Hello kiddos! I want to give you my dinner recipe for tomorrow while I'm sitting here at my computer tonight. It's a slow-cooker recipe that sounds delish--Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches. Yum! I loooooove my slow-cooker; it's the best. thing. ever. for a busy family. Even if you're not busy, there's not much better in this world than coming home at 5pm and smelling dinner in the crock pot. Sigh......now that's comfort food :) I got this recipe from http://www.bettycrocker.com/ and I've never made this one before so I'll let you know what we think.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
3.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs
1 3/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce (I'm going to use Frank's)
1 cucumber
12 sandwiches buns
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Place chicken and sauce in slow cooker and cook on low 7-8 hrs. Remove chicken from cooker and shred w/ two forks on a cutting board. Strain out pieces and skim fat from cooker, then replace chicken. Cook for 15-20min, allowing chicken to soak up sauce. Serve sandwiches with sliced cucumber and blue cheese on the buns. I'm serving this one w/ some good, crispy fries. Yum :)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Dinner Feb 26, 2011
Hello everyone! I hope this Saturday is treating you well. We are headed out to dinner tonight with some friends--and I invite you to do the same! See what different cuisine's the world has to offer! Our choice, you guessed it--Mexican!! Can't beat chips, salsa and a good margarita :) I hope your Saturday evening goes well and I will see you back tomorrow!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Dinner Feb 25. 2011
Hello my fabulous chefs! I am sure we are all happy to see Friday. We got some snow--yuck! I was holding my breath on Phil and hoping for an early spring. Oh well, soon enough :)
I have a wonderful dinner for you to warm up on this chilly, snowy, lazy, perfect-night-for-a-movie Friday night--veggie soup and delish biscuits! Now I must tell you all that this is my recipe and I've never done the same thing twice. It's one of those ;) I dig through my crisper and pull out whatever veggies I have in there. This is often a dish I'll make right before I make my bi-weekly trip to the grocery store to clean out my fridge. Here's my version, and I invite you to experiment with yours :) Happy Friday night to all!!
Veggie Soup *note: this recipe makes a small pot of soup; enough for dinner for four, then maybe another two lunches worth.
1 lb ground beef (Optional; I don't always include the beef, but it makes it a little heartier)
2-4 T Olive Oil
2 T minced garlic (I've gotten to where I buy the jar of pre-minced garlic from the produce section. It's so much easier than chopping garlic and the jar will stay in your fridge for--well, forever!! For this I use a couple of spoonfuls)
3-4 small potatoes, diced w/ peels left on
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup baby carrots (optional to chop)
1 T dried Parsley (I hardly ever use fresh herbs. They don't keep long and I usually end up throwing them out b/c they are going bad)
1 T Oregano
1/2 T Thyme
1 cup frozen corn
2 cans tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth *see note below
Salt and Pepper
2 cups noodles (whatever kind you prefer)
Cook noodles according to directions on package.
Brown beef, drain and set aside.
While beef is browning, in another pot heat oil on med heat. Add garlic, potatoes, onions, celery and carrots. Saute for about 5 min, then add herbs. While the veggies are sauteing, stir occasionally; this will infuse the flavor of the herbs into the veggies. Saute for about 6-8 minutes more, or until the veggies are soft.
Add the corn, tomato sauce and broth (*Only add enough of the broth to make it the consistency you desire). Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes or all day!
To serve, place noodles in a bowl and ladle soup over them. Serve w/ biscuits below.
Biscuits
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 - 1 cup milk
Heat oven to 375deg. Mix Bisquick and sour cream. Add enough milk to form a sticky, thick dough. Drop dough by the spoonful onto baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy with the soup!
I hope everyone enjoys this recipe and I wish you a wonderful weekend ahead
I have a wonderful dinner for you to warm up on this chilly, snowy, lazy, perfect-night-for-a-movie Friday night--veggie soup and delish biscuits! Now I must tell you all that this is my recipe and I've never done the same thing twice. It's one of those ;) I dig through my crisper and pull out whatever veggies I have in there. This is often a dish I'll make right before I make my bi-weekly trip to the grocery store to clean out my fridge. Here's my version, and I invite you to experiment with yours :) Happy Friday night to all!!
Veggie Soup *note: this recipe makes a small pot of soup; enough for dinner for four, then maybe another two lunches worth.
1 lb ground beef (Optional; I don't always include the beef, but it makes it a little heartier)
2-4 T Olive Oil
2 T minced garlic (I've gotten to where I buy the jar of pre-minced garlic from the produce section. It's so much easier than chopping garlic and the jar will stay in your fridge for--well, forever!! For this I use a couple of spoonfuls)
3-4 small potatoes, diced w/ peels left on
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup baby carrots (optional to chop)
1 T dried Parsley (I hardly ever use fresh herbs. They don't keep long and I usually end up throwing them out b/c they are going bad)
1 T Oregano
1/2 T Thyme
1 cup frozen corn
2 cans tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth *see note below
Salt and Pepper
2 cups noodles (whatever kind you prefer)
Cook noodles according to directions on package.
