Fried Pickles

This has been a serious craving of mine throughout the pregnancy. I've had them at Cheeseburger in Paradise and Buffalo Wild Wings, and when I saw the link on Pinterest for homemade fried pickles, there was no stopping me! I opted to wait until Superbowl Sunday to make them (perfect game-day treat) and boy were they delish. Linds begged to help, so I let her do the dipping and I dropped them in the pan of oil. It was a huge mess, but well worth it. The picture below doesn't accurately represent the level of messiness, but it's a glimpse of it.

Fried Pickles
Ingredients
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup cornstarch, divided
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (I ran out and used 1/2 cup out of a box of Jiffy Mix)
2 teaspoons dill
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
36 dill pickle slices, cold
Canola oil
Ranch dressing for dipping

Directions

1. Beat egg and milk. 
2. Place 1/2 cup cornstarch in a shallow dish. In another dish, mix 1/2 cup each cornstarch and cornmeal with dill, paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Dip cold pickle slices in the plain cornstarch, then the egg wash, then the cornmeal mixture. 
4. Fry in 2 inches of 375 F (medium-high stovetop heat) canola oil until golden, about 3 minutes.
5. Drain on paper towels and serve with ranch dressing.

Veggie Pizza

I was looking to make a veggie pizza for a family gathering this weekend and dug out this recipe - I forgot I had it and I remember enjoying it when it was served at a party we threw awhile ago. Wanted to post it before I forgot where I stored it ;-) The original called for 2 packages of crescent rolls, but I have a TON of the "sauce" spread left, so I increased it to 3 and it possibly could be 4 depending on how heavy you like the "sauce." I don't care for it to be too thick, so I may try 4 next time. Enjoy!

Veggie Pizza
Ingredients
3 (8oz) pkgs refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (1oz) pkg dry ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust.
3. Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 mins without removing it from baking sheet.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo and dry ranch dressing. Spread mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, tomato, green pepper, cauliflower, carrots and cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for one hour, slice and serve.

Alfredo Sauce

Today is day six of my unintentional meat strike. It started on Tuesday when I saw a photo of mechanically separated chicken (that at first looked deliciously like raspberry soft serve ice cream, but I later realized totally was NOT)...and since, the thought of any kind of meat makes my stomach turn. I'm really hoping this is a pregnancy thing because I love buffalo chicken dip, fresh grilled burgers, fettuccine carbonara, and all sorts of other meaty dishes. But, for now, I'm sticking to fish and veggies. It's making for a monstrous inconvenience as far as meals - making one thing for myself, another for the boy and Linds who want "real" food, and Luke not eating anything but mac-n-cheese or some sort of PB and [fill in the blank].

Anyhoo, I decided to do a big pot of alfredo pasta tonight and make things simple. I hadn't tried this exact recipe before, but it's a pretty basic alfredo recipe, so I knew it would be fine. The original calls for heavy cream, which I don't keep on hand just because of the ridiculous amount of calories, cholesterol and saturated fat contents, so I use a 1% millk/flour roux. I saved 700 calories in the dish AND it tastes just as delicious!

Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package pasta of your choice
1 cup milk
1 T flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
A few shakes of parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, combine milk, flour and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally; be careful not to bring mixture to a boil. Stir in Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and garlic powder. 
3. Toss with cooked pasta and serve immediately.

Corn Chowder & Bread

Finally made it to the grocery store! About damn time, huh? I always know when it's time to shop because I get cranky when there's no food...and then stressed because I have this marathon list to tackle...and it just gets ugly. In the whole attempt to have a full, nutritious meal, I opted to do corn chowder and whole wheat beer bread. Everything turned out pretty well - it wasn't necessarily the most delicious thing ever, but it tasted good and was super easy to make. Linds helped me with the bread and keeping me company while I chopped the veggies for the soup, so it was a nice bonding experience for us :)

One thing to remember about the chowder...the soup needs at least 15 or 20 minutes to simmer at the end to thicken up. I always forget about this and when it's warmed through I think I screwed up because it's all runny and thin. After 20 minutes, however, the consistency is MUCH better! Between a bowl for the boy, a bowl for myself and a smaller bowl for both kids, the soup was gone - I'd say it's barely 4 servings (although just a little over 200 calories per serving!).

