A Working Mom's Dinner Diary

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

2011-09-27T12:54:00.002-06:00

I enjoyed every bite of this salad and it was quick to prepare since I keep all of the ingredients on hand in my pantry or fridge, minus the chicken, of course.

Toss Romain lettuce, leftover rotisserie chicken, olives, artichoke hearts and whole-wheat rainbow rotini then drizzle with Greek vinaigrette and top with Parmesan cheese.

Microwave Fudge

2010-11-29T20:04:00.002-07:00

So fudge normally wouldn't be a dinner but with the charter school opening this year and trying to run a business full time and now having four kids- I just can't quite keep it together. But my six year old loves fudge so when I need a snack to help the boys make it until dinner- this 2 minute fudge is a quick snack.

Butter a salad plate.
Dump half a bag of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
Add two large spoonfuls of sweetened condensed milk.
Microwave for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes (depending on how hot you microwave gets).
Stir every 30 seconds.
Dump on the plate.
Eat hot or pop in the freezer for five minutes to cool.

My new favorite breakfast

2009-08-19T21:03:00.001-06:00

My new favorite breakfast is oatmeal with fresh blueberries. I apologize to the humble blueberry for my years of spurning.

Quail Run Primary School

2008-08-30T16:33:00.002-06:00

You might be aware that I am on the founding board of Quail Run Primary School. We have submitted an application to the State of Utah to be allowed to open a charter school. Part of the charter describes our commitment to the National School Lunch Program as well as our dedication to healthy food choices. This is an ambitious goal even with my experience with the NSLP, a health and wellness coach on our founding committee, as well as a registered dietitian on our committee.

I have spent quite a lot of time lately trying to find standardized recipe ideas that fit both goals. Believe it or not, school lunch is not the healthiest option. Here are a few of the goals we have for the program:

Local farmers and suppliers
School garden
Organic
Limited salt, high fructose corn syrup, added sugars, MSG, etc.
Increased fresh fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Student input on menu choices
Student involvement in preparation

As I try out the recipes on my own children, I'll post their reactions here.

Chicken Pot Pie

2008-05-06T12:21:00.002-06:00

I haven't found a good whole wheat pie crust recipe but the recipe has lots of vegis and low fat chicken... so it's still fairly healthy. This recipe makes two pies. Make one for dinner tonight and freeze the other for a future dinner.

Ingredients:
(2) top and bottom pie crusts (I make my own but you can find pre-made crusts in the freezer section)
1 cup diced carrots (baby carrots are especially sweet)
3/4 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 1/2 cups raw red potatoes, diced with skins
2 cups diced and cooked chicken
2 cups chicken gravy (I use homemade)

Directions:
Bake the bottom pie crusts for 6 minutes on 450 degrees. Some recipes claim that this makes the crust soggy but I have found the opposite to be true. In a saucepan, steam the carrots and potatoes until soft. I use the leftover water to make my gravy. Combine the cooked vegetables, raw peas, cooked chicken and gravy in a bowl. Spoon half of the mixture into each of the cooked pie crusts. Top with the remaining pie crusts. Gently pinch the edges of the raw dough to match the cooked edge. Cook at 450 degrees until the top crust is lightly browned, approximately 10 minutes. Put a cookie sheet under neath the pie tin to catch any juice that bubbles over.

California Globs

2008-04-19T18:46:00.002-06:00

This recipe is a sushi variation based on the California Roll.

Ingredients:
2C sticky rice, cooked
1T rice vinegar
1T sugar
1/2 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
5 ounces crab meat, shredded
sesame seeds
seaweed wrappers
prepared wasabi

Directions:
Mix together sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Add to rice and mix well. Lay out bamboo mat (if you have one) and cover with plastic wrap. Generously sprinkle with sesame seeds and then discover that they have gone rancid. Throw them out and start over minus sesame seeds. Spread rice mixture evenly over plastic wrap. Flatten. Realize that you forgot to buy the seaweed wrappers. Instead, layer avocado and crab meat. Gently roll, pulling the plastic wrap out of the way. Slice the roll into 3/4 inch slices. Begin crying as you realize that the rice is sticking to the knife and the roll is falling apart. Cut one more slice and then yell at the pile of sushi. Use your hands to madly squish the mixture and drop by globs onto a fancy plate. Serve with prepared wasabi. Don't bother to inform your husband or small children that wasabi is hot.

Salmon Salad

2008-03-31T10:27:00.002-06:00

I really like this salad! This serves one person since I usually eat it for lunch (no one else in my family will eat fish willingly.)

Ingredients needed: salmon fillet, whole wheat rainbow rotini, fat free yogurt, dried dill, sea salt, mixed baby greens, grape tomatoes, mayonaise (optional)

Cook the salmon and boil the noodles. Let both cool. Combine 1/2 c yogurt with 1/2 T dill and 1 T mayo, if desired. Add noodles and grape tomatoes. Coat well. Serve over a bed of baby greens. Top with the salmon fillet and enjoy!

New Year's Nutrition Resolutions

2008-01-31T12:59:00.001-07:00

2008 has gotten off to a great start. Here are our family's nutrition resolutions:

little to no refined sugar, salt, animal fat
no MSG
no corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup
whole grains only
skim milk only
5-7 servings of organic fruits and vegis each day
(2) two ounce servings of red meat per week, max
lots of water
Omega-3 supplements

I basically let the kids eat whatever they want at school. I have no control over it anyway so I don't worry. Breakfast and dinner are my choice.

Note: I wouldn't advise the switch to whole grains all at once. I have always eaten a balance of white bread products and whole wheat food so the switch hasn't been dramatic for me. However, my poor husband spends an awful lot of time in the bathroom lately. The change has been too sudden for his "fast food and diet Pepsi" system to handle. He was sick with gas, stomach pains,
diarrhea, etc. for nearly three weeks. Sorry, dear!

Thai Dessert

2007-03-14T11:28:00.000-06:00

This quick dessert is one of my all-time favorites. We have it at the local Thai restaurant but it is pretty easy to duplicate at home. It can be made ahead and assembled at the last minute. Keep the ingredients in the fridge and don't peel the mango until you are ready to use it or it will turn brown.

Thai Dessert
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup short grain rice in 2 1/2 cups water with 1 t butter. Bring to a boil then cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Cool rice. In a small saucepan, bring one can of coconut milk and 1/2 cup granulated sugar to a boil. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and cool completely. Peel one mango and slice or dice.

To serve, scoop rice into a shallow dish. Arrange slices of mango on top. Drizzle (or drench) with coconut mixture. Serve immediately.

Artichoke Chicken

2007-02-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

RATING: 5 Stars out of 5 (It's easy and quick!)

Combine the following ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until smooth:
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated
1 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 can cream of celery soup
1 C milk
1/4 C real mayonnaise
1/4 C sour cream
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Add the following items to the saucepan and cook until heated:
1 large tomato, diced
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts

Serve over cooked, hot fettuccine noodles with grilled chicken breast (sliced diagonally) on the top.

I was at the grocery store and my oldest daughter was home babysitting. I had only gone down two aisles when my cell phone rang. It was my middle child informing me that I needed to come home immediately because the baby had just thrown up all over the kitchen. I grabbed the ingredients for this dish (which I made up on the spur of the moment) and ran through the express lane. I was surprised at how wonderful the dish turned out. I will definitely make this in the future. I might try substituting shrimp for the chicken...

Christmas Wassail Recipe

2006-12-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

I made a big pot of wassail tonight. It has been quite chilly. Wassail is the only hot drink that I like and it gets me in a holiday mood. I enjoyed sipping it in front of the Christmas tree.

Recipe:
Christmas Wassail

Tie in a small net bag:
12 cloves
8 allspice berries
4 cinnamon sticks
1 inch piece ginger, peeled

In a large soup stockpot, combine:
2 1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 quarts water
spice bag from above
Bring to a roiling boil and boil for 10 minutes. Remover bag of spices.

Add:
3 C orange juice
2 quarts apple cider
2 C lemon juice
Stir well and simmer 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Tofu Lasagne

2006-11-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

I found a recipe for tofu lasagne, however, I knew that my family would not eat it if it didn't taste similar to their favorite lasagne. I altered the recipe a bit and here is what I came up with:

Almost Vegetarian Lasagne
1 bottle chunky vegi spaghetti sauce
1/4 lb ground beef, cooked and drained (optional)
1/2 C diced and steamed zucchini (don't peel)
1/2 C diced and steamed carrots (don't peel)
1/2 lb diced tofu (I prefer soft)
1/2 C lowfat cottage cheese
1 C grated mozarella
1/2 C grated cheddar
6 cooked lasagne noodles (cut in half to make 12 small noodles)

Combine sauce, meat, zucchini and carrots in a bowl. In a separate container, combine tofu, cottage cheese and half of the mozarella cheese and all of the cheddar cheese.

In a 9x9 glass pan, layer: 2 noodles, sauce mixture, 2 noodles crossed the opposite direction, cottage cheese mixture, 2 noodles crossed the opposite direction, sauce mixture, 2 noodles crossed the opposite direction, cheese mixture, 2 noodles crossed the opposite direction, sauce mixture, 2 noodles crossed the opposite direction, cheese mixture, sauce mixture. Top with remaining mozarella cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, covered with foil.

