Slow Cooker Chili

I've done it. I've finally made a chili that Matt will eat!! Woohoo!!!!!! It was so easy and I am so happy because I LOVE chili! This recipe made a lot of chili. We each had a big bowl for supper and we have enough for 3 or 4 more large bowls in the freezer.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
2 can chili beans
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
1 packet chili seasoning

Directions:
Brown ground beef or turkey in skillet.

Combine ground beef or turkey with all other ingredients in slow cooker.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Blueberry Mini Muffins

Yum! These will make a wonderful grab and go breakfast for the next few mornings. I found this recipe in a little cookbook my grandmother gave to me a couple years ago. It was made from recipes from all the women (and their families) at the nursing home her mother (my great grandmother) lived in. My great grandmother died two years ago this coming January. She was a wonderful woman and I love that I have recipes to some of her tried and true meals in this cookbook.

Anyway, these are basic blueberry muffins. The original recipe calls for brown sugar but I did not have any one hand so I used regular sugar and I think they turned out just fine. If you like a sweeter muffin, I'd add a bit more sugar than the recipe calls for though.



Blueberry Muffins
Yields: 24 mini or 24 regular sized muffins
Ingredients:
1 egg
3/4 c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 c flour
1/3 c packed brown sugar (I used white sugar)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 c fresh or 3/4 c frozen blueberries, thawed and drained

Directions:
Heat oven to 400*

Grease bottoms only or line 24 mini muffin cups or 12 regular sized cups

Beat egg in large bowl. Stir in milk and oil. Stir in remaining ingredients except blueberries just until flour is moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups with equal amounts of batter.

Bake until golden brown, about 11-13 minute for mini muffins and 18-22 minutes for regular muffins.

Immediately remove from cups.

Chicken Stuffed Shells

I stole this recipe from Cook Like a Champion, one of the blogs I follow. It was originally stolen from Annie's Eats. I modified the recipe slightly since I knew that making the entire thing would turn out to be WAY too much food for us. I also don't have a food processor big enough so I just stirred by hand. Also because, I only had half the amount of ricotta on hand ;-P. Next time, I think we will try this without the chicken but with a meat sauce instead. Even so, it was very yummy and made enough for dinner for and leftovers for lunch tomorrow for both Matt and I.

Chicken Stuffed Shells
Ingredients:
About 30 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (slightly more than 1/2 box)
3 cloves garlic
1 chicken breast, cooked and finely shredded
15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
1/6 c Italian breadcrumbs
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp dried parsley
3/4 tsp dried basil leaves
1/6 c half and half (I used 2% milk)
1 jar pasta sauce
Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*

Cook pasta shells according to package directions and drain. Separate onto a cutting board or cookie sheet to prevent from sticking together.

Combine ingredients garlic through half and half in bowl and stir until combined. Add more salt and pepper if necessary, to taste.

Spoon enough sauce into baking dish(es) to cover the bottom.

Fill the cooked shells with the ricotta mixture and place open side up in a prepared baking dish.

Spoon as much of the remaining sauce over shells as desired.

Bake covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

*If freezing extra shells, to cook from the freezer, thaw in refrigerator overnight and bake as directed above.

Cookie Platter

This is just a picture of all the yummy cookies I made for the cookie platters this Christmas. All recipes are posted below. Enjoy!

Christmas Cookies!

These are the last of my Christmas baking. To fill out the platter, I made Russian Tea Cakes (aka Mexican Wedding Cookies), Chocolate Drop Cookies, and Snickerdoodles. I pulled all these recipes from the good ole Big Red Betty Crocker Cookbook. I love that thing. It was one of the two cookbooks my mother gave to me when I moved out and went to college. It has definitely came in handy in those 5 1/2 years.

Russian Tea Cakes
Ingredients:
1 c butter or stick margarine, softened
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c finely chopped nuts
1/4 tsp salt
Powdered sugar

Directions:
Heat oven to 400*

Mix butter, 1/2 c powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts, and salt until dough hold together.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 -12 minutes or until set but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool 5 minutes.

Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Chocolate Drop Cookies
Ingredients:
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter or stick margarine, softened
1/3 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 400*. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or spray with cooking spray.

Beat sugar, butter, buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and chocolate in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda, and slat.

Drop by rounded tablespoons full about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cook completely, about 30 minutes. Frost with Chocolate Frosting (recipe below).

Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
2 tbs butter or stick margarine
2 c powdered sugar
3 tbs hot water

Directions:
Melt chocolate and butter in 2 quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and hot water until smooth. If frosting is too thick, add more water 1 tsp at a time. If frosting is too thin add more powdered sugar 1 tbs at a time.

Snickerdoodles
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter or stick margarine, softened
1/2 c shortening
2 large eggs
2 3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
Heat oven to 400*

Beat 1 1/2 c sugar, thebutter, shortening, and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Mix 1/4 c sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Gingerbread Cookies

Yum yum yum. I love these little guys. Especially right out the oven. The only problem I have with this recipe is that they get hard quickly. I prefer chewy, soft cookies. So, I will be looking for another recipe next year. But, it you like crunchy gingerbread, this is a great recipe for you.

Ingredients:

1 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. dark molasses

2/3 c. cold water

7 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Beat brown sugar, shortening, molasses, and water in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in remaining ingredients (this got tough with all that flour!). Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350*. Grease cookie sheet lightly with shortening or spray with cooking spray.

Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on floured surface (this requires muscle, let me tell you!). Cut with floured cookie cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Decorate as desired. I used the same frosting that is in the post below (sugar cookies).

Source: Betty Crocker

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Nothing says Christmas goodies like a nicely decorated, delicious sugar cookie cutout. I don't know how nicely decorated my cookies are, but they sure do taste fabulous. I will work on my decorating skills with the next batch this weekend. But for now, I settled for the classic, delicious sugar cookie straight from Betty Crocker.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 large egg

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

Granulated sugar

Directions:

Beat powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 375*. Light grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with 2 to 2 1/2 inch cookie cutters. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Frosting (courtesy of allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. shortening

5 tbs. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

food coloring

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Lemon Chicken Tenders

Ever since I was little, I had loved the taste of lemons. Lemon candy, lemon desserts, lemonade, even so far as sucking straight on a lemon. It wasn't until recently, however, that I found the joy of cooking "real food" with lemon. This is a very easy dinner to make that doesn't require many ingredients, or any real skills. So, if you are wondering what's for dinner tonight, make this.

Ingredients:
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Lemon pepper seasoning
Breadcrumbs
Egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400*

Line baking dish with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat egg in small bowl.

In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs and lemon pepper seasoning to taste.

Cut chicken into 2 inch. tenders. Dip tenders in egg and then in breadcrumb mixture. Lay in prepared pan.

Bake 10 minutes. Turn tenders over and bake another 10 - 15 minutes until done.

Hot Cocoa Mix and Peppermint Marshmallows

This is such a great little treat you can make this time of year to hand out for gifts. Perfect if you are short on cash or even if you want to make your gifts a little more personal this year. It is very easy to put together and wonderful for those cold winter nights.

Hot Cocoa Mix
Ingredients:
6 1/2 c. powdered milk
1 (5 oz.) package of non-instant chocolate pudding mix
1 c. powdered chocolate drink mix
1/2 c. powdered non-dairy creamer
1/2c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir all ingredients together until well mixed.

To make cocoa, stir 1/3 c. mix into 1 c. boiling water. Top with peppermint marshmallows.

Stored in airtight containers, mix will last about 3 months.

Source: allrecipes.com

Peppermint Marshmallows

Ingredients:

1 bag marshmallows

1 c. powdered sugar

3-4 tsp. water

About 5 candy canes

Directions:

Crush candy canes in food processor until few large chunks remain.

Stir water in powdered sugar 1 tsp. at a time tuntil a smooth glaze forms.

