I did plan some menus, but forgot to do MPM. I'd planned chili in the crock pot and corn bread for Tuesday, which was a busy day. So nice to come home and just be able to eat dinner. And I'd planned a roast in the crock pot for today because it's my shopping day and, well, I'm usually too tired to cook afterward. But, life happened last night, and the husband needed MEAT (one of his comfort foods), so I sliced up half the roast and sauteed it with some soy sauce, then made stir fry veggies for him. I made meatless spaghetti for the kids, and gave Kiddo a little bit of meat, which she liked and ate. I had some of everything. haha.
I thought about crockpotting a stew for tonight, but forgot to start it this morning. So, I diced up the other half of the roast into tiny pieces (around half an inch) and cooked them over medium heat with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, and right before it was done, I added some lime juice. We had soft tacos -- I got some small-ish flour tortillas on sale today. So, I made guacamole (for dairy free guac, I use mayo in place of sour cream), diced a tomato, heated up a drained can of pinto beans with a little taco seasoning, and got out the iceberg salad I bought last week. SO good. The husband ate THREE. haha.
I don't even remember what else I've cooked this week. That's how crazy it was. And how much I'm suffering from "placenta brain".
BUT, I'll be back Monday with a plan for next week. I went shopping today and then came home to a pukey baby, but at least the groceries got put away first! I'll be planning menus around the proteins I was able to get on sale and go from there.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Well that didn't go so well
My plan got all shot to heck this week. Monday, we had biscuits and gravy with the chops instead of the other stuff. We did have spaghetti on Tuesday. Wednesday I went to the store for a few things we were out of, and got very tired. So I bought pot pies and a frozen dinner for kiddo and that's what we ate. Thursday, we had the Asian pork and fried rice (yummy). Friday, I needed to do the REAL grocery shopping trip, but Little Mister wouldn't let me do the grocery list until after nappies. So we didn't get out of the house at noon like I'd wanted, which means we didn't get home until about 3:30, which means I was too tired at that point to make dinner. Kiddo made herself a ham and cheese sandwich, the husband made himself a green salad with tuna, and the baby and I had ravioli and strawberries. (crap, the husband just found my cookie stash! blast it all!)
I forgot to get the turkey out of the freezer, so Saturday we are having the burgers.
Note to self: Next grocery shopping day (usually Friday), start something in the crock pot first thing in the morning so you don't have to think about it again and the family can eat something yummy instead of a free for all night because you're too tired to cook.
I forgot to get the turkey out of the freezer, so Saturday we are having the burgers.
Note to self: Next grocery shopping day (usually Friday), start something in the crock pot first thing in the morning so you don't have to think about it again and the family can eat something yummy instead of a free for all night because you're too tired to cook.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Menu Plan Monday!
Breakfast options:
Cereal
Oatmeal
Muffins
Eggs
Toast
cinnamon rolls (if I make them!)
Lunch options:
Leftovers... and that's about it
Dinners:
Monday: Porkchops, fried apples, rice, broccoli
Tuesday: Spaghetti, frozen veggies
Wednesday: Asian pork, fried rice w/ peas
Thursday: Burgers
Friday: biscuits, sausage, and gravy
Saturday: Turkey [if i remember to get the turkey out of the freezer to thaw!], potatoes, spinach
Snacks:
apples, bananas, cucumber
Cereal
Oatmeal
Muffins
Eggs
Toast
cinnamon rolls (if I make them!)
Lunch options:
Leftovers... and that's about it
Dinners:
Monday: Porkchops, fried apples, rice, broccoli
Tuesday: Spaghetti, frozen veggies
Wednesday: Asian pork, fried rice w/ peas
Thursday: Burgers
Friday: biscuits, sausage, and gravy
Saturday: Turkey [if i remember to get the turkey out of the freezer to thaw!], potatoes, spinach
Snacks:
apples, bananas, cucumber
Friday, January 1, 2010
Zucchini Bread (or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins)
Zucchini Bread
Description:
Got this from my mom's cookbook. It is LaVee Kawakami's recipe.
