Smore's Trail Mix

Since I'm keeping a 10 year old this summer I wanted to come up with some different snacks than I normally do.  I'm not one to have a lot of cookies and cakes for snack time.  I prefer cheese crackers, fruit, pretzels and graham crackers with Nutella.  I figured a 10 year old who's used to the more junk filled snacking would get bored with my versions pretty quickly so I started thinking up ideas for a happy medium.


Enter in trail mix, not just any trail mix....s'mores  trail mix.  Does trail mix get any better than that, and who doesn't love s'mores?


If you answered, "me" to that question you are either lying to yourself, or haven't tried one made to perfection.


Either way you will love this and so will your kids.


It's as simple as pouring some Golden Grahams cereal, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips in a bowl, giving it a stir, and separating it into those cute little snack baggies.

Now toss one to each of your kids, try not to whack them in the eye when you toss them, and don't forget one for yourself because, yes, you will want some too.

Flubber Fun

Since I started watching my 10 year old cousin this summer I've been scouring the internet and trying my best to come up with some activities that will both occupy a 10 year old and 3 year old and will keep their attention for more than 37 seconds.

After the first couple days of our new summer routine  I adopted the attitude that as long as it was entertaining for them I would not freak out about the mess the projects made.  Needless to say I have done my fair share of cleaning my apartment and yet it is never clean, but the kids have had fun and that's what's important.

One activity we used to do a lot during my days working at a daycare was making flubber.  I've read where people say it is dangerous to use the borax because it's a chemical and all that but I make sure the kids wash their hands after playing with it, don't put it anywhere near their mouth, and the amount in flubber is very small so truthfully I'm not concerned, you can make up your own mind and decide what is best for your children.

I think the second best thing about this project (the first being that it kept them occupied for a good 45 minutes on numerous days) is that I already had all the ingredients at my house.  So no extra trip to wally-world where I would inevitably walk out with a cart load of goodies instead of the glue I went in to buy.

Recipe:

3/4 cup cold water
1 cup Elmer’s glue
liquid food coloring
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon borax (you can find this in a box in the laundry aisle)
directions:
step 1: in bowl 1 – mix together the cold water, glue, and food coloring. set aside.
step 2: in bowl 2 – mix together the hot water and borax, until the borax is completely dissolved.
step 3: slowly add glue mixture to borax mixture. mix well. pour off excess water.

**disclaimer: if your child is like my son and squirts half the bottle of food coloring in his flubber mixture he will inevitably have blue tinged hands every single time he plays with it.
Recipe from here: http://www.livecrafteat.com/craft/homemade-flubber-for-kids/#ixzz34EWcdCfJ

I halved the recipe and gave each of them the necessary supplies to mix their own flubber.  I did not let them touch the borax, only stir it once I had added it to the hot water.  This was the perfect amount for each of them to play with.  Store your flubber in a plastic baggie (sandwich size is perfect for a halved recipe) and it stays good for at least a week.

I have every intention of stocking my craft cabinet with glue this summer during the back to school sales to have it on hand for future rainy days, and the cold days of winter.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets: Preparing for Baby

I love Quaker instant oatmeal packets.  I love them and yet I haven't bought them in years because they are so overpriced in my mind.  I can buy a large container of quick oats for $2.29 at my local Aldi and the Quaker packets I can't usually get any cheaper than $1.99 and that's when they are on sale.  So had the thought of making my own instant oatmeal packets and figured someone else out there probably already thought of this and could give me some pointers.

I found this website and decided to take her recipe and alter it a little to suit my needs.  Here's what you're going to need to make these:

I didn't want to use my whole container of oats, since I already did my big shopping trip, so I didn't do the full 10cups of oats.  Not to mention I don't eat oatmeal every day so I made 10 packets and used 5 cups of oats.

1st I measured out 5 cups quick oats.  I took 1 1/2 cups of the oats and pulsed it with my Magic Bullet.  Add the 1 1/2cups back in with the remaining 3 1/2 cups quick oats.  Then I added 1c non dairy dry coffee creamer (I purchased mine at walmart for $1), 1t salt, and mixed it all together.

I used the snack sized bags I found at the Dollar Tree and measured 1/2 cup of the oat/creamer/salt mixture into each one.  The recipe at the website above said to add the brown sugar in with the oats/creamer/salt but I chose not to do this because I was afraid there wouldn't be enough brown sugar in each baggie to satisfy me.  So instead I chose to add the brown sugar after I had the oat mixture all measured into the snack bags.  I used a regular cereal spoon and measured out about 2 of them into each bag.  I also always add cinnamon to my oatmeal so I gave a couple shakes of cinnamon to each bag as well.

Then just seal and shake the bag to mix up all the ingredients and you have your very own instant oatmeal packs.

I put all 10 of mine into a larger gallon size ziploc bag and used a piece of masking tape to tell how much water to add and how long to cook it in the microwave.

I'm so excited to have these ready to go for a quick breakfast after the baby is here.  I have also posted about the waffle mix, muffin mix, and pancake mix I use and have made multiple batches of in preparation for the baby.  You may be wondering why I have been stocking up on breakfast foods and not so much on dinner foods and the answer is simple.....When Grant was an infant I always forgot to eat breakfast because I was too involved in his eating habits, naps, and the daily household stuff and I didn't want that to happen this time.  Not to mention I have Grant now and I want some quick stuff so I don't have to put forth much energy to make his breakfast in the morning.


**UPDATE: It's been a little over a month since Eva was born and these oatmeal packets have been  so great to have in the pantry.  I already made a second batch because I eat them about every morning.  It's so simple to throw it into a bowl and nuke it for a couple minutes, I love it.  I keep frozen peaches and blueberries in my freezer and add a handful to each bowl for added flavor and nutrients.  Yummy!

