Lamb Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 c.  chopped green onions
S&P
2 tsp. Pampered Chef's Greek Rub
1/2 tsp. marjoram
dash of cinnamon
-Mix all the ingredients together.
-Heat a large skillet w oil or butter
-Roll meat mixture into meatballs
-Cook about 10 minutes, turning until all sides are brown
-Cover, bake at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes



Tzatziki Sauce:
10 oz. (2 individual containers) Greek yogurt, plain
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded & shredded
1 tsp. salt
1 lemon, zest from whole lemon & juice from half
1/2 tsp. Pampered Chef's Greek Rub
dash of salt
-Place cucumber in a colander, sprinkle w salt & allow to sit for about 30 minutes to allow excess juice to drain off
-In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients. Mix until incorporated.
-Serve w meatballs

"Real Food" Freezer cooking

 

 

Holidays are over & I need to replenish my freezer! Anyone want to do some FREEZER COOKING with me? Did you read my post about trying to feed my family real food? The recipes below will allow me to have convenient meals/snacks that are real food! (Although, some of these recipes will require altering to make them "real")

I plan to make each recipe by next Tuesday! 6 recipes in 7 days, that's doable, right? We'll see.....

• Banana Chocolate Chip mini-muffins
• Waffles (with a few alterations)
• Individual baked oatmeal cups

• Cream of Celery Soup
• Refried Beas

• Cookies (with a few alterations)

Banana-Caramel Cupcakes

I am not sure if these are cupcakes or muffins? Maybe I should call them "Cupffins"? :) The cupcake is "Julified" with whole wheat flour & coconut oil. Even still, the girls loved these.

Cupcakes:

1/4 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 egg

3 ripe bananas

1/3 c. coconut oil, in liquid form (Vegetable oil works too)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp.  baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

-Cream butter & sugar
-Add egg, bananas,coconut oil & vanilla. Mix well.
-In a separate bowl, combine both flours, baking soda, cinnamon & salt.
-Gradually, add to the banana mixture & stir just until combined.
-Add batter to a cupcake pan.
-Bake at 350 for approx. 20 minutes.

Icing:

2 tbsp. butter

1/3 c. Brown sugar

1 tbsp. milk

3 tbsp. powdered sugar
Dash of salt & vanilla

-Add butter to a sauce pan & melt over medium heat.
-Add brown sugar & milk. Bring to a simmer to ensure all the sugar granules dissolve.
-Add powdered sugar
-Add just a dash of salt & vanilla
(This icing thickens as it cools. Wait to add additional powdered sugar if it seems too thin)

Cora, Rapunzel enjoying her cupcake

Pizza on the GRILL

Quick & easy recipe to use tomatoes & basil from your garden. Also, great that it can be made quickly & all outside on the GRILL!

Chicken Pesto Pizza
1 chicken breast, cooked & chopped (I grill mine)
1 pizza crust (Ex: Pilsbury refrigerated, Boboli, or homemade)

1- 1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 c. fresh basil
1/4 c. nuts, toasted (Ex: walnuts, pecans, pine nuts)
1/4- 1/3 c. olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Roma tomatoes

-Add basil, nuts, olive oil, garlic & salt to a food processor a pulse until finely chopped.
-Brush 1 tbsp olive oil on bottom of crust. Then place crust on Pampered Chef's BBQ pizza pan. 

-Sprinkle a small amount of the cheese on the crust. 

-Add the Pesto & chicken to a bowl & toss until chicken is coated. Add to the pizza crust

-Top w tomatoes & remaining cheese
-Grill on low-medium heat about 10 minutes or until cheese is melty! Be sure to check the bottom of the crust to make sure it isn't scorching.
-Garnish w additional fresh basil.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Mexican Inspired Stuffed Green Peppers
3 medium-large green bell peppers, cut lengthways

1lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 c. black beans, rinsed

3/4 c. corn

1/2 c. uncooked rice

2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce, divided 

1 clove of garlic, smashed

Cilantro
Cumin

Salt & pepper

Pepper Jack cheese

1. In a large stock pot bring aprox. 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the cut green peppers & simmer for about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, brown ground beef & onion in a saute pan.
3. Add black beans, corn, rice, 1/2 c. water, 1 can of tomato sauce, garlic, cilantro, cumin, salt & pepper. Bring it to a boil, cover & simmer about 7 minutes.
5. Pour the 2nd can of tomato sauce in the bottom of the Deep Covered Baker. Sprinkle in salt & pepper to taste. Lay blanched green peppers in. Fill with the meat/rice mixture. Top w/ Pepper Jack cheese (Not pictured). Put lid on baker.
6. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or until green peppers & rice are tender & cheese is melted! OR place in a crock pot & cook on high for 2 hours.

