Cakemix cookies with strawberry cream cheese frosting

Wowza were these good! I got the recipe from Lera on her Team Hess blog. Enjoy- I did!

PS Since this first time, I have made several others, and they have all turned out just as good. This is a great recipe.

Mealtime Makeover - Steak salad

Edible, but not a remake. I like the black beans, corn, and salsa combo, but not with the salad, and the steak seemed out of place. My husband wasn't interested in it as a salad, so he wrapped it in a burrito. It was alright for my little boy though. We cut the steak into small pieces, along with corn and black beans, with a breadstick on the side. He was pretty happy.

~Sent from my Sprint Evo~

Mealtime Makeover - Another good meal

This one wasn't the complete success other's have been. However, this one was completely new, completely different, and completely do-able. A mexican casserole served on a bed of chopped lettuce with a side of corn. And it was tasty.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - Last night's meal was a hit!

Last night we had BBQ chicken, potato salad, and cantalope with a honey/lime glaze. It was delicious! The original recipe called for pork chops instead of chicken, but we like chicken better, and macaroni salad, but I like potato salad better. Even DH enjoyed the meal, and he doesn't like cantalope. He said the glaze was the only reason he ate it. Two thumbs up for this meal!

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - The leftover creations

I like leftovers. I like to take bits and pieces from previous meals and see what I can create into a new tasty dish. Not always easy with my picky family. This one turned out well. I took leftover taco meat, and made a lunchtime quesodilla. I put salsa and sour cream with it, and viola! It was yummy, simple, and surprisingly filling.

This is my son's lunch today. Chicken nuggets and strawberries. Remember the days when lunch was such a simple pleasure? (No these aren't leftovers. Just a fond memory.)

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - Three meals so far

Although I love the simplicity this subscription brings to our lives, the jury is still out on the meals.

The first meal was fish tacos. As I've stated before, DH is allergic to fish so we slightly edited this meal. Instead of fish, we used ground beef. Other than that change, we enjoyed the meal just as it was suggested. Sorry, I didn't get a picture.

This next meal is a italian noodle casserole. It was good, but not as good as I expected. Thankfully, it was fairly simple, and seems to save well. Next time, I'll add a bit more flavor (probably some italian seasoning), and a bit less noodles, mix it all together instead of layering it (except the top coat of cheese and croutons), and I think it will be better.

This third meal I was very excited about . . . and ever so disappointed when it was a flop. This was a french toast bake. It sounded so good, with the blueberry drizzle over the cinnamon/sugar topping. Unfortunately, it didn't bake very well, and was completely soggy. I don't know about you, but soggy bread is not appetizing to me. The idea of it is delicious, the blueberry drizzle was very tasty and original, and the bacon on the side was a nice touch. Next time, I plan to bake this covered, and for as much as double the time, hoping it will bake away the sogginess. If it works, it will be fantastic. If it doesn't, well, the soggy bread speaks for it.
Tomorrow we're having BBQ chicken, potato salad, and lime/honey cantalope. This one shouldn't be too hard to mess up because it's a nice simple meal. Bake the chicken with the BBQ sauce, deli potato salad, and a cantalope. I'll keep the pictures and reviews of the meals coming.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - the planning stage

I love to cook, and my household loves to enjoy food. Lately, however, we've been in a food rut. Cooking seems the same, and we aren't thrilled with our meals anymore. So, we decided to give another Dave Ramsey program a shot- eMealz.

Today, I purchased a 3 month membership for $12.50, using the code Dave to get $2.50 off. (I'm all about being gazelle intent, ya know.) I selected the standard meal plan for 4-6 people. I figured that would suit our evening meal for the four of us, and give a lunch or two for the next day since 2 of those eaters have very small stomachs. I downloaded the meal plan and got ready to show DH when he got home.

DH and I discussed the meals, making appropriate changes. For example, he is allergic to fish, so we changed the Grilled Fish Tacos to beef tacos, attempting to keep all the other details and ingredients the same.

Then, I made our shopping lists. I made one list for Costco, and one for the grocery store, removing items we wouldn't need (the fish from the tacos we changed, decided on crescent rolls instead of dinner rolls since we have a bunch in the fridge already, etc). And since the shopping list provided by eMealz is for the meals they plan only, I added our breakfast and lunch items, such as adding blueberry muffin mix for breakfast and increasing the tomatoes and lettuce amounts for BLTs.

So far . . .
Pros

1. Getting the plan couldn't be easier. Log in, download, and there it is. It takes me longer to get to my email.
   
2. Simple simple simple layout for the recipes, a breakdown of the food for that meal, and the directions for creating.
3. Variety of the meals. It's not all one nationality or meat type. There is American, Italian, Breakfast for dinner, Salads, etc. This will most definitely add variety back into our meals.
   