Waffle Mix: Preparing for Baby

The other day I made a muffin mix to help save time and make my life a bit easier after the baby arrives.  Shortly after that I was making waffles for dinner, I love breakfast for dinner, and as I was starting to mix the dry ingredients I thought, I should make a double batch of this.  I already have a homemade pancake mix I keep in my pantry and I swear by it.  Now whipping up a pancake mix or waffle mix from scratch for a meal doesn't take hours, and it's far from difficult, but why not take short cuts when possible.  I think we all have moments when it's time to cook breakfast (especially me because I can't seem to get the gumption to fix anything beyond cereal in the mornings) when even making pancakes from scratch seems daunting.  With the mix already made I dread it less and it literally takes me under 5 minutes to mix up the batter.  There's less of a mess because I only have to get out the milk and an egg, and anything that saves me some clean up I'm all about. 


I love homemade waffles.  Since I got my waffle iron and started making them from scratch I can't bring myself to buy them from the store. They just don't measure up, and we use it so much I'm wanting to upgrade to a waffle iron that makes four waffles at a time instead of the 2 mine makes.  I have to say, I think mine are pretty darn delicious and I've had others confirm it.  One batch usually makes about 15 waffles, give or take, so I don't have to mix up batter every time I want waffles but wouldn't it be nice to have half the work done for me already?  The answer, yes.


I didn't have enough flour to make a whole canister of mix like I would have like to, but I did have some quart size baggies.  Generally I hate using these for anything other than freezer stuff because I seem to run out of them too quickly and I hate buying them, but I decided this was worth it.  So I took 2 quart size baggies, mixed up the dry ingredients:

1 3/4c flour

2T Sugar

1T baking powder

1/4t ground cinnamon 

and put them in each baggie, labeling them with the wet ingredients needed to make the batter:

1 3/4c milk

1/2c oil or melted butter

2eggs

1t vanilla

I didn't add the directions for mixing because it's really just mixing the wet together and adding it to the dry.  When I get more flour I want to make a canister of waffle mix and if you have enough to do this then each time you make a batch you will need 2cups of the dry mix.

I love these little short cuts and having things already made up.  I feel like I'm getting more and more prepared for after the baby arrives, with ways to make things easier for me.  This would also be great to do if you know you're going to be having company staying with you.  Mix up a batch of dry ingredients and store it in your pantry so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time visiting and spending time with your family. 

Red Velvet Cupcakes-Cupcakes for a Cure

The official beginning of the Relay for Life year started September 1st, and I had such good intentions to send cupcakes to work with my mom once a month starting then.  However, as always September through December is a crazy busy time of year with the holidays and Grant's birthday and I never ended up getting around to it. 
So I figured I only have 4 months from now until the end of the school year to raise money with cupcakes and I better get started.  Naturally with Valentine's Day this week I thought red velvet would be the perfect flavor, plus I have never made red velvet and have been wanting to for awhile now.

I used the red velvet recipe from the girls of Georgetown Cupcakes except I didn't use red food coloring, I used the Red Velvet Emulsion I also used for the Red Velvet cut out cookies.  Since the recipe was from Georgetown Cupcakes I thought I would be blown away with a really great flavor but I have to say I was a little disappointed.  There wasn't enough of a chocolate flavor to satisfy me.  The recipe calls for 2 1/2T cocoa and I have to say next time I will be using 1/4c to add more flavor.  Most of the recipes from Katherine and Sophie say they will make 12 cupcakes and I always somehow end up with 18, I thought this would be the same for their red velvet recipe so I only added 1 1/2T red velvet emulsion.  This recipe ended up making 24 cupcakes so I really should have added 2T of the emulsion and I plan to next time I make them.

All this being said, my husband said they tasted good and they were really moist right out of the oven.  They rose perfectly and other than wanting a little deeper red color and a little extra cocoa flavor they seemed perfect.

Red Velvet Heart Cookies

I have had it in my mind to make Red Velvet cookies for awhile now and I figured with Valentines day being this week it was the perfect time to give it a whirl.  I don't even really know when the idea came to me but I saw it first here.  She used Red Velvet Emulsion and one of the things that's kept me from making red velvet cupcakes and cookies is that I didn't want to have to buy large amounts of red food coloring.  Not to mention it's difficult to get a deep red color in frosting let alone in cookie and cake batter.  The emulsion seemed like the perfect solution and I immediately bought mine at Walmart.

While I originally saw this recipe for Red Velvet cut outs I didn't want to buy the dry buttermilk the recipe called for because I figured it would expire before I could use it all since I don't have any other recipes that call for it.  I searched around and came across this recipe and decided to give it a try with a couple changes.

I only made half a recipe since it was the first time I've made them and didn't know how they would taste and I didn't want a crap load of cookies sitting around for me to eat.  Here is the half recipe with the addition of the Red Velvet Emulsion and baking powder since the original recipe didn't call for any and I thought that was a little weird.  I also used margarine sticks instead of real butter because they are less expensive and it's what I use in all my other cookie recipes.

Red Velvet Heart Cookies

1 stick margarine at room temp

1c sugar

2T cocoa powder

1 egg

1 1/2t vanilla

1/4t salt

1 3/4c flour

1/4t baking powder

1/2t Red Velvet Emulsion

Cream butter, sugar, and salt.  Add egg, vanilla, and Red Velvet Emulsion.  Mix until combined.  Add flour, cocoa, and baking powder.  Beat until dough is forming a ball and coming away from the sides of the mixer bowl.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or over night.  Roll  and cut into shapes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. 

Grant had so much fun helping mix the dough together and then putting sprinkles on the frosted cookies.

 I had intended to make homemade cream cheese frosting but didn't have enough cream cheese so instead I used a store bought can of frosting.  Grant doesn't like frosting on his cakes or cookies so I left half of them unfrosted.  They are tasty either way.