Corn Chowder
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons finely diced celery
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
2 tablespoons finely diced green pepper
1 package frozen whole kernel corn (10 oz.)
1 cup peeled, diced, 1/2" raw potatoes (I use frozen hashbrowns)
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups low-fat (1%) or skim milk
Cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions

1.  Heat oil in medium saucepan. 
2. Add celery, onion, and green pepper and saute for 2 minutes. 
3. Add corn, potatoes, water, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium; and cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 
4. Place 1/2 cup milk in a jar with tight fitting lid. Add flour and shake vigorously. Add gradually to cooked vegetables and add remaining milk. 
5. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Serve garnished with shredded cheddar.

Whole Wheat Beer Bread
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (I used Stella)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Pour in beer, stir until a stiff batter is formed. It may be necessary to mix dough with your hands. Scrape dough into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Baked Potato Pizza

A few weeks ago I made meals for two good friends - one who just had a baby and one who underwent pretty major surgery that has sidelined her from her kitchen. I decided to do my "signature" meal - baked potato pizza! It's a wildly delicious carb-fest and just one slice will probably be more than enough to fill you up. We barely put down half of one among the four of us for an entire meal. It's always been well-received (or at least people lie well?!), and a definite to try out.

Baked Potato Pizza
Ingredients
1 large pre-made pizza crust
4 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (optional)
3 to 5 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and oregano. Add potatoes and toss.
3. Spread sour cream over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses.
4. Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 slices

Green Bean Casserole

I'm only 15 weeks into this pregnancy, so the cravings haven't struck vengefully, but when they do, I like to entertain them. Especially when they're mildly healthy. The latest one? Green bean casserole. Not the mushroom soup kind, but this one recipe I found and altered from Allrecipes.com. It might not be the best sodium or fat-wise, but damnit, it tastes good. I have no idea what we're having with this for dinner tonight, but likely it will be grilled cheeses because they're easy and meatless (in a meatless mood again all of a sudden). Enjoy! :)

Grandma's (Modified) Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 T dried onion
1 cup sour cream
3 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium French style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (12 crackers) crumbled buttery round crackers
1 tablespoon butter, melted
French fried onions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, a handful of French fried onions and 1 cup of cheese, and stir to coat.
3. Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread remaining cup of shredded cheese over the top. Top with a handful of French fried onions. 
4. In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese.
5. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Broccoli & Cheese Soup

It's been 2 months since I've posted anything and got a little nudge from a pal on Thursday (yes, Sarah, I'll try to update more often!). I've got a good excuse, though - I found out soon after that last post that I'm pregnant again! As of now, I'm just about 15 weeks along and finally feeling like I'm "coasting" now that it's the 2nd trimester. The first wasn't terribly awful - but morning sickness kicked in at 4 p.m. like clockwork, so I avoided cooking, eating, and for the most part just looking at food for a while there.

Now that the worst of it's over, I'm gradually getting back to cooking. It's tough - the boy has decided to start taking the train back into work (partially to save money, but mostly to save sanity, as that drive into the city is BRUTAL), so our family meals during the week are no longer. He only started in the beginning of November, so I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to cook dinner so that it's good for the kids, but also not a leftover mess for us when we eat later in the evening. The other night I grabbed the frozen bag of broccoli and cheese soup I made a few weeks before and reheated that for all of us. It's an easy recipe to make and the kids really enjoyed it, too.

Broccoli & Cheese Soup
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
2 (16 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (1 pound) loaf processed cheese food, cubed
1 cup shredded cheese (or about a handful out of the bag, if you're me)
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup water

Directions

1. In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until softened. Stir in broccoli, and cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Reduce heat, and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Mix in milk and garlic powder.
3. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into water until dissolved. Stir into soup; cook, stirring frequently, until thick.

