Disappearing Dinner!

Two of my customers came in today after having lunch at Olive Garden.....I spent the rest of the afternoon dreaming of creamy alfredo and breadsticks!! I didn't take lunch either so by the time we closed I was STARVING!! You know my mantra about not eating out so needless to say I did not visit the local OG for takeout!
Instead I came home and had this on the table in about 1/2 hour!
I was a little worried when it came out of the oven but the sauce tightened up after standing a few minutes.....so try to resist the urge to shovel it in your face right out of the oven (besides, it'll be hot hot hot!!)

Chicken Alfredo Bake
1/2 16 oz package penne pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups cooked chicken
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Bring a large pot of water to a boil....cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place it in a greased 9X9 pan. Heat olive oil a large skillet. Add the cooked chicken and cook it until it's nice and brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook over medium high heat until garlic is fragrant. Add the cream and milk. Let this heat up then sprinkle in the cheese. Stir the sauce with a whisk until it starts to thicken up (takes a few minutes). Add the chicken broth, thyme, oregano and the browned chicken. Let it heat up and thicken again. Pour the sauce and chicken over the pasta. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and then the panko. Set your oven to broil (high) and set the pan under the broiler 5 minutes (mine was done after 3) just watch it close so it doesn't burn. Let it stand 5 minutes before serving.
This dish is best served right after preparing. If you need to reheat it do so at very low heat!

An oldie....but a goodie!

This is a throw back to the "house wife" days......when I had all day to cook and clean and be Mommy.
Sometimes I miss those days. I miss the super clean house of those days but I do NOT miss the tyrant that I could be. I was watching home videos not long ago with Miss Avery and WOW I was snappy! And not snappy in a good way either I was downright horrible! I called Catherine later and told her I was sorry for being so snappy at her (to which she replied "Ma, I was obnoxious I'm sure I deserved it")
I really love that girl....loved her then but now I just can't express how much I love her (and not just because she has given me the three most precious grandbabies ever)!!
Anyway......this is one of those back in the day dinners that everyone loved. Even Wendell who didn't really like his food to touch would have seconds of this!
It's pretty quick to throw together, freezes GREAT and is pretty good as leftovers too!
I hope you make it soon!

Parmesan Chicken and Broccoli
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 c minced onion
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Italian seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 1/4 cups milk
3 oz cream cheese cut into small cubes
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped ham
3 Tbsp slivered almonds
Mix onion and cooked rice together. Spread in the bottom of a lightly greased 9X13 pan and set aside. Steam broccoli until bright green. Set aside.
In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp olive oil. Season chicken with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Add to hot oil. Brown on each side cooking about 5 minutes until nice and brown. Place chicken on top of rice. Add a little more oil to the skillet if needed....scrape up all those lovely browned bits off the bottom. Add the garlic and then the cornstarch. Add the milk all at once and reduce heat and boil a few minutes until thick and bubbly (will take a little longer than a flour based sauce would.....keep at it, it's worth it)! Add the cream cheese and stir until cheese melts. Stir in the Parmesan the ham and the steamed  broccoli. Pour sauce over chicken and rice. Sprinkle with almonds and cover with foil. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
You could make this with chicken chunks instead to bring it together really quickly. Just proceed with the sauce and stir in the cooked chicken chunks along with the broccoli and ham. Finish as usual.
To freeze this let it come to fridge temp then freeze (I freeze in aluminum pans). Thaw in the fridge before baking.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I've been battling a nasty chest cold that turned into bronchitis.....not so fun!
Chicken Noodle Soup is good for the soul and it sure does a body good too!
With a bag of cooked chicken and my homemade stock I have this beautiful soup on the table in 15 minutes!

Chicken Noodle Soup
2 quarts chicken stock, thawed
1 bag chicken, thawed
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups noodles
Parsley flakes

Bring stock to a boil. Add vegetables, chicken and garlic. Simmer gently covered about 10 minutes until veggies are tender. Uncover, add noodles and boil 5-7 minutes until noodles are cooked. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Soup freezes great if there are leftovers that is!

I shouldn't be allowed to cook!

I have made a pretty good beef stew in the past......baked or baked in a cute lil pumpkin it's been a favorite for years! Today I made a new recipe and BAM!! Let me tell you I thought I had made good beef stew before but this is absolutely the BEST thing I have ever made!!
We have this little game we play...the yummier things are the more the girls say "this is terrible Mom, you really shouldn't be allowed to cook" and things along that line!
Arielle was so stunned by the depth of flavor in this that she couldn't even muster up an "ewww...this is gross"! We've talked about how yummy it was all night and neither of us can wait until lunch tomorrow so we can have some more!

