we got it free at a popular fast food Japanese restaurant. Since then, I've wanted to be able to make it. I think I attempted it (horribly) on vacation in Hawaii . . .

Well, I have since found a recipe that we love and it's VERY easy! Whenever we do an Asia type meal and I need a little extra food, I make this soup.

Miso Soup
2 t handashi granules (this is important, when mixed with the water it makes kinda a fish broth)
4 C water
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine dashi and water. Bring to a boil.

3 T miso paste (I usually use a red miso paste)
1 C water
Miso miso paste with water. Reduce heat. (don't allow to boil after the miso is added)

Diced tofu
Seaweed (nori) for soup (optional)
green onion, chopped
Add tofu, nori and green onion. Simmer gently 2-3 min. Serve

Next recipe I actually found on a Hawaii local food site. I like to make extra and freeze them (since we never eat all of them in one meal). They are handy to pull out and fix.

(As a side note, if you want to beef it up a bit more without adding more meat, it's easy to add some tofu diced small into it and nobody even notices! I actually do that quite a bit when I make ground meat things since the tofu takes on the flavor of whatever I'm cooking. It saves me money - tofu is cheaper than meat - and it's healthy.)

Gyoza
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground chicken
3/4 C chopped cabbage
1/4 C mushrooms (chopped)
1/4 C carrot (shredded)
1 t ginger, diced
2 t garlic, diced
1 t shoyu
package of gyoza wrappers (sometimes I use dimsum wrappers)

Mix all the ingredients with your hands. Fill each wrapper with about a teaspoon of mix and fold it up. (This takes a while, but if you aren't too particular about the looks, you can get your kids to help - they seem to enjoy it)

You can either steam, boil or fry for about 7 mins or until filling is cooked. They are also good to add to soups or eat with rice. You can mix equal portions of shoyu and vinegar for a dipping sauce.

Last, we don't have any prepared mixes of teriyaki sauce that we can pick up and dump on some chicken. I found this chicken teriyaki recipe which is so easy and yummy that I don't think I need a mix anymore.

Teriyaki Chicken
1 whole chicken chopped up (I would think it's about 6 pieces)
3/4 C sugar (some people may prefer brown sugar)
3/4 C shoyu
1 T fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Basically, you just mix it all up. The recipe said to marinate it for 3 hours and then bake at 350 for an hour, basting frequently. I didn't have the time to marinate it and didn't feel like turning on the oven so I just covered and boiled it. I brought it to a boil for a few minutes then turned it down and let it simmer for about 30 mins. The last 5 minutes, I remove the cover and boil it again so more of the flavor would cook into the chicken (Mom Briones does this with her adobo). We still liked it.

breakfast

i remember growing up, my mom always prepared breakfast for us. whether it was scrambled eggs or just putting out a buffet of cold cereal and yogurts, she always prepared something for us before school. i now look back and see what an effort that took! so even though i am grateful to my mom for trying to give us that "good start" to the day...

i am SO not my mom. i totally fail at the preparing breakfast every morning thing.

luckily for me, i can ease my guilt by preparing some breakfast options that my kids can get ready themselves. since i've put in the pre-work, i don't feel so bad that they have to warm it up themselves. during school, they all get up at different times because they all start at different times. during the summer, hey! it's summer and i want to sleep in.

another reason i do it is because we have vastly different appetites. i have one child who needs something that will stick to her stomach for a good long time. i have a pre-schooler who grazes all morning. every time someone eats she'll take a bite of theirs but "her" breakfast is usually a bowl of cold cereal that she can munch off of for an hour or two. then i have another who like me, prefers something lighter but still traditionally breakfast.

anyway, i've found that muffins and breakfast burritos go over the best here. combined with a few different cold cereals in the pantry and we're set. here are the recipes i use:


breakfast burritos

this is one of those recipes you can vary according to your own taste. i make little mini burritos because one is the right size for the kids and two is just fine for the husband.

