Grilled Asparagus

Just marinate it for 10 min in a little olive oil and worchestershire sauce. Grill it for about 6 minutes or untill tender but still crisp.  We love our asparagus cooked this way and haven't cooked it any other way since discovering this.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

This one popped up in my email this morning.  I just HAD to make them.

2 Cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 1/2 stp. vanilla

Cinnamon and sugar for topping 

1 Tbs. sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon

Combine flour, salt, cram of tartar and baking soda.  Set aside

In a mixer, cram the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs.  Add the milk and vanilla and mix until well combined.  Add the dry ingredients, just until moistened.  fill muffin cups 1/2 full.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

 These are so good.  I made 12 muffins by filling them 2/3 full so I'd reccomend 1/2 full. My silicone muffin cups are large.  next time I think I might try putting cinammon and sugar in the greased cups before the batter, just for a little extra goodness.  These are wonderful, almost cake like muffins.  I bet they'd be really good in mini muffin pans too!

Snickerdoodle Muffins  This is the link to the original recipe. 

Spanish Rice

I swear this is the easiest and best tasting spanish rice.  I adapted this recipe from one that called for ingredients I didn't have on hand.  Actually tried it once the way the original recipe was written,   it didn't go over as well with the family.  So I'll stick to mine.

1 1/2 cup white rice

2 tblspn olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can tomato soup                
2 cup chicken broth




In a large skillet over med heat brown the dry rice.  Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.  Stir it constantly.  Once the rice starts to brown add the onion and garlic.  Continue stirring till the onions are nice and soft.  Add the tomato soup and chicken broth.  Stir well to combine and set the stove to low and put a lid on it.  Stir it every 5 minutes untill done.  Should be just about 20 minutes.  I make this every time we have tacos.

Crunchy Granola Bars

My husband's favorite granola bars are the Nature Valley Honey, you know the ones in the green box.  I just can't stand the price for them.  I found this recipe on the web (can't remember where) and they are really good.  Super easy to make, and the recipe makes a ton.

4 cups oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey                       

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

Combine everything together well.  Press into a greased 15 1/2 by 10 in jelly roll pan.  I use one of those silicone baking mats, it fit's in my pan perfectly.  Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.  They are done by 10 minutes in my oven.  They should be golden brown and bubbly.   Let cool a bit before cutting into bars. When I made them tonight I added 1 tsp of cinnamon.  Store in an airtight container.

Red Beans

One of our favorite winter dishes is Red Beans.  It takes 3-4 hours to cook but it's worth it.


2 qts water
1 lb dry red beans

1/2 lb Hot links sliced thick

1 thick slice ham cut into cubes 

 (tonight I actually used ham hocks)         

1 green bell pepper chopped

3 med yellow onions chopped
1 bunch of green onions ( including green tops) sliced
3 stalks celery chopped
3 bay leaves
1 pinch of thyme


Put it all in a large pot and set to med heat.  When it boils turn heat down to low and cook 3 hours.
after 3 hours check to see if beans are soft enough to squish. Use a wooden spoon to mash 1/3 of the beans.  I usually use a potato masher just because it's quicker.  If the beans aren't soft enough yet check back in a 1/2 hour.  Once beans are smashed add ceyenne pepper and tobasco sauce to your liking.  We like ours pretty hot and usually even add to our bowls once served.  Let the beans cook another 1/2 hour. Be sure to get out the bay leaves before serving.

Serve with sliced toasted sourdough bread.   This is such a thick creamy dish. The leftovers will thicken up even more the next day.

Mac and Cheese not from the "box"

I have tried a few homemade Mac n Cheese recipies but no one likes them.  I found one in a cookbook that 2 out of my 3 kids will eat.   The book is Big snacks, Little Meals  by Rose Dunnington.  It's got quite a few good recipies in it. 

My oldest agrees with dad and doesn't like baked Mac n Cheese. Guess I'm still searching for the best stovetop recipe.... I might just stick with the box on that one!

I've tweeked it a little because I thought it came out too saucey  for our liking, but it has great flavor.

