tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509364624623738332024-02-19T07:06:16.540-08:00A Place For FoodTarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-35816173597380047512011-02-02T21:16:00.000-08:002011-02-02T21:16:36.448-08:00Freezer Meals - Chicken Noodle Soup<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">Mmm...Chicken Noodle Soup, one of my favorite comfort foods. And, lucky for me, great for the freezer. So, tonight I whipped up a batch. Okay, maybe <em>whipped</em> is not quite the word. How about, mixed up a batch?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPLugp3t5-Dx-9khoWmczlUrsooZAkZIjfpO07MwmrDEQafHh_GImoP8E4pSy1E4Mz8Pt0lTr_QtP1rrhf8FH-iwiA5XAm7QcRgdbPWtfF_PlAkRRKY7SdEwIKr_EXRRJKxA3Fz_3E_g/s1600/100_6628.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPLugp3t5-Dx-9khoWmczlUrsooZAkZIjfpO07MwmrDEQafHh_GImoP8E4pSy1E4Mz8Pt0lTr_QtP1rrhf8FH-iwiA5XAm7QcRgdbPWtfF_PlAkRRKY7SdEwIKr_EXRRJKxA3Fz_3E_g/s400/100_6628.JPG" /></a> </div>Here's how it works, roughly, of course. This recipe is actually a double batch, since that is what I made tonight.<br /><br />Chicken Stock:<br /><br />When I made Chicken Pot Pie the other day, I used two rotisserie chickens and used the breast meat for the pies and then put the remaining carcasses into the freezer for later use. For Chicken and Noodles, I start by putting those carcasses in a large stew pot and add water until the chickens are covered. Then, I put this on the stove and boil until the meat falls off the bones. Pull the chicken out of the water, which is now a nice, tasty broth. Next, pull the usable meat of the chicken and put it back in with the broth. This makes up the broth for your Chicken and Noodles. <br /><br />Noodles: (Super Easy!)<br /><br />1.5 c flour<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/2 tsp pepper<br />3 eggs, beaten<br /><br />Mix dry ingredients and then add eggs. This should mix into a stiff dough. If it is at all sticky, add more flour. When dough is thoroughly mixed, dump out onto floured counter. Roll dough out as thin as you can get it. I add lots of flour in this process to keep things from getting sticky. When you get that dough as thin as you can get it, roll it up - just like you did for beef roll-ups. Now, slice roll into about 1/4" slices. When you have a bunch of little rolls and the dough is all sliced, unroll the bundles. I like to pull these apart, because they make REALLY long noodles. I usually pull them into 3" or 4" lengths. Flour these well and give them 10-15 minutes to dry a bit. When they have settled, drop them one by one into the boiling broth. Let your noodles cook until they are done. When they get to this point they should no longer be doughy when you bite into them. I usually taste things and end up adding a little chicken bullion to give the broth more flavor. If you use a rotisserie chicken, you don't have to do much seasoning because there is so much flavor from the original cooking. However, if you are just using plain boiled chicken, make sure you season or it will be very bland. When we eat this, I like to serve it over mashed potatoes. However, you can also just eat it as soup.<br /><br />To freeze, pour into Ziploc freezer bags and toss in your freezer. This freezes well and tastes great! Actually, I always like it better the next day when everything has had time to really meld. Enjoy!<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfHJCooLIsQFrZDUhbLp4wDObN4PAaSIFonowwiG_poHxoZa0-tT30tcG32qOiyTVBtJQk7EexjVSylUCVOKB47AeBtQdBF6DdvdO-cGmJwvBgBgjGtYN0dcMEbdYOrk9akbuGG4TmhY/s1600/100_6629.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfHJCooLIsQFrZDUhbLp4wDObN4PAaSIFonowwiG_poHxoZa0-tT30tcG32qOiyTVBtJQk7EexjVSylUCVOKB47AeBtQdBF6DdvdO-cGmJwvBgBgjGtYN0dcMEbdYOrk9akbuGG4TmhY/s400/100_6629.JPG" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-35740443359547096832011-02-01T20:42:00.000-08:002011-02-01T20:42:55.182-08:00Garlic Cheese Drop Biscuits - Yum!<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">Tonight we had bean soup from the freezer - not my making, from a friend. Still, they were pretty darn good. Maybe I need to pick up a ham and use the bone for some of my own soup...I digress. Since I didn't have to do the work to make dinner, I got to spend a few minutes on the side. This is an adaptation of a recipe from my favorite "Southern Living" cookbook. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JLLtw2Ki0U0DWKr2njbMROyuGVIEePKfcgvdvZF776wW2Nx_RAa-lzy7gaRQdREEDq7A8pXqoq-HHh3tIut3sJs1cbPD7bUp47kpJeUZMbYr_6-43xEGABqBJBQrvT61dIeXdxJe4Z8/s1600/100_6626.