2 pkgs small tortillas (16 count each), warmed or fried how ever you prefer.
18 large eggs, scrambled with some salt and pepper
bacon bits (you could also fry up a pound of bulk sausage if you want)
shredded cheese
ketchup (i don't know if it's just a hawaii thing but practically all forms of eggs are eaten with ketchup in our house.)

i do an assembly line here -

tortilla, ketchup first because it's less messy when you roll them up, bacon, cheese, eggs on top. fold all sides in. pack into a large freezer bag or two. these are one of the things i don't freeze spaced out individually first. they stay together better if you pack them in the bag and they are easy enough to break apart if they happen to stick together. i used to wrap each individually in plastic wrap but it's just as good without that added step of work.

the kids and the husband then take out one or two breakfast burritos in the morning and microwave for about a minute. good for the ones who like a heartier breakfast.


pumpkin muffins

preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray 2 muffin pans with non-stick spray.

in a large bowl, mix:

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 C. oil ( i sub 1/2 C. canola oil and 1/2 C. unsweetened applesauce)
2/3 C. water
3 C. sugar ( i sub 1 C. brown sugar and 1-1 1/2 C white sugar)

add in and mix until just blended:

3 1/2 C. flour ( i sub in some whole wheat for this)
2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground ginger

bake for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. cool for 5 minutes and then remove from pans. cool completely on wire rack. place on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm. i then bag them into gallon sized freezer bags. when you're ready to eat them, you can allow them to sit and come to room tempurature or microwave individually from frozen for 30 seconds.

you can do this with any of your favorite muffin or quick bread recipes. subbing out with some whole wheat and applesauce make them healthier and heartier. i think i'll do a zucchini bread (turned into muffins) variety this summer.

Onion Rings

Awhile ago I was watching a movie and they were eating onion rings, they looked so good! And since there isn't any where around here that sells onion rings (beside little fast food type things), I found this recipe and tried it. We love them (although it does take some work, it's worth it.)

1-2 large onions
1 1/4 C All purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 egg
1 C milk (or as needed)
Bread Crumbs

Slice your onions and separate the rings. Set aside. (Sometimes I put the slices into water to help be able to separate the rings easier, and take them out once they are separated)

Stir together dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and salt.

Dip rings into mix to coat and set aside.

Whisk egg into flour mix and milk with fork. dip rings in batter to coat. Place on a rack till batter stops dripping, just make sure it does drip all the way off or the bread crumbs won't stick (since I don't have a rack I just put it on a plate).

Place rings in bread crumbs to coat. Tap so excess is removed. Fry 2-3 min in oil till golden brown.

Berry Breakfast Season

Every time I go to the store lately, the berries have been screaming my name. Seriously....SCREAMING.....Not wanting to offend the juicy blessed bits, I oblige and bring home numerous cartons. So tonight, breakfast night, we had this....

Triple Berry Syrup on Whole Wheat Waffles

So simple, but it was so good. Here's how I make the syrup.

Throw whatever berries make you happy in a saucepan. We used 1 small carton of blackberries, 1/2 carton of raspberries, and a cup or so of strawberries.
Add sugar to taste -- start with about 1/4 cup, you can always add more - I hate it too sweet.
Add about 1/4 cup water

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Then simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes. If your in a rush, you can use a hand submersion blender to break things into bits and then you can get away with simmering for 5 minutes. Either way, when the berries are really soft and a lot of juice has been released, hit it with the hand blender or a potato masher to get the desired consistency -- smooth vs. chunky. Add more sugar if desired.

If you want to be fancy, poor through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. We don't. I'm not usually that fancy and, hey, seeds = fiber, right?

If you want to thicken more, you can use a cornstarch slurry (a little cold water and cornstarch mixed together.) Poor it in a little at a time while simmering. A little goes a long way---be careful.

Yum, Yum.......I'll post the waffles later---great recipe, too.

Some Favorite Marinades

here are some of my favorite marinades right now:

Rosemary Ranch Chicken (from Kathy M.)

1/2 C. olive oil
1/2 C. ranch dressing
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. minced fresh rosemary or 1 t. dried
2 t. salt
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. white vinegar
1/4 t. ground black pepper, or to taste
5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

In a large ziplock bag, mix together all of the ingredients, except the chicken, and let stand for 5 minutes. Add chicken. Let marinate for several hours or freeze chicken in the marinade. Grill.

These are great as a main dish or I'll do one or two chicken breasts and dice up to top dinner salads or slice to put in chicken bakes.


Smokey Rasberry Chipotle

1 C. Rasberry Chipotle sauce

1-2 t. liquid smoke

I've done this marinade over pork loin, allow to marinate and then broil.

Garlic and Miso

1 C. Angelo Pietro's Sesame and Miso Salad dressing
2 t. chopped garlic (at least!)

I usually do this over pork chops or last time I sliced up some pork loin. Marinate a couple of hours or freeze. Pan fry with salt and pepper.

