Chicken and Barley Soup

While my grandma and I were chatting on the phone a few weeks ago, she mentioned that she was making beef and barley soup.  I realized that I've never cooked with barley before and decided to pick some up at the store.  I wanted to create something using chicken instead of beef.  This is what I pulled together from my pantry.  The result was yummy!

-3 cups chicken, cut into bite sized  pieces
-Chopped onion, about 1/2 of a medium onion
-Garlic, about 1 clove, chopped
-1/2-1 cup medium barley, uncooked
-1 can roasted tomatoes, chopped (roasted red peppers would be great too!)
-A couple stalks of celery, chopped
-1 bay leaf
-1/2-1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or you just use basil or oregano if you don't have it mixed)
-Can of lima beans, rinsed (you could also use butter beans)
-8 cups of chicken broth (I used low sodium)
-2-4 cans of water
-1 package of frozen mixed veggies (I used the one with corn, peas, green beans and carrots)

In a stock pot, brown chicken in a little oil.  Add in onion and garlic and cook until tender.  Stir in remaining ingredients except for the frozen veggies.  Simmer for about an hour or so.  Add in your frozen veg and cook for about 10 more minutes.  Don't forget to fish out your bay leaf before serving.  Perfect with some buttered crusty bread for dipping.  All the boys LOVED it!  We ate every last drop. 

Has anyone ever cooked with quinoa?  I finally stocked some in my pantry and am wondering what I can do with it.  Is it good in soup?

Feast on the Cheap

A friend recommended this website.  I love anything "on the cheap" so I love this site.  Check it out here...

Feast on the Cheap

Here's just one of their recipes that I can't wait to try....

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Homemade Barbeque Sauce and Coleslaw

Makes 6-7 Sandwiches

Ingredients for My Mom’s Traditional Coleslaw:
-1 cup Lo-fat Mayonnaise - stock
-2/3 cup Buttermilk (freeze the leftover) – $0.49
-1/3 cup to 2/3 cup sugar (I use 2/3 cup) - stock
-4 Tablespoons white vinegar (I sometimes use cider vinegar instead) - stock
-1 teaspoon salt – stock
-Freshly ground black pepper – stock
-2 teaspoons celery seeds - stock
-2- 16 oz. packages cole slaw mix* – $3.98
-1 bunch Scallions, chopped, using white and green parts – $0.69

*Tip: Alternatively, to cut the cost if time isn’t a factor, shred 2 lbs. white or green cabbage and 4 carrots

Total Assuming Stocked Pantry: $5.16
Total Per Serving (makes 10): $0.51


Coleslaw Directions:
1. Whisk together the first 7 ingredients.
2. Add the shredded cabbage and carrots or cole slaw mix with the scallions, tossing well to combine.
3. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to mellow.
4. Stir well before serving.

Ingredients for the Barbeque Sauce:
-1 8-oz can tomato sauce – $0.89
-1 6-oz can tomato paste – $0.99
-2 heaping Tablespoons brown sugar – stock
-2 Tablespoons honey – stock
-4 teaspoons cider vinegar – stock
-2 Tablespoons olive oil- stock
-3 teaspoons minced garlic – stock
-4 Tablespoons minced onion – stock
-1 teaspoon chili powder – stock
-2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce – stock
-1 teaspoon dry mustard – stock
-1 teaspoon cayenne – stock
-fresh ground pepper – stock

Total assuming “stocked” kitchen: $1.88 (yields about 1.5 cups)

Directions for BBQ Sauce:
1. In a very large saute pan, saute minced onion and garlic in olive oil over high heat until the onion turns opaque. Stir consistently to keep the onion from burning.
2. Add remaining ingredients over medium-high heat and bring to a quick boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from burning.
3. After sauce has thickened (it will be more of a deep red than a traditional bottled brown color) remove from heat and set aside.

Grilled Feta, Tomato & Carmelized Onion Sandwhiches

This is not your standard grilled cheese sandwhich but rather a little taste of heaven.  On our drive back from Florida last summer, we stopped in Baton Rouge to meet up with my cousin who lives there.  She took us to a little place called Zoe's Kitchen for lunch where I had the most amazing chicken sandwhich.  It was obviously good if I'm still thinking about it almost a year later.  That sandwhich is what inspired me to jazz up my standard grilled cheese sandwhiches.  Hope you enjoy as much as I did.

-Rustic bread, sliced (think italian, french, focaccia, ciabatta, etc.)
-Block of feta, sliced (about 1/4 inch thick)
-Tomatoes, thinly sliced
-Carmelized onions (see below if you need help with this one)
-Kalamata olives (optional)
-Margarine or butter
-Sliced chicken breast, cooked (optional)

Butter your bread and lay face down in a hot pan (medium heat).  Layer with feta, tomato, onions (and chicken if you have it).  Top with another piece of buttered bread.  Cook as you would and other grilled cheese sandwhich.  When it's time to flip, do so carefully.  We always eat grilled cheese with some tomato herb soup & pastina and this sandwhich is no exception.   The kalamatas don't really go in the sandwhich but go hand in hand with feta for me so I always serve them on the side!

In case you've never carmelized onions before, here's what you need to do...

-Several medium or large onions, yellow, white, or red
-Olive oil
-Butter (optional)
-Salt
-Sugar (optional)

Peel and slice onions to desired thickness.  I slice mine pretty thin.

Coat the bottom of the a saute pan with olive oil, or a mixture of olive oil and butter (about 1 teaspoon per onion). Heat the pan on medium high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions.  If you want, you can add some sugar to help with the caramelization process. (I add about 1-1.5 teaspoons for about 2 large onions).

These are the onions after 10 minutes.

Let cook for 30-40 minutes more, stirring every few minutes. Store refrigerated for several days in an air-tight container.

Onions after 40 minutes.  YUM!  I could eat them just like this.

Peanut Butter Playdough

We were introduced to peanut butter playdough at a friends house last weekend.  The boys thought it was tons of fun to play with the dough and then lick their fingers (or even sneak a bite of the playdough).  It wasn't as sticky as I was expecting it to be. 

-1 cup peanut butter

- 1/2 cup honey

- 2 cups powdered sugar

Mix ingredients in a bowl and you’re done! This is most easily accomplished with your hands.  Store in an airtight container or plastic baggie with air sucked out of the bag. (Quick tip: Spray your 1/2 cup with oil before measuring your honey and the honey will pour much easier.)

From the kitchen of Megan Guttman.

Make Ahead Omelet

-8 slices of bread, cubed (whole wheat or rye-pumpernickel)

-6 eggs
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-2 cups milk
-1/4 cup margarine, melted
-1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
-Toppings of your choice (mushrooms, onions, green peppers, olives, etc.)

Grease a 9X13 inch pan. Add bread. Spread cheese over bread. Beat eggs. Add milk to eggs and then beat again. Add margarine to eggs and pour over bread. Refrigerate overnight. Top with mushrooms, onions, peppers, olives, etc. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes until set.

From the kitchen of Heather Campbell.



Coffee Ice Cream Punch

Here's the recipe for the amazing punch my friend Heather made for the baby shower we threw a few weeks back. It received glowing reviews...