Champagne Shrimp Over Pasta

I've been itching to make this one since I saw it on allrecipes.com (my faaaavorite recipe site!), but always forgot the champagne when at the liquor store. I finally remembered it during last week's trip and made it tonight for the boy and myself. He didn't get home until 7:30 and I knew it was one of those dishes that wouldn't reheat well, so the kids were stuck eating grilled cheeses while we enjoyed this. We LOVED it and definitely will add it to the rotation! The original recipe calls for plum tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms to be added with it, but the boy won't eat the 'shrooms and neither of us are big tomato people.

Champagne Shrimp Over Pasta
Ingredients
8 ounces angel hair pasta
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups champagne
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 cup heavy creamsalt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Combine shrimp, champagne, and salt in a frying pan, and cook over high heat. When liquid just begins to boil, remove shrimp from pan. Add shallots to champagne; boil until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup cream; boil until slightly thick, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add shrimp to sauce, and heat through. Adjust seasonings to taste.
3. Toss hot, cooked pasta with remaining 1/4 cup cream and parsley. 
4. To serve, spoon shrimp with sauce over pasta, and top with Parmesan cheese. 

Cornbread Enchilada Casserole

Wow, so no gold star for keeping the blog up-to-date for me! Hehe - it's officially summer now that preschool is over and you all know how great a job I do at maintaining a cooking routine when there's no "normalcy" in my schedule. Between Luke's birthday, the kiddos' nights over with my parents and the boy's parents, and all the other craziness our schedule has endured the past two weeks, we've barely eaten at home. And when we have, it's junky quick food - nuggets, mac-n-cheese, PB&Js, burgers, hot dogs, etc.

I did manage to cook once last week and was so super excited - cornbread chicken enchilada casserole! This recipe was the most read post from the blog last year (thank you Mrs. Katie Brumbelow!) and one of my personal favorites. I was stoked to make it, seeing as I had a fresh jar of salsa from the farm with which we're doing our crop share, and at 5:00 when I opened up the crockpot, I was ready to eat it straight out of the pot. I took the first big bite and after I burnt half my mouth, I realized that it would never fly with the kiddos. The salsa, while absolutely PERFECT for me and the boy, would be just a bit too spicy for them. Linds took one sniff and said, "whoa - that is like, a hundred million thousand, seventy-hundred, sixty-two" spicy." (Yes, she is into numbers lately and strings together as many as possible to exaggerate her assuredness of something.)

Now, as I'm writing the update, I've been back and forth with Katie, and it seems as if we're planning to repeat our cooking extravaganza next week - and if so, look for some photos and a post of all the yummy stuff we're going to make! So, here's a repost of the casserole recipe, and a little tease for what's to come! ;-)

Cornbread Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
1 small can diced green chiles (4 oz)
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
3 to 4 chopped scallions (or 1/4 cup onion)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (or a box of Perdue chicken shortcuts)
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 (or 2 eggs)
1 (8.5 oz) package corn muffin mix
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, and egg 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. Makes about 6 servings (unless you're me, then it's like 3...haha!).

And, while I'm at it, I realize I have a few veggie friends who don't eat meat, and I wouldn't mind expanding my "meat-free" wings here and there. I'm pretty sure this would be just as delish without the chicken, so perhaps next time around I'll use mild salsa and go meat-free!

New recipes!

If I can keep up with this every two weeks, it's at least an improvement from once a month, right?! I seem to keep losing time more quickly as the days roll by, and I don't quite know how not to get lost in it. The gap in time probably wasn't helped by the fact that I needed to grocery shop and a lot of the meals were repeats of stuff I've done before. I did finally go shopping this past Thursday and managed to save $75 in coupons...I was pretty stoked about that! It took my $300 grocery down considerably.

I forgot to post my latest Munchin Mamas recipe from January. We had a "Make It or Break It" theme where we could have brought something healthy that went along with everyone's resolutions to eat healthier/diet/lose weight/etc., or we could bring something absolutely decadently delicious. I went the healthy route and made quinoa and black beans. I've never made quinoa, and now I'm a BIG fan! I added a little sour cream to the recipe just to give it some extra "oomph." I also made a baked three-cheese macaroni dish with bacon (yes, ANOTHER mac-and-cheese recipe) over the weekend that Linds, Scott and I liked (Luke is unfortunately still in his "I hate everything but ketchup" mode). Tonight was one of our favs - taco salads. Even Linds ate it for dinner (she's finally reached the age where she'll eat pretty much everything we do).

