What's for supper, Momma?

Creole Jambalaya

2012-02-08T14:48:00.000-08:00

Jambalaya is one of those foods that makes ya want to kick back, prop your feet up and hug your Mama. Just about everyone I know makes it a little differently, too. Shoot, I have several different jambalaya recipes. It's hard to make a bad jambalaya, too...seriously!! *laughing* As long as you don't burn your roux, it'll always be worth it! :)

I made this one on New Years Eve and loved it... I got this recipe from a wonderful southern cook, Mary Foreman . Thanks Mary!!

1 pound mild andouille sausage, smoked sausage
or ham, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
Kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 (28 ounce) can of whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 ounce) can of Rotel tomatoes, undrained
4 cups of chicken stock or broth
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dried basil
Palmful of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Slap Ya Mama, or your favorite
Cajun seasoning, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne, or to taste, optional
4 cups of long grain rice
3 tablespoons of butter, cut into slices
(can omit if using dark or mixed chicken)
1 pound of raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
Old Bay seasoning
Chopped parsley, to garnish
Hot pepper sauce, for the table

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut up sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic; set aside.

Sprinkle the whole chicken breasts with salt and pepper and brown in oil over medium to medium high heat in a large cast iron dutch oven that has a lid. Don't overcook! Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Once cool, coarsely chop into bite sized pieces. To the dutch oven, add the chopped sausage and cook until browned; remove and set aside.

Add additional oil as needed to bring up to a tablespoon. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until lightly browned. Do not burn! Add onion and bell pepper and saute a few minutes until softened. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic, cooking another minute. Using kitchen shears, roughly chop the tomatoes right in the can, then carefully stir them into the veggie/roux mixture, add the Rotel tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, thyme, basil, parsley, Cajun seasoning, white pepper, and cayenne, bring back up to a boil. Add the rice and stir in. Return to a boil. Add the chicken and sausage, dot the top with butter, stir, cover the pot and place it into the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the majority of liquid is absorbed.

Remove, stir, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Sprinkle the shrimp lightly with Old Bay seasoning, stir the shrimp into the rice mixture and return to the oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and shrimp are cooked through. Fluff with a large serving fork.

Scoop onto plates, garnish with a bit of parsley, add a side salad or a green veggie, and pass hot pepper sauce at the table. Makes a massive amount of jambalaya. Reheat leftovers covered in the microwave.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2011-09-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

4 bell peppers (cut tops off and clean out)

1 1/2 lbs ground sirloin

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups cooked rice

salt/pepper

mild cheddar cheese (shredded)

In a skillet brown ground sirloin, draining the grease when done. In a large bowl combine ground sirloin, can of diced tomatoes, cooked rice, salt pepper about 1-2 tsp of each. Mix well. Place bell peppers in an oven safe dish. Fill hollow peppers to the top. Place extra stuffing mixture around peppers. Top with shredded cheese. Bake on 350 for for about 1 hour 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Skillet Squash

2011-08-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that squash was one of those veggies as a kid that I refused to eat? It's one of my absolute favorites now. I'll make skillet squash like the one pictured, stuffed squash, squash casserole... the list goes on and on! LOL This one pictures is great and easy. All you do is slice the amount of squash you want to cook. Toss it with salt and pepper. Throw a couple tablespoons of butter in a skillet and toss in your squash. Let cook on medium heat for about 10-13 minutes for a large skillet of squash. Depending on how thick the slices are. This is one where the cook gets a taste test! Lovely addition to just about any main dish.

Molasses Pot Roast

2011-08-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

1. Beef roast (this recipe is for a 3-4 lb roast)
2. 1/4 - 1/2 cup molasses
3. 1 tsp of the following, cumin, fennel, coriander, chili and paprika, salt, pepper
4. 2 tsp tomato paste
5. 1 onion, chopped
6. 5 cloves garlic, mashed and chopped
7. 1 can cream of mushroom soup (optional for those who eat mushrooms)

Rub molasses all over roast. Allow to marinate over night if possible. Using a hot skillet (sprayed with olive oil) or a dutch oven (I recommend) brown roast on all sides. Should be VERY brown, dark, burned looking is GREAT actually. :) Remember you put molasses all over it. LOL Combine all your spices and rub into roast. Add about 1 cup water. **If you have a slow cooker you can cook this on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 without adding any water.**

Remove roast from pan, leaving juices in the pan add the tomato paste, cream of mushroom soup, onion and garlic. Add roast and Cook down until onion is transparent. This is also wonderful without the tomato paste added if you want a brown gravy instead of a tomato gravy. :)

Homemade Butter

2011-07-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

One word...delightful. Oh man. Homemade butter is just simply devine. And so crazy easy to make it isn't even funny. All you need is heavy cream. Really. Ok, and an airtight container. Oh....and little people. I definitely use my little people to make butter cause they get a huge kick out of it. *laughing*!! :)

Seriously, these are things they will remember! :) Pour a box of heavy cream in your airtight container. Close the lid well! And shake. And I mean really shake for about 20 minutes. First, you'll get a whipped cream...keep shaking...butter!

