What's Cookin'?

Love Day Fun Foods

2012-02-15T08:40:00.001-07:00

I know I should have posted this BEFORE Valentines day, but you can use them next year!

Use a cookie cutter to cut out bread and make sandwiches!

Make heart shaped pancakes! Pour the batter onto the griddle in a V shape and the batter melts together into a heart shape. Lots of fun, my 5 year old loved it!


Pretzel Buttons. See recipe below :)

Pretzel Buttons:

6 dozen square pretzels

1 bag of Hershey's Hugs

1 bag of plain M&M's

--Spread pretzels on baking sheet. Top with hershey hugs and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for about 5 minutes. Then press an M&M into the middle of each. Chill in the fridge until set :) Super yummy and really fun treat!

*You could do this for any holiday :) This Christmas I'll be doing this instead of dipping pretzel rods. So much easier! And a little bit tastier!

Ham Steak

2012-02-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I could never figure out what to do with a ham steak. And since we bought a whole pig a few months ago, it's about time I figured it out! Thanks to google and a few recipe sites, here's my favorite way to cook a ham steak!

2 bone in ham steaks
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 small can pineapple chunks, undrained

--Put the ham steaks on a baking sheet. Drain pineapple juice into the baking sheet and put the pineapple on top of the ham. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top and bake at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. Tonight I served these with cheesy potatoes and steamed carrots! Yum! And perfect for Valentines! My hubby's fave :)

Quick & Easy Pizza

2012-02-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

I had never made home made pizza until tonight, and this recipe was super easy and very yummy! I've been looking for an easy pizza crust recipe and this one did not disappoint! I think the only thing I'd do differently next time is, brush some olive oil and seasonings over the edge of the crust so it browns a little nicer and has a little more flavor, but really this was a good basic recipe!

1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
1 tsp white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 1/2 cups bread flour (I used all purpose)
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp salt

--Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bow, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

--Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes

--Turn dough out into a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

For my toppings tonight I did basic cheddar and mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and a jar of Ragu pizza sauce. My 5 year old loved it, he said "I love this pizza, it's so good" my one year old scarfed it down and we were all giggling as we kept hearing little snorts and snuffs from him while he was eating it. The hubby loved it and is taking left overs to work tomorrow. This is definitely a keeper and we'll be making it again! This is a great one for the little ones to help with, putting on the toppings is fun for them!

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Pork

2012-01-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

This dish was super easy and super delicious! Both my boys and the hubby loved it! It's always a keeper if everyone likes it. I love hearing "Mmm...this is really good" and "Yum, Thanks mom" when attempting a new or different recipe :)

3-4 pork chops
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 purple onion-chopped
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 small can pineapple tidbits-undrained

--Mix together ketchup and brown sugar. Put pork chops in bottom of crock pot, spread ketchup mixture over chops, and add chopped onions on top. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
--30 minutes before serving add peppers and pineapple. Serve over rice. ENJOY! Yum!

**I added some dried cranberries in the beginning just because I needed to use them up, and thought they'd add a little more sweetness to the pork.**

Fruited Turkey (or chicken) Salad Pitas

2012-01-25T20:49:00.001-07:00

This recipe came from a Taste of Home magazine. It turned out so super yummy, my two boys and my hubby gobbled it up and LOVED it!

1/2 cup reduced fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
2 TBS lemon juice (I used lime because that's what I had on hand and forgot to get lemon at the store)
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups cubed, cooked turkey breast (I used 2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked them in a frying pan with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil)
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped (I left the peel on mine)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped pecans
8 pita breads (6 inches), halved (I used whole wheat tortillas)
16 romaine leaves
8 slices red onion, separated into rings (I chopped mine up and added to the mixture)

--In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice and pepper. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, celery, apple, spinach, cranberries, and pecans. Add yogurt mixture and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

--Line pita halves with lettuce and onion; fill each with 1/2 cup turkey mixture

This seriously is going to be a "go to" meal for me when I need something simple and delicious! It will be great for lunches too! One of the tips in the recipe book said that using pretzels instead of nuts (due to allergies) was a good substitute. To use pretzels it says to crumble a handful of pretzels onto a microwave safe plate and toast them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (be sure to watch carefully to prevent burning).

Gingerbread Cookies! (no molasses required!)

2011-12-22T18:29:00.001-07:00

This recipe was super easy, and the cookies turned out delicious! I did learn however, that you must follow the recipe exact or they will not turn out! I tried using shortening instead of butter and the dough just crumbled, even after adding a few tablespoons of water! So trust me, USE BUTTER!

1 (3.5 oz) pkg butterscotch pudding mix (I used vanilla)
1/2 cup BUTTER
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon

I add a pinch of nutmeg :)

-In a medium bowl, cream together the dry pudding mix, butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon; stir into the pudding mixture. Cover, and chill dough until firm, about 1 hour

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. On a floured board, roll dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness (I did about 1/4 inch thickness and they came out nice and soft), and cut into man shapes using a cookie cutter. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

-Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are golden at the edges. (I baked them for 8. I checked them at 8 and the edges were already browning, the came out perfectly) Cool on wire racks

*This recipe only resulted in about 18 cookies.

Beef Stew

2011-11-30T14:15:00.001-07:00

1 lb stew meat
2-3 carrots-peeled & chopped
1 celery stalk-chopped
4-5 medium russet potatoes-peeled and cubed
1 package beef stew seasoning (follow instructions on back) OR 2 cups beef broth, 1 cup water, garlic powder, thyme, salt & pepper

Brown stew meat on all sides
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, cover, and cook on low 6-8 hours
Serve with rolls
Enjoy!!!

SNICKERDOODLES!

2011-09-21T14:25:00.002-06:00

This seasons favorite cookie! (for me this year anyway! aside from delicious pumpkin chocolate chip)

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
2 tbs white sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets
In a medium bowl, cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Sift together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended.
In a small shallow bowl, stir together the 2 tbs of sugar with the cinnamon. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in the sugar mixture. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should be slightly golden at the edges. Remove to cool on wire racks.

YUM!

Spiral Stromboli

2011-08-24T23:01:00.003-06:00

I found this recipe in my Taste of Home magazine, made it last week, and it was great! Both my boys and my husband LOVED it! I'm actually making it again this week!

1 loaf Pillsbury Crusty French Bread
4 thin slices deli Ham
4 thin slices deli Turkey
Cheddar Cheese

Unroll french bread onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle cheese (I didn't measure but I think it was probably about a cup and a half) then layer ham and turkey. Roll dough jelly-roll style, press and seal seam, and place on a baking sheet seam side down. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.

1 loaf was enough for my family of 4, but we definitely didn't have any left overs!

Chicken Alfredo

2011-07-11T15:27:00.002-06:00

Sorry, it's been a while! Here's a quick easy recipe!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 box of whole grain penne pasta
1 package frozen broccoli
1 package frozen peas
1 jar Ragu Cheesy Alfredo Sauce
Parmesan cheese (optional)

--Cut chicken into bite sized pieces, season to taste (I use pepper, garlic powder, and little bit of seasoning salt) Cook chicken in skillet, covered, on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
--While chicken is cooking, start boiling the pasta
--7-10 minutes before pasta will be done add frozen veggies to the pasta and let it cook with the noodles
--drain pasta/veggies, combine chicken, pasta & sauce in a casserole dish
--sprinkle parm. cheese on top and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until heated through!

*I have also just combined the chicken, pasta and sauce in the pasta pot, covered and let it heat through that way :)

Blueberry Streusel Muffin

2011-04-29T14:07:00.002-06:00

You'll never bake from the box again!!!

1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

::Heat oven to 400
::Prepare struesel topping (listed below)
::Grease the bottoms of 12 medium muffin cups, or insert paper muffin cups
::Beat milk, oil, vanilla, and egg
::Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and mix just until four is moist. Batter will be lumpy
::Fold in blueberries
::Divide evenly among muffin cups.
::Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the streusel topping and bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

::Mix all ingredients until crumbly

Minestrone Soup (or something like it)

2011-04-11T14:33:00.002-06:00

I Googled minestrone soup recipes, got a basic idea of how to make it, and kind of made my own recipe and I LOVE IT! I've actually got some cooking in the crock pot right now, and tonight I'm adding sausage! It smells so good! We'll see how it turns out!!! Here's my recipe!