Ingredients:
1 c brown sugar
1 c sugar
1 c oil
3 eggs
2 c grated zucchini (or pumpkin or applesauce)
3 c flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped nuts*
1 c raisins*
*optional
Directions:
Beat eggs. Gradually add sugars and oil. Combine dry ingredients. Add first mixture alternately with zucchini. Stir in raisins, nuts, and vanilla. Pour into 2 slightly greased and floured 9 x 5 loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before removing from pans.
NOTE: I don't care for raisins, so don't use them in much of anything. I like zucchini without any nuts. I like pumpkin with chocolate chips, so leave out the raisins and put in the same amount of chocolate chips. I didn't try the applesauce, but we made it for Enrichment tonight with raisins, and they liked it. This also makes good mini muffins, which need to bake between 20 and 25 minutes.
Note from Kathi 9/30/08: I made one loaf from this reciple last night. Had to use a little more flour than 1/2 of what the recipe calls for - you want the batter to be a little thicker than pumpkin pie filling! It baked up very nicely in about 1 hr and 5 min.
I also made a loaf using splenda instead of sugar and about 7/8ths of a cup of rice flour and 7/8ths of oat flour. Everything else (except the eggs), I just halved. It also cooked up quite nicely in an hour. It is very very tender, but it has a nice texture and tastes really good.
Number Of Servings:2 loaves
Preparation Time:10-15 minutes, plus 1 hour to bake.
What's in {Your} Oven?
I'm so bummed that this blog didn't take off and keep going like I'd hoped. I wasn't one of the initiators of it, but did enjoy participating when I could. There would be a new challenge ingredient every week, and we'd have the task of each trying a new recipe or creating a new recipe using that ingredient. It was fun and got me out of my cooking rut. There just wasn't enough participation, so the gals who started it decided to quit posting challenges. They're leaving the blog up, but I decided I needed to copy here all my favorite recipes I tried there, too. Re-reading them reminded me of a few I loved and will be making again. I don't know how many folks follow my dairy-free blog, but just in case you are inundated with all those recipes I just posted, I wanted to explain why.
Candied Garlic Chicken Wings
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups honey
* 6 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 pounds chicken wings
Directions
1. Heat honey, soy sauce, and garlic in a saucepan until boiling.
2. Place the wings in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, and pour the honey mixture over the chicken. Cover with foil. Marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
3. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 1 hour; turn the wings after 1/2 hour. Remove the foil cover, and bake for 15 minutes. Take the wings out of the sauce, and bake on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken wings, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Comments
Hubby lurves wings, but I thought I'd look for a new recipe since I found some on a really good deal last week. Found this here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Candied-Garlic-Chicken-Wings/Detail.aspx
I doubled it since we had so many wings (4 pounds) and they are almost gone (and my daughter doesn't eat much meat and chose not to eat these tonight). I added 1 tsp red pepper flakes for a bit of heat to the marinade. Oh, and I lined my 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil before I put the wings and sauce in so cleanup will be easier. I didn't follow the cooking directions exactly. I baked for 30 min with the foil on, turned them, did the other 30 min with the foil off. Then I took them out of the 9 x 13 pan and put them on a foil-lined cookie sheet instead of a rack and baked at 450 for about 10 minutes (this might have been too high as they "browned" very quickly). While they were in at the higher temp, I put the marinade in a pot and started it boiling again, adding about 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar to cut the sweetness a bit. My plan was to reduce the sauce to thicken it and then brush it all over them, but they cooked too quickly. So it did probably reduce a little but not much.
They are quite sticky. Our water heater sprung a leak today, thus leaving us without water for the evening ... if I'd known that was going to happen, I wouldn't have made these tonight but they were already going when I found it. I'll be washing the pans in the a.m. after it's fixed, but we had to use baby wipes to wash our hands. ha. Hopefully next time I make them, nothing like that happens.
I'd probably give it 5 stars -- if you're having a finger food dinner party sort of event. Otherwise, skip them and do something more elegant and less messy.