I thought it was delicious. My husband commented (but didn't complain) about the chunks of vegetables. I think the small amount of meat was an important addition. It gave the illusion of traditional lasagne. I served this meal with garlic bread and a green salad. I fed all 5 members of our family and had leftovers for my husbands lunch the next day.

Spanish Rice

2006-10-04T20:07:00.000-06:00

Menu:
Spanish Rice, Fruit Cocktail Cake

Recipe:
Fruit Cocktail Cake
Yellow cake mix
Can of fruit cocktail with syrup
2 eggs
1/4 C water
1/4 C chopped walnuts
1/3 C canned evaporated milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C margarine

Mix first 4 ingredients by hand. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. In a saucepan, combine last 4 ingredients. Mix well and bring to a rolling boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. When cake is baked, pour glaze over entire cake and return to oven for 5 minutes. Let set for 10 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Review:
I have made Fruit Cocktail Cake before with a different recipe. I like this one better. The glaze isn't so sweet and my family prefers it without the coconut. It is also cheaper because it uses canned milk instead of real cream.

My son hates rice but tonight he said, "Mom, it doesn't matter if I don't like what you cooked because I am so hungry, I will eat anything!"

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

2006-09-10T09:26:00.000-06:00

Menu:
For breakfast this morning, we had Apple Cinnamon Pancakes.

Recipe:
I kinda cheated today because we were rushed for time. (My husband had to leave on a business trip.) I used whole wheat pancake mix from the store and just added apples and cinnamon. Slice and peel the apples. I use about a 1/4 C per person. Dice the apples and steam them in a small amount of boiling water until softened. Add the apples to mixed pancake batter. Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon. Cook as you would cook regular pancakes. Serve topped with applesauce (I use organic non-sweetened whenever possible.)

DELICIOUS!

Soaked Wheat

2006-08-30T21:02:00.000-06:00

Tonight we had soaked wheat cereal for dinner. My mother used to make it all the time but I have never made it for my kids. I love it but my children were completely unimpressed. It is an easy way to use whole grains and requires very little preparation. The fresh peaches and grape tomatoes were from Grandma's garden. August is a wonderful time for fresh produce in Utah. Even if you don't grow your own, you can usually find a local family with surplus.

Menu:
Soaked wheat cereal, fresh peaches, grape tomatoes

Recipe:
Soaked Wheat Cereal
Soak 1 cup wheat in 3 cups water, overnight. Drain and rinse. In a saucepan, combine soaked wheat with enough water to completely cover the wheat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until soft. Drain. Serve with milk. Drizzle honey on top.

Kitchen Helpers

2006-07-30T11:54:00.001-06:00

I enjoy cooking. I enjoy eating. I even enjoy washing dishes. That being said, with a family of five, cleaning up after breakfast, lunch and dinner gets to be too much for one person. At our house, we live by the "Henny Penny philosophy"-You helped eat the food so you can help cook the food and clean-up the food.

We share the workload with our "Kitchen Helper" job chart. We don't rotate the jobs because we have learned that children do a better job when they can "specialize" in one area.

JOB CHART
Mom- put away food, wash counters
Dad- empty dishwasher, take out garbage
10 year old daughter- load dishwasher, sweep floor
8 year old son- clear table, wash table and high chair
1 year old son- put dishes in sink

When everyone pitches in, I get a chance to enjoy my meal. If mom is doing all the work in the kitchen at your house then maybe it is time to institute the "Kitchen Helper" program at your house!

P.S. Sorry about the long absence. I have been having trouble with my blogger account. There was a conflicting setting in IE and I couldn't log on. It took me months to figure out the problem. -matcheezmom

Roast and Yorkshire Pudding

2005-11-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Menu:
Crockpot Roast with mushrooms, steamed artichokes and Hollandaise sauce, Yorkshire Pudding, cheesecake

Recipe:
Yorkshire Pudding
1 1/2 C flour
3 eggs
2 t salt
1 1/2 C milk
1/2 C roast drippings (add shortening or butter to make 1/2 C)
Grease 10-12 muffin tins. Spoon 1 T of drippings into each tin. In a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients well. Divide batter evenly among muffin tin sections. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Do not burn!

Review:
This meal was a great success. Of course, you have to ignore the fact that I forgot to grease the muffin tins (that was messy.) I also tried to put too many artichoke leaves down the garbage disposal (unclogging the sink in my Sunday dress was quite gross.) I tipped the crockpot over and got broth all over the counter (that wouldn't have been so bad if it was my only problem.) Then the roast sat on the table and dried out while I tried to unclog the drain. My ever-sensitive husband tried to console me by pointing out that at least I didn't start the kitchen on fire.

Danish Ebleskiver

2005-10-10T13:39:00.000-06:00

My husband wanted to make something fancy for breakfast this past weekend so I let him!

Danish Ebleskiver
2 C buttermilk
2 c flour
3 eggs, separated
1 t baking soda
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 T sugar

Beat egg yolks. Add sugar, salt and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together: flour, baking soda and baking powder. In a third bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Add flour to egg mixture and mix thoroughly. Fold in egg whites.

Heat ebleskiver pan on medium low. Place a small amount of butter or margarine in each depression. When fat is bubbly fill each hole 2/3 full of dough. Cook until bubbles appear. Turn carefully with a fork. Cook on reverse side.

Dip in melted butter and powdered sugar.

My children LOVED these. Both have requested them for breakfast on their birthdays.

Dutch Oven Dinner

2005-09-14T11:36:00.000-06:00

We went camping this weekend and I thought I would share a few Dutch oven recipes that we used. My brother went with us and commented that he is glad he goes camping with someone who knows how to cook.

RECIPES:
Sticky Buns
Frozen roll dough, 1 package
brown sugar, 2-3 C
butter or margarine, 1-2 C
Grease oven well on bottom and sides. Sprinkle 1 cup brown sugar on bottom of pot. Arrange frozen roll dough in a single layer. Cover with one inch pats of butter or margarine. Sprinkle with 1 cup brown sugar. Use remaining package of roll dough and create a second layer. Cover with additional butter and sugar as desired. Cook until dough is browned and brown sugar glaze is bubbly. Use 9 briquettes under the oven and 12 briquettes on the lid. May be stacked.

Camping Breakfast
2 C bacon or sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 loaf stale bread, torn into pieces
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2-3 C shredded cheese
1-2 C milk
1 dozen eggs
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and pour into a well buttered Dutch oven. Cook until eggs are set and cheese is melted. Use 9 briquettes under the oven and 12 briquettes on the lid. May be stacked.

BBQ Chicken
3 pound chicken pieces
1 bottle BBQ sauce
Combine both ingredients in a well greased Dutch oven. Cook until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. Use 9 briquettes under the oven and 12 briquettes on the lid. May be stacked.

Fruit Dump Cake
1 1/2 C applesauce
1 can fruit cocktail, in syrup
yellow cake mix
1 cube margarine
Grease Dutch oven generously with margarine. Combine applesauce, brown sugar and fruit cocktail. Pour in bottom of oven. Spread dry cake mix over top of wet ingredients. Dot top with pats of margarine. Bake until hot and bubbly around the edges and crisp in the center. Use 9 briquettes under the oven and 12 briquettes on the lid. May be stacked.

Grilled Chicken and Spinach Fettucini

2005-08-30T20:43:00.000-06:00

Menu:
Grilled Chicken, Spinach Fettucini, sliced peaches, milk, Quick Chocolate Bavarian

Recipe:
Spinach Fettucini
4 ounces cooked and drained fettucini noodles
2 C fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C milk
1/2 C cubed mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Combine soup, milk and cheese. Cook until cheese has melted. Add salt, pepper and spinach. Cook 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently until spinach has softened. Add fettucini noodles. Heat thoroughly. Serve with grilled chicken breasts.

Review:
My 7 year-old LOVES pasta and has requested that I make this dish again. It was fairly easy to make and yet still rather fancy.

Chicken Pizza

2005-08-23T20:45:00.000-06:00

Menu:
Chicken Pizza, fresh peaches

Recipe:
Chicken Pizza
Boboli pizza crust
1 C BBQ sauce
2 T honey
1/4 C brown sugar
1 C cubed, cooked chicken
2 C grated mozzarella cheese
Mix BBQ sauce, honey and brown sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on 70% power for five minutes. Add chicken. Cook at 70% power for five additional minutes. Top Boboli crust with chicken and sauce mixture. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Cook at 400 degrees until cheese is melted.

Review:
My first mistake was calling this dish "pizza." My children were expecting bread dough slathered in red sauce and covered with cheese. Personally, I thought it was a wonderful change. I will definitely make this again (though maybe for a dinner party where only adults are invited!)

Orange Cashew Chicken

2005-08-09T11:08:00.000-06:00

Menu:
Orange Cashew Chicken, steamed rice, Pina Colada Sorbet

Recipes:
Orange Cashew Chicken
2 T margarine
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 C celery, sliced
1/4 C thinly sliced onion rings
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C orange juice
pepper, to taste
nutmeg, to taste
3/4 C chopped cashews
1 can mandarin oranges
2 T honey

Fry chicken pieces in 1T margarine for about 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Saute celery and onion in 1T margarine for 5 minutes. Add soup, OJ, spices and nuts. Cook 5 minutes (medium heat.) Add chicken, oranges and honey. Mix well and simmer 5 minutes. Serve warm over rice.