Brown beef, drain and set aside.
While beef is browning, in another pot heat oil on med heat. Add garlic, potatoes, onions, celery and carrots. Saute for about 5 min, then add herbs. While the veggies are sauteing, stir occasionally; this will infuse the flavor of the herbs into the veggies. Saute for about 6-8 minutes more, or until the veggies are soft.
Add the corn, tomato sauce and broth (*Only add enough of the broth to make it the consistency you desire). Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes or all day!
To serve, place noodles in a bowl and ladle soup over them. Serve w/ biscuits below.
Biscuits
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 - 1 cup milk
Heat oven to 375deg. Mix Bisquick and sour cream. Add enough milk to form a sticky, thick dough. Drop dough by the spoonful onto baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy with the soup!
I hope everyone enjoys this recipe and I wish you a wonderful weekend ahead
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Dinner Feb 24, 2011
Good afternoon folks! I hope your Thursday is treating you well. For dinner tonight--Mexican!!! I'm telling you-we LOVE Mexican! We are having Chicken Enchiladas tonight. This recipe is a conglomeration of three different recipes I've come across the years: one is from one of my roommates in college, one is from a neighbor of mine and then I've added a few on my own touches. I hope you enjoy!
Chicken Enchiladas with Spanish Corn and Cornbread
Chicken Enchiladas
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 cups chicken broth
1 can enchilada sauce
1 package taco seasoning
1 can cream of chicken
1 can diced tomatoes and green chili's
2 cups of shredded cheddar, divided
6-8 tortillas
Preheat oven to 350deg. Boil chicken in broth (make sure there is enough liquid to cover the chicken) about 20 min, or until no longer pink.
Meanwhile, mix enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, cream of chicken and tomatoes/green chili's in skillet on med-high heat. Add a little of the cooking water from the chicken if it's too thick. Stir until taco seasoning dissolves.
Shred chicken with two forks and place into the pan w/ the sauce. Cook for about 10 min, then add 1 cup of the cheese and cook another 10min.
Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and place in 9"x13" pan. Top with any remaining chicken mixture and the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30min.
Spanish Corn
2 cups frozen corn
4 T butter
1 can diced tomatoes and green chili's
Place butter and corn in saucepan on high heat. Cook on high for about 10min--this is called 'scalding' the corn. It adds a new texture and flavor to frozen corn. Stir often, or the corn will stick. Add tomatoes and green chili's and cook another 3-5min or until warm.
Cornbread
Here's where I take a shortcut--buy a box of Jiffy :) It's tasty and easy!
I hope you enjoy your Mexican meal--I know we will!!!
Chicken Enchiladas with Spanish Corn and Cornbread
Chicken Enchiladas
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 cups chicken broth
1 can enchilada sauce
1 package taco seasoning
1 can cream of chicken
1 can diced tomatoes and green chili's
2 cups of shredded cheddar, divided
6-8 tortillas
Preheat oven to 350deg. Boil chicken in broth (make sure there is enough liquid to cover the chicken) about 20 min, or until no longer pink.
Meanwhile, mix enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, cream of chicken and tomatoes/green chili's in skillet on med-high heat. Add a little of the cooking water from the chicken if it's too thick. Stir until taco seasoning dissolves.
Shred chicken with two forks and place into the pan w/ the sauce. Cook for about 10 min, then add 1 cup of the cheese and cook another 10min.
Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and place in 9"x13" pan. Top with any remaining chicken mixture and the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30min.
Spanish Corn
2 cups frozen corn
4 T butter
1 can diced tomatoes and green chili's
Place butter and corn in saucepan on high heat. Cook on high for about 10min--this is called 'scalding' the corn. It adds a new texture and flavor to frozen corn. Stir often, or the corn will stick. Add tomatoes and green chili's and cook another 3-5min or until warm.
Cornbread
Here's where I take a shortcut--buy a box of Jiffy :) It's tasty and easy!
I hope you enjoy your Mexican meal--I know we will!!!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
A Few Words....
Hello all. I hope your dinner was a success!! I wanted to share a few things w/ you I remembered/learned as I was making our meal tonight. First--cook the potatoes at about 450deg; they'll get crispier. Stir them every 15 min so they all have a chance to get crispy. Second--I had some Mango Jalapeno compote in the fridge (I got it at a hometown store over Christmas) so I mixed that w/ my mayo. I liked it, but the kids used ranch :) Oh well, can't win 'em all! Once again, this dinner was a hit! We served it w/ biscuits and lots of ketchup for our pots! Stay tuned tomorrow.....chicken enchiladas!! Yum!!!!
