Rigatoni w/ Sausage & Peas

So, this is definitely NOT a healthy option! If you're looking for something that isn't laden with calories, skip this. It's one dish that I don't make often simply because of the fact that it uses 1/4 cup of straight up butter and 1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream...but there are peas in it, so it has a glimmer of nutrition buried deep down.

The boy and I love this dish, Linds likes the noodles and peas, and even Luke is coming around - although my little "miva" (man-diva) got a bite that had a little sausage and proceeded to stand at the trash can for a couple minutes spitting it out and whining that it was "NOT NUMMY!" Someday these kids will come around to the awesomeness that is sausage?!?

Rigatoni w/ Sausage & Peas
Ingredients
1 16-ounce box rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground sausage
2 cups frozen green peas
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil and sauté garlic over medium heat. Add sausage and brown.
2. Once brown, add frozen peas and simmer for 5 minutes.

3.  In the meantime, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 
4. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. 

5. Slowly add heavy cream and butter to sausage skillet; bring to a slight boil. 
6. Cook for 5 minutes. 
7. Toss with cooked pasta and top with Parmesan cheese. 

The whole process should take just about half an hour. The estimated calories per serving is 611 (and this is an 8-serving dish). You can probably make some substitutions to get that number down (anything from cutting back on the amount of sausage to substituting ingredients in the sauce). The end result, however, is tasty...so try it on a splurge night (if you are food obsessed like me and count calories/fat/etc.!)

Pork BBQ & Potato Salad

I knew my afternoon was going to be a hectic one. We have a wonderful couple who comes in and cleans our house every other week (upon my insistence once I started working again...the boy wasn't keen at first and has quickly changed his mind!), and they come in at 3:00. It's a tough time of day - still nap time for the kiddos and not much do to late afternoon that doesn't interfere with dinner. Plus, it eats up my prep/cook time, so I need quick, easy and CLEAN meals to make for dinner (I don't want to mess up the house that quickly!).

I was home all day yesterday and bored by 3ish, so I decided to put together stuff for pork BBQ to crockpot all day, and to use the onions, eggs and potatoes we got from the farm for a potato salad before they go bad. It was the PERFECT day to have dinner ready - not a particularly bad day, but as a friend put it, one of those days where you get so many papercuts that it leads to one big injury. Not only was it nice to have dinner ready to go as soon as I got home from errands tonight, it tasted so flippin delicious!

And the best part: it was a hit amongst the ENTIRE family! Linds ate two full sandwiches and a big scoop of the potato salad, the boy chowed down when got home from work, and Luke...my kid who really only eats hot dogs, pizza, pb&js and chicken nuggets - well he ate half a sandwich. I was shocked to say the least! The prep for this meal took an hour or two, but I doubled the pork because I had a 6 lb roast and potato salad is always going to take forever. The recipe below is for a 3 or 4 lb roast. The potato salad doesn't have many ingredients either, but is still very tasty - almost like a loaded baked potato! YUM :)

Pork BBQ
Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 (3 or 4 pound) pork shoulder roast
1 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
8 hamburger buns

Directions

1. Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic, and thyme. 
2. Cover and cook on low (10-12 hours) or high (5-6 hours) until the roast shreds easily with a fork.
3. Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices. Serve on hamburger buns. 

Red-Skin Potato Salad
Ingredients
2 pounds clean, scrubbed new red potatoes
6 eggs
1 pound bacon
scallions, finely chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
handful of cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and set in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
3. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. Chop the cooled potatoes, leaving skin on. Add to a large bowl, along with the eggs, bacon, and onion. Stir in mayonnaise. Chill overnight.

May 25 - Apple Pie!

