Saturday, March 28, 2015

Bring out the Bunny and Eggs!

Easter is a few weeks away.This begins my family's busy season. Easter Weekend in the opening of Scarborough Renaissance Festival. If your in the Dallas Area Kids 12 and under get in free that weekend. Here is their website with all the information:
http://www.srfestival.com/special-events/fun/special-events.htm

So here is 10 inspiring Easter ideas.
http://ourbestbites.com/2011/04/easter-carrot-napkin-bundles/

What a cute way to decorate your table for a Easter lunch.

I thought this was a cute gift to make for teenagers or Co-workers!
Deviled Eggs are a must for our BBQ and I thought it was a great way to add color to the table.
and this Easter Banner will go great in my dinning room!
With this Centerpiece

NOW TIME FOR THE EASTER WREATHS!

What are you doing for Easter? What are your decorations?










Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Menu Round-up

As you read in my Monday Menu post I didn't make everything on the menu this week. However what I did make was wonderfully delicious!

 Monday Night: Doritos Casserole


Ingredients

1 lbs Ground Beef
Taco Seasoning
A bag of  Doritos
Rotel Tomatoes
Cheese
1 can of Re-Fried Beans

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

In a Skillet Brown Ground Meat.
Add Taco Seasoning, Rotel Tomatoes, Re-Fried Beans to the skillet and mix well.
Add Doritos to the bottom of a casserole dish
Pour Meat from the Skillet over Doritos
Add Cheese to top
Put into the oven for 15 minutes.

Tuesday: Chicken Burritos
I made so many of this that we had a few Left-over nights because of it.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
  • ½ cup Mexican cheese blend ( or mozzarella)
  • 1 avocado diced
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
  • 4 large tortillas
  • 1 tablespoon oil

  1. Mix the shredded chicken, cheese, cilantro, and the diced avocados.
  2. Lay a tortilla flat on a plate and add ¼ of the mixture, form a roll. repeat the process for all four tortillas.
  3. pour 1 tablespoon oil into a heated pan or griddle. Place all four tortillas on the pan and cook for 2 minutes on medium- high heat. Flip on the other side and cook for another minutes or until the the burritos are golden in color. Serve warm.


Wednesday: Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:
2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
Cajun seasoning spice
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. cream cheese
1 Tbs. olive oil (or more if needed)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (optional)
¼ cup white wine (or chicken broth)
1 ½ cup half-and-half
1 ½ cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese
Salt and pepper
1 pound cooked fettuccini


Cook fettuccini according to directions on package.
Drain and rinse with tap water. This gets rid of the extra starchiness that makes the pasta stick together. Make sure it's fully drained again.

Rinse chicken breast and pat dry. Using a tenderizer, pound each chicken breast flat in a plastic baggie.
Generously cover both sides with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat 1 Tbs. of the butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, until the butter is melted.
Place chicken in the pan.
Cook each side for 3-5 minutes, or until browned.
Place browned chicken onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
Add the white wine or chicken broth into the pan.
Whisk for 2-3 minutes, combining all the "drippings" from the chicken.
Add the garlic and tomatoes (if you're using them) to the pan and continue to whisk for 2-3 minutes or until garlic is slightly browned.
Reduce heat to medium-low and pour the heavy cream into the pan.
Stir constantly for 1 minute.
Add the cream cheese and whisk until combined.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine.
Remove from heat. Add the Parmesan cheeses and feta cheese. Stir constantly until all the cheese has melted, and sauce is smooth.

For lunch last week I made 1 dish that lasted most of the week: Thai Chicken Noodle


Ingredients

  • tablespoon sesame oil
  • cloves garlic, minced
  • teaspoons minced ginger
  • pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup natural chunky peanut butter
  • cup crushed tomatoes
  • cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • tablespoon fish sauce
  • ounces rice noodles
  • cups shredded green cabbage
  • cup canned bean sprouts, drained
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  1. In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and chicken. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink on the outside.

  2. Dissolve the peanut butter in the crushed tomatoes; add the mixture to the soup pot along with the chicken broth and fish sauce and bring to a boil. Add the noodles; reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook 5 minutes.

  3.  Stir in the cabbage and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in the bean sprouts and scallions; turn off heat.








Tuesday, March 24, 2015

April's Book

April is almost here and with that means another book to read. I choose this book because of a documentary I recently watched called Hawkings. It's on Netflix and really great. I haven't seen The theory of Everything yet, I'm looking forward to seeing it when it's released onto DVD.


