About Me

My goal is to organize the recipes I use so I can share them with family and friends as well as easily find my family's favorites. I try to use mostly natural ingredients to make homemade meals that are easy and delicious.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Pan Fried Pork Chops WW

This is Paul's very favorite. It's simple and inexpensive.

Melt 3-4 tablespoons of butter in a big skillet on medium. Generously season the pork chops with salt and pepper. (I have used boneless and bone-in and they've turned out quite well.)  Cook on each side for about 3-5 min. each or when they are golden brown. The brown butter gives it an awesome taste. They are done when they are cooked through.

I whip up some mashed potatoes and a vegetable and it's a quick dinner that makes Paul so happy. I got a pack of 3 boneless pork chops for under $5 which made this meal really inexpensive. Plus there are usually sales going on. I'm a recovering vegetarian so pork is sketchy for me, but I have to admit that this is good. I just have to get over the texture of pork.

WW Plus Points: 5 (sub. 1/2 the butter for Smart Balance Light, the other 1/2 butter)

Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

These are FABULOUS! I added a couple 2 whole sticks of butter before I realized it was a few tablespoons too much, which may have been the reason the dough was SO soft and difficult to cut into shapes. I kept putting the dough back in the freezer so I could manage it. However, they are the best gingerbread cookies I've ever had. Even 2 days later they are super soft and yummy.

**By the way, if you can't find the molasses in the grocery store (or maybe I'm just dense) it is with the Karo syrup in the baking aisle. It took me 20 minutes of searching until I finally got someone to help me find it. In my defense, it was on the bottom shelf.

Hearty Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Hearty Chicken Gnocchi Soup

YUM! Yum.... yum. This soup is the jam.

Homemade Chicken Alfredo WW

Homemade Chicken Alfredo

It's a hit! It didn't thicken as quickly as I thought it would, but once I added the Parmesan it was great. Tanner loved it and that was my goal.

WW Plus Points: 10 per serving

Paul-Friendly Lasagna WW

Paul-Friendly Lasagna

Paul hates anything creamy: cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, ranch dressing, yogurt, and even ricotta cheese! After perusing Amanda's recipe blog I was thrilled to find a lasagna that he might like. It looks easy enough for me and it has meat for the boys.

UPDATE: This is GREAT! Everyone loved it. Surprisingly, this was my first time making lasagna and I expected it to take longer. I put it all together around 2:00pm and put it in the fridge until dinner time when I popped it in the oven. It was really nice to have it all done early. We will definitely be having this again... and again.

WW Points Plus: 10 per square

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta WW

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

This is A-MAZ-ING!

WW Plus Points: 11 per serving

Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Crescent Braid

Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Crescent Braid

This is so easy and quick. I also like that it can be a last minute dinner decision without a lot of prep time. I made it without the broccoli because it had turned, but it was good without it. The braid wasn't quite as pretty as the picture, but it was very quick and yummy.

Cheesesteak Subs

Cheesesteak Subs

These were yummy and a nice alternative to what we normally have. Really easy and not fussy.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

I whipped these up tonight. It's just the traditional way of making fried chicken, but I used panko breadcrumbs. The boys LOVED them.

1. Cut up the chicken into 1 in. pieces.
2. Lightly coat each piece in flour, then egg wash, then panko.
3. Once they are covered, drop in hot oil (I used olive oil - 1-2 in. in a big frying pan). Cook in batches. Turn over after a few minutes or when they are golden brown.


Monday, November 19, 2012

Skillet Ham and Pasta WW

Skillet Ham and Pasta

This is really simple and good. I just used good quality shaved ham from the lunch meat section. I didn't have a red pepper or a lemon (for the juice), so I left them out. Tanner really liked this meal and it makes a lot. We'll be eating this for lunch for a while.