1 16 oz pkg elbow noodles, cooked aldente

3 tblspn butter
1/2 an onion, grated
3 tblspn flour
2 cups milk
dash of nutmeg
4 oz each: Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Mozzarella cheeses
1/4 c bread crumbs ( I actually used crushed croutons)

Melt the butter then cook the onion for a couple of minutes.  Wisk in the flour.  Let it cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of the "flour" taste.  Gradually add the milk, whisking to break up the lumps.  Cook the sauce for about 8 minutes stirring occasionally, untill it thickens.  Stir in the cheeses.  Add the cooked noodles and stir it all together.  Pour into a greased casserole dish.  Top with bread crumbs and bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

 
  You can't taste the onions and the nutmeg, but they really add to the flavor.  You could even change it up a bit with the type of cheeses. I have used pepper jack before just because that's what I had.  It was really good.  We call this one Kate's Mac n Cheese because the  cookbook is hers.

Roast Chicken Dinner

Tonight I pulled out one of the bags of pre marinated chicken breasts.  With the bone and skin on.  My grocery store will marinate or put a rub on any meat for free.  When things go on sale i tend to buy large pkgs and have them do them up with different flavors.  Only this time i forgot to write on the pkg what the flavoring was.....  Oh well, I knew it would be tasty.  Simply put the thawed breasts into a casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 1 hour and 15 min. 

 I paired this tonight with the roasted garlic sauce tossed with noodles that was in the previous post.  Yes, I still don't know how to link to a past post. 

And just enough left over for my lunch tomorrow!

Roasted Garlic Sauce

Ok,  this one I'm proud of.  I created this tonight but I've been thinking about it for a while.  I found an article in the newspaper with a recipe for Guy fieri's Garlic Soup.  That was the inspiration for this recipe.

First, Roast 3 heads of Garlic.  Yes, 3 whole heads!

Cut off the top of the heads to expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and a little salt.  Wrap in foil, leaving a little breathing room and put in oven at 375 for 1 hour.

Once cool squeeze out the cloves into a bowl and reserve.

 melt 4 Tblspn of butter in saucepan.  Ad roasted garlic and cook on med low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add 3 tblspns flour and stir together to make a roux. cook about 5 min.  Then add 1 can chicken broth.  Not the whole can at once, you need to wisk it in to get the right consistency.  You're trying to make sauce not soup.   let cook for about 10 min on low.

Toss with hot cooked noodles.  The flavor in this sauce is amazing!

Oh... the possibilities of Bisquick

Long day at work and taking kids to Dr. appointments means I forgot to take somethng out for dinner.  Thanks to a little extra cooking when we had spaghetti  the other night and a box of Bisquick, dinner's done! Ok, not  with style but it's very tasty!

When I made spaghetti last week I combined hot and mild bulk sausage.  Since I cooked 2 lbs I put 1/2 of it in the freezer. 

Great tip for anytime you are cooking ground meat.  Always cook double and freeze 1/2 of it.

  So on to dinner.....

Shred 2 potatoes into the bottom of a casserole dish. 

Top with the ground cooked meat.
In a bowl mix together 1 cup Bisquick, 2 Cups milk, and 4 eggs.
Pour over meat and potatoes.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake another 10 min.

Impossible pie that has limitless possibilities!  I found this recipe on the betty crocker website and adapted it. The original recipe calls for putting frozen vegetables in it but that just sounds gross to me (and the kids).   This comes out more like a breakfast cassrole so we like to serve it with maple syrup.

Apple Crisp

I have said before that I frequent alot of recipe websites.  Another one of my favorites is http://www.grocerybudget101.com/  The things I find on this site are of incredible. I could spend hours on that site looking up things.  Today there was a recipe for an apple crisp.  Honestly it was the picture of it that made me want to make it.  So I did.

I only had 2 apples so I kinda halved the recipe....  I had forgotten how easy a fruit crisp was to whip up!

Sliced up 2 peeled and cored apples.  Tart ones would be best.
1/4 cup sugar and enough cinnamon to make it look all yummy when mixed up, about 1/4 tsp.  Dump it in a small glass dish.

for the topping 1/2 stick butter, softened
                       1/2 cup brn sugar
                       1/2 c rolled oats
                       1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
                       1/2 tsp vanilla
                        1/4 tsp cinnamon

Huh, now that I'm typing it I realize forgot the cinnamon,nutmeg and vanilla when I made it. Oops!

Mix the topping together so it's all crumbly and dump it on top of the apples.  Bake at 350 for 35 min. 

                      
               We couldn't wait.  It was suppose to be for dessert tonight but I had to try it.  I brought it out into the living room with a fork.  Yes the whole dish!  I was suprised all of the kids loved it.  yes I know but my kids don't always like fruit desserts.  I will definately be making this one again!

You can find the original recipe at http://www.grocerybudget101.com/   Just search Apple Crisp in the recipies.  I don't know how to put the link to it in the blog yet...lol!