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JLLtw2Ki0U0DWKr2njbMROyuGVIEePKfcgvdvZF776wW2Nx_RAa-lzy7gaRQdREEDq7A8pXqoq-HHh3tIut3sJs1cbPD7bUp47kpJeUZMbYr_6-43xEGABqBJBQrvT61dIeXdxJe4Z8/s400/100_6626.JPG" /></a><br />Garlic Cheese Drop Biscuits<br />Okay, so this isn't really a formal recipe. I just use Bisquick, milk, cheddar or cheddar jack cheese, and butter and garlic powder. If you have made biscuits with Bisquick before, you know the general idea. I pour Bisquick in a middle-ish sized bowl until it looks like enough, probably 2 cups. Then, I add about 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Mix these and pour in milk. You want enough that your dough is a dough instead of a batter, but not so thick that you have to roll the dough. Then, scoop out heaping teaspoons and drop on a greased cookie sheet. Hence, <em>drop</em> biscuits. Bake at 450 degrees for about 9 minutes, or until golden brown. While the biscuits are cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle in some garlic powder, about 1/4 teaspoon. When the biscuits come out of the oven, brush on the melted butter mixture. Then, serve. Just make sure you don't make too many, you will end up eating them ALL. Mine are currently being finished off.</div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-29532433711940203492011-01-31T20:28:00.000-08:002011-01-31T20:29:08.524-08:00Spaghetti Sauce - Freezer Style<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">I know for some people spaghetti sauce means opening a can of Ragu and heating it up. If that is the case, you obviously didn't grow up at my house. I don't know that I have ever seen my mother open a can of ANYTHING and just serve it up. So, she taught us how to make our own sauce. I am not claiming it is anything to die for, but it is what I crave when I want pasta. So, since I bought 10 pounds of hamburger when I made meatloaf, I whipped up an extra large batch of spaghetti tonight.<br /><br />At my house, spaghetti sauce is made up of tomato sauce, canned tomatoes blended to a puree, hamburger, mushrooms (canned or fresh, whatever I have on hand), black olive slices, celery, green peppers - roasted or fresh, oregano, basil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. I wish I could give you some idea of the proportions (I was so aggravated with my mother's recipes that didn't give them when I went to college) but that would be fantasy. I just toss the stuff in until it tastes good and then let is simmer. The batch I made tonight yielded one meal and then three 2.5 cup freezer portions. I just put the sauce in Ziploc bags and am freezing them that way. They take less space in the freezer, and I think they will thaw better since there is more surface area. Anyway, three more meals in the freezer!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRA3HBp2WsGSMxBDk6RUpHi1-MZ0p-m88j2IBSM7xM7C9qOCm5rrS9lXBLXr3K2Hneg7SLda7KVIvvhgE91EAwOYTM2PjL4sv5ro8OdHbvbsYf169f38BtICHEZEJgE3Iuvxdu2WZHRhg/s1600/100_6613.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRA3HBp2WsGSMxBDk6RUpHi1-MZ0p-m88j2IBSM7xM7C9qOCm5rrS9lXBLXr3K2Hneg7SLda7KVIvvhgE91EAwOYTM2PjL4sv5ro8OdHbvbsYf169f38BtICHEZEJgE3Iuvxdu2WZHRhg/s400/100_6613.JPG" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-65193050529666597982011-01-30T21:16:00.000-08:002011-01-30T22:17:42.388-08:00Freezer Meals - Beef Roll-Ups<div style="text-align: center;">This is a momma original that I am sharing, with only minor alterations on my part. And, lucky for you, it is in the "freezes bee-u-tifully" section of my personal cookbook, so it came to mind in my fill-the-freezer frenzy. We call this deliciousness Beef Roll-Ups. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CEm1pBmFWxjZSlH4qJH2S4ZWehyphenhyphenlGpVFNYo_oER75oz-e8-snI06gBOlw3MW6AV-XeX-rv1SEF4Bm9l9RRopx4cpu9QW1l3dA_cwfpLLolA3lzfIA1xCUli6Tyg46FT3Ecl-FrMcV0c/s400/100_6586.JPG" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568224714510529074" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My brother and sister-in-law came up with their baby the other day, and since Charlie really likes this dish, I decided to make a double batch and put the three extras in the fridge. Just so you don't get confused by my math, the way Mom makes it puts it in a 9"x13" pan and bakes it that way. Since my little crew can't get through a whole pan, I divide it up into 8x8s and put one in the freezer. So, since I made a double batch, there were three for the freezer on this occasion. And, it really only took me an extra 10 minutes! Okay, enough background, here we go:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Dough - Mom uses biscuits. I like mine with bread dough, but I use Mom's Flat French Bread recipe. It goes like this:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" >2 c warm water<br />1 T yeast<br />1 T sugar<br />4 c flour<br />2 tsp salt<br />Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar- let dissolve. Combine the flour and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. Mix until it feels like bread dough. Put on counter and roll out into a big circle. If you are a really fancy roller, you could do a rectangle, it would probably work better. I roll it out until it is about 1/4" to 1/2" thick. As thin as I can realistically get it. Since I was making a double batch, I doubled the recipe and split the dough in half. I think if you tried to do all the dough at once, it would just get too big to work with.