Homemade Muffin Mix:Preparing for Baby

I've been looking for ways to make life easier after baby arrives, mainly when it comes to cooking since it seems like Grant's stomach is never full.  I know once the baby comes, at least in the beginning while we are all adjusting, I won't have a lot of time to bake or just won't feel like it.  Grant loves mini muffins and I make a couple batches a week for him to eat for breakfast and snacks.  I don't buy muffin mixes, all mine are made from scratch, and while it doesn't take forever to make some it does take time to get everything out, mixed, etc. especially with Grant always wanting to help.
I noticed my homemade pancake mix in my cabinet the other day, I haven't bought Hungry Jack mix in years, and wondered if there was a recipe for a homemade mix for muffins out there.  Of course I went to the computer and googled it, what else would I do?
I found one on this site and decided to make a slight adjustment to the recipe (I used all white flour) and I ended up halving it so I could use one of my canisters instead of baggies.  I loved the blog I found the recipe on since it also gave ideas for altering it with variations of spices and fruit.  This is just what I wanted and needed since I get bored making the same kind of muffins and my husband and son have different favorites.


Muffin Mix
6c all purpose flour
1 1/4c sugar
2T baking powder
1 1/2t salt


Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk until they are all incorporated.  Pour into a canister or gallon size baggies making sure to tape the directions on the front.

I ended up taping a note card with the liquid ingredient variations to the front and the add-in variations to the back of my canister.

 This way I would have no reason to hunt down a recipe card.  I made the chocolate with mini chocolate chip variation the other night and Grant LOVED them.  I think my husband would prefer a more chocolatey flavor, but I have to be honest, I think  he's wanting a chocolate cupcake instead of a muffin haha.  I tried them and I'm not even a big fan of chocolate muffins and I thought they were delicious.  Actually I'm wanting one right now, but I'm trying to refrain.  Darn these cravings!

I did add about 1tsp vanilla to the liquid ingredients even though the recipe didn't call for it.

One batch made 24 mini muffins and 9 regular sized muffins.  They bake beautifully:

Don't you wish you had some on your counter right now?

I'm so excited to have this mix in my cabinet.  I've gotten so much use out of my pancake mix, I swear by having it ready to go in my pantry, and I know this muffin mix will make me hesitate a lot less when it's time to whip up a batch.  The time it saved just making these chocolate ones was fabulous, and it was so easy for Grant to assist me, he had a ball. 

Ham and Bell Pepper Stromboli

I love Stromboli.  Its easy to make and you can use pretty  much whatever you have in your fridge.  It's great to use up some leftovers.  I'm not even sure where I originally saw Stromboli that gave me the idea to make it.  It wasn't ever a meal my mom or grandmothers cooked but it's definitely one I've made a bunch of different ways and I love when it's on the menu because I know my job of cooking will be easy.


I don't do measurements because I'm really just trying to fill the crust as full as possible.  Here's a list of what I used for the ham and bell pepper Stromboli:


cooked ham (I used leftovers from the ham I baked yesterday)-diced
red, green, and yellow bell peppers- diced (use whatever peppers you have)
1/2 a large onion-diced
shredded cheddar cheese
1 pizza crust
Italian seasoning
garlic salt
pepper
salt

spread your pizza crust out into a rectangle on your baking pan.

Throw some cheese down the center.  Don't skimp on the cheese, you can't have too much I promise

Put the chopped peppers & onions down the center on top of the cheese.

sprinkle some Italian seasoning, garlic salt, pepper, and regular salt on top of all that.

overlap and pinch the long sides of your rectangle of pizza crust to cover your filling.  Don't forget to pinch the ends closed as well.

Use a knife and make 2 slits about an inch long on either side of your pizza crust seam.

Put your Stromboli in the oven at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes, or until your dough is golden brown.


Now kick yourself and mentally say a few choice words when you realize you forgot to put the ham in your filling.  Take a knife and cut open your beautifully pinched together Stromboli dough and add in some diced ham.

Now try your best to piece that dough back together to cover the filling.  I ended up having to tear off some end pieces and do a little patch work.  Place back in the oven and bake for about 18 minutes.

Here it is sliced open, cheese oozing out, YUM!

February 2014 Meal Plan

Being towards the end of my pregnancy I have no real desire to stand in the kitchen and chop, dice, slice, mix, sauté, and cook for an hour and a half.  No instead I noticed the last couple weeks I was picking out the easiest meals left on my January meal plan.  The ones I write down thinking I'll use them on a day we are pressed for time for one reason or another, or a day I don't feel good, etc.  Well these days I'm uncomfortable every day, lacking sleep, exhausted by 10am (I have been waking up at 6am every morning without the help of an alarm), and hurting from this baby I feel is running completely out of room and trying to create more by stretching and kicking constantly.

So no, I don't feel like making anything that takes more than 10 minutes prep time, requires me to stand over the stove for extended periods, or that takes extensive clean up time.  Nope fish sticks, hot dogs, throwing some frozen chicken in a dish and in the oven is more my style.

All that being said, please don't look down on me for my lack of great from scratch meals this month.  I feel like our meals have taken a time warp back to when my husband and I first got married, before I got in to cooking and trying new recipes.  So here it is in all it's glory this month's meal plan of 28 meals:





1. *Chili
2. Tomato soup w/ grilled cheese sandwiches (I don't use the sherry & I substitute  a 28oz can crushed tomato for the diced along with half and half instead of the heavy cream)
3. Breakfast- waffles
4. Breakfast-omelets with hashbrowns
5. Breakfast-eggs, toast & fruit
6. Breakfast-pancakes
7. Leftovers
8. Leftovers
9. Leftovers
10. Leftovers
11. Black bean enchilada soup *freezer
12. Spaghetti w/breadsticks (I love homemade spaghetti sauce but this month it's comin' straight from the jar, thanks Ragu!)
13. Hot dogs w/ mac & cheese & fruit
14. Veggie pot pie (I don't use the white wine and I use a regular pie crust.  For the veggies I throw in whatever I have in my fridge and freezer that sounds good when I make it)
15. Hamburgers w/ green beans
16. Hamburgers w/ mash potato & deviled eggs
17. Grilled cheese w/ potato wedges
18. *Beef & cheese burritos w/rice
19. Lasagna with garlic toast (I broke down and took the easy way out buying a frozen lasagna this month, I haven't bought one in a good 3 years but you can't beat the convenience)
20. Onion soup pork chops w/ rice pilaf & corn (rice pilaf is a new recipe I found and I'm giving it a try)
21. Orange chicken w/ rice
22. Chili dogs with potato wedges
23. Pinto beans and cornbread (I'm seasoning my beans with chunks of ham I have in my freezer from the ham I cooked last month instead of bacon.  I use the recipe on the side of the corn meal bag to make my cornbread)
24. Bbq baked pork chops w/ green beans and corn bread
25. *Meatballs w/ meat gravy mash tato & biscuits
26. *Pulled pork bbq sandwiches
27. Fried bologna sandwiches w/mac & cheese and fruit (I love fried bologna sandwiches, it takes me back to my childhood)
28.  Salisbury Steak w/ green beans and biscuits (I've been wanting to make homemade Salisbury steak for a while now but once again I took the convenience route and bought a frozen one, don't judge me lol)