I used to have my mom send me this salad dressing from Hawaii but I've found it in Austin at the chinese market off of Lamar just south of Braker. Surprisingly, they make it here in TX but only sell it there. Definitely worth the special trip - stock up! The orange top is yummy too - not as spicey as this one.

Hot, Fresh Tortillas

A few months ago I learned how to make tortillas at home, and I haven't bought tortillas at the store since.  After my youngest made them by herself tonight, I realized how truly easy they are to make.

Buy tortilla flour mix and add water.  (There are instructions right on the package.)
Add water, mix, then knead for a few minutes.
Divide into little balls, roll them out.
Cook them on a hot skillet or griddle.
When it bubbles up a little, flip and cook for a few more seconds.  Done!

The house smells fantastic, and the family starts wandering into the kitchen to see what's for dinner.  I probably used the "White Wings" brand, but since it's in a canister now, I can't be sure. I just clip the measurement ratio chart off the bag and tuck it into the canister. If an 8 year old can make them, anyone can!

rhodes rolls pizza

thaw rolls out (3-5 hours)
flatten rolls to resemble mini pizza crusts
grill crusts until golden brown (about 5 minutes) we accidentally cooked these a little longer than i would have preferred,but the charred pieces ended up being excellent!
while crust are being grilled, saute red onion slices, garlic and mushrooms in butter.
take off the grill and then top cooked side with desired toppings.
[i used kam's recipe below: bbq sauce, rotisserie chicken, sauteed red onion slices, garlic and mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and cilantro]
lower heat and return pizzas to grill to finish cooking crust and melt cheese

delicious quick summer meal! this will definitely be a staple this summer. :)

French Bread Pizza

So, I admit, this is pretty basic, but it occured to me to do this a couple of weeks ago. I was really craving pizza, was NOT craving grease, and just returned from a Farmers Market with cartons of yummy grape tomatoes. Yummy!!! This method has become an almost weekly event now and is great for re-inventing leftovers or using small bits of veggies and such. In fact, it's on the menu tonight.

French Bread -- also works great with Ciabatta or Foccacia
Olive Oil
Mozzarella Cheese (I prefer something pretty fresh and yummy--not the plastic-y cheap stuff)
Veggies of your choice
Meat of your choice
Herbs of your choice -- We love fresh basil

Slice bread about 1/2 in think on the diagonal, drizzle with olive oil and sit under the broiler for a minute or two to just slightly toast. Slice up your veggies and saute' or cook briefly as needed. Now layer the veggies, the fresh but herbs, and a slice of mozzarella on the top and sit under the broiler for another minute to just melt the chesse. Voila! Dinner is served.

Here are some favorite combinations:
Grape tomatoes --slice in half, drizzle with olive oil & sea salt, broil for 3-5 minutes.
Fresh Basil, coarsely chopped
Mozzarella


Thinly sliced sausage - cooked (we used leftover chicken basil sausage from Sprout's)
Red and Yellow Bell Peppers, sauted in olive oil to soften
Fresh Basil (for the kids) or Cilantro (for the adults)
Mozzarella or Queso Fresco
(Yea, Mexican-flared pizza--Trust me, it was good and re-invented Fajita night leftovers)

Artichoke Hearts
Frozen Spinach (get as much of the liquid out as you can)
Thinly sliced Roma Tomatoes
Fresh Basil and Oregano
Mozzarella or Fontina

The kids think it's a huge treat -- pizza!!! But I can make it really healthy and dinner can be ready in about 10 minutes! Yum!!!

Fried Chicken

I don't frying things on a regular basis, but when I do, here is how I like to fry my chicken. I'll apologize before hand for not having exact amounts!

Chicken
salt
pepper
egg
equal parts of flour and cornstarch

Usually I do drumsticks and wings for however many people I want to feed. I salt and pepper the chicken first. Then break an egg over the chicken. From there I add equal parts of flour and cornstarch (maybe about 2-3 T) just so that I can mix it up with my hand and it forms a bit of a batter around the chicken. If it looks too dry, add another egg. If it looks like it could use a bit more batter, add another T of flour and cornstarch. The batter isn't drenching the chicken, just coating it. (when it's wet it won't look like it'll cover the whole thing, but once you fry it, it will be fine.)

From there, fry the chicken about 10 minutes or until there is not longer blood on the bone. You can fry the chicken twice to make it a little more crispy.