-1/2 cup instant coffee
-3 quarts hot water
-2 cups sugar
-2 quarts milk
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-5 ½ ounce can Hershey’s syrup
-1 gallon vanilla ice cream

Combine hot water, sugar and coffee. Cool completely. When cool, stir in milk, vanilla and chocolate syrup. Mix well and freeze in a tupperware container. 3 hours before serving, take out to partially thaw. Pour in punch bowl and then add the vanilla ice cream just before serving.

From the kitchen of Heather Campbell.

Mediterranean Tacos

On Sunday, Scott was requesting something Mediterranean grilled for dinner. I was looking to make something easy and use stuff we had on hand. This is what we came up with...

-Chicken breasts (boneless or bone in), we used 4
-Zesty Italian salad dressing
-Flour Tortillas or Pita Bread
-Hummus
-Box of Couscous, prepared*
-Romaine lettuce, sliced thin
-Kalamata olives
-Feta
-Tomatoes, large dice
-Zucchini or cucumbers, thinly sliced

Marinate chicken in salas dressing for few hours and then grill. Scott always like to use his mesquite wood chips while grilling - see this recipe for tips. We used bone in chicken breast...takes about an hour on the grill. I think this Morrocan Chicken recipe would also taste great with these tacos. However, I didn't have these ingredients on hand. While your chicken is grilling, prep your toppings.

When chicken is done, slice into thin pieces (think fajita slices). Start your taco by smoothing some hummus onto a tortilla (we used tortillas because that's what we had...pita would be fab as well!). Next, layer on some chicken and all your favorite toppings. Serve with a side of couscous or do what I did and put the couscous right on your taco. Enjoy!

*You can prepare a box of couscous and serve it as it. However, I prefer to jazz ours up a little bit. After preparing my couscous, I let it sit at room temperature to cool. Once thoroughly cooled, I drizzle with olive oil and then add in some veggies....zucchini, yellow squash, chopped tomatoes, carrots. Then I dump in a container of feta (we LOVE feta!!) and gently mix. This makes a meal in itself...I love to eat this stuff for lunch.

Fruit Dip

Here are a few more recipes that were inspired by Katie's shower. One of my favorite appetizers is fruit and dip so of course I had to prepare some for the shower. Enjoy a few of my favorite fruit dip recipes. Remember, the key to a smooth and lump free dip is to thoroughly blend the cream cheese alone before adding the other ingredients.

Kim's Go To Fruit Dip
-8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
-3 T sugar
-1 cup sour cream
-1 t vanilla extract

Blend well and serve with fruit.

===========================

Pizazzed Fruit Dip
-8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
-1/4 cup powdered sugar
-1 T sherry
-1 t vanilla
-1/2 cup cool whip

Blend well and serve with fruit.

============================

No Guilt Fruit Dip
-1 container fat free Cool Whip
-1 big box of sugar free vanilla pudding mix

Thaw cool whip and mix until well blended. Serve with fruit. This is a Weight Watcher's recipe.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

My friend Heather and I recently hosted a baby shower for our dear friend, Katie. This is one of the casseroles (among others) that Heather made for the shower. It got glowing reviews so I thought I'd share it with you here. Heather says it is super simple to make. I can't wait to try it the next time we have company.

-1 loaf French bread, sliced 1-inch thick (probably won’t need the whole loaf)
-6 large eggs
-2 cups milk
-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 cup brown sugar, divided
-1/4 cup butter (or stick margarine)
-1 cup chopped pecan (optional)
-2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Grease a 9X13 inch baking dish. Arrange the bread in a single layer in the dish. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add in the milk, nutmeg, vanilla, and ¾ cup of the brown sugar. Stir well to mix. Pour egg mixture evently over the bread. Cover and let sit 8 hours or overnight in refrigerator. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar, stirring well. Top the egg mixture with pecans and blueberries, then drizzle on the butter sauce. Bake for 45 minutes until set and golden brown on top. Serve with warm maple syrup.

From the kitchen of Heather Campbell.

Fried Cauliflower

I haven't had this for YEARS and have been completely craving it lately. I remember eating this all the time growing up. Made it tonight with dinner tonight...so yummy!!!

-1 head of cauliflower
-Bisquick or pancake batter mix
-Salt and pepper
-Oil (I always use olive oil even though I know you aren't suppose to fry with it)

Core cauliflower. Steam head of cauliflower for 5-10 minutes or until tender (not too soft though since you will still fry it later). Refrigerate cauliflower for 2 hours or even overnight. When you are ready to fry, cut cauliflower into bite size (1-2 inches) pieces. Pour 1/4 cup or so of oil in a fry pan and pre-heat over medium heat. Meanwhile, prepare some pancake batter. You don't need the egg...just the pancake mix and water. Add more water than it calls for...you will want a runny consistency. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper to the batter to your liking. Dip cauliflower pieces into batter, generously coating them. Shake off excess batter and then carefully place in hot oil in fry pan. Continue with the rest of the cauliflower (you will have to do a couple fry pans full as all the pieces won't fit in one round), turning after each sided is lightly browned and crisp (tongs work well for this). Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain and then serve warm.

Growing up, we would eat this as a side dish or sometimes as an appetizer at a party.

From the kitchen of Cheri Midagliotti.

...didn't realize that my Stella made it into the picture. I will say that these do taste great with a beer!

Chicken Supreme

Another new crockpot recipe that was devoured tonight...

-1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
-1 envelope (1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
-4-6 boneless,skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
-1/2 cup imitation bacon bits or 1/2 pound bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled (I used an entire 3 ounce package of bacon bits)
-1 container (16 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream

Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray (I use a slow cooker liner). Combine soup and soup mix in medium bowl; mix well. Layer chicken breasts (I just throw mine into the crockpot still frozen) and soup mixture in crockpot. Sprinkle with bacon. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. During last hour of cooking, stir in sour cream. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

*Cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup can be substituted for cream of chicken soup. *I added a large can of mushrooms (drained) to this recipe. We love mushrooms in this family!
*After serving dinner, I realized that I completely forgot to add the sour cream in during the last hour. Whoops! The recipe was still AMAZING and all 3 boys in this house scarfed it up. It didn't take like anything was missing.

From the kitchen of Jaime Crosby.

Sausage and Vegetable Stew

Super easy and yummy! It's one of my new favorite crockpot recipes. I went back for a second helping and leftovers warmed up nicely the next day.

-2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
-2 cans tomatoes diced tomatoes
-2 cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
-2 pounds smoked turkey sausage cut into 1/2 inch slices
-4 cups diced potato (I use about 4 small/medium potatoes...I leave the skins on)
-1 1/2 cups chopped onion
-2 cup chopped red bell pepper (or green, or yellow, or orange...whatever you have)
-1 cup water
-4 teaspoons extra-hot prepared horseradish (don't worry, this didn't make it spicy but added AMAZING flavor)
-4 teaspoons honey
-2 teaspoon dried basil (or mixed Italian herbs)

Combine all ingredients (except sausage) in your slow cooker and mix gently until combined. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or until potatoes are tender. Just before you will serve the stew, place sliced sausage into a non-stick skillet and cook until browned, about 10-15 minutes. Stir sausage into stew and serve.  Serve with buttered bread for dipping.

This recipe is enough for two dinners.  I always make one for dinner that night and freeze the other half for another meal later in the month. 

From the kitchen of Jaime Crosby.