Pina Colada Sorbet
2 C frozen pineapple with juice
5 T coconut milk
2 T sugar

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until well mixed. Freeze until ready to serve.

Review:
I loved the chicken. It was like eating a light curry dish without the yucky curry flavoring. My kids hated it but my husband liked it. I actually got the recipe out of a 30 Minute or Less Cookbook by the California Cookbook Company. I only changed a few things :-)

I was surprised that my children loved the sorbet since they hate pineapple and coconut. They asked for seconds.

Pulled Pork

2005-08-04T13:53:00.000-06:00

Did you miss me? Sorry, I have been so busy. Summer is so crammed full of activities that I hardly have time to breathe. Well here is another recipe that we loved from this week. It doesn't heat up the house (It has been hot here in Utah lately.) It also made loads of leftovers.

MENU:
Pulled Pork, Lemon Pepper Zucchini, Corn on the Cob, Watermelon Wedges

RECIPE:
Pulled Pork
Put as many FROZEN, boneless pork spareribs in the crockpot as you can fit. Fill 3/4 of the crockpot with water. Do not add seasonings. Cook on high for 4-7 hours. Just before serving, remove meat from the crockpot and shred with a fork. It will pull apart easily. Serve hot with salt and pepper or BBQ sauce. Serve cold on sandwiches with Miracle Whip dressing or horseradish sauce.

Strawberries and Milk

2005-06-06T12:09:00.000-06:00

Sometimes simple dinners are best. Strawberries were on sale this weekend. I bought 2 flats to make jam and we have enjoyed the extras. We just sliced the strawberries, sprinkled a little sugar on top and poured on the milk. Delicious!!!!

French Bread Pizza

2005-06-03T15:46:00.000-06:00

French Bread Pizza
1 loaf garlic and Parmesan French bread, split
1 Cup spaghetti sauce
1 Cup pepperoni, sliced and quartered
2 C grated cheese

Additional toppings: peppers, mushrooms, olives, onions, bacon, ham, tomatoes, pineapple, sausage, hamburger

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toast the French bread lightly. Spread spaghetti sauce over top. Sprinkle cheese over sauce and top with pepperoni. Add additional toppings as desired and return to oven. Bake until cheese has melted.

This was a super-quick meal. Toasting the bread first keeps it from getting soggy. I used a flavored loaf of french bread instead of plain French bread and the spices were delicious.

Carne Asada Burrito

2005-05-23T11:32:00.000-06:00

Menu:
Carne Asada Burrito with guacamole, fresh salsa, sour cream and lettuce; Mexican rice, refried beans

Recipe:
Carne Asada Burrito
4 gordita style tortillas
4 thinly sliced steaks
2 C grated cheese (I use whatever is on hand but a mixture of Colby and Montery Jack is best)
Slice the steaks into strips and fry in very hot oil. Divide the meat mixture between the 4 tortillas. Top each pile of meat with 1/2 C cheese. Heat in the microwave just until the cheese melts. Roll each tortilla. Serve with sides of guacamole, fresh salsa, sour cream and lettuce.

Guacamole
1 small avacado, ripe
1 T sour cream
1 t dried red chiles
juice of 1/2 lime
Peel the avacado and discard the pit. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and purree until smooth.

Easy Mexican Rice
Combine 2 C cooked rice with 1/2 t garlic salt and 1 small can of tomato sauce. Heat thouroughly. Don't add any other spices- it should be a mild contrast to the rest of the meal.

Review:
When I made up these recipes, I was trying to duplicate a meal that we get at a local Mexican restaurant. It was quite similar and tasted delicious. I did cheat a bit. This time I used vegetarian refried beans out of a can. I had already made homemade salsa, homemade guacamole and homemade burritos and I was tired. I also used a rice cooker which shortened my kitchen prep time.

P.S. I discovered that my baby LOVES refried beans!

Chicken Scallopini

2005-05-17T11:24:00.000-06:00

Chicken Scallopini
1 split chicken breast
1 1/2 C spaghetti sauce
4 thin slices Provolone
10 Ritz crackers
2 pieces dry bread
6 garlic croutons

In a food processor, combine crackers, croutons and dry bread until a fine texture is achieved. De-bone and skin the chicken breast. Pound very thin with a mallet. Slice into four servings. Wet each piece of chicken in water and roll in the dry bread mixture. Bake at 375 degrees, in a dish that has 2 inch sides. Remove chicken from oven JUST BEFORE the juices run clear. The cooking length varies on how thinly you have pounded the servings. Pour the spaghetti sauce around the chicken and return to the oven. Cook until hot and bubbly. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of Provolone. Turn off oven. Put the chicken back in the oven until the cheese is melted. Serve over linguine noodles.

Chunky Vegetable Spaghetti

2005-05-06T13:06:00.000-06:00

Menu
Chunky Vegetable Spaghetti, strawberry shortcakes, wheat breadsticks

Recipe
Chunky Vegetable Spaghetti
1 C regular spaghetti sauce (canned or homemade)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
1 can tomato paste
1 C water
1 T fresh parsley
1 T fresh oregano
Saute onion, garlic, zucchini and carrots until just softened. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until vegetables are tender. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles.

REVIEW
I love this recipe. It is an easy way to add vegis to my diet. It is quick but tastes better (and is cheaper) than bottled vegetable sauce. When my children were younger, I use to puree the softened vegetables before adding them to the tomato sauce. It still gives a nice flavor but hides the green chunks. I also never peel my vegetables. I just scrub them clean and cook them with the skins. It is easier and probably healthier.

For the wheat breadsticks, I simply substitute whole wheat flour for part of the white flour in my regular roll recipe.

I also tried something different with the strawberry shortcakes. I made them in cupcake papers instead. We each had our own individual shortcake and I froze the leftovers to use in trifle later on.

Spring BBQ

2005-04-13T09:47:00.000-06:00

ORIGINAL MENU:
Lowfat Chicken Roll-ups

My husband came home today with spring fever. I had planned to cook lowfat chicken roll-ups but those went out the window in trade for a spring BBQ. The weather was beautiful. I made my pistachio fluff salad (which the cat enjoyed tremendously) and pasta salad. We ate brautwurst, soda pop and chips. Then we roasted "marshmelons." So much for the diet!

RECIPE:
Easy Pasta Salad
1 C Italian salad dressing
8 ounces rainbow rotini, cooked and drained
18 black olives, halved
1 small tomato, diced (optional)
Combine all ingredients. (I tried this recipe by substituting low-fat dressing and I didn't like it.)

A Birthday Cake Not Even a Mother Could Love

2005-04-08T14:53:00.001-06:00

I can make cakes. I have made them for weddings, birthdays, funerals and family dinners. I am reasonably talented, or so I thought until last Saturday. My son celebrated his 7th birthday with a "knights and castles" birthday party. He requested swords for the guests, a dragon pinata and a castle cake. Everything went smoothly until the cake. I have never made such a horrible looking cake in my life!

My son, however, is an angel. I told him that the cake had an accident and didn't turn out as planned. He took one look at the cake and simply said, "It looks like the dragon attacked the castle and it's on fire!" He told this story to all of his friends and they thought it was the coolest thing since birthday cakes had been invented. They ate the cake and then fought the dragon pinata with their plastic swords.

Just so you don't think all of my cakes come out this badly, here are a couple of previous cakes. They aren't necessarily my best ones- just those I took pictures of.

Chocolate Cream Roll

Candied Violets

Happy Birthday

Monsters Inc.

Chocolate Roses

Jesse

George Shrinks, Boston Cream Pie, Purple Pansies

Minnie Mouse

Easter Eggs

2005-03-30T14:33:00.003-07:00

This blog has evolved over the past few months. I intended it to be a daily diary of our dinner menus. However, like other WAHMs, I frequently find myself too busy with my home business. Hence, I settled for occasionally listing our dinner recipes. Once in a while, I have a recipe that I love that just has nothing to do with dinner. That is the story of today's entry.

This Easter, I waited until the last minute to buy an egg coloring kit. Wal-mart's shelves were completely empty by the time I got there on Saturday night. I hesitantly settled for the recipe on the back of my kitchen food coloring box. Boy, was I surprised! I expected dull, light colors but what I got were intense, bright, gorgeous colors. We even made BLACK Easter eggs (or "Halloween eggs" as my children named them.) This recipe is inexpensive and easy.

Easter Egg Dye
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 small bottle of liquid food coloring
1/2 cup boiling water
Combine all ingredients in a cup. Soak raw or boiled eggs for 1-5 minutes in the dye mixture. You can combine differing amounts of liquid coloring to achieve interesting variations such as black, brown, hot pink or forest green. Soak each egg in more than one color for even more fun.

Lemon Spareribs

2005-03-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not blogging regularly. My family has been eating, but I have been so busy trying to figure out how to make the RSS feed work that I have neglected posting my recipes. I'll try to "back-post" a few of our best meals.

In the meantime... take note of the XML link in this post and at the bottom of the page. I still haven't figured out why they are so popular. I thought it was supposed to email you or notify you when changes were made to the blog but so far, all it does is... well- maybe I should just let you click for yourself and find out!

Menu:
Lemon Spareribs, Cornbread, Lemonade, baked beans with bacon, green salad

Recipe:
Lemon Spareribs
Mix 1 can lemonade concentrate with 1 C barbeque sauce. Marinate pork ribs overnight. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Glaze with remaining sauce. Heat thoroughly for 5-10 minutes. Discard any remaining sauce.