Add honey for honey butter or garlic for garlic butter. You can also add some kosher salt for salted butter (although to be honest I find the homemade butter is just SO delicious without the added salt, and I am a lover of salt).

I would suggest making different kinds. Wrap it up really well in freezer paper put in a clean airtight container and freeze for up to 8 months!

Adding herbs like, rosemary, basil or thyme makes for a really pretty (and tasteful) butter! :)

Lemon Pepper chicken

2011-07-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

I love that my kids are active members of our kitchen! LOL We try new things and we make old favorites. I always tell my kids "If I make something and you don't like it tell me! If not i'll just keep making it thinking you like it. And I may be able to mess around with the recipe and see if there's something I can change to your taste".

There are all these chances to learn so much more than food or cooking in our kitchen. It's a special place for our family.

Here's another family favorite. Lemon peppery goodness. I mean, Lemon pepper chicken. I have made this a million times and every single time it's a huge hit. I always give my kids a few lemons while I'm doing prep work and let them roll them around as hard as they can (without squishing...cause my oldest son did prove to me once that he can squish one hahaha!) to loosen the juices inside the lemon. This makes them nice and juicy when you cut them.

I take two packages of chicken tenders and dump them in a large bowl. I add about 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Then I get my hands in there and rub the sea salt all over the chicken. Cut two lemons in half and squeeze each half all over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. This is awesome done overnight though.

In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle 1 tsp of pepper in melted butter. Add chicken tenders. Remember not to overcrowd your skillet they won't brown properly. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice and brown on both sides. Remove from heat and place in serving dish then continue with the uncooked chicken that's left. Add 2 tsp of butter and add pepper each time you add a skillet of chicken. When I do this it can easily take 4 skillets of chicken. I have a huge skillet but I like to spread them out and not overcrowd.

This is really great served with Angel hair pasta with basil and grape tomatoes sprinkled with EVOO. Enjoy!!

Slow cooker BBQ Chicken

2011-07-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

Doesn't get easier than this! I put about 8 chicken breasts (and they were frozen!) in the slow cooker, poured 1 bottle of bbq sauce over it turned it on low and let it cook all day. So yummy! I served this with jasmine rice and a salad. Enjoy!

Fruit Pizza

2011-07-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

Easy as pie. :)

2 rolls of "sugar cookie" cookie dough

1 container of fresh strawberries

4 Kiwi

1 small package of blueberries

1 package cream cheese

1 small container of sour cream

1/2 c. sugar

Press cookie dough down evenly onto cookie sheet. Bake for 13-16 minutes. Allow to cool completely. In mixing bowl whip together cream cheese, sour cream and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use. Slice fruit kind of thinly but not paper thin. Evenly spread cream cheese mixture onto cooled cookie dough. Layer fruit and refrigerate until ready to eat! Enjoy!

Grilled Flank Steak

2011-06-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

I love making Flank Steak. Mostly because it makes Joe happy when I do. Let's face it, men love good food. :)

Take your steak out of the marinade and put it on a plate. Doing that gives it a chance to rest before cooking. Spray some olive oil on your skillet or grill. Get your skillet as hot as you can before putting the steak on it. Grill steak undisturbed for 3 1/2 minutes on each side. Immediately take off heat and place on cutting board.

Allow to rest a minute or two before cutting. Enjoy! :)

Flank Steak marinade

2011-06-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, flank steak is one of those cuts of meat that is almost too good to be true. My mouth waters just thinking about it. And there are so many different things to do with it! Everyone has their own marinade that they swear by - here's mine.

1 flank steak

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ginger

3 T. honey

2 T. olive oil

Mix everything together with a whisk and pour into a container large enough for the steak. Allow to marinade at least 6 hours...12 hours is possible! It's worth it!!!

