New Year, New Beginning

I have decided that I'm not going to put dates on my menu. I will just accumulate a bunch of my recipes and pictures through the month and post them. This way, I won't feel too pressured into trying to keep up with it. Here are just a few recipes I have done during the past month or so. With a house full of sick family and mom being one of them, I have not done a whole lot of cooking. It's been a lot of cereal, mac. & cheese, Ramen, hot dogs, or grilled cheese. Now that we are all on the mend, I have once again picked up the gauntlet to challenge myself as well as my families taste buds at new things. My hardest thing is remembering to take pictures of what I have made. Must do better! Hope you can find something you enjoy cooking and one your family will enjoy eating!!

CONFETTI PASTA AND BRUSCHETTA

This was such an EASY dish and became a big hit with my boys. The nice thing about it is that you can be so creative with it and have endless possibilities

Start with 2 boxes of Pasta Roni Garlic & Olive Oil flavor. Cook according to directions and then get creative. Use any type of meat or seafood and any combinations of vegetables. In this one, I used Johnsonville Sweet Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, red onions and fresh asparagus. I steamed the sausage seperatly and sauted the veggies in just a little oil until they were firm but not soggy. Once the pasta was done, I threw everything in and mixed it up.

For the Bruschetta I bought a loaf of Baget bread. Slice the bread at a diagnol. In a medium frying pan melt 3-4 TBS. butter on medium heat, add 1/2 tsp. crushed fresh garlic. Be careful not to let the butter burn. Place the sliced bread in the pan and spread around so bottom side is covered with butter. Let toast for about 2 min. and then turn over. you may need to add a little more butter, depending on how many slices of bread you are doing. Once both sides are nicely toasted and golden brown, remove to a cookie sheet.

Rinse out pan or use seperate pan for Bruschetta topping. Pour in 1/2 can diced tomatoes, (Italian stye is a good choice) add in 1 TBS. diced onions, fresh Oregano and Basil. Sautee for about 5 min. on Medium heat. Spoon a small amount onto breat and top with some Mozzerella cheese. Place in the oven to broil until cheese is melted. Serve and ENJOY!!

April 4th - 10th

This was a trial recipe. If you've ever heard of porcupine meatballs, this is the same thing. Except you're just not rolling the meat into balls. I made two HUGE casserole dishes of this because I took dinner to a friend and her family so I more than doubled this recipe! I set a dish aside for my husband to take to work and had a girlfriend come over to eat with us. So between my girlfriend, my two boys and myself, there was only 1 serving left to put in the fridge. I'd say that was a hit!!

PORCUPINE CASSEROLE

2 lbs. ground hamburger or ground turkey
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 1/2 C. UNCOOKED rice
1 can tomato soup
1/4 C. brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C. water
Pineapple Rings (optional)

Cook ground meat, onions and peppers together. Once meat is done, drain all grease. Place in a large bowl. Mix in UNCOOKED rice. (DO NOT use minute rice) In separate bowl, mix together soup, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and water. Pour over meat and rice mixture and mix well. Place in 9x11 casserole dish. cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour! (I placed the pineapple on the last 15 minutes and poured a little more sauce over it. This is totally optional.)



HONEY LIME CHICKEN WINGS

Are you a wing lover?? You'll LOVE these and probably end up licking the dish just to get more sauce!!

18 whole chicken wings, split
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (Or juice form 3-4 whole limes)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl, mix together the honey, lime juice, lime peel, garlic, salt and ground black pepper. Place the flour in a plastic bag and shake the chicken wings in the flour to coat. In a large skillet, fry the chicken wings in hot, 1 inch deep oil until cooked through. Place the cooked wings in the honey/lime mixture and toss to coat well. Serve immediately.

March 29th - April 3rd.

CHICKEN DIVAN

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 C. Sour Cream OR Miracle Whip
1/2 C. milk
1 - 1 1/2 C. Grated Cheddar Cheese
2 c. cooked rice
Crushed Keebler Club Crackers or Corn Flakes-OPTIONAL


Dice chicken to bite size pieces. Spray frying pan with a little non stick spray and place chicken in pan. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Cook chicken till no longer ping. Add in frozen broccoli, soup, sour cream OR Miracle Whip and milk. Heat up on med-hi heat until it starts to bubble. Place cooked rice in a large bowl. Once chicken mixture begins to bubble, pour over rice and add grated cheese. Mix together well and place in a 11x13 casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 20- 25 min. (Add crushed crackers or corn flakes the last 10 min.)


SPICY CHEESEBURGER SOUP

I got this from one of my favorite magazines, Taste of Home. My boys loved this soup! We don't like spicy so I omitted the jalapeno, but if your family has the mouth for spicy...GO FOR IT!!!