Review:
This recipe breaks my rule about cooking meat in BBQ sauce but the lemonade made a nice change. The meat was slightly lemony but the flavor was not overwhelmingly tart. We all enjoyed the meal.

Canneloni

2005-03-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Cannelloni, garlic toast, green salad

RECIPE:
Cannelloni
Cook 8 cannelloni shells according to package directions. Drain and cool. In a food processor, blend: 2 C cottage cheese, 4 ounces mozzarella cheese (grated), 2 C washed and dried spinach leaves, 1/4 C parmesan cheese. Use this mixture to fill the cannelloni. Place in a greased casserole dish. Cover with meatless spaghetti sauce. Bake in the microwave until bubbly.

REVIEW:
This meal got rave reviews from everyone. I had trouble filling the shells. I think it was because they were too hot. Next time, I will let them cool with a greased carrot in each one to help it hold its shape while I prepare the filling.

Homemade Pizza

2005-02-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Pepperoni and sausage pizza, cinnamon pizza sticks with sweet dipping sauce, garlic breadsticks with pizza dipping sauce

RECIPE:
Pizza dough
1 T dry yeast
1 C hot water
2 T sugar
1 T oil
1 t salt
2-3 C flour
Mix dry yeast, sugar and hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Knead for 15 minutes. Let rise for 30 minutes. Punch down. When used as pizza crust, bake in a hot oven at 425 degrees.

REVIEW:
I doubled the batch of dough this time. With half, I rolled it into a pizza and topped with spaghetti sauce, cheese, pepperoni and sausage. With the remaining dough, I rolled two smaller pizza shapes. I spread butter over the top of each. I place them ona cookie sheet and cut them into strips rather than triangles. I topped one with garlic salt and the other with cinnamon sugar. I baked them at 425 degrees along side the pizza. We dipped the garlic sticks in heated spaghetti sauce. The cinnamon dipping sticks were a big hit. I made frosting from 1T margarine, 1T milk and 1 1/2 C powdered sugar. I added a few drops of water to make it a good consistency for dipping. Everybody LOVED this meal and requested that I make it again.

Herb Marinated Chicken

2005-02-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

MENU: Herb Marinated Chicken, fruit cocktail cake, sour cream noodles, carrots

RECIPE:
Fruit Cocktail Cake
2 C flour
1 1/2 C sugar
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 package vanilla pudding mix
1/2 C flaked coconut
4 eggs
1/3 C oil
1 can fruit cocktail WITH juice
Mix all ingredients well for 2 minutes. Spread in buttered 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with nut topping: 2/3 C chopped pecans and 3/4 C brown sugar. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Frost while still hot with coconut frosting. Coconut frosting: Over medium heat, combine: 1/2 C sugar, 1/2 C butter, 1/2 C cream. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 C coconut. Spoon blobs randomly over hot cake.

REVIEW:
The cake was pretty good but probably too sweet and really gooey in the middle. I would omit the frosting and nut topping next time and just serve it warm with dollops of whipped cream.

Ribs

2005-02-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

MENU:
BBQ Beef Ribs, Western Beans, cornbread and honeybutter, chocolate pudding

RECIPE:
Western Beans
4 strips of bacon, diced
1/2 onion diced
1/3 C dry lentils
2 T ketchup
sprinkle garlic salt
two shakes chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t dried red pepper flakes
1 can tomatoes in juice
3 C cooked beans (I used dried black beans, small red beans and great northern beans mixed, soaked and boiled until soft.)
Fry bacon. Add onion and cook until soft. Add remaining ingredients plus 1 C water. Cook for 1 hour until lentils are soft. Add more water during cooking, if necessary.

REVIEW:
I got this recipe for free in the mail but then I substituted a few things. I don't like the lentils. They never softened and were rather crunchy. I would leave them out next time. The ribs, on the otherhand, were great. When cooking ribs, remember to bake them slowly WITHOUT barbeque sauce. Add the sauce at the last minute and heat thoroughly. If you put it on first then it caramelizes and gets all crusty and gross.

Orange Peel Beef

2005-02-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Orange Peel Beef, Pan Fried Noodles, Pistachio Fluff Salad

RECIPE:
Orange Peel Beef
Prepare sauce: Peel thin strips of orange peel from one orange. Combine with 1/2C honey and the juice of half an orange. Add one diced jalapeno pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Marinate 1/2 pound thinly sliced beef steak strips in the following mixture: 1/2C cream soda, 3T oil, 1t buffalo sauce, 2T sliced fresh ginger, 1t garlic salt, juice of half an orange, 1t dried and diced red chili peppers. Let sit for 1 hour.
Drain meat and stir fry in hot oil. Add sauce and 1/2C green pea pods. Cook until sauce is heated. Serves two.

REVIEW:
With the exception of the kitchen fire, the meal turned out pretty well. (Be sure to drain the meat well before adding to the hot oil. I had flames reaching to the ceiling! My husband is used to the smoke detector going off when I cook but I must say, this was a bit more exciting.) I made up the recipe myself and I thought it was pretty good. It was not as good as P.F.Chang's version yet still tasty. My children thought it was too spicy but my husband enjoyed it.

Stuffed Crepes

2005-02-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Chicken stuffed crepes, pudding stuffed crepes

RECIPE:
Crepes
2 eggs
2 T melted butter
1 1/3 C milk
1 C flour
1/2 t salt
Place ingredients in blender in order. Blend for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides. Blend. Cook in greased crepe pan. May be stuffed and rolled with shredded chicken, ham or beef. Add cheese and your choice of vegetables such as tomatoes, olives, sprouts, celery, onions. Include a favorite sauce like honey mustard dressing, ranch, BBQ sauce, horseradish or terriyaki sauce.

Vanilla Pudding
Mix: 1/2 C sugar, 3T flour, 1T cornstarch, 1/4 t salt, 1/3 C non-instant dry milk.
On stovetop boil 1 3/4 C water. Beat in the dry ingredients. Add 1 beaten egg while briskly stirring. Cook 1 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 T butter and 1 t vanilla. Let cool.

REVIEW:
My mother used to make stuffed crepes when I was growing up and I hated them. A few years ago, a crepe restaurant opened up in the local mall. I discovered that the reason their crepes were so yummy was actually the sauce. It keeps the crepes from being too dry. I now love stuffed crepes. My children prefer the pudding stuffed crepes to the meat filled variety. I use homemade pudding to decrease the sugar content. My children love homemade pudding. It is also an easy way to use up powdered milk from our food storage.

Pot Roast a la Crock Pot

2005-01-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

MENU: Pot Roast with potatoes, onions and carrots, gravy, rolls

RECIPE:
Pot Roast a la Crock Pot
Put the roast inside the crock pot. For each person, add: 1 carrot cut into 2 inch pieces, 1 onion, peeled and 1 potato, quartered. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of water. Sprinkle with pepper. Cook on high for 3 hours if the roast is defrosted- longer if the roast was frozen. Use the juice to make gravy.

REVIEW:
I don't know why anyone would cook a roast in the oven any more. The crock pot is so easy and the meat stays juicy and tender. I usually throw everything in the crockpot before church and it is done when we get home. It is wonderful to smell the food cooking when you walk in the door.

Beef & Broccoli

2005-01-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Beef & Broccoli, rice, fortune cookies

RECIPES:
Beef & Broccoli
1 pound (or less) beef steak, thinly sliced into strips
vegetable oil
1 can tomato soup
3 T soy sauce
1T vinegar
garlic powder to taste
1/2 t crushed red pepper
3 cups chopped broccoli
Fry beef until cooked. Add remaining ingredients and cook until broccoli is done. Serve over rice.

Fortune Cookies
1/4 C margarine
2/3 C sugar
1/2 t vanilla or almond extract
1 egg
1/3 C flour
8 small strips of paper with fortunes on them
Beat all ingredients well. Spoon in circular shape onto greased and floured cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Use a spatula to remove cookies from baking sheet. Immediately put a fortune in the center of each cookie. Fold cookie in half, pinch edges together and twist in the center. Let cookies cool.

REVIEW:
The only problem with the beef & broccoli was that there wasn't any left for the next day! I did have a few problems with the fortune cookies. The batter was so runny and I made the cookies too big. Some of the batter ran off the sides of the cookie sheet and spilled all over the bottom of the oven where it carmalized and set off the smoke detector. Grrrr.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2005-01-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Spaghetti and meatballs, green salad, bread sticks

RECIPE:
Meatball Mix
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/2 C breadcrumbs
1/2 small chopped onion
dash salt
2 t cornstarch
dash pepper
1 t Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients well. Shape into small balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from pan immediately. Can be frozen or used immediately.

REVIEW:
Christmas has really kept me busy. So I am trying to catch up on a few good recipes that I used during the holidays. This is one of them. I never fry my meatballs, they always burn. This is the best recipe for meatballs that I have ever tasted. I always make extra to freeze for later.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

2004-12-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, Easy Coffee Cake, corn, Quick Chocolate Bavarian

RECIPES:
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Wash 4 potatoes. Slice them as thinly as possible (a food grater works best.) Boil until soft. In a separate bowl, combine: 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1/2C sour cream, 1 small minced onion, pepper, paprika, salt, garlic powder, 1/4C milk, 1C grated Cheddar cheese. Add potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased casserole dish until hot and bubbly.