I included meals that for whatever reason didn't get made last month and none of these are in any special order.  I have a calendar I write all the meals.  I always have 4 days of breakfast for dinner and 4 days of leftovers, usually with a breakfast for dinner on a Monday, leftovers for Fridays, and a soup on Sundays.  Then I just try to space the others out with a good balance and variety.

Chili

From what I can tell everyone has a different recipe for chili and everyone likes theirs completely different.  I use the same recipe my mom has made forever.  I don't know where she got it but it tastes like home to me so it's the only way I will make my chili.


1 1/2lb ground beef
1 large onion
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1 large can tomato juice
1T chili powder (I don't normally measure this I just dump some in but it probably comes out to about 1T, you can add more or less depending on your tastes)
salt and pepper to taste
14.5 oz can diced tomato (I throw this in if I have it in my pantry but it's not a must, it's just as good without them)
1/2t cumin (I've made it without this and it's still good I just like the flavor it adds)


brown the ground beef with the diced onion until cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of chili powder (not the 1T listed above). Drain the fat from the meat.  In a large pot pour the tomato soups, tomato juice, and diced tomato if you're using them inside.  Add the cooked ground beef to the pot along with 1T chili powder, cumin, a dash of salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meatballs w/ meat gravy

I make my meatballs like I make meatloaf.  I don't usually measure so all these measurements are approximate and feel free to improvise or adjust according to your taste buds.


1- 1 1/2lb ground beef
about 1/2c bread crumbs (use more if your mixture isn't coming together)
1/4c milk
1/2 a large onion diced (can also use dried minced onion)
1 t salt
pepper
1/4c ketchup


mix together and shape into balls (as large or as small as you want, mine are usually about 1 1/2inches each).  Fry in a pan on medium heat until cooked through.  Remove from pan and transfer to paper towel lined dish.  GRAVY: to make the gravy you will need the leftover fat in the pan from the meatballs you just cooked.  Add 1/4c flour to the fat and whisk.  Add 3t beef bouillon granules and 2c water and whisk together.  cook over low heat stirring constantly until thick.  Once gravy is thick place meatballs back into pan and spoon gravy over the top.

Pulled Pork BBQ sandwiches

4lb pork loin
1 bottle bbq sauce
1 can Dr Pepper, coke, or pepsi (I've made this without using soda and it's still good but the soda adds a lot of extra moisture and sends it over the top)
1T brown sugar
2t dried minced onion
squirt of honey (if you don't have any honey in your pantry just leave this out, it will still be scrumptious)
hamburger buns


place all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low about 6 hours or until the roast falls apart with a fork.  Spoon onto hamburger buns and enjoy.  This freezes really well so don't waste the leftovers, freeze them for another dinner or even a quick lunch.

Beef & Cheese Burritos

1lb ground beef
1/2 large onion diced
2c shredded cheese
1 package burrito size tortilla shells
1 packet taco seasoning
1/4c water
refried beans (I will be using the leftovers from the pinto beans I'm making this month, If you don't have refried beans or don't like them like I don't, just omit them all together)


brown ground beef over medium heat with diced onion until cooked through.  Drain fat from meat.  Add taco seasoning and water to ground beef, mix.  Remove from heat and assemble your burritos with the ground beef, cheese, and beans.  Use rice as a side dish or add it to your burrito as well.

Honey Oat Cinnamon Muffins

I think I've mentioned it before but my little guy LOVES mini muffins.  he will literally sit and eat 9 of them for a snack if I let him.  He is picky about what they look like, just like his regular food.  I can't put blueberries, nuts, any kind of dried fruit, any chunky fruit for that matter, no streusel or cinnamon/sugar topping, or pretty  much anything he can see and pick out.  If he sees anything in the muffin it's an automatic, "that's yucky mama" and they are left for me to finish off.

So not just any muffin recipe will do and of course it has to have plenty of flavor so I'm always on the lookout for new recipes so he doesn't get bored and I don't get tired of making them every other day or so.

I found this recipe for Honey Oat Cinnamon Muffins while I was searching for something a little healthier.  I figure if he's eating them that quickly I need to start sneaking in some good stuff.  I was a little hesitant about what they would look like having oats in them, because I knew they would look a little different and that could mean Grant wouldn't even try them.  To my surprise he didn't take a second look and was just excited I was making him more muffins.  They turned out really moist and pretty tasty.  I think I will add a shake or 2 of cloves and maybe even 1/2t more cinnamon the next time I make them though, they needed just a little extra umph if you ask me, but that's just my opinion.

I changed a couple things about the recipe.  First I halved it because I don't like to make more than 1 pan of 24 mini muffins (I'm impatient and at times lazy so I want all my muffins to go in once to the oven so I can clean and be done), I actually got 23 mini muffins out of a half batch.  I also added a couple shakes of nutmeg and still used the full 1t vanilla that was in the original recipe.  I bake mine at 350 degrees instead of 375 degrees but this is only because my oven is really weird and once I start trying to put it above 350 it tends to just keep going up and before I know it my oven is at nearly 500 degrees and whatever I'm cooking/baking is burnt to a crisp.  Needless to say after this happening a couple times I quit baking anything above 350 and just adjust the time for the recipes.
For the mini muffins I made I baked them at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes and they were perfect.