Cons

1. I feel the writing on the shopping list is too small and cramped. I like the option of editing lists, and this doesn't give an editable (is that a word?) feel. But someone that plans to make the meals as-is won't have this problem.
   
2. I would have liked the option of altering a plan based on allergies. Each week includes one fish meal. But we will probably take that night off for sandwiches or one of our current favorite recipes.
   

I'm looking forward to my shopping trip tomorrow. I haven't decided yet if I want to start the plan tomorrow or next week, but either way I'm looking forward to it.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (immediate or freezer meal recipe)

This is a simple twist to a delicious meal.

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 oz sour cream
couple of slices of deli ham
1 cup grated American cheese


First cook the chicken, then cut it into pieces. (I decided to try shredding instead of chopping this time. I like how it turned out.)
Cut deli ham into small pieces. (I use a pizza cutter. So simple!)
Combine all ingredients into a bowl.
If you are doing this for freezer meals, write on a ziplock bag the cooking instructions. put the mixture into a ziplock bag and flatten for freezing.

If you are cooking right away, you can cook it two ways
1- Put it in the crockpot and cook 4 hrs on high or 8 hrs on low
2- Put in a baking dish and bake for 40 mns at 350 degrees

You can also top it with bread crumbs or extra cheese for the last bit of cooking. When finished cooking/baking, serve over rice or noodles. (I like it best over noodles.)

Ta da! Easy and delicious Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Homemade Baby Food - Easy as 1, 2, 3

Since my little man is getting ready to start solids, I thought I'd start making some homemade baby food. I feel better making it then buying it. It's cheaper, I know exactly what is in it and how old it is, and it's super simple. I've made all of his food so far (Mama's Milk!!!), why not keep the trend going? I decided on carrots. My DH doesn't like carrots at all, but I do, so I wanted to get Little Man to like them right off.

I started with a lb of carrots. I peeled them, cut the ends off, and rinsed them. Then I sliced them up
and put them all into the steamer
and onto the stove

I steamed them for about 25 minutes. I have heard they only need 15 when cut up this small, but I wanted to make sure they were nice and soft.

I then put them in the blender

Added about 4 oz of breast milk (I have over 200 oz in the freezer, I have plenty to spare for baby food lol) and pureed it until it was smooth.

I put a heaping TBS in each section of an ice cube tray
I covered the whole tray with a single layer of saran wrap
and stuck them in the freezer.

Once frozen (I left them overnight), I moved them from the ice tray into a gallon size freezer bag, with the type and date written on the bag for easy identification

This amount made enough for two dozen cubes, along with a little bit left over to use right away

3 recipes

I've really been on a roll lately with new recipes. Today, I did three new recipes.

Snack Mix

I wanted a snack mix with all the things I like and nothing that I didn't. While at the store on our last shopping trip, I picked out a variety of goodies. Today, I mixed them together to make my own snack mix. I included equal parts of walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, chocolate covered peanuts (I'm not a fan of peanuts, but liked the idea of adding a little chocolate to the mix), and raisons.I put it in these smaller bags so I could stick them in my purse and take them with me where ever I wanted to go. It turned out to be perfectly what I wanted.

Chicken and Broccoli Penne Pasta

For dinner, I made this fabulous dish. I got the inspiration from my friend Elizabeth at Table4Five when she blogged out this recipe on Teri's Kitchen. I searched the net to find one that sounded good to me, and found this one. It was a little more complex than I expected, and a little more time consuming. But it turned out fantastic and I am proud of myself. My husband was as pleased as could be- thanks Elizabeth for the inspiration!
Here's the recipe, as it is posted:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces penne rigate or similar pasta
• 2 cups frozen broccoli florets
• 2-3 cups skinned and boned cooked or roasted chicken, torn into large pieces
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan; stir in the flour until well blended. Gradually stir in the milk and broth and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until mixture is smooth and comes to a boil, about 8 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan; remove from heat.

Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente or about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook about 2 minutes more. Drain well and rinse with a little cold water to stop the cooking.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine the pasta, broccoli, cheese sauce and chicken; spread in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Drop pieces of blue cheese on top and tuck into the pasta with your fingers. Sprinkle the surface with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until top is golden and mixture is bubbly, about 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave.

Here are the adjustments I made to adapt it to my family:
We like broccoli, so I increased the amount of broccoli, using more like 3 cups.
We like more pasta/veggies to meat, so I used slightly less chicken (two small chicken breasts).
Neither of us like blue cheese, so I skipped it altogether.