Beef Stew over Mashed Potatoes
1 lb trimmed beef chunks
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 onion diced
3 stalks of celery cut into 1" chunks
2 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper
2 cups beef stock
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp rosemary
2 small bay leaves
1/2 cup sweet baby peas
2 Tbsp soft (not melted) butter
2 Tbs flour
Brown the beef in the olive oil until the beef is browned on all sides. Add the vegetables and continue cooking 3-5 minutes until the vegetable start to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Cover and simmer over low heat 2 hours.
When ready to serve add the peas. Blend the soft butter and flour together and add to simmering stew. Turn heat up and bring stew to a boil to thicken stew. Serve hot over mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peel and but into small chunks
Put potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes until they are very tender. Remove from heat and drain. Return potatoes to pot and put back over the burner with the heat off to dry the potatoes out.
Mash the potatoes with a masher.
Add:
3 Tbsp soft butter
3 Tbsp cream cheese softened
1/2 cup milk
Mix in the butter, cream cheese and milk mashing them around with the masher until they are creamy to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.

Totally off the subject!

I LOVE my ceramic cooktop.......those icky pans under the coils of a standard range always look dirty no matter how often you clean them!
I upgraded to a ceramic cooktop a few years ago and I've never regretted it! The only thing I dislike about it is the top can be hard to keep clean. I discovered a pretty good cooktop cleaner shortly after buying it and I like how it works but it is EXPENSIVE!!!
I've been on this natural cleaning kick lately, we've been making homemade cleaner with vinegar and citrus rinds and I really like how it cleans and feel good about reducing my use of chemicals. So I decided that if baking soda is a great exfoliator for my dull dry skin why wouldn't it work on my stove top??
I wiped off the surface then I sprinkled some dry baking soda on my damp sponge and rubbed in small circle.....holy fast cleaning Batman! DONE!
Here's the proof my friends!
Before

 See the grimy brownish ring around the circle.....that's boiled over something or other.
It only took about 2 minutes to get this result!!!

Nice and shiny and baking soda is CHEAP!!!

I tried the same thing on my sink and it helped a little but maybe the sink was just too icky for something simple.....bring on the bleach! lol

Got a minute?

OK.....it's more like 10 minutes but start to finish you are eating dinner like BAM!!!!
Super quick, super tasty and happy tummies! This is one of those ingredient only recipes because you know how much you need for your family, right?

Chicken Tacos
Flour tortillas
Thawed Mexican chicken  recipe here
Thawed Cilantro Lime Rice recipe below
Black beans
Shredded Colby Jack cheese
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Sour cream
Salsa
These are good served tostada style too!

Cilantro Lime Rice
2 cups rice (not that instant crap though......throw that away)!
1 Tbsp butter
2 tsp minced garlic
4 chicken bullion cubes
1 tsp lime zest
4 cups water
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Bring rice, butter, garlic, bullion cubes, zest and water in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook stirring occasionally 20-30 minutes. When rice is done remove from heat. Stir in lime juice, sugar and cilantro.
This freezes great!

Little cups of heaven!

I found this amazing recipe for cupcakes on pintrest....when I went back to make them the 2nd time the website was :::GONE:::
Ugh!
Mercifully I had saved the recipe on facebook as a note! Took me about a day to remember though!
Thank goodness, literally because these cupcakes are splendid!!
The original recipe makes a Chocolate Ganache Buttercream and I'll post that as well as the Nutella Buttercream I actually made and is pictured!
Enjoy!

Vanilla Chiffon Cupcakes
2 eggs separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups cake flour (don't try to use all purpose flour here)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
Heat oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with papers and set aside.
In a small deep bowl whip egg whites until thick and foamy. Beat in 1/2 cup of the sugar (1 Tbsp at a time) beating until they are glossy and stiff. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining sugar, flour, salt and baking powder. Add milk, oil, vanilla and the egg yolks. Beat until well combined. With a rubber spatula fold in the egg whites GENTLY (add them in 3 installments) do NOT over mix this! I use a large scoop to portion them out...you should get 24 cupcakes. Bake them 15-20 minutes until they are very lightly brown and test done with a toothpick. Cool completely before frosting. Store in air tight containers. These freeze great with or without frosting!

Chocolate Nutella Buttercream
1 cup butter at room temp
2 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup Nutella
dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp heavy cream
Nothing fancy just beat it all together until it's fluffy (about 5 minutes) then spread on cupcakes.

Chocolate Ganache Buttercream
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream
Melt chocolate chips in heavy cream over low heat then let it cool to room temp.
4 cups powdered sugar
dash salt
1 cup butter at room temp
2 tsp vanilla
Beat the butter and powdered sugar until mixed well. Add the cooled ganache, vanilla and salt (if you used salted butter you can leave the salt out or at least cut it by 1/2). Beat until very light and fluffy about 3 minutes. Spread on cooled cupcakes. Leftover frosting freezes quite well. Bring to room temp then beat it until fluffy!

It's like wrapped up pizza!