* 1 1/2 cups honey
* 6 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 pounds chicken wings
Directions
1. Heat honey, soy sauce, and garlic in a saucepan until boiling.
2. Place the wings in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, and pour the honey mixture over the chicken. Cover with foil. Marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
3. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 1 hour; turn the wings after 1/2 hour. Remove the foil cover, and bake for 15 minutes. Take the wings out of the sauce, and bake on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken wings, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Comments
Hubby lurves wings, but I thought I'd look for a new recipe since I found some on a really good deal last week. Found this here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Candied-Garlic-Chicken-Wings/Detail.aspx
I doubled it since we had so many wings (4 pounds) and they are almost gone (and my daughter doesn't eat much meat and chose not to eat these tonight). I added 1 tsp red pepper flakes for a bit of heat to the marinade. Oh, and I lined my 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil before I put the wings and sauce in so cleanup will be easier. I didn't follow the cooking directions exactly. I baked for 30 min with the foil on, turned them, did the other 30 min with the foil off. Then I took them out of the 9 x 13 pan and put them on a foil-lined cookie sheet instead of a rack and baked at 450 for about 10 minutes (this might have been too high as they "browned" very quickly). While they were in at the higher temp, I put the marinade in a pot and started it boiling again, adding about 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar to cut the sweetness a bit. My plan was to reduce the sauce to thicken it and then brush it all over them, but they cooked too quickly. So it did probably reduce a little but not much.
They are quite sticky. Our water heater sprung a leak today, thus leaving us without water for the evening ... if I'd known that was going to happen, I wouldn't have made these tonight but they were already going when I found it. I'll be washing the pans in the a.m. after it's fixed, but we had to use baby wipes to wash our hands. ha. Hopefully next time I make them, nothing like that happens.
I'd probably give it 5 stars -- if you're having a finger food dinner party sort of event. Otherwise, skip them and do something more elegant and less messy.
Tangy Pork with Tomatillos, Tomatoes, and Cilantro
I got the recipe here.
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
* 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
* 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
* 2 cups chopped tomatillos (about 8 ounces)
* 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (about 8 ounces)
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 4 cups hot cooked instant rice
Preparation
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add pork; toss well. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add pork; sauté 3 minutes. Remove pork from pan; keep warm.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 30 seconds. Add tomatillos; sauté 1 minute. Add pork; cover and cook 10 minutes or until pork is done. Add tomatoes and cilantro; cover and cook for 1 minute. Serve with rice.
Comments
I didn't use the cooking spray at all, just the small amount of oil. I made some baked country style apple/brown sugar pork ribs last night, so instead of the tenderloin, I used most of the leftovers of those. (I usually crock pot them and there are no leftovers, but they weren't as good baked). It added a really nice sweet component, and they were better in this than they were by themselves.
I added extra ground red pepper because we love spice, but it probably didn't need it. (as in, almost too hot for me). I also used two large fresh cloves of garlic instead of the bottled.
I probably wouldn't have used quite so many tomatillos and tomatoes, OR I would've added more pork. The ratio wasn't quite right for me.
My daughter is sick and hubby is asleep, so I'm the only one who ate it. I enjoyed it overall, but would probably only give it 3 stars to keep at home.
ETA: I like a little sauce on my rice and it seemed sort of dry, so I added about 1 c of chicken broth when I added the pork back in. I probably could've used a bit less, but it made a nice spicy sauce when served over the rice.
Also, hubby didn't care for it at all. hahaha. niiiiiiiiiice.
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
* 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
* 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
* 2 cups chopped tomatillos (about 8 ounces)
* 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (about 8 ounces)
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 4 cups hot cooked instant rice
Preparation
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add pork; toss well. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add pork; sauté 3 minutes. Remove pork from pan; keep warm.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 30 seconds. Add tomatillos; sauté 1 minute. Add pork; cover and cook 10 minutes or until pork is done. Add tomatoes and cilantro; cover and cook for 1 minute. Serve with rice.
Comments
I didn't use the cooking spray at all, just the small amount of oil. I made some baked country style apple/brown sugar pork ribs last night, so instead of the tenderloin, I used most of the leftovers of those. (I usually crock pot them and there are no leftovers, but they weren't as good baked). It added a really nice sweet component, and they were better in this than they were by themselves.
I added extra ground red pepper because we love spice, but it probably didn't need it. (as in, almost too hot for me). I also used two large fresh cloves of garlic instead of the bottled.
I probably wouldn't have used quite so many tomatillos and tomatoes, OR I would've added more pork. The ratio wasn't quite right for me.
