A Nom for Wednesday

Happy Hump Day, Kitschies!!  It's been a bit chaotic here at the clinic the last few days and I haven't been at my work station much.  It's lunch time now and I'm squeezing in a post because...how can I ignore you?

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes; I fix it at least every few weeks.  Chances are you have the ingredients on hand!  I originally found this in a Kraft recipe magazine but thanks to the wonders of the internets, you can now find it online.

Smothered Chicken & Green Bean Skillet
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 cups frozen green beans
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 

HEAT large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5 to 7 min. on each side or until done (165ºF). Remove chicken from skillet.

ADD beans, soup, water and thyme to skillet; cover. Cook 6 min., stirring frequently.
RETURN chicken to skillet. Cook 1 min. or until hot. Top with cheese. 

NOTES:  I go between using cream of chicken, cream of mushroom and cream of chicken and mushroom soup - it's whatever I have on hand and really, I can't tell the difference.  

See?  You have all that stuff sitting in your cabinets and in your fridge right now, don't you?

Soooo good!  And the boys eat it without complaint (which is a miracle in my house).


Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday!  I'm off to eat some food so I can get back to the grind.

And don't forget to enter my giveaway (you do not have to be a follower).  You can check it out HERE.

Good For YOU!

Good morning, Kitschies!!  Another new week is upon us.  How did *that* happen?  I can barely remember things that happened last week.  One thing I *do* remember is that my hubs told me I should take a break (it's a good thing) and escape for a little while.  So...I'm taking Mason and we're going on a road trip!  We're headed "home" to visit my parents (and the rest of the family) later this week.  We usually don't do spur of the moment things like this, but for this, we're making an exception.  My mom has ALS and the annual fundraiser walk is this Saturday, October 1st.  The last time I made it out for the walk, Nate was 2, the same age as Mason is now, so it's time to do it again!  I'm so excited!!  I am not, however, looking forward to the drive, but we'll survive.  Somehow. 

I have a great, easy, healthy recipe for you today.

About a year ago, my bestie's MIL told me about quinoa (pronounced keen-wah).  Quinoa is one of those "super foods" you never hear about.  It's a grain that is super-high in fiber (14 grams per 3.5 oz), no cholesterol and relatively low in carbs.  And it tastes good, too!  Sound too good to be true?  It isn't - and here's a great recipe for proof.

Quinoa & Black Beans
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
 
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned. 

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.

Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro. 

NOTES:  I'm not a big fan of cilantro, so I left it out.  I don't think it was missing anything without it.

The hubs and I loved this and it was good even as leftovers.  The kids?  They ate it but I could tell it wasn't one of their favorites.  One time not long after making this, Nate proclaimed: "I love quinoa!" but then quickly responded with: "Wait.  What's quinoa?"  When I reminded him what it was, he was very fast to correct himself.  LOL  

So...if you want a quick, good-for-you meal, grab that quinoa!  I'm not sure of the availability, but I got mine at Sunflower Market (a whole foods kind of store).

Hang in there - Monday is going to be over before you know it!

Two Good Eats for Tuesday

Good morning, Kitschies!  It's only Tuesday and it's been a crazy week, partly because it seems like the weekend took forever to get through and then it's bled on over to this week.  I'll spare you the deets, but it was not a good weekend.  And come to think of it, that *not good* started on Friday.  *sigh*  Anyway...I'm not going to let this be a Debbie Downer post, so let's get on with it, shall we?

I went to a derby practice on Saturday and then again last night.  Saturday's practice was brutal - my legs were sore after that practice and then add in a couple falls last night (thanks stoopid berries from the damned trees and sand on the track) and I'm one sore mama today!  I am so thankful to work with some great physicians - chiropractic/osteopathic manipulations are saving my derby-lovin' life!  I may be sore and I may be bruised, but I'm lovin' every second of it.

I haven't share a good recipe with you lately, so I dug a good one out of my pending folder for today.  These recipes came from my go-to recipe site: allrecipes.com.

BBQ Chicken
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 pounds cut up chicken pieces

Heat grill to medium heat. 

In a small skillet combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and put over low heat. Add the poultry seasoning while stirring constantly; when sauce mixes well and starts to bubble, it is done. 

Place chicken on hot grill and brush with sauce. Grill for 45 to 60 minutes, turning every 5 to 10 minutes, and brush chicken with sauce after each turning. Grill until chicken is done and juices run clear. (Note: Be sure to keep an eye on the chicken as it cooks, as it tends to have flair ups due to the oil and chicken drippings!) 

NOTES:  I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts, not pieces.  And instead of brushing the chicken while it was grilling, I marinated it for a few hours.  I think the flavor is better that way.  

And a bonus, side dish recipe:


Roasted Garlic Cauliflower
2 Tbsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large head cauliflower, separated in to florets
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a large casserole dish. 

Place the olive oil and garlic in a large resealable bag. Add cauliflower, and shake to mix. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley, and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. 

NOTE:  I did not use parsley - I didn't think it would add anything and it doesn't matter to me if my side dish lacks color.

I think the cider vinegar in the marinade really made the chicken moist.  I really liked this recipe, and so did the others (boys big and small alike).