1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Black Beans
1 can Great Northern Beans
1 can Cut Green Beans
1 can Corn
1 can Tomato Sauce
2 cans Vegatable Broth (they didn't have cans when I went grocery shopping last week, so I bought a 32 oz box, I dumped it all in today)
1 - 1 1/2 cups water
1 can Diced Tomato's (the first time I diced my own fresh and it was really good)
2-3 Carrots-chopped
1 Celery Stalk-chopped
1 Small Onion-chopped
1 small zucchini squash-peeled & sliced
Bay Leaves (I used dried, and just sprinkle maybe 1/2 tsp in)
Thyme (again I just sprinkle it in, I don't measure)
Minced Garlic (I use dried)
Salt & Pepper
Small Shell Pasta (I used half of a 16 oz package)
Parmesan Cheese

-Combine Beans, Corn, Tomato Sauce, Broth, Water, Carrots, Celery, Onion and Seasonings in crock pot.
-Cover, cook on low 6-8 hours
-30 minutes before serving, add zucchini
-I cook the pasta right at the end of the cooking time, and then add it into the soup. But a lot of the recipes I saw, said you can put the pasta in with everything else and let it cook with the soup, however, a lot of the reviews said the pasta soaked up a lot of the moisture and they added more water or it ended up like a stew.
-Tonight I'm browning 1/2 lb of Italian Sausage about 30 minutes before serving and adding it to the soup, we'll see how it turns out, but it sounds super yummy!!!
-Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on top and serve with bread sticks, french bread, or garlic bread! Enjoy!!!

Crock Pot Lasagna

2011-04-11T14:22:00.003-06:00

This seemed so much easier, and tasted so much better than regular oven baked lasagna! I made a big 6 quart crock pot full of this, and it didn't last long enough for left overs the next night. My husband and 4 year old both had seconds the night I made it, and gobbled the rest up for lunch the next day!

::1 lb ground beef
::1 jar spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu, homemade would be GREAT in this!)
::1 small onion-chopped
::1 can tomato sauce
::1 container cottage cheese (16 oz I think?)
::Mozzerella Cheese (I used probably 3 cups?)
::Parmesan Cheese (I used probably 1 cup?)
::Lasagna Noodles (uncooked!)

-Brown beef & onion
-combine beef, spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce in small bowl
-put a small amount of sauce mixture on bottom of crock pot, just enough to cover the bottom
-Layer Noodles (break to fit), sauce, & cheeses. I did 3 layers and used up all ingredients except noodles.
-Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours

I love this recipe because you don't have to boil the noodles, they soak up all the moisture in the crock pot and it turns out perfectly every time! It's not messy like an oven baked lasagna, you can cut it into perfect serving sizes and it's not a mess! This is a recipe I'll be using often!!!

Beef & Bean Enchilada Casserole

2011-03-09T12:59:00.003-07:00

1 lb ground beef
1 can black beans
1 package enchilada sauce (prepared)
6-8 corn tortillas
2-3 green onions-chopped
1/2 red pepper-chopped
shredded Mexican style blend cheese

:::Brown Beef

:::Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, and line with tortilla's

:::In small bowl combine black beans, beef, and 1 cup enchilada sauce

:::Put beef/bean mixture on top of tortilla's and top with cheese, onions & peppers

:::Warm in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted

*This recipe was super easy and super yummy! The plan was to make enchilada's for dinner, but I got a late start and didn't feel like rolling them.

Time To Freeze!

2011-01-23T15:33:00.002-07:00

After 3 months of much enjoyed maternity leave, I'll be returning to work in less than two weeks! Which means, I'll be going back to relying on some quick, easy, and yummy recipes on the weekends to make my life a bit easier! Over the next week or so, I'm going to try making some soups and casseroles that I can keep in my freezer so on the days that I'm exhausted from working 12 hours, I can pull something out of my....freezer! If you have any suggestions, or recipes that freeze well, please email them to: megcancook@yahoo.com

Also I've been contemplating on whether I should start adding authors to the blog so you can just come here and post recipes yourself instead of emailing them to me. But I don't know who even uses this blog besides myself...so if you think it'd be easier to be an author, give me your email address and I'll add you as an author!

Spaghetti With Meatballs!

2011-01-23T15:10:00.002-07:00

I know what you're thinking. Spaghetti? Lame! Not just any spaghetti though! Instead of using just ground beef in the sauce like normal, I attempted meatballs, and it actually turned out pretty great! It put a little twist into the "same old, same old" and was a little more exciting than just Spaghetti : ) Here's what I used and what I did:

1 lb ground beef
1 jar Ragu
2/3 cup bread crumbs (I didn't actually measure, I eyeballed it until it looked right, and this seemed like a pretty good estimate of what I used)
1 egg
A few dashes of Italian seasoning
1 tsp. Seasoning Salt (again didn't measure, just added what I thought would taste good)
1 tsp. Minced Garlic (^same as above)
Spaghetti Noodles (enough to feed your family)

:::In a small mixing bowl, mix together ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, and seasonings. After everything is mixed together well, form meat into golf ball sized meat balls.

:::Put meat balls into a frying pan, COVER and cook on LOW heat. Turning meatballs occasionally.

***NOTE*** The meat balls take about 15-20 minutes to cook through, and if you don't cover them they will not cook through, they will burn on the outside before they'll cook on the inside. So it's very important that you cover them and cook them on very low heat. I learned my lesson the hard way = ) I think next time I'll be baking my meatballs, just the way I did in the Sweet & Sour Meatballs recipe. I'm a better baker, than fryer!

:::When meatballs are cooked through, drain grease, add spaghetti sauce and let simmer about 10 minutes on low until sauce is heated through!

:::Serve over Spaghetti noodles, add a green salad and some garlic bread for a complete meal!

YUM!

Country Style Mashed Potatoes!

2011-01-19T13:19:00.002-07:00

6-8 Red potatoes, unpeeled
1-2 TBS sour cream

Boil potatoes until cooked through. Add sour cream and with an electric mixer, mash until the potatoes are creamy, yet slightly lumpy!

Serve with country style gravy! I LOVE these mashed potatoes! The peels in them are delicious!!!

Mom's Mashed Potatoes

2011-01-19T13:15:00.002-07:00

My mom makes the best mashed potatoes. They're always so creamy and fluffy! Here's her secret!

3-4 medium russet potatoes, peeled
1 TBS mayonaise
1 TBS butter

I always cut my potatoes up so they cook faster. Boil potatoes until they are cooked through. When I cut mine into 4's it usually takes about 20-30 minutes.

Drain water from potatoes and add mayo and butter. With an electric mixer, mash potatoes until they are creamy and fluffy!

Serve with choice of gravy!

They turn out perfect every time! Yummy!

Baked Red Potatoes

2011-01-19T13:07:00.002-07:00

I LOVE these potatoes! They are my favorite!

6 Red (or new) Potatoes, Rinsed, Unpeeled
2 TBS Olive Oil
Thyme
Garlic Salt
Seasoning Salt
Pepper

Cut potatoes in half, then cut the halves in quarters so they are basically bite sized.

In a Ziplock bag, combine potatoes, oil, and seasonings. Shake until potatoes are well coated.

Bake on a foil lined baking sheet at 450 for about 30 minutes.

YUM!!!

Easy Cheesy Potatoes (a.k.a.:Funeral Potatoes, Grandma's Potatoes, etc...)

2011-01-17T13:49:00.003-07:00

I don't know why, but I had a sudden craving for funeral potatoes the other night. I had most of what I needed on hand...and what I didn't have...I didn't use! Here's what I did, and they turned out pretty good!

1 bag frozen, shredded, hash browns
1 small onion-chopped
1 small (8 oz) container sour cream
1/2 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package (2 cups?)Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I didn't measure, and we didn't have any cheddar left)
Bread Crumbs (didn't measure, just added enough to make it look right)

:::In a medium sauce pan melt together sour cream, soups and about 3/4 of cheese.

:::Combine hash browns, onion, and melted soup mixture in a casserole dish. Mix until potatoes are evenly coated.

:::Sprinkle remaining cheese and bread crumbs on top and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

They were good and it was an easy shortcut!

Try This!

2010-12-18T12:22:00.002-07:00

When and If you try the Perfect Potato Soup Recipe try adding a small container (8 oz) of sour cream! I did this a few nights ago when I made it and it tastes DELICIOUS! It gives the soup so much more flavor! Remember, the recipe makes enough to fill a 6 quart crock-pot, so it's perfect for large groups! Next time I make it for our family of 3, I think I'll at least halve it! I made it 3 days ago and we've still got a huge bowl of leftovers in the fridge, and we've eaten it for dinner twice and lunch 3 times! There's still enough for at least another nights meal for the 3 of us!

Sweet N Sour Meatballs

2010-12-06T13:05:00.003-07:00

I was skeptical to try this one. It sounded different, and I wasn't sure if I'd ever had it before. Turns out, I'm glad I tried it. It was pretty good! The only thing I would change next time is using a little more sauce. Other than that, it was good. My husband said he liked it and would eat it again, and my 4 year old gobbled his up.