My daughter is sick and hubby is asleep, so I'm the only one who ate it. I enjoyed it overall, but would probably only give it 3 stars to keep at home.
ETA: I like a little sauce on my rice and it seemed sort of dry, so I added about 1 c of chicken broth when I added the pork back in. I probably could've used a bit less, but it made a nice spicy sauce when served over the rice.
Also, hubby didn't care for it at all. hahaha. niiiiiiiiiice.
Chicken and Bacon Casserole
I went looking for water chestnut recipes and, like all of you probably, ran across a TON for bacon wrapped water chestnuts. Didn't sound like something I'd want to mess with since they'd be gone in about 30 seconds and were too much work for that (although they sounded yummy), so I decided to make a casserole sort of dish with bacon and water chestnuts.
1 package (12 oz) bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
1 c frozen peas
Saute the bacon in large skillet until cooked to desired doneness. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions to drippings in pan and cook until translucent. Add chicken and cook until done. Add peas, water chestnuts, and bacon, and heat until warmed through. Serve over rice with a steamed vegetable on the side (because there's enough bacon you need more veggies so you don't feel guilty for eating all the fat).
*****
If you don't love bacon like my family, use just a few pieces for flavoring, but hubby and kidlet LOVE bacon, so I used enough so they could eat it. I didn't drain the bacon but probably could have -- it wasn't terribly greasy, but probably could've done without all the fat (there's a reason *I'm* fat). I'd probably also add another can of water chestnuts for a better ratio. It made enough I should have some leftovers for lunch. Hubby said it was delicious and filling and kiddo actually ate some and liked it. I'd only give this 3 stars, because it isn't fancy enough for a dinner party and is a little fussy for a potluck (serving over rice and all), and I might add some broth while it's cooking next time (there will be a next time) because I wanted some sort of sauce or something on the rice (but I'm like that).
1 package (12 oz) bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
1 c frozen peas
Saute the bacon in large skillet until cooked to desired doneness. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions to drippings in pan and cook until translucent. Add chicken and cook until done. Add peas, water chestnuts, and bacon, and heat until warmed through. Serve over rice with a steamed vegetable on the side (because there's enough bacon you need more veggies so you don't feel guilty for eating all the fat).
*****
If you don't love bacon like my family, use just a few pieces for flavoring, but hubby and kidlet LOVE bacon, so I used enough so they could eat it. I didn't drain the bacon but probably could have -- it wasn't terribly greasy, but probably could've done without all the fat (there's a reason *I'm* fat). I'd probably also add another can of water chestnuts for a better ratio. It made enough I should have some leftovers for lunch. Hubby said it was delicious and filling and kiddo actually ate some and liked it. I'd only give this 3 stars, because it isn't fancy enough for a dinner party and is a little fussy for a potluck (serving over rice and all), and I might add some broth while it's cooking next time (there will be a next time) because I wanted some sort of sauce or something on the rice (but I'm like that).
Gnocchi
I love gnocchi. Decided to try making some. I found a bunch of different recipes, each claiming to be the "best" and "most authentic". Some used ricotta, some used eggs, others just potatoes and flour. I found this recipe in the comments section of some blog or other and didn't bookmark it -- the amounts were just super easy to remember. I roasted my potatoes instead of boiling to decrease the amount of liquid because they're not supposed to be super sticky, and then just put them through my baby food mill so they were very finely mashed. The techniques to add the little ridges on them were all different too; I chose not to add the ridges. They all disagreed about how to serve them too -- light sauce, no meat, marinara, with meatballs ... hahaha.
2 eggs
2 c mashed potato (about 3 medium russet potatoes)
2 c flour
Start a pot of water boiling. Mix all together. Divide into 4 equal pieces, then roll into logs. Cut into bite sized pieces.
Add the gnocchi to the pot of salted, boiling water and remove with a slotted spoon when they float to the top.
*****
The dough was still fairly sticky, so I might go with 1 egg instead of two. I served them with marinara and italian sausage. hubby liked them okay, kiddo refused to try them that night but has asked me to make them again so she can try them. I loved them. They were all gone the next day. I give it 5 stars because I probably would serve them at a dinner party, but I'd have to make a bunch.