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMc00qraCR_oen2yz2xWHCBGreYKgLH5NvtwQ9lOZQVMhxGMYzb1KmS2HBOsdn8Sgr5_2GDrlRIi9XYCrPr7oYj10tNdTkSA7m1jCa0fhUPace51orGV3KIae6ZOfw70XbJ2cB4numV8/s1600/100_6576.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMc00qraCR_oen2yz2xWHCBGreYKgLH5NvtwQ9lOZQVMhxGMYzb1KmS2HBOsdn8Sgr5_2GDrlRIi9XYCrPr7oYj10tNdTkSA7m1jCa0fhUPace51orGV3KIae6ZOfw70XbJ2cB4numV8/s400/100_6576.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568222209089649426" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMc00qraCR_oen2yz2xWHCBGreYKgLH5NvtwQ9lOZQVMhxGMYzb1KmS2HBOsdn8Sgr5_2GDrlRIi9XYCrPr7oYj10tNdTkSA7m1jCa0fhUPace51orGV3KIae6ZOfw70XbJ2cB4numV8/s1600/100_6576.JPG"></a>Now for the sauce. I mix 2 cans of tomato sauce (I think they are 14 oz) with about 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 1/4" tsp garlic powder. However, you could just your favorite pizza sauce and that would work too. Spread your sauce thinly on your rolled out dough. If you get it too thick, it will be harder to get it cooked all the way through. I spread it out to about 1/2" from the edge.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGbrFo2v_vVvnv8UWINuc3GBzK93IPZNN4IUbn1HO1eNIZkGXdCQClHDndjWelAudHZ1Bi9Sr2Ib7Yax1YdGd5eRtoneu9qzYu7YZ9JY2ka1TUiyigd3rVl2PbD0D88dka2pXn4A7ivkY/s1600/100_6577.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGbrFo2v_vVvnv8UWINuc3GBzK93IPZNN4IUbn1HO1eNIZkGXdCQClHDndjWelAudHZ1Bi9Sr2Ib7Yax1YdGd5eRtoneu9qzYu7YZ9JY2ka1TUiyigd3rVl2PbD0D88dka2pXn4A7ivkY/s400/100_6577.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568215545149723106" /></a>Now, go to your stove and fry 2 lbs of hamburger and 1 chopped onion seasoned with salt and pepper. Drain and sprinkle half of your hamburger on the dough. If you have them on hand, you can also add a small can of mushroom pieces and some pepperoni. I wasn't that prepared this night.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NjX82T07Ds5Q16F1O0chm8Nvt7T350S2JfqDynSPQYS6jgHfvrLJIaJN2fssrQrUqhyMha5i8xq7WdGNZWmUaJPqFzPTQw7Q8eoGx5KOo1h6UZWvKC2MC0vihcLpvZDxrwJ6gMKUR6c/s1600/100_6578.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NjX82T07Ds5Q16F1O0chm8Nvt7T350S2JfqDynSPQYS6jgHfvrLJIaJN2fssrQrUqhyMha5i8xq7WdGNZWmUaJPqFzPTQw7Q8eoGx5KOo1h6UZWvKC2MC0vihcLpvZDxrwJ6gMKUR6c/s400/100_6578.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568215537044697954" /></a>Okay, this is the fun part. Roll. That's why they are beef roll-ups.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJT8pSCcYyGkkygwVFvUD60tvvIj08hvb2kUFNn1m1S2AHRwpCB5UB_1YYyNyrBzE-XVpMKg1WkslcvfVlEkngHJ0TiApT-uEbTiBIaJrBCKUIFXIT7ee_Gcjc1MU4L9W7Oaz2GXqooE/s1600/100_6579.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJT8pSCcYyGkkygwVFvUD60tvvIj08hvb2kUFNn1m1S2AHRwpCB5UB_1YYyNyrBzE-XVpMKg1WkslcvfVlEkngHJ0TiApT-uEbTiBIaJrBCKUIFXIT7ee_Gcjc1MU4L9W7Oaz2GXqooE/s400/100_6579.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568215533698081522" /></a>Once you get the whole thing rolled up, it should look something like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinq3TVNPwCmlqYXgoNBynRJdftr15gNZP6l6CS2rUldYVisrU9CQxhMoNHTU_pc0GTkirrsc-Qi7RNVQpqvmXhCTNr08KtSDC8YzFQQwMG6GplOlvjnuVLMsHgPWjh-B7-wDh872ixE3k/s1600/100_6581.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinq3TVNPwCmlqYXgoNBynRJdftr15gNZP6l6CS2rUldYVisrU9CQxhMoNHTU_pc0GTkirrsc-Qi7RNVQpqvmXhCTNr08KtSDC8YzFQQwMG6GplOlvjnuVLMsHgPWjh-B7-wDh872ixE3k/s400/100_6581.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568215529076436802" /></a>Now, slice that puppy. Since this is going to go into two pans, I start by cutting the roll approximately in half. I know some of you would expect me to get a ruler out, but I just eyeball it. Now, have you ever made cinnamon rolls? It is the same concept. You cut your roll into slices about 3/4" thick. Again, eyeball it. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphZDCwbRhG7CrXQlgJzaifg2CPluYO7n7_s28hR_2TQVjzTHNg3_0xy543_HC0bJKwLBLUsU93osDGNpIq1Rs8quQRwkg3MDay33pTMJwIs00Bff2oOjOkdsRenKpp4OdaVLkDfZLhwA/s1600/100_6582.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphZDCwbRhG7CrXQlgJzaifg2CPluYO7n7_s28hR_2TQVjzTHNg3_0xy543_HC0bJKwLBLUsU93osDGNpIq1Rs8quQRwkg3MDay33pTMJwIs00Bff2oOjOkdsRenKpp4OdaVLkDfZLhwA/s400/100_6582.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568215523492823890" /></a>Once you cut your piece, stick it in a greased pan. I use a 8" cake pan or a 8"x8" square, whichever I have on hand.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB84pshz5nqiOCZO953N6IpBMd-r9j_AsKt-QrCprtkANYS5_2F4NSLcT7rFZJXKi-QEx1WWr5_QVUkxzZGc3wB3-N63GF5VHsR94ZyHF67pDIa7LppuFcoh1GEkqYS8ntMSnbdB13kKQ/s1600/100_6583.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB84pshz5nqiOCZO953N6IpBMd-r9j_AsKt-QrCprtkANYS5_2F4NSLcT7rFZJXKi-QEx1WWr5_QVUkxzZGc3wB3-N63GF5VHsR94ZyHF67pDIa7LppuFcoh1GEkqYS8ntMSnbdB13kKQ/s400/100_6583.JPG" /></a> </div>Continue cutting and placing in pan until it is filled.