Kids love this pizza braid.....we call it "Stromboli" they call it "YUMMY"!!
It's super easy to make you can fill it with whatever you like! I don't like to put the sauce inside of mine cause it gets a little soggy so I just serve it on the side to dunk!!
Take the bread dough out of the freezer when you leave for work and put it together when you get home. It can raise while you relax and watch some TV or do the dreaded laundry......homework, nap it's all gotta be done, right? :)

Stromboli
2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed
Roll each loaf out into a rectangle about 8x12 or whenever you get sick of trying to make it even.
Down the center of the dough sprinkle on
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
After that you can add whatever kind of pizza toppings you like such as cubed ham, pepperoni, sausage, black olives, peppers, onions.....yeah just pile it on about 1 cup of meats and about 1/2 cup veggies.
Then cut the outer edges with a pizza cutter at 1 inch intervals leaving the very end uncut even with the topping. Pull the strips across the filling at a slight angle leaving the uncut ends out. Then fold the ends down over and fold the edges underneath the whole thing. Spray a large cookie sheet with olive oil spray and put the strombolis down. Spray them with olive oil spray and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. At this point you can cover and let them rise however long you can hold out! Let them raise at least 1/2 hour before baking. Preheat oven to 375. Bake Stromboli for about 20 minutes until deep golden brown. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting into thick slices. Serve with warmed up pizza sauce.

I shelled out for some dinner!

Normally I do this filling in manicotti but shells were all I had and you know what I think I'll skip the manicotti from now on....the shells were much easier to fill so we were eating even faster!! You know how I'm a fan of instant gratification and all! :)

Super Easy Stuffed Shells
1 box large shells, cooked and drained (I rinse mine too so they are cool enough to fill)
1 lb part skim ricotta cheese
1 lb part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (keep about 1/3 of the cheese out for the top)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper
1 jar/can of your favorite spaghetti sauce
Mix cheeses, parsley and garlic in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Lightly spray a 9X13 pan and spread a little of the sauce over the bottom. Fill each shell with a heaping Tbsp of the cheese filling and placing in prepared pan.

Pour remaining sauce over shells and top with the rest of the cheese.


Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is nice and browned. Wait 5 minutes before eating so the cheese sets.

Leftovers are awesome reheated but I don't recommend freezing the entire dish. You can freeze just the stuffed shells......when ready to bake put them into the pan and cover with sauce/cheese. Bake covered for about 40 minutes then 10-15 uncovered.

South of the border night....

Once upon a time my husband was a meat and potatoes kinda guy and getting him to eat anything else was hard! He was really an easy going guy but man don't mess with his dinner! He would eat anything twice.....and if it was something he really didn't care for he would just say "you don't have to make that again".
I love trying new recipes and experimenting with old ones to make them better! The girls don't really care, unless I talk about 2 things.....Lasagna and Cinnamon Rolls, those are sacred and I don't mess with them!
Tonight's recipe is a family favorite.....fiddled with for years before settling on this "perfect" version!
It's pretty yummy...mildly spicy so little kids won't have too much to complain about ;)

Mexican Lasagna
1 bag of ground beef, thawed
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp each, oregano, basil and cumin
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 small can sliced olives, drained
1 can sweet corn, drained
salt and pepper
Combine in a large skillet and cover. Simmer over low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Spray a baking dish with non stick spray.
Combine in a large bowl:
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1 lb shredded jack cheese
Crush a large bag of plain corn chips and layer in your baking dish as follows
Corn chips
1/2 the meat sauce
Corn chips
1/2 the cheese
Corn chips
Remaining meat sauce
Corn chips
Remaining cheese
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes.

Chicken me some pie!

Arielle will eat chicken every day...no, EVERY day! She's not terribly picky about her chicken either....baked, roasted, grilled, bbq, casserole she loves her some chicken! This very tasty "pot pie" has been her favorite meal from a very young age. It goes together quickly but does not freeze well. Leftovers are divine for lunch the next day!

Chicken Pot Pie
1 cup cubed Yukon Gold potatoes (seriously, are you still buying white potatoes?)
Put potatoes in a small sauce pan and cover with about 3/4 cup water. Salt and put the lid on. Cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes until potatoes are tender. Set aside.
In a large skillet melt 3 Tbsp butter and add 1/2 cup chopped carrot, 1/2 cup chopped celery and 1/2 cup chopped onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium/high heat until veggies are tender.
Sprinkle in 4 heaping Tbsp flour and cook 3 minutes until nice and brown.
Add 2 cups chicken stock and 2/3 cup milk. Cook and stir until nice and thick.
Add 1 bag of thawed chicken, the cooked potatoes (and their liquid) and 1 cup frozen baby peas.
Stir until heated through. Pour into lightly greased 9X13 pan.
Preheat oven to 375.
Biscuit Topper
1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup milk
Mix just enough to pull together into a sticky dough. Drop onto filling (I use a big scoop).
Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Chickilladas!

I LOVE chicken enchiladas......spicy red sauce or mild white sauce I love them equally! I've been searching for a killer recipe for homemade white sauce that doesn't use "cream of" anything soup. I have nothing against cream soups they are a staple in my pantry but I love the satisfaction of making it from scratch!
With my chicken out of the freezer I had these in the oven in 15 minutes! Seriously folks these are SO good I can't say enough good things about them!!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
2 cups shredded Mexican chicken, thawed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 soft flour taco shells
Mix chicken, seasonings and cheese. Use a slight heaping 1/4 cup for each enchilada. Put into a greased 9X13 pan.