Dip tops of marshmallows into glaze and roll in candy cane. Lay, candy side up on was paper until dry.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens, December 2008

Menu 12/11-1217

Thursday: Grilled Cheese and Soup
Friday: FFY
Saturday: Our nephew and neice's 1st birthday party!
Sunday: Tacos, Corn
Monday: Lemon Chicken, Broccoli, Potatoes, Honey Yeast Rolls
Tuesday: Beef Pasta Bake, Green Beans, Honey Yeast Rolls
Wednesday: Out!

Hamburger Pie

Sorry my pictures are always fuzzy. I have shaky hands. I'm working on it though!

I love this recipe. It is one of my favorites from childhood. It is super easy. It is very tasty. So, what's not to love? I have made some slight variations (noted below) from the original recipe to work with Matt's taste. I also use a circular casserole dish instead of a 9x13 pan and it still comes out perfectly.

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 cans condensed tomato soup (I use just one can so it is thicker)

1 can green beans, drained

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat over to 350*

Bring large pot of water to boil. Peel and quarter potatoes. Introduce into boiling water. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, cook ground beef an onion until brown. Drain. Stir in tomato soup and green beans. Pour into baking dish (at least 2.5 quarts).

Drain potatoes and mash. Mound potatoes on top of beef mixture. Top with cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until potatoes are golden.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Another fabulously easy and fabulously yummy dish! I love my crock pot and I love this recipe.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast
1 jar (about 1 1/2 c.) salsa
1 can black beans
1 1/2 c. frozen corn
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Combine chicken, salsa, beans, and corn in crock. Cook on low for 7-8 hours of high for 4-6 hours. Mine cooked about 9 hours on low and was perfect.

Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

Andrea's No Bake Goodies

This past weekend I spent a wonderful two days with one of my best friends, Andrea who lives about 4 hours away. Andrea and I met in college while we worked together and quickly became good friends. She is my sorority big sis, was a roommate, and also the Maid of Honor in our wedding this past September. In short, she's awesome. Not only because she is a great friend but also because when you visit her, she feeds you. Very well. We had homemade meatloaf, mashed potatoes, cornbread, chili, and these wonderful little no bake cookies that don't have a name (if you think of something good to call them, let me know).

These cookies taste very similar to Little Debbie Nutty Bars with a little surprise of a marshmallow every once in a while. They are delicious. I will try to get a picture of them up tonight. That is if Matt hasn't eaten the ones I brought home yet.

Ingredients:
1 package chocolate almond bark
About 1/2 box Rice Krispies
About 3/4 bag mini marshmallows
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Directions:
Melt almond bark over low heat, stirring constantly.

Once almond bark is completely melted, stir in peanut butter.

Gently fold in rice krispies and marshmallows.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls on to waxed paper. Allow to sit until hardened.

Buckeyes!

Adventures in holiday "baking", round two.

Round two is again not a true baking recipe. But, it is one that my mother made every year around the holidays. Christmas is not complete without them. These peanut butter chocolate balls are called buckeyes because they look just like the nuts that grow on trees. So close that I remember trying to eat one that fell out of my grandparents' buckeye tree when I was a kid. It was not even close to as good as these puppies.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. peanut butter

1 c. butter, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 c. powdered sugar

4 c. semisweet chocolate chips OR 16 oz. semisweet baking chocolate squares

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. The dough will look dry. Towards the end I always end up using my hands to make sure everything is mixed together.

Roll dough in to 1 in. balls and place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

Press a toothpick into the top of each ball and chill in freezer about 30 minutes, until firm.

Melt chocolate in double broiler or microwave, sitrring every 10-15 seconds, until smooth.

Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding on to toothpick. Leave a portion of peanut butter showing at the top. Put back on cookie sheet and refridgerate until chocolate is firm.

Store in refridgerator or freezer.

Cheddar Biscuits

These biscuits are a copycat of the fabulous ones from Red Lobster. Matt and I really enjoyed these. They were also super east so I will be making them often.

Yields 8 biscuits

Ingredients:

2 c. biscuit baking mix (I used Bisquick)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2/3 c. milk

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbs. margarine, melted

2 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. garlic salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 400*. Grease a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, combine baking mix, cheese, and garlic powder. Stir in milk. Drop batter by heaping tablespoon fulls onto prepared cookie sheet.