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-R0MT047MIS9xqpbD7PzB-6bepYIzSvfHk72caWUv968CI0UsKhk68Dm8f04sOCKM6LNGieMxm-H0xtXPprdfssbjdwmRCr9gJKb5ABbBZ0pzVq8dz6NE7aqQRJ2q8YKhL1cwBoC9v8/s1600/100_6584.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-R0MT047MIS9xqpbD7PzB-6bepYIzSvfHk72caWUv968CI0UsKhk68Dm8f04sOCKM6LNGieMxm-H0xtXPprdfssbjdwmRCr9gJKb5ABbBZ0pzVq8dz6NE7aqQRJ2q8YKhL1cwBoC9v8/s400/100_6584.JPG" /></a> </div>Repeat the steps until you have filled all your pans. Take your remaining sauce (there should be most of it left) and spread on top of your rolls.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOUQAHfcFgdmItyRKQoy8-RRnq9LIoOeMp2xhkShhxbRerxAx6j-ezPEye0Z8Eq3AYmaY4kkzn56Uf2BEobuVDQoJcOg3r6KjKv4NM1YH0y6Zv8L_wIRHgVMhb458WMXCeOJnWNQh-tI/s1600/100_6585.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOUQAHfcFgdmItyRKQoy8-RRnq9LIoOeMp2xhkShhxbRerxAx6j-ezPEye0Z8Eq3AYmaY4kkzn56Uf2BEobuVDQoJcOg3r6KjKv4NM1YH0y6Zv8L_wIRHgVMhb458WMXCeOJnWNQh-tI/s400/100_6585.JPG" /></a> </div>Sprinkle with grated cheese. <br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRyhj3kFXU-0u-JO_e6kwMQhO4PM4lilE1faaXus-HWa07xTVUxfQUi6nNsHkjXP23jbh9rfEky5SZq7Or492noCAB626eafzz63MnYV0dFPy6cCSZVNV5kWDHDI7uKmztBQQb41eSfY/s1600/100_6586.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRyhj3kFXU-0u-JO_e6kwMQhO4PM4lilE1faaXus-HWa07xTVUxfQUi6nNsHkjXP23jbh9rfEky5SZq7Or492noCAB626eafzz63MnYV0dFPy6cCSZVNV5kWDHDI7uKmztBQQb41eSfY/s400/100_6586.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">Cover your pans with aluminum foil and freeze. When you are ready to bake, take out of the freezer and thaw. Then, bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. The cheese will be golden brown, but more importantly, the bread will be golden brown too. You want to be sure they are done, because doughy rolls are not worth the time it takes to toss them.</div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">Well, I hope that wasn't too confusing. Let me tell you, the end product is super-tasty! So tasty, in fact, that I couldn't even wait to take a picture before snarfing them down!</div></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-21535991946452909902011-01-29T21:48:00.000-08:002011-01-29T21:49:06.317-08:00Meatloaf for the freezer<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">Well, for once, an impulse of mine has continued past the first trial. I am still freezing up a storm! The other day I made a batch of four beef roll-ups, one for dinner and three for the freezer. However, since it is such a tasty dish and an original of my own dearest mothers, I took pictures all along the way so I could show you the whole process. That would take more time than I have yet had, so I am saving that post for another day. Today, I did meatloaf. Instead of just making one batch, I made a double batch of a big recipe, which ended up yielding five loaves. One went to a friend, one went to the Cub Scout potluck tonight, and so three made it to my freezer. And, here they are:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqILGk5fxjp8ZbcVrk_VOyAXAbabGvg507eMuBDI2H0Ogtnxf0xs7GnDixHrSCdp8BuUThbyBOthSrD61FkKGndZcNieuzaTNZu5__Vm87laKf4uFeIvCJm3bdCJfyGUzgijGMcjwM-M/s1600/100_6596.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqILGk5fxjp8ZbcVrk_VOyAXAbabGvg507eMuBDI2H0Ogtnxf0xs7GnDixHrSCdp8BuUThbyBOthSrD61FkKGndZcNieuzaTNZu5__Vm87laKf4uFeIvCJm3bdCJfyGUzgijGMcjwM-M/s400/100_6596.JPG" /></a><br />Since the recipe isn't one I will use again, I am not going to bother to post it. However, the idea is a great one, so here is how I did the last bit.<br />Make your meatloaf. This is an easy one to just make a bigger batch, since there isn't really that much work and making more doesn't double your work. I made a big old batch, and then split it into five pieces. Since my super-dee-dooper vacuum sealer is currently out of bags, I went with good old-fashioned freezer paper, which I need to use up anyway. I put my mound-o-meat on each paper and shaped it into a loaf. Cute, isn't it? Okay, not really.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVwHI3rsTapMFeEW3B6BA3hV-IHeyC3-778Yr062RarzKi-vZrQlWlJfTBqO1CDUU1jIYnjfTmZbeOvEvKWM2aHW000n6-dduKwkJ9UbuDs0pNB8qi4yDsGLbPn5PMabgJOTx_UDgHLA/s1600/100_6594.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVwHI3rsTapMFeEW3B6BA3hV-IHeyC3-778Yr062RarzKi-vZrQlWlJfTBqO1CDUU1jIYnjfTmZbeOvEvKWM2aHW000n6-dduKwkJ9UbuDs0pNB8qi4yDsGLbPn5PMabgJOTx_UDgHLA/s400/100_6594.JPG" /></a><br />Repeat with as many loaves as you have.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54vEj9GZZ6d5fXRQyTqF306_BqJzHdYeQ7DAYebEobf6pZtVpvRX9FYHVJHrSjJKsHWXLs7gvFdsa7HY9zGKDIblAY0vuByuKB666d6ZtYF4wbQKTECFtfJBA2w-U4FGD3LRvfRBwgbA/s1600/100_6595.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54vEj9GZZ6d5fXRQyTqF306_BqJzHdYeQ7DAYebEobf6pZtVpvRX9FYHVJHrSjJKsHWXLs7gvFdsa7HY9zGKDIblAY0vuByuKB666d6ZtYF4wbQKTECFtfJBA2w-U4FGD3LRvfRBwgbA/s400/100_6595.JPG" /></a> </div>Then, I wrapped those puppies up, taped them shut, and (the all important step) labeled them with the cooking instructions. Ta Da! Three more meals in the freezer. That brings my total up to ... 