There are a few good deals out there, too, which I'll try to post. Hopefully this won't be the last post until mid-March ;-)


Quinoa w/ Black Beans
Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.
4. Garnish with sour cream.

Three-Cheese Baked Macaroni
Ingredients
Coarse salt
1/2 lb elbow macaroni
3 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2 in. pieces
1.5 tsp minced garlic
3 large eggs
12-oz can evaporated milk
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1.5 cups grated sharp cheddar (6 oz.)
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack (2 oz.)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (1 oz.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni 6 minutes (it will still be undercooked). Drain. 
2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium and add bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. 
3. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon mixture to a medium bowl. Add macaroni and stir to combine. 
4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and evaporated milk. Add ½ tsp salt, nutmeg, and cheese; mix well. Add macaroni mixture and stir well to combine. 
5. Transfer to an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish or a 2-qt gratin dish. With a spoon, gently spread mixture to form an even layer. 
6. Bake just until sauce is bubbling at edges, 15-20 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Catch-up time!

So I feel like this is completely inexcusable - I mean, really? Nearly a month since I've updated? Wow, I suck. In my defense, I started working part-time from home, so by the time the kiddos are in bed, I usually catch up on a few work things that didn't get done during naptime and then try to get a few minutes in with the boy before completely crashing. We also joined our local YMCA and I've become totally addicted to going to the gym. Let me preface this by saying that I've *never* been very much into exercising, playing sports, etc., but since joining I've learned to love running (signed up for the Broad Street 10-mile run in May) and doing Body Pump (a barbell class that makes lifting not only tolerable, but almost kind of fun!). Mentally, I feel the best that I have in a long, long time. Physically, I'm in better shape than I've been in at least six or seven years (even lost 5 or 6 lbs since the beginning of the year!).

So, I think I've made enough excuses for now ;-) I'll post a few recipes that I've made over the last couple weeks to help make up for the disappearing act. I made my baked potato pizza for the game, too, so I'll repost that favorite.

Baked Potato Pizza
Ingredients
1 large pre-made pizza crust
4 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 to 5 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
   
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and oregano. Add potatoes and toss.
3. Spread sour cream over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses.
4. Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 slices


Beer Glazed Ham
Ingredients
1 boneless fully cooked ham (3 lbs.)
1 can beer
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard

Directions

1. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes ½ inch deep. 
2. Set aside 2 T beer. Pour remaining beer over ham. 
3. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and reserved beer; spread over ham.
5. Bake 40-45 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 140, basting occasionally.

Saucy Pepper Steak
Ingredients
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 T lite soy sauce
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1 lb. trimmed beef sirloin steak, cut into strips

Directions

1. Heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onions; cook and stir 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Transfer to large bowl; cover to keep warm. 
2. Add meat, garlic and black pepper to same skillet; cook and stir 3 min. 
3. Add soy sauce; cook 1 min. or until meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add BBQ sauce; cook until heated through. 
5. Spoon meat mixture into bowl with vegetables; toss gently. Serve over rice. 

Makes 4 servings. 330 calories, 6 g fat per serving.


Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Cheesy Potato and Corn Chowder
Ingredients
2 tablespoons margarine
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 (2.5 ounce) package country style gravy mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Mexican-style processed cheese food

Directions

1. In large saucepan, melt margarine over medium high heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in corn; return to boiling. Dissolve gravy mix in milk; stir into boiling mixture. Add cheese; cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

Cooking Extravaganza!

A wonderful friend of mine, Katie (yes, the one who gave us the hit dish Cornbread Chicken Enchiladas), is having a little baby girl in February. In her ever-so-responsible nature, she decided she wanted to freeze a whole bunch of meals so that when she and baby return home, her husband wouldn't be burdened with all the cooking and she wouldn't be even more overwhelmed with cooking on top of all the other new tasks. What better way to spend a Thursday than cooking with a great friend?!