:: 1 lb ground beef
:: 1 - 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
:: 1 egg
:: 1/2 small onion, chopped
:: 1/2 green pepper, chopped

For Sauce:
:: I used 1 bottle of Kraft Sweet N Sour Sauce
OR
:: 1 bottle Catalina Salad Dressing
:: 1/4 cup soy sauce
:: 1 small can crushed pineapple (with juices)
:: Corn starch to thicken if desired
:: Mix dressing, soy sauce and pineapple. Add corn starch to thicken.

:: Mix beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, and green pepper
:: Roll meat mixture into golf ball sized balls
:: Brown all sides if desired (I did not)
:: Put meat balls in baking dish and top with sauce
:: Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes
:: Serve over rice

Sweet Pork Burrito's

2010-12-02T10:25:00.003-07:00

I think this is about as close to Costa Vida as I'll ever get. It was still really yummy!

2-3 lb pork roast
1 (12 oz) can of soda (I used diet coke)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pinch ground cumin
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 packets enchilada sauce mix

::Prepare enchilada sauce as directed on package
::Meanwhile put roast, soda, garlic & cumin in crock-pot
::Mix brown sugar into the enchilada sauce and pour over roast
::Cook on low for 8 hours
::30 minutes before serving, shred the pork with two forks, drain all but maybe 1 or 2 cups of the sauce and let the meat soak in the rest of the sauce.

Next time I may even refrigerate half of the sauce and add it towards the end of the cooking time so it has a little more flavor. But this was an excellent sweet pork.

I served in whole wheat tortillas with Mexican style rice. YUM!

Southwestern Style Chicken

2010-11-29T20:21:00.002-07:00

I have just found a new favorite recipe. For a few reasons.

1. This recipe calls for 5 ingredients that I usually have on hand
2. It's super EASY!
3. It's really YUMMY!
4. You can make so many different dishes with it!

2-3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) jar of MEDIUM salsa (don't use mild, the chicken won't have much flavor)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
Cheddar Cheese

Throw all ingredients except cheese in crock-pot. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks.

I used the chicken in quesadilla's tonight. And honestly 2 large chicken breasts made A LOT! I made 6 quesadilla's and we have enough left overs for at least 6-8 more! I plan to use the left overs tomorrow on salad.

The great thing about this, is you can serve it so many different ways! Like I did, you can make quesadilla's. I just put the shredded chicken mixture in a tortilla, topped with cheese and folded the tortilla in half. I baked them for 3 or 4 minutes at 450 degrees just to melt the cheese and warm the tortillas and they were FABULOUS!

*tip: moisten the edges of the tortillas to seal into a quesadilla!

Tomorrow, I'll just warm up the left overs, add it to some tossed greens. Add some tortilla strips, sour cream and guacamole and WA-LA! Basically a chicken taco salad!

The recipe I have says just to serve it over rice. And it would be good in enchilada's or hard taco shells!

Perfect Potato Soup!

2010-11-27T18:06:00.002-07:00

I think I found this basic recipe at allrecipes.com. It was a good guide for a good soup, I made a few of my own adjustments and Wa-La! It was perfect! Definitely a must try for the winter season! I know it's definitely going on our menu again within the next couple weeks! It was a little time consuming to start, but once it's in the crock pot that's it! Here's my version of the soup:

8-12 medium russet potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 bag baby carrots, chopped (next time I think I'll just buy the carrot chips, but I chopped a bag of baby carrots into 4's and it worked great!)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 chicken bouillon cubes
5 cups water
Thyme, Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Put all ingredients, except cheese, milk & flour in crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours. 30 minutes before serving add cheese, milk, & flour.

Serve with rolls.

I was nervous all day, I kept stirring the soup and it seemed really watery. DON'T WORRY! As soon as you add the cheese, milk, and flour it will thicken up almost instantly. 30 minutes later it's a perfect texture!

My husband said next time he'd like me to add some sort of meat. Bacon, Ham, & Cube Steak come to mind and sound like they would taste good in this soup. I may even add a little sour cream and top with some chives next time as well.

Tiny Little Pizza's

2010-10-21T19:11:00.002-06:00

Ok, they're not really that tiny, but I thought it was cute when my 4 year old got so excited when he saw what we were having for dinner and said "Aw, tiny little pizzas!"

1 can refrigerator biscuits
1 jar of pizza sauce (or home made would be great!)
1 pkg pizza cheese (or you can just use Mozzerella)
Pizza toppings of your choice (I used Canadian bacon & crushed pineapple)

If you have the muffin tins that make 6 jumbo muffins, rather than making 12 regular sized ones, I suggest using that tin. I used the jumbo muffin tin and I made a couple regular sized ones and we liked the jumbo ones better...the dough wasn't as thick.

Grease muffin tin.
Add a biscuit to each tin opening and form to make a cup
Preheat oven as directed on biscuit packaging and bake biscuits for about 6-8 minutes
Remove from oven and add all toppings
Return to oven and bake about 10 more minutes until cheese is melted and biscuits are golden.
Eat Up!

These was really quick, easy, and yummy! My 4 year old loved it that he could help me put the toppings on and my husband said he actually really liked it. It'll be on our menu again for sure!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2010-10-11T13:04:00.003-06:00

1/2 lb (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker Oats (uncooked)
1 cup raisins

::Heat oven to 350
::Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy
::Add eggs & vanilla; beat well
::Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well
::Stir in oats & raisins; mix well
::Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet
::Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown
::Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

This makes about 3-4 dozen cookies. I added a little extra cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg and they turned out perfectly! Yum!

GrAb BoWl/BaSkEt!

2010-09-23T18:57:00.002-06:00

How many of you moms need an easier way to pack lunches, or provide snacks in a rush, or are busy with a baby/toddler while another kid is pulling at your leg saying "I'm Hungry"?
I'm just preparing for baby #2 and can already see myself pulling my hair out when I'm trying to feed or change or provide for the baby and my 4 year old is tugging at me for a snack. And right now at 4:30 in the morning my pantry gets raided when I'm scrambling for some snacks to take with me to work to get me through the next 12 hours. And being hypoglycemic with this pregnancy, snacks are a must throughout the day. This was the best thing I've added to my pantry, it's making work mornings a lot less stressful, it makes my 4 year old feel like he can be more independent when he's asking for a snack, he can just go in and pick one out. It adds a lot of space getting rid of the boxes that all these things are in. And yes, I bagged those animal crackers individually, and it was totally worth the 7 minutes it took me to separate a 2 pound bag because now my 4 year old will actually eat them. When they are in the huge bag, they go stale sooner because the bag is not sealed, and I was always putting them in a little bag or bowl for him anyway. This way, they are already prepared and we can grab them on the way out the door or whatever. Things in my "Grab Bowl" this week:

Fruit Snacks
Animal Crackers
Goldfish Crackers (you can buy the big box and separate them the same as the animal crackers, or buy the snack bags like I did)
Fruit Roll Ups
Granola Bars

I'm going to throw together some "trail mix" in those snack sized baggies as well sometime in the next week or so. You can put whatever you'd like in the trail mix, or buy the already made trail mix and separate it into the baggies. I'll be using:
Nuts (peanuts, cashews, almonds)
Raisins or Craisins
M&M's
Marshmallows
Maybe some chex corn cereal or cheerios?

It doesn't take much time or effort at all to just throw some items in a bowl or basket for your kids or even yourself to be able to grab instead of standing in the pantry hunting. Especially when you've got things like 2 pound bags of animal crackers, goldfish, or a bag of trail mix. It's just easier if it's separated into snack sized portions and ready to go! And honestly you can do it in a half hour while your kids are at school, napping, or at bed time =) It's easy and worth it!

Easy Chicken Bake

2010-09-23T18:11:00.003-06:00

I noticed this recipe on the back of a box of Stove Top Stuffing and the picture looked really yummy, so I thought I'd try it...and I'm glad I did! It was a really quick, easy, & tasty meal!

1 pkg (6 oz. box) of Stove Top Cornbread Stuffing Mix
1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, & drained

::Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside
::Mix chicken, soup, sour cream & veggies in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with stuffing
::Bake 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

I liked this recipe because it was easy, it was quick, and it required minimal ingredients that you would usually have on hand. I loved how creamy the chicken & veggie mixture was, underneath the moist, yet not mushy stuffing. I let it set up for about 10 minutes after taking it out the oven, before serving and it was the perfect texture!