WW Plus points: 9

Chicken and Dumplings (Crock Pot)

Chicken and Dumplings (Crock Pot)

I just found this recipe again - yay! This is one of those EASY crock pot meals that I love when I just don't feel like working very hard for dinner. The boys really like this - Tanner likes it when I use crescent roll dough instead of the biscuits because the dumplings are sweeter. We leave out the mushrooms because they hate them.

Zuppa Toscana (Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup)

Zuppa Toscana

This is really good! It's pretty easy and it makes a TON, seriously. Paul and Tanner loved it and they even liked the kale in it. It is filling and warming on a cold night. I will definitely make this again, but not for a while because we'll be eating the leftovers for a few days.

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice with Green Beans

This is really good, but it took longer than I expected. Tanner and I really liked it and I think Paul just tolerated it. It's like a cheesy risotto. I think broccoli might be better in it than green beans, but they work. I left out the mushrooms because the boys hate them, but they would be really good in it.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Saturday, November 10, 2012

PB&J Muffins

I am constantly trying to think of easy and quick breakfast ideas for the boys to eat on their way out the door. This is a great recipe! Not too sweet, very hearty and filling, and just the right amount of crunch from the chunky peanut butter.

**Note: When you combine the wet ingredients, the acid in the apple juice concentrate mixes with the egg to make a weird reaction. The first time I did this I thought I had curdled the eggs by adding the melted butter - so I threw it all away and started again. DON'T DO THAT! The second time I didn't add the butter and the same thing happened. I put the butter on its own in the flour mixture and mixed the other wet ingredients - then added those.

**1 more note: The peanut butter won't mix well with the wet ingredients, but it all mixes well when you combine it with the flour mixture.

PB&J Muffins

Pumpkin Blondies with Chocolate Chips

I plan to make these for Thanksgiving with Paul's family. Let's hope they are good!

Pumpkin Blondies with Chocolate Chips

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Chunky Homemade Chicken Soup

Chunky Homemade Chicken Soup

I plan to make this at some point... maybe without the parsnips. I am not a fan of dealing with raw chicken, although I do it regularly. However, I have stayed away from whole chickens until this recipe. It seems fool-proof though and I don't have to stick my hand in the chickens butt or anything, so it should be OK.

UPDATE: Worked out great! I didn't use parsnips but I did everything else. I took the chicken out after an hour and 45 minutes and it was still bleeding. I put it back in and let it cook another 40 minutes. When I took it back out it was perfect. I did add a bit more salt at the end, but it was very good.

Next time I might add some egg noodles. 

Easy Onion Turkey Burgers WW

So easy and so good. Paul loves this meal!

Mix 1lb of ground turkey with 1 packet of dry onion soup mix. Divide into 4 quadrants and shape into burgers. Grill the burgers (I use my George Foreman). Dress them up however much or little you want on a bun. They have tons of flavor and they are great for a night when I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

WW Points Plus: 9 per burger (including the bun)

Skillet Chili Mac

Skillet Chili Mac

Paul LOVES this meal. In fact, he wants me to permanently "add it to the rotation".   I didn't have chili powder so I added some hot sauce - would probably add a bit more next time. I also didn't have green chiles so I left them out. It turned out really well. I love meals that only dirty 1 pan.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Hodge Podge Soup

My mom's recipe. It's so yummy and makes a lot. It's even better the next couple days too! I always eat it with Ritz crackers.

Combine and heat:
3 cans of Progresso Minestrone soup
1 can pork and beans
1 can light kidney beans
1 lb ground beef (I use ground turkey)
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

*I sauteed the ground turkey with 1/2 a white onion, diced.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Hashbrown Breakfast Bites

These turned out pretty well. Next time I'll add more salt and maybe 1 more egg. These are a hit with the boys.

1 pack of Simply Potatoes hashbrowns (refrigerator section)
3 eggs
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper
*sprinkle of green onion
*bacon bits (could use real bacon if I'm not being lazy)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together and salt generously and spoon into greased muffin tin. Fill each to the top. Bake fro 20-25 min. until the sides are crispy and golden brown. Wait for them to cool and spoon them out.