So today is my little man's birthday...he's already two years old! I can't believe how quickly these two years have gone...I can still remember him curled up in my lap, nursing away when he was a teeny tiny little guy (well, he was 14 lbs. by 8 weeks, so maybe not that teeny tiny?! but definitely smaller!). I can't post about him without including a few of my favorite photos :)

Birth:

1 month:

Almost 6 months:

1st birthday:

2nd birthday:

When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday surprise (cake, ice cream, pie, brownies, cookies, etc.), he screamed "pie!" Now, when I was a kid, I asked for my mom's apple pie from scratch every single year. It was tradition for as long as I can remember. When Luke said pie, I was SO excited to continue the tradition! Linds and I wrapped presents and then around 8:30 last night we started the pie. I completely forgot how long the process was! The crust alone took a good 20 minutes, the peeling, coring and slicing up the apples took awhile, and then it's a 45 minute bake time. Whew! It was all worth it though because that pie tasted AMAZING!

Apple Pie
Crust Ingredients:
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening

Filling Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
6 apples (skinned/sliced)

Topping Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions
Crust:
Mix flour and salt. Add 1/3 cup shortening. Mix with hands and 3 or 4 T of cold water until forms into ball. Roll out on floured surface. Form into baking dish.

Filling:
Combine powdered ingredients and add apples to mix. Put in crust.

Topping:
Turn into crumb by playing with it. Top pie with mixture and bake for 45 minutes at 425 degrees.

January 10 - Chicken Pot Pie

I just made one of these with my friend, Katie, and after making it with her, I decided I had to have one of my own! It turned out just the way I expected it and not only did the boy and I enjoy it, but so did Linds - even with all the veggies :) I was so, so happy - we all need more veggies in our diet. Luke boycotted dinner...again...I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, huh?!

I bought regular frozen pie crusts and when I mixed everything together, there was WAY too much filling. I mixed the veggies/chicken and sauce, then divided in two and froze the other half. Now I have another pot pie ready to go (as soon as I buy more crusts!).

Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
3/4 cup frozen green peas
3/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup sliced celery
3 medium potatoes
1 bullion cube
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crusts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, potatoes and celery. Add bullion cube and water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust (making a dome on top), seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

January 5 - Honey Cashew Chicken

I was looking over some old blog posts and came across the night I made cashew honey chicken. It was a huge hit before, so I figured it would be a sure hit. The boy and I still liked it as much (although this time he liked the beans and not the cashews - totally opposite of before). Linds ate a little, although this was the night before she got sick, so she didn't scarf it down like she did before. Luke? Well, Luke's been boycotting dinners again. ::SIGH:: My favorite part? It's super low-cal (only 190/serving with 4 total servings in the batch - not including the rice). Here's the recipe!


Cashew Honey Chicken
Ingredients
1 package PERDUE® SHORT CUTS® Carved Chicken Breast, Honey Roasted, 6 oz.
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 box (9 ounces) frozen cut green beans, thawed
1/3 cup cashews

Directions

1. In small bowl, whisk together broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch and ginger. 
2. In large nonstick skillet, stirring frequently, bring broth mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken and green beans and heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with cashews and serve, if desired, over hot rice.

January 3 - Garlic Cheese Chicken Roll-ups

I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com and with only 5 ingredients it surely looked like a keeper! Well, the boy thought it was pretty good, I enjoyed it, but Luke? Definitely not. Lindsay? She gagged on it so badly she had to spit hers in the trashcan. Needless to say we won't be making this again anytime soon (or if we do, it will be on a night when the kids are eating something else!).

Garlic Chicken Cheese Roll-ups
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup dried bread crumbs, seasoned
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (7 ounce) package garlic cheese spread (I used Rondele's light spread)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Pound chicken breasts until thinned out. 
3. In a shallow dish or bowl mix together bread crumbs and cheese. Dip one side of each breast into melted butter or margarine, then into crumb/cheese mixture. 
4. Place a dollop of cheese spread at one end of each chicken breast, on the side of the breast not dipped in the mixture. Roll up each breast and secure with toothpicks.
5. Place rollups in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and drizzle any remaining butter or margarine over all. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through and juices run clear.