Easy Coffee Cake
Mix your favorite muffin recipe. Add 1/4C melted butter or margarine to the batter. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan. On top, sprinkle the following mixture: 1/2C chopped walnuts, 1/4C softened butter, 1/4C brown sugar, 2T flour. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Pigs in a Blanket

2004-12-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Pigs in a Blanket, carrot sticks, apple juice

RECIPE:
Pigs in a Blanket
1 package hot dogs
2 cans refrigerator biscuits
sliced cheese
Wrap a hot dog and a slice of cheese in a refrigerator biscuit. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake according to biscuit directions. Serve with ketchup.

REVIEW:
Tonight was my 6 year son's turn to cook dinner. This recipe is an easy favorite.

Honey Glazed Ham

2004-11-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

MENU: honey glazed turkey ham, cauliflower with Hollandaise sauce, cheesy noodles

RECIPE:
Quick Hollandaise Sauce
1/2 C Miracle Whip
1/2 C mayonnaise
1 T yellow mustard
1 T course ground Dijon Mustard
Freshly ground pepper

Mix all ingredients and keep chilled until ready to serve.

REVIEW:
This sauce recipe is great for artichokes. Both children love vegetables and cauliflower is no exception. Everyone ate so much today that there wasn't anything left for leftovers.

Brown Sugar Pork Chops over Sausage Dressing

2004-11-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Brown Sugar Pork Chops over Sausage Dressing, green peas, fruit cocktail

RECIPE:
Brown Sugar Pork Chops over Sausage Dressing (my version)
3/4 pound pork sausage
1 can cream of celery
1 box pork flavored Stove Top dressing mix
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
dash paprika
2 pork chops, boneless
1/4 C firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons brown mustard

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan. Brown sausage in skillet; drain fat. Stir in soup, stuffing mix, celery, onion and paprika. Spoon into pie pan. Arrange pork chops on top, lightly pressing in. Combine brown sugar and mustard. Spread evenly over pork chops. Bake for 30 minutes or until pork chops reach 160°F.; or are no longer pink.

REVIEW:
I changed the recipe a bit from the original. I like it better my way. Even my picky 9 year old loved this recipe.

Stroganoff

2004-11-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Stroganoff with egg noodles , green peas, peaches, muffins

RECIPE:
Easy Stroganoff
Brown hamburger with diced onions and drain (1/4lb -1lb depending on how much meat you have.) Add one can of cream of mushroom soup. Slice 6 large mushrooms into the mixture. Cook until mushrooms are soft. Add 8 ounces of sour cream and 1/2 C milk. Season with salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Heat thoroughly. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

REVIEW:
This is one of my favorite recipes. I learned it from my mom. I don't put the onions in because my husband insists that cooked onions give him indigestion. All of the amounts can be adjusted. Add more meat if you like it meaty. Use leftover steak if you have it. Substitute canned mushrooms. Try cream of celery soup or homemade white sauce. Use heavy cream or yogurt instead of sour cream. It is a great "raid the pantry" meal. Everyone ate large helpings (except my 9 year old daughter who seems to be getting pickier every day.)

Chicken Enchiladas

2004-11-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Chicken Enchiladas, Green Salad, Corn, Blueberry Cheesecake

RECIPES:
Chicken Enchiladas
1 can Cream of Something soup
1/4 C milk
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 pound cooked chicken, shredded or diced
1/4 C diced chiles, optional
2 C shredded cheese, any combination of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mozarella or Colby
1 can tomato sauce or enchilada sauce
1/2 can black olives, sliced
4-8 flour tortillas
Mix: soup, milk, sour cream, chicken and half of the cheese. Scoop mixture onto tortillas and roll up. Place in grease casserole dish. Top with tomato sauce and sliced olives. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly (about 30 minutes.)

Cheesecake
(Somewhere there is a Kraft recipe for this but I couldn't find it so I just guessed!)
In a food processor, blend 1 package of graham crackers (not a whole box, mind you...) with 1/2C of butter. When mixed well, press crumbs into a pie tin. Rinse the food processor. Add 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1 tub of Cool Whip, 1/4C milk and about 1C of powdered sugar (maybe just a bit more?) Mix well and pour on top of the graham cracker crumbs. Keep in fridge until ready to use. May be eaten plain or topped with any pie filling, jam or fresh/frozen fruit.

REVIEW:
Very easy to make. I made this meal for a friend who just had a baby and it only took 35 minutes. I made the cheesecake and salad while the enchiladas were cooking (It cooks much faster in the microwave.) Depending on how much filling you use in each tortilla, it can feed between 4 and 8 people (including children.) It is one of my husband's favorite dishes.

Lasagne at Grandma's House

2004-11-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Sunday Dinner at Grandma's: Lasagne, Garlic Bread, Cookie Salad, Green Salad with French Dressing, Cake, Donuts, Vegi Tray, Assorted Leftovers

RECIPE:
Cookie Salad - another fluff salad variation
Combine: 1 tub Cool Whip, 1 small package vanilla pudding mix, 1/2 can crushed pineapple, 1 can Mandarin oranges. Chill. Immediately before serving, add 1 1/2 C crushed fudge striped cookies.

Aunt Dorothea's French Dressing
1 Can tomato soup
1 small onion
1 C sugar
1 C oil
3/4 C apple cider vinegar
1 t dry mustard
1 t salt
1 t paprika
1 t fresh ground pepper
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Let sit in fridge overnight.

REVIEW:
With cousins in-town for the weekend, Sunday dinner at Grandma's was loads of fun. I brought a green salad with homemade French dressing and my now famous Cookie Salad. I have posted the Cookie Salad recipe before but I got so many request for it yesterday, that I decided to post it again. This is a yummy salad! The salad dressing didn't get many compliments but it is still my favorite and also a favorite of my 9 year old.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2004-11-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Easy BBQ chicken sandwiches with cheese, carrot sticks, apples, milk

RECIPE:
Easy BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Shred leftover cooked chicken. Add bottled BBQ sauce. Heat in the microwave. Serve with sliced cheese on a toasted bun.

REVIEW:
The kids ate pizza at a church activity and Dad was working late so I ate by myself. It was lovely. Even though the meal consisted of leftovers, there was no complaining, whining, grumbling... a little lonely though so I don't want to make a habit of it:-)

Meatloaf

2004-11-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Meatloaf, baked potatoes and sour cream, pistachio fluff salad

RECIPES:
Meatloaf
In a gallon-sized plastic zipper bag, combine 3/4 pound ground beef, 1 beaten egg, 4 slices bread (broken into crumbs), 1/2 onion (diced), 3 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, 1T Worcestershire sauce, dash of salt, dash of pepper, 1 can tomato soup. Close the bag and knead until all ingredients are mixed well. Scoop into greased muffin tins. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pistachio Fluff Salad
(Another tasty version)
Mix, in order: 1 small tub Cool Whip, 1 small package dry pistachio pudding mix, 1 C cottage cheese, 1/2 can crushed pineapple. Chill well.

REVIEW:
This is a wonderful meatloaf recipe. It was one of the first recipes I learned from my mother. It is not a dry "meatbrick" like some. My husband actually brags about my meatloaf. It is also great the next day sliced on a cold sandwich with Miracle Whip dressing. You substitute ingredients liberally and it still tastes pretty good. I have used leftover oatmeal, peanut butter sandwiches, rice, cornbread, toast, apple muffins, green peppers, green onions, mozzarella cheese, etc. The trick is to not let your family see what you are adding!

Crumb Coated Pork Chops

2004-11-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

MENU:
Crumb Coated Pork Chops, cloverleaf rolls, spinach, twice baked potatoes

RECIPE:
Twice Baked Potatoes
Scrub 4 large potatoes. Prick each with a fork. Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until soft. Remove from oven. Carefully cut tops of potatoes open with a cross design. Peel back skins slightly. Scoop out the potato insides (don't ruin the "jacket") and put in food processor. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper. Mash until soft. Add diced peppers, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and grated cheese. Fill the potato jackets with this mixture (a pastry bag may help control the mess.) Return to the oven and heat thouroughly, until cheese is melted. As with deviled eggs, there is always lots of filling leftover. Serve it in a bowl on the side.

Cloverleaf Rolls
Use your favorite roll dough (or mine.) Using your palms, roll three small balls for each cloverleaf roll and arrange them in a greased muffin tin in a triangle shape. Bake as usual.

REVIEW:
I got the mashed potatoes too runny and they looked kinda gross. They tasted OK though. My daughter used hers like soup and dipped her roll in it. I frequently make rolls because I know that my children will eat bread even if they hate everything else on the table. I just add extra powdered milk and eggs to boost the nutritional value.

Birthday Tradition

2004-11-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

MENU: Golden Corral Dinner Buffet- All you can eat!

REVIEW:
One of our family traditions is to go out to a restaurant for dinner on each child's birthday. The birthday child gets to choose where we eat. This weekend marked my daughter's ninth birthday. For the last nine years, we have eaten at Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Parlor. My husband and I do not like their pizza and the price is outrageous. We have tried in vain to convince our children that there are other options. Last year, our daughter decided she was too old for Chuck E. Cheese's only to change her mind the night before. This year, however, we told her that if she chose somewhere less expensive then we would have money left over to go bowling or miniature golfing. She chose Golden Corral and bowling. The food is pretty good and since it is a buffet, everyone picks what they want to eat. The night was tons of fun.

