Every year when school gets out I line up our babysitter (the one I used regularly when I was still working) to watch my little guy so that I can have a special day with my school girl. In the past we have gone to an arcade, a state park/monument and a drive-in restaurant. This year money is a little tighter, as I'm not working outside of the home anymore, so I decided to entertain ourselves by strawberry picking and making strawberry jam.
It was such a fantastic day for it-the rain we were supposed to get just blew on by. My seven year old girl was aptly entertained for over an hour by just picking and commenting on every single berry. Our only down point was when we pulled up to the strawberry farm to see a sign listing "Children over 12 only." My girl is a pretty good reader, so she saw this before me and was crying before I even knew what was going on. We had driven over an hour to get there and I hadn't seen anything on the website about an age limit, so we trekked in and I asked. After some consideration, the owner decided that my gal could pick on an outside of a row of the field, while I picked inside. Like I said before, she was a pro-didn't squash a single plant and not once did I hear "I'm BORED!" When we returned to pay for our bounty, the owner said she saw how good my girl was and that next year she can pick right in the row with me. You should have seen her beaming!
It was the highlight of my whole week having that special time with her-I hope I never forget it... After a quick bite we were back home and I was cutting strawberries. The whole process seemed to take forever, but after a few hours of prep and cooking, we had jam! I made a double batch-big enough to share with some neighbors & friends that often share goodies with us. It's always so good to give, isn't it? The simple recipe I used is:
Refrigerator Strawberry Jam
3 lb strawberries, washed & quartered
1 C. sugar
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Place all ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to boil over med-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer for 1-3 hours (nice and mushy). Allow to cool (will thicken a little as cools). Store in air-tight containers-keep in fridge for up to a month. Makes about 4 cups.
I tried some of the jam that evening on some toast.... A sweet end to a sweet day.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Another two-fer deal on recipes!
I have two great recipes for you-both have been approved by my family:
Fruit Salad
1 C. cut-up bananas
1 C. Cut up strawberries
1 C. cut up apples
1 C. grapes
Fluffy dressing
1/4 C. yogurt (vanilla or fruity is fine)
1/4 thawed whipped cream
1 tbs. orange juice
Combine yogurt & whipped cream. Add orange juice to make desired consistency. Place fruit in a large salad bowl, toss with dressing.
Cheesy Meat and Potato Casserole
3-4 medium potatoes, sliced thin
2 Tbs. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 pkg. frozen corn, thawed
2 Tbs. chopped onion
1 can cream of celery soup
1/3 C. milk
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 C. shredded cheddar
Toss potatoes with butter and salt; arrange on bottom and up sides of a greased casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes (depending on how crispy you want your taters).
Meanwhile, in a skillet brown meat and drain. Sprinkle meat and corn over potatoes. Combine soup, milk, garlic powder, pepper onion & 1/2 C. cheese; pour over beef mixture. Bake @ 400 degrees, uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; top with remaining cheese. Return to oven for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
We all loved this recipe-I cooked my potatoes for the 45 minutes and I thought they were a little too crisp, but my hubby thought they were perfect-so if you like crispy-stick to 45.
GARDEN UPDATE
I have peas!! Okay, maybe not quite peas yet, but I have pea plants! They're kind of short right now, but that's okay, they're still there and haven't been viciously attacked by neighborhood crows, or bunnies, so I'm happy. I also am about to have my first marigold bloom, so that makes me happy, too-those marigold help with keeping pests away (I wonder if I can use it on my hubby?) I've been helping water a vacationing friend's garden this week, and I have to admit that seeing her nicely filled in garden is making me feel a little "green"...........thumb that is (haha!)
Fruit Salad
1 C. cut-up bananas
1 C. Cut up strawberries
1 C. cut up apples
1 C. grapes
Fluffy dressing
1/4 C. yogurt (vanilla or fruity is fine)
1/4 thawed whipped cream
1 tbs. orange juice
Combine yogurt & whipped cream. Add orange juice to make desired consistency. Place fruit in a large salad bowl, toss with dressing.
Cheesy Meat and Potato Casserole
3-4 medium potatoes, sliced thin
2 Tbs. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 pkg. frozen corn, thawed
2 Tbs. chopped onion
1 can cream of celery soup
1/3 C. milk
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 C. shredded cheddar
Toss potatoes with butter and salt; arrange on bottom and up sides of a greased casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes (depending on how crispy you want your taters).