I liked the cauliflower but I don't remember if the boys did or not.  I have a feeling they probably turned their noses up at it until they finally gave in and took a taste.  And wouldn't you know it...they ended up liking it.

Mmm...and now I'm hungry.  Great.  Good thing I'll be going to lunch soon!


I'll be back tomorrow with a WWtKW (I haven't played for a few weeks) and hopefully an On Wednesday We Wear Pink post, too!  Thanks for bearing with my slower than usual posting.  It's been a crazy couple of weeks!

My Favorite Recipes: Chicken Enchiladas

Happy Thursday, Kitchies!  How can the week almost be over?!  It's shaping up to be another busy weekend over here.  Saturday morning we're planning a trip to Jemez Springs or Sandia Peak...kinda depends on the weather.  Then Saturday evening I'm heading out for my first roller derby practice.  And Sunday, we're meeting up with my aunt and uncle for lunch.  They usually make a trip to northern NM during the summer and they always make it a point to stop by and say hi.  I really wish it was my parents who were visiting, but my aunt and uncle will be a good substitute.

As I've mentioned in the last few posts, I have some great recipes to share with you.  I have one of my ultimate favorites today!  It's kinda of a pain in the butt to make, but so, so worth it.  I cannot remember where I got this recipe from but it is my go-to.

Chicken Enchiladas
1 medium onion, chopped
2 4oz cans chopped green chile
2-3 Tbsp melted butter
1 10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
12 tortillas
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
1 lb cheddar cheese

Saute onions and chile in butter until tender.  Add soup and broth, blending well.  Simmer 10-15 minutes.  While sauce simmers, soften tortillas by dipping in simmering sauce.  Place small amount of chicken in each tortilla and roll.  Place in greased 9x13 dish.  Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, top with cheese.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

NOTES:  For the chicken, I usually grill it a little beforehand and season it with garlic salt and ground pepper.  You probably don't need to season the chicken because there's plenty of flavor already, but it's what I do.  I usually don't dip the tortillas in the *simmering* sauce because that's not so easy to do without burning the hell out of your fingers; I wait to dip them until after I take the sauce off the heat.  The recipe calls for rolled enchiladas, but you could easily layer them instead.  Also, you don't have to use a can of cream of mushroom and a can of cream of chicken - I usually use two cans of cream of chicken and mushroom.

I could definitely go for some of these for lunch today!  Too bad we're trying to stay away from processed foods...

Since I live in New Mexico, the home of Hatch green chile, I'm not allowed to use canned chile.  That's blasphemy!  I use frozen Bueno green chile instead.

Ooooh man!  I want some of these NOW!!  My mom makes awesome enchiladas, too, but I don't have her recipe.  But, my family likes these, so I think I'm good.

Sorry if I made you hungry...but that's my job.  If you have access to fresh green chile (it's getting to be about that time again!), I highly recommend that over canned.  However, I haven't seen fresh green chile outside of NM, so good luck with that.  *heehee*

Another Win From MBR!

Happy Monday, Kitschies!  Can you believe it's August already?  While I can believe it because it's been so freakin hot, I can't believe it's actually that time of the year again.  In just two weeks, my baby is going to be in Kindergarten!  KINDERGARTEN!!  *sigh*  I'm super excited and super sad all at the same time.  How is it even possible my little boy is in school?!

I have a super YUM recipe to share with you today.  I snagged this recipe from the most beautiful and talented Mrs Bettie Rocker.  I've made this recipe twice and BOTH times I wish I had made more!  Consider yourself warned...

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

1 roll of refrigerated pizza dough

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon olive oil (or melted butter)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

mozzarella cheese

your favorite pizza toppings, chopped

marinara sauce for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll pizza dough out to about 12in by 8in, then cut into 24 squares. Fill each square with mozzarella cheese and your favorite pizza toppings toppings.

2. Bring ends together and pinch to form a ball. Place seam side down in a greased pie pan.

3. Brush tops with butter/oil and season with garlic and Italian seasonings.

4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with marinara sauce for dipping. 

 

What I really love about these is you can fill them with whatever you want!  The hubs does NOT do olives, so I made his with pepperoni and green chile.  And the boys had some cheese and some pepperoni and cheese.

I hate my oven.  It cooks very unevenly, so part of the batch got super dark - the other, not cooked enough.  If you check out Becky's post, you can see that her pizza rolls look better.

See what I mean?  *sigh*  I don't care, though...they ALL got eaten.  And I could've easily made another batch and they would've all disappeared, too.

If you haven't already, go check out From the Kitchen of: Mrs Bettie Rocker...she posts some AWESOME recipes and she shares her little boys with us from time to time, also.  She was one of my first blog loves - and my love affair with her continues.

Hot Enough For Ya?

Happy Monday, Kitschies.  Well, as happy as a Monday can be.  Anyway...it was a hot one here in New Mexico over the weekend.  We don't usually reach over 100* but for the last 3 or 4 days, it's been HOT!  At least it's a dry heat.  And I mean that in all seriousness - because it really does make a difference.  Saturday evening we went to a graduation party - outside.  Sunday I took the boys to a play place inside one of the malls because they needed to get out of the house and it's too hot to sit and watch them at the park.  The best and her kids joined us for both occasions which made them both a bit more bearable.