13! <br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhAwhBCAs4MDoAgc6L3p36jAoWYyTAtUl_wxfeuu-xRGx8un8Bj851754C8EBF2HTRDA_Ntw-liFW1zbdHrGep7NRFgyW55Cm8Q7bf13gicvahrJksqu6JaeCDtDWN4NVd3icAt6TRaA/s1600/100_6597.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhAwhBCAs4MDoAgc6L3p36jAoWYyTAtUl_wxfeuu-xRGx8un8Bj851754C8EBF2HTRDA_Ntw-liFW1zbdHrGep7NRFgyW55Cm8Q7bf13gicvahrJksqu6JaeCDtDWN4NVd3icAt6TRaA/s400/100_6597.JPG" /></a> </div>When I am ready to cook these babies, I will just pull them out of the freezer in the morning, put them in the fridge to thaw, and bake on a cookie sheet according to the instructions.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-88613816301550280392011-01-25T22:30:00.000-08:002011-01-25T22:32:19.948-08:00Freezer Meals<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">My mind has been running on its own lately. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Apparently</span> my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">subconscious</span> is aware of some impending doom, because I cannot get rid of the urge to make and store meals in the freezer. So, I am giving in. For the next few weeks, I am going to slowly fill the freezer. This was last night's effort.<br />- Chicken Pot Pie -<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMeF0JFHBBW7eov1Oar8ddF9Ber94aqyYsv68GmH0FyZoOVNQlPzYMunpeemV56rpdOjuQlEVfutFOKIzQta3YTc_1aCCCgwUU1DTnmCaV6qgDqx0_XcJXuzpjVrUiqOiOnUUHfHk7JE/s1600/100_6564.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMeF0JFHBBW7eov1Oar8ddF9Ber94aqyYsv68GmH0FyZoOVNQlPzYMunpeemV56rpdOjuQlEVfutFOKIzQta3YTc_1aCCCgwUU1DTnmCaV6qgDqx0_XcJXuzpjVrUiqOiOnUUHfHk7JE/s400/100_6564.JPG" /></a></div>Since this was really easy, I am going to give you my directions in case your brain goes haywire.<br /><br />- 3 2-crust pie crusts (I make mine, but you can substitute a purchased one without too much guilt)<br />- 2 Costco <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">rotisserie</span> chickens<br />- 1 lb bag of frozen broccoli pieces<br />- 2 cans (14oz?) quartered artichoke hearts<br />- 3 cans cream of chicken soup<br />- salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />First for the chickens. I tear all the breast meat out and then tear it into chunks and place in a large bowl. The rest of the carcass I put in a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ziplock</span> bag and toss in the freezer to be used for chicken and noodle stock/meat later. Take out your artichoke hearts and cut each quarter in half. Dump the chopped hearts, broccoli, and salt and pepper in with the chicken. On a side note, I HATE when people put in "salt and pepper to taste". I mean, really, how are you supposed to duplicate that? However, I didn't measure. I dumped salt into my cupped hand until I had a nice little mound, and I would estimate that it was 1.5 to 2 tsp salt. Pepper measured the same way, probably 1-1.5 tsp. But, I could be totally wrong. Anyway, after you have all that stuff in the bowl, mix it well. If you do this part <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">thoroughly</span>, it will be easier when you add the soup. Now, add your soup and mix. Since the soup is fairly thick, you need to mix a lot to get it well blended. However, you don't want to water it down or you will have watery pot pie - yuck!<br /><br />Now that you have your insides mixed (and yes, this should look like a lot. I said a LARGE bowl) put one pie crust in three pie plates. When they are all ready, divide your mixture between the three, and put on your top crust. They will look approximately like the picture above at this point. I always cut a few slits in the top of the pies, but I don't know if that is anything but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">aesthetic</span>. Once they are done, cover in aluminum foil (or tin foil for us poor folk) and pop into the freezer. I don't know the rules, but I would recommend eating these inside of three months. After that and they would probably taste freezer burned.<br /><br />When you are ready for a mouth-watering chicken pot pie for dinner, pull a pie out in the morning and thaw. Again, I don't know the rules on this stuff. I leave mine out on the counter until it feels thawed. Since there is nothing raw in there, I don't think it will spoil unless you really get extreme. When you are ready to cook, heat your oven to 425 degrees and bake for 35 minutes. If you didn't let it thaw all the way, adjust accordingly, whatever that means.<br /><br />Stay tuned over the next few weeks to see what else goes in the freezer!<div style="clear:both; text-align:CENTER"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-88894994887062527722011-01-17T18:22:00.000-08:002011-01-18T22:47:34.845-08:00What do you do with a good sale on green peppers?