Honey Oat Muffins 

(full recipe with my changes added in)

1 3/4c oats

1c flour

2 1/2t baking powder

1/2t baking soda

1/4t salt

1/2 c brown sugar lightly packed

2 eggs at room temp

3/4c buttermilk

1/4c veggie oil

2t vanilla

1t cinnamon

3T honey

4 shakes of nutmeg

In a large bowl whisk eggs and brown sugar until combined.  Add buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and honey.  Whisk until combined and lump free.  Stir in oats.

 In a separate bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.  Stir just until combined.

Fill muffin pan (make sure you spray it with non stick spray if you aren't using paper muffin cups), each about 2/3 full of batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes (this is for mini muffins, timing will be different if you are making regular size muffins).

Applesauce Bread and Mini Muffins

When my son had is tonsillectomy a couple weeks ago, my husband went out and bought a bunch of "soft" foods.  All of which Grant refused to eat.  I'm talking pudding, luigi's Italian ice, applesauce, jello, popsicles, he wouldn't eat any of it.  Of course Derrick thought he was being good buying the biggest boxes of jello and pudding, the largest jar of applesauce, and the big bag of popsicles.  The only item out of all of it I was afraid was going to go bad was the applesauce.  I knew Derrick wouldn't eat it, of course Grant wouldn't touch it, and I can only eat it as a side dish for so long.  Now the homemade applesauce I made back in the fall I could eat every day... and I did....til it was gone.

I started searching online for how to use it as a substitute for oil and butter in my baking recipes and came across this applesauce bread recipe.  I love quick breads and have quite a few recipes in my recipe arsenal.  Grant will eat the bread sometimes but he investigates it before eating it and once that happens a lot of times he decides it's "yucky" before taking the first bite. 

Now mini muffins he will devour by the bowl full.  I make 24 at a time and they are gone in 2-3 days.  He loves them so I try to find various recipes and sneak healthy ingredients in them when I can.  I thought I could probably take the applesauce bread recipe and make it into mini muffins without an issue, but I didn't want 40 some mini muffins so I went ahead and made a medium sized loaf of the bread and used the leftover batter to make 21 mini muffins.

Applesauce Bread

1/3c butter-softened
1c sugar
1 1/4c applesauce
1 1/2c flour
3/4t baking soda
3/4t cinnamon
1/2t baking powder
1/2t salt
1/2t nutmeg
1/8t cloves
1t vanilla
optional * 1/2c raisins 1/2c chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugar.  Add the egg, applesauce, and vanilla, mix well.  Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in another bowl.  Stir into creamed mixture just until moist.  Fold in nuts and raisins if you're using them.  Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes.
*I used a medium sized loaf pan and it took about 30-40 minutes to bake through.  The mini muffins I made took 11-12  minutes at 350 degrees.

They turned out super moist and Grant started gobbling them up immediately.  I thought there was a little too much spices in the ingredients, not so much so that I won't be eating some of the bread but the next time I make it I think I'll use 1/2t cinnamon, 1/4t nutmeg, and a dash of cloves, instead of the amounts the recipe calls for.  I also added about 1tsp vanilla.  The recipe didn't call for it but there isn't really anything I bake that doesn't have vanilla in the recipe so it just didn't feel right leaving it out.  I also didn't add the raisins or walnuts.  I knew if I added either of them I was risking Grant not even trying them but declaring them "yucky" because there was "stuff in it".

Maybe it's just the pregnancy talking but a warm slice of this bread topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is calling my name.  YUM!

Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

Quesadillas are a cinch to make.  There's really nothing to them but it wasn't until I worked in a restaurant when I was 20 that I learned how to make them.  Since then they have been a staple in my house because they don't take much as far as ingredients, they're quick, and simple.

I figured since way back when I didn't have a clue how to make these that maybe someone else out there was in the same boat, therefore I put together a little recipe and picture tutorial.

Maybe I'm channeling Pioneer Woman, except she has a better camera than I do.

First the ingredients.  Pretty simple, cooked and cubed chicken breast (usually one chicken breast, depending on the size, will make 2-4 quesadillas this size), shredded cheese, burrito size tortilla shells, margarine, and salsa for topping (this is optional but highly suggested).


First take one side of your tortilla shell and spread a thin layer of butter or margarine on it.

Now slap that puppy buttered side down on your already heated pan.

Sprinkle some shredded cheese on half the tortilla shell, then add some chicken chunks, and a little more shredded cheese.

Let this cook a minute or so until you see the cheese starting to melt.

When the cheese is just starting to melt, use a spatula and turn the empty end of the quesadilla over on top of the chicken/cheese.  Press down.  Then flip your half moon quesadilla so the cheese will melt and adhere to the other side of the tortilla shell.

Let this cook about a minute, then remove it from the pan and plate it up.
Use a pizza cutter, because you're all about keeping life simple, and cut the quesadilla into 3 triangles.  This just makes it easier to eat.

Get your homemade salsa, because your a cool diy-er like me, and put a big scoop right next to or on top of your quesadilla.

Now make one for your husband because you're feeling nice tonight.

Have a fleeting moment of panic when you cut up your son's chicken breast and think it's not completely cooked through.  Throw it in the hot  pan just to be on the safe side.

When your panic moment ends and your sons chicken is for sure cooked through, sit down, eat your homemade quesadilla and enjoy, the dishes can wait.

Pioneer Woman's Baked French Toast

While I'm having a crafting standstill my baking continues.  I've tried numerous French toast casserole recipes and none of them have turned out too well.  They are either mushy, overcooked, or not the right flavors to suit me. 