2 eggs
2 c mashed potato (about 3 medium russet potatoes)
2 c flour
Start a pot of water boiling. Mix all together. Divide into 4 equal pieces, then roll into logs. Cut into bite sized pieces.
Add the gnocchi to the pot of salted, boiling water and remove with a slotted spoon when they float to the top.
*****
The dough was still fairly sticky, so I might go with 1 egg instead of two. I served them with marinara and italian sausage. hubby liked them okay, kiddo refused to try them that night but has asked me to make them again so she can try them. I loved them. They were all gone the next day. I give it 5 stars because I probably would serve them at a dinner party, but I'd have to make a bunch.
Corn Flake Chicken Strips
I got the recipe here.
Crap, I just lit the kitchen on fire. Thank goodness for fire extinguishers. Ahem.*
Ingredients
4 cups crushed plain cornflakes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Lawry seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
(I added garlic powder too)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in thin strips
Vegetable oil
Instructions
1. Mix together cornflakes, flour, seasoning salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.
2. Beat eggs with water. Dip chicken strips in egg mixture and then roll in cornflake mixture. Press mixture firmly onto chicken to coat well.
3. Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat oil to 250F. Fry chicken strips 6 to 8 minutes or until done. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. Serves 6.
NOTES: I only used 3 chicken breasts and most of the coating was gone. I'd measured out 4 c of corn flakes and then crushed them; I'm assuming the recipe really wanted 4 c of already crushed corn flakes.
Hubby has been craving fried chicken, so I decided on this rather than on cookies (which I always crave) or anything else I found recipes for. I've never had cornflake fried chicken ... so ... yeah. Hubby loved them and asked for more (and probably ate 2/3 of them by himself). Kiddo is flu-ish and didn't touch hers (she was feeling better earlier today but got sick again, ugh). I rather enjoyed them too.
I only give it 3 stars because I am too lazy to fry anything for anyone who doesn't live here. hahahaha.
*I'm exaggerating; I had a whole chicken roasting in the oven as well and the pan was apparently too small because it dripped all over the bottom of the oven and then smoked like mad. We didn't have to use the fire extinguisher, but I feel silly anyway since I was typing this post and hubby caught it. lol.
Crap, I just lit the kitchen on fire. Thank goodness for fire extinguishers. Ahem.*
Ingredients
4 cups crushed plain cornflakes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Lawry seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
(I added garlic powder too)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in thin strips
Vegetable oil
Instructions
1. Mix together cornflakes, flour, seasoning salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.
2. Beat eggs with water. Dip chicken strips in egg mixture and then roll in cornflake mixture. Press mixture firmly onto chicken to coat well.
3. Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat oil to 250F. Fry chicken strips 6 to 8 minutes or until done. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. Serves 6.
NOTES: I only used 3 chicken breasts and most of the coating was gone. I'd measured out 4 c of corn flakes and then crushed them; I'm assuming the recipe really wanted 4 c of already crushed corn flakes.
Hubby has been craving fried chicken, so I decided on this rather than on cookies (which I always crave) or anything else I found recipes for. I've never had cornflake fried chicken ... so ... yeah. Hubby loved them and asked for more (and probably ate 2/3 of them by himself). Kiddo is flu-ish and didn't touch hers (she was feeling better earlier today but got sick again, ugh). I rather enjoyed them too.
I only give it 3 stars because I am too lazy to fry anything for anyone who doesn't live here. hahahaha.
*I'm exaggerating; I had a whole chicken roasting in the oven as well and the pan was apparently too small because it dripped all over the bottom of the oven and then smoked like mad. We didn't have to use the fire extinguisher, but I feel silly anyway since I was typing this post and hubby caught it. lol.
Peanut Butter Granola Squares
We love baked oatmeal and all things peanut butter in this house ... this is a wonderful mishmash of the two. Got it here.
Peanut Butter Granola Squares
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour (or another kind of flour if you prefer)
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 cup butter*
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter (preferably organic PB with no sugar added)
Directions:
Combine oats through salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
Heat butter through peanut butter in a sauce pan until all are melted. Add melted mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Stir to make sure oats are completely covered.
Spread the mixture into a 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!