My husband and I ate very well, and only ate about a third of what this made. There is enough left for he and I both to have a good lunch from it, and a dinner another night. So I would say this meal serves more like 6-8, instead of the 4 as stated in the recipe. Next time I make this meal, I will stop before baking, and use half of it for a freezer meal to make on another night. We both absolutely loved this meal, and it will become a frequent in our home.

French Bread

Since this meal would be perfect with some french bread, but I hadn't thought that far in advance at my last shopping trip, I improvised. I mixed two tablespoons of butter with garlic powder, spread over sliced bread, and topped with cheese. I wasn't sure what kind of cheese would be best, so I tried three kinds- mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar. Toasted them in the oven on 350 until the cheese was melted and the edges of the bread were barely golden. The different cheeses didn't make much difference to me, although Selo said he prefered the cheddar of the rest. I thought the made up garlic butter was just right though.

So those are my successes for today. The whole day turned out to be an excellent day for food. I feel great that I have a fantastic new dinner recipe, and that I made a recipe that was slightly more complex than what I'm used to. I am enjoying all that I'm learning. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much we were did in my home!

Chicken Rolls

This recipe is from the famous Lera, and it has quickly become a favorite in my home.

What you'll need:
8 oz of cream cheese
1 stick of butter
sage
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 package of crescent rolls
1 package of chicken gravy
2 cups of rice
a veggie of choice for your side dish


What to do:
1- Clean up the chicken, taking off all the fat, etc, and bake it until light golden. I usually bake mine at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

2- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, butter, and some sage (I like a lot, so I put about a tablespoon for this size mixture), blending it until it is mixed well. Set aside.

3- When the chicken is finished, let it sit in pan for about ten minutes to soak up the juices. Then cut it into bite size pieces.

4- Add the chicken to the cream mix, mixing it in.
***If you are making a double batch, or making this for freezer meals, this is where you will put the mixture into a ziploc bag and save it in your fridge or freezer.

5- Spoon the mix into the crescent rolls, and wrap the crescent roll around the mix. Place on a baking pan an inch or two apart.

6- Bake at 350 until crescent rolls are a golden brown, about 8-10 minutes depending on your oven.

7- Serve chicken rolls with rice, chicken gravy, and a vegetable. And enjoy!
This mixture will make 16 chicken rolls. For my husband and I, we have more than enough with 8 rolls, so I put half the chicken mixture in a ziploc bag and save it for another meal. (Stop after step 4.) For others, 16 is the right amount for one family meal and a couple of left overs for the next day, so in order to save some, double the recipe. This is a great freezer meal recipe.

The Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

As many of you know, I have been searching for a perfect peanut butter cookie recipe. I wanted one that didn't have any weird ingredients, made the cookies nice and soft, and you could taste the PB in them after they baked. I have tried several recipes, all failures. Finally I have found it!

Thanks to my wonderful Aunt Tamra, for suggesting I look at the peanut butter website. Since we use nothing other than Jif in my home, I checked it out. And thanks to www.jif.com/Recipes, I have a kitchen full of beautiful, delicious, and peanut buttery cookies.

Ingredients:

•	3/4 cup Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
•	1/2 stick Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening Sticks
OR	1/2 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
•	1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
•	3 tablespoons milk
•	1 tablespoon vanilla extract
•	1 large egg
•	1 3/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
•	3/4 teaspoon baking soda
•	3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.	HEAT oven to 375°F. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended.
2.	COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2-inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with tines of fork.
3.	BAKE one baking sheet at a time 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

http://www.jif.com/Recipes/Details.aspx?recipeID=960

Fabulously Simple Cobbler

This has also been called "Dump Cake". I first had it at a Relief Society night, and had to have the recipe for myself. It is so incredibly easy, and each time I have made it I have heard nothing but wonderful ravings about it.

What you'll need:
1 can of pie filling
1 yellow cake mix (not mixed)
1 stick of butter

What to do:

Turn oven on to bake at 350.

Pour the can of pie filling into your cake pan, and spread until it covered the entire bottom of the pan. (This time, I choose to use home canned peaches.)
Pour the dry cake mix on top of the pie filling, and spread until it barely touches the edges of the pan.
Slice butter on top of the cake mix, spreading evenly throughout the pan.
Put cake in oven. In ten minutes, check to ensure melted butter has covered the whole top of the cake mix. If needed, take cake out of oven to slice more butter on places that need it, then put back into oven.

Bake until the top of the cake is golden and slightly crispy. Test this by putting a knife in, if it's clean when it comes out, cake is finished. This can take anywhere between 30 minutes to 45 minutes, so keep a close watch on it.
Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream, and enjoy =)