Bake in heated oven for 10 minutes. Brush biscuits with melted margarine, and sprinkle with parsley and garlic salt. Bake for 5 more minutes, on until lightly browned on the bottom.

Source: allrecipes.com

Pasta e Fagioli

Wow! This soup was wonderful and very easy to make. It made a ton of soup. Enough for both Matt and I to have a big bowl tonight and another in the fridge for tomorrow. Plus, another two or three bowls worth in the freezer. I modified this recipe from And a Cookie for Dessert. Instead of diced tomatoes, I used two 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce. Matt refuses to eat anything I make with tomato chunks so this was a necessary change. I don't think it changed the integrity of the dish at all though. I also just used 24 oz of beef broth. This is a thick soup. I liken it to a chili thickness. I prefer it that way but if you like a brothier (is that a word?) soup, just add more broth.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 lb. ground beef (I used 1/2 lb)

1 small onion, diced

1/2 of a small 1 lb. bag of baby carrots, chopped

5 stalks of celery, diced (I omitted)

2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes (I used 2 cans of tomato sauce)

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (32 oz.) carton + 1 (14.5 oz.) can of beef broth (I used just 24 oz. broth)

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 1/4 tsp pepper

2 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped (I omitted)

3/4 tsp tabasco sauce

1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 cup dry small pasta (I used elbow macaroni)

salt to taste

Directions:

Brown ground beef in oil. Drain if necessary.

Add onion, carrot, celery and diced tomatoes. Simmer 10 minutes.

Add beans, beef broth, oregano, pepper, parsley, tabasco sauce and spaghetti sauce. Simmer soup on low for about 30-45 minutes until carrots are almost tender.

Add pasta to pot and simmer on low for about 15-30 minutes until pasta is just shy of al dente. As the soup cools, the pasta will absorb the broth. You can cook the pasta separate and add it to the soup after the soup has cooled.

Gel Gems Anyone?

So every year, Springfield has this store come to town around Christmas time. It is called the Design Ideas store. Basically, it has a bunch or overstocked items reduced to very low prices. They have office furniture, desk supplies, tote bags, candles, dishes, holiday decor, magnets, scrapbook paper, and, of course, Gel Gems. If you know me, you know that I LOVE decorating for holidays. I decided to check out the store for the first time this year (I always missed it in the past) and I sure scored a great deal. I got all the above Gel Gems (sorry, I don't know how to rotate pictures... anybody know?) for $15.80. Yep, that's right. $15.80. Normally, I would have had to spend around $75 for them. I was so excited. They are constantly bringing out new items and this year they have so much that they will be open until just before the new year. I plan on going back a couple time on my lunch to what other good deals I can score. Hopefully I'll even find a Christmas gift or two.

Carnation Famous Fudge!

My holiday baking has begun! on my list this year are about 12 treats. I'm not sure I will get to them all but I am sure going to try. Last night I began "baking" with fudge. I have never had fudge turn out but I am proud to say that this turned out perfectly! It was the easiest fudge recipe I have ever tried and it tastes just like a classic chocolate fudge. I actually doubled the original recipe and am freezing my fudge until closer to Christmas when I will put it on various treat plates. The directions below are how I made the fudge. Feel free to halve the recipe if you would like a smaller portion.

Ingredients:

3 c. granulated sugar

1 1/3 c. (10 oz.) Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk

4 tbs. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

4 c. mini marshmallows

3 c. (18 oz.) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts (I omitted)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Line 13x9 inch pan with foil (if halving recipe, use 8x8 pan)

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy duty saucepan, Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in marshmallows, morsels, nuts, and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan and remove foil. Cut into 1 inch pieces.

*I used a pizza wheel to cut the fudge which was much easier and made for a much cleaner look than a knife.