*****
Comments: I used 1/2 c butter (well, dairy free margarine) and 3/4 c applesauce, and added about 1/2 c craisins. They were done at about 27 minutes. I used regular white flour (because I'm a dork and my wheat flour has gone bad).
The pan lasted for more than 2 days as it's very filling and we all could only eat one at a time, and they're portable and healthy, triple score! I'm actually eating the last one right now (because I work nights and need something to get me through). Kiddo loved them for breakfast, and even ate the craisins. lol. Hubby loved them, too, grabbing one in the morning as soon as he got home from work. They are soft to begin with but if you forget to cover them, they harden up a bit. We did take a couple squares in baggies while we were out and those were softer as well.
I would give them 5 stars because even if I wouldn't take them to a dinner party, I would serve them to house guests for breakfast.
Peanut Butter Granola Squares
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour (or another kind of flour if you prefer)
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 cup butter*
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter (preferably organic PB with no sugar added)
Directions:
Combine oats through salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
Heat butter through peanut butter in a sauce pan until all are melted. Add melted mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Stir to make sure oats are completely covered.
Spread the mixture into a 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!
*****
Comments: I used 1/2 c butter (well, dairy free margarine) and 3/4 c applesauce, and added about 1/2 c craisins. They were done at about 27 minutes. I used regular white flour (because I'm a dork and my wheat flour has gone bad).
The pan lasted for more than 2 days as it's very filling and we all could only eat one at a time, and they're portable and healthy, triple score! I'm actually eating the last one right now (because I work nights and need something to get me through). Kiddo loved them for breakfast, and even ate the craisins. lol. Hubby loved them, too, grabbing one in the morning as soon as he got home from work. They are soft to begin with but if you forget to cover them, they harden up a bit. We did take a couple squares in baggies while we were out and those were softer as well.
I would give them 5 stars because even if I wouldn't take them to a dinner party, I would serve them to house guests for breakfast.
Crock Pot Apple Pork Roast
Gives a slightly sweet hint to the pork. I've done something similar before, but had to do it this week because of the challenge! (from What's in your oven)
I used two medium sized roasts with bone in that I got on sale. The husband loves pork, and this way I'll have leftovers for a couple of other dinners this week.
Place roast(s) in bottom of crock pot. Pour about 1/2 c apple juice over the top and sprinkle liberally with sea salt (and pepper if desired, but I'm out and didn't). Cook on low heat 8 hours. The longer you cook pork roast, the more tender it gets, so you could even start it the night before and cook for 20 hours. Soooo good. About 1/2 hour before serving, slice two cooking apples (granny smith, jonathan, etc., NOT red delicious or gala) and place on top and around the roast. If the slices get in the juices, they turn into more of a fried apple consistency.
We served with baked potatoes and green beans.
I used two medium sized roasts with bone in that I got on sale. The husband loves pork, and this way I'll have leftovers for a couple of other dinners this week.
Place roast(s) in bottom of crock pot. Pour about 1/2 c apple juice over the top and sprinkle liberally with sea salt (and pepper if desired, but I'm out and didn't). Cook on low heat 8 hours. The longer you cook pork roast, the more tender it gets, so you could even start it the night before and cook for 20 hours. Soooo good. About 1/2 hour before serving, slice two cooking apples (granny smith, jonathan, etc., NOT red delicious or gala) and place on top and around the roast. If the slices get in the juices, they turn into more of a fried apple consistency.
We served with baked potatoes and green beans.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
I got the recipe here. I chose this one because the first comment cracked me up. She rated them 5 stars.
These Stink! August 17, 2009 By Angela.Emily
"I am so mad that these are delicious! They are unbelievably Amazingly Bad! I got so many complements on these. That is why I'm not rating these five stars."
Reminded me of my sister, whom I'll call DisGrace. haha.
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
* 1/2 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
* 1 egg
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light. Add the egg and mix until fluffy.
Blend the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together well. Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the chocolate chips.
Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°.
*****
Per some of the other comments, I used about 2/3 c peanut butter and added vanilla. I also used an ice cream scoop and made giant cookies. It made 16.
We give this 5 stars -- soft, rich, yummy ... I could only eat one giant one!