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken

2010-09-14T18:30:00.003-06:00

My sister told me of this recipe, I don't have it written down, I just made it from what I could remember and it turned out really good. The only thing I'd change is I'd serve it with rice instead of noodles, and I added a veggie =)

Chicken Tenders (sis uses the frozen ones, I just bought about 1 lb)
4 oz cream cheese (half of the 8 oz bar you buy at the store)
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup (no water or milk added)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (no water or milk added)
whatever seasonings you'd like I used:
Salt
Pepper
Minced Garlic
Lemon Pepper
Seasoning Salt

Throw everything in the crock pot and let it cook on low for about 6 hours (if you use chicken breasts I'd do it for 7-8 hours)
Just before serving the chicken cook your noodles or rice (I used macaroni noodles this time and it was okay, but I'd save some of the soup, sour cream, cream cheese mixture to mix into the noodles, they were a little dry) I also boiled some carrot match sticks with my noodles to give it a little color and to get my 4 year old another serving of veggies for the day =) That's it! It's easy, and yummy!!!

Left Overs!

2010-08-31T18:14:00.001-06:00

Tonight I used our left over pulled pork in tortillas with some Spanish Rice and Sour Cream. Served with chips & salsa, it was a hit! The cumin in the pork gave it a little kick, and tasted great as a Mexican dish as well!

Melt In Your Mouth Pulled Pork

2010-08-30T18:52:00.003-06:00

Tonight's dinner was yummy and easy! Just what you wanted right!?

Here's what I used:

3 lb pork roast
minced garlic
diced pepper
diced onion
pinch of cumin spice
salt & pepper
bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

I put the pork roast in a crock-pot with about 2 cups of water, garlic, pepper, onion & spices. Cooked on low all day (about 8 hours); drained the roast, added a bottle of BBQ sauce and shredded with 2 forks!

Serve on whole wheat buns with green beans, or french fries, or chips, or a green salad, or pasta salad (which I have a great, easy recipe for, watch for it in the near future!) or whatever else you'd like!

Potato Topped Chicken Casserole (or Chicken Topped Potato Casserole in my case ha ha)

2010-08-30T11:04:00.003-06:00

This recipe was contributed by: Mary Ann Dell from Phoenixville Pennsylvania. She wrote: A friend gave me this easy, fast and delicious recipe. Any cheese you have on hand will work fine. It's perfect for those nights when you want something hearty and homemade.

Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each)

4 lbs medium red potatoes, quartered
3 lbs ground chicken
4 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbs tomato paste
1-1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/3 tsp minced fresh thyme
1-1/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
6 tbs butter, cubed
1-3/4 cups (7 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

::Place potatoes in Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

::Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the chicken, carrots and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the flour, tomato paste, salt, pepper and thyme. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until thickened.

::Divide mixture between two greased 13x9 in. baking dishes. Drain potatoes; place in a large bowl. Add milk and butter; mash until smooth. Stir in cheese. Spread over chicken mixture.

::Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Bake the remaining casserole, uncovered, at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

::to use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 50-55 minutes or until bubbly.

I still have yet to purchase a dutch oven! So here's how I made this casserole:

I used 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Put the chicken, chopped carrots, chopped onion, tomato paste, salt, pepper, thyme, and chicken broth in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

30 minutes before chicken is done, start the potatoes. I just boiled mine on the stove top for 20 minutes until they were soft. I didn't use butter or milk for the potatoes, I used sour cream!

Drain chicken and shred with forks. I spread the mashed potatoes in the bottom of the casserole dish, topped with chicken, and drained the chopped carrots and onions and added them to the top of the chicken. Topped with cheese and baked at 400 for 15 minutes until the cheese was melted and bubbly.

Our whole family LOVED this recipe! It turned out so yummy! I just made one great big casserole instead of two, and it fed our family of 3 dinner, and lunch for the next 2 days! This is definitely one you HAVE to try and one that I will be making more of and freezing for crazy work days!

Savory Chicken Dinner

2010-08-23T11:20:00.003-06:00

(this recipe was submitted by: Leslie Adams, Springfield Missouri. She wrote: The chicken and potato meal-in-one recipe is simple to assemble, and it all bakes in one dish so there's little cleanup)

2 envelopes savory herb with garlic soup mix
6 tbs water
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 large red potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, halved and cut into small wedges

::In a small bowl, combine soup mix and water; pour half into a Ziploc Brand Storage Gallon Bag. Add chicken. Seal bag and toss to coat. Pour the remaining soup mixture in another Ziploc bag. Add potatoes and onion. Seal the bag and toss to coat.

::Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Transfer to a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour potato mixture over chicken

::Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and meat thermometer reads 170, stirring vegetables occasionally.

***I couldn't find Savory Herb with Garlic Soup mix when I went grocery shopping, so I substituted with Onion Soup mix, cut out the onion in the recipe and added some garlic. It turned out really good! My 4 year old and my husband LOVED it! They ate every last bit! This is so easy, and the clean up is very minimal. You could even prepare this in the morning or the night before for a hassle free dinner!

Ground Beef Spiral Bake

2010-08-19T14:47:00.003-06:00

(recipe by Monika Rahn, Dillsburn Pennsylvania) she wrote:
This recipe is easy to make, tastes just great, and freezes well. This meaty casserole is perfect for big groups since it has classic ingredients everyone loves!

1 package (16 oz) spiral pasta
2 lbs ground beef
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
2 jars (28 oz each) spaghetti sauce
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cups (16 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

::Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, (I used a skillet, I have yet to purchase a dutch oven)cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes.

::Stir pasta into meat mixture. Transfer to two greases 13-in x 9-in baking dishes. Sprinkle each with 2 cups cheese. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months.

::Bake the second casserole, uncovered, at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

::To use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

****I halved this recipe and only made 1 casserole to make sure we all liked it before I bothered with freezing one for later. Next time I'll definitely be making 2 casseroles and freezing one of them for a quick meal on a day I work. My 4 year old and my husband loved this new concoction so we'll be adding it to our menu more often. It's super easy, and tasty!****

Lunch Box Special

2010-08-05T18:16:00.002-06:00

Orange juice adds zest and apples add crunch to this dressed up version of a plain peanut butter sandwich!

This makes 4 sandwiches!

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup finely chopped apples
1/2 cup finely chopped dates (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
8 slices bread

*In a bowl, combine the peanut butter and orange juice until blended. Add the apples and dates and walnuts if desired. spread on four slices of bread; top with remaining bread.

See like I said, this recipe sounds pretty fool proof...not many people can mess up a sandwich right? If ya ask me, I think raisins or craisins sound much better than dates! But suit yourself!

(this recipe came from Taste Of Home Magazine, the recipe was contributed by: Bernice Morris-Marshfield, Missouri)

HAVE NO FEAR!

2010-08-05T18:02:00.002-06:00

Okay, Okay, Okay! I KNOW! I'm the biggest slacker EVER! And I apologize! BUT I am about to make it up to all of you! Especially those of you mommy's out there with school aged kids! That's right! I've got THE PERFECT Back To School meals! With a little help from Taste Of Home magazine, we will all be eating quick, easy meals, lunches, and snacks! I ran into this little blessing of dinner madness solved in the grocery store today and have been skimming through recipes for about 30 minutes! ALL 95 OF THEM actually sound easy, quick and yummy! The recipes call for ingredients that we all actually have in our kitchen, and a lot of them call for enough ingredients to make 2 meals and you can freeze them for up to 3 months! NOW IS THAT LIFE SAVER OR WHAT? There's a few quick breakfast recipes, baked goods, and fun snacks for sack lunches! I only have a preschooler so I don't really need to worry about sack lunches quite yet, but I can get in the habit, and who DOESN'T need a quick lunch idea for at home or work? I plan to try at least 3 of these new recipes in the next 2 weeks...so keep an eye out. I don't want to post the recipes until I try them, because the last time I posted a recipe before I tried it, it turned out HORRIBLE and I felt bad for everyone that had it on their dinner list for the week (1 person that I know of ha ha ha) I will however post a quick lunch recipe right after this. It seems fool proof, and I just don't know if anyone could mess it up...I think I'll try it tomorrow for lunch at work!

SuMmEr!

2010-07-15T19:03:00.002-06:00

Summer means fun and no time for blogging right?
Some day I'll post a couple new recipes I've tried. But really we've been cooking out on the grill a lot lately. We're expecting baby #2 in November and anything beef is calling my name these days...steak, hamburgers, roast...if it's made from cow, I'll eat it!
Most recently we've eaten chicken salad (the recipe is on here somewhere) with rolls
Even just pasta salad with rolls & a veggie
But really hamburgers & steak with corn on the cob or baked potatoes are our faves (or at least my faves) lately, so I'm not really experimenting or trying a lot of new recipes. Sorry.
As always, if you have some recipes or tips you'd like to share email them to megcancook@yahoo.com

HAPPY SUMMER!

BEST CHILI RECIPE EVER!!!!