Mild Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp diced green chiles
salt and pepper
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add flour and cook until it's dark and lovely. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder and chicken stock. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Cover and let simmer on low 5 minutes to develop deep flavor. Remove from heat and add sour cream, chiles and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over rolled enchiladas in pan. Use ALL of the sauce!! Cover with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Uncover and bake 3-5 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

A meatball journey!

Today I cooked chicken (the usual way, nothing special I do it every month) and made 3 kinds of meatballs!
I like a little variety every now and then so I try to make things that have lots of options! Meatballs are easy to vary and my basic recipe can be adapted at least these 3 ways, maybe more but let's start with 3 today!

Basic Meatballs
4 slices nice soft white bread crusts removed
2/3 cup milk
2 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Break the bread into pieces and put into a large bowl (larger than you think you need cause this is messy work)! Pour the milk over the bread and toss it around so all the pieces are moist. Let sit about 5 minutes.
Break up ground beef and add along with other ingredients to bread mixture. Dig in with your hands and mix lightly just until it's all worked together.
Get out a cookie sheet, foil and a wire rack (you know, the kind you cool things on). Cover the cookie sheet with foil and put the wire rack on top of it. Spray the rack with non stick cooking spray. Scoop meat mixture onto the wire rack with a regular size scoop. Keep them close together on the rack. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. The wire rack will allow any fat to drip off and you will thank me later! Let them cool then bag them up and freeze!

Italian Meatballs
To basic meatball recipe add:
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp garlic
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
Follow directions above.
Most of the time I make the basic meatballs and do HALF the meat into balls then add the Italian ingredients (using 1/2 the above amounts) mix and finish......you can bake them all together it's easy to tell which ones are the Italian ones because of the cheese!

Swedish Meatballs
Ok, this on is slightly trickier but they are SO tasty!
Make one small variance in the meat....use 1 lb ground pork and 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
Follow the basic recipe adding:
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice

Sauce for Swedish Meatballs:
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
4 cups beef broth
3/4 cup sour cream
2-4 Tbsp Blackberry jam (Lingonberry is traditional but good luck finding it)
salt and pepper
Melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour and cook 1 minute. Add beef broth and stir until thick. Turn heat off and add sour cream, jam and season to taste. Add your meatballs and put the lid on. Let them just sit there in the sauce but don't turn the heat back on. Serve over egg noodles.
The sauce doesn't freeze well but it goes together fast....you can just thaw the meatballs and then add them to the finished sauce!

Ready....set....SHOP!

Payday around here means a few things....none of them are extravagant! Payday means, pay the bills (duh) and go grocery shopping.....Now I LOVE to cook, but grocery shopping is on my list of "do I really have to" along with folding laundry and cleaning toilets (just where is that fairy godmother anyway)!
Luckily I have a pretty steady shopping buddy! Arielle goes even if it's late (like it was last night) and her hip is hurting (like it was last night) and...yeah, you get the point huh! ;)
So, where do you start when you go shopping? I'll tell you what I do....it's working for me and keeps me ON budget and gets me in and out pretty quick!
*Make your menu (I shop once a month except for the odd trip for milk and maybe some nice fresh produce)
*Plan your shopping list (don't forget staples and things you will always need like milk, bread and Nutella)!
*Rewrite your shopping list into departments taking into account the layout of your preferred store make it two columns so it isn't nine miles long!
*EAT BEFORE YOU GO!!! Nothing makes an expensive shopping trip more than a hungry tummy!
*Grab your coupons (I'm not much of a couponer......I would like to be but I just don't have the energy)!
*Stick to your list! Unless it's on a super sale if it's not on your list you don't need it!
*Take it home put it away and feel good about your stocked kitchen!
*Last bit of advice on shopping.....if you tend to eat out too much and want to stop it. SPEND  your money at the grocery store that gives you 1: a well stocked kitchen and a menu to stick to and 2: No money to go out to eat on! :-D
I try not to shop and cook on the same day, it's exhausting! I would rather shop at night when the store is being stocked. Figure out what works for you!
Now it's time to get your monthly recipes together. If I have new things I am going to try I print them out and put them in my black recipe binder. That way everything is all together and if Arielle is making dinner that night (which she does once a week...man I love that kid)! she doesn't have to wonder where said recipe is!

That's it! Now you are ready for a month of eating dinner with your family (make them help you cook too, it's so much fun to cook with your kids! Even little kids can help out. Avery is a better egg cracker at 8 than most adults are)!

Leeloo Dallas multipass!

Whenever we watch the move "The Fifth Element" we laugh for days....it's so quotable! Our favorite quote is "Cheekan"! Love it when Leeloo pulls the chicken out of the food replicator (or whatever that contraption is). The look on her face is priceless! lol
Anywho! Tonight I really didn't feel like cooking, so I didn't! I did boil some macaroni but I don't think that qualifies as cooking.......if it does to you they HEY, I cooked! ;)
We had our favorite sandwich tonight and a yummy fast macaroni salad. This is usually the meal I pack in the cooler if we are going to Lagoon. This was ready and on the table in less than 20 minutes!