<div style="text-align: center;">Buy a bunch, roast them, and freeze them for later! Yum!</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnr-hgAkMDwftlVVFoZ2i1p9733_oQDH0Wj30m1eCyLE1moDJISVrTESXozcw8VAFo-laoPcpbUZP21qpsSuaNSN6qMNGOxVkA-whql-rY4Gybj3qFGNyD4z3gMFaKh5FrxIgqaLcJRI/s400/100_6470.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563345850651616354" /> This process is really very easy. You line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, wash and dry your peppers, put them on your lined cookie sheet and put them under your broiler on high. When the skin turns black, pull them out and turn them over and put them back in again. Repeat this until the whole pepper is covered in black crusty skin. Then, pull those puppies out and pop them in a big ziplock bag. Shut the bag and ignore it for 20 minutes. Paint your fingernails, check a few emails, but don't do anything productive. Somehow the peppers know if you were productive and take it out on you. Anyway. After 20 minutes, one at a time, take the peppers out and peel the skin off. It slides off fairly easily, and now you have roasted peppers. I add them to anything that smells like it could use that particular flavor. Spaghetti sauce was my most recent user of the peppers. <div><br /></div><div>Then, if you are like me and did eight of them at once, I pull out the seeds and cut the pepper into strips. I line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (I don't really know if you need to do this, it just makes me feel domestic) and put the pepper strips on the paper. Put these into the freezer for an hour or two to flash freeze. Then, you can peel the peppers off the paper and stick them all into a freezer ziplock to be used at a later date. Yum!</div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-56721053489161829922010-11-03T22:22:00.000-07:002010-11-03T22:28:00.416-07:00Cream Cheese French Toast SandwichesYum! We had a visitor for breakfast the other day who suggested a WONDERFUL innovation to our menu. We took 6 oz softened cream cheese and a scoop of blueberry jam and mixed them well. Then, we mixed our french toast dipping sauce (I do three or four eggs, a splash of vanilla, and half-and-half/milk/cream, depending on how much I want to work out that day). You spread our cream cheese mixture on one piece of bread, put another piece on top (just like a traditional sandwich) and then dip the whole sandwich in your marinade. Grill those babies as usual, and shake on a little powdered sugar before serving. Whoa! <div><br /></div><div>Sorry there are no pictures, I was too busy eating!</div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-84352954637101345902010-10-10T22:04:00.000-07:002010-10-10T22:04:30.171-07:00Fried Apples<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">Today we had a pajama day. We all wore our pjs all day and were only allowed to eat breakfast food. By dinner, I was feeling a little breakfast food-ed out. Until. I found these - fried apples. WOW! I forgot how much I like apples. And the sauce over waffles was more like candy than breakfast!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrr6C1isOyXrTCV2QV52zkbV82L6CqtjNuZa8ZAtrFIIP1kap5EYSJeQq9TKExxN6goIOm_56YvHljjU8kl-Pr57czKwPxpp3t8U-csmFHopqzEk674gercFNhjMqvXa8Maqc9kfLf6mw/s1600/100_5844.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrr6C1isOyXrTCV2QV52zkbV82L6CqtjNuZa8ZAtrFIIP1kap5EYSJeQq9TKExxN6goIOm_56YvHljjU8kl-Pr57czKwPxpp3t8U-csmFHopqzEk674gercFNhjMqvXa8Maqc9kfLf6mw/s400/100_5844.JPG" /></a> </div>I love <a href="http://www.allrecipes.com/">www.allrecipes.com</a>. See <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sauteed-Apples/Detail.aspx">here</a> for this tasty treat!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-40947231878411710442010-09-28T09:51:00.000-07:002010-09-28T09:52:05.712-07:00Apple Pie Oatmeal<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkCfKxZIxbAQA4xP6E8f4YbVTwrG_4sabzkn4ZS9O6jLIh1NHL2CVpbjEq2FbUk0caKHqoKD_CvHSYaCaZP99EXRMM3OVMHlbWNgBLfoXfOfi12BFmPAqE8utpKVI0mC65V195AqNYu4/s1600/102_3731.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkCfKxZIxbAQA4xP6E8f4YbVTwrG_4sabzkn4ZS9O6jLIh1NHL2CVpbjEq2FbUk0caKHqoKD_CvHSYaCaZP99EXRMM3OVMHlbWNgBLfoXfOfi12BFmPAqE8utpKVI0mC65V195AqNYu4/s400/102_3731.JPG" /></a> </div>This recipe is not an original. It was taken years ago from a magazine I simply cannot remember the name of. However, it is too good not to share, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">especially</span> with apples in season and fall upon us!<br /><br />3 c water<br />2 medium tart apples, chopped<br />1 1/2 c old fashioned oats<br />dash of salt<br />1/4 c packed brown sugar<br />1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />1/2 c chopped almonds (I like walnuts too! I would just use whatever nuts you have on hand, they are all fairly nutty)<br /><br />Boil water. Add apples, oats and salt and boil, while mixing, for five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with nuts and add milk or syrup. Or, let me go out on a limb here, what about a scoop of vanilla ice cream? It is dairy, right? How about apple pie oatmeal a-la-mode? No problem getting breakfast eaten today!