2010-05-11T14:17:00.003-06:00

I didn't pick the title just because this is my mom's wonderful recipe...this is seriously THE BEST CHILI EVER! And it's SUPER EASY!

1lb ground beef
1 yellow onion
1 green pepper
2 can chili beans (30 oz)
1 can stewed tomatoes
Pinch of Chili Powder

Brown the ground beef
Chop up the onion and pepper. I like to add half to my meat while it's browning and the other half I throw in the crockpot with the chili beans, and tomatoes.
I also season my meat with some Chili Powder
And add a pinch (or two) to the bean mixture. (we like a little more flavorful chili)
Let the crockpot take over on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve with cornbread or Frito's! And top with cheese and sour cream! So good!!!!

Dinner Gone Wrong!

2010-04-13T19:41:00.002-06:00

DO NOT! I REPEAT! DO NOT! TRY THE GARLIC CHICKEN FARFALLE RECIPE! IT WAS A DISASTER! I GAGGED WHEN I PUT THE FIRST BITE IN MY MOUTH. I FOLLOWED THE RECIPE 100% AND IT TASTED HORRIBLE! I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE DISGUSTING MARINADE ON THE CHICKEN, OR THE FULL STICK OF BUTTER AND CUP OF CREAM IN THE SAUCE THAT MADE ME WANT TO THROW UP! BUT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT!

Case Lot Sale Time!

2010-04-06T22:42:00.002-06:00

Our area is having huge Case Lot Sales starting this week! Macey's and Smith's ads are in the mail...make sure you check 'em out! Not only are they having great deals on cases of things, meat is on sale at most places too. So stock up! If you can...combine this weeks budget with next weeks budget and stock up on EVERYTHING! It's the perfect week to do it! I noticed in the Macey's ad, that if you don't think you need to, or if you can't afford to buy a whole case of something their giving great deals on things they usually sell in cases. Examples:

Canned Pineapple: $0.78 a can or $18.72 for a case of 24
Canned Beans: $0.58 a can or $13.92 for a case of 24
Apple Juice: $0.98 a jug (64 oz) or $7.84 for a case of 8
Ketchup: $0.77 a bottle (24 oz) or $9.24 for a case of 12
Mac & Cheese (4 box pack) 2 for $6.00 or $18.00 for a case of 6 (24 boxes)
Gravy Mixes 3 packets for $0.99 or $7.92 for a case of 24 packets

Meat Sales:
Lean Ground Beef: $1.79/lb.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: $1.99/lb.
Pork Loin Chops: $1.59/lb.

These are good deals! Take advantage! Stock up, Stock up, Stock up! Especially on the things you use the most! Your budget will thank you later! Happy Case Lot Shopping!

This Week's Menu

2010-04-06T22:40:00.002-06:00

Tuesday: Chicken Alfredo
Wednesday: Sweet Pork Burritos
Thursday: Left Overs
Friday: Chili & Corn Bread
Saturday: Left Overs
Sunday: Pancakes
Monday: Pot Roast
Tuesday: Left Overs
Wednesday: Chicken Farfalle

As you can see...this week I'm all about bigger meals so we can eat left overs the next night. This saves me time and energy 3 nights this coming week.

Recipes for some of these items will follow in the next couple days!

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

2010-04-05T15:52:00.001-06:00

16 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 c. heavy whipping cream
3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
1/2 c. butter
1 lb. bacon, crumpled
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred (I pull it apart). Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded Parmesan cheese on top.

(this recipe was copied and pasted from yummyfood4all.blogspot.com)

Taco Soup (I knew I had a 2nd version)

2010-04-05T15:46:00.000-06:00

1/2 lb hamburger

1 package taco seasoning

1 package spanish rice a roni

3 cups beef broth (or beef bullion to make 3 cups)

1 can of corn

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

1 can tomato juice (or tomato sauce)

cook hamburger- season as usual. i used salt and pepper and a little bit of dried onion

follow directions on the spanish rice a roni (i didn't add the tomatoes to the rice because i do not like them).

combine all ingredients together in a large pot and cook till it is hot.

i added a little more beef broth and some water to make the soup a little less thick. the rice really soaks up the juice. also you can add beans if you want but i don't like them either. :)

Thank You!

2010-04-05T15:39:00.002-06:00

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! To the 2 people that have given me recipes. It's so helpful to me and to other people reading this blog! Keep 'em coming! I always need new recipes! Thanks for taking a minute to contribute! Now was that really so hard? ;-)

Taco Soup (version 3 I believe)

2010-04-05T15:36:00.001-06:00

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can corn

1 can tomato soup

1 can enchilada sauce

2 cans water

2 cans milk

1 lb cooked ground beef

1 pkg of Taco Seasoning

Opt: Chopped onions

Throw it all in a pot. Heat it till boiling serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream

Chicken Croissants

2010-04-05T15:35:00.001-06:00

1 lb chicken cooked and cubed

pkg cream cheese

6 eggs beaten

1 pkg dressing (stuffing) Uncooked and crushed

2 cans cream chicken soup

1 can of milk :)

4 packages of Pilsbury Cresent rolls

Spread cream cheese inside cresent roll triangles. Fill with chicken. Roll up Triangle like you would to make the roll. Dip in egg and then roll in stuffing.

Cook according to package on Pilsbury rolls.

Top with Cream of chicken soup mixture (heated with milk mixed in)

Eat up!

Quick Tips

2010-04-01T18:13:00.002-06:00

*When making Enchilada's or any other dish using corn tortillas-Warm them in the microwave like it says on the package, between two pieces of damp paper towels, then dip them or brush them lightly with cooking oil. It prevents the tortilla's from cracking and breaking.

*When baking, try using applesauce instead of butter and oils. It cuts out a lot of fat and is much healthier.

*When you buy vegetables that you won't use right away, or the vegetables that come in bundles that you won't use all of (green onions, celery, etc.) freeze the portion you don't use in a ziplock freezer bag. Make sure all the air is pushed out of the bag. Then thaw in the fridge.

No Such Luck!

2010-03-24T08:49:00.003-06:00

This blog hasn't had the best luck taking off. There are only a few people I know of that actually look at it and have thanked me for posting recipes. Not many people have sent me their recipes which results in me not having many to post. So IF you're one of those that does actually read the blog and uses it as a benefit that's great. But please, please, PLEASE send me your recipes. I know it doesn't seem like it's benefiting you to send me the recipes you already have, but if everyone did it, all of us would have more recipes to use. If every one of the 4 people that read the blog sent me a new recipe, then all of you would have 3 new recipes to try! Ha ha ha ha! There might be more than 4, but it doesn't seem that way! Anyway, this blog is going to take a dive unless I get more people to email me their recipes! SO DO IT! Take a moment, type up just one recipe, and send it. That would take 3 minutes tops! NOW GO! L0L!
megcancook@yahoo.com

Breakfast Burritos

2010-03-24T08:42:00.002-06:00

I haven't made this one yet, but it sounds yummy. I'm guessing on the amount of ingredients. The amount listed is what I would use to make 4-6 servings.

1 bag tator tots
4 eggs
breakfast meat (sausage, ham, bacon)
1/2 - 3/4 cup cheddar cheese

::Bake tator tots as directed on package
::scramble eggs
::cook breakfast meat
::add all ingredients together and roll up in a warmed tortilla. Serve with Salsa.

Toffee Topped Bars

2010-03-24T08:32:00.002-06:00

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (optional)

::Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking pan
::In a large mixing bowl, mix together the brown sugar and flour
::Using a pastry cutter (or 2 knives) cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup of mixture and set aside,
::To mixture in large bowl, add baking powder and salt. Using a fork lightly beat in vanilla, milk and egg
::continue beating until a smooth batter forms. Pour batter into prepared baking pan
::In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips and walnuts. Fold in the coconut
::Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over top of batter in pan. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips and walnuts
::Using a long flat spatula spread topping evenly over the top of the batter in pan
::Bake bars for 35 minutes, or until a skewer (or toothpick) inserted in the center comes out clean
::Transfer pan to wire rack. Cool bars in pan completely before slicing

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-03-04T19:42:00.003-07:00

I had a recent complaint that every time I make cookies, I always make either Sugar or Chocolate chip. And while he LOVES any type of baking I do, my husband's favorite cookie is Peanut Butter. So I did him a favor tonight and baked him some Peanut Butter Cookies! He'll be so glad when he comes home from work!

3/4 cup JIF peanut butter
1/2 stick or 1/2 cup Butter flavor shortening (I use the pre-measured sticks and love them! So much easier than trying to measure it out!)
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 TBS milk
1 TBS vanilla
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups Flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

*Heat oven to 375. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Drop my rounded measuring tablespoonfuls of dough 2-inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with tines of fork. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 7-8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.