Corn Chowder

I apologize but I do not have exact measurements for this recipe. But that is what I love about it. I use whatever I have on hand & it always turns out wonderful. I decided to make this on Friday when it was raining & only a high of 75. I had 7 leftover ears of sweet corn in my fridge. Perfect!

Corn Chowder
1/2 lb. bacon (I've also used sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
water, aprox. 4 cups
sweet corn, 6-9 ears
milk, aprox. 4 cups
2 medium-large potatoes, cubed
corn, frozen, aprox. 3 cups
salt & pepper to taste
parsley
garlic
paprika
2 Tbsp. corn starch
Toppings:
Cheese, hot sauce, tomatoes, green onions and/or sour cream

-In a large pot, cook bacon. Set aside.
-In same pot add onion, cook until tender.
-Add water to pot
-Cut the corn kernels off the cob & set aside. In the stock pot simmer the cobs in water for about 20minutes.
-Add the corn that was cut from the cobs & milk. Simmer an additional 10minutes.
-Blend w/ an immersion blender
-Add potatoes, additional corn, S&P, parsley, garlic & paprika
-In a small prep bowl add corn starch & 2 Tbsp. of water. Whisk into the soup.
-Simmer until potatoes are tender.
-Top w/ any combination of toppings
-This freezes great too!

Make It Yourself:: Brownie Mixes

I got the inspiration for this from Money Saving Mom. What a GOOD idea, homemade brownie mix. No more boxed brownies for this household. I love having these mixes premade in my pantry b/c the prep time is cut in half when I decide we need brownies for dessert!
Today, I made 3 mixes. Too many at once might mean they go bad before I use them, as they are recommended to be used w/i 3months.

Here is what you'll need for each dry mix:
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. baking coco
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

On the bag write the wet ingredients needed for baking:
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
*Optional, add chocolate chips, white chips, nuts or raspberries just before baking

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

 

 

 

 

Pinterest Projects- Banana "Ice Cream"

 

I pinned this banana "ice cream" a few months ago but just got around to trying it. It was excellent!

 

Here's what I did:

3 ripe bananas, frozen about 2-4 hours

1 tbsp natural peanut butter

 

I thought my new blender would be able to puree the frozen bananas but it couldn't so I transferred it to my mini food processor & it worked great. Once bananas were a smooth texture I added peanut butter & pulsed a few more times.

 

Cora went bananas over it ;) And Ken raved about it too. It will be the perfect "dessert" for me & Cora this summer. Enjoy!

 

Oriental Chicken Salad

This delicious salad was last night's dinner! Here is the recipe that I'm certain you'll want to cook on a Hot summer night::: {originally from my mother-in-law w/ a few changes!}

Oriental Chicken Salad- Makes 2 dinner portions
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sesame seeds
S&P
1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1/2 c. silvered almonds
1/2 c, chow mein noodles
1/4 c. oil
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp poppy seeds

-In a small bowl whisk: soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger & S&P. Grill chicken breast for about 10 minutes. Just before it is finished brush with soy sauce mixture.
-In a large bowl add: lettuce, green onion & almonds
-In a separate, small bowl whisk: oil, vinegar, sugar & poppy seeds. {Ken & I don't use much dressing. If you know that you do you'll defiantly need to increase measurements!}
-Assemble salad & top w chow mein noodles

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa
2 c. broccoli, chopped
1 c. quinoa
2 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
3/4 c. sharp cheddar cheese
1/4- 1/3 c. sour cream

-In a large sauce pan combine: broccoli, quinoa, broth, garlic & S&P.
-Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes w/o lifting the lid.
-Stir in cheddar cheese & sour cream.

 

 

 

I grilled chicken breasts & served along side of this. You could always cube/shred chicken and throw it in when  you add the cheese & sour cream. We all really liked this quick, light dinner.

 

Warning: The broccoli gets quite soft. I normally wouldn't cook it this way but it was quicker & saved me a dish to wash. Plus, Cora will only eat broccoli if it's soft.