Macaroni Salad
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 cup cheddar cheese cubes
1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2-1 cup mayo
salt and pepper
Boil the macaroni until tender and then add the frozen peas. Stir around then drain the water off. Run cool water over the macaroni and set aside.
In a large bowl mix all together adding salt and pepper to taste. This tastes best if you let it hang out in the fridge overnight.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
1 bag of shredded BBQ chicken thawed (warmed if desired, I just put the bag in the microwave and heat it  right in the bag 15-20 seconds.
Cut some nice crusty rolls in half. Spread mayo over the roll and pile on some chicken. Top the chicken with a slice of Provolone cheese and a smear of BBQ sauce. Top with the roll crown and devour!
These are delicious cold as well and transport to picnics beautifully to assemble at eating time!

Chow down some chowder!

Ok......3 posts in a day is pretty ambitious! Here's the last of the trio for today!

Country Ham Chowder
2-3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, pared and cubed
Put these in a small saucepan, cover with about 3/4 cup water and sprinkle on a little salt. Cover and simmer about 8 minutes until they are tender. Set aside (liquid and all).
In a large saucepan melt 3 Tbsp butter, add 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped carrot and 1/2 cup chopped celery. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Dump in 3 Tbsp flour. Cook and stir for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
Add 2 1/2 cups milk (you can use skim milk in this and it's plenty rich)
Bring to a gentle boil until it's thick and bubbly.
Add:
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
the potatoes with the liquid you cooked them in
1 can sweet corn (drained please)
1 cup chopped ham
Bring to a simmer.
Add:
1 1/2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
Do NOT let chowder boil once you have added the cheese, just let it sit over the turned off burner and stir it around until it's melted.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
This freezes great. Let it cool then put it in freezer bags. Freeze it flat. Thaw and heat!

Let them eat......well, bread!

It's a soup kinda day here in Utah and what goes best with homemade soup?? Homemade bread!!
I used to bake bread every week back in my "housewife" days.....sometimes I miss those days. The OCD house cleaning, I do NOT miss (glad that chick is gone) but I do miss the routine of making bread.....starting early in the day and baking 6 or 8 loaves. Then we were poor married teenagers but today I bake for the love of it. The smell of bread is just heavenly, don't you think? It makes a rainy day so much more enjoyable.....and a thick slice of homemade bread slathered with melty butter is pretty much my idea of awesome!
This recipe is practically idiot proof (as evidenced by the fact that I mastered it while I was a teenage bride)!

Best Bread
3/4 cup warm water
2 Tbsp dry active yeast
Pour warm water over yeast in the bowl of your KitchenAid mixer....you don't HAVE a KitchenAid?? Oh, you poor poor soul. You should ask Santa to bring you one! If you don't have a KitchenAid just pour it into the biggest mixing bowl you have and cry about your lack of non appliance status over your hot bread later! Let this sit and bloom.
Combine in a small saucepan: 
2 cups whole milk (milk with less fat makes vastly incompetent bread)!
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
3 Tbsp solid shortening
Heat until sugar and salt are dissolved and shortening is melted
Add to yeast mixture along with 4 cups of flour. Beat until very smooth and satiny. Continue beating adding flour 1 cup at a time until dough begins to pull from sides. If you are mixing this by hand, this is the point where you abandon the mixing spoon and dig in with your hands!! FUN STUFF!
Switch to your dough hook and continue adding flour in small amounts (you'll use about 7 1/2 to 8 cups total) until dough is tacky but not sticky. Continue the kneading process about 5 minutes with machine or until your arms fall off manually. :)
If you have a Tupperware "Thatsa Bowl" now is the time to use it! Spray that sucker good with non stick spray and plop in your beautiful dough. Lightly spray the dough and the lid and put the lid on! Let dough rise until nearly triple.
This makes 2 loaves of bread. Form them into loaves and place them in greased loaf pans, cover and place in a warm draft free place. Let rise until dough is about 1 inch above the top of the pan.  Bake in a preheated 425 oven about 25 minutes or until deeply golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped lightly. Remove from pan immediately and brush tops/sides and ends with butter. Let cool 1/2 hour before trying to slice or it's like trying to slice glue!
If you want to freeze your bounty let the loaves cool completely then wrap them in heavy foil and put into a gallon size freezer bag. Thaw before slicing if you didn't slice it before!

This easily converts to whole wheat just substitute honey for the sugar and use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose!

Life is short....eat dessert first!

Today, I will make 3 posts....one for each of the yummies I am making!
Last night I got together with some of my favorite girls! Both of my daughters, my niece Rora and besties Johanna and Tami. Tami has just moved into a beautiful new home in Washington Terrace after 20 some years of apartment dwelling. To celebrate we had a little party........I was instructed to "bring chocolate". I whipped up some devastatingly delicious brownies! They are slightly more involved than my normal "better than a box" brownies but OMG are they worth it!
The buttercream makes twice as much as you need for your brownies but I am sure you can find a good use for it.....and it does freeze beautifully (just bring it to room temp and give it a good whipping before using it)!