Tortilla Pizza

When Scott is working nights and I'm looking for something decently healthy to make for dinner without really cooking, this is one of my go to meals. It's so much healthier than throwing together mac and cheese or fish sticks and the boys love making their own personal pizza. Serve with some crunchy veggies on the side and your meal is complete.


-A few whole wheat tortillas (I use the fajita size)
-Pizza sauce
-Shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend
-Turkey pepperoni


Lay a piece of foil on a baking sheet and spray with Pam. Lay a few tortillas out on the foil and let your kids spread on a tablespoon or two of pizza sauce on each one. Next, let the kiddos sprinkle on their cheese and pepperoni (I always pour a little cheese and pepperoni in a bowl to make it easier for them). Don't let them layer on too much cheese...the tortillas will get too soggy with too many toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes. You want to make sure the cheese is melted and that the tortillas are crisping up, but not burning. I let the personal pizzas cool for a few minutes on a cutting board before slicing them in 4's and serving them up. Hope your kids enjoy this cooking project as much as mine do. Mine always clean their plates if they've had help preparing the meal (even when it's not pizza!).

Fire-Roasted Salsa

My friend, Libby, brought her amazing homemade salsa over for our Super Bowl party and I finally snagged her recipe. I love this stuff!

-1 can fire-roasted tomato
-3-4 cloves garlic
-1-2 jalapenos
-small hunk of onion
-small handful cilantro
-salt

Blend in food processor and enjoy!

From the kitchen of Libby Chapman.

Chicken Noodle Abraham

Here's a yummy chicken soup my SIL came up with while trying to recreate Bob Evans chicken noodle crock. It was named by my 5 year old niece after her favorite president, Abe Lincoln. Enjoy!

-1 pound chicken tenderloins, thawed (or rotisserie chicken shredded if you are in a hurry)
-1/2 yellow onion, chopped
-1 1/2 cup frozen peas
-1 1/2 cup carrots, chopped (I used fresh, but frozen will work too)
-1/2 bag of egg noodles, approximately 4 cups
-2 boxes chicken broth (or about 5 cans of chicken broth) *I used 2, 48 ounce boxes
-2 packets of chicken gravy mix
-flour
-butter
-olive oil
-parsley flakes
-salt
-pepper
-garlic powder

Season UNCOOKED, thawed chicken with salt and pepper (generously). If using rotisserie chicken, skip this part. Brown chicken in olive oil on medium heat in a stew pot until cooked through. Remove from pan - shred into big chunks and set aside. **I cut up my chicken breasts into 1" pieces while it was still slightly frozen. After thawed, I browned it and left it in chunks.

Put about 3 tablespoons of butter into pot and add carrots and onions. Saute until just about tender and onions are translucent (but not browned). Return chicken to pan; add peas and noodles and chicken broth. **I used 3 cups of frozen mixed veggies instead of peas/carrots. Therefore, I added them here.

Add a dash or two of garlic powder and 1/2 palmful of parsley flakes. Bring to a low rolling boil until noodles are cooked (about 15-20 minutes). Turn heat down to low/med. Ladle out some broth only (about 4 ladles) into a separate saucepan. Add some flour and chicken gravy packets and whisk until a creamy roux forms. If it's too chunky, add some more broth and whisk. Add roux back into pot, stir it all together to thicken your soup.

Bowtie Lasagna

Thanks to my friend Kate for passing on this simple recipe...

-1 pound Ground Chuck (I always use the extra lean beef or turkey for stuff like this)
-5 cups Bow Tie Noodles
-3 cups Spaghetti Sauce
-1 tablespoon Olive Oil
-1 teaspoon Salt
-½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
-1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or More, Make It To Your Taste)
-½ cups Mozzarella Cheese
-½ cups Sour Cream

Fry ground chuck in small pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce. Add your fried meat, seasonings, cheese, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

From the kitchen of Kate Van Yperen (courtesy of The Pioneer Woman).

Breakfast Cookie

One of Scott's coworkers passed this recipe along to me. I tend to burn everything I bake, but thought I'd give them a try with Adam this week. They turned out great! Adam wasn't too keen on the taste, but he doesn't like "cookies" unless they have chocolate chips. Zach and I have been scarfing them down. I'm not sure I'd let the kids eat these for breakfast, but I don't feel guilty giving these to them (or myself) as a snack. I will admit that I HAVE eaten a few for breakfast this week! :)

-1/2 cup butter (I used margarine because I never have butter on hand)
-1/2 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy)
1/4 cup molasses
-3/4 cup honey
-1 tsp. vanilla
-2 large eggs

-1/2 cup all purpose flour
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1/2 cup wheat germ
-3+ cups oats (I only had quick oats on hand and ended up using 3 cups exactly...didn't need to add any more)
-1/2 tsps salt
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1 cup dried fruit bits (Adam selected dried blueberries, cranberries, and chopped dried apples to add in)

Cream together wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients and mix. You may need more than 3 cups of 0ats depending upon consistency. I only ended up using 3 cups. Use an ice cream scoop for large breakfast sized cookies. Flatten out cookies with your fingertips just a bit before putting them in oven. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until light brown. Makes about 20 large cookies.
As was suggested to me, after they were cool, we individually wrapped each cookie. This makes them easy to grab as a snack on the go and helps keep them moist.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I LOVE Chicken Pot Pie! My favorite CPP recipe is my SIL Kelly's, which you can find here. However if I'm in a hurry and don't have all the ingredients for that one on hand, I'll throw this together. Still super yummy and all 3 boys enjoy it.

-1 (10 ounce) pkg. frozen peas and carrots (I just buy mixed veggies with peas, carrots, corn, lima beans - or just through in a variety of what you have canned or in your freezer)
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
-1/2 cup butter
-1/3 cup flour
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon dried sage or thyme
-1/8 teaspoon pepper
-2 cups chicken broth
-3/4 cup milk
-3 cups cubed chicken, cooked (I cube it and then saute for a few minutes until browned)
-parsley
-1 refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust**

Cook peas and carrots by microwave directions. Cook onions and mushrooms in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt, sage or thyme, and pepper. Add chicken broth and milk. Cook until thick and bubbly. Stir in peas and carrots, chicken, and parsley. Pour into a pie plate. Cover with pie crust. Bake 1 hour for 350 degree.

**You can also use 2 pie crusts if you prefer. Layer one in your pie plate and pour the chicken mixture in. Then, lay the additional pie crust on top, pinching the lower and top crust edges together to seal.

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Onions

I hadn't eaten brussels sprouts in about 15 years and HATED them as a kid. However, seeing them in the store over the last month or so, I've been tempted to try making them. This recipe was loved by everyone except Adam...how can you go wrong with anything that has pancetta/bacon in it? I even made this for a skeptical crowd for Christmas dinner and it got glowing reviews (unless they were lying!).

-1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
-4 ounces of pancetta, diced (I use about 6 ounces of bacon instead because I ALWAYS have bacon on hand)
-1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced crosswise
-1/2 t kosher salt
-1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
-2 T red wine vinegar (optional...I don't add this)

Bring 1 inch of lightly salted water to a boil in a large, deep skillet. Add sprouts and simmer, covered, until crisp-tender - about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water to cool.