Key Lime cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our recent trip to the Florida Keys reignited my love for anything key lime :) I made key lime bars last week and now these yummy cookies. These freeze great- either the dough or as baked, cooled cookies :) They were a hit w Mae too!

1 stick of butter (1/2 c.), at room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 egg + 1 yolk

1/4 c. fresh key lime juice

1 tsp. zest

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

-In a large bowl cream butter and sugar
-Add eggs & mix well
-Add lime juice & zest
-Add flour 1 cup at a time then add baking powder and salt
-Bc the dough is very sticky it needs to sit in refrigerator for 1 hour or freezer for 30 minutes.
-Preheat oven to 350
-Roll into 1 inch balls
-Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown
-Enjoy w hot tea :)

Chicken Pot Pie

Pie Crust:::
2/3 c. butter, cold
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. AP flour
1/2 tbsp. parsley
dash of salt
1/2 c. water, cold
1 egg, whisked (Used as egg wash on top of crust)
-In a food processor, combine butter, flour, salt & parsley pulse until crumbly.
-Pour butter mixture into a medium bowl & add water. Cut w/ a pastry cutter or fork until it comes together in a ball. (May need to add more water)
-Separate into 2 equal portions.
-Wrap in scran wrap & put in refrigerator while making filling.

Filling:::
2 Chicken Breast, bone in & skin on. boiled- reserve broth- shred
2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. celery, chopped
1 1/2 c. carrots, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. dry white wine like Chardonnay
1 c. Milk + 2 tbsp. flour whisked in
1/8 tsp. sage
1/8 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. parsley
salt & pepper
1/2 c. peas
1 c. mushrooms
-Preheat oven to 425
-In a large pan melt butter over medium heat. Add celery, carrots and onions. Saute about 7 minutes.
-Add 2 tbsp. flour and cook 3-5 minutes.
-Add chicken broth and let come to a simmer & thicken.
-Add wine and let come to a simmer.
-Whisk in milk  & seasonings. Bring to a simmer and let simmer and then add shredded chicekn & peas. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
-Add mushrooms and turn off heat.

-Roll out 1 portion of pie crust to fit into a deep baking dish. (I use anything smaller than a 9x13)
-Prick it a few times with a fork and bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out second portion of crust.
-Add filling
-Add top crust & pinch or tuck under bottom crust
-Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with additional salt
-Bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until crust has some golden brown to it.
-Reduce heat to 400 and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Soft Pretzel Bites

One of my favorite snacks is a soft pretzel! I enjoy all kinds savory or sweet! Warm with dipping sauces like cheese, mustard, and/or marinara. Or sweet pretzels with icing or chocolate. Are you drooling yet?

When I was pregnant I craved pretzels & so badly wanted to try a recipe but I just never had the energy so I bought frozen ones instead.Yesterday, I finally tried this recipe. I thought they were super easy but here are a few tips::
-I think next time I'll make them into sticks to make the process go faster.
-When rolling them into desired shape use minimum amount of flour possible. B/c the flour makes the water foam when you drop them into boil.
-Be sure to whisk your egg really well.
-Check on them often. Mine cooked a lot quicker than recipe states.
-If you have a Pampered Chef stone, use it & skip parchment paper step. Works great!
-Add more salt than you would think because a substantial amount falls off when transferring pretzels.

My intentions where to freeze a good amount of these. But after Ken, Cora & I all "taste tested" there was not enough to freeze! So, I'll be making these again for my freezer as a quick & easy snack!

I have since made another batch & they made it into the freezer! When ready to eat pull out desired amount & microwave for 25-45 seconds depending on how many.

Savory bites that we dipped in a mustard/cheese sauce

Sweet bites that we dipped in Nutella









Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

I love this recipe b/c I can prepare it the night before. Makes for an easy Saturday morning breakfast. However, you do not have to prepare it the night before- it just allows for the bread to really soak up the mixture. I have made it omitting the pumpkin all together. But in this house we prefer the pumpkin. Cora Mae loves hers w/ extra syrup :) 

Ooops, forgot to snap a picture before we dung into it :)

Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
6 eggs
2 c. pureed pumpkin
1 (8oz.) block of cream cheese
1/4 c. milk
3/4 c. syrup
4 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
l (1 lb.) loaf of hearty bread Ex: French or Italian