A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawkings was published in 1988 and has sold over 10 million copies in 20 years. The best part of this is my husband saw the book and told me he wants to read it to.
 If you have read this book I would love to hear what you have to say about it!If you have ever wanted to know about our universe this is the book to read!

Monday, March 23, 2015

Monday's Menu

Due to everyone having really bad allergies and a ton of leftovers last week I've taken things that should have been cooked last week and move them to this week.


Sunday:
  Breakfast: Bagels
  Lunch: Leftovers
  Dinner: Crock pot baked potatoes and BBQ meat

Monday:
  Breakfast: Green Apple Smoothie
  Lunch: Broccoli and Cheese soup
  Dinner: Bubble Pizza Casserole

Tuesday:
  Breakfast: Just Peachy Smoothie
  Lunch: Loaded Baked Potato Soup
  Dinner: Chicken and Basil Cream with Roasted Potatoes

Wednesday:
  Breakfast: Oatmeal
  Lunch: Chicken Tortilla Soup
  Dinner: Meat Loaf with Green Beans

Thursday:
  Breakfast: Just Peachy Smoothie
  Lunch: Tuna Fish Sandwiches
  Dinner: Sausage and Green Beans with Corn Bread

Friday:
  Breakfast: Mango Smoothie
  Lunch: Leftovers
  Dinner: Leftovers

Saturday:
  Breakfast: Eggs and Sausage
  Lunch: Meatballs wrapped in Garlic Bread with a Cesar Salad
  Dinner: Poor man's prime ribs with fried Orka

Friday, March 20, 2015

March's Deep Clean

Yup it's that time again! Deep Cleaning for March. This one was easy because it was part of our Share 15 cleaning routine!
It's a easy Cleaning routine and it's very quick! Because it's so easy this blog is going to be short.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Menu Round Up!

Before I begin with last weeks recipes and my family's review I would like to give some insight on how I cook. I try to make everything myself with that being said working 40 hours, being a taxi for my kids and doing all my crafts and chores I don't have all the hours to do everything every night. I have cooked all my meals on a Sunday morning for that week and I loved it. However if I don't have the time to do that I just prepare as best as I can through the week.
 If I have a meal that calls for cooked chicken (like a casserole) I will boil all the chicken I need for the week and put it in the fridge.This cuts down on cooking time the night of the dinner majorly!
 To cut the cost of meat and chicken I buy in bulk at Sam's or Costco. It saves a lot of money!
 I hope these 2 tips help you out with cooking dinner. Now to the Menu round-up!

Sunday:  The family liked this meal.
  Dinner: Lemon Buttery Cod with Vegetable Melody
http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/fish/lemon-butter-baked-cod.html

Lemon Buttery Cod:
2 lb Cod Fillet
1/4 c butter
2 Tbsp lemon juice
dash of paprika
salt and pepper to taste


 Cut fillets into serving sizes. Melt butter in sauce pan or micro-wave. Add lemon juice to melted butter.

In another dish, mix together flour, salt & pepper.

Dip fish into butter/lemon mix, coating well on all sides.

Place coated fillets in an ungreased baking dish. Drizzle remaining butter mix over fillets. Sprinkle entire dish with paprika.


 Bake, uncovered in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes. Fish should flake easily with a fork.
Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.

 Roasted Vegetable Melody:
2-3 zucchini, cut lengthwise into fourths, and then slice into bite size pieces
2-3 yellow squash, sliced same as zucchini
1 red pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 package whole mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. rosemary leaves
1 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray (or you can foil line the baking sheet and spray the foil).
Mix all of the cut up vegetables and garlic in a large bowl.
Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss until all the vegetables are covered.Add rosemary leaves and salt, and toss again.
Roast the vegetables for about 30 minute, stirring once. You will know the vegetables are done when they are brown on the outside edges and tender on the inside.

