Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Worked for Me Wednesday

Hello,
Need an easy way to haul those strawberries? Look no further use a straw!


Start at the bottom of the straw and push your way up. As your push the white part and stem of the strawberry will pop it's way up!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Meal Plan 11/28/2011

Here is this weeks meal plans. This week is filled with another great set of recipes I found by searching pintrest.

Monday: Sticky Lemon Chicken



Tuesday:Philly Chessesteak sloppy Joes



Wednesday: Cheddar Beer Chicken


Thursday:Pork chops with orange soy sauce


Friday: Parmesan Talipia

Source: food.com via Melissa on Pinterest



Saturday: Ground Beef Enchilida Casserole

Source: food.com via Kristine on Pinterest



Sunday: Double crunch pork chops



Remember to check out Organize Junkie for more great meal plans

Organizing Junkie

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Chicken burrito bake

Thanks to my wonderful friend Jen for sharing this very yummy recipe!



4 c shredded cooked chicken (or shredded pork or black beans)

1 c tomatillo salsa/ salsa verde

2 c shredded mexican cheese (or your own shredded cheese with pinch of cumin).

8-10 flour tortillas (I use whole wheat)

1 jar alfredo pasta sauce

Shredded lettuce or cabbage, avacado, tomato, olives and/or celantro for serving



Preheat oven to 375 degrees



Place chicken, salsa and 1/2 c cheese in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined.



Spoon 1/2-3/4 c of mixture down center of a tortilla. Fold one edge over filling, then roll and place seam side down, in 13x9 in glass or ceramic baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling, placing burritos snigly side by side in baking dish. Place pasta sauce and remaining cheese in mixing bowl and stir to combine. Pour over burritos.



Bake the burritos until the sauce bubbles, 20-25 mins. Remove from oven and let cool 10 mins, then serve. Serve over lettuce or cabbage and top with more salsa or other toppings

Review:These tasted great.I used leftover chicken from the other night and Ragu classic alfredo sauce! great way to use up leftovers!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Soup and Salad Please!!

Baked Potato Soup


2 potatoes
3 T. Butter
2 C. chopped white onion
2 T. all-purpose flour
4 C. chicken stock
2 C. water
1 1/2 C. instant mashed potato flakes
1 t. salt
3/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. basil
1/8 t. thyme
1 C. half & half
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. bacon cooked and chopped
2 green onions, chopped

Peel and dice potatoes and boil until almost tender. Drain, Meanwhile, cook bacon and chop onions. Melt butter in skillet and saute onion until tender. Mix one cup of water with 2 T. flour. Add this mixture to the butter/onions. Stir to blend well. It should thicken the mixture some.

Put drained potatoes, chicken stock, 1 cup water and onion mixture in crock pot. Add bacon, half & half, pepper, basil, salt, and potato flakes. Stir.

Cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. Serve with cheddar cheese and bacon on top and green onions if desired.



Cesar Salad Dressing

Romaine lettuce - torn into pieces
Croutons
Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Dressing:
5 garlic cloves - minced
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
5 drops Tabasco
1 cup oil
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Shake all ingredients together in a jar. Pour over Romaine lettuce and Croutons and then add fresh Parmesan.

Friday, November 25, 2011

turkey meatball sandwich

Turkey Meatball Subs



1 Package (about 20oz) Italian flavored or plain ground turkey
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons plain bread cumbs
2 tablespoons milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups jarred marinara
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic paste
5 hero rolls
5 slices provolone cheese

1. Heat oven to broil. Combine seasoned turkey (if using plain ground turkey, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt,1 teaspoon italian season, 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper) Mix ricotta, parsley, bread crumbs, milk, and egg in large bowl mix gently to combine. Shape into 15 meatballs, 3 tablespoons of mixture for each.
2. Heat 1 tablepoon oil in large lidded non stick skillet over medium heat. Brown meatballs, 3 minutes per side. add sauce and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer on low for 13 minutes until cooked through.
3. In small bowl blend 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic paste and brush inside of rolls. Put rolls under broiler for 2 minutes to toast.
4. Once meatballs are cooked through, tuck 3 meatballs and a spoonful of sauce into each roll and top with a slice of cheese. Return to broiler until cheese is melted.

Review: The meatballs were a little dry, but had good flavor..adding an egg and some more breadcrumbs may help.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Worked for Me Wednesday

How many of you have pen marks on your microfiber sofa? Get ready because here is the cure..
Rubbing Alcohol.

Just rember to test a specific area first!


All you have to do is spray a little rubbing alcohol and scrub with a sponge and the dirt will come right off. To make the surface nice and soft again...just use a bristle brush in a circular motion. (Need more detail...check out the above link).

Monday, November 21, 2011

Maple Mustard Pork Chops



■1 tablespoon butter
■4 (4-ounce) boneless pork loin chops, trimmed
■1/2 teaspoon salt
■1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
■1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
■1/4 cup pure maple syrup
■2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
■1 small shallot, chopped
■1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle pork chops evenly with salt and pepper; add pork to pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Add broth to the hot pan, whisking quickly to deglaze (get all the brown bits left behind by the pork into the sauce). Add next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Return pork to pan; simmer 3 minutes or until pork is done, turning once. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper as needed.

Reviw: The meat was a little tough but full of flavor. My two year old loved it!

Meal Plan November 21

This is this weeks meal plan.. enjoy! Pintrest is such a great resource for recipes!