Quiche

I don't know why people think quiche is so hard to make. It's one of my quick, go to, use up leftovers - recipes. It does take a while to bake but actual work time putting it together is super quick, especially if you've gathered all the ingredients into a freezer meal. We use it mostly for dinners with either salad or some fruit but it's also great for brunch or a special breakfast. There are many versions out there, some fancier than others but here's a good basic recipe:

1 pre-made frozen deep dish pie crust
1 1/2 C. half and half ( I usually just use whatever milk I have in the fridge. I still have little ones drinking whole milk and us grown up folks drinking skim so I use whatever needs to get used!)
4 eggs
1/8 t. salt
dash of pepper

Mix all ingredients (except pie crust) well.

From here you can add what ever fillings you want. Some of my favorite combos:

- 1 C. each: diced ham, broccoli, shredded cheddar cheese (measurements are subjective - I like to load up the veggies. Frozen also works great. Just thaw and squeeze out the extra water.)
- cooked shrimp, sauteed mushrooms, sliced green onion, cheese. Add a little mustard and garlic to the egg mixture. Yum.
- crumbled cooked bacon and swiss or mozzarella cheese, with or without veggies like spinach or broccoli.

You can really get creative here and like I said, it's a great way to use up leftovers because it only takes a cup of meat and you have a meal for the whole family where that would probably have only fed one or two people by itself. Just two or three ingredients that go well with each other and you have quiche!

Place crust on foil lined baking sheet. Layer filling ingredients in crust. Pour eggs slowly over the top. Don't over fill - it will just make a mess.

Bake in a hot oven (about 400 degrees) for about 40-60 minutes. So I know this is kind of flaky instructions but I've forgotten the specific details. Honestly, ovens cook differently and the best way to tell if it's done is to check - it should be browned on top and not jiggly when you shake it a little. If it's browning too quickly, just cover the top with a piece of foil.

Allow to sit 10-15 minutes before slicing.

To prepare for the freezer:

Keep pre-made pie crusts handy in freezer. Don't take out until you are ready to fill and cook.

Combine milk, eggs, salt and pepper in a quart sized freezer bag. Egg beaters work really well here because you have to really whip those eggs to combine when you're freezing them. If you're making several batches it is so easy to just pour the amount of egg beaters you need. It also makes it really easy to make an even healthier version by using just egg whites or mostly egg whites.

Place filling ingredients in seperate bags. Place all bags into a gallon sized bag so they stay together in the freezer.

To cook:

Allow ingredients (except the crust) to thaw in fridge overnight.

Pre-heat oven.

Place crust on foil lined baking sheet. Layer filling ingredients in crust. Pour eggs slowly over the top. Don't over fill - it will just make a mess.

Bake.

Allow to sit 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Chicken Taco Filling

Here's one from Kerilyn:

1 can chicken broth
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken

Put everything in the crock pot for 6 hours at least. Then shred the chicken and use in Tacos, tostadas, or burritos.

One batch is plenty for our family of 3 for two meals. I freeze the leftover with the juice to use later. We all love this because we can use this for anything

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

2 T. butter
1 lb. chicken, cubed
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. grated parmensan cheese
1/4 t. pepper

6 oz. uncooked fettuccine (or 8 oz. spaghetti)
1-2 C. fresh or frozen broccoli

1. Prepare pasta according to package. Add broccoli the last 4 minutes of cooking time (last 2 minutes if using frozen) and then drain.

2. In skillet, heat butter. Add chicken and cook until browned, stirring often.

3. Add soup, milk, cheese, pepper and fettuccine mixture. Cook through, stirring often. Salt to taste.


To prepare for a freezer meal:

Combine first 6 ingredients in big ziplock bag, using cooked chicken (pre-cook yourself like step #2 above or use shredded rotissere chicken). Have frozen broccoli on hand. If you would like all the ingredients in one spot, bag broccoli and place that and the bag of the sauce ingredients in another gallon ziplock and freeze. Keep pasta on hand in the pantry.

To cook:

1. Allow sauce ingredients to thaw in fridge the night before.

2. Prepare pasta according to package. Add broccoli the last 2-4 minutes and then drain.

3. Dump sauce ingredients into large skillet and cook until bubbly, stirring often. Add pasta and combine well. Salt to taste. Serve.

kams menu plan (week of May 3)

this week i was out of town on a super fun cruise with my sisters. the kids were still in school and my husband was working from home so i wanted dinner time to be as easy and smooth as possible for them. so i stocked the freezer with some meals and wrote out a detailed schedule for my husband to follow, including what to take out the night before and when to start dinner the day of so they could eat at 6pm and still get to the many evening activities we have going on and get the little ones to bed on time so they weren't horribly worn out by the end of the week.