Zucchini Casserole

2011-06-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

4 slices of bread cubed

1/2 cup melted butter

2 eggs

2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 onion, chopped

1 tsp pepper

4 cups zucchini cubed

2 cups monterey jack cheese

Pour butter over cubed bread and bake for 3-5 minutes on 350 degrees. In casserole dish, add zucchini, eggs, garlic salt, pepper and onion. Mix toasted bread in with other ingredients. Sprinkle with cheese. (Some people like to add cheese to the mixture as well as the top). Bake for 30 minutes covered then another 20 minutes uncovered.

~Chocolate covered Cherries~

2011-02-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

Some friends of ours are getting married and we're throwing a party tonight for them at our home. I'm so excited! I love cooking for lots of people. I don't have time, though, to blog everything that I'm making for tonight so I'll take pics as it gets done and I'll post them tomorrow sometime. But I absolutely could NOT wait til tomorrow to post the cherries. I love cherries. And not the tiny little red ones but the big luscious juicy ones like these above. YUMMNESS. ;)

~Lunch on a snow day~

2011-02-09T11:06:00.000-08:00

I don't know what to call this sandwich. I don't usually name everything that I cook, until now. I find myself going through possible names while trying to go to sleep. On the one hand it doesn't need a name, but on the other hand in order to make it easier to find, it may just need a name after all. Wow, life is full of hard decisions. *giggle*I make several different variations to this sandwich also so that makes it harder to name. We'll call it the no name sandwich for now. *laughing*

You'll need the above ingredients. 1 cut of beef...I used little breakfast steaks (cause that's what I had on hand and yeah, I left them out of the pic...sorry)1 bell pepper, 1 shallot, mayo, favorite mustard, and cayenne pepper. Ok, so I didn't get the little jar of cayenne in there very well. My stomach was growling and Joe and the kids made go me outside in the snow and I still hadn't thawed out. That's my story, at least. *giggle*

Ok, so cut up your bell pepper and shallot in moderately thin slices. It's going to be a sandwich after all - so they doesn't need to be front and center in big chunks. In a medium skillet add about 2 T. extra virgin olive oil. Add your veggies and salt/pepper them. They will look like this....or something close to it.

In the meantime, take your meat out of the package and pat it dry. Patting it dry is really important so it will brown. Ever have a problem getting meat to brown up real pretty? Probably needed to pat it dry first. Pat them dry, then season them well then toss them in the skillet. Be careful not to overcrowd the skillet!

When the veggies are done, put them in a small bowl and place skillet back on the heat. Add your pieces of meat. For this cut of meat it only took about 1-2 minutes per side. While the meat is on the stove, combine your mayo and mustard in a small bowl. Mix well and add cayenne pepper. There really isn't a recipe I follow for this. I just add about 4 tsp or so of mayo and maybe the same amount of mustard. Then I add cayenne pepper to taste. I like it spicy. I love that cayenne kind of has an after kick....it doesn't taste hot when you bite into it - but just wait, it'll come.

Yummy spices in that spread. And look below at how juicy and tender that tiny cut of meat turned out. Oh. Yeah. These sandwiches are gonna knock Joe's socks off!

I'm using Ciabatta Buns. Mostly because they are my favorite buns for sandwiches and partly because I need to use them up before they go bad. Butter them and toast them in the same skillet you used for the veggies and the meat.

Generously layer the spread on both slices of the bun. Pile your meat and veggies in there and enjoy!

I seriously think my husband could eat 3 of these. If you've never had Ciabatta bread try it. Seriously. It's soft and soaks up any sauce or juices from your sandwich perfectly without getting soggy. It's the perfect bread for sandwiches. :)

Chicken McDenton

2011-02-07T17:15:00.001-08:00

My Mom introduced me to Pepperidge Farm Stuffing when I was a kid. Of course she didn't actually make stuffing with it - way better than that - she made Chicken McDenton. (yessss, she named it after herself) It's awesomely awesome, even better than that - it's fast and easy. A mother's dream! *smiles*

Ok here we go.... take 1 package of boneless skinless chicken breast and cut into cubes. Place in medium bowl and toss generously with salt and pepper (yes, this is due to the fact that chicken has little flavor) Add about half the bag of Pepperidge farm stuffing to the chicken and toss, coating every piece. In your baking dish cut up 1 stick of butter. And lay pieces all over bottom of dish. Add your coated chicken making sure to not to overlap pieces. Spread any mixture from bowl on top of chicken, it should look like this....

Place in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes. When it's done it should look something like this...

See all that crispy yummy goodness? Oh. My.
Enjoy!!