Go Big Brownies
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Mix together and set aside.
In a large glass bowl combine:
1/2 cup butter
3 (1oz each) squares unsweetened baking chocolate
Melt in microwave on medium heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Add:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
Mix until combined then add flour mixture all at once along with 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured 8X8 (or 9X9 whatever you have) pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Do NOT open the oven during the baking!
Cool completely before frosting.

OMG Chocolate Buttercream
3/4 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
scant 1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup Ovaltine powder
1 tsp vanilla
Beat cocoa and butter together 3 minutes until very creamy. In a 1 cup measuring cup combine cream, Ovaltine and vanilla. Add powdered sugar to butter mixture pouring in cream slowly. Increase mixer speed and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Spread 1/2 over cooled brownie. Do what you will with the rest, I won't tell! ;)

There is some debate over salted vs unsalted butter.......you didn't ask for my opinion but here it is anyway!
Salted butter!! The salt will keep the butter fresher, it won't absorb odors from the other foods it comes in contact with so it will taste like BUTTER......not garlic! You can reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe to compensate for the little bit of salt in the butter.

Another debate? Sure, why not! Should I sift that flour and or powdered sugar? Eh, pour it into a bowl and give it a good stir with a wire whisk before measuring! If my powdered sugar is a little older it can be a little lumpy maybe then I may sift it.......maybe, maybe not!

30 minutes to dinner!

Another super quick ground beef recipe! I've made this dozens of times, dozens of different ways but tonight I upped the ante with the addition of Philadelphia Cooking Cream (the Italian Herb variety)!
You can use whatever brand jarred/canned sauce you and your family like, we like Hunts Traditional it's pretty cheap when it's on sale you can pick it up for about 90 cents! That's a bargain any day folks!
You can also vary the meat and use meatballs. I've also done this with Alfredo sauce and chicken for another easy version!
Tonight we have the Creamy Pasta Bake!
1 lb pasta cooked about 1 minute less than directions call for
1/2 cup pasta water (save it out before you drain your pasta)
1 jar/can Spaghetti sauce
1 bag of cooked beef, thawed
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
3/4 of the container cooking cream
After draining the pasta pour it back into the pot adding all the rest of the ingredients. Stir it around until cooking cream is incorporated. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Spoon out the rest of the cooking cream over the top in little plops and cover with 1/2 lb shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil, bake 30 minutes at 350.

Serve with a salad with zesty Italian dressing and some crusty bread!

I'm too chicken to eat out!

Last night, after our adventures in the ER Momma and Father John were hungry so we stopped at "Village Inn" (really it was Denny's but Mom can't see so she thought it was a VI)......yeah, this is the reason I don't eat out! Ewww......when we were leaving my Mom said "Jamie, you didn't order breakfast:"! Wish I would have, it's hard to mess up pancakes! In no way do I think Denny's constitutes fine dining but wow it was BAD! But the service was good, the girl always had a smile on her face and was really sweet even though my Mom can be kinda testy! :)
Today was my day off and normally that means laundry, cleaning and cooking......check! check! and check!
Normally I do a roast on Sunday but I couldn't find a small enough one when I went shopping (cooking for 2 is a challenge sometimes) so I decided on a lovely chicken divan! I love broccoli!! How many foods look like trees and are so tasty? I can't think of many! With a bag of cooked chicken out of the freezer you can have this in the oven in minutes and on the table in less than 45! In 45 minutes you could clean your bathroom (or fold laundry.....or just sit in your favorite chair and do nada.....no judgement)!

Chicken Divan
2-3 cups broccoli florets (steam until bright green and slightly tender please don't boil it, that is a terrible thing to do to a beautiful veggie)
Lightly grease a 9X13 pan. Put the broccoli in. Put a bag of chopped chicken over the top of the broccoli (thaw the chicken first).
Make a sauce of
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Heat this up gently just until cheese melts. Salt and pepper to taste and pour over the broccoli/chicken mixture!
Mix 1/2 cup bread crumbs with 2 Tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Serve over hot rice.
Super yummy leftovers and this freezes beautifully! Thaw completely before baking.

Bad day? Chocolate fixes that!

Spent today in the ER with Father John......turns out he's fine just getting old. Thanks Doc, we coulda figured that out on our own. The good news is, no heart trouble, no new stroke just dizziness and unexplained arrhythmia. So bring on the BROWNIES!!!

Who Needs a Box Brownies?
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Blend together with wooden spoon and pour into a greased 9x9 square pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool and frost if desired.
Creamy Frosting
3 Tbsp soft butter
3 Tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1-2 Tbsp milk
Blend until creamy and spread over cooled brownie.
These freeze really well, unfrosted! A square of brownie topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and smothered in hot fudge could be chocolate nirvana!

Joe has always been a little messy!