Wipe out the skillet. Add pancetta (or bacon) and cook over medium heat, stirring occassionally, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Add onion to drippings in skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add sprouts, salt and pepper, and cook, tossing, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add pancetta/bacon (and vinegar if you choose) and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

**Surprisingly, these warm up great the next day in the microwave and don't get mushy. I'm so excited that I tried this recipe...SURPRISE, I actually love brussels sprouts!

PREP AHEAD - If you want, you can prep ahead of time to make the cook time a little quicker. I've always done this and it tastes just as good. Cook the brussels sprouts and drain/cool. Then refrigerate for up to 1 day. When ready to make, bring them to room temperature, then continue on with recipe.

Per serving: 99 calories, 9 grams protein, 3 grams fiber, 6 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 7 mg cholesterol, 198 mg sodium

Kim's Smoothies

Scott and I were addicted to smoothies back in our pre-kid days. While on vacation last week, he had a craving for one and it's now become part of our everyday breakfast routine again. The kids are loving them and beg for one in the morning. They are so easy and healthy. Plus, the kids LOVE pushing the on and off buttons on the blender for me. They will eat anything that they had a hand in making.

I've never followed a recipe, but wrote down some estimated ingredients for Scott's sake the other day and thought I'd also share with you.

-2 bananas
-2 cups orange juice
-3/4-1 cup of yogurt (I use plain low-fat yogurt, but you could also use greek yogurt. In a pinch, any flavor yogurt will do...this morning I used vanilla because I ran out of plain)
-2 cups frozen fruit
-1-2 T wheat germ
-1-2 T honey

Dump all your ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. I always use frozen strawberries or blueberries, but I'm sure raspberries, peaches or other frozen fruit would work well too. You could also use fresh fruit but then would need to add some ice to your smoothie before blending. Makes about 4 cups.

Broccoli and Spinach Mac & Cheese

This is the new mac and cheese staple in our house. Everyone loves it and I don't feel guilty giving it to the kids.


-12 ounces bowtie pasta
-1 bag (12 ounces) frozen broccoli
-1 T unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
-2 shallots, chopped (I never have shallots so I always use regular white onions)
-1 package (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms
-4 cups whole milk (I always use 2% or skim...whatever we have on hand)
-1/4 cup flour
-1 t kosher salt
-1/2 t freshly ground pepper
-1 bag (5 ounces) baby spinach
-5 ounces fontina cheese, grated (1 1/4 cups)
-1/3 cup, plus 2 T grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a shallow baking dish (approximately 3 quart dish). Cook the pasta according to package directions, adding the broccoli during the remaining 3 minutes of cooking. Drain and return the broccoli and pasta to the pot.


Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, flour, salt and pepper. Pour into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the fontina and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese.


Pour sauce into pot with pasta and broccoli and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared dish and sprinkle with remaining fontina and Parmesan. Bake until the cheese melts and is beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.


Per serving: 394 calories, 18 grams protein, 18 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber, 13 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 40 mg cholesterol, 606 mg sodium

Nanny's Kielbasa & Sauerkraut

Here's the recipes for my Grandma's AMAZING kielbasa and sauerkraut - a staple in our house. I serve this with creamy homemade mashed potatoes or pierogies.

-3/4 stick of margarine or butter
-1 small onion, chopped
-32 ounce jar of sauerkraut
-2-3 packages (14 ounces each) of polish kielbasa (I use the turkey kielbasa)
-1/4 cup pastina (Miniature star shaped pasta - find it in the pasta aisle. I put these in tomato soup too!)
-1-2 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional)

Melt butter in a pan and saute onion for a few minutes. Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse sauerkraut. (I dump the sauerkraut in a colander and rinse and squeeze it with my hands for about 5 minutes). Add sauerkraut to onion, add 1 cup of water, and lightly simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes. Check and stir often to make sure there is still some water on the bottom of the pan...just enough that the sauerkraut doesn't burn.

After 45 minutes, cut kielbasa into 1 inch pieces and add it to the pan. Add pastina and caraway seed, stir and cook until kielbasa is warmed through.

From the kitchen of Helen Midagliotti.

Carolyn's Easy Shepherd's Pie

I usually like my Shepherd's Pie made with peas, but this one is super tasty (and easy). I couldn't stop with one helping.  I love to double this and make a second "pie" to freeze.
-1 pound of ground beef or turkey
-1 packet of meat loaf seasoning (I used McCormick's)
-1 small onion, chopped
-1 clove of garlic, chopped
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 can of diced tomatoes
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-2 cans of green beans, well-drained
-2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cubed
-2 tablespoons butter or margarine
-2 tablespoons cream cheese or 1/3 cup sour cream (I used sour cream - isn't everything better with sour cream?)
-2/3 cup warmed milk (more or less as needed)
-Chopped chives (optional)
-2 cups shredded cheese (I used co-jack)

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet and drain fat. Add in meat loaf seasoning, onion, garlic and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and soup. Simmer 15 minutes longer. Pour this mixture into a greased 9X13 inch baking dish. Cover the meat mixture with the drained green beans.

Meanwhile, boil potatoes until fork tender (usually about 10 minutes). Drain well. While hot, mix (I use an electric mixer or an old fashioned potato smasher depending on my mood!) the potatoes with the butter, cream cheese or sour cream, chopped chives, and salt and pepper to taste. Add about 2/3 cup of warm milk (more or less as needed) and mix until you get a spreadable consistency. Spread the mashed potatoes over the green bean layer. Dish may be covered and refrigerated overnight at this point if wanted.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (longer if it has been refrigerated) until heated through. Remove from oven and cover with 2 cups of shredded cheese. Return to oven just until cheese is melted (5 minutes) and serve hot. 

From the kitchen of Carolyn Hill.

Mustard Baked Pork Chops

Tasty and super easy recipe. Scott and Adam do not like mustard, but they scarfed up these pork chops!

-Pork chops (I used 3, 1 inch thick boneless chops)
-Mustard (I used spicy brown mustard)
-Flour
-2 cans of chicken with rice soup and 2 cans of water (I only added 1 can of water and it was still quite watery. My suggestion is to just add the canned soup)

Cover pork chops with mustard and then dip in flour. Place pork chops in a pan with a little oil and brown for a few minutes on each side. Then, place pork chops in a 9X13 inch baking pan and add the cans of soup/water. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes.

From the kitchen of Stephanie D'Amico.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I think I need to stock my pantry with canned pumpkin...

Cooking time: 1 hour + Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-3 cups white sugar
-1, 15-oz can of pumpkin puree
-1 cup vegetable oil
-2/3 cup water
-4 eggs
-3 ½ cups flour
-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
-1 tablespoon nutmeg
-2 teaspoons baking soda
-1 ½ tsp salt
-1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
-½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Grease 3 1-lb. size coffee cans or 3 9x5-inch loaf pans. Combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill cans ½ to ¾ full.

Bake until knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans.

From the kitchen of Gena Navitskis.

Sweet Potato Autumn Stew

I had this for the first time during my Grand Canyon trip and it is YUMMY! Perfect on a crisp fall day which we are finally getting here in Texas in November. I had it will chicken, but you can make it with beef too.