1 package boneless skinless chicken breast
salt/pepper
1 stick butter
1/2 package Pepperidge Farm Stuffing

Glorious Bruschetta

2011-02-07T10:54:00.001-08:00

Oh. My. I really do love tomatoes. I also love bread. Put the two together in just about any form and, well, I'm probably gonna eat it. So, I have this recipe I created for Bruschetta, it's a little different since it has a tiny bit of fresh cilantro in it. But what is a cook who doesn't try new things?!? *laughing*

This is the best I can do for a "recipe". Since I didn't measure anything *hangs head in shame*. I know, I know. Sometimes I just get to throwing stuff together and I taste and throw something else in and taste again. And before ya know it, I have no clue what the recipe is.

In a bowl combine 2 Roma tomatoes, roughly 1 tsp fresh parsley, basil and oregano. Just a smidge of fresh cilantro. Maybe 1-2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Salt and pepper to taste and add a clove or two of garlic, minced. Toss in some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well, taste - my suggestion here if you're a seasoned cook is to season to taste, if you aren't then wait until after you've eaten the finished product to decide what to add or subtract. I tell you this because most things taste differently once cooked. A seasoned cook knows what to look for in the before to get the correct "after". :)

Slice your french bread about 1 inch thick or a little less. Lightly cover with butter or sprinkle with olive oil. Bake until lightly browned on both sides. Top pieces of bread with tomato mixture. Top that with more Parmesan cheese and a bit of mozzarella cheese.

The trick here is to get your oven hot - then turn OFF the heat. Slip your Bruschetta inside the oven quickly closing the door.

The heat will melt the cheese deliciously without overdoing it and burning or "crisping" the Parmesan. It's done when the cheese is melted! Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken

2011-02-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

1 whole chicken
4 T butter (softened)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut
1 large onion
1 clove garlic, mashed
2 cups water

Wash and pat dry whole chicken. Set inside crock pot. In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper and set aside. Cut onion and place inside chicken cavity. Do the same with the garlic. Rub the butter all over chicken. Take spice mixture and rub all over entire chicken. Cover crock pot and turn on high. Cook for 5 hours. Add carrots 45 minutes before it's done!

Mexican Casserole

2011-01-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup milk
2/3 c sour cream
12 6 inch flour tortillas
6 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 cups cheese (in the dish)
1 cup cheese (on top of dish)

Mix all ingredients together and layer as follows: tortilla's, soup mixture, tortilla's, mixture until all of the mixture is gone. Top with cheese and Bake at 350 45 minutes covered. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered.

Potato Soup

2011-01-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

7 cups of milk

4 large potatoes, baked & chopped

3 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

12 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and chopped (turkey bacon works well too)

1/2 c shredded cheese (doesn't take much with this soup and I'm a cheese lover)

1 cup sour cream (optional, I totally leave this out...hahaha)

Put your potatoes in the microwave to bake. Start your bacon in a skillet. While they are cooking take a large dutch oven and melt your butter. Add flour slowly while whisking into the butter forming a roux. Don't let the roux brown. Once butter and flour are mixed begin slowly adding your milk. Don't stop whisking! Add salt & pepper.Let simmer, stirring occasionally at this point, for 10 more minutes. Add potatoes and sour cream. Stir gently. Add bacon, allow to simmer 5 more minutes. Serve with cheddar cheese on top :)

Christi's Chicken Pot Pie

2010-05-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Every single time I have ever made this it goes fast. As my family has grown I will make two at a time now. *grin* I think the real secret to this absolutely to die for dish is the homemade cream of soup. Try it, it's easy, fast and your people will love it!!

2 1/2 - 3 c chicken, cooked and cubed
1/2 c frozen corn
1/2 c frozen carrots
1/2 c frozen green beans
6 T butter
6 T flour
2 c chicken stock (or water if you don't have chicken stock)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp crushed rosemary
1 1/2 cups light cream
2 pie crusts ( just use the refrigerated kind, it works great for this dish)

Melt butter in saucepan, add flour to melted butter a little bit at a time stirring well the entire time. Continue to stir, making sure any lumps are gone. I use a whisk for this and it works great. Once lumps are gone add chicken stock, salt, pepper and rosemary. Again stirring slowly, remove from heat. Continue to stir for about another minute once removed from heat. Add the light cream continuing to stir slowly with your whisk.

Add the chicken and vegetables to your cream mixture. Stir well making sure everything is coated.