• 1-1/2 cups water
• 2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
• 2 small carrots, grated
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 2-1/2 cups milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces process American cheese, cubed
• 1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

• In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Stir in beef and 2 cups of milk; heat through. Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add cayenne if desired. Top with bacon just before serving. Yield: 6-8 servings (about 2 quarts).

FANCY RAMEN

I'm almost embarrassed to print this; however, my 7 year old begged me because he loves it! So Colton, this one is for you baby!!

• 1 pkg. Ramen (any flavor!!)
• diced ham or shredded cooked chicken
• chopped bell peppers
• diced green onions
• sliced cooked eggs
• Sesame Seed oil

Cook Ramen according to directions. (Like ANYONE needs to read directions for Ramen!!) Once it's done, let the kids add whatever they want to the noodles. Great way to get some veggies in with that boring package of noodles!!

APRIL FOOLS DINNER

I didn't go all out this year like I have in the past, but thought I would still share some of the fun things I have done. A lot of these you can find online and kids love them. Just make something DECENT for you on the side!!

FROG EYE SALAD

1 C. sugar
2 TBS. flour
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 C. pineapple juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 TBS. lemon juice
3 quarts water
1 TBS. oil
1 (16 oz) pkg. Acini Di Pepe pasta
2 (11 oz.) cans mandarin oranges
2 (20 oz.) cans pineapple tidbits DRAINED
1/2 jar Maraschino Cherries
1 (8 oz) container whipped topping
1 1/2 C. mini marshmallows
1 C. shredded coconut

In a sauce pan, combine sugar, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pineapple juice and eggs. Stir and cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and cool to room temperature.
Bring water to a boil, add oil, remaining salt and cook pasta until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, egg mixture, mandarin oranges, pineapple and whipped topping. Mix well and refrigerate overnight or until chilled. Before serving add marshmallows and coconut. Toss and serve.

GORILLA POOP
You've probably made these before! I have a neighbor that decided to give them a different name. So when I made them and told the kids I was making "Gorilla Poop" my kids grossed out; until they saw what it was! APRIL FOOLS!! (Thanks Jaydan!!)

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter OR Butterscotch chips

Combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a saucepan. On medium heat, bring to a boil for one full minute.

Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter (optional), vanilla and oatmeal.

Drop by spoonful onto wax paper. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.

March 21st-27th

CURRY CHICKEN

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 small onion chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 C. diced mushrooms
2 gloves sliced garlic
1 can chicken broth
1/4 C. tomato paste
2 tsp. Curry powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 C. coconut milk (Reg. is fine)
Salt & Pepper
Cooked rice

In a frying pan, coat with non stick cooking spray. Place chicken in pan and brown on both sides on Med-Hi heat. Chicken should be cooked half way through. Remove chicken and set aside. Immediately add diced veggies and saute till slightly tender. Add a little chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Add remaining broth along with the tomato paste, milk and spices. Cover with a lid and lower to Med. heat. Once it begins to simmer, add chicken back in and replace the lid. Let simmer for approx 10-15 min. or until chicken in thoroughly cooked through. Serve over rice.


WHITE BEAN CHILI

So I LOVE watching Paula Deen on the Food Network. Some of her recipes just look so easy and yummy that you almost want to lick the TV screen. This was one of those easy recipes that filled my house with such a wonderful aroma. Thanks Paula!!!

• 1 pound dried navy beans
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 1 small can chopped green chilies
  
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• Shredded Jack Cheese

Rinse beans well, cover with cool water, and soak for 2 hours. Drain. Put the beans in large pot with the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.

(I had a whole chicken that was cut up and used it to make home made chicken stock. I then removed the chicken and let it cool so I could shred it. Because the chicken was already cooked, I added it to the chili AFTER it was done.)

In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and chiles and saute for 5 minutes. Add chili mixture to pot with beans. Add the chicken, cumin, oregano, pepper, and white pepper. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1 1/2 hours. (I simmered it for about 2 hours)


MARINADE FOR GRILLED STEAKS

Had some wonderful Rib Eye steaks to cook this week and wanted a yummy marinade for them. After looking up a couple of marinades, I sort of came up with my own idea for one. It was really good. I think I'll try it next time with chicken.

1/3 C. Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
2 TBS. Dijon Mustard
1/4 C. Honey
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Mix all ingredients in a 9x13 casserole dish. Lay steaks in marinade and coat the bottom. Then flip over and marinate for approx. 2-3 hours. Flip 2nd time and marinade for another 2 hours at least. Adjust above ingredients according to your own taste.

FEBRUARY CATCH UP

HOLY COW...I'M WAAAYYY BEHIND!!
Ok, so I'm just going to throw a couple of recipes on here that I remember doing last month then pick up from March. I also receive a weekly email of recipes from Kraft & Taste of Home that I think I'll throw on here too!! SORRY EVERYONE!!

SEAFOOD ALFREDO

Made this for my boys for Valentines day. SOOO YUMMY AND EASY!!