*I rolled the dough into a ball in my hands and then rolled them in sugar.

*Next time I would add a little more flour, they were a little flat, but still very tasty!

*Makes 3 dozen cookies

Easy Bake Chicken Strips

2010-02-02T15:35:00.002-07:00

Last night, was one of those nights. You know the kind.
Look in the fridge-nothing
Look in the Pantry-nothing
Look in the freezer-nothing

Then...an hour later, hoping something has just magically appeared in one of those places we look again.

Fridge-nothing
Pantry-not much
Freezer-nothing

When the 3 year old says "What are we having for dinner?" you know it's really time to throw something together. At least for my 3 year old. More often than not, he'd rather skip anything meal related, live on fruit snacks, graham crackers, and play, play, play.

So, I look once again in those 3 places and find

Milk
Eggs
Frozen Chicken Tenderloins
Tator Tots
A Can of Green Beans
Spices (seasoning salt, garlic powder, lemon pepper)
Bread Crumbs
Flour

So things, that most everyone usually has on hand.
I dipped the chicken tenders in milk & egg
then rolled them in bread crumbs, flour & spices.
Threw them in the oven with the tator tots & baked at 450 for 16-18 minutes. Turning half way through.

THEY WERE DEEELISH! My husband LOVED them, and so did my son! We had leftovers for lunch today and they were just as good! Mmm...Mmm! My son liked dipping them in ranch, hubby liked BBQ sauce, but I thought they were very flavorful without any dipping sauce!

Chicken Salad

2010-01-29T19:14:00.003-07:00

This has to be one of my very favorite dishes! And it's not the usual Chicken Salad you're used to seeing. This one is BETTER! The possibilities are endless with this salad! So Yummy!!!!

Ingredients:
-4 Chicken Breasts
-1 Large package of shell or macaroni noodles
-1 cup purple grapes
-1 package slivered almonds
-1 diced red apple (with peel)
-Green Onions (finely chopped)
-1 small can pineapple tidbits
-1 can mandarin oranges
-1 cup mayonaise
-1 jar coleslaw dressing

Directions:
Boil & dice chicken. (tonight I used canned and it turned out great!) Mix all ingredients, except oranges. Add them last and gently toss them in. Chill. Tonight I added some craisins that I needed to use up, and they were great. I thought about adding peas, maybe next time. I usually don't like mixtures like this, but this one I LOVE. My little guy loves it, and my husband has yet to try it when he comes home from work, but I'm sure he'll like it. I just served it with rolls. This is a must try!

GoOd EaTiN'!--In LeSs ThAn 15!

2010-01-22T20:01:00.002-07:00

I just made THE BEST pork chop dinner! It was quick, easy and super tasty! Mmm...Mmm!!!

Here's what I used

2 Bone-In Pork Chops
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
Seasoning Salt
Lemon Pepper
Paprika
Salt & Pepper

1 bag steam fresh peas

1 package Pasta Sides (chicken flavor)

Here's what I did
Mix milk and egg in one bowl
Mix bread crumbs, flour & seasonings in another bowl
Dip chops in egg and milk
Then roll chops in Seasoning mixture
Grill the chops on the George Foreman! (for about 10-15 minutes)

Mean while the pasta side takes 8 minutes to cook
And the peas only take 4-5 minutes to steam in the microwave!

The chops were very tasty and very juicy! The chicken flavored noodles complimented the chops well and I love the steam fresh veggies! I don't like canned peas, but I LOVE the steam fresh ones!

Home-Made Mac & Cheese

2010-01-15T20:21:00.002-07:00

I like to make a big pan of this during January. My boys can live on it for a week, and I can take it to work for lunch.

1 box macaroni noodles
1 can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I like to add more, I like my Mac & Cheese VERY cheesy!)

Boil Macaroni
Spread in casserole dish and add Cheese and Soup
Sprinkle some cheese on top
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted

YUM!

--My New Best Friend--

2009-12-30T15:20:00.003-07:00

My hubby spoiled with for Christmas with this new Kitchen Aid and I'm in love with it! I just baked a batch of cookies and my wrists don't hurt! (arthritis) It's a miracle! My 3 year old son loved being able to help me a lot easier. I didn't have to try and steady a hand mixer while I helped him dump ingredients in the bowl. It was awesome! Merry Christmas to me for sure!

P.S. I haven't forgotten or abandoned this blog, I'm just busy. Gearing up for working 7 days a week through January. But I promise, some day I'll post more recipes, and more tips and such from my Eating Clean journey!

--HoLiDaY tReAtS--

2009-12-07T10:19:00.003-07:00

Got some good Holiday Treat recipes you want to share? E-mail them to: megcancook@yahoo.com
Next week is my "Holiday Baking Week" since it will be THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!! You'll find me in the kitchen stirring up some yummy fudge, sugar cookies, mint fudge and possibly some Peppermint Brittle! I've got a couple little holiday parties next week to provide Desserts at so I'm pretty sure from Monday to Thursday I'll be baking whatever I can get my hands on! YIPPEE!!! I love this time of year to bake! I love making cookies look cute, and trying new recipes. This will be my first time making fudge and peppermint brittle so wish me luck!

Kneader's Inspires

2009-12-03T16:25:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I went to lunch with my sister and had an EXCELLENT salad! So today while I was grocery shopping I thought "I want another one of those salads" well since I don't have that restaurant we went to, near where I live I decided to pick up the things to try and make my own version of the salad. I substituted a few things, but over all it turned out GREAT! I'll be having this salad for lunch tomorrow at work!

Here is what I used:
Leaf Lettuce
Spinach
Green Onion
Craisins (dried cranberries)
Grape tomatoes
Raw sunflower seeds
KRAFT Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
Canned Chicken (or Turkey or Tuna is good too)

The salad from Kneaders did not have Tomatoes or Green Onion, it had mushroom. I'm not a mushroom fan...or much of a Tomato fan, but my husband loves tomatoes so I put some on our salad. I did end up eating the tomatoes, they actually weren't too bad with that tangy dressing =)
This is a great side to any meal, makes a great lunch, or if you wanted to add some grilled chicken strips it'd be a decent dinner with some bread!

Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup in a Crock Pot

2009-11-25T09:15:00.002-07:00

SERVES 12 -14 - this is a big recipe, can be halved.

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained
3 (10 ounce) cans beef stock
3 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons pepper
5 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
1 (20 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
8 ounces pasta

Directions

Brown beef in skillet. Drain fat from beef and add to crock pot with everything except pasta.
Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.
During last 30 min on high, add pasta. OR even better, cook pasta on the stovetop and add as you are serving the soup.

I haven't made this soup YET this cold season, but we did enjoy it earlier this spring and it was DEE-LISH! I can't wait to make it this weekend! The only changes I remember making last time was--I did not use Tabasco Sauce and I used 2 cans of Red Kidney Beans instead of the White Kidney Beans. I've not had this soup at Olive Garden myself, but I hear it tastes exactly like that. All I know is it is SUPER YUMMY! You can serve it with bread-sticks, garlic bread or rolls!

Some Day

2009-11-18T14:27:00.003-07:00

Some day when I have a free moment, I'll post some of the yummy soup recipes I've tried, and will be trying. If you have any soup (or not) recipes that you'd like to share. E-mail them to megcancook@yahoo.com the more the merrier!

Tonight's A Soup Night!

2009-09-30T14:29:00.004-06:00

It's cold and wet outside. Which means Fall has truely kicked in! I love fall...for many reasons! The colors, smells, and feel are a few of my favorite reasons. I love to see all the trees changing colors, and luckily where I live all 4 seasons are very clear. And fall is beautiful! Especially now that we live at the base of the mountains...all those beautiful colors are right out our front door! I love the smell of fall. There is just something in the air...not to mention all the baking that goes on during this wonderful season. Pumpkin Pies, Cookies, Bread. And the feel of Autumn is great! Aside from days like today when it's so cold outside there is actually a dust of snow on the lawn, I love the feel of Autumn afternoons. It's nice and cool, a little breezy. Perfect for a stroll! It's finally soup season! I'll be looking for and posting lots of soup recipes this Fall/Winter. My favorite thing on a cool evening is some soup....followed by some hot cocoa and cookies! So first soup of the season is: Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1-1 1/2 cups of water
1 can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes

Directions:
-Brown ground beef
-In a medium sauce pan combine all ingredients
-Either simmer on low for 20-30 minutes OR throw it all in the crock-pot & cook on low for a few hours.