Lay your bottom crust in a 9" pie plate. Add chicken mixture. Cover with top crust crimping the edges together to create a tight seal.

First, bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes. Then you may want to foil the edges of your pie to prevent burning. Continue to bake about another 25 minutes. Or until crust is brown and flaky.

Enjoy!!!

Corn on the Cob

2010-05-01T10:14:00.001-07:00

Wanna make corn on the cob for your family but don't want the mess of husking and removing all the silks? Here is how I make corn on the cob, it's mess free and a hit every time!

2 corn on cobs
papertowels
butter
salt/pepper

Leaving husks on corn, wrap well with paper towels. Place in microwave for 8 minutes. When done remove from microwave and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Taking paper towels, grasp corn husks on both sides of the corn. Pull down. You'll have husks and silks come off. just cut or pull off the bottom and make sure you got all the silks. Roll in butter, then salt and pepper and enjoy!

Sausage Balls

2010-05-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is a party favorite and one I've been making for years. It's a simple recipe that really takes a little bit of patience though during the mixing process. I highly suggest just mixing this with your hands....

1 block of medium cheddar cheese (10 oz), shredded
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 c. bisquick
1 lb Jimmy Dean mild sausage
1/4 c of milk (start with less and add as you mix)

This is pretty simple. Add all ingredients in large mixing bowl and (I use my hands) mix really really well. It does take a few minutes of constant mixing to get the sausage to hold onto the cheese and bisquick.

Rolls into small 1" balls and place an inch apart on a cookie sheet. Bake about 25 minutes or until browned. Drain on paper towels and enjoy!!

Skillet Dobson

2010-05-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

2 chicken breasts sliced thin
1 package smoked sausage, sliced thick
1 large onion, peeled & sliced
3 bell peppers, cut, cleaned and sliced
3 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T soy sauce
half package cooked vermicelli
crushed Rosemary
salt/pepper

In large skillet heat olive oil on medium heat. Add peppers and onions. Saute until peppers are soft and onions are transparent. Remove from heat and set aside in small bowl. In same skillet using the remains of olive oil, peppers and onions add chicken and sausage. Sprinkle rosemary, salt and pepper on both sides of chicken. Be generous! Cook on medium/low heat turning until brown on both sides. Add soy sauce, cooked noodles, peppers and onions.

Stir constantly, coating the noodles in the sauce, for about 6 minutes.

Turn entire contents into large serving bowl. I serve this with breadsticks and salad.

Delicious yet easy - Easter Ham

2010-04-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

The secret to this great ham is BASTING every 10-15 minutes! And make sure you have a really good brush too, nothing like getting the little hairs from your pastry brush in your food...

1 (5-8 pound) ready-to-eat ham
1/4 cup whole cloves
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups honey
2/3 cup butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Score ham, and stud with the whole cloves. Place ham in foil lined pan.

In the top half of a double boiler, heat the corn syrup, honey and butter. Keep glaze warm while baking ham.

Brush glaze over ham, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Baste ham every 10 to 15 minutes with the honey glaze. During the last 4 to 5 minutes of baking, turn on broiler to caramelize the glaze. Remove from oven, and let sit a few minutes before serving.

Blackened Chicken Breasts with Creole Mustard Sauce

2010-04-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

A Bobby Flay recipe...

1 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons Cajun spice
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, drained
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz. each)

Combine 1/2 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise with Cajun spice with wire whisk in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and parsley with wire whisk in medium bowl. Season, if desired, with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Season chicken, if desired, with salt and pepper. Brush chicken with Cajun mayonnaise. Arrange chicken on baking sheet and broil, turning once, 10 minutes or until golden and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with Creole mustard sauce.

Easter "Egg" Treats

2010-03-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

We made these last year for Easter and had a blast! It's so easy and the best part, is you can eat them as you go....*laughing*

All you'll need is...

3 T butter
1 package regular marshmallows (10 oz bag)
6 c rice krispies cereal
1 1/2 c milk chocolate chips
4 tsp shortening
multi-colored sprinkles

Melt butter in saucepan then add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and add cereal. Stir well.

Now, we found last year that it's just too warm to try and mold this mixture right away, and if you wait too long - it's even harder. Turn mixture out onto greased cookie sheet. Allow to sit for about 3-5 minutes.

While the mixture is sitting, get each child a piece of wax paper and a dollop of butter. Show them how to rub the butter in their hands to get their hands greasy.

Now, divide the mixture in parts and shape like eggs. Again, last year we learned that they really need to be refrigerated for about 15 minutes before the next step. And this is a good time for little ones to go wash the butter off their hands and clean up the wax paper!