Since it's nice and hot out lately, I thought I'd share a delish spicy recipe with you today.  I found this on Food Network (courtesy Rachel Ray) while looking for a new spicy chicken recipe to try.  The amount of heat this dish has is variable depending on your taste.


Spicy Thai Chicken

2 cups jasmine rice, prepared to directions on the package
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon (1 turn around the pan) wok or light colored oil
1 tablespoon hot chile oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 small to medium onion, thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan in thin stream or 2 splashes) fish sauce
20 leaves fresh sweet basil, torn

Place rice on the stove top to cook.

Cut chicken on an angle across the breast into thin strips. Cut strips across into bite size pieces. Set chicken aside. Wash hands and cutting board.

When the rice is 6 or 7 minutes away from being done, begin your stir fry.

Heat a wok, wok shaped skillet, or large nonstick skillet over high heat. When the pan smokes, add wok or light cooking oil, and hot chile oil. Sprinkle in crushed pepper flakes. Add chicken and stir fry 2 minutes. Add onions, red bell peppers, and garlic and stir-fry for 1 or 2 more minutes. Add fish sauce. Remove the pan from heat and add basil. Toss chicken dish until basil wilts.

Serve chicken and peppers with prepared rice, salad with peanut dressing.

NOTES:  I found this to take longer than the 6 or 7 minutes as this suggests.  You can add more or less of the hot chile oil depending on how spicy or how mild you prefer your food.  I like it HOT!

I think I'm going to have to make this recipe again sometime soon.  It was pretty easy to make and the hubs and I liked it.  We spared the boys and made them chicken because I think this would've been just a bit too spicy for their little mouths.

Just an FYI...I'm putting together some things for a giveaway very soon.  It's going to have two parts: something for the foodies and something for the beauties.  Hope you survive your Monday!  Check back often for my Super Summer Giveaway!

A Winner of a Chicken Dinner

Happy freakin' Monday, Kitschies.  I'm off work today because I still feel like warmed over death AND I don't have a voice anyway, so I wouldn't be much use at work.  Not to mention I don't have *any* energy.  I thought I was getting better yesterday and did quite a bit around the house and that might be part of the reason I feel worse today than yesterday.  I have an appointment with one of the providers at work later this morning - I don't like to take medication, but I've felt like poo for 4 days and it's not getting better, so I think it's time for some sort of intervention.  Oh, and I just realized that Blogger did dump one of my posts from Wednesday, so I have to get re-posted again some time soon.  Enough of my moping...on to the post, shall we?

I've been *really* bad about getting my pics prepped for the blog.  I have tons of manis prepped, which is good for the blog, but I've been really slacking on the recipe end.  So, I finally sat down for a while this weekend and got a bunch finished...I still have a bunch to go, but I made a pretty good dent.  This is one of my favorite, super-easy recipes.  I don't remember where I got this originally (kraftrecipes, maybe?), but it's a go-to when I don't know what else to make.

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain rice
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 b boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Mix soup, water, rice, onion powder and black pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish.  Top with chicken.  Sprinkle chicken with additional pepper.

Cover and back at 375* for 45 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and rice is cooked.

Uncover.  Sprinkle cheese over chicken.

NOTES:  I usually throw the dish back in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Mmmm!  More cheeses pleases meeses!    YUM!

So, so simple and the kids eat this without any coaxing.

Update.  So. I  went to see one of the nurse practitioners I work with and she diagnosed me with an upper respiratory infection and a mild ear infection.  Nice.  So, 3 prescriptions later, I'm on the road to wellness.  And, on top of having zero energy, I get a call from daycare saying that Thing 2 has diarrhea and that we have to go pick him up.  *sigh*  When it rains, it pours, right?  I'm gonna go relax next to Mason while he watches Toy Story 3...good think I haven't already seen that movie eleventybillion times already.

One more thing.  I'm a guest writer over at just Lu today - giving a refresher course on CPR as a Housewife MacGyver.  Come over and visit, won't ya?

Easy Cheesy

Good day, Kitschies!  I hope you enjoyed Easter without too much of a sugar coma.  I have some great pics from Easter but I've been super duper busy and haven't had time to do much of anything other than the necessities (at home AND at work), so I'll post Easter pics soon. 

I've been a bad blogger the last couple days...but I have a good reason for that.  My co-worker is out for the next 2 weeks (!) to spend time with her daughter, SIL and her brand new grandson!  I'm so excited for her but that means I'm by myself at work to cover both docs and to say that it gets busy is an understatement.  So, if I'm not commenting on your blog as often as usual, of if you don't see as many posts from me as usual, don't think I've ran away.  I will check blogs as time permits and I will squeeze in a post as often as I can. 

It's lunchtime here at the clinic and it's pretty quiet.  I can smell lunch in the break room (thank jeebus for drug reps) and instead of sitting back there and chatting it up, I decided I'd sit here with you and share a recipe with you.

I don't know if you've seen these at the grocery store, but every time I go down the spice aisle, I stop by the McCormick Recipe Inspiration section.  I have a lot of spices, but I don't have them all.  And I don't want to buy an entire new spice for one recipe.  That's where these little kits come in handy.  Each pack has pre-measured, individually packaged spices in the amounts specific to the recipe which is included on a recipe card on the back.  Simple, right?  Right.  I picked up this pack months ago, I just never have the recipe on hand to share with you.  I finally found it online, so now I can!