Source: verybestbaking.com

Menu: 10/4 - 10/10

I've been slacking! Matt and I have both been sick the past two weeks. Matt got a cold and gave it to me. His turned in to bronchitis, mine in to an ear infection. Now, Matt feels are stuffy again and I am nursing my ears. Ah, well. Hopefully we'll be able to eat this next week. It will be a nice change.



Thursday: Eggs, Bacon, Fried Potatoes, Toast

Friday & Saturday: FFY (I'll be out of town!)

Sunday: Pasta e Fagioli, Cheddar Biscuits

Monday: Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Tuesday: Hamburger Pie, Bread and Butter

Wednesday: Ham, Peas, Shells n Cheese



I'm also hoping to make fudge and buckeyes to freeze for the holidays at some point this week.

Mini Meatloaves

So, Matt and I are both not feeling well. Meatloaf just sounds so good when you feel sick with a cold. We would never eat a whole meatloaf made with 2 lbs of meat so I searched for a smaller recipe. I found the perfect one. These are just like the big loaf mom used to make. I loved it.

Ingredients:

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup quick cooking oats (I used breadcrumbs)

1 tsp salt

1 pound ground beef

2/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*

In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats, and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well and form this mixture in to eight miniature meatloaves. Place in lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Source: allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Quick Bread

YUM is all I have to say! I love this. I enjoyed a big chunk for breakfast this morning. When I was baking it last night, our apartment smelled SOOOO good. Go make it now for Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 can 100% pure pumpkin

1/2 cup canola oil

4 large egg whites

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*. Coat two loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. (do this, trust me :])

Melt morsels in medium, microwave-safe bowl on high power for 1 minute. Stir. If not melted continue, microwaving at 10 to 15 second intervals. Stirring just until melted.

Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder in large bowl. Stir well.

Whisk together sugar, pumpkin, oil, and egg whites in large bowl. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Add 1 1/2 cups pumpkin mixture to melted chocolate, stir to combine. Spoon half of pumpkin mixture into bottom of each prepared pan. Spoon pumpkin-chocolate mixture between pans. Top with remaining pumpkin mixture. Smooth down top.

Bake for 1 hour or until wooden pick inserted in bread comes out clean. (my oven took only 50 minutes so check early!) Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Source: Very Best Baking

Buff Chick Lasagna

Matt loved this. Me, I though it was ok. That could be because I am coming down with a nasty cold and all I want to eat is soup and meatloaf. I think it will be a great thing to make for game night though. This lasagna for the guys and something else for the girls. We will see.

For the recipe please visit the AMAZING A Year of Crock Potting Blog

Honey Glazed Chicken

This dish was ok, not great but ok. Made as is, I wouldn't make it again. It smelled wonderful but I think if I were to tweak the cook time a bit and make extra sauce to smother the rice with, I'd have enjoyed it more. Below my suggestions are added into the original recipe in blue.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of diced uncooked chicken breast, cut into pieces

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

4 tbs. butter

1/4 cup honey

3 tbs. lemon juice

2 tbs. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. ground ginger (I omitted this)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350*

In a shallow dish combine the flour and seasonings.

Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.

Melt 2 tbs. butter in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer.

Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes (20 minutes) at 350*.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter and add honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, and ginger.

After chicken has baked 30 (20) minutes, turn each piece over and pour sauce mixture over chicken.

Bake another 30 to 40 minutes (25 to 30 minutes) basting frequently.

Serve over rice.

I would also recommend making double the sauce and reserving half to pour over the finished dish. But, I like sauce. A lot.

Source: Telly's Tasty Tidbits

Menu: 11/20-11/27

Thursday: Ham Salad Sandwiches, Salad
Friday: Out to eat!
Saturday: Honey Glazed Chicken, Rice, Broccoli (I WILL get to this this week)
Sunday: Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna, Rolls, Salad
Monday: Mini Meatloaves, Mixed Veggies, Baked Potatoes
Tuesday: Jambalaya, Broccoli, Cornbread
Wednesday: Spaghetti with Meatsauce, Green Beans, Cheddar Biscuits

Turkey Day! I'm bringing this casserole and this dessert. I may also make this bread.

