This Week's Menu

Thursday: FFY
Friday: Quesadillas, Corn, Refried Beans (all meatless for Lent)
Saturday: Out, we are babysitting the kids so I doubt we will have time or the desire to cook
Sunday: Pork Chops and Applesauce Remix, Broccoli
Monday: Fettuccine Alfredo, Baked Chicken Strips, Peas
Tuesday: Crock Pot Pasta e Fagioli
Wednesday: Jambalaya, Green Beans, Corn Bread

Homemade Applesauce

I love applesauce. I hate how much it costs in the store though. All it really is is apples, water, and maybe a bit of sugar and cinnamon. That's it. So, I decided to try to make some own. I am very glad I did! This stuff is good. It is a little bit sour but I like it that way so I'm happy. You can always alter this by the type of apples you use also. Next time I think I will try using a couple different varieties of apple to spice it up a bit. This is also a crock pot recipe so even easier to make. I doubled the recipe by using a Gala apples and doubling the rest of the ingredients.


Homemade Applesauce
Source: A Year of CrockPotting
Ingredients:
4 large apples, skinned ,cored, and cut in quarters
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs brown sugar
1/4 c water

Directions:
Skin, core, and cut your apples into quarters. Place the pieces into your crockpot. Add the juice from the lemon, and the water. Pour in the vanilla and add the cinnamon and brown sugar.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. When the apples are super tender, mash with a potato masher or large fork. My apples were very tender after about 4 hours but my crock tends to cook a bit faster than others.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Wow are these good! I've had them starred in my google reader for quite a few months now and when I realized I still had a can of pumpkin in the cabinet from this past fall I knew just how I was going to use it. Mine did not turn out nearly as pretty as Annie's but they still taste fantastic! I did have trouble with the cream cheese filling. I couldn't get it to set up. I tend to have that problem with any cream cheese frosting also. Extra powdered sugar doesn't even work. So if anyone has any tips about that I'd appreciate hearing them!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Source: Annie's Eats
Ingredients:
For the muffins:
3 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
1 ¼ c vegetable oil
2 c sugar
2 c pumpkin puree

For the filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c powdered sugar

For the streusel topping:
½ c sugar
¼ c and 1 tsp flour
4 tbsp butter, cubed
1 ½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until smooth. Form into a log on plastic wrap or foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours.

To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well halfway with batter. Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices. Place a slice in each muffin well. Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Italian Beef

We made these sandwiches in the crockpot. They were very good and we will definitely make them again. I used a recipe found on allrecipes.com.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

Source: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3 c water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 oz) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (5 lb) rump roast

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except roast in a saucepan and stir. Heat to boiling.

Pour mixture over roast in crock pot.

Cook on low 10 to 12 hours or high 4 to 5 hours. When finished, remove bay leaf and shred with fork.

This Week's Menu

Tonight: FFY, I have class
Friday: Baked Mac n Cheese with Ham, Peas
Saturday: Tacos, Corn on the Cob
Sunday: Stuffed Buff Chick, Bread, Veggies
Monday: Hamburger Helper (I know, I know... it's Matt's night to cook :P), Veggies
Tuesday: Crockpot Chili, Cornbread Muffins
Wednesday: Fish Sticks, Potato Slabs, Salad

I'm also planning on making homemade applesauce and pumpkin cream cheese muffins so be on the look-out for those recipes!

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

Please excuse the bad pictures. This is a really good red sauce for pasta. I modified Giada's marinara to fit our tastes and I think this is a keeper.



Meat Sauce
Source: Modified from Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients:
2 lb ground beef
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
64 oz tomato sauce
2 bay leaves

Directions:
Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain.

While beef is browning, heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add beef to oil and onion mixture. Add salt and pepper, tomato sauce, and bay leaves. Simmer over low heat about 1 hour, until thick.

Apple Crisp

I love apple crisp. It's good for dessert AND breakfast! You can't go wrong with that. I got this recipe from my Big Red Cookbook by Betty Crocker.



Apple Crisp
Source: Betty Crocker Big Red Cookbook
Ingredients:
4 medium tart cooking apples, sliced or diced (I'm partial to Gala)
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 c quick cooking oats
1/3 c butter
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
Heat oven to 375. Grease bottom and sides of 8x8 pan.