Quesadilla Casserole 
by McCormick Recipe Inspirations
2 tsp chili powder*
1 tsp ground cumin*
1 tsp minced garlic*
1/2 tsp dried oregano*
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes*
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
16 oz tomato sauce
15 oz can pinto beans, drained
8.75 oz can corn, drained
4.5 oz chopped green chile, drained
6 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

*included with pack

Brown beef and onion in large skillet on med-high heat; drain. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn and green chiles; mix well. Stir in all of the spices except Red Pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Add Red Pepper to taste, if desired.

Spread 1/2 cup of the beef mixture on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish sprayed with no-stick cooking spray. Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed. Layer with 1/2 of the remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef mixture and cheese.

Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

NOTES:  I didn't have pinto beans on hand so I used black beans instead.  

Pre-measured and just what I needed for this recipe.  Just be sure to look at all the needed added ingredients - I usually forget to look and end up making a run for the store when I should be making dinner!

It *looks* good, but it was a little bland for my taste.  I'll definitely be adding some more spices when I make this again.  My Mom says it's because I live in New Mexico now and have singed off all my taste buds with all the green chile we eat.  LOL  And if I remember correctly, Nate ate his helping...don't remember if Mason did, or even if he was eating table foods at this point.  Either way, I will be making this again.  It's fast and it tastes pretty good (with added spices, of course). 

OK...gotta get back to work.  I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.  As a parting gift...THIS is what I'm listening to at work at the moment.  Love this song...fast forward to a little after a minute to really get in to it.

Did Somebody Say Ranch?

Holy shitballs, people!  What the heck happened to the day?!  It was super chaotic today.  First, my cell phone beeped at 6:10 this morning.  It was my co-worker telling me she wasn't coming in because she's sick.  Not a big deal; I'd rather her stay home with her sickness than share it with me.  Second, I get to work and I hear that one of the other medical assistants isn't coming in because she had to take her daughter to the doctor.  Nice.  So, I'm short-handed on my end of the world and now the *other* end of the world is minus an MA.  Luckily there was somebody else to cover because I was really busy with my two docs.  THIRD...the powers that be (read: the docs) decided to fire one of the front desk girls and we had a replacement starting this morning.  This means the front desk is doubly short-handed because one regular is gone and the other regular has to train the noob.  *sigh*  And add in there one of the new practitioners coming down to my station every 30 minutes to tell me about something he wants me to do with his EMR form (I told him he's not allowed to come to my part of the world anymore - he's used all his passes for the week.  Somehow I don't think that matters).  This was all before lunch.  Somehow, it all kept flowing and I got a lunch.  A 45-minute lunch!  The afternoon was much better but at that point, I realized I forgot my flash drive with all my blog pics.  Can I go home yet?  I finished out the afternoon and got out only 15 minutes later than usual.  The boys were pretty quiet on the way home, which is good because I am exhausted!  So, here I am...it's 8:15.  The boys are bathed and in bed.  The hubs has gone to Planet Ego.  My nails are done.  Glee was a repeat.  I have to do a load of laundry and finish this post.  And then...I don't care if it's before 9...I'm going to bed. 

Enough of that.  On to the food!

A couple weeks ago, the hubs decided that he wanted to try a new recipe.  The hubs is really a good cook.  He just doesn't like to make things that require a recipe.  So I was pretty excited when he said HE wanted to try something new.  He went digging through a bunch of my recipe books, stickied the pages he was interested in, and then passed them over to me for my opinion.  You know...as long as he wants to make dinner and it doesn't contain fish or lamb, it's all good with me.  We both agreed on a promising looking recipe from Best Burgers, a recipe book we got who knows when.  I don't know if we've ever used a recipe out of it...until now.

Ranch Burger
1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef
3/4 cup prepared Ranch dressing
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

In a large bowl, combine beef, salad dressing, bread crumbs, onion, salt and pepper.  Shape into 6 patties.  Grill over medium-hot coals 5-6 minutes until no longer pink in center (160*).  Place on sesame seed buns with lettuce, tomato and red onion slices, if desired.  Serve with a generous amount of additional Ranch dressing.

Choppin' the onions.  I don't know what it is, but the hubs has a *thing* for red onion.  I'm not complaining, but that's the first thing he grabs for when I tell him I need an onion.

The mix.  Bread crumbs, Ranch dressing and onions.  I don't have anything against bread crumbs, but they don't belong in a burger.  They just don't.

The blob 'o meat.  When I saw this, all I could think of is this...

Meatwad a la Aqua Team Hunger Force.  No, I've never watched it, but there was a time when his image was inescapable on the internets.

All prettily shaped in to patties.  3 adult-size and 2 little kid-size. 

I don't know if it was the dressing, but these got the Cajun treatment.  And for once, it wasn't me who burned the chicken.

The finished product.  Isn't it pretty?  We had some spicy fried onion petals for added spiciness (we also added a piece of pepper jack to the adult burgers).