Naturally, it's important to cook on a full stomach, so we swung to Qdobas and picked up some burritos for lunch. We also needed to get some storage containers for her food, so we hit the Target attached to the Springfield Mall. Let me tell you what - it's a two-story store (which I've never seen before) AND the coolest part was that in between the escalators in the middle, there was one for the cart?!? I was so amused watching the carts go up and down alongside the people. It's the little things that amuse me...

Anyways, we got home, scarfed down food and then went to work (oh, right, and we took a chocolate fondue break...yummmm!). We made a black bean pie (thanks to Barb C. for that recipe!), a chicken pot pie (not traditional PA Dutch...the stereotypical kind), a chicken-noodle bake, meatloaf and lasagna. When it was all said and done we had enough food for at least 15 days worth of dinners! I'd say it was a resounding success. We're hoping to get one more all-day session in so she has a  good month's worth of food.

Here's our prep area:

Here are recipes for everything we did and some photos recapping our fun :)

Black Bean Pie
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
2/3 cup salsa
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (9 inch) unbaked 9 inch pie crusts
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). 
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and green pepper until tender. Sir in beans, salsa, red bell pepper, chili powder, cayenne and black pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. 
3. Spoon half of the mixture into one of the pie crusts and cover with half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining beans and cheese. Top with remaining crust. 
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. 
5. Let it sit for about 5 or 10 minutes before cutting into it so that it has a chance to firm up. 

Pre-cooked pie:

Me in my cooking glory:

Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
3/4 cup frozen green peas
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.  

Chicken Noodle Bake
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 ounces egg noodles
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. Poach chicken in a large pot of simmering water. Cook until no longer pink in center, about 12 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook pasta in it. Drain. Cut chicken into small pieces, and mix with noodles.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together mushroom soup, chicken soup, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Gently stir together cream soup mixture with the chicken mixture. Place in a 2 quart baking dish.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan, and remove from heat. Stir in crumbled crackers. Top casserole with the buttery crackers.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 30 minutes, until heated through and browned on top. 

Katie's chicken-noodle bake:

Our finished pies and the bake:

All stored up:

I don't have the meatloaf recipe (forgot to write it down, but I know I can still get it from Katie!), and her lasagna was simple...layers of ground beef, mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and noodles.

Everything turned out deliciously (we, of course, had to sample!). If you have any recommendations for good freezable meals for us to make on our second go-round, post it in the comment section. We plan to make baked potato soup and her husband's going to make shepherd's pie, but we need a few more suggestions. Oh, and next time, Katie - we need a photo together!!

Holiday Food

It's been awhile since I've had time to just sit down, much less update the blog. There really hasn't much to update anyways...I haven't really been cooking over the past few days. I made spaghetti for Lindsay's birthday on Tuesday, per her request, and then did leftovers on Wednesday. The kiddos went to my folks' house on Thursday, so the boy and I had a nice dinner at Firecreek (flash-fried calamari appetizer, short rib for the boy, and a mahi/lobster/crab dish for me).

On Friday we were at my family's Christmas celebration and had jambalya, clam chowder, and my mom's amazing mac-n-cheese. And finally yesterday we were with the Risser side of the family for their celebration. My brother-in-law always cooks (which is a special treat for all of us since his culinary skills are probably the best in the fam...no offense to anyone else?!?), and it's tradition to have prime rib. I was in charge of a side (to go with all of the other sides he put out), so I made a winter fruit salad with a lemon poppyseed vinaigrette. I was hesitant to make something like that because the boy grew up with PA Dutch-style cooking, so some of the things I put on the table he totally balks at (therefore, it's likely his family would, too). But, I know it was way too good not to make, and it fit in nicely with the rest of the dishes. I never even made it to dessert yesterday because I was way too full (with the exception of a small toffee millionaire bar...of which I could have easily eaten another half-dozen), although naturally I was not too full to enjoy all of the wine my SIL & BIL brought. It sure beat the hell out of the boxes I'm used to ;-)

So, yup, it was a great holiday weekend, filled with all sorts of fun! We're spending today recuperating and it's nice to have the boy home as backup (usually he's back at work the day after Christmas). I do have to say, though, I am so sick of food. I need to use the flank steak that's in the fridge, so I'm making flank steak pinwheels tonight, but come tomorrow I don't even know what to make...I can't stop eating, but nothing sounds appetizing anymore?!