-1 teaspoon vegetable oil
-1 pound lean beef stew pieces, cubed chicken breasts, cubed
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1 clove garlic, minced
-3 1/2 cups water
-3 teaspoons beef or chicken bouillon granules (or you can substitute 3 1/2 cups beef or chicken broth for the water and bouillon)
-1 (14.5 ounces) sliced stewed tomatoes (not drained)
-2 cups peeled, diced sweet potato
-1 1/2 cups diced red potato
-1 cup sliced mushroom (optional)
-1/4 teaspoon allspice
-1/4 teaspoon cloves
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup frozen petite green peas

NOTE: you can substitute any veggie you want. I usually do a bit less potatoes and add 1 or 2 cups of chunked butternut squash--awesome taste and healthier too.)

Heat vegetable oil in large stock pot over med-high heat. When hot, add meat, onion, and garlic. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until done. Add water, bouillon, tomatoes, both potatoes, mushrooms, spices, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat; simmer for 25 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add peas and cook 5 more minutes. Excellent garnished with sour cream and served with hot crusty bread.

I'm sure this can be made in a crock pot, but I've never tried.

Calories: 250, Protein 29g, Carb 43 g, Fat 7 g (saturated 2 g), cholesterol 69 mg, sodium 560 mg.

From the kitchen of Bethany Keller.

Pumpkin Bread

I have a few fall recipes to share with you. I could eat an entire loaf of this pumpkin bread by myself!

-3 cup sugar
-1 cup vegetable oil
-4 eggs, beaten
-1 16oz can pumpkin (this is the smaller can)
-3 1/2 cups flour
-2 teaspoons soda
-2 teaspoons salt
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1 teaspoon nutmeg
-1 teaspoon all spice
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
-2/3 cup water
-pecans if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and oil together. Add eggs and pumpkin. Mix well. Sift together dry ingredients. Add water. Mix all ingredients together (add nuts here if you wish). Pour into two well greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pans. Bake for 50-60 min or until knife comes out clean (this is the key step--don't overcook, but don't undercook either...the last few minutes the bread will set up pretty quickly, and remember it will continue to cook a bit out of the oven). Let stand 10 minutes, remove from pan to cool. It's easy to double the recipe and then freeze for weekend mornings/holidays.

From the kitchen of Bethany Keller.

Parmesan Encrusted Chicken

-4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-2 cups crushed corn flakes
-3/4 cup grated parmesan
-1 stick of butter, melted
-1 envelop buttermilk ranch dressing

In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Dip chicken breasts in butter and then coat in the dry ingredients mixture. Spoon a little of the butter over each chicken breast. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

From the kitchen of Jenny Iverson (page 129 in the Bolar Cookbook).

Breaded Pork Tenderloin in Wine Sauce

I could have eaten the entire pork tenderloin myself.

-1-2 pound pork tenderloin
-1 stick of butter
-1 cup bread crumbs
-2 T Parmesan cheese (I used freshly shaved)
-1 t basil
-1 t garlic salt
-4-5 green onions, chopped
-white wine (I used red)

Melt butter and set aside. Combine bread crumbs, cheese, basil, and garlic salt. Roll pork in butter and then bread crumb mixture. Bake at 375 defrees for 45 minutes. Chop green onions and saute in butter and a little wine. Pour over pork and bake for another 5 mintues or so.


This recipe works well for chicken as well.


From the kitchen of Lisa Stone.

Crockpot Enchiladas

Super simple and tasty. Scott downed 3 servings tonight. This recipe is a keeper!

-1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)
-1 small onion, chopped
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-1 (4 ounce) can of chopped green chiles
-1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
-10 corn tortillas
-3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
-paprika
-chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic until browned. Stir in soup and chiles. Spray 4 quart crockpot with nonstick spray. Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in bottom of slow cooker. Place 3 tortillas over sauce, overlapping, and breaking in half to make an even layer. Top with 1/3 of the beef mixture, spreading evenly. Drizzle about 1/4 cup enchilada sauce over beef mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layering twice, using 3 tortillas and half of the remaining beef mixture, enchilada sauce, and cheese in each layer. End by layer 3 more tortillas over your creation. And pour remaining enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle with just a little cheese and paprika over top. Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 hours. Spoon our helpings with a spatula and sprinkle individual servings with cilantro.

From the kitchen of Steffanee Masten (p. 110 in the Bolar Cookbook)

Pork Chops with Baked Apples and Stuffing

-6 boneless pork loin chops, 1 inch thick
-1 (6 ounce) pkg. stuffing mix (I used Stovetop for Pork)
-1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling with cinnamon
-1 T vegetable oil

In a skillet, brown pork chops in oil over medium-high heat (do not cook through). Set pork aside, keep warm. Prepare stuffing according to package directions, set aside. Spread pie filling into a greased 9"X13" baking dish. Place pork chops over pie filling and spoon stuffing on top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until pork is cooked through.

From the kitchen of Jessica Kabel.

Mexican Lasagna Take 2

This tastes just like chicken enchiladas.

-1 lb shredded chicken breast
-1 package whole wheat tortillas
-2 cans cream of chicken soup (light)
-16 ounces sour cream (light/fat free)
-2 cups shredded 4-cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil chicken with salt and pepper. Shred with fork. Mix sour cream and cream of chicken soup together in a separate bowl (your lasagna “sauce”). Spray bottom of 9x13 pan with Pam. Build your lasagna in layers in order: start with a small amount of sauce on the bottom, cover with tortillas (your lasagna “noodles”), add chicken and cheese. Continue your layers and end with sauce and cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake from 1 hour at 350. Remove foil for last 15 minutes if you want to brown the cheese. Cut like you would a lasagna.  Top each serving with a little salsa.

From the kitchen of Jennifer Blueter

Mesquite BBQ Drumsticks

I finally got Scott to type up his drumstick recipe for me. I am still not a huge fan of meat on bone, but this chicken is awesome. The boys love it. Happy grilling!

-2 handfuls dry mesquite woodchips in heavy aluminum foil x 2
-chicken drumsticks (I think he usually buys a package of 10)
-Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing

Poke some holes in foil to allow smoke to escape. Place over indirect heat in 300 degree grill. Replace with 2nd set of woodchips about 30 minutes in for fresh smoke.

Place chicken on grill without any marinade. Turn chicken every 5 minutes. After about 20 minutes, begin pouring Kraft Zesty Italian dressing over chicken. Will use about ½ of a 16 oz. bottle. The dressing has oil in it and will cause flare ups.

Cook chicken about 45-55 min.

Pineapple Cheeseball

-1 block of cream cheese, softened
-1 medium onion, diced small
-1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
-chopped pecans

Mix all and leave some pecans for rolling on the ball for decoration. Refrigerate overnight or much longer for better taste! Serve with crackers.

From the kitchen of Angela Smith.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I am not a big Asian food lover. However, I do love me some P.F. Changs!!! Is anyone else obsessed with the lettuce wraps there? I was completely craving lettuce wraps last night and decided to try and make them with what I had in the fridge. Here's what I came up with. Scott is asking for them again so I guess that's a good sign!