Oven-Fried Chicken

2004-10-28T14:59:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Oven-Fried Chicken; cornbread muffins; green salad with tomatoes, spinach and cucumbers; oniony smashed potatoes; chocolate chip-pumpkin cookies

RECIPE:
Oven-Fried Chicken
Marinade for 4 chicken thighs: 1/2 bottle Italian salad dressing, 1/2C flour
Coating: 2C flour, 1T sugar, dash salt, 1t powdered sage, 1t paprika, 1/2 t pepper
Combine chicken and marinade in a large Ziploc bag. Let sit for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix coating. Lightly dust marinated chicken pieces in coating. Fry in small amount of very hot oil until outside is browned. Bake in a casserole dish at 375 degrees until the juices from the chicken run clear when each piece is pierced with a fork.

REVIEW:
Maybe it was because I hadn't eaten all day but this meal was simply delectable. Definitely worth making again but I should probably wait a while. I originally started this blog to chart what we eat for dinner. I had hopes of convincing my husband that we don't eat chicken EVERY night. I have noticed that we do eat quite a bit of poultry though. Still, when he starts cooking dinner, then he can pick what we eat.

Chicken Lasagne

2004-10-26T09:38:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Chicken Lasagne, leftover fruit salad

RECIPE:
Chicken Lasagne (serves four)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 large button mushrooms, sliced
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 split chicken breast, boneless, cooked and cut into strips
4 lasagne noodles, cooked and drained
4 handfuls of fresh spinach, torn
6 slices of cheddar cheese
Saute the onions until soft. Add the mushrooms and soup. Heat thouroughly. Layer the ingredients in a loaf pan: 1 noodle, half of the chicken, 1/3 of the soup mixture, 1 noodle, 2 handfuls of spinach, 3 cheese slices, 1 noodle, remaining chicken, 1/3 of the soup mixture, 1 noodle, 2 handfuls of spinach, remaining soup mixture, 3 cheese slices. Heat in the oven at 350 degress until hot and bubbly.

REVIEW:
According to my daughter, I couldn't have made a more disgusting meal if I had purposely tried :-( She acted like I took every food that she hates (chicken, mushrooms, soup, cheddar cheese, spinach, onions) and put them in a pan together. Well, okay, so I did- but not intentionally. I thought the lasagne was delicious and so did my son. My husband commented that it "needed something" although he ate a rather large helping and took the leftovers for lunch today so it can't have been all that bad!

Macaroni and Cheese

2004-10-24T10:04:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Macaroni and Cheese, apple slices, carrot sticks, milk

REVIEW:
You may ask yourself why I bother to post that we ate Mac & Cheese out of a box last night. Last night was my 6 year old's turn to cook dinner. Each of my children gets one night per week where they choose the menu and then cook the dinner. Even though they are only 6 and 8 years old, they have learned about the food pyramid, meal planning, recipes, grocery shopping, sales tax, kitchen safety, price comparison, following directions, reading skills, food labels, etc. I carefully supervise both of them in case they need help. I am teaching them life-skills by allowing them to help in the kitchen. And although they occasionally select fun desserts or more complicated meals, we do eat a lot of frozen pizza and macaroni and cheese. Responsible children are worth such a small sacrifice.

Sloppy Joes

2004-10-22T16:53:00.000-06:00

MENU: Sloppy Joes, Chocolate Pecan Chewies Cookies

RECIPE:
Chocolate Pecan Chewies Cookies
1/2C margarine, softnened
2 eggs
1t vanilla
1 1/2C flour
1C sugar
1/2C cocoa
6T brown sugar
1t baking soda
1C chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter, eggs and vanilla. Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir until the mixture is well belnded. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a GREASED cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.

REVIEW:
I have a rule about sweets. I never buy them. In order to moderate my voracious sweet tooth, I only eat homemade treats. My rationale is that my lack of energy will outlast my craving. The problem is that when I do make something fattening and totally unhealthy, I make a pig of myself. I adore these cookies. They are fantastic when they are hot from the oven. They are delicious the next day with a glass of milk. They taste wonderful straight out of the freezer. In the last two days, I have eaten 2 dozen by myself. Which reminds me...I have some leftover cookie dough in the fridge....

Hearty Bean and Chops

2004-10-21T10:05:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Hearty Beans and Chops, banana bread

RECIPE:
Hearty Beans and Chops
I originally got this recipe from Albertson's but I have modified it a bit.
Brown pork chops in oil and drain. In a bowl, mix: 1 can pork and beans or baked beans, 1 can drained corn, 2T steak sauce, 1 package of onion soup mix, 1 1/2 C water. Pour over chops and cook until the meat is tender.

REVIEW:
Both older kids wolfed down the banana bread. When we took it out of the freezer, we weren't sure if it was zucchini bread or banana bread. It makes dinner more interesting when it is a surprise. My husband detests banana bread so he ate plain bread and butter.
As for the main course, my 8 year old daughter thinks beans are disgusting. She also doesn't like pork. Of course, I am one of those mean mothers who makes their children try a little bit of everything before they get more of the foods they like best.

Pizza Night

2004-10-20T11:45:00.000-06:00

MENU:
5 Buck Pizza, Brownie Pizza

RECIPE:
Brownie Pizza
Make one package of brownie mix and cook on a pizza pan or pie plate. Remove from oven and top evenly with chopped peanut butter cups and marshmallows. Bake 5 minutes. Add candy toppings of your choice (Gummy bears, fruit roll-ups, chopped candy bars, etc.) Let cool.

REVIEW:
If we order pizza, we always order 5 buck pizza since toppings are free. It is my children's favorite pizza. Plus we get coupons in the mail that make it cheaper than frozen pizza from the grocery store. The kids loved the brownie pizza. My advice is to choose only soft candies for the top.

Chicken Rolls

2004-10-19T12:06:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Chicken Rolls, Frog-Eye Salad

RECIPES:
Chicken Rolls
Cresecent Rolls: Use canned rolls or make homemade crescent roll dough.

Filling: In a food processor, cream: 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, 3T chives or green onions, 1/2 C margarine, dash of pepper, salt to taste, 2 C cooked chicken and 6 mushrooms.

Topping: Mix 2 C bread crumbs with 1/2 C chopped nuts.

Gravy: Combine 3 T bouillon and 2T margarine with 3C water, stir well and heat to boiling. In a separate dish, combine 3T cornstarch with 3T cold water. Stir until there are no lumps. If necessary, add more water a tablespoon at a time. Stir into bouillon and water mixture. Cook while stirring until thickened.

Divide rolls into 8 sections. Make each section into a rectangle. Put a spoonful of filling on each. Fold the bread dough over and seal the edges. Dip entire roll in melted margarine and then roll in the bread crumb topping. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with Gravy.

Frog-Eye Salad
Cook 1/2 package Acini de Pepe until al dente. Drain. In a separate saucepan, combine: 1 beaten egg, 1/2 C sugar, 1 T flour, 1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple. Mix well and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just thickened. Add cooked Acini de Pepe. Cool in fridge for atleast an hour. In a large bowl, combine cooled mixture with 1/2 package miniature marshmallows, 1 can of fruit cocktail and 1 C whipping cream, whipped. Chill for at least 1 additional hour.

REVIEWS:
Chicken Rolls are delicious leftover. Heat for 15-20 minutes in the oven at 300 degrees. Top with warmed gravy. I have one in the oven as I type! Frog-Eye salad is the only fluff salad variations that tastes better as a leftover.

Beef and Rice Fajitas

2004-10-17T13:14:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Beef and Rice Fajitas, carrot sticks, apple juice, J-ello cake

RECIPES:
Beef and Rice Fajitas
Combine in a Ziploc bag: 1 lb sliced strips of steak, juice of 1 lime, 2T vegetable oil, 1 flavoring packet from Chili Ramen Noodles. Marinate for 1/2 hour. In a saucepan, combine 1 ounce vermicelli or angel hair pasta broken into 1/2 inch pieces with 2/3 C dry rice and 2T margarine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until noodles have browned. Add 1 1/3 C water, 1 can tomato sauce, 1/2 small diced onion, 3 diced tomatoes, 1 diced green pepper, 2T minced cilantro, 2 t chili powder. Cook for 25 minutes. Drain steak and grill or fry. On a homestyle flour tortilla, spoon a scoop of rice, a scoop of meat and several cheddar cheese slices. Warm in microwave until cheese melts. Roll tortilla and top with sour cream.

J-ello Cake
Bake a white cake in a 9x13 pan. Let it cool. Poke holes across the top of the cake with a fork. In a separate dish, prepare strawberry J-ello as directed. While still hot, pour over the top of entire cake. It will seep into the holes. Let cake set in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Cover cake with Cool Whip for frosting.

REVIEW:
The fajitas are actually simpler than they sound. This recipe makes enough for 6-8 tortillas. Hubby ranks it a 10. I rank it a 9.
The cake is a classic at our house. My daughter has requested it for her birthday. You can substitute any flavor of cake and any flavor of J-ello. You can even use pudding instead of J-ello. Just use the end of a wooden spoon when poking the cake so that the holes will be bigger.

Thanksgiving in October

2004-10-12T14:23:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Sliced turkey breast (leftover from the deli sandwiches,) stuffing (made from leftover rolls, celery and the remaining 1/2 onion not used in the salsa,) potatoes and gravy, rolls (leftover,) and apple pie with Cool-Whip (leftover from the J-ello.)