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-37226096907983330402010-09-17T23:09:00.000-07:002010-09-17T23:10:17.725-07:00Pirate Cake, with a treasure discovery<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">Hyrum wanted a pirate cake for his birthday this year. I wanted to do it, I did not look forward to using the fondant recipe I have used for the past several years. So, I looked throught trusty allrecipes.com and came up with a great <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marshmallow-Fondant/Detail.aspx">Marshmallow Fondant</a> recipe!<br /><br />It did take some work to do all the detailing, but it was SO fun! I can't wait for the next! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAi0g43mgW2jaR1UGSVcVGFhZBsKVQ2mkI_i4TQLMjf3c7c-BfWoptbJG860jCdDC11yJCPuel9qinzhPCeVnfFznRMTBWabzeQkaE4vYbe0-cnztKSMpTyLBo4kCyG7zePWgmIO03d4/s1600/100_5630.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAi0g43mgW2jaR1UGSVcVGFhZBsKVQ2mkI_i4TQLMjf3c7c-BfWoptbJG860jCdDC11yJCPuel9qinzhPCeVnfFznRMTBWabzeQkaE4vYbe0-cnztKSMpTyLBo4kCyG7zePWgmIO03d4/s400/100_5630.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmE5mJjGg3paSNf67DBUOpjVqcEaFyhRi0XLm5N-BsvDCrIDanMDgzadoEpXdBSLAS8AOB2fSd3P8CDS_coB4N-mnhkYfdziuSj8NHTLpEL1vwwVGbgBJEBR_97AilL_kWGUcWy4xDsU/s1600/100_5634.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmE5mJjGg3paSNf67DBUOpjVqcEaFyhRi0XLm5N-BsvDCrIDanMDgzadoEpXdBSLAS8AOB2fSd3P8CDS_coB4N-mnhkYfdziuSj8NHTLpEL1vwwVGbgBJEBR_97AilL_kWGUcWy4xDsU/s400/100_5634.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPx3gf5ZSRcEtVZx86sF-43jQCgb6c6vYRYx2-HNDjKYy6DOiDHk1oLxJfZsB-KE0lktQrfF16MLdYU1EZ5IjNQPXDs3mvq2zYhTUn-JZ-_pDHg_YAMQ9do_4hBq6HDn8L2UsK5k8hzU/s1600/100_5655.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPx3gf5ZSRcEtVZx86sF-43jQCgb6c6vYRYx2-HNDjKYy6DOiDHk1oLxJfZsB-KE0lktQrfF16MLdYU1EZ5IjNQPXDs3mvq2zYhTUn-JZ-_pDHg_YAMQ9do_4hBq6HDn8L2UsK5k8hzU/s400/100_5655.JPG" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-5406572159018438382008-10-24T10:55:00.000-07:002008-10-24T11:03:15.191-07:00Black Bean SoupThis recipe is an alteration of one I found in a Southern Living Cookbook. I happen to believe in pressure cookers, and this alteration takes a fraction of the time.<br /><br />1 lb dried black beans<br />1T salt<br />1/2 onion, sliced<br />3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth<br />1.5 c chopped onions<br />.75 T minced garlic<br />2 T olive oil<br />1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies<br />1/3 c lemon juice<br />1/2 t pepper<br />1 t hot sauce<br />sour cream<br /><br />Sort and rinse beans. Place in a 1.5 quart casserole dish and add 1 T salt and 1/2 sliced onion and fill the rest of the way with water. Cover and microwave for 20 minutes. Pour out water and onion and put beans in pressure cooker with chicken broth. Bring to pressure and cook 10 minutes. Beans should be tender. Saute chopped onion and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet until tender. Stir in tomatoes and next three ingredients. Cook 5 more minutes. Process tomato mixture and 2 cups beans in a food processor, pulsing just until mixture is chopped but not smooth and pasty. Stir remaining beans and just enough bean juice to make a nice mixture, but not too <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">brothy</span>, into processed mixture. Ladle into soup bowls, and top each serving with sour cream. Yum!Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-34347262401564775882008-10-17T07:55:00.000-07:002008-10-17T08:10:37.966-07:00I have to get this going!!<div align="center">OK, so I am REALLY struggling with menus!! And I need to do them especially now that we're down to a paycheck every other week, so I need to plan better. So I think this will make me do it!! I'm trying to just eat oatmeal for breakfast and lunch is just <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">insane</span> to plan, for me. So, I'll start with just dinner and then go from there when I get better !!</div><div align="center">Here it goes:</div><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Monday:</span></div><div align="center">(already I draw a blank!!!)</div><div align="center">Italian Chicken</div><div align="center">peas</div><div align="center">bread (homemade)</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Tuesday:</span></div><div align="center">Meatloaf</div><div align="center">Baked potatoes</div><div align="center">corn</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Wednesday:</span></div><div align="center">Left over Italian Chicken </div><div align="center">(we always have way to much)</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Thursday:</span></div><div align="center">(blank, blank ,blank)</div><div align="center">Pork Chops </div><div align="center">(never made them, sad I know!!)