In a small saucepan,melt shortening and chocolate chips. I gave each child a bowl with the melted chocolate in it and put the cookie sheet with the "eggs" in the middle of the table.

Dip eggs in chocolate and lay back on the cookie sheet. Decorate with sprinkles and refrigerate until chocolate hardens!! Enjoy!!!

Frugal Rocks!

2010-03-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

No, I did not say Fraggle Rock...hahahaha...

It slightly annoys me at how being 'frugal' is so commonly confused with being 'cheap'. That is certainly not the case. I want to talk about making wise decisions in the kitchen and how it will benefit all areas of your life. Buying in bulk can often times result in good money management. Cooking ahead and using the freezer (of which you are already paying for to keep running...*grin*) will not only be to your benefit financially, but it's also a great time management tool! So here are some ideas that will in the long run aid in being more "frugal".

Cook and drain ground beef and fill 1 qt (freezer safe) zip lock bags to put in the freezer. I *love* doing this because it really does make spaghetti night faster and I didn't know it got much faster than spaghetti night! Plus, freezing it locks in the moisture and Joe and I think it tastes better. *remember not to pour grease down your drain...EVER*

Do the same with chicken that you may use for a casserole. Buy a whole cut chicken ( I buy them pre-cut because they are cheaper that way here, believe it or not) and boil it until done. Allow to cool and debone, store in freezer safe zip lock bags! Again, so great for casseroles or one skillet dishes!

Make a large pot of spaghetti sauce (eventually you'll find that in the "sauces" page) and freeze.

Look for frozen meat in the meat department of your grocery store. I call this the "clearance meat"...LOL. It's perfectly fine meat and a very good way to be a little more frugal!

It is absolutely essential to be organized in your kitchen. Seriously. If you don't know where things are, then you will undoubtedly purchase the same thing twice. Being organized, surprisingly, will save you money in almost every area of your life! Not just the kitchen!

So there are just a few ways to be 'frugal' without being 'cheap'!! Saving money is just one more way to take care of your family also. *wink*

Emergency Substitutes

2010-03-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Finding yourself right in the middle of a recipe only to realize you're missing an ingredient is something that we can all relate to. Make sure to check out the emergency substitute list on the sidebar.

In the meantime, if you're using a recipe that calls for cake flour (as my angel food cake recipe does) and you don't have cake flour (which most of us don't just keep around), just put 2 tbsp cornstarch in a one cup measuring cup and add all purpose flour. Level it off with the blunt side of a knife. Doing this twice will result in 2 cups of cake flour! I use this all the time actually instead of buying cake flour...mostly because I use cornstarch for all kinds of things so keeping it around is handier than cake flour!

Categories Oh Categories!

2010-03-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a recipe that was on this main page and isn't now, check the sidebar under the category it fit in! If you still don't see it email me at dobsonsjc@hotmail.com and I'll be happy to send it to you!! Happy cookin'! :)

Chicken and Rice Casserole

2010-03-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

4 cans green beans, drained
6 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large onion
1 (8 oz) can chopped water chestnuts, this is optional, but I highly suggest using them!
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups of mayonnaise
3 cups cooked rice
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 1/2 sleeves ritz crackers, crushed (read instructions carefully below)
1/2 tsp salt/pepper

Mix everything together and bake for 40 minutes or until bubbly on 350. At 25 minute mark, top with crushed ritz crackers, continue to bake until done. :)

Coffee a la Dobson

2010-03-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Spruce up a cup of coffee by adding some whipped cream (it's too easy to make) and chocolate sauce! You'll have to excuse my Starbucks mug, I have an addiction to them...LOL

~Blueberry Muffins~

2010-03-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

~Chicken Noodle Casserole~

2010-03-25T07:15:00.002-07:00

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 package extra wide egg noodles, cooked al dente
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
salt/pepper to taste (start with 1/2 tsp each)
Pepperidge farm stuffing mix
shredded cheese for topping

Combine diced chicken, soups, 1 1/2 cups cheese, salt and pepper in large mixing bowl. In 9 by 13 casserole dish pour noodles, pour the chicken, soup, cheese mixture over noodles and give a few stirs to mix it up. Once mixed, top with cheese and pepperidge farm stuffing mix. Bake for 45 minutes of 350. :)

Under Construction...

2010-03-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I'll get this blog fixed up ASAP. In the meantime, I'll just post some recipes and organize everything soon! :)