I serve mine with shredded cheddar cheese on top and some Fritos corn chips. The scoops are good to eat the soup with, or just the regular Fritos are good thrown on top. I made this soup VERY often last year. It's one of my favorites. One little tip: If you like milder soup-add more water...if you like spicier soup stick with the 1 cup. I put in 1-1/2 cups and it seems perfect. It's not too spicy for my 3 year old, and spicy enough for my husband and I.

Remember to e-mail your favorite recipes to me!
megcancook@yahoo.com

Home-Made Sloppy Joes

2009-09-28T14:25:00.003-06:00

A girl at work and I swap recipes probably once a week. This week...neither of us had any good recipes. I had been craving Sloppy Joes, and my husband REFUSES to eat Manwich LoL! So I sat down and made up my own Sloppy Joe recipe. And it is DEE-LISH!!! I didn't really measure anything but here's an estimate of what I did use:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 a small onion-chopped
1 green bell pepper-chopped
1/2 bottle Honey BBQ sauce
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce

-Brown the ground beef, saute the onion and bell pepper with the ground beef
-Pour the BBQ sauce, tomato paste and brown sugar in a crock pot and let it warm
-Add the tomato sauce to the ground beef
-Mix the ground beef mixture into the brown sugar/BBQ sauce mixure
-cook on low all day!

It was soooo yummy! I planned on having left overs the next day but, my husband ate most of it and took the rest to work! So next time I'm doubling the amount so we'll have leftovers the next day! I was amazed at how well it turned out! I didn't even know what I was doing! Hahahaha! Ya'll should try it! It's super yummy!!!!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-26T01:04:00.004-06:00

These are my son's favorite cookie!

1 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets
-In large bowl, cream together shortening and sugar until smooth
-Beat in eggs, one at a time
-Stir in vanilla and pumpkin until well blended
-In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, & nutmeg. Then stir into the pumpkin mixture
-Mix in chocolate chips
-Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets
-Bake 12-15 minutes, until edges begin to brown
-Cool on wire racks

These cookies are really yummy! I think this recipe calls for a few less spices than most of the other pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipes I've seen, so they may not have as much spice. But they still make your house smell super yummy and they're very tasty! Enjoy!

Cranberry Pork Chops

2009-09-17T23:57:00.003-06:00

These were the best Pork Chops I have EVER made! My Hubby made them for me for mother's day I think earlier this year. I stuffed the recipe in my cook book and ran across it today. When hubby made them he made them in the crock pot and they were really yummy...but we both agreed they tasted much better tonight when I baked them!!! They had much more flavor! Here's the recipe:

1 can Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1 packet Onion Soup Mix
3-4 Boneless Pork Chops

-Put the Cranberry Sauce in a baking dish, and heat in the oven at 375 for about 15 minutes. This is just to kind of melt the sauce, so it is easier to spread on the chops. (You may even be able to do it in the microwave)
-Add 3/4 of the packet of Onion Soup Mix
-Nestle the Pork Chops in the sauce (I even spooned some sauce on top, which I think totally made all the flavor!)
-Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes
-Uncover Chops and bake for about 5-7 more minutes

I served Roasted Red Potatoes with them and it was the best meal I've made in a long time! Here's my easy recipe for roasted potatoes. I've never actually made them in the oven, I haven't figured out how to bake potatoes at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, and bake meat at 375 for 30 minutes and have them be done at the same time...so the microwave works for this and they still taste great!!! Here's tonights recipe for potatoes:

4 Red Potatoes
2 TBS Olive Oil
The leftover Onion Soup Mix

-Quarter your potatoes
-Put the Olive Oil & Onion Soup Mix in a zip lock bag, add the quartered potatoes, seal and shake until the potatoes are well coated.
-Lay potatoes on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes!

My family LOVED this meal! There were no leftovers whatsoever! It's a recipe I'll be keeping in the front of my cook book now for sure!!! I'm surprised I hadn't made it since my hubby made it for me! I was so excited when I found it!!! ENJOY!!!

Cream Of Chicken Soup Recipes

2009-09-17T01:04:00.001-06:00

I bought a case of Cream Of Chicken Soup because it was a killer deal...now I need some recipes to use it in! I can only think of a few...so email me any and every recipe you have that calls for Cream of Chicken Soup! (Even recipes for Cream of Mushroom...no harm in substituting!) megcancook@yahoo.com
Thanks!!!

Quick Dinner Idea

2009-08-27T16:31:00.002-06:00

I know its been a while...we've been crazy busy with moving and trying to settle in our new home =) our internet isn't connected here yet so forgive me...I'm posting this from my phone

Tonights Dinner: Baked Chicken & Potatoes
I rolled some chicken breasts in milk & eggs
Then rolled them in seasoned bread crumbs
Bake @ 375 degrees for about 35 mins.

I threw some baking potatoes in the microwave
And some canned corn on the stove.

Quick, Easy, & Tasty! Mission Accomplished

I'm A Slacker!

2009-08-12T06:15:00.001-06:00

We have been SO BUSY lately...but I promise to post some more recipes when I get a chance! Keep checking back!

Super Yummy, Super Moist, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

2009-07-22T01:17:00.002-06:00

I was craving this bread SO BAD last week! So I randomly pulled a recipe from allrecipes.com and wallah! It turned out GREAT! I made a few of my own adjustments, and I have never tasted or baked anything so moist in my life! Here's the recipe: (for 1 loaf of bread)

1/2 cup Butter (softened)
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/4 cups Pumpkin
2 cups Flour
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 cup Chocolate Chips

-In large mixing bowl, cream butter. Gradually add sugar, eggs & pumpkin.
-Combine dry ingredients, then stir into creamed mixture and blend well.
-Stir in Chocolate Chips and Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes

This was a great recipe! The only things I changed was I used Apple Sauce instead of Butter (the exact same measurement) and of course ya have to double up on the chocolate chips! Using Apple Sauce sounds weird right? A lady at work told me a long time ago to use apple sauce instead of oil or butter when your baking, it cuts out a TON of fat and makes all your baked goods much more moist! And boy was she right!!!! I haven't tried this little trick with anything else, but I'm thinking I may try some cookies or something with it soon! We'll see how that goes!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

2009-07-16T02:25:00.001-06:00

Does anyone have a good recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread? A lady at work brought some the other night, and left before I could even ask for the recipe. But it was really good! If you have one e-mail it to me please!
megcancook@yahoo.com

Chicken & Rice Casserole

2009-07-14T04:33:00.002-06:00

I stirred up the idea from a dish my mother-in-law made for Father's day. I didn't really measure anything, and I made it a lot differently than I had planned. We cheated on Friday and ended up eating Pizza for dinner after a long, busy day. Which means I didn't have Casserole Saturday for my husband and I to take to work. I ended up taking some soup, and my husband went to subway. Anyway so Saturday when I came home from work at 4:00 a.m. the last thing I wanted to do was think of something, let alone try and make something easy for dinner on Sunday. But I knew if I didn't start something I wouldn't even come close to waking up in time to shower, get dressed, and make something decent for dinner. So when I came home I decided I'd try this casserole, crock pot style! And it was really good! Here's my recipe...or at least the ingredients hahaha!

1 container (16 oz.?) sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups cooked white rice
1 can green beans
Cheese (I used Cheddar-Jack)

I put some (2 table spoons?) sour cream on the bottom of the crockpot, seasoned my chicken with some garlic salt and pepper. Put the chicken in the crock pot and covered with about 1/3 of the sour cream and about 1/2 the can of soup. Then let it cook for 6-8 hours on low. When I woke up I made my 2 cups of rice. I added a little bit of the left over sour cream, and soup to the rice so it would stick together and stay moist, then I added the rest of the sour cream and soup to the chicken, shredded the chicken up and placed it over the rice in a casserole dish. Top that with some green beans & cheese and bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes or until it's heated through and the cheese is melted!
This was a pretty tasty dish, it was a little bland though, I think next time I'd add some green onion to the top, and maybe cook the chicken with some onion & green pepper or something. But it was pretty good. My husband and son both ate it all up!

Menu & Shopping List This Week

2009-07-09T01:26:00.002-06:00

Here's my menu for the next weeks meals:

Thurs. - Spaghetti (see this is why I need your help!) with Garlic Bread
Fri. - Chicken & Rice Casserole (I'll post the recipe after I make it, I've not tried it yet)
Sat. - I work so it's left over Casserole for my husband and I to take to work and our little guy will eat at Grandma's House
Sun. - Lasagna
Mon. -Again I'm working so we'll eat leftovers
Tues. - Home Made Burgers & Fries
Wed. - BBQ Pork Chops with Baked Potatoes and Green Beans
Thurs. - Crock pot Chicken & Veggies

Now as you can probably tell from my menu, my husband is a very "meat & potatoes" kind of guy. So I'm constantly looking for good, healthy, hearty meals! Now here's my grocery list:

Milk (2 gallons) $4
Chicken $10
Cream Chicken Soup (replenishing)$4
Sour Cream $2
Rice (have some, but stocking) $2
Potatoes (red & baking) $4
BBQ Sauce (stocking) $3
Gravy (jar) $2
Carrots (baby bagged) $2
Peas (frozen) $2
Lettuce (1 head) $2
Cottage Cheese $2
Spaghetti Sauce (2 packets) $2

For a Grand Total of about $41.00 I'll be able to feed my family of 3 the above listed menu for the next week =) That's not including the pork chops which I already have, lunch and breakfast stuff I already have as well. Other than just a couple of things on the list (lettuce, milk, rice, spaghetti sauce, BBQ sauce, things I'm just replenishing in my cupboards) I'm able to save about $20.00 this week =) That makes me quite happy!