Spread apples in pan. Mix remaining ingredients and sprinkle over apples.

Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with fork.

Vegetable Hamburger Soup

This soup is delicious and very easy. We will definitely be making it again. I got the base recipe from Crockpot Tuesdays. I got the idea to use ground hamburger though from my sister-in-law. I think either way it would be great though. The only change I may make is adding a can of beef broth next time to make it a little thinner.



Vegetable Hamburger Soup
Source: Crockpot Tuesdays
Ingredients:
1 lb beef for stew, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used 1 lb ground beef)
1 can corn, undrained
1 can green beans, drained (I added the liquid since I used fresh potatoes)
1 can carrots, undrained
1 can peas, drained (I added the liquid)
1 can slice potatoes, undrained (I used 3 fresh potatoes peeled and cut in to bite sized pieces))
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I used 28 oz tomato sauce)
1 package onion soup mix
pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown ground beef. Drain.

Throw everything into the crock pot.

Cook on low for about 8 hours.

Lemon Garlic Pork Chops

I got this recipe from Lovestoeat's Weblog. They are very tasty and we will be making them again. Next time on the outdoor grill though since our apartment does not have good enough ventilation for the indoor grill. Which reminds me, I need to change the batteries in the smoke detectors.



Lemon Garlic Pork Chops
Source: Lovestoeat's Weblog
Ingredients:
2 center cut thick pork chops boneless (I used bone in since we prefer those)
3 tbs lemon juice fresh
3 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs Italian seasonings rub: Oregano, basil, parsley, etc…Great mix
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs evoo

Directions:
Throw everything into a bag or bowl. Mix and cover. Marinate for 2 hours or as long as overnight. I did for about 9 hours while at work.

Heat grill to medium. Put chops on and grill about 5-10 minutes each side depending on thickness.

Rice Krispie Treats

Who doesn't love rice krispie treats? Around here they don't last long. We prefer a higher marshmallow to rice krispie ration so this is my take on the classic recipe.

Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients:
6 c rice krispies
16 oz mini marshmallows
2 tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag milk chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Grease 9x13 in pan with cooking spray.

In a large pot, melt butter over low to medium hear. Add marshmallows and vanilla. Cook until marshmallows are melted, stirring frequently.

Working quickly, add rice krispies and stir together.

Pour into greased pan and press down with greased hands or a greased spatula. Let sit until cool and hardened.

If desired, melt chocolate chips in a double broiler. Spread over treats and let sit until hardened.

Menu

Thursday: FFY
Friday: Tomato Tortellini Soup, Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Saturday: Out
Sunday: Dinner with Matt's Parents
Monday: Spaghetti & Meat Sauce, Green Beans, Garlic Bread
Tuesday: Italian Beef Sandwiches
Wednesday: Pizza, Fries

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Oh Crock Pot Lady, how I love thee. You have made dinner on nights I am in class much more budget and waistline friendly with all your wonderful crock pot ideas. This soup was very good although next time I will soak the beans a bit longer and blend up some of them before serving to thicken up the broth as was suggested.



Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup
Source: The Crock Pot Lady
Ingredients:
1lb chicken
1c dried black beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
4c chicken broth
1c sliced mushrooms (I omitted)
1c frozen corn (I used almost a whole bag since we really like corn)
1 jar prepared salsa (16 oz)
1 1/2tsp cumin (I used chili powder since I don't keep cumin on hand)
1/2c sour cream (to stir in at the end)
shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, cilantro (all optional, I used just cheese)

Directions:
I used a 5 quart crockpot. The Crock Pot Lady says you will need a 4 quart or larger.

If you know you are going to make this the night before soak the black beans in enough water to cover and another 2 inches overnight. In the morning, drain the water and rinse the beans. (I did this and think they could have used a bit more soaking)

If you don't have super hard water or live in a super high altitude, you can quick soak the beans by pouring boiling water over them and let them sit for an hour or two.

Drain and rinse the beans. Add to the crockpot. Put in the chicken, and add the broth and salsa. Pour in the corn and mushrooms, and add the cumin. Stir, but don't disturb the beans---let them stay at the bottom of the pot, closest to the heating element.

Cover and cook on high for 9 hours.