December 13 - Hodge Podge

After the crazy weekend we had, I had trace amounts of energy leftover to do anything on Monday. In fact, I couldn't even muster up dinner, so I tossed together some elbow mac and sauce and served that to the kids. I'm not even sure the boy and I ate?! Usually Luke gobbles that up with no issue, but for some reason, refused to eat it. I started getting frustrated (I thought we'd been making progress), but then offered him a spoon to see if that changed anything. Wouldn't you know? It did. Of course I wonder now if he's always been picky, or if he just didn't like his fork. Gah - oh, well, he ate, so I was happy! He really enjoyed the food once he got that spoon and totally hammed it up for the camera.

In a funk

I feel like I'm in a cooking funk. Lately, I just feel wholly uninspired to create a nice big meal, sit down as a family and enjoy it like I usually do. I have no idea what it is - maybe it was the end of daylight savings time which makes it dark before 5? Or perhaps it's the fact that Luke's hitting that picky stage where he either refuses to eat it altogether, or he chews it up and then spits it out (which has subsequently given Linds the idea that she can refuse the food, too)? Or it could be because the boy hasn't come home from work until 7:00 every night for the past two or three weeks? This means the kids eat at 5:30 and I snack throughout the afternoon so I can wait until 7:30 to have dinner with him (and let me tell you - that hasn't been kind to my whole "getting in shape/losing the last 5 lbs of pregnancy weight" endeavor - grrrrrr). Who knows? It could be sheer laziness, too! All I know is that we're living off of take-out, prepared foods (chicken nuggets, those Barber's stuffed chicken breasts, Kraft mac-n-cheese, pastas, etc.), and PB&Js (well, AB&Js for Luke!). Hopefully this funk ends soon because I do miss eating good, homemade food...I guess I just want someone else to make it for me?!?

October 21 - Crockpot Meatloaf

I don't make meatloaf very often, but when I do, it has to be this recipe. It take about 20 minutes to toss together, but then you throw it in the crockpot and let it cook all day. It calls for 8 - 12 hours on low, so it's the perfect meal for people with a bit of a commute (like I had when worked outside the home). I always make mine with mashed potatoes and corn - I guess I'm a little traditional with my 'loaf :)

Linds, the boy and I have all loved this meal in the past, and I'm not sure I've made it since Luke's been on solids. After the way he's been eating lately (packs of cheese crackers for dinner two nights in a row...gah...), I didn't expect him to touch anything but the corn (the kid does not like mashed potatoes - I have NO idea why not?!? he's so not a Hoover!). To my surprise, he ate his entire piece in seconds and then handed me the plate and pointed to the spot where the loaf was for more. I couldn't believe it! I think he ended up eating just about as much of the loaf as I did. So, there you have it...if it's Luke-approved, it has to be good!

Crockpot Meatloaf
Ingredients

2 lbs. ground chuck
1/2 lb. bulk sausage
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 eggs
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 clove garlic
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
3/4 cup crushed saltines
3 large potatoes sliced in 1/4" thick fingers

Sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1. Line bottom of crockpot with potato fingers.
   
2. Combine all ingredients (except sauce) in a large bowl. Mix well; shape into a loaf and place on top of potatoes.
   
3. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour over loaf.
   
4. Cook 8 - 12 hours on low.

June 21 - Ribs and Corn on the Cob

We had a hankering for some ribs again, and the boy always loves a "repeat meal," so it was ribs and corn on the cob for dinner. Luke, as always, absolutely loved them...although this meal he spent more time sucking the sauce off the meat, and then pulling it out and throwing it on the floor?! He actually ate the corn that I sliced off the cob, too, which is a nice change of pace. Fruits are easy with him...veggies, not so much.

I've posted the recipe a bunch of times, so if you know me, that means it is GOOD! Enjoy it :)

Slow Cooker Ribs
Ingredients
4 lbs. pork baby back ribs
salt, pepper, minced onion and garlic powder to taste
2 cups Cattleman barbecue sauce
1 cup ketchup (only Heinz in this household!)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 dash of hot sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Season ribs with salt, pepper, minced onion and garlic powder. Place in a shallow baking pan. Brown in oven 15 minutes. Turn over, and brown another 15 minutes; drain fat.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs, and turn to coat.
4. Cover, and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or until ribs are tender.
5. About 30 minutes before serving, place back in baking pan at 400 degrees F and the sauce will caramelize to the meat and finish them to perfection.