Monday: Meatloaf, rice, steamed veggies.

Tuesday: Chicken and broccoli alfredo, bread

Wednesday: Chicken pot pie, cut cantalope

Thursday: Pasta bake, veggies, bread (they actually ended up eating leftovers this night instead).

Friday: Pizza, breadstick, ceasar salad

Saturday: We were out running errands and grabbed some Taco Bell.

Sunday: They made me a special Mother's Day dinner: chicken kabobs, somen salad, and cake. Yum!

Chicken Meatballs

1/2 lb ground chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, minced
1/2 C bread crumbs
1 t pepper
1 egg

Mix the above ingredients and form balls. Drizzle some olive oil in a sauce pan and drop balls into pan to cook for about 5 min. or until brown. Turn balls around so other sides can brown for another 5 min. Remove meatballs from the pan.

Sauce
2 T butter
1/2 chicken bouillion cube
2 T flour
1 C milk or cream
1 t salt

In same pan that you cooked the meatballs, melt butter and bouillion cube. Add flour and stir in to form a ball. Slowly whisk in milk/cream and salt (you can add additional liquid -milk or water - depending on how thick/creamy you want the sauce to be). Return the meatballs to the pan and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Serve over rice or pasta.

Additional ideas for the sauce, you could add mushrooms, an herb or cheese depending on what sauce you'd like it to be.

Italian Crock Pot Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 packet dry Italian dressing
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 can cream of chicken
• milk to get desired texture

put first three ingredients in crock pot on low until cooked (2-3 hours)
shred chicken
add last three ingredients and warm.

serve with rice or noodles

Cilantro Lime Rice

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• zest from one lime
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Add the oil to a sauce pan and heat on low. Add the garlic and rice to the oil and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat stirring frequently.
Add the chicken broth, salt, lime juice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or according to rice package directions.
When the rice is done, add lime zest and chopped cilantro and stir to mix in. Serve immediately.

Best SALSA ever

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained (highly recommended: San Marzano)
• 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 Serrano chile
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Throw everything in a food proc and pulse. EASY.

recipe courtesy tyler florence, food network

Baked Ziti

this is kind of granola but we are getting old and so we are trying to eat healthier. we try to do a vegetarian dish a week. this is our try for the week sans the meat (from the original recipe). it's still hearty and would probably be good for a freezer meal, even though i haven't tried to freeze it yet.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound ziti
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 6 ounces pesto
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 (9-ounce) package washed spinach
• Butter, for baking dish
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, plus more for topping
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
  

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add ziti and cook until al dente. Drain in a colander.

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic. Add the can of diced tomatoes and pesto and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmesan and mozzarella to a large bowl, and stir to combine.

Butter a 4-quart baking dish, add the cooked pasta, then tomato mixture and cheese mixture. Top with a sprinkling of mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake until completely heated through and golden and crisp on top, about 20 minutes.

recipe courtesy the neelys, food network

Easy Marinara

1 (104-106 oz) costco/sams club can tomato sauce (about $2.50)
1 (104-106 oz) costco/sams club can diced tomatoes (about $2.50)
whatever spice you have on hand (italian seasoning blend, basil, oregano, thyme, whatever is growing in the garden!)

Combine in big pot and simmer on low heat for a couple of hours. Allow to cool. Freeze in 2-3 cup portions, depending on what your family needs. Done!

total cost: $5-7, depending on if you have to buy spices also. yeild: about 18 cups.

compare to buying 18 cups of bottled sauce - $15.

some things i use this for:

spaghetti (of course): i'll brown a package of turkey sausage and throw the meat and sauce in the crockpot for the afternoon or i'll just put some frozen meat balls in the crockpot and cover with sauce and let it cook on low the afternoon. it seems to give it a richer, fuller flavor than just heating the two up together right before dinner. plus, it's a meal i can have ready for my tween or husband to finish up if i have to be gone.

pasta bakes: my latest one consisted of about 8 oz. penne pasta, cooked and mixed with some marinara sauce. layer the pasta, then some shredded rotissere chicken, pasta, then cheese. so easy. made enough for a meal with just me and the kids when dad was out of town and a meal with the whole family. you could do this with any kind of pasta, any kind of meat, maybe even some caramalized onions, mushrooms, etc. add a layer of ricotta cheese and get that lasagna feel without the lasagna work.