Dinner Feb 23, 2011
Hello everyone! I hope your week is going good--it's half over! I've got a wonderful recipe for you tonight. I've made this one before and the kiddos loved it :) Again, this one is from http://www.kraftfoods.com/ --love 'em!! I hope you enjoy!
Coconut Chicken Dippers w/ Roasted Potatoes
Chicken Dippers
1 pack Shake-N-Bake Extra Crispy Coating Mix
1 cup coconut
1/4 tsp each - curry powder and cayenne
1 egg
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1in strips
1/4 cup mayo
1 T fruit spread (it calls for mango here, but I use orange, or whatever's in the fridge)
Preheat oven to 400deg. Mix coating, coconut and seasonings in shallow dish. Beat egg in another shallow; add a splash of milk, if needed. Dredge the chicken strips in egg first and coating next. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake about 15min, or until chicken is done.
Mix the mayo and spread. Serve chicken w/ sauce.
Roasted Potatoes
1 lb potatoes
1 pkg onion soup mix
2-4T olive oil
Cut about 1 lb potatoes into 1in cubes. Place in a large bowl and mix with soup mix and oil. Stir until potatoes are coated. Place in a foil-lined baking dish and bake at 400deg 30-40min, or until potatoes are tender.
Enjoy :)
Coconut Chicken Dippers w/ Roasted Potatoes
Chicken Dippers
1 pack Shake-N-Bake Extra Crispy Coating Mix
1 cup coconut
1/4 tsp each - curry powder and cayenne
1 egg
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1in strips
1/4 cup mayo
1 T fruit spread (it calls for mango here, but I use orange, or whatever's in the fridge)
Preheat oven to 400deg. Mix coating, coconut and seasonings in shallow dish. Beat egg in another shallow; add a splash of milk, if needed. Dredge the chicken strips in egg first and coating next. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake about 15min, or until chicken is done.
Mix the mayo and spread. Serve chicken w/ sauce.
Roasted Potatoes
1 lb potatoes
1 pkg onion soup mix
2-4T olive oil
Cut about 1 lb potatoes into 1in cubes. Place in a large bowl and mix with soup mix and oil. Stir until potatoes are coated. Place in a foil-lined baking dish and bake at 400deg 30-40min, or until potatoes are tender.
Enjoy :)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Dinner Feb 22, 2011
Hello readers! Tonight's dinner will be a pleaser for all--Pizza Bread! Yum! This is a super-simple recipe that can probably be made with stuff you've got around the house. Here it is:
Pizza Bread
1 loaf of French bread (I use the frozen baguette from Schwan's)
1 can pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella
Additional toppings, if desired
Cut French bread in half and bake according to directions. Spread w/ pizza sauce and top w/ cheese (here's where you'd add more toppings if you want). Bake for another 6-8 minutes on 425deg, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. I might serve this dish w/ some frozen peas, just to add another element to the meal. Enjoy!!
Pizza Bread
1 loaf of French bread (I use the frozen baguette from Schwan's)
1 can pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella
Additional toppings, if desired
Cut French bread in half and bake according to directions. Spread w/ pizza sauce and top w/ cheese (here's where you'd add more toppings if you want). Bake for another 6-8 minutes on 425deg, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. I might serve this dish w/ some frozen peas, just to add another element to the meal. Enjoy!!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Dinner Feb 21, 2011
My husband is out of town--blah! He doesn't travel often but when he does I'm tempted to throw some chicken nuggets in the oven and then have my dinner of snacks in the pantry after the kids to go to bed :) No---not a good idea. We LOVE Mexican. We probably have a Mexican-themed meal 2 or 3 times a week, and we usually have tacos once a week. I grew up in Colorado and, as they say it, the spicier the better! My daughter will drag anything I give her through salsa (including grapes), while my son is a little more reserved. Here's what's on our menu tonight:
Easy Baked Taco Pie (I got this recipe from http://www.kraftfoods.com/, one of my fav sights)
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 T Chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg frozen corn
6 tortillas (it says whole wheat, but I don't like those)
Shredded cheese and sour cream
Heat oven to 375deg
Brown meat and onions and chili powder on med-high heat. Drain. Add tomatoes and corn, cook 5 min, allowing corn to thaw and tomatoes to warm. Stirring occasionally.
Spoon 1 cup of meat mixture into 2qt round casserole (here's where I use whatever pan I drag out of the cabinet first). Cover w/ 3 tortillas and some cheese. Cover w/ remaining tortillas and meat. Cover w/ foil.
Bake for 25-30 min, or until heated. Top w/ cheese and bake, uncovered, 5 min or until cheese is melted. Serve topped w/ sour cream.
Enjoy!