The corn tasted really good, too...it's still "young" according to the boy, but it's definitely better than the ears we bought a month ago.

June 2 - more Best. Steaks. Ever.

Before I went grocery shopping last week, I was SO hungry for a big slab of steak - I kept thinking about the Best. Steak. Ever. recipe and decided we MUST make it stat. I picked out a 1.66 lb. porterhouse from Wegmans and figured we could all split that with some leftover. Little did I know, there wouldn't be an ounce of meat left!

This was my first time grilling a steak, so I was a bit nervous. We also had asparagus (marinated in the sauce) and mashed potatoes (I substituted my servings of potatoes for grilled marinated broccoli...the ten-year high school reunion is coming up - gotta get to work on losing the remaining baby weight!). I burned the asparagus and broccoli a little bit...not *that* bad, but still a little crisp, but the steak - oh, wow, the steak. It turned out PERFECTLY! I was quite excited that my first steak was such a huge success.

So here's the recipe again...if you haven't tried it, you absolutely must! And make sure that whichever veggies you're serving with it are marinated in the sauce, too...it's absolutely fabulous. Let me know if you make it and what you think :)

Best. Marinade. Ever.
Ingredients
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon concentrated lemon juice (or 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag. Knead bag to mix ingredients.
2. Place steaks inside bag and marinate for up to 8 hours.

Here's how the boy's and the kiddos' plates turned out (and yes, Luke ate a nice large chunk of the steak and Linds licked her plate clean, not leaving any meat for mom or dad to pick off).

And here's my plate, sans potatoes, with the addition of broccoli.

June 1 - Fajitas

The kids and I took advantage of the Dutch Wonderland season passes my parents bought us today and took a trip out to Lancaster. It was just the three of us who went and we had a blast! It's not always easy juggling both of them in an excitement-filled venue like an amusement park, but neither threw a fit, both stayed close the whole time...I couldn't have asked for a better day.

We left the park around 4:00, so I wanted to plan on something easy for dinner. I've been in the mood for fajitas, and I knew that only required cutting up an onion and pepper, and sautéing them up with a package of Purdue chicken shortcuts. I split it into two pans - one unmarinated, and the other mixed in with Wegman's fajita seasoning (YUM!) and served them in Chi Chi's whole wheat tortillas. I also made a pot of rice, some refried beans, and guacamole to go into the tortillas, and then topped them with some cilantro (and cheese for the boy).

They tasted fantastic! Scott ate two huge ones and kept going on and on about how delicious they were, and Lindsay ate an entire one on her own! Luke is another story, but he had a huge lunch, so I should have seen the throwing of the food coming. I love the fact that dinner took a whopping 20 minutes to make and that everyone devoured it. A definite success!

Catching up...again...

It's been yet another crazy weekend, as we celebrated Luke's birthday on Sunday. Most of the time has been spent preparing for the big party and the work paid off - it was a HUGE success! Everyone seemed to have a great time and Luke had a blast...he's been so worn out from all the excitement that he's slept more than 3 hours already today?!?

As for the past few dinners, I ate at the Sinkhole Saloon in Palmyra with the 10-year reunion planning committee. I had an awesome veggie burrito and chips, and, of course, a bottle of Magic Hat! On Saturday, we ate BBQ pork chops and corn on the cob. Yesterday we spent the day munching on hot dogs, meatballs, chips, pretzels, popcorn and cake. The meatballs were a huge hit, so I want to share the recipe. It's honestly one of the easiest recipes ever!


Meatballs
Ingredients
40 meatballs
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 onion

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and cook in crockpot over low for 4-5 hours.

May 25 - Birthday Pizza!