Winter Fruit Salad w/ Lemon Poppyseed Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons diced red onion
1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup cashews, pecans, or walnuts (I used leftover pecans from my pie the other week)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 apples - peeled, cored and diced
1 pear - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard, and salt. Process until well blended. 
2. With machine still running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. 
3. Add poppy seeds, and process just a few seconds more to mix. 
4. In a large serving bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, apple, and pear. If making ahead, you can toss the apples and pears in the vinaigrette so they don't brown.
5. Pour dressing over salad just before serving, and toss to coat.

Everyone seemed to love this yesterday. It makes a TON of dressing, though, so you might want to either serve the dressing separately or add some more lettuce. Also, it's not something that is good as leftovers if you mix the dressing with the salad (everything gets wilted and loses its crunchiness).

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.

December 1 - Baked Potato Pizza

We are having a baby boom in our MOMS Club!! There have been at least half a dozen babies who have arrived or are arriving soon?! I made my staple - baked potato pizza - for two moms this week. Here's recipe again!

Baked Potato Pizza
Ingredients
1 large pre-made pizza crust
4 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 to 5 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
   
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and oregano. Add potatoes and toss.
3. Spread sour cream over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses.
4. Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 slices

Let's try this mac & cheese?!

I haven't made this kind in a long time, but it's one of the better versions (albeit MUCH higher in calories). It's also a lot creamier than the other kind I just made...guess I should have gone with this instead of the "crunchy kind." Tee hee!

Thanks to Sarah for this recipe :)

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Cottage Cheese (Not Lowfat)
2 Cups Milk (Not Skim)
1 tsp dry mustard
Pinch Cayenne
Pinch Nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra sharp cheddar, shredded or grated
1/2 pound elbow macaroni, UNCOOKED

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375F and position rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tsp butter to butter a 9 inch round or square baking pan.
2. In a blender, puree cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, pepper, nutmeg, and salt together.
3. Reserve 1/4 cup shredded cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining shredded cheese, milk mixture, and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.
4. Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon of butter.
5. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more until browned. Cool 15 minutes prior to serving.

November 16 - Crab Quiche

Today is the boy's birthday! To celebrate his 32nd, the kiddos and I made crab quiche and chocolate cupcakes with blue cream cheese icing (Linds thinks it's so cool that we can change the color of food with a few drops of food coloring lately). I had a tub of crab that I wanted to use, but wasn't in the mood to do crab cakes; when I saw this recipe, I had to give it a try. It was delicious! Unfortunately, no fun recipe for the cupcakes...thanks Betty Crocker for the help ;-) The boy really loved all of the decorations, food, and presents, so it turned out to be quite the perfect birthday celebration.

Crab Quiche
Ingredients
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
8 oz. crab meat
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, mayonnaise, flour, and milk until thoroughly blended. Stir in crab, cheese, and onion. Spread into pie shell.
3. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

You can use any kind of pie crust, but I *always* use the Pillsbury frozen ones...I haven't found one that any of us like better.

Family Night Out at Casa de Risser!

The day after I came home from Texas, I thought it would be fun to host a party for 50 people from our MOMS Club. Now, I'd planned it well in advance and had most stuff ready in time, but still - am I clinically insane or what?! Luckily, it was BYOB and bring food to share, so my only contribution was the chili. It was a blast hanging out with everyone, showing off the basement, and cheering on the Eagles to a victory! Here's my chili recipe and a super yummy veggie pizza recipe that I highly recommend (thanks, Laura!).

Chili
Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
8 oz. jar of salsa
4 tablespoons of chili seasoning
15 oz. light red kidney beans
15 oz. dark red kidney beans

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and sauté for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender.
2. Drain grease if desired (I always do).
3. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning and beans.
4. Mix well, reduce heat to low, and simmer for at least an hour.