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers For Two

Yum! Next time I'll leave out the cinnamon and add some extra pepper for some heat but overall it was very good.

Ingredients:

2 large bell peppers

1/4 pound ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Dash of ground red pepper

1/3 cup uncooked rice

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Cut thing slice from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top, seeds and membranes. Rinse peppers.

Cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat in skillet until brown. Drain.

Stir in tomato sauce, salt, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper. Stir in rice. Divide beef mixture evenly among peppers.

Pour water into 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker; stand peppers upright in cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until peppers are tender. Garnish with cheddar cheese.

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Cheesecake Bars Photo!!

Here they are! Yummy and Matt approves! Please ignore the ugly wallpaper. I can't wait until we OWN a home :)

Philadelphia 3-Step Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

No picture yet. It's still chilling. I'll post a picture tomorrow. If I remember :)

Ingredients
2 packages (8 oz each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup melted butter
3 tbs. strawberry preserves
1 cup Cool Whip
1 cup strawberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*

To make crust, mix graham crackers and melted butter. Press into a 9x9 pans lined with aluminum foil.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and mix just until blended.

Pour mixture into crust. Dot top of batter with preserves. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect.

bake 40 minutes until center is almost set. Cool. refrigerate several hours or overnight. Serve topped with the whipped topping and raspberries. Store in refrigerator.

Ham and Cheese Macaroni

Ok, so I forgot to take a photo when the meal was finished. So, you'll have to live with one just before it went in to the oven. This was good. Not great, but good. I think next time I will play around with the cheeses a bit more.

Ingredients:

8 ounces macaroni

1/4 cup butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp prepared mustard

2 1/2 cups colby cheese

4 ounces cooked ham, finely diced

1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, drain.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Saute garlic 30 seconds. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil for 1 minutes. Stir in mustard and colby. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from hear and stir in pasta and ham.

Pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesean.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

Traditional White Bread

Yum! This is a great sandwich bread and was very simple to make since I used my Kitchen Aid mixer to mix and knead the dough.

Yield: 2 loaves
Ingredients:
2 (.25ounce) packages active dry yeast
3 tbs. white sugar
2 1/2 cups warm water
3 tbs. lard, softened (I used shortening)
1 tbs. salt
6 1/2 cups bread flour

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Stir in lard, salt, and two cups flour. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Whent he dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and eleastic, about 8 mintues.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. (I set my oven to warm, turned it off and placed the dough in the oven).

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves wiht a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Cool in pan.

Menu: 11/13 - 11/19

Thursday: Pick up at store
Friday: Slow Cooker Taco Soup, Corn Muffins
Saturday: FFY
Sunday: Honey Glazed Chicken, Rice, Broccoli (never got to this last week)
Monday: Mac n Cheese with Ham, Peas (this either)
Tuesday: Beef Pasta Bake, Green Beans
Wednesday: Crock Put Stuffed Peppers, Smashed Potatoes, Bread

Menu: 11/6-11/12

Thursday: FFY
Friday: Pigs in a Blanket, Cruncy Roasted Potatoes
Saturday: FFY
Sunday: At Matt's Parents'
Monday: Mac n Cheese with Ham & Peas
Tuesday: Ravioli & Meatballs, Green Beans
Wednesday: Honey Glazed Chicken, Rice, Broccoli

Menu: 10/30 - 11/5

Breakfast
Friday: Cereal or Oatmeal
Saturday: French Toast, Sausage
Sunday: Omlettes
Monday: Cereal or Oatmeal
Tuesday: Cereal or Oatmeal
Wednesday: Cereal or Oatmeal
Thursday: Cerealy or Oatmeal

Lunch
Friday: PB&J, Veggies and Dip
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Jelenpeno Poppers, Sandwiches
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: SmartOnes Meal, Veggies and Dip
Thursday: PB&J, Veggies and Dip

Dinner
Thursday: Soup, Salad, Grilled Cheese
Friday: FFY
Saturday: Out
Sunday: Jack Daniels Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Monday: Hamburger Pie, Salad
Tuesday: Tacos, Corn
Wednesday: Eggs, Sausage, Hashbrowns