-3 pounds ground turkey
-12 green onions with tops, chopped
-1 T garlic, chopped
-2 cups of carrot (chopped or shredded)
-1/2 cup + 1 T hoison sauce (you find it in the Asian food aisle)
-6 T soy sauce
-1/2 T Sirachi hot sauce (you find it in the Asian food aisle)
-2 cups of jasmine rice
-2 1/2 cups of water
-1 head of iceberg lettuce

Put the jasmine rice and water in the rice cooker and hit start. We love our rice cooker! Before starting on the meat, prep your iceberg lettuce. Remove the core and then slice the head in half. Carefully peel off layers of lettuce - you are going for as many solid pieces of lettuce as you can...they should resemble a taco shell. Rinse each piece of lettuce and drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or sesame oil) to a wok or skillet. Add turkey and brown.  Add in onions, carrots, and garlic and cook until carrots are tender (about 5 minutes). Add hoison, soy and sirachi sauces - simmer for 5-10 more minutes.

To serve, scoop a little rice into a piece of lettuce. On top of the rice, add some of the meat mixture, wrap the piece of lettuce closed like a burrito and enjoy!

**Mushrooms and peanuts would also be great in this recipe but I didn't have any at home to try it.
**I only used 1/4 t sirachi because I made this for the kids. I'd probably add more if it were for me...I love it spicy!

Quick Pasta Carbonara

An easy and quick carbonara...everybody loved it! Leftovers were great too.

-1/2 pound of pasta (my favorite is penne)
-6 slices of bacon
-1/2 cup cream cheese, cubed
-1 cup frozen peas
-1 cup of milk
-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
-1/2 t garlic

Cook pasta as directed. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet. Drain bacon slices on paper towel. When cooled, chop bacon up. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the skillet but drain the rest. Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Cook and stir until heated through and bubbly. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Add chopped bacon. Stir and serve.

As you can see, I popped some grape tomatoes in just before serving this batch.

Mexican Lasagna

-1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
-1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
-1 (14 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
-1 small can of corn
-6 (10 inch) whole wheat tortillas
-1 1/2 cups prepared salsa
-1 cup shredded Mexican mix or Cojack cheese, divided

Brown the ground beef and drain fat. Stir in the taco seasoning and tomatoes. Line a greased 9x13-inch baking dish with half the tortillas. I cute the tortillas in half and line the straight edges around the edges of the casserole dish then fill in the rest randomly. Spoon the beef mixture into the dish, sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese, then top with the remaining tortillas. Spread salsa over the tortillas (make sure they are all coated with salsa) and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut in pieces and serve just like you would a regular lasagna. 

*I use the kind of salsa with black beans in it. If you use plain salsa, you could also throw in half a can of drained black beans into this casserole as well.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is an appetizer that my friend made for our Super Bowl party a couple months ago. It was so tasty that I just had to get the recipe. It tastes like buffalo chicken wings dipped in blue cheese...need I say more?

-1, 8-ounce package cream cheese
-2 cups cooked chicken (a store-bought rotisserie chicken works best), shredded
-1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce, recommended brand = Texas Pete
-2 tablespoons butter, melted
-1/2 cup blue cheese dressing (eyeball it) **you can substitue ranch if you don't like blue cheese
-1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (eyeball it)

Preheat oven to 300°F. Cover the bottom of an 8x8" dish or pie plate with cream cheese. In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, wing sauce and butter, and pour over the cream cheese-filled dish or pie plate. Top with just enough blue cheese dressing and mozzarella cheese to cover (adding too much cheese will cause a thick skin to form that will make eating the dip difficult once the cheese cools). Heat the dip in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve with Scoops (Tortillas or Fritos) alongside for dipping.

From the kitchen of Katie Talbert.

Cashew Chicken

Scott has been on earlies this week for what seems like the first time in ages. Therefore, he's actually been home at a decent time to eat with us...motivating me to actually cook a little this week.

I tried a new recipe from my Bolar cookbook last night (page 94 for you ladies who have it)...a super easy and tasty cashew chicken meal. All the boys loved it (except Adam who doesn't like anything these days unless it's his idea to eat it).

-2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (I used 4 breasts instead)
-cornstarch
-olive oil
-5 T white wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar because that's all I had on hand)
-5 T soy sauce
-5 T sugar
-1 cup green onions, chopped
-2 cups mushrooms, sliced
-1 cup cashews
-ginger
-minced garlic
-red cayenne pepper flakes
-sesame seeds

Cut up chicken into bit size pieces (this is done more easily when chicken is still slightly frozen) and coat with cornstarch. Place about 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil in a wok or large skillet and brown chicken. When brown, place chicken on a plate with a paper towel to drain and set aside. In a bowl, mix vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. Add a little olive oil to wok and then add sauce. Add green onions and mushrooms and saute and stir for about 2 minutes. Add chicken and stir so that chicken is coated with the sauce. Add ginger, minced garlic, pepper flakes, and sesame seeds (I added about 1 clove of garlic and a few healthly shakes of all the rest....not quite as much of the pepper flakes). Stir in cashews. Simmer for a few minutes. Serve with rice.

This time I omitted the red pepper flakes and only dashed some on top of the adults plates...I didn't want to make the dish too spicy for the kids.

I served this with some crunchy chow mein noodles for topping and fortune cookies for dessert.

From the kitchen of Alison Pardee.

Mediterranean Pasta

I had the most AMAZING pasta dish at my friend Katie's last night and had to share the recipe. This was restaurant quality pasta and she swears is wasn't too difficult to make. I can't wait to make this for Scott!

-3 tablespoons olive oil
-1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, sliced diagonally
-1 (8 1/2-ounc) jar sun-dried tomatoes, julienned (1 cup)
-2 tablespoons garlic, minced
-1 pound fresh angel hair pasta
-1/4 cup fresh basil
-1 (8 1/2-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, quartered and drained (1 cup)
-1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted (1/4 pound)
-6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-2 teaspoons dried oregano
-Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil water for pasta in a pasta pot, fitted with a strainer. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken strips until no longer pink -- about 3 minutes each side. Add sun-dried tomatoes and garlic to skillet. Saute for 2 minutes. In the meantime, add the fresh pasta to boiling water, cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.

Now add the basil, artichoke hearts, olives and feta cheese to the skillet. Saute 1 minute then stir in the cream. Strain the pasta and transfer to a large pasta bowl. Add the chicken saute to the pasta and toss. Season with oregano, salt and pepper before serving

From the kitchen of Katie Talbert (courtesy of Tyler Florence)

Ork's Bacon Bites

These may sound gross, but they are AWESOME. Our friend Ork made them for us at a cookout at his house last summer and I was hesitant to try them...dates, no thank you. My mind was changed immediately. I've made them for a few parties and friends are always hesitant until they taste them. They are one of those appetizers that you just keep eating more of!

-Bacon
-Package of pitted dates (you can usually find them by the nuts in the shell in your grocery store)
-Soy Sauce
-Hot sauce - we use Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce but any hot sauce would (Sriracha can be found in the Asian food aisle)
-Toothpicks

Cut bacon slices in half. Take a piece of bacon and wrap it around a date and secure with a toothpick. Continue until you have as many wrapped dates as you want. Layer in a tupperware container. Sprinkle with soy sauce until the dates are all sitting in a layer of soy sauce. Add hot sauce to taste (we do a couple tablespoons). Seal the tupperware. Shake the container occassionaly to make sure the dates get throughly coated. Let marinate for 30-60 minutes. Grill or broil until bacon is cooked through. I usually broil them since I usually need to keep an eye on the kids while prepping. Ork always grills them on his smoker and they taste even better that way.