Monday: This a Family Favorite!
  Dinner: Oven Baked Tacos
  • 2lbs ground beef, lean
  • 3tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 6ounces tomato sauce
  • 20 12ounces refried beans
  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • 12small flour tortillas
  • diced tomato
  • diced onion
  • sour cream
  • Brown ground beef and drain.
  • Add taco seasoning, refried beans and tomato sauce.
  • Heat until blended.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Spray a glass 9x13 pan with oil.
  • Spoon taco filling into taco shells and stack them side by side in pan.
  • When shells are filled, top each with shredded cheese.
  • Bake for approximately 15 minutes, watching so they do not brown too much.
  • Top with remaining ingredients, if desired.
  • Tuesday: This was wonderful!
  • Dinner: Meat and Potatoes Casserole
  • http://wearychef.com/meat-and-potatoes-casserole/
16-20 oz. ground turkey or beef
½ onion, diced
½ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans, corn)
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1½ c. milk
½ c. shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, or a blend)
salt and pepper to taste
½ c. sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
32 oz. bag frozen cubed or tri-cut potatoes (you will only need about ⅔ of the bag)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.


Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground meat, onion, oregano, salt, and pepper. 

Cook, stirring often and crumbling the meat, until onions are tender and meat is mostly cooked through. Stir in garlic and vegetables, and continue cooking until vegetables are heated.

Meanwhile, in a smaller skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Whisk flour into melted butter until smooth. Stir in milk a small amount at a time, whisking constantly to keep mixture smooth. Bring sauce to a simmer. Turn off heat, and stir in cheese, a pinch of salt, and pepper to taste.

Stir sour cream into meat mixture, and spread meat and vegetables into the prepared baking dish. 

Arrange an even layer of frozen potatoes over the meat, and then pour the cream sauce evenly over the potatoes. Gently jiggle the pan back and forth a few times to allow the sauce to sink into the meat a bit.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, until potatoes are browned to your liking.




Wednesday: Mouth watering these were so good!
  Dinner: Pot Roast Hoagies with Brown Gravy
http://wildflourskitchen.com/2014/04/21/irish-pub-style-pot-roast-hoagies/
I changed the original recipe because I did not have a pressure cooker and I used a different beer.
IN THE CROCK POT
4 1/2 lbs. chuck roast
oil for searing
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup regular spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup extra hot prepared horseradish
1 Tbl. minced garlic, fresh or jarred
1 1/2 (10 1/2 oz.) cans beef stock
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup Guinness
ON THE STOVE
2 Tbl. butter
1 large onion, halved and thickly sliced
8 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
1 small green bell pepper, halved and thickly sliced
1/2 tsp. minced garlic, fresh or jarred
2 (0.87 oz.) packets McCormick’s Low Sodium Brown Gravy mix
ground black pepper to taste

6-8 hoagie rolls, split
butter for spreading on inside of rolls
1 (8 oz.) bag Kraft Mexican Four Cheese Blend shredded cheese

In small bowl, stir together mustard, horseradish and the 1 Tbl. minced garlic, set aside.

Heat a large frying pan with enough oil so that meat doesn't stick getting oil nice and hot. While oil is heating, season both sides evenly with salt and pepper. Place roast down into hot oil and sear until browned.
When seared, turn over and sear other side. Turn off heat and coat top side with 1/2 with mustard/horseradish sauce. 
Place coated side down into the crock pot. Spread top with another half.
Top with bay leaves and drizzle with beer and pour 1 1/2 cans beef stock.
Cook for 8 hours.
 Remove meat to a large bowl and pull into bite-sized pieces.
To broth in Crock pot add both gravy packets to the beef stock. Whisk until well mixed and cook on high for 30 minutes.
Melt 2 Tbl. butter in medium frying pan. Add onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic and black pepper and sauté until softened but still slightly crunchy.
Heat up broiler. Split rolls open and spread insides with a little butter. Place on foil-lined baking sheet and broil rolls just until butter has melted. Remove and top with meat, sautéed veggies, drizzle with a nice amount of gravy and top with large handfuls of cheese. Place back under broiler and broil until cheese has melted.
Serve hot with extra gravy for dipping


Thursday:
  Dinner: leftovers

Friday: This recipe was not buffalo enough for us.
 Dinner: Buffalo Chicken Fingers.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/buffalo-chicken-fingers/detail.aspx



Tuesday, March 17, 2015

A wonderful Centerpiece

I started buying flowers for my dinning room table about a month ago. I love coming in to the house seeing them siting there on my table. I was inspired by this picture.
found here:


I loved the idea of putting apples in a glass vase. I thought I could use my Mason jar. (I'm obsessed with them for some reason.) I didn't want to go white and green flowers, but a pink. I'm so ready for spring to start. I actually thought it turned out well, I do know with practice makes perfect!