Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Weekly Menu

This weeks menu...

Chow Mein, cheese slices, pineapple

Teriyaki Chicken, cheesy hashbrown casserole, green beans, peaches

Ham Noodle Bake, salad, pears

Taco soup, tortilla chips

Popcorn chicken, lipton noodles, green beans, fruit cocktail

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken

This one came from the Kraft Food & Family magazine.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. fettuccine, uncooked
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips/chunks
1 1/4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 t. flour
4 oz. Cream Cheese, cubed (can use reg. or less fat)
3 T Parmesan Cheese
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. pepper

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, cook chicken in skillet or put in crock pot in the morning with about 4 cups water and let cook on low for 6 hours or hight for 3.

In skillet, mix broth, flour, cream cheese, 2 T. parmesan, garlic powder and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in chicken.

Drain pasta, place in a large bowl. Pour chicken mixture over pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle wit remaining parmesal cheese.

Our Review: This was good but kind of bland tasting. I think I will investigate seasoning that could be added for next time.

Brown Sugar Smokies

Got this recipe from Robin. These can be used as an appetizer or as part of a meal!

Brown Sugar Smokies

Ingredients:
1 pkg beef Little Smokies
1 pkg bacon
brown sugar

Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Cut strips of uncooked bacon into three. Wrap each small piece of bacon around a smokie and secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle brown sugar generously over the top of the smokies wrapped in bacon. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until bacon is cooked through.

For a meal serve with mac & cheese, veggie and fruit.

Our Review: These are YUMMY! We've had them a couple of times as appetizers and as part of a meal.

Easy Lasagna

Not sure where this one came from.

Easy Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 jars spaghetti sauce
32 oz. cottage cheese
2 eggs
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
2 t dried parsley
3 cups shredded mozzarella
salt/pepper
lasagna noodles

Brown and drain beef. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer.

Mix cottage cheese, 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, eggs, half of the parmesan, parsley and salt/pepper.

Cover bottom of 9x13 pan with 1/3 spaghetti sauce/meat mixture. Cover sauce with uncooked lasagna noodles (I used 4). Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture on top of noodles. Repeat layers until everything is used up ending with spaghetti sauce/meat mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan on top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Our Review: Mike and I loved this (Brooke was gone). It was so easy to make too!

Weekly Menu

This weeks menu...

Brown sugar smokies, mac & cheese, pears, green beans

Grilled Cheese, tomato soup, peaches, raw veggies (not done last week)

Easy Pleasing Meatloaves, potatoes, corn, peaches

Mackeral Patties, mac & tomato juice, fried potatoes, mandarin oranges

Fettuccine Alfredo w/Chicken, cheddar/garlic rolls (from package), salad, fruit cocktail

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Bakers Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Right off the back of the Chocolate Chunk package!

Baker's Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margaring, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 pkg (12 oz) chocolate chunks (or chips)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I did not use)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix flour, baking soda and salt until well blended, set aside. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beat until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended after each addition. Stir in chocolate and walnuts. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool one minute then transfer to wire racks. Cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Weekly Menu

This weeks menu...

CP BBQ Pork, french fries, corn, pineapple

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, tomatoe soup, carrots/celery, strawberries

Meatballs, lipton noodles, green beans, pears

Chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, white gravy, corn, mandarin oranges

Lasagna, garlic toast, salad

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Cocoa No Bake Cookies - Mike's favorites!

This has been in my recipe box for many years and is Mike's very favorite.k

Cocoa No Bake Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 c. bujtter (1 stick)
1/2 c. milk
2 c. sugar

1/2 c. peanut butter
1 t vanilla
3 c. quick cooking oatmeal
1/4 cocoa powder
1 c. coconut (optional)

In saucepan cobine butter, milk and sugar. Heat over medium heat stirring constantly. Let boil one minute.