Recipe: Chicken Cor Don Blue

Matt first decided he wanted me to make this when he saw it in his Men's Health magazine a few months ago. Since then, and with a few modifications, it has become a staple in our home. It is a dish that appears to be difficult but is really very simple and quite tasty.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 slices swiss cheese

2-4 slices ham

10-15 saltine crackers (you may substitute any breadcrumbs of your choice)

seasonings to taste

toothpicks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*

Pound chicken to about 1/4inch thickness

Season as desired

Layer chicken with swiss cheese and ham

Roll chicken up, securing with toothpicks

Cover chicken with crushed crackers or breadcrumbs (may be seasoned if desired)

Place in greased baking dish

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is done

Recipe: Oreo Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes last weekend for a party. Everyone raved about them. I modified them from a recipe for a Cookies and Cream Cake I found on Annie's Eats. I think they turned out pretty well. They are very moist and have a rich chocolates taste and a creamy frosting. Just like Oreos.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

2 cups sugar
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

For the icing:

1 ¼ cups heavy cream
1/8 cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract
10 Oreos, chopped

For the topping:

15 - 20 crushed Oreos

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°. Place paper baking cups in a muffin pan or grease the bottom of the pans.

Stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans half full.

Bake 13-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

To make the icing, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Beat on low speed until all sugar is incorporated; increase speed to high and whisk until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in chopped cookie pieces with a rubber spatula.

Spread the icing on the tops of the cupcakes once they have been completely cooled. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into a bowl of crushed Oreos.

Source: Annie's Eats

Recipe: Iced Pumpkin Cookies

These babies broke in my brand new Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I love it and expect to up it very often!

Yes, I need to work on my decorating skills but these are so delicious that it doesn't even matter. They are very light and fluffy with a cake like texture. There is just a slight pumpkin taste. So slight that Matt ate two of them even though he "hates" pumpkin.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 14 ounce can pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of b utter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake 13-17 minutes. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze.

Glaze:
Ingredients:

1 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla. Add milk as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.

Adapted from: Allrecipes

Recipe: Slow Cooker Taco Soup

This soup is amazing and so simple. Matt and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had so much left over that we sent some home with Matt's brother for him and his wife and we still have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

To keep it easy to assemble before work, I browned the ground beef and chopped the onion the night before. I put those two ingredients in the crock pot dish, covered it, and stuck it in the fridge until morning. Then when morning came all I had to do was dump all the canned items in a stir.

Ingredients:

3/4 to 1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 oz.) can chili beans, undrained

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, undrained

1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, undrained

2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce*

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chile peppers

1 packet taco seasoning

Sour Cream

Taco Shells/Frito Chips

Shredded Taco Cheese

*If you like tomato chunks you can substitute 1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce plus 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes

In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain.

Place ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, green chile peppers, and taco seasoning in slow cooker. Stir to blend and cook on Low for 8 hours.

Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream, taco cheese, and crumbled up taco shells.

Adapted from: Slow Cooker Taco Soup at allrecipes.com

Menu: 10/23 - 10/29

Breakfast:
Weekdays: Oatmeal, Cereal, or Waffles
Saturday: Out at Cracker Barrel
Sunday: Cinnamon Rolls

Lunch:
Thursday: PB&J, Peaches, String Cheese
Friday: PB&J, Banana, Veggies & Dip
Saturday: recovering from breakfast :)
Sunday: Leftovers
Monday: Salad, String Cheese, Veggies & Dip
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Leftovers

Dinner:
Thursday: Sloppy Joes, Salad
Friday: Slow Cooker Taco Soup, Cornbread
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Grilled Pork Chops, Potato Packets, Broccoli
Monday: Chicken Cor Don Blue, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veggies
Tuesday: FFY
Wednesday: Beef Pasta Bake

Recipe: Banana Bread

We had two very ripe bananas sitting around. They were much too ripe for me to eat so I decided to make some banana bread. Problem. We don't have eggs and I really don't want to run to the store so I search allrecipes.com for a banana bread recipe sans eggs. I found a good one.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 3/4 cups milk
2 or 3 ripe bananas (more bananas equals more banana flavor)