- Add eggs to a large bowl and whisk.
-Add pumpkin, cream cheese and milk. Mix until cream cheese breaks apart and is distributed.
-In a microwave safe bowl add syrup & butter. Microwave for about 45-60 seconds until butter is melted.
- Add the syrup mixture to the egg mixture.
-Add cinnamon, allspice, vanilla and nutmeg
- Cut bread into aprox. 1 inch cubes (crust & all). Add bread to egg mixture. Mix until each piece of bread is covered w/ egg mixture.
-Spray a 9x13 baking dish w/ cooking spray or butter. Add bread mixture. Cover w/ foil. Refrigerate overnight.
-Next morning preheat oven to 350. Bake for 20 minutes covered w/ foil. Remove foil and bake an additional 25-30 minutes until center is set.
-Serve w/ additional syrup or spiced whipping cream :)

Friday's Freezer Friendly ~ Iced coffee

I love this recipe in the hot summer months. On mornings when I wake and its already 80 degrees I can't drink hot coffee. This gives me my coffee fix but is cold and refreshing too! It's a great recipe to play with. This time I used Starbucks vanilla coffee. YUM. And of course, you can pick a variety of different coffee creamers. I have also used evaporated milk in place of the milk.

This recipes comes from my aunt over at http://inhotpursuitofmoreandless.blogspot.com/. 

Iced Coffee

10-12 c. of double strength coffee

1 can sweetened condensed milk (I use fat free)

1/2 c. flavored liquid creamer

optional: 1- 2c. milk (I like mine strong, so I do not add any milk!)

-Brew strong coffee by doubling the amount of coffee grounds you would normally use. *Caution: My coffee maker overflowed, making a terrible mess the first several times I tried this. I now brew 2 batches of 6c. at a time.

-When coffee is finished brewing and still hot transfer to a pitcher and whisk in sweetened condensed milk. Allow to cool.

-Add creamer and milk, if desired.

-Transfer to bottles, leaving head space for expansion during freezing. (I dug through my recycle bin and found Gatorade and Snapple jars. Yes, you can freeze glass if you leave plenty of head space. )

-To use, thaw in the fridge the night before. Shake well. Serve over ice.

Friday's Freezer Friendly~ Pizza Pockets

I got this idea from Money Saving Mom during her "4 Weeks to Fill your Freezer" series. She happened to post this idea a few days before I was already planning on making homemade pizza for dinner- How perfect?!?! I just made extra dough, chopped more veggies and assembled these before dinner {During NAP time} This whole process from start to placing in freezer took 2 hours!

Homemade Pizza Pockets
Dough:
2 yeast packets
2 c. warm water
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. olive oil + 1 Tbsp.
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
3 c. whole wheat flour
2-3 c. AP flour
-Dissolve yeast in water. Let stand alone a few minutes until it gets bubbly.
-Meanwhile, add salt, 4 tsp. olive oil and Italian seasoning to Kitchen Aid mixer.
-Add yeast mixture.
-With the hook attachment add whole wheat flour 1 c. at a time, mix until combined.
-Add AP flour in 1/2 c. increments until dough is no longer sticky.
-Knead for 5 minutes.
-Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to a large bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning once to coat w/ oil.
-Cover w/ a towel and let it sit to rise. {I put mine on my stove while I was cooking sausage and pizza sauce. It doubled in size in about 20minutes}

Filling:
Supreme pockets:
Pizza sauce, homemade or jarred
1lb. pork sausage, cooked
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can black olives, sliced
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
8oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Hawaiian pockets:
Pizza sauce
1 c. pineapple, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 c. ham, chopped
cheese

Topping:
Olive oil
Italian seasoning

To Assemble:
-Pull off dough and roll into a ball in your hands. (About golf ball size)
-On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 6 inch circle.
-Fill w/ sauce first, toppings then cheese.
-Fold over and pinch w/ a fork
-I used different colored tooth picks to distinguish supreme, Hawaiian and I made 3 for Mae {sauce, cheese and black olives}
-Brush w/ extra olive oil and sprinkle Italian seasoning on top.
-Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes
-Allow to cool completely!!!
-Transfer to a Ziploc gallon bag and Freeze!

Hawaiin Pocket

I only got 13. I was hoping for 18!