Today is Luke's birthday, so we let him pick dinner...okay, okay - we don't have any food, the kid digs pizza, and we haven't had it in a couple of weeks, so it was a no-brainer. We ordered from Domino's and Linds and I made a cake for Luke. I'm definitely not good at making cakes...no matter how hard I try, they always look like a HUGE disaster! Luckily, Linds helped me with this, so I can lay partial blame on her ;-) Here's our creation:

Now, when we gave him the cake, he poked it a few times and then just screamed - no tears...just piercing shrieks. I don't think he liked it?! He refused to even touch it. Oh, well, we'll see what happens during his party on Sunday! Today, we spent the afternoon at Chick-fil-A with Luke's buddies, took long naps, and went to the "slides and swings" (East Fallowfield Park) behind our house. It was such a fun day! Here are a few photos of the birthday boy.

Happy Birthday Luke!

One year ago today my little man was born! I know this has nothing to do with food, coupons, or freebies...but I have to wish him a happy birthday on here :) He's my little mama's boy (in a tough, manly, masculine way!), and he and his sister are the lights of my life. It's so hard to believe he's already one - I feel like it was just yesterday that we were sitting at the Paoli Hospital, watching the Jon & Kate + 8 Memorial Day marathon (which, by the way, drove me insane! as if labor wasn't bad enough!), waiting for him to arrive. Happy birthday Lukas - I love you!

Luke vs. Corn on the Cob

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I got a new camera - wahoo! We desperately needed an upgrade, and with vacation in three days, we figured it was high time. We bought a Sony Cybershot W-350. I've been photo-crazy all day, taking pictures of anything and everything, and managed to capture this absolute preciousness! Maybe I'm partial, but I kind of think he's the cutest little guy in the universe.

And, of course, I have to toss a few of Linds in!

May 13 - First Corn on the Cob of the Season

I was planning on doing Valerie's chicken today but realized I had two chicken breasts left...enough for the boy and the kiddos with the way Luke and Linds have been eating lately. When I was at Wegmans buying some burgers and their amaaaaazing baked potato salad (it is SO delicious!), I came across a halibut fillet with pesto, sun dried tomatoes and a little mozzarella cheese. It looked like it would taste heavenly and I needed a protein for my meal...the fact that it was $4 was even better! I also saw they had corn on the cob out, so I bought six ears, figuring that would be enough for us. Next time, I need to buy at least 10!

Now, of course, I cut up the chicken for Luke and Lindsay, assuming that's what they would eat. Linds started picking at it (she was eager for the corn), but Luke just tossed his overboard. I know he likes this chicken, but I figured maybe if I gave him a bite of the fish and pesto and tomatoes that he would be so grossed out by the alternative that he'd scarf down the chicken. NOPE! The kid ate 2/3 of my fillet. Every time I took a bite he shrieked and banged on his tray table.

So, my meal (and Luke's I guess) was a little halibut with pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, paired with corn on the cob and white rice (with a little of the Val's chicken sauce on it for flavor). The boy and Linds ate the chicken instead of the fish. I took a few photos and I'm going to post them all...I got a new camera today, so I went a little picture happy.

May 10 - Cornbread Enchilada Casserole

Today was the May installment of "Munchin Mamas" recipe club. Although already taken place, we honored the Cinco de Mayo holiday and made it a Mexican themed meeting. We had some fantastic food, including: fruit salsa with cinnamon sugar chips, guacamole and chips, a spicy cream cheese/Velveeta/turkey sausage dip with chips, a cheesy salsa-y chicken, and Mexican wedding cookies. I decided to bring the famed cornbread enchilada casserole, given to me by my friend Katie. I made it a month or two ago and it was a HUGE hit! I had enough leftovers for it to be dinner tonight, so I ate it twice today (so did the kiddos). Luke was really diggin it, too - I couldn't believe how much he enjoyed the beans especially. Watching him eat all this "big boy" food is fascinating, albeit a bit sad...where did my baby go?!?

For those of you who haven't tried it, here is the recipe again!