Chilli dogs

Simple enough to make a nice change for dinner.   For our family, only 1 type of chilli is liked by all.

If I could make beanless chilli cheaper I would.   I can find the large cans of this at Target for around   2$ and 1 can feeds all 5 of us. For us this is the best stuff for chilli dogs!

  

    Not just any dog will do.  All beef hot dogs have the best flavor.  Split and fry the hot dogs, using a bacon press gives them that nice fried flavor and lots of good color on your dog.  I guess the color doesn't really matter because we slop it over with chilli and toppings but it does make a flavor difference.
 



Don't know why I took these pictures but i thought they looked cool




The only toppings we use are Cheddar Cheese and Red Onions.  I know, boring!  Lots of people use more creative toppings but this is what works for us.

The End Result : a very satisfied tummy

Cream puffs are so easy to make!

I love recipe websites and such.  Now with the added feature of fb I have become a fan of some great sites.  One of them is the 5 dollar dinner mom.  She often hosts recipies from other bloggers.  Ha ha Not me.  YET!  anyway one of these guest recipies was for  denise's cream puffs.  Hmm.  I've never made cream puffs before.  How hard could it be?  So I printed off the recipe.   Next time I think I'll use a smaller scoop because they turned out rather large.  I had no idea exactly how much they would puff up.  I filled mine with instant chocolate pudding.  Quick and easy!   They taste best when they are crispy but they hold up well in the refridgerator.  I'd imagine they would freeze well too.

Ingredients
4 eggs
1/2 c stick margarine
1 c boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 c flour
1/2 tablespoon sugar
DirectionsCombine butter, salt and boiling water. Bring back to boiling. Sift flour and add to boiling mixture. Beat until mixture leaves sides of saucepan and does not cling to spoon. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add unbeaten eggs, one at a time. Beat thoroughly after addition of each egg until mixture is smooth. Drop by tablespoon 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake in hot oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 and bake 10 more minutes or until the puffs are dry and firm. (mine took 32 min total)  Remove from oven and cool. After puffs have cooled, cut partially open along the lower edge with a sharp knife to make an opening large enough to put the pudding inside. Fill with Chocolate pudding.  These would also be great filled with sliced fruit and whip cream. 

Ooh, now I have to make them again.  LOL!

Brownies to die for....

I have a cookbook that was given to my son when he was about 4.  ( Thanks auntie Lesley!)   You know one of those kids alphabet cookbooks.  It's a cute book but we never used it much but we did find out that it housed one of the best from scratch brownie recipies EVER!  So easy and simple, it makes just enough. No leftovers. Whoever has leftover brownies???

Ff is for Fudge Brownies

1/4 cup butter
6 oz simisweet chocolate chips (1/2 a usual pkg)
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup Flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup nuts, if you like.  We don't like nuts in our brownies so I add another 1/2 cup chocolate chips...Makes them extra good!

On the stove top melt butter and chocolate chips together (the 6 oz), over low heat, and stir constantly.  Remove pot from heat and stir in everything else....... except extra chips or nuts.  Continue stirring until it's nice and smooth.  Now you can add in the extra chips or the nuts.  Pour into greased 8x8 square pan.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Let them cool completely before cutting.  Ha ha Recipe says to cut into 20.  I only cut mine into nine.  Guess that's why they don't last

Chewy Granola Bars

These Have got to be the BEST Granola Bars EVER!!

I can't stand the price the stores charge for granola bars.  But they are a must in our household. There are so many possibilities with this recipe.

1 1/2 cups Bisquick like mix

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup brown sugar -- packed

1/2 cup butter or margarine -- softened

1 egg

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all until well blended.

Press mixture evenly in un-greased rectangular pan 13x9x2".

Bake 15-17 minutes.; Cut into bars while still warm.

They freeze well, and possibities are limitless.  Raisins, dried fruits, nuts.  I tried peanut butter  but the consistancy didn't turn out right so next time i try that I'll up the oat content.    You might want to make these well before the kids get home because they'll be gone before you can package them up





St Patty's Day Dinner

We always look forward to dinner on St Patty's Day.  We learned a few years ago that steaming your corned beef instead of boiling it produces great results.  And I don't have to Boil my meat (wich I never liked to do).  Besides we like our red potatoes roasted with lots of garlic and herbs.

  I always make beer bread but this year I decided to try out Irish soda Bread.  It was a little dense but very tasty.  Not to shabby for a first try.

And What's a holiday without dessert?

Mint Chip Brownie Sundae