I love me a good slow cooked Sloppy Joe! Tangy and a little sticky on a soft bun with melty cheesy goodness! I usually make a big batch about once a month and divide them into freezer bags, they thaw quick and dinner is just a salad and some chips away!
 SJ's are a great lunch, dinner or hey, I wouldn't judge you if you had one for breakfast! ;)

Sloppy Joes
4 lbs ground beef
2 tsp garlic
1/2 cup minced onions
1/2 cup minced peppers (the orange/sweet red variety are SO tasty in this)
In a very large skillet brown the meat/veggies until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat and return to skillet.
Add
3 small cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp mustard
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
dash celery salt
dash onion salt
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer 1/2 hour.
If you are going to freeze let it come to room temp before bagging. Remember to label and date so you don't think it's chili or spaghetti sauce! :)
Serve on toasted buns with a nice slice of Colby Jack cheese!

Your family can't live on just chicken?

Pretty much Arielle would eat chicken every night! Grilled, in a casserole, salad, baked, piccated....she's not too picky.
But it can get a little, well....chickeny! So throw some ground beef into the mix once in awhile and have some variety! I usually get my ground beef at Sam's Club.

Cooked Ground Beef
5 lbs ground beef (don't go for the extra lean kind here..a little fat adds a LOT of flavor and we need all the flavor we can get coming from the freezer)
3 tsp garlic
1 cup minced onions
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
1/2 Tbsp black pepper
Brown ground beef in a super size skillet with garlic and onions until it is no longer pink. Add salt and pepper and cook a few minutes longer until it's nicely browned and even. Drain off excess fat and let cool. Portion into quart size bags 1 or 2 cups depending on your family size. Label and date bags. Press meat out flat and stack in freezer.

Just think of all the things that cooked ground beef is the base of. Chili, tacos, enchiladas, your favorite casserole......now you have a great head start on those!

Chicken Rice Salad

So....if you've cooked yourself up some yummy chicken you probably wonder what you should do with it, right? We LOVE summer salads at my house, and this salad is our favorite! It makes a nice big batch and it is better the day after you make it so leftovers are supper yum!

Chicken Rice Salad
1 bag of frozen chicken, thawed (2 cups pretty please)
2 Tbsp pineapple juice (drained from the can that you will be using later)
2 Tbsp orange juice (or slightly less than 1/2 Tbsp concentrate)
1 Tbsp vinegar (I like red wine vinegar but apple cider is good too)
1 tsp salt
Dash of Oregano
Dash of black pepper
Combine marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken in the bag. Seal bag and stash the whole works in the fridge overnight (or at least 3 hours.....I have even frozen the bags at this point then just thaw it and throw the salad together).
Add
3 cups cooked rice (take the time to make real rice, please! None of that instant crap, you can thank me later)
1 cup minced celery
1 cup sliced almonds
small can of pineapple tidbits or chunks drained (remember, you used the juice yesterday)
1 cup mayo
salt and pepper

Mix this all together with the chicken minus the marinade and season to taste. Chill before serving. Serve in lettuce cups or tomato flowers with a nice crusty roll or a croissant if you are feeling fancy!
Don't try to freeze this, but like I said the chicken/marinade mixture can be frozen as can the cooked rice so you can literally have this on the table in minutes!

A tale of 3 chickens!

A big package of chicken breasts becomes a delicious basis for 3 different chicken dishes.
First a small disclaimer.....I am LAZY!! I don't like to debone chicken, it's not my forte...not gonna lie!
So, I buy the biggest package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I can find (typically at Sam's Club).
When I first started this freezer adventure I would do all of my meat on the same day but now I tend to only do what I am in need of. So I seldom do all three chicken recipes at the same time. Do whatever you need to do!

Basic Cooked Chicken
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tsp garlic
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
2 tsp cracked black pepper
Put this all in a large stock pot. Next, add in a bunch of veggies (I like to use up the ones that are a bit past their prime). I use carrots, celery and onions. Add 4-6 chicken bullion cubes (unwrap them please this is a paperless dish). Cover with water just until everything is in the pool! Cover and turn on the heat. Once it begins to simmer, reduce the heat and continue cooking about 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit until it comes to room temp. Remove the chicken from the stock and cut into bite size cubes. Divide cubes into quart size zipper top bags (depending on your family size choose 1 or 2 cups in each bag). Label and date the bag. I press the chicken out flat without breaking it and gently squeeze it to remove as much air as possible.
Strain the stock, discarding veggies. Pour this into quart bags also in 1 or 2 cup portions. Label and date. Freeze the stock flat on a cookie sheet until solid. Then stack them in the freezer.
Use this for casseroles, divans, pot pies, salad, sandwiches and general chicken dishes.

Mexican Shredded Chicken
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
Mix and sprinkle over 6-8 chicken breasts and place in your crock pot (it's OK if they overlap). Mix 1/2 cup chicken stock and 1/2 cup lemon or lime juice and pour over chicken. Cover with lid and cook on low about 6 hours. My crock pot has a temperature probe so the time is just a guess! :)
When chicken is done and if you are fortunate enough to own a Kitchen Aide throw those breasties in the bowl and using the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 20 seconds and you will have perfectly shredded chicken. Do NOT try this with cold chicken as you may damage your mixer, and that would be tragic! Divide shredded chicken into 1 or 2 cup portions in quart bags. Label and date bags. Press them out flat and stack in the freezer. Use this for enchiladas, tacos, salads, sandwiches and Mexican dishes.