I put them in the fridge in a plastic container. The boys will take a couple and heat them up in the microwave in the morning. Yay!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Chocolate Chip Bars

Chocolate Chip Bars

I used 1/2 a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a whole bag of Andies mint chips. The dough turns out very dry - I thought I had done something wrong; but it turns out GREAT! It was very easy and super yummy.

Brown Sugar Crackle Cookies

Brown Sugar Crackle Cookies 

These are life-altering, crazy good! My dark brown sugar was all dried up and I only had half of the amount needed in my light brown sugar box, so I used regular white sugar for the rest. These were easy and SO good. Paul's new favorite.

Tortellini Salad WW

My FAVORITE!!! Tanner loves this too.

Cook tortellini and run cold water over it until cool. Mix with mayo, dash of garlic salt, black pepper and any:
green pepper
cucumber
avocado
bacon
diced ham
cherry tomatoes
green onion

WW Plus Points: 9 (for 2 whole cups!): This is using Buitini mixed cheese tortellini (refrigerated) and Kraft Olive Oil and Cracked Pepper Mayo (it's reduced fat).

Meatloaf Cakes WW

Ann Romney's Meatloaf Cakes - yes, you read that right.

Well, these are fabulous. You too can eat like a millionaire! This recipe is super easy and yummy. I didn't have cloves so I left them out. In the place of seasoned salt I used salt and Mrs. Dash which I sprinkled over the mini meatloaves before they went in the oven. They took longer to cook than the recipe says, but that might just be my old-as-dirt oven. I will definitely make these again!

WW Plus Points: 8 per mini meatloaf

Honey Glazed Chicken

 BIG hit with Tanner, super easy and yummy!

Honey Glazed Chicken - with rice

Baked Pasta with Smoked Sausage

Baked Pasta with Smoked Sausage

MAKE THIS TONIGHT! Seriously. It's amazing and not at all difficult. I followed the recipe exactly, but you wouldn't have to include spinach if it's not your thing. You can't really taste it, but it sure does make it look pretty. It makes a lot, which is great, because everyone will want seconds. 

Smothered Pork Chops (crock pot)

Smothered Pork Chops
 
 *Very involved recipe, but life-changing... so good. Would be great with mashed potatoes (I made it with scalloped potatoes which were good too).
*I skipped the step that involved the blender. Instead, I just strained out the solids and didn't use them. The result was that the sauce didn't thicken that much, but it was really good anyway.

Asian Chicken Wraps

Ok - so this was really good. The thing is, I changed it a little because the veggies I bought didn't last by the time I made it and I had leftover rice from the night before to use up. However, I think it was even better this way and I will probably do it this way again.

1. Cook the chicken as described. It's super fast and yummy.
2. After you take the cooked chicken out of the pan, throw in a few cups (I probably only had 2, but more would be fine) of cooked rice. Use a wooden spoon to mix with the remnants of the chicken.
3. Add chopped green onion as stated in the recipe.
4. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and garlic as specified in the recipe. Mix and heat through (about 3 min.).
5. Throw the chicken back in and combine. Spoon into flour tortillas. AMAZING!!!

*As much as I love mushrooms, the boys do not; but I bet it would be great with them. My cabbage was bad so I substituted rice. Do it. It's good.

*I found hoisin sauce in a small jar in the Asian food section. It wasn't at Walmart (or I couldn't find it), but I did find it at Harris Teeter. It's like Asian BBQ sauce and it totally makes this dish, so don't skip it.

Asian Chicken Wraps

Pancake and Sausage Bites

Easy breakfast option!