Now...as I was saying...bread crumbs do not belong in a burger.  Meatballs?  Sure.  Meatloaf?  Sometimes.  Burgers?  Never.  The bread crumbs made the burgers all mushy and more like a big flattened meatball than a burger.  Next time I'll opt out of the bread crumbs and change the prepared Ranch dressing for Ranch seasoning...the kind in a packet.  Overall, I wasn't too impressed with the flavor of these.  Or the consistency.  On a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give these a 2, but with a few changes, these could be 4-star burgers!

Have you ever tried a recipe that looked good on paper but ended up being less than stellar?  Do you rely on recipes or do you wing it?  I'm definitely a recipe kind of gal.  It takes me a LONG time to be comfortable enough with a recipe before I try to mix things up.

The Start of Something Better

Good morning, Kitschies!  I woke up a little late this morning and hit the ground running.  I managed to make it to work with a little time to spare which gave me some uninterrupted time to work on a form for one of the docs!  It's been a pretty productive morning.  AND...the mail just came bearing pretty gifts for me.  Not a bad day so far.

I don't know if I mentioned it here on my blog, but I have a plan (not a resolution because I don't *do* resolutions) to better myself: mind, body and spirit this year.  Part of that means eating better and eating less.  Less what?  Junk, carbs, food in general.  But you wouldn't know it from my food posts since Christmas (cherry pie, monkey bread, macaroons and the like).  Would you believe that I made all of that (and more) between Thanksgiving and New Years?  *sigh*  As a result, my waistline expanded - and not in a cute "I'm pregnant" kind of way.  LOL  So, I'm going to make a conscious effort to bring more nutritious food to the table.  Don't get me wrong...there will be an occasional cookie or cake, but not near as many as I've posted over the last couple of months.

This brings me to today's recipe.  I remember my mom making this for us when I was growing up and I loved it.  When I make it, we end up eating at least half of it - and that's before the kids get in to it.   I got this recipe off the back of the Bisquick box, but Betty Crocker online has a bunch of variations of this tried and true recipe.


Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Original Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.

In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.

In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.

Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

NOTES:  I don't use a whole onion.  I did once and it was WAY too onion-y for me.  

I consider this kinda healthy.  It all depends on your ingredient choices.  Use lean ground beef (93/7), 2% milk and reduced fat Bisquick.  

Everybody in the pool!  Or...if you want to fatten this up a bit, you could always add crumbled, cooked bacon.  Cuz everything's better with bacon, right?  Right.

Toasty!  The cheese came out perfectly golden this time.  I usually end up with crispy cheese - especially around the edges.  

Serve with some steamed veggies and you've got a pretty good meal!  One that my kids will eat, too.  Seeing this pics makes me wish I had this for lunch today.

If you have any "healthy" recipes or any vegan recipes, I'd love to give them a try!  You can drop me a line through my email: megharmeyer at gmail dot com.  Or, if there's a good recipe/foodie blog you think I'd like, please leave me the link! 

Good Food. Bad Morning.

Good evening, Kitschies!  We've survived the first half of the first whole work week of work.  *whew*  It was one of *those* days for me.  It started that way soon after I got in the shower (thanks for sharing the hot water with me, dear hubs), followed me out the door (I forgot my scrub jacket and had to drive back home - an extra 20 minutes added on to my already long commute), down the road (the intersection near the clinic was closed due to ice) and in to the freakin office (the phone lines were dead and it affected the alarm).  This all happened before 9 in the morning!  I was ready to just go back home and go to bed.  The day did get better, but I was sure I was done for. 

I'm apologizing in advance because I only have one picture for each of these recipes.  I made these things for my bestie's birthday back in October (yes, I'm just getting to it now) and I was a little more preoccupied with the festivities than taking pictures of the food.  So shoot me.  LOL 

The first recipe came from my hubs.  I have no idea where he got it, but he made this for us on our first Valentines' Day in our first apartment together.  That was a LONG time ago now.  We make this from time to time and it's great!  It has to sit overnight, so be sure to allow enough time.

Border Fajitas
12 oz beef skirt steak
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
3 tsp liquid smoke
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 oz tomato sauce
8 oz beer
1/2 cup sliced onions (in rings)
9 warm flour tortillas

Wrap steak in plastic wrap and pound to tenderize.  Rub with lemon pepper and garlic powder.  Sprinkle liberally with soy sauce.  Combine pineapple juice, crushed pineapple, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and beer.  Pour over steak.  Cover and chill for 4-24 hours.  Remove steak from marinade.  Cute into thin strips.  Place in to a stainless steel skillet.  Cover with sliced onions.  Cook until meat is no longer pink.  Serve hot, with warm tortillas on the side.

NOTES:  I don't know what beer we use - it's whatever we have at the time.  I usually cut the steak in to strips *before* I put it in the marinade.  It's a lot less messy that way.  We always throw in some red and green bell pepper while it's cooking.

And you can't have fajitas without guacamole, right?  I've tried a few guac recipes here and there and I like this one the best.

Guacamole
3 avocados - peeled, pitted and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately. 

NOTES:  I don't put quite 3 Tbsp cilantro in because I don't care too much for cilantro.  The first time I made this, we didn't have any fresh tomatoes, but we did have canned diced tomatoes.  Worked like a charm (and it was easier to do!).  

I read somewhere that if you keep the pit of the avocado in the dip, it keeps it from turning brown.  No foolin'!  This picture was taken the next day - no brown to be found!  Ah...I crack myself up.