Meanwhile, in a skillet brown meat and drain. Sprinkle meat and corn over potatoes. Combine soup, milk, garlic powder, pepper onion & 1/2 C. cheese; pour over beef mixture. Bake @ 400 degrees, uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; top with remaining cheese. Return to oven for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
We all loved this recipe-I cooked my potatoes for the 45 minutes and I thought they were a little too crisp, but my hubby thought they were perfect-so if you like crispy-stick to 45.
GARDEN UPDATE
I have peas!! Okay, maybe not quite peas yet, but I have pea plants! They're kind of short right now, but that's okay, they're still there and haven't been viciously attacked by neighborhood crows, or bunnies, so I'm happy. I also am about to have my first marigold bloom, so that makes me happy, too-those marigold help with keeping pests away (I wonder if I can use it on my hubby?) I've been helping water a vacationing friend's garden this week, and I have to admit that seeing her nicely filled in garden is making me feel a little "green"...........thumb that is (haha!)
Monday, May 25, 2009
Two recipes for the price of one!
Tonight we felt like doing some grilling. Hubby does the grilling, but I think it's always more work for me with all the preparation and sides that need to get taken care of. But it's all worth it to have a little taste of summer for dinner. Here's the recipe we used tonight-we think it's quite yummy:
Moroccan Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients:
DRY RUB
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. brown sugar
KEBABS
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 onions (your choice of color), peeled and cut into 1 inch wide sections
2 bell peppers (your choice of color), cleaned and cut into 1 inc squares
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Skewers-metal or bamboo (soaked in water for 30 min.)
1. Combine dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Cut meat into cubes, place in gallon size zip-lock bag with rub mix. Seal bag and shake well until chicken is well coated.
3. Place vegetables in a gallon size bag, add oil , season with salt and pepper. Seal bag and shake to coat veggies well.
4. Assemble kabobs-alternate meat and veggies.
5. Prepare grill to hot, grill kebabs-turn occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink inside-about 8-10 minutes.
My family loves the sweetness of the cinnamon and nutmeg that really stands out on the chicken. If you are not so into spicy foods-omit the cayenne-it still tastes great without.
I'm also going to throw one more recipe on here-my hubby's delicious ice cream recipe. If you have an ice cream maker and like chocolate ice cream, this one's for you:
Chocolate Dream Ice Cream
Ingredients:
SWEET CREAM BASE
2 large eggs
3/4 C sugar
2 C heavy whipping cream
1 C milk
ADD INS
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Chopped candy bars, peanut chunks or peanut butter chunks (optional)
Whisk eggs until light and fluffy. Whisk in sugar, a little at a time, continue whisking until blended (about 1 minute more). Pour in cream and milk and whisk to blend. Heat in saucepan over medium heat to a roiling boil. Continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled. Add cocoa and vanilla to cream base, place in ice cream maker. Run maker on low for 35 minutes. Switch maker to low for additional 9 minutes-then add any extras-run for 30 seconds and turn off. Store ice cream in freezer safe containers.
You can get pretty creative with this recipe. For example, tonight my hubby found some specialty peanut butter in our cupboard that we hadn't used in a few months-it had gotten too dry for sandwiches or crackers, so he figured, what the heck? It made for some delicious ice cream! So , there you go, hope you enjoyed my special offer of 2 for 1!
Moroccan Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients:
DRY RUB
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. brown sugar
KEBABS
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 onions (your choice of color), peeled and cut into 1 inch wide sections
2 bell peppers (your choice of color), cleaned and cut into 1 inc squares
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Skewers-metal or bamboo (soaked in water for 30 min.)
1. Combine dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Cut meat into cubes, place in gallon size zip-lock bag with rub mix. Seal bag and shake well until chicken is well coated.
3. Place vegetables in a gallon size bag, add oil , season with salt and pepper. Seal bag and shake to coat veggies well.
4. Assemble kabobs-alternate meat and veggies.
5. Prepare grill to hot, grill kebabs-turn occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink inside-about 8-10 minutes.
My family loves the sweetness of the cinnamon and nutmeg that really stands out on the chicken. If you are not so into spicy foods-omit the cayenne-it still tastes great without.
I'm also going to throw one more recipe on here-my hubby's delicious ice cream recipe. If you have an ice cream maker and like chocolate ice cream, this one's for you:
Chocolate Dream Ice Cream
Ingredients:
SWEET CREAM BASE
2 large eggs
3/4 C sugar
2 C heavy whipping cream
1 C milk
ADD INS
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Chopped candy bars, peanut chunks or peanut butter chunks (optional)
Whisk eggs until light and fluffy. Whisk in sugar, a little at a time, continue whisking until blended (about 1 minute more). Pour in cream and milk and whisk to blend. Heat in saucepan over medium heat to a roiling boil. Continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled. Add cocoa and vanilla to cream base, place in ice cream maker. Run maker on low for 35 minutes. Switch maker to low for additional 9 minutes-then add any extras-run for 30 seconds and turn off. Store ice cream in freezer safe containers.