Chocolate Biscotti
Got the recipe out of the parade magazine in the paper.
Chocolate Biscotti
2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 c dried cranberries
3/4 c mini chocolate chips
Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter and sugar together until very smooth, then beat in the eggs. Mix in dry ingredients until blended. Fold in cranberries and chips.
Divide dough; put pieces on opposite sides of a parchment lined baking sheet. Shape each into a 12-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick log. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes; cool 20 minutes.
Slice into 1/2 inch thick cookies. Stand them up on the baking sheet; bake for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Makes 48.
I'd give them 4 stars. Kiddo didn't like them but she doesn't like cranberries, but the husband liked them and they were good enough I gave some away. I haven't heard back yet from the recipients though.
Chocolate Biscotti
2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 c dried cranberries
3/4 c mini chocolate chips
Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter and sugar together until very smooth, then beat in the eggs. Mix in dry ingredients until blended. Fold in cranberries and chips.
Divide dough; put pieces on opposite sides of a parchment lined baking sheet. Shape each into a 12-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick log. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes; cool 20 minutes.
Slice into 1/2 inch thick cookies. Stand them up on the baking sheet; bake for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Makes 48.
I'd give them 4 stars. Kiddo didn't like them but she doesn't like cranberries, but the husband liked them and they were good enough I gave some away. I haven't heard back yet from the recipients though.
Cranberry Swirl Muffins
This is a two-part recipe. My mom always made cranberry relish for Thanksgiving. It's a gorgeous ruby color and isn't cooked, so it tastes very fresh, of cranberries and oranges. But we always had some left because the recipe makes about 2 cups, and people usually only used 1-2 Tbs with their turkey. So, one year, I bought relish instead of making it because I was short on time, and there was a recipe for muffins right next to the relish. Ta-da!
I've had to modify the relish a bit because mom used to put the whole orange through her food grinder, and my little food processor can't handle that.
Mom's Cranberry Relish
1 package fresh cranberries, rinsed and sorted
1 navel orange
scant 3/4 c sugar
In your food processor or food chopper, grind the cranberries until small-ish (the size should look like pickle relish). Put cranberries in a bowl. Zest the orange, then juice it, right on top of the cranberries. Add the sugar and mix well. Refrigerate and let sit for several hours before the meal.
Cranberry Swirl Muffins
1/2 c cranberry relish
1/4 c shortening, butter, or margarine
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla*
3/4 c milk (I used almond milk)
Preheat oven to 400. Grease or line 12 muffin cups. Cream shortening and sugar; add egg. Beat until fairly smooth. Add dry ingredients, vanilla, and milk and stir until just mixed. Fold in relish and swirl. Spoon into muffin cups and bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes.
*I added the vanilla because I love it and it was the challenge ingredient. ha.
Five stars -- kiddo and baby loved them. The husband isn't home from work yet, but he'll eat them, too, and I'm taking a dozen to a family party later on. Yay!
Leftover Turkey Hash
I got the inspiration while watching Food Network. Guy Fieri made the most amazing looking/sounding turkey hash with leftovers, and I decided to give it a shot but change it up a little so my pregnant taste buds could handle it. Here is the original; I left out the jalapeno, used a milder onion and only a green pepper, and no salt or pepper. I also didn't make fried potatoes -- I served it over leftover dressing/stuffing and there was plenty of salt and pepper in that. And I made a lot less than his recipe because the kids are being stinkers and I knew I didn't want a ton of leftover hash.
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced (you can dice and freeze the other half to use later)
1 to 2 c diced, cooked turkey breast
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 limes, sliced
leftover dressing or stuffing
In medium skillet over medium heat, saute onion and green pepper until desired doneness (I like mine sort of caramelized). Add turkey and heat through, use more or less turkey depending on your tastes. Reheat dressing or stuffing and place individual portions in the center of individual plates. Divide turkey hash evenly over top, then add tomatoes. Juice the limes over each plate and enjoy!
*This probably would serve 3-4 normal grownups, but my husband is a big eater, so he got quite a bit of it, and I couldn't finish my plate because I'm still in the icky phase of pregnancy. It was delish; I'm just limited to how much of anything I can eat. Five stars.