1/2 lb. frozen shrimp
1 lb. King Crab legs
1 lb. Lobster tales (2 small or 1 large)
1 pint heavy cream
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese - (to 3/4)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Fettuccine Noodles

To cook crab legs, boil them in a large pot of water for approx. 5-8 min. Remove legs and insert a large colander that can balance on the lip of the pot. You do NOT want the colander submerged in the water! Place lobster tales in the colander and place lid on the pot. Steam them for about 7-9 min. or until shell is a bright red. (IF you have another method of steaming, GO FOR IT...JUST NOT THE MICROWAVE!!)
Remove all shells and shred/dice up meat. Set aside.
FOR SAUCE:
In a saucepan combine butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Simmer this
until all is melted, and mixed well. Add the Parmesan cheese and Garlic
powder. Simmer this for 15 to 20 minutes on low. You may wish to season
with a little salt and pepper. It has been made with half-and-half, but
heavy cream is preferred. Add crab, lobster and shrimp, it will thaw and heat in the sauce. Serve over noodles and enjoy. Just don't lick the plate when you're done...yeah, it's THAT good!!


CHICKEN MARSALA

(CHEESE STUFFING)
1/2 C. provolone cheese
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
1/2 C. bread crumbs (OR Keebler Club crackers crushed)
1 clove minced fresh garlic
2 TBS. minced sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 C. sour cream
Salt & Pepper

(CHICKEN)
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 oz. cooking oil
2 C. flour
Salt, Pepper, Paprika about 1/4 tsp. each

(SAUCE)
1 small onion chopped
2 C. diced mushroom (preferably Crimini)
1 1/2 C. Marsala Wine
8 oz. Heavy Whipping Cream

Preheat oven to 350
Stuffing: Combine all cheese stuffing ingredients in a bowl

Chicken:Butterfly thickest section to create two lobes.Place pounded chicken breasts on a plate and place desired amount of stuffing on one half of chicken breast.
Gently press stuffing down and fold over other side of chicken breast. Preheat a large sauté pan on stove top. Add 4 oz. oil; heat oil until shimmering.

Place approximately 2 cups flour in a pan and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess flour. Place stuffed chicken breasts in sauté pan with the preheated oil.

Cook each side until golden. When chicken is seared on both sides remove them from sauté pan and place them in a baking pan and into the oven for 10-20 minutes. Bake until juices run clear and stuffing and center reach a temperature of at least 165°.

Sauce: Add the onions to the sauté pan. Stir with spatula. After 2 minutes add the mushrooms; sauté mixture until onions are translucent. Deglaze sauté pan with the marsala wine (make sure to incorporate particles from bottom of pan). Bring wine to a simmer and add heavy cream. Simmer sauce on low heat until reduced by half.

Place cooked chicken breast on a plate and top with onions, mushrooms and sauce.


(Taste of Home Recipe)
HAM & BROCCOLI BAKE

1-1/4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1-1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup crushed potato chips

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the broccoli, soup, ham, cheeses, milk, onion and pepper. Drain macaroni; add to ham mixture.
Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish; sprinkle with potato chips. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 4 servings.



(Kraft food&family Recipe)
BACON OMELET ROLL WITH SALSA

8 eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup flour

1 red pepper, finely chopped

8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled

3 green onions, finely chopped

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 cup TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Thick 'N Chunky Salsa, warmed

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

LINE 15x10x1-inch pan with parchment paper, with ends extending over shortest sides of pan. Spray with cooking spray.

BEAT eggs, milk and flour in large bowl with whisk until well blended. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 14 to 16 min. or until edges are almost set. Top with cheese; bake 2 min. or until melted.

ROLL up omelet immediately, starting at one short end and peeling off paper as omelet is rolled. Place on platter; cut into slices. Serve with salsa.

(Kraft food&family Recipe)
POLYNESIAN GLAZED MEATBALLS

1 tsp. oil

1 large red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 cans (8 oz. each) pineapple chunks, drained, liquid reserved

12 oz. (3/4 of 1-lb. pkg.) frozen cooked meatballs

2 cups instant white rice, uncooked

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions; cook 5 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

STIR in barbecue sauce, ginger, garlic powder and reserved pineapple liquid. Add meatballs; mix lightly until evenly coated. Cook 10 min. or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook rice as directed on package.

STIR pineapple into meatball mixture. Serve over rice.

(Kraft food&family Recipe)

BEEF & VEGETABLE NOODLE BOWL

1/4 lb. multi-grain spaghetti, uncooked

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

1 cup broccoli florets

1 small red pepper, cut into strips

1/2 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips

2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

1/4 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 green onions thinly sliced

COOK spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add broccoli and peppers; stir-fry 3 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add meat and hoisin sauce; stir-fry 2 to 3 min. or until meat is done.

DRAIN spaghetti; return to same pan. Add broth; cook 1 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add meat mixture and onions; mix lightly.