Shopping On A Budget?

2009-07-09T00:37:00.002-06:00

Let's face it, with the way the economy is right now, who's not shopping on a budget? I don't know about you but staying on budget can be difficult for me at times. There's always this and that and something else to pay for. But I'm going to share my "Staying On Budget" tips for grocery shopping. I'm no expert, these are just some of the things I do to help myself stay on track. If you've got some other tips you'd like to share feel free to email them to me (megcancook@yahoo.com) =) or simply leave a comment! Here's a list of things I try to do on a weekly basis to stay within budget.

Give yourself a realistic budget
Buy Generic Brands
Buy things in bulk
Keep your cupboards and freezer stocked up on the things you use most
STICK TO YOUR LIST!!!!!

I feel like $60.00 a week is plenty to be able to feed my family of 3 breakfast, lunch & dinner. But I haven't always felt like that. My budget used to be way too large for what we actually needed, I always ended up buying things we didn't need. This $60.00 covers all of our groceries for the week, including the basics. Milk, Bread, Juice, Cereal.

Buying generic brands saves a bundle! Trust me! Take Ranch Dressing for an example...when you look at Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing it costs you about $2.49 or more per 16 oz. bottle. I choose Kroger Ranch Dressing, for a 16 oz. bottle it doesn't usually cost me more than $1.69. Right there that saves $0.80 or so? Doesn't sound like a lot? Think of all the other store brand products you buy (fruit snacks, crackers, canned & frozen foods)...compare it to a generic? And add that up for a weekly savings! Then times that by 4...that's what your saving per month! And honestly the generic brands do not taste that different, if at all, than a store brand product. Also Check your weekly ads for savings! If you see something you may not need right now, but probably will next week buy a few of them to save you money next week!

Buying things in bulk may cost you a little up front, but is worth it in the long run. Take my grocery list this week for example. I try to focus on different things each week. So week 1 I would stock up on meat (beef, chicken & pork) and freeze it. Week 2 I would stock up on canned and frozen foods such as cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, tomato sauce, veggies or whatever else you use often from a can or that can be frozen. And usually within a decent and workable budget you can stock up enough to last as long as a month. Which means you're saving for the next 2 weeks on things you already have and don't need to buy. During those 2 weeks I usually just grab an extra can here, and extra pound of meat there so that if worse case scenario (you're sick, kids are sick, whatever) you have a week where you're not able to grocery shop you've got things in the house. So back to my list for this week, I used up my last package of chicken tonight for my enchilada's so tomorrow when I go shopping, obviously Chicken is on my list. Luckily the grocery store I like going to is having their boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale for $0.99 cents a lb! I allowed myself $10.00 for Chicken, and usually if you time it right you can hit the sale every time you need to stock up. Which has been my luck lately =) So with this sale (which I read in the weekly ad that comes in the mail) if I want to I'm able to buy 10 lbs of chicken and still be within my budget! 10 lbs of chicken can make for at least 4-5 meals! I used to buy just the Tyson Frozen Breasts but I was spending almost the same amount of money and getting half the product out of it. So it's smarter to freeze your own meat =)

That paragraph basically covered buying things in bulk and keeping your pantry and freezer stocked, don't ya think? Hahaha! Now this is the hardest part for me: STICK TO THE LIST! I always see things on the end aisles and I'm like "ooohh..that looks good" and I'll throw it in the cart, before I know it I get to the register and I'm WAY over budget! Not good! So what I've been doing, is working a little treat into the list...or work a little wiggle room into the budget. Put misc. on the list with a $4.00 limit. That way you're still getting what you really need and you're able to toss some chocolate or ice cream into your budget =)

I hope my tips are helpful and I'll be waiting to hear some of yours! I'll post an example of my grocery list and how my budget works!

Don't forget to e-mail your recipes, tips, questions, or anything you'd like to see on this blog to: megcancook@yahoo.com

Tonight's Dinner

2009-07-08T18:20:00.002-06:00

Tonight I quickly threw together some yummy Chicken Enchilada's!

Here's my recipe:

1 1/2-2 lbs Shredded Chicken
1 package of Enchilada Sauce Mix
1 can Tomato Sauce
Green Onion (no measurement)
1 can Olives
About 1 cup of Shredded Cheese (I used Cheddar Jack tonight)
8-10 Corn Tortilla's

I've done this a couple different ways. I'll tell ya how I did it tonight, and then I'll let ya in on a couple other ways I've made Enchiladas.

First you'll cook your chicken, tonight I boiled mine for about 30 minutes so it would shred easily.
While my chicken was boiling I went ahead and started my Enchilada Sauce. I just buy the packets of seasoning and follow the directions on the back. It called for a can of Tomato Sauce and 1 1/2 cups of Water. I like my sauce a little thicker so I only used about 1 cup of water.
When the Chicken is done boiling, shred it with 2 forks, and add about 1/4 of the Enchilada Sauce to the chicken.
Warm up tortillas on a damp paper towel in the microwave for about 45 seconds.
Drizzle some of the Enchilada Sauce on the bottom of your baking dish so they don't stick.
Add your chicken to your tortilla's, roll 'em up and put them in the dish.
Top with Cheese, Chopped Green Onion, Olives, Tomatoes or whatever else you'd like.
Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted!
Add some sour cream or guacamole if desired and ENJOY!

I've also done this in a casserole type meal if I don't have the time or the energy to roll the tortilla's =) All you do is layer your ingredients like you would Lasagna. A little sauce on the bottom of the pan, 2-3 tortilla's (it's easier if you cut them into squares) chicken, sauce, cheese veggies, repeat!

It's also handy to do the chicken in the crock-pot if you know you don't have time to boil it for 30 minutes. Just throw the whole chicken breasts in the crock pot with the Enchilada sauce and let it cook on low for 6-8 hours. This makes it easy to throw the enchilada's together, or whip it up into a casserole! I usually use this method on the weekends when I have to work.

Usually when I make Enchilada's we don't do a side dish. My family isn't big on Beans & Rice but occasionally we'll eat some chips & salsa with it!

Welcome To What's Cookin'?!

2009-07-08T01:33:00.000-06:00

Hey All! I can imagine you've already guessed just what this blog is all about! I'm just going to layout a few of the things I'm going to try and do with this blog! Hopefully ya'll can help me out! For starters, I'm a HUGE planner! I like to have a plan, I have lists and written out plans coming out the wazoo! So that's one thing I'm going to help you (and you'll help me) accomplish. We're going to have a meal plan. Along with having a meal plan, you obviously need to have the ingredients to prepare your meals. Which means you'll need a shopping list! I'll start by posting my meal plan and grocery list for each week and you can follow my plan and list...or make one of your own! Now keep in mind, my weeks start and end unlike most people's do. I work 3-4 days a week on the weekend. My usual grocery shopping day is Thursday, and my menu is spelled out Thursday-Wednesday. And there are usually 1-2 days a week (while I'm at work) that my husband is left to cook, or warm up leftovers. Nevertheless, all that is spelled out in my menu for each week =) So next, I'm trying to find some new, easy, and healthy lunches for my 3 year old son and myself. We're getting tired of the same old PB&J, Spaghetti-O's and Corn Dogs. Thus, I'm adding another meal plan to my agenda. Which also means more to add to my grocery list! E-mail me your lunch ideas please! And I'll post a few of my ideas later! Breakfast isn't such a hard thing for me. We're pretty light breakfast eaters. Toast & Yogurt, Cereal, Fruit & Toast...really whatever! So I think I'm good there! E-mail me with your questions, ideas, recipes or whatever! I'd love to hear them! I'll put some lists on the side of my blog later with some recipes that I have. And again PLEASE send me your recipes! How about this: To begin, just send me your favorite summer recipe! It can be for lunch, dinner, dessert, or just a yummy snack! And I'll post the recipe to share with everyone!
E-mail me at: megcancook@yahoo.com
Thanks!