Mary Ellen's toss it together soup with rolls
Toss it Together Soup
2 cups cubed ham
1 can of tomatoes (undrained)
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of green beans (undrained)
1 can of kidney beans (undrained)
2 cubed potatoes
1 c water
1 bay leaf
oregano
garlic
dash of chili powder
Put it all in the crock pot and simmer for four hours on high in the slow cooker. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
*notes: I didn't have ham, so I used ground beef. I added 3 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled, and 1 c blackeyed peas leftover from our lunch. I also forgot the potatoes because I had a lot going on today, but it was still delish, though my toddler probably would have eaten more had I remembered the potatoes. He only ate the broth. Served them with rolls.
Dinner Rolls
This makes a very dense roll or bun. I found it originally when looking for a hamburger bun recipe. It is delicious, but if you like a lighter bread or need something lighter for your purposes, let it raise once before forming into rolls, then raise again. Two rises will give it a lighter texture.
2 c milk (I used soy milk)
1/4 c margarine
1/4 c water
1/4 c white sugar
2 Tbs yeast
2 tsp salt
6 c flour
In medium saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients over low heat. When about 110 degrees Fahrenheit, turn off heat, add yeast, mix, and set aside for about 5 minutes to proof (get foamy).
In large bowl, combine salt and flour. When the yeast mixture is foamy, add to flour and mix thoroughly, kneading for about 5 minutes. Divide into 24 equal pieces (flatter if you want hamburger buns, ball shaped if you want rolls), place into greased pans, cover, and let rise for about 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Brush the top with melted margarine when out of the oven.
Happy New Year!
I apparently have had a second trimester energy boost, because I've been cooking up a storm today ... and the rest of this week. I'll post recipes later. It's nice to be able to cook again without getting sick to my stomach. Hate the first trimester!
After a late night and cereal for breakfast, then an early nap, I started off today with cooking lunch: The short ribs my mom always makes for New Year's Day, plus black-eyed peas. If you don't eat black-eyed peas on New Year's, you're missing out: It is considered good luck to eat them on New Year's Day! While the short ribs and beans were cooking, I started a soup in the crock pot for dinner, using my friend's "toss it together" recipe, thinking we were going to be gone half the day. Our plans changed, but the soup was already going. So I made rolls to go with, plus pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and bread so we could freeze the muffins and kiddo can have some quick breakfasts when school starts again next week. She'll be able to choose from peach cobbler muffins (which I made a few weeks ago), blitz kuchen muffins (made on Christmas), and these, which are her favorites.
I also plan to start freezing meals so, after this baby is born, I won't have to cook for a while. It's going to be an interesting year, to say the least!
I'll be coming up with menus on Monday for next week, and hopefully will be able to bake muffins at least once a week to keep the freezer stocked. We go through them fairly quickly, though I'm now out of pumpkin and Libby's has a shortage due to the massive amounts of rain fall in the midwest last harvest, so I'll be experimenting with different kinds. Sad day on the pumpkin front, but it means more delicious muffins for us!
After a late night and cereal for breakfast, then an early nap, I started off today with cooking lunch: The short ribs my mom always makes for New Year's Day, plus black-eyed peas. If you don't eat black-eyed peas on New Year's, you're missing out: It is considered good luck to eat them on New Year's Day! While the short ribs and beans were cooking, I started a soup in the crock pot for dinner, using my friend's "toss it together" recipe, thinking we were going to be gone half the day. Our plans changed, but the soup was already going. So I made rolls to go with, plus pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and bread so we could freeze the muffins and kiddo can have some quick breakfasts when school starts again next week. She'll be able to choose from peach cobbler muffins (which I made a few weeks ago), blitz kuchen muffins (made on Christmas), and these, which are her favorites.
I also plan to start freezing meals so, after this baby is born, I won't have to cook for a while. It's going to be an interesting year, to say the least!
I'll be coming up with menus on Monday for next week, and hopefully will be able to bake muffins at least once a week to keep the freezer stocked. We go through them fairly quickly, though I'm now out of pumpkin and Libby's has a shortage due to the massive amounts of rain fall in the midwest last harvest, so I'll be experimenting with different kinds. Sad day on the pumpkin front, but it means more delicious muffins for us!
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