Anyway, I apologize for the craptastic pictures.  It's all about priorities, right?  So...I'm off to watch the season premier of Parenthood (gotta get my Peter Krause fix).

Monday Meal

Where do the weekends go?  Seriously.  It feels like the last two days didn't even happen!!  I'm back here, at work, doing what I always do.  I think I spend more time at work than I do at home - especially when you factor in sleep.  *sigh*  If only I could afford to work part time.  Enough lamenting.  I am not complaining about my job.  I am complaining that there's never enough time in the day.

It's been a morning full of food here at the clinic, so I thought I'd share a recipe with you today.  I picked up Betty Crocker Simple Winter Meals way back in November 2006 (2006?  Really?) while waiting in the check out line at the grocery store.  You've seen those little digests full of menus, right?  One for each season, each holiday, etc.  I love cookbooks, and this one was less than $5 and FULL of great recipes.  SCORE!  I've made quite a few recipes from this book, and many of them are make-agains.  This is one of those recipes.


Skillet Ham & Vegetable au Gratin
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups cut up fully cooked ham
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 box (4.9 oz) au gratin potato mix
2 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bag (1 lb) mixed frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots), thawed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Cook ham and onion in oil about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender.

Stir in potatoes, sauce mix from potato mix, hot water and pepper.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low.  Cover; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in vegetables.  Cover; simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Sprinkle with cheese.

NOTES:  I don't use all the onion - it makes it quite onion-y if you use the whole cup.  This reheats very well.

We don't usually have ham, so I buy pre-cooked ham steaks.  What I don't use for this recipe, I save for scrambled eggs in the morning.  Looking at this picture makes me realize I buy generic a lot.  Not necessarily a bad thing...gotta save pennies when I can!

The recipe says to simmer for 5 or 6 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  I have a tendency to forget to thaw the veggies, so I usually end up simmering for closer to 10 minutes.

Mmmm! Cheese!!  Ham.  Veggies.  Potatoes.  Cheese.  It don't get much better than this!

Dished up and ready to go.  This is one of those recipes that the boys like, too.  It makes me feel like a good Mom when the boys gobble up their food.

Later this week, I'll be posting a recipe for a certain cookie (just for you, B!), a couple manis and hopefully a "My Favorite Things" - if I can remember to take the pics.  I've really appreciated all the suggestions of what you want to see more of on my blog.  I like what I'm doing now, but I like trying new things, too.  Speaking of new things...I'll be doing my first ever reivew!  WOOT!!  Hope you enjoy the rest of your Monday.  Why do the weekends fly by but Monday lasts forever?

Monday Meltdown

Monday, Monday.  Can't trust that day!  Ain't it the truth?  (Mini rant/meltdown warning)  Another holiday has come and gone and the stores are already gearing up for Christmas.  Whatever happened to Thanksgiving?  You'd think the grocery stores would be pushing that holiday since it's so centered around food, but no.  They go for the more commercial holiday.  I understand, from a marketing standpoint, but come on!  Let me get through one holiday before you start shoving another down my throat.  I like Christmas, but I don't like hearing about it before the dang time change!  What set this all off?  The radio station I listen to on the way in to work in the morning was playing Christmas music in the background.  Bah humbug!

Ahem.  OK.  I'm done with that.  It's funny because this recipe reminds me of winter.  Or colder weather, anyway.  Pasta was on the menu for the night but I wanted something different.  So I went on a search.  I started at Kraft Recipes, entered in the key ingredients, and ended up on this recipe.


Penne Pasta Skillet

1 lb. ground beef

1 jar  (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

2 cups water

3 cups  penne pasta or other small shaped pasta, uncooked

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese 

 

BROWN meat in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain.

ADD spaghetti sauce and water; mix well. Stir in pasta. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Simmer 16 to 18 min. or until pasta is tender; stir.
 
TOP with mozzarella; cover. Cook 1 min. or until cheese is melted.
 

NOTES:  I had rotini on hand and it worked just fine.  I also didn't have any Mozzarella, so I used a cheddar/Jack blend and it was yum!  Oh, and I added half a beef smoked sausage (we usually do that in our pasta).

I was afraid that the rotini would be tough, but it was perfect.  I don't usually like pasta leftovers, but I didn't mind this one.  And even both boys liked this.  Usually Nate will hem and haw about "I don't want to eat this", but he dug right in.

 

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  We usually go to my MIL's house, but this year we decided to keep it simple and just have a little family Thanksgiving.  I'm thinking about doing a small turkey with the usual trimmings.  But, if you have any suggestions for the main course, I'd definitely be up for something new.  What do you usually have for Turkey Day?

 

We had a good time trick-or-treating.  Well, the boys did. :)  Nate got a TON of candy!  Mason went along for the walk and calmed down after we were out and about with everybody.  He was NOT happy with being in his costume.  LOL  I will post some pics later in the week. 

One more thing!!  Zoya is having a BOGO sale this week only.  Why do things like this have to always come around when I don't have the money?  Anyway...check it out.  If you haven't used Zoya before, you're in for a treat.  This is my absolute favorite nail color company.  SOOO many awesome colors.  Awesome formula.  Check out the link above for the BOGO code.