the original recipe came from a friend who made it with homemade ravioli: fill wonton skin wrappers with what ever you want. she did some frozen spinach, ricotta, mozzarella and some spices. boil them in salted water until they float to the top - 2-3 minutes each. super fast. serve with some of this marinara sauce over the top. the kids loved it.

this is the sauce i use for meatball sandwiches, pizza/calzone sauce, breadstick dip, etc. it is a little runny though so i might experiment in the future by doing a 2 to 1 ratio of diced tomatoes to tomato sauce. maybe someone else has a good idea already?

littlefield menu plan [week of 10 May]

sometimes we sit down and make a menu plan for the week. it's helpful to do and maybe this blog will help encourage that. here's our "plan" for this week. sometimes we skip a day depending on how many leftovers we have but at least it gives us a jump off point with our crazy schedules.

monday: baked ziti | salad | french bread

tuesday: taco tuesday | salsa | lime cilantro rice
del taco has 3|$1 tacos. not the best quality, but it's cheap and convenient since steve has baseball that night.

wednesday: italian crock pot chicken | rice | steamed broccoli

thursday: red fish | rice | salad

we leave friday and saturday open and either go out to eat or eat leftovers.

Rolls and Crusts

In a recent Relief Society meeting, they gave this great recipe for 60 minute rolls. They talked about how more cost effective it was than frozen Rhodes rolls or rolls from the bakery. There's no preservative or unknown extras. With all the low carb hype, they even mentioned something about it being healthy to eat all the bread you want, as long as you make it yourself. If you put in the effort and make it with good ingredients, moderation is more likely and you can enjoy what you eat. So here are some of my go to recipes.


60 Minute Rolls:


In a large bowl (I use my kitchen aid with the whisk attachment) thoroughly mix:

1 1/2 C. flour
3 T. sugar
1 t. salt
5 1/2 t. yeast

Combine in sauce pan:

1 C. milk
1/2 C. water
1/4 C. butter

Heat over low heat until liquids are very warm (120-130 degrees) but not boiling. Butter does not need to melt.

Gradually add liquids to yeast mixture and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed (you could also use an electric mixer), scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

Add 1/2 C. flour.

Beat at high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough (ending up having used 3 1/2-4 1/2 C in all). At this point I switch to the dough hook attachment and mix until dough forms ball and comes away from sides. By hand, you would turn out onto floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. When you push a finger softly into the dough it should come away clean.

Place in a greased bowl. Place the bowl in a pan or pot of hot water (about 98 degrees), similar to a double boiler. Cover and let rise 15 minutes until double.

Divide dough, shape into rolls, and place on baking sheet or pan. Cover. Let rise in a warm place, free from draft for about 15 minutes until double again.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 12 minutes or until browned and done.

Notes: So it does make more mess in the kitchen than store bought rolls but again, I do it one day and make extra batches to freeze so I clean up less - not every day we want to eat rolls.

I usually substitue at least 1 cup of whole wheat flour for white flour. I'm trying to ween my family onto greater amounts of whole wheat. Since I don't go through that much whole wheat flour, I keep it in a ziplock in the freezer. Allow the amount you're going to use to come to room temp before mixing into recipe for better results.

I have found the best freezing results are when I cook them normally all the way through, cool, then freeze. I try to catch them when they are just barely browned but I don't always and even if they are nicely browned they still freeze ok. I always layer in a single row on cookie sheets and place in freezer. When hard, I transfer to gallon freezer ziplock bags to store. To eat later, warm in oven for 5 minutes or just microwave for those kids who can't wait. Use within 6 months.

You could shape this into anything - bread loaves, bread sticks, etc.


Easy pizza dough:

3 1/2 C. flour
2 pcks dry active yeast
1 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
1 1/2 C. lukewarm water
1/2 t. olive oil

Mix flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Gradually add water while kneading with dough hook or by hand. Knead until firm and smooth (about 10 minutes). Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat top also. Let rise until doubled (about 1-2 hours).

Preheat oven to 500 degrees (I usually do 450).

Using hands or rolling pin, work 1/2 dough into desired shape. Top and bake 10-12 minutes.

Freezer meals:

Option 1 - Assemble pizza in foil pan. Cover and freeze. Allow to thaw in fridge the night before. Bake as above.