BBQ  Chicken
6-8 chicken breasts
1/2 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Place the chicken in the crock pot and pour the BBQ sauce over the top. Cover with lid and cook on low about 6 hours. Shred chicken and divide by 1 or 2 cup portions into quart zip top bags. Label and date bags. Press out flat and stack in the freezer. Use this for BBQ sandwiches, wraps and pizza.

Just one of these recipes will give you enough chicken for 3-6 meals depending on your family size.
Next up.......super yummy way to use cooked chicken!

You can freeze salad, right?

FREEZE                                                                                        DON’T FREEZE

Pasta                                                                                              Sour Cream

Enchiladas                                                                                       Cream Cheese

Shredded/sliced cheese                                                                             Lettuce

Cooked rice                                                                                    Cottage cheese

Pancakes                                                                                        Scrambled/fried eggs

French toast                                                                                     Bechamel/cheese sauce

Cookies and cookie dough                                                               Shortening

Corn and flour tortillas                                                                      Unblanched asparagus

Chopped onions                                                                               German Pancakes                   

Refried beans                                                                                   Cake batter

Fruits                                                                                                Mayo

Veggies                                                                                             Raw potatoes

Pumpkin                                                                                           Tomatoes

Biscuits and rolls                                                                               Gravy

Lasagna                               

Baked cakes/cupcakes (frosting doesn’t do so well)

Coffee

Guacamole

Avocado

Buttermilk (freeze in ice cube trays)

Eggs (crack them into a freezer safe container)

Milk (if you must….pour off about 2 cups so it doesn’t burst)

Yogurt

Nuts

Spices

Sugar/flour (even brown sugar)

I prefer to freeze using double zip freezer bags. We aren't storing for posterity here, just for about a month. If you are diligent about dating your bags you should be using it long before it would "expire" so I don't really worry about it.

Anything small or sticky (like raspberries or hamburger patties) place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Then place them in freezer bags. Do the same thing with cookie dough then you just plop them onto cookie sheets and bake them adding about 1 minute extra to the baking time!

Hardware:

Quart and gallon freezer bags

Aluminum foil

Plastic wrap

Wax paper (use for forming/wrapping meatloaves/hamburger patties and separating cheese slices)

Disposable pans

Permanent markers for labeling and writing cooking directions on bags

Don't use glass pans in the freezer...just take my word for it! :)

Next up...... Cooking chicken 3 ways!!

Where's dinner? I don't know, it didn't come thru here!

7 pm: LONG day at work.....my feet hurt, my eyes are heavy and I just want food in my belly NOW!
What's for dinner? I don't know, what do you want for dinner? Anything, I'm starving! How about some chicken enchiladas? I'm way too tired to do all that work....what else? Hmmm, what about a nice bowl of chili? I didn't thaw any hamburger.....Oh for Pete's sake Mom what do you want to make?
What do I want to make? I want to make a bowl of cereal and call it good!
Forget it....here take my debit card, go get us some food. OK, do you want Wendy's, Carl's, Costa Vida.....imagine how this conversation ends! Frequently in a bowl of cereal.
Life was a lot simpler when I was a stay at home Mom and had time to plan/shop/cook. But enter reality not many women are stay at home Mom's and if you are it is most likely an endless parade of ball games, music lessons, DR, Dentist, Orthodontist and other appointments! We all need more TIME!!
Well, I can't give you more time. What I can give you are my hard learned lessons from stay at home to full time working single Mom!
From my frustration came the idea that if I could do some of the work ahead of time I could cut down the time from preparation to consumption!! Get it on the table faster.
So one day when I was off I went through every cookbook I own and wrote down 14 meals to make.
Then I made a grocery list.....then I went shopping! When I got home I divided out my hamburger, some of it I browned with onions and garlic. Some of it I made meatballs with and what was left I made a meatloaf with. Into freezer bags and into the freezer!! Happiness in a zippy bag my friends!
Then I took my gleaming new stainless stock pot and put in some chicken breasts. I fortified this with onions, carrots, celery and garlic. I simmered it until the chicken was cooked. Then I cubed the chicken and put it in freezer bags too! The stock I strained and poured into bags and stashed them in the freezer as well!
I also made a few meals in disposable pans....lasagna, Mexican lasagna and chicken pot pie! Let me tell you.....chicken pot pie is NOT a great thing to freeze! It takes forever to thaw, the sauce kinda curdles a little and it's not yummy. As I post recipes I will let you know if it's something you can make and freeze whole or if it's better to make it and bake it the same day! Trial and error.....lots of trial and thankfully not too much error!
My next post will be a primer......a general freeze or don't freeze list. It won't be a hard and fast list of laws because I have frozen some things that do just fine that are on someone's list of don't freeze! Likewise somethings that I won't freeze other people have had great luck with!
So that's it for tonight.......we'll get cooking soon!
Toodles

Coming Soon!!

OK my friends, I am going to do it! This will be my blog for my cooking style, recipes and tips for making your life easier as you try to have it all!
Bear with me while I test and adjust.....please feel free to give me feedback on what you like (or don't for that fact...I can take it)!