Remove pan from heat and add peanut butter, cocoa, vanilla, oatmeal and coconut (I have never tried it with this but it would probably be good). Stir well and immediately drop by spoon fulls on wax paper. Let cool.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Peanut Butter Muffins


This is another one I got off of allrecipes.com and made my own changes to.

Peanut Butter Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 cup peanut butter
2 T. cold butter or margarine
1 cup milk
2 eggs
cinnamon/sugar mixture

Combine sugar, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the peanut butter and butter until it resembles course crumbles. Beat eggs & milk and stir into dry ingredients until moist. Fill lined muffin tins 2/3 full. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture on top.

Bake at 400 for 15-17 minutes. Serve with butter and/or jelly.

Our Review: These are going into the freezer for quick breakfast options for the girls, haven't tried yet! UPDATED: we tried these and they are YUMMY! We had them plain but with jelly would also be good!

Make Ahead French Toast

This one is based on a recipe on allrecipes.com with some changes from me.

Make Ahead French Toast

Ingredients:
1 loaf french bread, cut into about 12 1" slices
7 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. brown sugar
2 T. maple syrup (I just used regular syrup)
1 c. chopped pecan (option, I did not use)

Mix eggs, milk and vanilla in a bowl, pour mixture into bottoms of a 13x9 and an 8x8 square pan. Dip each piece of bread into egg mixture (both sides) and then sit on top of egg mixture in pan. I got 8 in the 13x9 and 4 in the 8x8. Refrigerate over night. In the morning mix together butter, brown sugar, syrup and pecans and spoon mixture over each piece of bread.

Cook at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Our Review: This was delicious, didn't even need syrup over top! I think it would also be good with cinnamon/sugar mixture over top instead of brown sugar, butter, syrup mixture! Think next time I'll try to make these into french toast sticks and freeze for the girls for breakfasts.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Weekly Menu

This weeks menu...

Chili, cinnamon rolls

Fish Sticks, mac & Cheese, green beans, pineapple

Chicken Chile Spaghetti, mandarin oranges

Tostados, peaches

Ham sandwiches, pretzels, raisins, carrots (game night)

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I kind of made this one up.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can enchilada sauce
12 (6 in) corn tortillas
green chiles (optional)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook chicken, I used boneless/skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot on high for about 4 hrs. Shred chicken. Mix together chicken, soups and chiles (optional). Layer 6 of the tortillas on bottom of 13x9 pan, cover with 1/2 can enchilada sauce. Spread chicken mixture over sauce. Layer 6 more tortillas on chicken mixture, cover with remaining enchilada sauce. Top with shredded cheese.

Cook at 350 for about 20-25 minutes until heated thru and cheese is melted.

We served this with a big salad and pineapple chunks.

Our Review: This is basically my chicken enchiladas in casserole form. Much less mess and time and just as yummy!

Crockpot Orange Chicken

Found this one at www.crockpot365.blogspot.com

Crockpot Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken cut in 2 inch chunks
1/2 cup flour
olive oil, for browning the chicken
1 T kosher salt
6 oz. (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 T brown sugar
1 t balsamic vinegar
3 T ketchup

Dredge chicken pieces with the flour, shake off excess. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove and brown the chicken on all sides. There is no need to fully cook it, just sear it enough for the flour to stick and get a nice coating.

Put chickent pieces into slow cooker. In small bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and ketchup. Taste, if you'd like the chicken to be a bit sweeter, add a touch more sugar. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss gingerly to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 to 4. Serve over white or brown rice.

Our Review: We did not care for this one. It was the first that I have tried that we felt was inedible. If you try it and it turns out good let me know so I can try again...maybe I did something wrong.

Weekly Menu

Opps forgot to post this!

Hamburger Helper, green beans, mandarin oranges

Spaghetti (homemade sauce), garlic toast, peaches

Pasta Salad

Tuna Helper, peas, pears, crescent rolls

Chicken Enchilada Casserole, salad, pineapple