Cornbread Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
4 oz. can diced green chiles
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
3 to 4 chopped scallions (I used 1/4 cup onion)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used 2 boxes of Purdue Short Cuts because I didn't have too much time to make it)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn with red & green peppers, drained
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup egg substitute (I used 2 eggs)
1 (8.5 oz) package corn muffin mix
2 Tblsp chopped roasted red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Mexican cheese
for garnish - sour cream, fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place salsa, scallions, chicken, beans, corn, half the chilies, and enchilada sauce into the cooker; stir well. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
2. Combine the other half of the chiles, corn muffin mix, egg substitute, and chopped red pepper in a bowl. Spoon batter evenly over the bean mixture in the cooker. Cover and cook 1 hour until the crust is done.
3. Sprinkle the cheese over the corn bread, turn off the crockpot and let it sit 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Top each serving with a tablespoon of sour cream and additional cilantro, optional. Makes about 6 servings.

May 4 - Tangy Spare Ribs

When I ordered my freezer special package from the butcher, they gave us two separate packages of spare ribs. I defrosted one overnight and meant to toss it in the crockpot, but realized around 3:00 that I didn't. Whoops! I decided to try out a different recipe then for tangy spare ribs that I've been eying for quite some time.

Well, suffice it to say, I wasn't entirely thrilled with it. They weren't bad, just not as good as the others. When I first made my original rib recipe, I was so nervous that they'd turn out blah and was pleasantly surprised. Thank god I didn't do this one first! Seriously, they aren't bad - they were just not as moist and the sauce had a bit too much kick for me (not a spicy kick...a, well, tangy kick).

Linds loved them...I swear she ate more than I did?! We also had some sweet potato cornbread that I had made a few weeks ago, which Luke devoured. It's fun to see him start eating finger foods (although he didn't care for these ribs like he did the others). If you'd like to give it a shot, here's the recipe; I'm also reposting the sweet potato corn bread because it's THAT good!

Tangy Spare Ribs
Ingredients
4 pounds pork spareribs
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup ketchup
1 cup water
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Directions

1. Cut ribs into serving-size pieces; place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, saute onion in butter for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. 
3. Drain fat from roasting pan. Pour sauce over ribs. 
4. Bake 1-1/2 hours longer or until meat is tender.
   

Sweet Potato Corn Bread
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vinegar + 1 cup milk + 15 T milk
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a 9x9 baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. 
3. In a small bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, sweet potato and softened butter.
4. Fold liquid mixture into dry mixture and stir until just well blended.
5. Pour into baking dish and bake 20 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly pressed with a fingertip.

May 3 - Crab Cakes

It's official - vacation is less than 2 weeks away! We leave on Sunday, May 16, after lunch and head down to Atlantic City for a week with my family (my parents, my brother and his girlfriend, and even my sister will be there - our first family vacation that I have been on, honestly, since 1999 I think). Since we'll be gone, I want to use up as much of the food in the house so that nothing goes to waste. I made a list of at least 15 different meals we have available (my god this stockpiling thing is fantastic!), so I'll be going through those over the next two weeks.

Last night while I was digging around the freezer I found crab cakes from when I made them before (back in early March, I think?), so I decided to whip those up with some yellow saffron rice (which I got for free, thanks to coupons and a sale at Giant) and corn. I had 4 cakes, which I figured Linds would turn her nose up at, so I gave the boy two and I took one, knowing full well that when Linds said "ewwww!" to hers, I'd eat the rest. Wouldn't you know she devoured it?! And I'm not talking simply eating...she scarfed it down and begged for more. While this was going on, Luke was screeching in his highchair, which is code for, "FEED ME!" I gave him a bite of my crab cake (thanks to the allergy testing we know he has no shellfish allergy) and he continued screeching. Great - this kid likes 'em, too! I have a feeling my kiddos are going to have very expensive palates! Here's a rerun of the crab cake recipe:

Crab Cakes
Ingredients
16 oz. crab meat
1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 egg
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. mustard
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 c. breadcrumbs

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except crab meat.
2. Shape into cakes.
3. Pan-fry 15 minutes, turning half-way through, until both sides are golden-brown and cooked through.