I got the Pioneer Woman's Holiday cookbook for Christmas this past year and was so excited to start cooking out of it.  My mom works for the school system and the cooks had a bag full of thick bread heals they were going to throw away.  Naturally my mom thought I could probably do something with them.  Originally I was going to make bread crumbs but decided I didn't want to take the time to blend them up in 20 different batches using my Magic Bullet.  That's when I thought of making a French toast casserole recipe with them.  I turned to the holiday cookbook because I'd remembered seeing a couple different breakfast casserole recipes and since Ree hasn't disappointed me yet with her tasty recipes I thought I had a good chance of this one turning out. 

Even so I only made an 8x8 dish instead of 9x13, for 2 reasons: 1. in case it turned out badly and then I wouldn't have a full pan to throw away 2. I didn't want to use up 8 of my eggs since I only had a little less than 2 dozen to last me a couple weeks before I go grocery shopping again.


4 eggs
1 1/4c milk
1/4c sugar
1T vanilla (I don't measure vanilla so I just dumped some in)
Crusty bread (enough to fill an 8x8 baking dish)

Topping
1/4c margarine-cold and cut into pieces
1/4c flour
1/4c brown sugar-packed
1/2t cinnamon
couple shakes of nutmeg
couple shakes of salt

*whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla and sugar together.  Spray your baking dish liberally with PAM.  Tear your crusty bread into chunks and fill your baking dish.  Pour the egg/milk mixture over top.  In a medium bowl mix your topping ingredients together using a large fork or pastry cutter.  You want it to look like crumbs or chunks.  Sprinkle over the top of the bread.  Put in fridge overnight.  Bake in the morning at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  Top with syrup.

 I let the bread heals dry out over night so they egg/milk mixture would soak into them and not make them a mushy mess.  I didn't have any cream so instead I used 1 1/4c 2% milk.  Other than that I followed the recipe except halving everything.   I made it last night and let it sit in the fridge.  If you do this just don't forget it's in there like I did.  I ate a bowl of cereal when I got out of the shower and then remembered I had made the casserole.  So, breakfast for lunch anyone?

Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe

I love finding new recipes even though I'm always a little weary at first about trying them.  I hate it if I think one is going to be delicious and turns out blah!  Such a waste of time, energy, and food.  So I always read the comments posted following any recipe I find online and love to share recipes I've tried and I think are tasty.

I'd love to have  a really amazing picture of this soup, one you look at and go "holy moly that looks good, I need to cook that now."  You know like the ones you see on thepioneerwoman.com.  I just never want to take the time to make mine look that perfect.  So what do I do? I take my camera to the stove and just snap a quick pic.  It may not always look the best but my taste buds don't lie, and anything I share I give my honest opinion and I don't share recipes I wouldn't make again.


I found this recipe online.  I can't find the website for the original recipe I wrote down.  I swear I'm getting better about writing down my sources but I wrote this one in my notebook a couple months back.  So if you read this recipe and know where it came from, leave me a comment and I'll give credit where it's due.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

1 1/2lbs ground beef
1 onion chopped
3 green peppers chopped (I keep chopped green peppers in my freezer from when I've found them on sale.  I used about 3 cups of chopped peppers)
4oz can mushrooms (I think the original recipe called for fresh mushrooms but I used canned)
4c water
4tsp beef bouillon granules (original recipe called for 32oz beef broth)
2 cans tomato soup
28oz can diced tomato
6 shakes Worcestershire sauce (original recipe called for 4, I added a couple extra for good luck)
2t Italian seasoning
1/2t pepper
1 1/2c cooked rice

In large pot brown ground beef, green peppers, onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  When beef is almost completely browned add canned mushrooms.  Drain off grease.  Stir in water, beef bouillon granules, tomato soup, diced tomato, and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to boil, cover.  Reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.  Add Italian seasoning, pepper, and rice.  Heat through.


I added the pepper and Italian seasoning before I brought it to a boil and it still tasted really good.  This soup is more like a stew to me because it's chunky.  If you want more of a soup add up to 2 cups more beef broth.  I preferred it chunky.  My husband really liked this soup too, it's definitely going in the soup rotation.  The first thing he said after I told him what kind of soup it was, "where do you come up with this stuff?"  Since I'm always finding new recipes he's never heard of and honestly he's probably a little weary of most of them.  He's more of a, stick with the same meat and mashed potatoes type guy, but that gets boring to me.  I'm going to attempt to freeze some of this soup, for the month I have the baby (easy meals are a must when recovering).  I've never frozen a soup that contains rice but I'm sure it will heat up just fine.  I'll share the results.

Western Baby Shower

I so wish I would have gotten more pictures of this shower, but after dropping the little one off at Grammy's and stopping at the store for fresh fruit, I had only a few minutes to snap these pics and get the food set out.
I have to give a huge thanks to my husband who cleaned the apartment while I was gone, it looked great and there's no way I would have had time to do it before guests arrived.

 I lucked out with some of the decorations because my sister is getting married in August and is doing a country theme.  She provided me with the burlap table runners I used as the backdrop behind the table.  I just used tacks to hang them side by side.  The onesie bunting I adored.  I used scrapbook paper I found at Hobby Lobby in 4 various prints, denim, red paisley, blue paisley, and blue plaid.  I attached them to twine with tape and draped them.  

The Name canvas was very popular and Audra (the guest of honor) loved it and took it home to hang in her nursery.  I explain in this post how I made the canvas.

I also had 6 mini tissue poms hanging from the ceiling in red, blue, and brown.

 I made butter cookies.  My mom and I are famous in our family for them.  I tried like everything to get the icing color to be a Christmas red and after using half the little jar of Wilton red food coloring I gave up and settled on the above orangey color, tied the favor bags with twine, and called it a night.  I love the onesie cookie cutter I found in Amish country last year and used it at the "About to Pop" shower I hosted last Spring.  After I snapped the above photo I found a cute wicker basket to put these in so they weren't just thrown all over the table.

My cousin loved the ultrasound picture and was so happy to have a 4x6 snapshot of it.  Everyone else was excited to look at it too as most of them had never seen it.