Preheat oven to 325*
Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan
In an large bowl, cream and butter and sugar
Mix in milk
Sift in flour, baking soda, and salt
Blend in the bananas until smooth
Pour batter into prepared pan
Bake for 60 minutes or until knife inserted into center of loaf comes out clean
Cool in pan for 10 minutes then on wire rack until cooled

Recipe: Campbell's Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredient:
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (I use broccoli)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375*
Stir soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper, and veggies in an 11x8in baking dish.
Top with chicken. Season as desired. Cover with foil.
Bake for 50 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the rise is tender. Top with cheese.
Let stand 10 minutes.
Stir rice before serving.

Menu: 10/16-10/22

Dinners:
Thursday: Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Friday: Pizza, Fries
Saturday: Out to eat with friends!
Sunday: Crock Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots, Crescent Rolls
Monday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole, Salad
Tuesday: Grilled Cheese, Soup, Salad
Wednesday: Steak, Potato Packets, Steamed Greens Beans

Lunches:
Thursday: Leftovers, Veggies and Dip
Friday: Out to lunch
Saturday: Odds and Ends
Sunday: Sandwiches and Salad
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: PB&J, Veggies and Dip, Apple

Breakfast:
Thursday: Oatmeal
Friday: Cold Cereal
Saturday: French Toast with Bananas
Sunday: Oatmeal
Monday: Cold Cereal
Tuesday: Oatmeal
Wednesday: Cold Cereal

Snacks:
Fruit
Granola
Pudding
Jell-o

Recipe: Mexican Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:
2 or 3 chicken breast halves, thawed
2 or 3 tbs vegetable/canola/ oil
small bag frozen sweet corn
one 15oz can black beans drained and rinsed
one jar salsa OR on can 14.5oz petite diced tomatoes
one 4oz can red of green chilies, diced (optional but yummy!)
chili powder to taste (I used one or two tablespoons)
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat
Cook chicken breasts covered, about 4 minutes each side until no longer pink in the middle
Add remaining ingredients, cover and bring to boil stirring occasionally
Lower heat and cook until corn it hot (about 15 or 20 minutes give or take)

Serve with corn bread muffins and a dollop of sour cream if you so desire.

This makes an excellent leftover for take to work lunches!

Recipe: Beef Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups dry bow tie (or macaroni or mostaciolli) pasta
3/4 to 1 pound ground beef or turkey

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*
Brown ground beef in skillet or large oven safe dutch oven, drain
While browning, cook pasta as directed on box
Mix spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup cheese, and ground beef in skillet, heat until pasta is cooked
If using dutch oven, add pasta and top with a handful or two of cheese
If using skillet, combine skillet mixture and pasta in an oven safe baking dish (usually 9x13) and top with a handful or two of cheese
Bake for 20 minutes

Menu: 10/10 - 10/16

This week we only planned suppers. We are just back from our honeymoon so we will be winging it for breakfast and lunch until we have more time to plan.

Friday: Tacos and Corn
Saturday: Steak on the Grill, Salad with Oil and Vinegar, Potato and Onion Packets
Sunday: Grilled Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Stovetop Stuffing
Monday: Beef Pasta Bake, Green Beans
Tuesday: Fend For Yourself night (FFY)
Wednesday: Mexican Chicken Skillet, Cornbread Muffins
Thursday: Eggs, Bacon, Toast

How it works

I meal plan every week. My husband and I do our weekly grocery shopping on Thursday ($10 off day!). On Wednesdays we plan out our meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks) for the next seven days, make a grocery list, and look for coupons. This helps us eat healthier, save money, and save time.

At first it was challenging but now that we've been doing it for a few months, we've gotten the hang of it and find it to be a fun thing to do together.

On this blog, I plan on posting our weekly menus, grocery lists, and how much we end up spending each week. I will also post recipes for items that we find to be incredibly delicious and easy to make.

Enjoy!