Option 2 - After dough has risen, punch down then place in oiled freezer ziplock. Freeze. Allow dough to defrost/rise on kitchen counter 8-12 hours. Assemble, top, bake.

Notes: So I've done this recipe and used half the night I made the dough for pizza and frozen the other half. With the other half, I made a chicken bake thing by rolling the dough out into a rectangle on a cookie sheet that I had sprinkled with cornmeal. Then I layered some fresh, clean, dry spinach leaves down the middle. Top with sliced cooked chicken (I'll share the Rosemary Ranch marinade later), thinly sliced onions, cheese, whatever else you want (maybe mushrooms, roast red peppers, etc.). Fold sides of dough over top and pinch to seal all edges. Brush some ceaser dressing over top and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bake like the pizza recipe. Allow to cool a few minutes before slicing.

Meatloaf Recipe

Since this recipe takes a lot of prep, I usually multiply the recipe - then I don't have to do it again for a long time. I'll chop everything and then put it together in batches in my kitchen aid. I don't do it all at once because my kitchen aid can only fit one batch at a time.


Group 1:
2 t. butter
3/4 C onion, chopped
3/4 C scallions, sliced (sometimes I just do more onion if that's what I have)
1/2 C red pepper, diced (this usually comes out to about half a pepper)
2 t. minced garlic

Group 2:
2 eggs
1/2 C. ketchup
1/2 C. milk
1 T. plus 1 t. worchestershire sauce
1/2 t. salt

Group 3:
2 lb. ground beef or turkey
12 oz. pork sausage (not italian sausage) or turkey sausage
3/4 c. dried bread crumbs

1. Melt butter in skillet. Add the rest of group 1. Cook until soft.
2. Beat eggs in big bowl. Add the rest of group 2.
3. Combine all groups well.

At this point, I usually use my muffin scoop and drop meatloaf balls on a cookie sheet covered with foil and freeze. After they're hard, I pop them into a gallon ziplock. To cook, take out as many balls as you want, place in a pan, top with some ketchup and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, less time if you let them thaw in fridge overnight - you'd want to thaw in the pan you will bake them in, not the bag. My family is good with about 12 per dinner.

You could also portion into tradition meatloaves in foil bread pans and freeze - definitely let this version thaw in fridge over night. Regular meatloaf sized portion calls for baking 1 hour, 15 minutes or until center is 155 degrees. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

So we'll have this as a dinner with rice or potatoes and veggies. Another option is meatloaf sandwiches (Butter bread with ketchup, layer meatloaf and then provolone cheese. Bake, microwave, or broil until cheese is melted.) Another version is meat ball sandwiches with some marinara sauce and cheese on hoagie rolls. To keep it on the healthier side, I always use ground turkey and sausage and it's still very yummy and lower fat than beef.

Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

For my freezer meals, I usually buy a couple rotissere chickens from Sam's or Walmart, shred the meat and use some in various dishes. For how much time it saves, I don't think it's that much more expensive than buying and cooking yourself. Maybe some of you know...

Some things I use the chicken in: pot pies, tacos or taco salads, bbq chicken pizza, maybe chicken soup in the winter, etc. It goes a long way. Throw the bones in a big pot and cover with water. Boil 30 minutes (with or with out some veggies like carrot, onion, celery), then skim out the bones and you have chicken stock for soups, sauce, etc. No need to buy the convenient cartons! It freezes fine in ziplock bags...

So here's some of the recipes-

Chicken Pot Pie:

OK - not super healthy but I figure if eaten in small doses and supplemented by other healthy stuff it's ok. It's one of our go to meals becuase Tui loves chicken pot pie. Believe me, this is the healthier version than what I made before! Baby steps...


2 C. cooked chicken
1 large can (32 oz?) mixed veggies
2 regular cans (15oz) or one big can cream of chicken soup
pepper to taste
2 frozen deep dish pie crusts
1 box premade, rolled pie crust (2 crusts)

Allow rolled pie crusts to come to room temperature, according to box. Combine chicken, veggies, soup and pepper. Pour into frozen deep dish pie crusts, dividing between the two. Top each pie with a rolled crust, crimping edges to seal. Cut four slits in top. Wrap tightly in plastic, top with foil. Freeze. Makes two pies.

Cooking instructions:

-Allow pie to thaw in fridge overnight.
-Remove plastic, replace foil. Place on cookie sheet
-Bake in 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until crust is cooked through (another 15-20 minutes). You can vary cooking time by adjust oven temp.