</div><div align="center">Bread</div><div align="center">Potato side</div><div align="center">(I'm going to try a new one, I'll tell you how it goes)</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Friday:</span></div><div align="center">Waffles</div><div align="center">( I never do breakfast for dinner, I think Madison will like it!!)</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Saturday:</span></div><div align="center">Pizza</div><div align="center">(I made it last week and the dough didn't' raise so I'm trying again!!)</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">OK, so see this is why I need help!! <span style="color:#ffff33;">BORING</span> food!! SO I need easy CHEAP ideas!!</div><div align="center"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-79312829985512127672008-09-19T10:09:00.000-07:002008-09-19T10:17:08.668-07:00Chocolate Chip CookiesMy most favorite thing to bake is chocolate chip cookies, so I thought I would share my recipe. It is an alteration of a Betty Crocker recipe and it goes like this:<br /><br />3/4c granulated sugar<br />3/4c brown sugar<br />1 c stick margarine, softened<br />1 egg<br />2 1/2 c flour<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 c chocolate chips<br /><br />Heat oven to 375. Mix sugars, margarine and egg. Stir in flour, soda and salt (batter will be stiff.) Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonful (you know, the ones you eat with - I actually use my handy-dandy Pampered Chef little melon baller scooper thing so they are uniform and really nice sized) onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 minutes - they should not quite be brown on the edges, but another minute would brown them. Take them out before they brown. Put a dish towel on your counter and drop your cookie sheet from a height of 6". Do this a couple times. This makes them better. Because they are a little doughy, wait until they cool a bit before eating.<br /><br />These are SUPER soft and tasty. Hope you enjoy!Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-534581709766557612008-08-05T22:50:00.000-07:002008-08-05T22:52:22.714-07:00Week 2I obviously didn't get to this on-time this week. The problem for me in meal planning is that I often overplan. We didn't finish all the meals from last week, so this week we are finishing up. I will try to post more tomorrow.Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-10840955336984844662008-07-27T21:21:00.000-07:002008-07-27T21:22:56.182-07:00Tin-Foil Dinners Aren't Just For Camping!While looking for some healthy recipes, I found this cool video. There aren't specific recipes, but I have decided to try it this week. In fact, I may even use it with my box oven!<br /><br /><iframe src="http://videos.tasteofhome.com/embed/content/QLGT1SFNY99RBZ3D/000000/w400" frameborder="0" width="420" scrolling="no" height="360"></iframe>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550936462462373833.post-61055607499026877402008-07-27T21:11:00.001-07:002008-07-27T23:01:02.792-07:00Week 1Monday -<br /><br /><ul><li>Breakfast - Yogurt Drink and scrambled eggs</li><li>Lunch - <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Bacon--n--Egg-Salad-Sandwiches-2">Bacon 'n Egg Salad Sandwiches</a> & carrot slices</li><li>Dinner - <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Chicken-Barley-Soup">Chicken Barley Soup</a> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Flatbread</span></li></ul><p>Tuesday - </p><ul><li>Breakfast - French Toast</li><li>Lunch - l/o soup</li><li>Dinner - Barbecued Beef Sandwiches, Apple Salad, Chips</li></ul><p>Wednesday -</p><ul><li>Breakfast - Cranberry Muffins & Boiled Eggs</li><li>Lunch - Tuna Sandwiches, apples</li><li>Dinner - <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Bacon-Stuffed-Burgers">Bacon-Stuffed burgers</a>, fries and dill potato salad</li></ul><p>Thursday -</p><ul><li>Breakfast - Pancakes</li><li>Lunch - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">PBJ</span> and fruit</li><li>Dinner - <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Lime-Chicken-Chili">Lime Chicken Chili</a>, tortilla chips</li></ul><p>Friday - </p><ul><li>Breakfast - Oatmeal/Cream of Wheat</li><li>Lunch - Grilled Cheese and fresh veggie</li><li>Dinner - <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/go-for-the-grains-casserole.aspx">go for the grains casserole</a>, steamed squash</li></ul><p>Saturday -</p><ul><li>Breakfast -Blueberry Oatmeal muffins (provided we pick blueberries this week!)</li><li>Lunch - L/O lime chili, casserole wraps</li><li>Dinner - Foil Packet Chicken and Veggies in a box oven</li></ul><p>Sunday -</p><ul><li>Breakfast - Cold cereal</li><li>Lunch - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">PBJ</span></li><li>Dinner - Italian Artichoke Chicken, some kind of bread</li></ul>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18146461184666701252noreply@blogger.com1