Of Chicken & Balloons

Totally Tuesday, Kitschies!  I hope your week has been good so far.  My day didn't start off too good (thanks to the stoopid drivers and the pretty hot air balloons), but once I got to work, it was all good.  Maybe I'll post some pics of past visits to the Balloon Fiesta this evening so you have some idea of what I'm talking about when I "complain" about the balloons.  In the meantime, check out my bestie's blog post about the Balloon Fiesta.  She has some cute pictures there and she has a more direct view of the balloons than I do (unless I'm driving and then that's a no no).  Now...on to the delishiousness.

My family loves chicken.  If I made something with chicken every night, I think the hubs would be OK with that.  I'm always in the mood for new chicken recipes and after reading Lu's post on Housewife Eclectic about Solving Menu Writer's Block, I hopped on over to Kraft Recipes and found a good looking recipe to try.  Once again, the family was transformed to guinea pig status.


Skillet Chicken & Vegetables Parmesan

1/4 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing

2 cloves  garlic, minced

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1 tsp.  dried basil leaves, divided

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 pkg.  (10 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese 

 

MIX dressing and garlic in large skillet. Cook on medium heat 1 min. Add chicken; season with 3/4 tsp. of the basil and the pepper. Cook 4 to 5 min. on each side or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF).

ADD vegetables to skillet; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp. basil. Cook 2 to 3 min. or until vegetables are heated through, stirring occasionally.

SPRINKLE with the cheese.

NOTES:  I don't think I used a single Kraft brand product.  LOL  Of course they're going to pimp out their products in the ingredients list because it's a Kraft site.

I was right!  Not a Kraft product in the bunch.  I usually buy "generic" when I can, with two exceptions.  1) Sliced American cheese.  Why?  Because generic American cheese slices are the suck!  Why not pay just a little more for the good stuff?  2) Toilet paper.  You are NEVER too broke to have good toilet paper.  Period.

Yum!  I really liked this.  It was super easy because it's all cooked in one pan.  The only complaint with this recipe (and pretty much every recipe that involves cooking meat) is that the cooking time is off.  Cooking chicken (or any other kind of meat) for 4 or 5 minutes on each side is nowhere *near* long enough to cook it through!  What is it with recipes that don't allow enough cooking time?  Are they afraid that we'll skip the recipe because it looks like it'll take too long?  *sigh*  Maybe next time I'll cut the chicken in chunks to help cut down on uneven cooking time.

 

That's about all I have for today.  If I have the energy tonight when I get home, I'll post some pictures of Balloon Fiestas past.  It really is pretty cool, despite all my complaining.  

 

OH!  And don't forget about joining in my recipe exchange.  Be sure to invite your non-bloggy friends, too.  The more, the merrier!

 

A Little Dash of This

The work week...it's half OVER!!  It was a pretty good day.  The sunrise this morning was spectacular.  It was very cloudy all day which made it humid, but it started raining after lunch and it hasn't really stopped since then (over 5 hours at this point).  I love this kind of weather.  I really wanted to leave work, go home, hide out all by myself and read a book or do absolutely nothing and veg on the couch.  I didn't get to do that, but the hubs did make a great dinner of grilled steak, garlic shells and beans for me when I got home.  I guess that about makes up for not being able to hide away this afternoon.  Take a gander at what I saw on my way in to work this morning.  This was taken with my phone camera.

Now on to the good stuff.

When it comes to recipes, I usually follow them to. the. letter.  I am not one of those people who can just throw a little bit of this, a dash of that, together to make a dish.  Nope.  I have to have direction.  Complete direction.  But, I went a little out of my comfort zone with this recipe.  I combined a recipe for Crunchy Ranch Fingers out of my Biggest Book of 30-Minute Meals and Fried Chicken Strips from Mrs Bettie Rocker to get a kid-friendly, somewhat healthy chicken chunk meal.

Oven Chicken Chunks
1 lb (or a little less) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
1 cup milk

Rinse and pat dry chicken.  Cut chicken in to bite-size pieces.

In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic salt, basil, paprika and pepper.  Set aside.  In another shallow bowl, beat egg and combine with milk.  Dip chicken in to egg mixture, then bread crumb mixture.

Place in greased 9x13 baking pan.  Place in 425* oven for 20 minutes, turning once.

NOTES:  The recipe from MBR called for crushed saltines and then frying in oil.  I didn't have enough of either of those so I improvised.  The only thing I used from the 30-minute recipe, really, was the oven temperature and cooking time.

Just outta the oven.  I don't know that you really have to grease the bottom of the baking dish, but I did just in case. 

Served with peas, I added a little BBQ sauce for dipping - Jack Daniel's Spicy Original.  I would've used Chris & Pitt's BBQ sauce, but I can't find it in New Mexico.  Maybe I'll add it to my Christmas list.  LOL

Kid friendly!  Nate ate the 3 chunks I gave him and even asked for (and ate) more! Happy Mommy!

Mason?  Eh...he'll eat pretty much anything.  LOL

There ya go!  Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday evening.  I'm off to get the kiddo to bed so the hubs and I can cuddle on the couch, watch last night's Parenthood and then tonight's Tosh.0.  Oh...I slept better last night, but I *really* wanted to be waking up to Saturday - not Wednesday.   