I made lemon blueberry cupcakes which turned out delish.  It's a combo I've never made in cupcakes before and everyone said they were so good except my aunt who hates blueberries, haha.  I used the recipe from here as a base.  It originally came from the book by the girls of DC Cupcakes.  I changed it up some though. Check out the bottom of this post for the recipe I used.  The cupcake pics were made using burlap printed scrapbook paper and a monogram "R" printed on white card stock.  I used my cricut to cut the circles of both and attached them with glue dots.  Then taped them to mini skewers.

I told how I made the wreath in this post.  I ended up adding a mini pennant banner I made with my cricut and leftover scrapbook paper.  The crate I used as a prop I already had in my house and I think it added just the right touch to elevate the cupcakes and house the quote I framed.

I kept the food simple, wish I had a picture of it all set up but no such luck, so I'll share the recipes and the sites I got them from or got inspiration from instead.

Menu: 

*Ham and Swiss cheese sliders

Homemade Salsa and tortilla chips

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad (boxed mix I already had in pantry)

Apples and Strawberry slices

*Deviled Eggs

*Strawberry Lemonade

Sweet Tea

Ice Water

*Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Frosted Butter Cookies 

*recipes below

Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

24 slider buns
16oz thinly sliced deli ham
16 slices swiss cheese (you will have leftover)
4 1/2T dijon Mustard
1 1/2 medium chopped onion
1 1/2T Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 sticks butter/margarine 

The ham and cheese sliders got rave reviews, and I had to agree with my guests, they were quite tasty.  I will definitely be making them again.  They were so easy and since all my other food could be made the day before these were simple to put together and they were the only thing I had to pop in the oven before guests arrived. I found the original recipe online and for the life of me I can't find the website I got it from, oops.  This is why I should write things down.

I've noticed recently that everyone has a different way of making deviled eggs.  I've seen people add vinegar and pickles and that just grosses me out, why do you need such things in deviled eggs? For years it never occurred to make them any way other than how my mom taught me and I've found her way is the easiest of them all so I thought I'd share.  Her recipe calls for all of 3 ingredients, boiled eggs, mustard, and mayo.  I've made them so many times I don't measure anything.  I go more on consistency and taste than measurements.

Deviled Eggs

1 dozen eggs (boiled)

about 3/4c mayo

about 1/3c mustard

I boil my eggs for 5 minutes at a rolling boil, turn the heat off and let them sit in the covered pot on the stove for about an hour.  Then I put them in the fridge to cool before I peel them.  Once they are cooled, peel the shell off each egg and cut them in half lengthwise.  Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs and put in a small mixing bowl.  Once all the yolks are in the bowl mash them up with a fork until they are good and crumbly.  Add your mayo and mustard and stir until combined.  Take a small spoon and fill each egg white with some of your yolk mixture.  Remember you can add more or less mayo and mustard depending on your taste buds, again I don't measure I go off consistency and taste.  Don't be scared you can do it!

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes 

2 1/2c flour sifted
2 1/2t baking powder
1/4t salt
8T unsalted butter-room temp
1 1/2c sugar (original recipe calls for 1 3/4c)
2 eggs-room temp
2 1/4t vanilla
1 1/4c milk-room temp
zest of 2 lemons
1/2-1tsp lemon extract depending on your taste buds
1 1/2c blueberries
1/2T flour (to coat blueberries and keep them from sinking during baking)

sift flour, baking powder, and salt.  Measure sugar in a bowl, add zest and rub together with fingers.  Cream butter and lemony sugar.  Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing between each addition.  Add vanilla to milk.  Add 1/3 of dry ingredients, then 1/3 of milk/vanilla mixture.  Continue until all dry ingredients and milk mixture is used.  Add lemon extract, mix.  Fold in blueberries.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes

Strawberry Lemonade 

1 gallon water
3 lemons-wedged and seeded
1 1/2c sugar
1/2lb strawberries fresh or frozen

combine all in a pitcher and mix until sugar is dissolved.  I try to stock up on strawberries during the summer and freeze quite a few quart size bags just for this lemonade.   When I use frozen berries I don't even thaw them I just throw them in and they double as ice.  This is seriously good and addicting lemonade.  I started making it for every shower and birthday party I do instead of buying sodas and I've never had anyone complain.  My one piece of advice, If you're shower is going to have more than 10 people I'd advise making more than 1 gallon because you will run out.  Yes it's that good!

I am so glad this shower is done.  I had a blast making everything and brainstorming ideas and of course the best part is always seeing the guest of honors face when she walks in but the last minute frantic rush always exhausts me.  Now, as always, I'm looking ahead to my next line up of projects.  What are they you may be asking yourself

1. Baby goodies- hooded towels, 1 yard receiving blankets, hospital gown, binky clips, nursing cover

2. Valentine's Day

3. Easter

4. My neice's Dora the Explorer 3rd birthday party

5. My sister's Bridal  shower- this one's gonna be a big one, the biggest party/shower I've done since my own wedding.  I'm excited but nervous all the same.  It's going to be a lot of crafting, a lot of prep, and everything will have to be transported to another location since it will be for all 4 sides of the family.  All that with a 3 year old and an infant to take care of, I'm already tired thinking about it.

January/March 2014 Monthly Menu Plan

We didn't do our once a month shopping until this past weekend so my menu plan this month also covers the first week of February for us.


I have to say this month was a tough one to make everything fit into the budget I like to stay in and I'm realizing there are times when I have to bust that budget a little and be ok with that.  One of our local grocery stores was having an amazing sale on ground beef ($1.69/lb) and pork chops ($1.49/lb).  I had already planned on buying some ground beef but couldn't pass up the pork chop sale.  We ended up purchasing 10 pounds of ground beef for about $16 and 14 bone in pork chops for just under $8.  These types of sales rarely come around and usually when they do it's not when I'm doing my OAMS.  So I considered this a blessing and that God was looking out for us since with those purchases we shouldn't need pork chops for a good 2-3 months, and the beef should last us through February, so this will allow for me to make other meat purchases and give us some wiggle room next month.