Monday:Maple Whole Chicken in the crock pot


Tuesday: Maple Mustard Pork chops


Wednesday:


Thursday:Thanksgiving Dinner

Friday:Leftovers

Saturday: Baked Potato Soup in the crock pot



Sunday:Turkey Meatball Sandwiches


Don't forget to check out Organizing Junkie for more great meal plan ideas.

Organizing Junkie

Angel Chicken

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds)

1 8-oz. pkg. fresh button mushrooms, quartered (sauteed First)

1 6-oz. pkg. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced (sauteed first)

1/4 cup butter

1 0.7-oz. pkg. Italian dry salad dressing mix

1 10-3/4-oz. can condensed golden mushroom soup

1/2 cup dry white wine(I used chicken broth)

1/2 of an 8-oz. tub cream cheese spread with chives and onion

Hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Saute mushrooms in two tablespoons of olive oil if desired.

3. Melt butter in sauce pan, add dressing packet, white wine, mix well.

4. Add soup and cream cheese. Stir until it combines and melts.

5. Place chicken on bottom of 9x 12 baking dish add mushrooms and sauce. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 60 minutes.

**To bake in slow cooker add mushrooms to the bottom of the slow cooker, add chicken and sauce. Cook on low for 5 hours.

Review: Amazingly good flavor. My 2 year old asked for more, and after dinner my husband stated " That was a good dinner I liked it." So it's two thumbs way up in my book!

Sweet Potato Fries




Ingredients
1 whole Sweet Potato
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoons Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper (if You're Down With That)

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.


2. Scrub the sweet potato and cut into 1/2 inch slices (or thinner if you like your fries crispier).


3. In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne (if you like-ah some spice-ah).

4. Arrange fries evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes minutes, checking after 20 minutes to prevent burning (ovens vary). Flip halfway so they cook evenly.

Review: Simple yet delicious! The kids loved this dish as well!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Nutella Hot Chocolate




NUTELLA HOT CHOCOLATE
1 serving

1 cup milk (I use skim)
2 1/2 Tbsp Nutella
1 Tbsp Cocoa
Tiny pinch of salt

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, whisk all ingredients together until well blended and hot.
Pour in a cup and top with homemade whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Review: This was soo good.. rich and oh so good!!

Brownie Strawberry Banana Truffle

Brownie Strawberry Banana Truffle


Ingredients
1 box brownie mix
2 pints fresh strawberries
2 bananas, sliced
1 large tub Cool Whip
4 Skor or Heath candy bars, chopped
Instructions
Mix the brownie mix as directed on package, adding an extra egg for cakelike brownies. Spread batter on a greased jellyroll pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until done.

Wash, hull and slice strawberries, leaving about 5 whole for decoration on top.

When brownies are done, remove from oven. Cool. Cut into bite size pieces. Arrange half of brownie pieces in the bottom of a trifle bowl, or a bowl with deep sides.

Scatter half of srawberries over brownie pieces, arranging some slices along the bowl so that you can see them. Scatter half of bananas over berries, arranging some slices along the bowl so that you can see them. Sprinkle half of the candy bar over. Spread half of Cool Whip over the top. Repeat layering, leaving a few slices of banana and a sprinkling of candy bar bits for decoration on the top.

Review: This was super simple to prpare and was a hit! Just remember to pull the brownies a few minutes early so that they are nice and moist!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Friday Finds

I am joining Friday Favorites over at Finding Joy in my Kitchen. I love cooking new recipes and pintrest makes it that much easier. Check out these great recipes I found this week!

Turkey Meatball subs:


Buttermilk baked chicken





Don't forget to go over to Finding joy in my kitchen to find more GREAT recipes!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Worked for Me Wednesday

Tired of getting dirt in your face when cleaning ceiling fans? The perfect solution is to use an old pillow case. Place the pillow case on one blade at a time (by feeding it over the blade). Then move it away.. the pillow case will catch all the dirt and fibers.

Friday, November 11, 2011

2nd Birthday Party menu

My little man turns 2 next week. We are having his birthday party this weekend. Here is the meal plan

Birthday Party Menu:

Super Sliders


24 Hour Fiesta Chicken Salad


Baked Potato Salad:



Rainbow Pasta Salad:


Italian beef Sandwiches

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Baked Chicken Fajitas
serves 4 – 6


1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

1 medium onion, sliced

1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced

2 T vegetable oil

2 t. chili powder

2 t. cumin

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/4 t. salt

12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13×9 baking dish. Mix together chicken, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, and onions in the dish.

In a small bowl combine the oil and spices. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve with warmed tortillas and enjoy!!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Bacon Ranch slow cooker Chicken

Bacon Ranch slow cooker Chicken



Ingredients:

2 butterball turkey bacon strips, cooked and shredded
1 tsp minced garlic
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup (98% fat free)
1 cup fat-free sour cream
16 oz. chicken breasts
8 oz. pasta (I used rigatoni)

Directions:
Combine the first five ingredients. Place chicken in slowcooker and pour sauce over the top. Cook on high for 3.5 hours. Serve over hot noodle

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Monte Cristo Sandwich from here








Ingredients
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 6-count boxes frozen French toast
1 9-ounce package thinly sliced ham
1 9-ounce package thinly sliced turkey
12 slices Swiss cheese
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature


Directions

Heat oven to 400° F.

Spread the mustard on 6 pieces of the French toast. Divide the ham and turkey evenly among them and top each with 2 slices of the cheese.

Spread the remaining 6 pieces of French toast with the mayonnaise (if desired) and sandwich together.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread ½ tablespoon of the butter on the top and bottom of each sandwich.

Cook 3 sandwiches in the skillet until brown, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.

Transfer to oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the toast is heated through, about 4 minutes.