Cue Garfield

Ah...Tuesday evening, Kitschies. What are you doing tonight? I'm trying not to melt and I'm arguing with my nail polish. Why? No. I'm not insane. I'm having a creative block that was induced by PHD's latest weekly challenge. I know I'll have a breakthrough at some point, but right now, I'm arguing with my brain and my polish because it is just not coming out the way it's *supposed* to. Do you ever have moments like that? Maybe it's my brain telling me I need to sit this one out. But I refuse!

Enough of that. Time to let things be for a bit. On to the post at hand. The hubs and I usually like to plan out our menu for the week so we can try to prevent multiple trips to the grocery store. Last week, he asked me what my favorite pasta is. That's easy: lasagna. Specifically, MY lasagna. But, HELLO!?! It's flipping hot! The last thing I want to do is spend a bunch of time in the kitchen in front of a hot stove/oven. But that's exactly what I did. It ended up being a good thing because we had a bunch of leftovers and that means I didn't have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen putting something else together! I don't remember where I found this recipe, but I have yet to try any other lasagna recipe.

Lasagna with Meat Sauce

8 oz lasagna noodles
2 Tbsp salt for cooking noodles
1 Tbsp olive oil
16 oz low fat ricotta cheese
8 oz sliced Mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground chuck or round
1 large can (28 oz) tomatoes
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
2 cups water

Start sauce about 30-45 minutes in advance (or the day before).

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are soft; add ground beef and brown. Pour off excess fat. Add remaining sauce ingredients; stir well. Simmer slowly, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Cook noodles in boiling water with 2 Tbsp salt for about 25 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Drain; add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Arrange noodles in a shallow 2 1/2 qt baking dish. Make 3 layers each of noodles, ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, meat sauce and Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 325* for 45 minutes.

NOTES: I use a 9x13x2 glass baking dish. This really seems to be the perfect size. I always spray the bottom of the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. I don't know if any of you have any helpful tips to spread the ricotta cheese, but I usually just use my fingers and glop it on and then try to spread it out as evenly as I can. It comes out ok in the end, but it sure is a pain in the butt. This was enough to feed both the hubs and I for at least 3 meals.

See...so hot in the house - you can see the steam in the picture!

Ready for the oven.

Fresh out of the oven

Ready to enjoy!

I have a question for you, my beautiful readers. When you have a case of creative block, what do you do to unblock? When you have a great idea in your head but it just doesn't come out right, what do you do? Do you just keep at it, hoping that it'll work itself out or do you do it once, realize it's not working and then move on? Where do you go, what do you do, for inspiration? Do you have a sure-fire, go-to thing that always inspires you?

Listening to: Spotlight (Twilight Mix) by Mute Math
Mood: frustrated

Fire up that grill

I don't know about you, but we use our grill year-round. I know some people are grill purists and insist on using *only* charcoal. To them I say: (said in my best Cartman voice *ahem*) WHATEVA - I DO WHAT I WANT! We have a gas grill and we love it! My parents gave us the grill we have when we moved in to our house almost 5 years ago - it's about time we start thinking about an upgrade. It's still reliable, but it could stand to be retired.

So, in honor of the 4th of July BBQ, I bring you an awesome marinade/recipe for pork chops. I know...I know. Who has pork chops for the 4th? We usually have hot dogs and burgers, but in case you're looking for something a little different that is very low fuss, I've got a good one for you. The really nice thing about this one is you can make it the night before and it's ready for you whenever you're ready to slap it on the grill.

Sweet Mustard Chops

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup prepared mustard
2 tsp seasoned salt
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
4 (1" thick) pork chops

Combine mayonnaise, brown sugar, mustard and seasoned salt; mix well. Blend in vinegar. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add pork. Seal bag or cover container; refrigerate overnight. Drain and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over medium coals, turning occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear.

NOTE: I don't change a thing about this recipe. It is perfection as is! You can speed this up and only marinate for a couple hours, but it really is best if it marinates overnight. Both of my boys eat this without complaint (quite the feat - let me tell you!).





I meant to get a little better pics of those yummy chops, but the hubs and kids devoured them before I could snap one. Some people's kids!


In other news...for a couple weeks, we've been finding what looks to be owl pellets under a big tree in our front yard.



Yeah, kinda gross, but really cool at the same time. Anyway...I told the hubs that we had an owl living in our tree. We never saw it, so I figured he was out hunting at night in the vast expanse around our neighborhood and then decided to rest and eat in our tree. Whatever. It's cool either way. The other morning I was strapping the boys in the car and I heard a bunch of bird throwing a big fit in the tree. I look up and I see birds I've never seen in the area (pretty ones when usually all we have are the boring house finches). And what are they throwing a fit about? THIS is what they're throwing a fit about.


Yep! I was right - we have a barn owl living in the tree. He was not very happy that those birds were bothering him, but there he sat. He was out there that evening, too. But, of course, the next morning, he's nowhere to be seen. I hope he doesn't decide that there's too much commotion in our tree because I think it's awesome he took up residence in our tree! And if he waits around a few weeks, he could probably have a meal of the baby barn swallows that are in a nest above our front door. LOL Circle of life, girls. Circle of life.


Listening to: Make Yourself by Incubus
Mood: TGIF!