REVIEW:
My daughter calls this meal Thanksgiving in October. I had visions of creatively using yesterday's leftovers in an entirely new meal. I would use the food processor to make pie crust, rinse it out and use it to make stuffing, rinse it and use it to make mashed potatoes... Quick, easy and frugal. Then real life hit me on the back of the head.

Either I put too much shortening in the pie crust or the house was too humid from running the humidifier all day for the sick baby but that pie crust would not roll properly. After 45 minutes, I had no dinner. What I did have was pie crust stuck on the counters, pie crust on the floor, pie crust on the cleanly stacked dishes from yesterday's party, potatoes boiling over on my freshly scrubbed stovetop, a monstrous sinus headache and a baby crying to be held. I kicked the refrigerator and cupboards repeatedly (to keep myself from flinging the glass pie pan across the kitchen) and my husband ventured out of his office to see what the matter was. He sent me to my room to feed the baby while he made the pie.

We did eventually eat. The meal was very nearly edible: hot mashed potatoes (into which my 6 year old stuck his fingers- resulting in screams of pain and a short delay while we ran to the bathroom for cold running water,) dry rolls and undercooked, gooey stuffing filled with raw onions. Thank goodness for gravy!

Deli Sandwiches for 33

2004-10-11T10:24:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Do-it-yourself deli sandwiches: roast beef, ham, turkey breast, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, mayo, Miracle Whip, mustard; red J-ello with Cool Whip; vegi tray: grape tomatoes, olives, carrots, celery, ranch dip; potato chips and dip; tostada chips and salsa; lemonade; dessert tray: Rice Krispy treats, no-bake cookies, brownies, double chocolate fudge brownie cake, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, fudgy chocolate chip cookies.

RECIPES:
Salsa
In a food processor, combine: 8 medium tomatoes, 2 large green peppers, 1/2 medium onion, 2T fresh cilantro, 2 t cumin, 1 jalapeno pepper. Mix just until diced. If you mix too long, the onions and peppers will become watery.

Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake
This is Grandpa's secret recipe so I have no idea what he puts in it. It is terrific and moist.

No-Bake cookies (also known as missionary cookies or Chocolate Oatmeal)
In a saucepan, mix 1/2C milk, 2C sugar, 3T cocoa, 1 t salt, 1/2C margarine. Bring to a rolling boil. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add 1 T vanilla, 1/4 C peanut butter and 3C quick oats. Optional: 1/2C powdered milk, 1/4C coconut, 1/2C chopped walnuts.

Easy Lemonade
Mix one can of prepared frozen lemonade with one packet of prepare Crystal-Lite lemonade flavored drink. Float lemon slices or edible flowers such as daisies, violets, lavender or pansies on top. Voila!

REVIEW:
We had 33 family members for dinner today so the meal had to be easy to prepare ahead of time. Everyone enjoyed the meal.

Beans and Ham

2004-10-08T13:15:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Beans and Ham, homemade bread and jam

RECIPE:
Beans and Ham
Soak 3 C dry beans overnight. Drain. In a large pot combine beans with a leftover ham bone. Cover beans with water. Cook on low heat for 6-10 hours until beans are soft and all remaining meat has pulled off of the bone.

REVIEW:
My grandmother used to make this recipe with leftover ham bones she got from her cousin who owned a catering company. I love how the house smells when the beans are cooking. My husband LOVES this meal. However, I could not convince my 6 year old son that it was tasty. I even told him that if he ate it he would be able to fart all night (first graders love that stuff.) He didn't fall for it. I ended up bribing him with leftover cake.

Chicken Surprise

2004-10-07T19:20:00.000-06:00

MENU:
AHHH, what do I cook tonight? I diced up a half a chicken breast from the freezer with a handful of baby carrots, a package of onion soup mix, and 2 C water into a pan. I cooked it at 250 degrees while we ran a few important errands. Served over cooked noodles, it wasn't too bad.

Navajo Tacos

2004-10-05T13:06:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Navajo Tacos, scones

RECIPE:
Traditional Navajo Tacos use a flat bread dough but I find it easier to use a basic scone dough recipe and then serve scones with honeybutter for dessert. (This evening we used the leftover honeybutter from the previous night.)
Navajo Tacos
In bread mixer, combine: 1 C hot water, 1T yeast, 2T sugar, 2 T oil, 1 t salt and enough flour (2-4 C) to make a soft dough. Mix, knead, let rise 15 minutes. Roll dough into small balls, flatten into saucer shapes. Fry in very hot oil, turning once until lightly browned on both sides. Drain. Top with taco meat, grated cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, olives, sour cream and salad dressing.

REVIEW:
Very tasty meal but made the house and our clothes smell like hot oil.

BBQ Chicken

2004-10-03T22:04:00.000-06:00

MENU:
BBQ Chicken, beans, cornbread with honey butter, lemonade

REVIEW:
The foods complemented each other nicely. Using prepared BBQ sauce and canned beans made this meal quick to prepare.

Omelets- Thursday

2004-10-01T08:59:00.001-06:00

MENU:
Ham and Cheese Omelets, cantaloupe, blueberry muffins, orange juice

RECIPE:
I would love to have a homemade blueberry muffin recipe. I have tried adding blueberries to a regular muffin mix but it never tastes good.

I do have one tip for omelets that I got off of a cooking show. Use water instead of milk and tabasco sauce instead of pepper. I also found these two links online but every site makes omelets differently and they all seem to disagree on the best method.

http://www.pineapple-girl.com/omelet.htm

http://vh10063.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040901/LIFE02/409010325

REVIEW:
Obviously, I am trying to use up Tuesday's ham. I am a terrible omelet maker. The inside is always runny and the outside is overcooked. The cheese didn't melt and the ham was cold. Both kids just had scrambled eggs instead. The fresh fruit was a big hit, though.

Chef's Salad- Wednesday

2004-09-30T09:46:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Chef's Salad (with lettuce, homegrown tomatoes, olives, boiled eggs, leftover ham, cheese, leftover chicken) and Chocolate Bavarian

RECIPES:

Quick Chocolate Bavarian (also known as "Goop")
2 envelopes plain gelatin
1/2 C hot milk
2 egg yolks
1 C ice
1/4 C cold water
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 C cream
Pour water into blender. Sprinkle gelatin over top. Add hot milk and blend on high for 40 seconds. Add chocolate chips. Blend. Add remaining ingredients and blend until thick (about 1 minute.) Pour into serving dishes immediately.

REVIEW:
Salad is my son's most hated of all foods. However, he eats the add-ins from a chef's salad so he is still getting some nutrition.
"Goop" is the dessert to die for. We all love it! This recipe takes less than two minutes to prepare and it's ready to eat immediately.

Baked Ham- Tuesday

2004-09-29T05:44:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Baked Ham (whole, on the bone), orange rolls, baked potatoes with sour cream, green peas

RECIPES:
Orange Rolls
Roll leftover crescent roll dough into a rectangle. Spread with butter. Roll and cut into slices like sweet rolls. Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees. While still hot, top with orange frosting (2 powdered sugar, 1T margarine, 2T orange juice, drop of orange food coloring.)

REVIEW:
It's always called a "feast" at our house when we use the good china.

Pork Chops- Monday

2004-09-28T10:43:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Pork Chops and stuffing, Smashed Potatoes and non-fat gravy, fresh steamed green beans

RECIPES:
Smashed Potatoes
Boil 1 potato per person. Drain and save water. Mash potatoes with the skins. Add potato water until soft. Season with salt and pepper or herbs. Potatoes will be lumpy.

Non-fat Gravy
Boil 1 C water. Add 1 T bouillion, any flavor. Stir well. In a small dish, combine 1 T cornstarch with 2T cold non-fat milk. Stir until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture into boiling water. Cook, stirring frequently, until thick. Season with pepper.

Chili Nacho Supper- Sunday

2004-09-27T09:35:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Chili Nacho Supper, Cookie Salad

RECIPES:

Chili Nacho Supper
Combine: 2 C cooked and drained kidney beans, 8 diced tomatoes, 2 diced green peppers, 1 diced onion, 1 pound cooked and drained ground beef, 2 small cans tomato sauce. Add cumin, chili powder, chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until onions are soft. Serve in bowls. Top with grated cheese and sour cream. Use as a dip for nacho chips.

Cookie Salad - another fluff salad variation
Combine: 1 tub Cool Whip, 1 small package vanilla pudding mix, 1/2 can crushed pineapple, 1 can Mandarin oranges. Chill. Immediately before serving, add 1 1/2 C crushed fudge striped cookies.

REVIEW:
Rave reviews all around. This recipe is a double batch so we have enough left another meal.

Tortellini

2004-09-25T06:43:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Tortellini in cheese sauce, crescent rolls, steamed zucchini

RECIPES:

Cheese sauce
Combine: 1 can Cream of anything soup, 2 ounces diced cheddar, 2 ounces diced mozzarella, 1 T margarine, 1 packet of macaroni and cheese sauce mix, 1/2 c milk, 1/4 c mayonnaise. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth and warm.