Anyways, on to the menu plan, I have a plan of 28 meals this month, some of which will change a little since we purchased more beef than planned so we have room to make adjustments without depleting our meat supply.

Monthly Meal Plan

1.veggie pot pie  I use Pioneer Woman's chicken pot pie recipe for a base, I've made it before and love the flavor.  Instead of heavy cream I'm using milk, leaving out the chicken and adding green beans instead.
2. stuffed pepper soup: this is a new recipe I've never tried before but came across it and thought it sounded delicious.  I'm always on the lookout for new soup recipes.
3.breakfast for dinner: biscuits with gravy, turkey bacon, and scrambled eggs
4. pinto beans and corn bread- my husband and son love beans, instead of using bacon to season them I bought ham hock which is much less expensive.  I bought a package of 3 ham hock for $3.52 at my local Wal-Mart and will only use 1 for each recipe of pinto beans I make.
5. deer roast with potatoes, biscuits, and deviled eggs
6. homemade pizza
7. fried bologna sandwiches with chips and fruit
8. meatloaf (recipe below) with mashed potatoes, green beans, buttered bread
9. leftovers
10. chili dogs with macaroni & cheese and fruit
11. orange chicken with rice
12. grilled cheese with potato wedges and corn
13. breakfast for dinner: homemade waffles with homemade syrup & fruit
14. leftovers
15. ham and peppers Stromboli (recipe below)
16. black bean enchilada soup (frozen meal from last month) with corn bread
17. turkey Bolognese with breadsticks
18. hamburger steaks with baked potatoes & fruit
19. leftovers
20. breakfast for dinner: ham and cheese omelets
21. homemade pizza
22. onion soup pork chops (recipe below) with fried potatoes and green beans
23. chicken fried rice
24. breakfast for dinner: breakfast pizza, I love Pioneer Woman's breakfast pizza and made it here.  I decided since I bought all the goods to make homemade salsa I might as well use some for this pizza.  However this one will be a veggie breakfast pizza instead of having the sausage or bacon on top.  I always over cook them and it will be a little quicker for me to whip up this way.
25. baked ham shank, mashed potatoes biscuits, and corn
26. tacos with Spanish rice
27. leftovers
28. pork chop casserole another new recipe I found and thought I'd give it a try.


I don't do daily meal plans for breakfast or lunch since it all depends on what I'm in the mood to cook or not cook and what leftovers we have for lunch options.  Instead I make a list at the bottom of my monthly calendar meal plan of all the breakfast items I have ingredients to make.  This way I can take a quick glance and know exactly what we have to choose from.  Here's the list of breakfast foods for this month:

Breakfast

brown sugar muffins

scrambled eggs with bacon

homemade waffles

pancakes

sweet potato bread

cinnamon swirl bread

baked oatmeal

oatmeal with toast

toast

pumpkin muffins

French puffs

Lunch

egg salad

tuna salad

turkey sandwiches/wraps

pizza wraps

cheese and crackers with turkey or pepperoni

pb&j

grilled cheese plain or with turkey or pepperoni

Recipes:

Meatloaf:  Everyone has a different way of making meatloaf but I thought I'd share my basic recipe and ways I change it.


1 1/2lbs ground beef (I prefer to use 80/20 ground beef because there is less grease)
1 egg
about 1/2 cup bread crumbs (use more if necessary)
1 onion finely chopped (you could use minced dried onion if you don't have a regular onion)
salt and pepper
1/4c ketchup (can use tomato sauce if you're out of ketchup)
1/4c milk (this is just for moisture, I've made it without using milk with good results as well but if I think about it, I try to add it.)
-throw it all in a bowl and mix it up.  Form into a loaf in a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Bake at 350 for about an hour, check for doneness just to be on the safe side.


*I don't actually measure any of my ingredients for meatloaf because there's really no wrong way to mix it up so don't be afraid to add more or less of the ingredients above.




CHANGES:
*add green, red, and/or yellow bell peppers that are finely chopped
*add shredded carrots and finely diced celery. 
*add 1t minced garlic
*I've read where people advise to sauté any of the veggies (bell peppers, onion, carrots, celery, garlic) in a separate pan before adding them to the meat mixture.  I don't do this because I'm lazy and have no desire to add in extra steps unless I find it necessary.  I haven't every made a meatloaf where the veggies I used tasted raw or hard so I don't do this step, you can if you wish.




Onion Soup Pork Chops:
4 pork chops (bone in or boneless)
1 packet onion soup mix
water


place pork chops in a glass baking dish.  Sprinkle onion soup mix on top.  Add enough water just to cover the bottom of the dish (this is just for moisture so the chops don't dry out).  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30-60 minutes.  If you are using boneless wings they tend to be smaller and thinner so you will probably only need to bake them around 30 minutes.  Bone in tend to be a bit thicker and I usually bake them about 45 minutes to an hour.




Ham & Peppers Stromboli:
1 pizza crust.  Recipe I use can be found here.
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
1c shredded cheese (any variety will work)
1c chopped ham (this can be lunch meat ham or leftover ham from a baked ham)
Italian seasoning
salt & pepper


roll pizza crust into a rectangle shape.  Sprinkle 3/4c cheese on center of crust, leaving dough on either side.  Top the cheese with red, green, & yellow peppers, the onion, and ham.  Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top then the salt and pepper.  Top with remaining 1/4c shredded cheese.  Bring both long sides of rectangle up over your ham/onion/pepper/cheese filling and pinch together covering your filling completely.  Pinch each end closed as well.  Take a butter knife and make three 1 1/2inch slits in the top of your Stromboli.  Place on a non-stick cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 until dough is golden brown (usually about 30-45 minutes).
*I love making Stromboli because you can literally make it a million different ways.  I've made pizza Stromboli with various combinations of pizza toppings, ham and cheese Stromboli, broccoli ham and cheese Stromboli, smoked sausage with green peppers & onion Stromboli, and an all veggie with bell peppers, broccoli & cheese.
*add some dipping sauces like pizza sauce or ranch dressing if you like.