My family usually eats one pie per meal. We'll have fruit or a salad with it.



Tacos, Nachos, Taco Salad (what ever variation you like, it's basically the same ingredients)

shredded chicken (can cook with some taco seasoning, some spices like garlic, cumen, thyme, or just plain)
shredded lettuce
diced tomato
cheese
corn salsa (frozen corn that's thawed but still cold, cilantro, lime juice - yum!)
guacamole or fresh chopped avacado
tortillas (we make our own baked chips for nachos: slice tortillas into 8 pie sections, spray cookie sheet with cooking spray, layer a single layer of tortilla slices on pan, spray top side of tortillas with cooking spray, lightly salt, bake under broiler until brown and crisp, flipping in between if needed.)
creamy cilantro salad dressing or ranch


BBQ chicken pizza:

shredded chicken
sliced red onion
cheese
cilantro, if you have it
bbq sauce
pizza crust (I'll post a recipe later that can be frozen and used for this. I've read that you can also prepare the whole pizza and freeze at the point just before baking. I haven't tried it but I'm sure it works!)


Chicken soup:

Use your homemade chicken stock, add veggies and simmer until soft. Add shredded chicken. Salt and pepper to taste.

Freezer Meals

So this year, we've been trying to cut our food budget. I've found that one thing that has really helped is for me to make freezer meals, instead of buying pre-made frozen meals like bertolli's, etc. We were in the habit of using those a few times per week because they were so quick and convenient and everyone here loves pasta. It's also cut down on the eating out because there's already something for dinner so we don't run out and get something or go out to eat. I have to thank my friend Shelly for introducing me to the wonderful world of freezing. Thanks Shelly G.!

Yes, it takes more planning on my part. Yes, it takes more work on my part. Yes, it saves us money - like hundreds. First of all, none of it goes to waste because there's very little left overs (I'm not a big left over fan. If you are, just make more food). I portion things out into what we will really eat. Sometimes it's a whole recipe, sometimes it's half, sometimes it's 2/3 of a recipe for when the whole family is home and 1/3 for when Tui's out of town. Second, I make multiple meals with the big ticket item (the meat!), instead of eating it all for one meal. Third, you could shop sales and save even more, making meals according to what's on sale (I'm not there yet but it's a good idea).

Please keep in mind good freezing procedures. It's a waste if the food goes bad before you can use it because of bad packaging or sanitation. Lots of good info on the web. Maybe I'll post about it later or one of you are welcome to!

So, about twice a month, I figure out which meals I want to make, do a big shopping, cook a bunch of meals and freeze them. It's a lot of work but only 2-3 times a month. Every other day is great! I pull out a dinner the night before and there's almost no prep for dinner.

If I'm really good, I plan the week ahead by seeing what I have in the freezer and picking sides and veggies to go with. Then, I just have to buy fresh produce, milk and snacks that week.

So a lot of the recipes I post will be freezer friendly and include those instructions. If you don't want to prepare as a freezer meal, they don't have to be. They're good fresh too! But you might want to try it - you'll like it. :)

Welcome to my kitchen!

I've always enjoyed eating. Always.

When I was younger, it didn't matter what I ate - I could eat everything I loved, in any amount. As I'm getting older, and as a mom, I'm much more health conscious. But just because I want me and my family to eat healthy, that doesn't mean I don't want to enjoy the food every bit as much as I did when I was younger. Also, now that I'm the main cook in the kitchen, I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen all day preparing the food - that's not enjoyable! I don't know about you, but I find myself dreading the never ending question of "what's for dinner?" As soon as I figure one day out, it's back again the next!

So I'm hoping to solve all my dinner dillemas with this blog, and hopefully y'all will help me out! I want to know what you're eating for dinner this week - FOR REAL. Not your fancy party recipes. Real, everyday dinner recipes that you go to over and over again because they're fast, convenient, healthy and your family enjoys eating it.

Maybe even your menus for the week if you're feeling ambitious! Or what you ate last week. Then we could just use each other's weeks and how convenient would that be - to not have to think it all up week after week after week after week...

You'll also see what I'm doing in my kitchen at this time in my life, where ever that may be... So please feel free to post your great ideas, your everyday ideas, your go to ideas when the day has been out of control and it's now dinner time and your kids are asking, "what's for dinner?"

So invite your friends, hop on the band wagon! Maybe by coming together, we can make the chore a little easier on us all. Here goes!