You can get pretty creative with this recipe. For example, tonight my hubby found some specialty peanut butter in our cupboard that we hadn't used in a few months-it had gotten too dry for sandwiches or crackers, so he figured, what the heck? It made for some delicious ice cream! So , there you go, hope you enjoyed my special offer of 2 for 1!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Chicken Italiano
Ten years ago my hubby and I pinched our pennies and used our credit card (which we are STILL paying on) to travel to Italy for our honeymoon. Ever since then I have had a soft spot for Italian food and red wine of course (it was cheaper to drink wine than buy bottled water so we had a lot of wine!) This recipe is one of our favorites-I like that it's a little bit healthier since the chicken is baked instead of fried.
Baked Chicken Parmesan
1/2 C Italian style breadcrumbs
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 Eggs, beaten
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 C Shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb pasta
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Dip chicken in eggs, then in crumb mixture-covering chicken. Arrange in baking dish & drizzle with oil.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until chicken is tender and not pink in center. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for an additional 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Prepare pasta as directed on package. Heat up spaghetti sauce. Place pasta on plate, top with sauce then chicken.
As I mentioned before this is one of our favorites, maybe it will be someone else out there, too.
Also, I planted my garden this week! I'm so excited, I have my marigolds, tomatoes, peppers and squash showing and hopefully soon some lettuce, spinach and carrots will be showing their little selves. I was going to get a picture up on this post, but there really isn't much to see yet. I'll get something up soon, I promise. So until next time..... Ciao!
Baked Chicken Parmesan
1/2 C Italian style breadcrumbs
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 Eggs, beaten
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 C Shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb pasta
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Dip chicken in eggs, then in crumb mixture-covering chicken. Arrange in baking dish & drizzle with oil.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until chicken is tender and not pink in center. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for an additional 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Prepare pasta as directed on package. Heat up spaghetti sauce. Place pasta on plate, top with sauce then chicken.
As I mentioned before this is one of our favorites, maybe it will be someone else out there, too.
Also, I planted my garden this week! I'm so excited, I have my marigolds, tomatoes, peppers and squash showing and hopefully soon some lettuce, spinach and carrots will be showing their little selves. I was going to get a picture up on this post, but there really isn't much to see yet. I'll get something up soon, I promise. So until next time..... Ciao!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thai Peanut Noodles
A few years back my sister-in-law introduced me to a restaurant chain called "Chin's". It is kind of like a chic Asian fast food place to dine. It was love at first taste for me-my favorite dish was their noodle bowl with the Thai peanut sauce. My only complaint about Chin's is that there are not many around, and there are none within 100 miles of our house. I lived without for almost 2 years, and then one day this fall I came across a recipe that looked just like what I was searching for. I tried it the very next week and it WAS what I was looking for! I was ecstatic. Now, it's not the same as getting to go eat at a restaurant, but it's one of my favorite recipes.
Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 lb Pasta (I usually use spaghetti))
1 Package frozen stir fry vegetables
1/2 C Peanut Butter
3 T Soy sauce
1 T Vinegar
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 C water
Cooked chicken breast cut up (optional)
Microwave veggies until tender. Cook noodles and drain-set aside. Mix rest of ingredients (except for chicken) in saucepan. Heat and stir until mixed & warm. Serve sauce, veggies and chicken over pasta.
I sometimes like to flake some red pepper flakes on top to give it just a little more zing-it definitely makes it more like the real thing.
Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 lb Pasta (I usually use spaghetti))
1 Package frozen stir fry vegetables
1/2 C Peanut Butter
3 T Soy sauce
1 T Vinegar
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 C water
Cooked chicken breast cut up (optional)
Microwave veggies until tender. Cook noodles and drain-set aside. Mix rest of ingredients (except for chicken) in saucepan. Heat and stir until mixed & warm. Serve sauce, veggies and chicken over pasta.
I sometimes like to flake some red pepper flakes on top to give it just a little more zing-it definitely makes it more like the real thing.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Soup for Cinco De Mayo?