Veggie Pizza
Ingredients
2 (8oz) pkgs refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8oz) pkdgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (1oz) pkg dry ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust.
3. Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 mins without removing it from baking sheet.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo and dry ranch dressing. Spread mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, tomato, green pepper, cauliflower, carrots and cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for on hour, slice and serve.

A late MM entry

So one of our mamas couldn't make our gathering last Tuesday, but she still sent her recipe in...I'm going to leave her anonymous, but she knows who she is :P Thanks, lady!

Veggie Pizza

1. Stay up really late to make it because it has to chill for a while and you don't want to be late as usual =)
2. Go to bed.
3. Set the alarm to get up earlier than usual because you have to go all the way to Lionville because your dumb ass left your diaper bag (aka, lifeline) at My Gym.  ...and you don't want to be late as usual!
4. Answer the phone when it rings.  (You can, and should skip this step.)
5. Hear your mother-in-law (that was supposed to come Monday but didn't because your sister-in-law passed out and then said she was coming early Wednesday morning) say, "good news ~ I'm on my way RIGHT NOW!"
6. Open the fridge and take a good look at the yummy veggie pizza you made for the friends you were looking forward to hanging out with (finally!!).
7. Grab a piece.
8. Start the coffee.
9. Grab another piece.
10. Curse the empty liquor cabinet.
11. Grab another piece.
12. Sigh and start cleaning.

Best served cold!

October Munchin Mamas

I love Munchin Mamas day because it means I never have to cook leftovers :) (We all bring tupperware and divvy up the remaining food.) Our theme this month was "frighteningly delicious" and as I posted before, I brought the Green Grog. We also had a bruchetta-y calzone, easy mac-and-cheese, a yummy pumpkin/spinach ziti, and all the cookies, cupcakes and pumpkin cheesecake you could ever imagine! Needless to say I was STUFFED by the time we left :)

Here was our spread:

For the first recipes...

Easy Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
3 tbsp. butter
2 1/2 c. uncooked macaroni
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. sharp cheese, grated
Dash of pepper
1 qt. milk

Directions

1. Melt butter in baking dish. 
2. Pour uncooked macaroni into melted butter and stir until macaroni is covered well. 
3. Stir salt, pepper and cheese through macaroni. 
4. Pour milk over all. 
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Do not stir while baking.

For the second recipe...

Baked Ziti with Pumpkin & Sausage
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
4 cups (12 oz.) dry regular or whole-wheat ziti
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Fat Free Milk
4 links (12 oz.) fully-cooked Italian-seasoned chicken sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 pkg. (6 oz.) or about 4 cups pre-washed baby spinach
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded part-skim or 2% milk reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (1.5 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º F. Spray 4-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and set aside for later use. Drain pasta; return to cooking pot.
3. Meanwhile, combine pumpkin, flour, garlic powder, salt, nutmeg and cayenne pepper in medium skillet over medium heat. 
4. Slowly add evaporated milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken slightly. 
5. Pour over pasta in pot. Add sausage and reserved pasta cooking water; stir well.
6. Spread half of the pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with spinach. Cover with remaining pasta mixture. 
7. Lightly spray piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover ziti with foil, greased-side-down.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. 
9. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in small bowl. Remove foil; sprinkle with cheese mixture.
10. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

The third recipe...

Caramelized Onion & Tomato Calzone
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
8 onions, thinly sliced
Pinch sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tblsp chopped basil (I use a little more!)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 lb prepared pizza dough
3 plum tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. Heat oil in skillet; add onions, sugar and 1/4 cup water. 
2. Stir as needed until beginning to color - about 12 minutes.
3. Add salt and another 1/4 cup water, stir as needed until sweet & deep brown - about 30 minutes.
4. Cool, add basil and pepper.
5. Preheat oven to 450F Spray baking sheet or pizza stone w/ cooking spray.
6. Flour work surface and roll dough to coat with flour. Knead briefly & divide into fourths. Roll each piece into 6 inch rounds.
7. Place 2 rounds on baking sheet. Divide mixture, tomatoes & cheese between rounds. Cover wtih remaining 2 rounds. Pinch edges to seal.
8. Bake until golden; about 15-18 minutes.

And for the sweets!

 We all definitely enjoyed this round of MM!