If you are using beans you soaked overnight, canned beans, or pre-cooked beans, you can cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5--similar to normal soup-cooking time. (I cooked on low 7 hours and will cook it the full 8 hours next time)

If you'd like to thicken the broth (I did not do this but will next time), you can use your immersible blender to blend a bit of the beans and chicken. If you don't have one, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and carefully blend in your traditional blender. Stir the mixture back into the crockpot.

Stir in the 1/2 cup of sour cream before serving, and garnish with shredded cheese and avocado slices.

Fall off the Bone Slow Cooker Pork Ribs

I'm not usually a big pork person. I make it because Matt likes it and I can tolerate it. This recipe, however, changed my mind just a bit. These were so tasty and so good. They, quite literally, fell off the bones. Next time I will make sure to make them when we have people over though because we had a lot left over that we ended up tossing. The idea for this recipe came from the comments sections on a recipe on allrecipes.com. I pretty much just took bits and pieces from different recipes and comments.



Slow Cooker Ribs
Ingredients:
Pork Ribs
Garlic Salt
Onion Powder
Black Pepper
Barbecue Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ)

Directions:
Season ribs to taste with garlic salt, onion powder, and black pepper.

Place in crock pot and cover with BBQ sauce.

Cook on low 6-8 hours or until done. Mine only took about 4 1/2 hours since my crock wasn't even 1/2 full so be careful to not burn them!

Menu

Yesterday (Thursday): FFY

Tonight (Friday): Chicken pasta and peas (something I just throw together)

Saturday: Ribs in the crock pot, broccoli, cornbread (didn't get to it last Sunday)

Sunday: Out

Monday: Lemon and garlic pork chops, green beans, crescent rolls

Tuesday: Vegetable hamburger soup

Wednesday: BLTS, corn on the cob, warm spinach salad

A taste of Springfield

If you aren't from my neck of the woods, you probably have no idea what a horseshoe is. Other than the thing on a horse's foot. But, if you are from around these parts, you know the deliciousness that is the horseshoe. A little history on this delicious masterpiece can be found here.

Basically, the horseshoe consists of two pieces of texas toast topped with your choice of meat (hamburger patty, ham, chicken breast, pork tenderloin, etc.). On top of that, you add french fries. This is all smothered in cheese sauce. I know it may not sound that appetizing, but trust me, it is! If you are ever in Springfield, IL make sure to take a couple hours out (there is always a wait!) to visit D'Arcy's Pint to get a taste of the horseshoe.

My version, which was delicious but not as good as D'Arcy's is below. I made a ponyshoe (one piece of bread, less meat, fries, and cheese) while Matt had a regular 'shoe. Enjoy!



Horseshoes
Source: I'm a Springfieldian... it's common knowledge here :)
Ingredients:
Four slice texas toast
Your choice meat (I used cubed ham this time)
French fries
1/2 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 c half and half
2 c shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste



Directions:
Cook fries and meat as you normally would.

While fries and meat are cooking, melt butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 4 minutes. Gradually whisk in half and half. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Place 2 slices texas toast on plate. Top with meat and french fries. Cover with cheese sauce. Add hot sauce according to taste.

Enjoy!

Blondies

I made these for dessert for Girls' Night Saturday night. Again, they were well received. I finished them off this morning for breakfast. I will definitely be making them again.

Blondies
Source: The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
Ingredients:
2 c packed brown sugar
2/3 c butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 c chocolate chips (I added about 1 c to the batter and sprinkled about 1/2 c on top)
1 c chopped nuts (I omitted)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*.

Grease 13x9x2 in pan.

In a medium pan, heat brown sugar and butter over medium heat until melted and smooth, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.

Stir in eggs 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda. I also stirred in about 1 c chocolate chips.

Spread the batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly on wire rack.

Enchiladas

Yum yum yum! I made these for girls' night on Saturday and they were a hit! I will definitely be making them again soon for Matt and myself.



Enchiladas
Source: modified from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 c sour cream
1 c cheddar cheese
1 can diced chiles (optional, I forgot to put them in there)
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
8 10-in tortillas
1 jar taco sauce
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*.

In a large skillet brown ground beef.

Add taco seasoning, sour cream, 1 c cheese, chiles, and tomato sauce. Stir and cook until heated.

Divide among tortillas. Roll up and place in greased 13x9 in baking dish.

Top with taco sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven. Cool 10 minutes before serving.