Brown mild sausage into crumbles and drain. (I used mild country sausage. Next time I'm trying maple sausage.) Mix up the Bisquick pancake recipe. I also add a touch of cinnamon and sugar to the batter. Add the sausage to the pancake mixture. Spoon into greased muffin tins, bake at 350 for about 12 minutes. Really good!!!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Super easy! Once they cooled, I cut them into bars and bagged them in separate plastic bags so it's a good portable breakfast. Not too sweet, very filling and healthy. I will probably make these once a month so we don't get tired of them.
PB Oatmeal Bars

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Corndog Nuggets

Jiffy corn muffin mix
Hot dogs

Bake in muffin tin.

**These turned out really well! Next time I will cut up hotdogs into little pieces and put several in each muffin - that way you get more hotdog instead of big bites of cornbread. Otherwise - really good!

**Breakfast idea - use little smokies in mini muffin tin (must get mini muffin tin!).

Pigs in a Blanket

Lil' Smokies
2 cans Crescent Rolls (cut each roll in half)

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Oregano, Basil & Garlic Tomato sauce
Diced tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)
Garlic
Olive Oil
Basil
Salt and Pepper
+Italian Sausage
+Onions

*Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and cook onions and garlic until translucent. Add other ingredients and heat through. Poor angel hair pasta into skillet and mix. It stays moist even when reheated the next day.

Turkey Chili

Ground turkey
Chili Magic
Kidney Beans
Onion
Diced tomatoes
Cheddar Cheese
Rice
Fritos?

Sweet and Sour Chicken (crock pot)

Crock Pot: Sweet and Sour Chicken

*I used frozen chicken breasts and cooked them on low all day. It had great flavor (I got compliments from Paul's family) and it was so moist that it fell apart. Shred with a fork and serve over rice.

Bourbon Chicken

Bourbon Chicken

Quick and easy to make. The boys liked this. It would be good with veggies next time.

Island Chicken

Island Chicken

I followed the instructions to bake the chicken and it came out great. This dish went great with the side of Orzo Pilaf.

Chicken Stir-Fry

Chicken Stir Fry

Pretty good and healthy - the boys liked it.

Pizza Pie



This was SO good and easy! The biscuit dough makes it sort of sweet. I didn't have a deep dish pie plate, so I used a square glass pan and it turned out really well. Definitely making this again soon. 

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • c. chopped green pepper
  • 1 pkg. Italian style spaghetti sauce mix
  • 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • c. water
  • 1 large can baking powder biscuits
  • 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 6-8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • Cooking Directions

    Brown the meat, drain. Add green pepper, cook until tender. Stir in sauce mix, tomato paste, and water.
    Simmer 10 minutes.
    Line greased 9 in. pie pan with biscuits, press together to seal. Sprinkle c. Parmesan cheese over the crust.
    Fill with meat mixture. Sprinkle top with Mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
    (The sauce can be made ahead and reheated to facilitate last minute preparations.)

    Skillet Mac and Cheese

    Skillet Mac and Cheese

    Very cheesy and creamy! I've made this twice and both times it was awesome. The last time I made it I included diced ham and it was really good. It warms up pretty well too. I used the whole bag of sharp cheddar and the whole bag of colby jack - just add a little water if it's too thick and keep stirring.

    Pineapple Salsa Chicken (crock pot)

    Pineapple Salsa Chicken (Crock Pot)

    Eat with tortilla chips and cheese. YUM! This was great as a chicken nachos dinner and it was even better the next 2 days warmed up.

    Cowboy Casserole (Tater Tot Casserole)

    Cowboy Casserole

    *The recipe calls for sour cream. It could be left out next time so Paul likes it better. Otherwise, it was a big hit. Tanner REALLY liked it.

    Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

    Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

    *Not a hit with Paul, but Tanner and I liked it! This would be good for a holiday or when you have company.

    Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

    Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

    *I used self-rising flour so I cut out the baking powder in the recipe. They ended up being really good, very fluffy. Tanner loved these.

    Knock You Naked Brownies

    Knock You Naked Brownies

    *Very rich and gooey - good for special occasions. They are absurdly yummy and decadent.