Yes, we had soup for dinner on Cinco de Mayo. Keep in mind that I grew up eating tacos with ketchup in them (Mom's recipe). So please forgive me for not posting a favorite enchilada or tamale recipe, but this one really is quite good. In fact, it's my favorite soup recipe.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can chicken broth
1-2 Cups frozen corn
3/4 Cup salsa
1 Cup (or 1-2 cans) cooked chicken
1/4 Cup water
2 Cups shredded cheddar (or Mexican blend)
1 bag tortilla chips
1. Combine first seven ingredients (beans through water) in slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
3. Add 1 Cup of cheese, stir and cook until melted.
4. Spoon into bowls. Sprinkle cheese and crushed tortilla chips (sour cream is good with this also).
As I mentioned, this is my favorite recipe. I have one optional change for you-sometimes desperation forces us to try new things. When I went to get out all of my ingredients to make this recipe Tuesday, I realized that I was out of refried beans. Well, my little guy was gearing up for a nap, and I was gearing up for some quiet time, so there was no way I was going to run to the store for one little can of beans!
I turned to my cupboards, searching for something that might give the soup a little more filler. And I found.... Lipton's Instant Spanish Rice (the kind that comes in the pouch). So, I threw that in the pot, added a little extra water for good measure and a few hours later we had soup. I liked it, but not as much as when it has my good old refried beans. Dear Hubby however, thought it was better this way. So either way you're good to go. I'll stick to my musical fruit (too bad for hubby in more ways than one!).
Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can chicken broth
1-2 Cups frozen corn
3/4 Cup salsa
1 Cup (or 1-2 cans) cooked chicken
1/4 Cup water
2 Cups shredded cheddar (or Mexican blend)
1 bag tortilla chips
1. Combine first seven ingredients (beans through water) in slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
3. Add 1 Cup of cheese, stir and cook until melted.
4. Spoon into bowls. Sprinkle cheese and crushed tortilla chips (sour cream is good with this also).
As I mentioned, this is my favorite recipe. I have one optional change for you-sometimes desperation forces us to try new things. When I went to get out all of my ingredients to make this recipe Tuesday, I realized that I was out of refried beans. Well, my little guy was gearing up for a nap, and I was gearing up for some quiet time, so there was no way I was going to run to the store for one little can of beans!
I turned to my cupboards, searching for something that might give the soup a little more filler. And I found.... Lipton's Instant Spanish Rice (the kind that comes in the pouch). So, I threw that in the pot, added a little extra water for good measure and a few hours later we had soup. I liked it, but not as much as when it has my good old refried beans. Dear Hubby however, thought it was better this way. So either way you're good to go. I'll stick to my musical fruit (too bad for hubby in more ways than one!).
Monday, April 27, 2009
Nothing like comfort food on a rainy day.
Since the forecast for today was pretty much all day rain (which actually didn't start until suppertime-who knew?) I decided to make an old standard for dinner tonight. The recipe I originally used was called Swiss Chicken, but my hubby has renamed it Chicken Delicious-you try it and see if you agree:
Swiss Chicken Casserole a/k/a Chicken Delicious
3-4 Frozen chicken breasts (thawed)
3-4 Slices of Swiss cheese
1/4 C. Milk (I use skim)
1 Can cream of mushroom soup (I use the light kind)
1 Package of stuffing mix-herb, chicken or turkey flavor.
1 Stick of butter
Place thawed chicken breasts in bottom of slow cooker; place cheese slices on top of chicken (layer chicken and cheese if necessary). Combine milk and soup. Spoon soup mixture over chicken & cheese. Pour stuffing mix over soup mixture. Melt butter and drizzle over stuffing mix. Cook in slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
What I love about this recipe is that it's a throwback to good old fashioned turkey and dressing. It just warms you inside out. The cheese gives the chicken a great flavor. I sometimes will add fresh mushrooms to the soup mixture, and if I'm feeling really creative, I'll chop celery and add it to the stuffing. But the recipe is great on its own, too. After all, it's Chicken Delicious!
Swiss Chicken Casserole a/k/a Chicken Delicious
3-4 Frozen chicken breasts (thawed)
3-4 Slices of Swiss cheese
1/4 C. Milk (I use skim)
1 Can cream of mushroom soup (I use the light kind)
1 Package of stuffing mix-herb, chicken or turkey flavor.
1 Stick of butter
Place thawed chicken breasts in bottom of slow cooker; place cheese slices on top of chicken (layer chicken and cheese if necessary). Combine milk and soup. Spoon soup mixture over chicken & cheese. Pour stuffing mix over soup mixture. Melt butter and drizzle over stuffing mix. Cook in slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
What I love about this recipe is that it's a throwback to good old fashioned turkey and dressing. It just warms you inside out. The cheese gives the chicken a great flavor. I sometimes will add fresh mushrooms to the soup mixture, and if I'm feeling really creative, I'll chop celery and add it to the stuffing. But the recipe is great on its own, too. After all, it's Chicken Delicious!
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