These will blow your mind, I promise!

From the kitchen of Joerg Podschun.

Pork Piccata

I haven't made this for a while, but it was tasty. I originally found it while looking for a recipe to use up the jar of capers I had in my fridge.

-8 thin boneless pork cutlets
-1/4 t salt
-1/4 black pepper
-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
-2 T olive oil
-1 cup chicken broth
-3 T capers
-2 T lemon juice
-1 T butter

Season both sides of pork with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Discard remaining flour.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and saute for 2 minutes per side. Remove pork to a plate and keep warm.

Add broth and simmer 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Stir in the capers and lemon juice. Return the pork to the skillet and simmer gently for about 1 to 2 minutes, until pork is heated through. Whisk in the butter.

Serve with mash potatoes and peas and garnish with lemon and parsley, if desired.

Per serving: 366 calories, 21 g fat (7 g sat), 35 g protein, 7 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 582 mg sodium, 101 mg cholesterol.

All Day Flank Steak

This is one of our crock pot favorites in this house. Super easy, pretty health, and yummy!

-1 1/2 - 2 pounds flank steak
-1 large onion, sliced
-1/3 cup water
-1 can chopped green chiles
-2 T red wine vinegar
-1/2 t chili powder
-1 t garlic powder
-1/2 t sugar
-1/2 t salt
-1/8 t black pepper

In a large frying pan, brown steak on both sides. Put steak in crock pot. In frying pan, saute onion for 1 minute, then add water, green chilies, vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt and pepper and saute for another minute. Pour over steak and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Slice steak and serve with onions and pan juices. I serve it over rice.

When I am really running low on time, I just throw all the ingredients into the crock pot and it still turns out great.

From the kitchen of Lisa Stone.

Tamale Casserole

This is like a super easy, mexican pot pie. I usually make it with ground turkey and serve with a dollop of sour cream (and jalepenos for me) on top.

-1 pound ground beef or turkey, browned and drained
-1 can kidney or black beans
-1 small can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, sliced (I omit this ingredient...too spicy for my kids and it's just as yummy without it)
-1 green pepper, sliced
-1 small yellow onion, diced
-1 can enchilada sauce
-Fresh or canned mushrooms
-2 garlic cloves
-Salt and pepper to taste
-1 pkg. cornbread (or muffin) mix (and ingredients need to prepare it)

Brown the meat and put it in the slow cooker. Stir in everything except the cornbread. Mix cornbread according to package. Pour cornbread mixture over ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low, 5 hours.

**I mix all the ingredients together in the crockpot except for the corn bread mix. I set the crock pot on low. Five hours prior to dinner time, I prepare the corn bread mixture, layered it on top of the mixture already in the crockpot and kept the crockpot on low for another 5 hours.

Are you still cooking?

I hope you are still cooking because I have been on a cooking hiatus. I loved posting to this blog because it helped motivate me to continually try out new recipes. One of my goals for this year (yes, I am starting my New Year's resolutions a little late this year) is to get back to my cooking and blogging.

First of all, I need to know...who is really reading (and USING) this blog (besides Kate, of course)? Just as I requested on my personal blog recently, show me some love in the comments section if you stop here regularly. If you ever make any of these recipes, PLEASE comment. I'd love to hear how your meal turned out.

I love ya Kate...you motivate me to continue this blog. Thanks for continuing to come back, especially after I have been a slacker for so long.

At Kate's request, I have been on the hunt for some more crock pot recipes to post. If you have one to share, please e-mail/FB me with it or just post it in the comments section. I usually like to try out recipes before I post them. However, as I've mentioned, I've been a little bit of a slacker in the kitchen lately. I will post some crockpot recipes as I get them and let you know if they are one's that I have actually made.

I am ALWAYS looking for new recipes to try. With two little boys and very little time to get dinner prepped, cooked, and on the table, I am especially interested in simple and quick recipes that still manage to have a lot of flavor. Send them my way, PLEASE!

Keep the comments coming and become a follower of this blog!

Fall Off the Bone Ribs

-2-3 pounds baby back ribs
-1 medium onion, thinly sliced
-1 green pepper, thinly sliced
-1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
-1 red pepper, thinly sliced
-Lawry's seasoned salt
-Black pepper

Season ribs with a generous portion of Lawry's on both sides. Sprinkle black pepper on both sides. In a large baking dish (I use a turkey roasting pan), layer peppers and onions around ribs. Refrigerate for 24-48 hours. Bake at 300 degrees for about 8 hours or until meat is tender. I've never tried it, but you could also make this in a crock pot.

The meat will literally just fall of the bone it is so tender. I love to make pulled pork sandwiches with the leftovers. No additional seasoning required. Just put the leftover meat (minus the bones) in a crock pot with a little water so the meat doesn't scorch. Put it on low or high until warm through. Serve on fresh hoagie buns or kaiser rolls. YUM!

From the kitchen of Tava Musial.

Guacamole Salad

-1 pint grape tomatoes, (halved)
-1 yellow pepper (diced)
-1 (15 oz) can black beans (rinsed and drained)
-1/2 cup diced red onion
-2 Tbls. minced jalapeno pepper
-1/2 tsp. lime zest

Place above in a large bowl.

Dressing:
-1/4 cup fresh lime juice
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-1/2 tsp. minced garlic
-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Whisk together, pour over vegetables and toss well.

-2 ripe avocados (DICED)

Just before serving, fold the avacados into the salad. Serve at room temperature.

French Toast Casserole

I haven't tried this one yet, but it sounds so yummy for a brunch.

-1 large loaf of French bread (not sliced)
-1, 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese
-12 eggs
-1 3/4 cups half and half
-1/4 cup maple syrup
-6 T melted butter
-Cinnamon
-Powdered sugar

Cut bread into cubes. Layer half of the cubes in a 9"X13" pan. Cut cream cheese into small cubes and scatter over bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover with remaining bread. Wisk together eggs, half and half, syrup, and butter and pour evenly over bread. Press down to soak up egg mixture. Sprinkle with more cinnamon. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with hot strawberry sauce.

Strawberry Sauce
-2 cups strawberry preserves
-2 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen)
-Heat in saucepan (do not boil)

From the kitchen of Sabrina Chango

Easter Quiche

I'm still trying to use some of the ham I have in my freezer from Easter. I threw the ham and a concoction of other stuff I needed to use up in my fridge together and it turned out pretty good. This turned out to be one of my best quiches yet!

-1 cup shredded swiss cheese
-1 cup shredded colby and monterey jack cheese
-2 T flour
-1 1/2 cups half and half
-4 eggs, slightly beaten
-1 - 1 1/2 cups finely chopped ham (could've been a little more or less...I just sort of eyeballed it)
-2-3 pieces of crumbled bacon
-salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 t each)
-pie crust

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into an unbaked pie crust. Place pie plate on a cookie sheet that is covered in foil to protect your oven from any potential spillovers. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-65 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Bean Soup

Thanks to my sister-in-law, Kelley, for sharing her bean soup recipe so I could use up some of my left over Easter ham. Fab recipe!