Crescent rolls
Combine: 1 1/2 C warm milk, 1 T dry yeast, 1/4 C sugar, 2 T oil or margarine, 1 t salt, 2 eggs, 2-4 C flour (until the dough is just no longer sticky but still soft.) Knead in a mixer for 10 minutes. Let rise for 20 minutes. Roll into a circle, spread with butter. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. Roll each section starting with the large end. Let rise 10 minutes. Cook for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Tater-tot Casserole

2004-09-23T14:55:00.000-06:00

Menu:
Tater-tot Casserole, banana shortcakes

Recipe:

Tater-tot Casserole
Combine the following in a casserole dish: 2 C tater-tots, 1 can cream of something soup, 1/2 C milk, 1/2 C sour cream, 1/2 pound of cooked ground beef. Bake until it is hot.

Review:
Husband: Perfect 10
Mom: 8 for taste, 6 for ease of prep (yeah, it outta be a 10 for ease of prep but I left the hamburger on the stove while I answered the door and didn't remember until the smoke alarm went off so I had to make dinner twice!)
8 year old daughter: ZERO for the casserole, 10 for the whipped cream on top of the shortcake.
6 year old son: Probably around an 8.

Chicken Patty Sandwiches

2004-09-22T11:35:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Chicken patty sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes and cheese, brownies with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce

REVIEW:
Success! Everybody cleaned their plates! Granted, I should have served another vegetable. I did tell my husband to open a bag of potato chips as a side dish but he forgot and I was busy with the baby. This was also an easy meal to prepare (My 8 year old cooked and made the sandwiches, my husband sliced the cheese and I baked the brownies and sliced the tomatoes and my 6 year old cleaned up the table.)

Apricot Chicken over fettucine

2004-09-21T09:40:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Apricot Chicken over fettucine, brown sugar carrots, whole wheat rolls, cottage cheese with pineapple

RECIPE:
Apricot Chicken
Cook chicken thoroughly in saucepan. Pour 1 1/2 C of apricot syrup or apricot and peach jam over the top of the chicken. Heat thoroughly. If using syrup, add 1T cornstarch dissolved in 2T cold water to sauce and cook until thick and clear. Serve over noodles, rice or lettuce.

REVIEW:
Unfortunately, a stray dog got into our backyard today and attacked our rooster. This meant that we had to kill him which caused an uncomfortable situation at dinner. Chopping the head off of the rooster made dad sick and so he didn't want to eat any dinner (ESPECIALLY chicken.) Both kids kept making inappropriate jokes about the meal being cooked from our dearly departed rooster. Neither of them ate any meat. I personally, thought the meal was delicious (and I was the one who actually killed the rooster, in the first place.) And no, the meal DID NOT come from the rooster. Since the rooster was attacked by a stray dog we felt it best to dispose of the body rather than eat it.

Juicy Ham

2004-09-20T14:36:00.000-06:00

Sunday Dinner at Grandma's House!

MENU:
Juicy Ham, creamed onions, J-ello, rolls, roast beef, green bean casserole, berry shortcake, fresh vegies

RECIPES:

Rolls
Noone eats Grandma's rolls without commenting that they are the best rolls EVER! Here is her original recipe. NO SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED!

Dissolve: 2 yeast packets in 1/2C warm water with 1T sugar.
Melt: 1/2C butter.
Combine: butter with 1C very warm water.
Add: 3 eggs, 1/2C sugar, 1t salt

Beat with rotary beater until well mixed. Now as yeast mixture and mix well. Add 4 1/2 C of Baker's Flour (available at Lehi Roller Mills) and mix well. Cover and let rise in warm place until double in volume. Dough is quite sticky so flour board well but do not knead. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into circles. Dip entire roll into melted butter. Fold over and put in greased baking pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven.

Juicy Ham
Place ham slices in a casserole dish. Cover with any ratio of brown sugar, honey, mustard and pineapple in juice (rings, chunks, crushed, tidbits). Decorate with marrichino cherries if desired. Heat thoroughly.

REVIEW:
These two recipes are my kids' favorites. They always clean their plate and ask for seconds (and thirds.)

Goulash

2004-09-17T10:18:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Goulash, carrot sticks, watermelon

RECIPES:
Goulash
16 ounces dry pasta, any combination (I used wagon wheels, rotini, penne, elbow and rigatoni)
1 can of vegetarian spaghetti sauce
1 C water
2 ounces diced mozzarella cheese
2 ounces diced cheddar cheese
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
Cook noodles until al dente. Drain and return to pan. Add spaghetti sauce and water. Heat. Add cheese and cook until sauce is thick and bubbly and cheese is melted.

REVIEW:
Unfortunately, the kids had spaghetti at school and were not thrilled about two Italian dishes in the same day. They ate my Goulash rather unenthusiastically. My husband came home from work with a stomach ache and decided that Italian food would make him sick. Needless to say, I will be eating Goulash for lunch today (and probably tomorrow and the next day....)

Salisbury Steak

2004-09-16T09:07:00.000-06:00

MENU:
Salisbury Steak over wagon wheel pasta, green peas, Orange Fluff Salad

RECIPES:

Salisbury Steak
1 pound ground beef, flattened into patties
1 onion, sliced
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C milk
Fry ground beef patties with onion rings. When completely cooked, add remaining ingredients. Cook until thick and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over pasta.

Orange Fluff Salad
1 small tub Cool Whip
1/4-1/2 package orange flavored gelatin
1 C cottage cheese
1/2 can crushed pineapple
1 small can Mandarin oranges
Combine Cool Whip and gelatin. Add remaining ingredients. Stir gently and refrigerate. Extra Mandarin oranges may be used to garnish the top of the salad.

REVIEW:
Prep and Cooking time was only 25 minutes. This included setting the table and putting away some groceries as well. Although the kids hate onions, the rest of the meal went down well. It is inexpensive with lots of leftovers for lunches the following day. This salad is an easy (although fairly sweet) way to add both Vitamin C and protein to a meal. My children love it! (And although I hate to brag, I am the Queen of fluff salads- even by Utah standards. Watch for many more fluff salad recipes in the future.)

Wendy's!

2004-09-15T11:08:00.000-06:00

Okay, Okay! So we cheated last night. We ate at Wendy's. To our minimal credit, we did attempt to disguise it as a "Since this was your last soccer game of the season and you played your best, why don't you pick somewhere to eat-out" celebration.

If you really need your daily recipe "fix" try this one that we ate for breakfast this morning.

Homemade Strawberry Julius (otherwise known as "Cold Drink")
In a blender or drink maker, combine:
8 ounces of frozen, non-sweetened strawberries
8 ice cubes
1t vanilla
1C milk
1/8-1/4C sugar (to taste)
Blend until smooth.

You can vary the fruit used, substitute honey for the sugar, yogurt for the milk and even add powdered soy protein to make it healthier.

Ribeye Steak

2004-09-14T08:41:00.000-06:00

MENU:
The two older kids shared sliced watermelon and a Totinos
"cardboard" pizza before soccer practice (and yes, we did save the
boxtop) while mom and dad enjoyed ribeye steak, soft potatoes,
watermelon and California vegis after the kids and the baby went to
bed.

RECIPES:
Soft Potatoes
Wash two medium red potatoes. Boil until soft (approximately 35
minutes) and drain. In a food processor, blend 2 T of margaine, a dash
of salt, a dash of pepper, potatoes (with the skins,) until well
mixed. Blend in 1/4-3/4 c of milk until potatoes are the consistency
of runny baby food.

Ribeye Steak
Bring steaks to room temperature. Rinse and pat dry. Cover liberally
with Spade L Ranch beef seasoning. Cook on extra hot BBQ just until
the outsides are blackened (less than 4 minutes per side.) The inside
should be red. The easiest way to ruin a fantastic steak is to
overcook it. If you prefer your steak to be well done- buy chuck
steak. You'll save money and won't be able to tell the difference.

REVIEW:
This dinner only took 5 minutes prep at the beginning and five minutes
before serving. It is the best meal I've had in a long time. Rates a
10 for taste and a 9 for ease of preparation but only gets a 5 for
cost (and that's even with the steaks being on sale!)

Lemon Chicken

2004-09-13T11:41:00.000-06:00

MENU: Last night we had lemon chicken, rice pilaf and spinach.

RECIPES:

Lemon Chicken
Slice boneless chicken breasts into 1 inch strips. Soak in a marinade of: 1 T vinegar, 1/4 C soy sauce, dash of salt, dash of pepper, 1 beaten egg and 1T cornstarch. You can add 1/4 C rice wine or Sprite, if desired. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add 4 T cornstarch and 2-6 T flour. Fry chicken in hot oil and drain. Serve with lemon sauce: 1/2 t salt, 6 T sugar, 4 T lemon juice, 2 T cornstarch- mixed and cooked until clear and thick.

Rice Pilaf
Combine 1/2 C uncooked rice, 1 ounce of uncooked thin spaghetti noodles, broken into 1 inch pieces and 2 T butter in a saucepan. Heat over medium high, stirring constantly until noodles are golden brown. Add 1 1/2 C water, juice of one lime and one seasoning packet from a bag of Ramen Noodles (any flavor.) Bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat, covered for 20-25 minutes.

REVIEW: It took me almost an hour to finish cooking this meal. That is longer than I like to take. My 6 year-old loved the chicken. My 8 year-old doesn't like chicken but ate it anyway. Both children gagged down the small portion of spinach with large quantities of water. My husband raved about the chicken and took the leftovers in his lunch today. Rice pilaf was better than plain rice but not as good as Rice-a-Roni in a box.