I made 3 specially for Mae= sauce, cheese & black olives. Then I put hers in a sandwich bags and labeled MM's

Friday's Freezer Friendly on Wednesday?!?! {Mini Muffins}

Have you been following Money Saving Mom and her series "4 Weeks to Fill your Freezer"? I love her, everyday for 4 weeks she is cooking items that go straight to her freezer. I love the idea but I'm not as ambitious. This week I hope to get 2 days of freezer cooking in. Today, a quick snack for Mae, mini muffins & Friday I plan on making pizza pockets!

This recipe comes from my sister in law, Megan. But I got the idea of freezing mini muffins as a snack last week when we were grocery shopping. A woman was giving out samples of Hostess mini muffins, Cora loved the snack and so I looked at buying a box. Do you know a box of 4pks sold for $3.98! EKKKK! I made mine much cheaper and got 12 portions.

Mini Healthy Blueberry Muffins
1/2 c. butter substitute, softened
1 c. Splenda (I actually use 3/4 c. regular sugar)
1/4 c.honey
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. skim milk
1 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen

-Cream butter, sugar and honey together until fluffy.
-Beat eggs in 1 at a time. Add vanilla.
-Meanwhile, in a medium bowl add flour, baking powder and salt
-Alternately, stir in flour mixture and milk.
-Fold in blueberries
-Spoon batter into greased muffin pan, mini or regular. (B/c I used a mini pan I individually buttered each muffin. I did not want to spray Pam b/c I didn't think it would cover the pan well)
-Bake at 350 for 12 minutes (for mini muffins. 25-30 for regular muffins)
-Allow to cool in pan for 5-7 minutes.
-Remove from muffin pan and allow to cool completely.
-I then packaged them in fold over Ziploc bags, 3 per bag b/c I thought that was a nice portion for lil MaeMae.
-Then I put all the baggies into a large gallon Ziploc bag.
-These are going to be great for quick breakfasts or snacks on the go :)

Salmon cakes Win!

Salmon cakes: Makes 4 cakes
1 egg
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. sour cream
2 springs of green onion, chopped
zest from 1 lemon
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. bacon crumbles (2 slices, cooked)
10 oz. of Salmon (I like the pouches)
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. Old bay seasoning
Salt & pepper

-Start your grill to medium heat.
-In a medium bowl whisk the egg, mustard and sour cream.
-Add green onion, zest, bread crumbs and bacon. Mix until incorporated.
-Gently stir in the salmon and seasonings.
-Form into 4 cakes by pressing and patting w/ your hands.
-Place cakes on a generously greased piece of foil.
-Grill for about 3-5 minutes on each side.
{This week it was cold and rainy so I made them inside on my panini press! Worked great!}
-Serve w/ cocktail or tarter sauce. I made a lemon/caper yogurt sauce and served w/ rice pilaf!

1 cake is 3 WW points!

5 Ingredient Biscuits

5 Ingredient Biscuits:
1 1/2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. butter, cold
2 tsp. baking powder
dash of salt
1 egg
3/4 c. sour cream

-Cut the flour and butter together until crumbly. Add baking powder and salt.
-In a separate bowl whisk egg and then add sour cream.
-Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined.
-Dump batter onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to about 1/2in. thick and cut 8 biscuits w/ a biscuit cutter. (I usually roll, cut, then have to roll out again)
-Bake at 425 for about 12-15 minutes.
-Brush w/ herb butter!
-4 WW pts each (You can easily trim some points by using a butter and or egg substitute)

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Happy Valentine's Day, Kenny & MaeMae!

1 (1 pound) loaf of French bread, cubed

6 eggs, lightly beaten

2 1/2 cups milk  

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup coffee, brewed strong 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoons almond extract

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-In a large bowl whisk eggs then add milk, heavy cream, coffee and extracts. Whisk until combined.

-In a separate bowl combine: sugars, coco powder and cinnamon and stir until combine and coco powder is fine. Then add to egg mixture.

-Add cubed bread to egg mixture. Lightly toss until each bread cube is coated. Allow to sit for 10-20 minutes for bread to soak up liquid.

-Transfer bread mixture to a 9x13 baking dish coated w/ cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until center is set (knife comes out clean).

Note: I always cook mine in a water bath. If you do not have a large enough pan that the 9x13 will fit in, cover the bread pudding for the first 30 minutes of cooking time.

-Top w/ hot fudge sauce, whipping cream or both :)