-3 cups diced ham
-1 1/2-2 cups chopped carrots
-1 small onion, chopped
-3 cans of pinto beans, rinsed
-1 can of chicken broth
-1 T brown sugar
-1 t salt
-1 t pepper
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-Water to fill

Combine all ingredients in large pot. Cook on low for about 3 hours or unitl soup has thickened and veggies are tender. Add water as needed to keep a steady fluid base and so soup doesn't burn. Serve with warm French or Italian bread for dipping.

From the kitchen of Kelley Midagliotti

BTZ Alfredo Pasta

Creative name, huh? This is something I came up with last night while trying to use up stuff in my fridge. It turned out to be really yummy so I thought I'd share. Only took me about 15 minutes to put together. Enjoy!

-6-7 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (the "B")
-1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half (the "T")
-2 small zucchinis, sliced in half lenthwise and then cut into 1/4 inch piece (the "Z")
-8-10 ounces, mini farfalle/bowties (Barilla's Piccolini line), cooked and drained
-1 jar of alfredo sauce
-shredded Parmesan cheese
-Olive oil
-1/2 tsp. minced garlic

While cooking your pasta, saute tomatoes and zucchini in in a skillet with olive oil and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add alfredo sauce, stir to combine, bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Add in drained pasta and bacon. Stir to combine. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Hungarian Paprika Chicken

Very good. Reminds me of a tomatoey (is that a word??) chicken version of beef stroganoff. It was a hit!


-2 T olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1 large yellow pepper, chopped
-3 plum tomatoes, chopped
-1 t hot Hungarian paprika**
-1 t paprika
-2 t cornstarch
-1/2 t each salt and black pepper
-1 cup reduced fat sour cream.


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to skillet and cook for 4 minutes or until softened. Add chicken to skillet. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in pepper, tomatoes and both paprikas. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 18 minutes. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch, salt and black pepper into sour cream. Add sour cream mixture to pan and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Serve over rice or egg noodles.


Per serving: 416 calories; 17 g fat (6 g sat); 50 g protein; 14 g carbs; 2 g fiber; 462 mg sodium; 146 mg cholesterol

**I didn't have Hungarian paprika so I just used 2 t of regular paprika and it turned out just as yummy!

Creamy Pasta & Chickpeas

Yummy new Family Circle recipe for you to try. This is a great one for the Fridays of Lent!

-1 pound asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
-1 red pepper, chopped ( I use whatever color peppers I have on hand)
-1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
-8 ounces penne pasta
-1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-1 pkg. (4.4 ounces) light spreadable herb (I use a 6 ounce container of Alouette brand...you can find it by the feta, brie, and other soft cheeses)
-heavy dash of nutmeg

Cooke penne in boiling salted water for 12 minutes. Drain; reserving 1 cup pasta water.

Meanwhile, coat a medium-size nonstick saucepan with a few tablespoons of olive oil;  heat over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to pot. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes.

Over medium heat, stir pasta into veggie mixture.  Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, chickpeas, cheese and nutmeg, adding reserved pasta water as needed to thin sauce. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 280 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat); 15 g protein; 47 g carbohydrates; 8 g fiber; 553 mg sodium; 6 mg cholesterol

Cinnamon Cheesecake Streudel

Here's a yummy sounding recipe that my sister-in-law just shared with me. Sounds like homemade Cinnabon if you ask me. Can't wait to try it!

-2 cans cresent rolls
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-1 stick butter
-2 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
-1 T vanilla
-1 T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread one can of cresent rolls onto the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan, sealing the seams. Mix cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and vanilla. Spread cream cheese mixture onto bottom layer of cresent roll. Put remaining can of cresent rolls on top of cream cheese mixture, sealing the seams. Melt stick of butter and pour over top of cresent roll. Combine remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tbs of cinnamon in a bowl; sprinkle all over the top of the melted butter. Bake for about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cooled - about 30-60 minutes. Enjoy with coffee or as part of a brunch!

From the kitchen of Kelley Midagliotti.

Chicken Saute

-4 tbsp. butter
-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-2 tbsp. flour
-Salt & pepper
-½ cup onion, chopped
-1 ½ cups red potatoes, diced
-1 cup chicken broth
-2 sprigs fresh thyme (you can also use dried thyme)
-1 ½ cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces

In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet. Add 1 tbsp. butter to pan. Add potatoes, broth and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is almost cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add green beans; cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 2 more minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and vegetables to plates. Raise heat to high; whisk in 1 tbsp. butter and about 1 tsp. flour to thicken sauce. Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables and serve. Serves 4.

Holiday Potatoes

These are the tastiest mashed potatoes I've even eaten! They are so much easier than regular mash because you make them the night before. My mom tried making them for the first time on Thanksgiving and I made them again for Christmas dinner. I don't think I'll ever go back to "plain old mashed potatoes."

-5 pounds of potatoes, cooked and mashed

Add the following ingredients one at a time and mix with an electric mixer:
-8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
-1 stick butter or margarine
-1/2 cup sour cream
-1/2 cup milk
-2 eggs, slightly beaten
-salt and pepper to taste
-onion powder to taste

Pour into a 9" X 13" greased casserole dish (the mixture will be runnier than regular mashed potatoes). Bake at 350 degrees - covered with foil for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 15 minutes. Before putting it back in the oven for the last 15 minutes, I sprinkled with paprika - made it look and taste good too!

FYI - When I made these for Christmas, it was just the 4 of us so I cut this recipe in half and it turned out just fine. I just used a 9" X 9" square pan instead.

P.S. No one said these were healthy! Everything in moderation, right?

Comments please!

Hey everyone! Just a quick note to encourage your comments on this blog. If you ever make any of these recipes, please make a comment and let me know how you liked it. I find it fun to update this blog, but I'm curious if any of you ever end up trying these recipes.

Also, I'm always looking for new recipes so drop me an e-mail or Facebook note with any that you can suggest. I am the world's worst baker so I never seem to share any baking recipes. If you have a favorite cookie, cake, or dessert recipe, please share so the rest of us can enjoy it too!

Macadamia Caramel Clusters

I've never made this, but my sister-in-law says it's SUPER yummy and tastes like Snickers bars. They are low glycemic (don't cause a spike in blood sugar), vegan, and gluten-free.

-½ cup almond butter
-½ cup agave nectar
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-½ tsp celtic sea salt
-1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted
-1 cup dark chocolate 73%

Combine almond butter and agave in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in vanilla and salt, then add macadamia nuts. Allow mixture to cool a few minutes. Drop mixture by the tablespoonful onto a parchment lined dish. Place dish in freezer for 10 minutes. Melt chocolate in a medium saucepan over lowest heat possible, stirring continuously to avoid scorching. Remove dish from freezer and drop chocolate over each caramel cluster, spreading gently to coat. Store macadamia caramel clusters in freezer. Remove from freezer just before serving (if left out for long they become quite messy).

Crockpot Stroganoff

I usually double this recipe and then freeze the leftovers for any easy dinner down the road.  If I have them on hand, I will throw in fresh or canned mushrooms as well.

-1 inch chunks or strips of sirloin or sirloin tip (approx. 1 pound)
-1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
-1 can French Onion Soup
-1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

Combine all ingredients and cook in crockpot on low for about 8 hours. Serve over rice or noodles.

From the kitchen of Cheri Midagliotti