I like this recipe b/c it is easy and I can make it, stick it into the oven and go hang w/ the kids. I'm going to serve Spanish rice w/ this meal. If my husband was here, I'd prob have some cornbread also, but that's a lot of food for three people! I'll prob make it around 5, then feed the kids their veggies (here's to my tips!!) and let it cook. When it comes out at 5:30, I'll let it cool while I make the rice, then we'll eat! Delish :)
Easy Baked Taco Pie (I got this recipe from http://www.kraftfoods.com/, one of my fav sights)
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 T Chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg frozen corn
6 tortillas (it says whole wheat, but I don't like those)
Shredded cheese and sour cream
Heat oven to 375deg
Brown meat and onions and chili powder on med-high heat. Drain. Add tomatoes and corn, cook 5 min, allowing corn to thaw and tomatoes to warm. Stirring occasionally.
Spoon 1 cup of meat mixture into 2qt round casserole (here's where I use whatever pan I drag out of the cabinet first). Cover w/ 3 tortillas and some cheese. Cover w/ remaining tortillas and meat. Cover w/ foil.
Bake for 25-30 min, or until heated. Top w/ cheese and bake, uncovered, 5 min or until cheese is melted. Serve topped w/ sour cream.
Enjoy!
I like this recipe b/c it is easy and I can make it, stick it into the oven and go hang w/ the kids. I'm going to serve Spanish rice w/ this meal. If my husband was here, I'd prob have some cornbread also, but that's a lot of food for three people! I'll prob make it around 5, then feed the kids their veggies (here's to my tips!!) and let it cook. When it comes out at 5:30, I'll let it cool while I make the rice, then we'll eat! Delish :)
Tip
Here's a little tip for you--my husband usually gets home around 5:30. This means we usually eat around 6. With little ones, this often makes for some cranky people going from a snack at 3 to dinner at 6. I don't like to just shove junk into them so here's what I started doing--at 5:00 (give or take a bit) we have veggies. I know what your thinking: 'veggies, really?? That's her tip?' But listen-- I buy bags of frozen veggies (mine from Schwans, b/c they are convenient and cheap) and warm up a bowl of them (about 1 cup). Then I have my kiddos bring their fav chair (right now it's a Mickey and a Buzz chair) into the living room. I sit and feed them the veggies. It's kind of like a fun-for-them time, b/c they are eating in the living room and I'm 100% devoted to them. It took awhile for them to get into it, but once they did, I've been able to pull them inside just by telling them it's time for veggies!! Their fav is the mixed veggies w/ bow-tie pasta. My son eats the corn, peas and noodles, while my daughter eats anything I put in front of her. This makes everyone a winner; they get a serving of veggies, they aren't starving by dinner b/c they actually had a good-for-them snack filled with fiber and if they don't eat as much at dinner I don't mind, b/c they had a huge serving of veggies earlier! I've also been known to make our snack watermelon or strawberries or some kind of fruit in the summer. If I can't get the time to sit and feed them veggies, I'll still give them a snack, but it'll be something they can eat like a cheese stick or a yogurt stick.
Here's to making your Witching Hour go a little more smoothly tonight!!
Here's to making your Witching Hour go a little more smoothly tonight!!
Welcome!!
Hello folks! Welcome to my blog! I want to help moms (and dads and grandmas and whoever else might be cooking for little ones tonight) cook wholesome, delicious meals that will help make your day easier and feed your family a healthy meal. Don't worry--this isn't a blog that will be dishing out Swiss chard and talapia fillets :) I make good-for-you meals that are easy to prepare and are family-friendly.
I like to plan my meals for two weeks at a time. I know, this sounds impossible to some of you, but with a little practice and a little help, it won't be so bad! Planning allows me to do one big shopping trip to get all of my ingredients and it makes it so I don't have to lean over the counter staring at my cookbook around 4:30 every evening wondering what I can defrost. Don't get me wrong--there are nights I do that, but I try to have several meals planned and have the fixin's on hand to make it a little easier.
I get a lot of my meals from cookbooks, websites and my brain. I love to cook and I've got lots of yummy recipes stored upstairs when I need them :) This blog will help you to get some dinner ideas at a glance and make your evenings run more smoothly.
Happy Cooking!!!
I like to plan my meals for two weeks at a time. I know, this sounds impossible to some of you, but with a little practice and a little help, it won't be so bad! Planning allows me to do one big shopping trip to get all of my ingredients and it makes it so I don't have to lean over the counter staring at my cookbook around 4:30 every evening wondering what I can defrost. Don't get me wrong--there are nights I do that, but I try to have several meals planned and have the fixin's on hand to make it a little easier.
I get a lot of my meals from cookbooks, websites and my brain. I love to cook and I've got lots of yummy recipes stored upstairs when I need them :) This blog will help you to get some dinner ideas at a glance and make your evenings run more smoothly.
Happy Cooking!!!
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