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Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category

Menu Plan Monday

Posted in Menu Planning, tagged on March 26, 2012| 5 Comments »

Another week has flown right by and we tried to make the most of last week’s unseasonably warm temperatures by getting outside as much as possible. The next few days look really promising, too, so maybe I can actually get ahead on some of the gardening plans I have.  C & I did manage to plant the two grapevines and 25 strawberry plants that I purchased this year and have grand plans to build another raised garden bed and a raised flower bed beside the sidewalk we had installed last year.  Can’t wait!  I will be sure to have before, during and after photos for you.

It is the end of the month so that means it is grocery buying time. Can I get a groan to go along with mine?  Oh, well, it has to be done sometime.  We will celebrate C’s birthday next weekend (Happy birthday a little early, my love!) so I will be making two Oreo pies for his birthday “cake” since they are one of his favorite desserts.

Italian Crescent Casserole (new)

Grilled Hamburgers with Oven Fries

Taco Ring

Pizza Night

Grocery Night

Cheeseburger Bundles

Brown Sugar & Red Wine Vinegar Glazed Pork Loin (new)

Oreo Pie

Please join me at I’m An Organizing Junkie for mine and many other’s menu plans.

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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , on March 24, 2012| 5 Comments »

Today’s recipe comes from the great blog, Real Mom Kitchen!  Laura always has delicious recipes that are simple and easy on the budget and today’s is no exception.  I love slow cooker recipes and this batch makes enough for multiple nights.  We ate regular sloppy Joes one night and I used the leftovers for sloppy Joe bake which you will see here next week. 

2 lbs. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

15 oz. can tomato sauce

10.75 oz. can condensed tomato soup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/8 cup ketchup

1 1/2 tbsp. worcestshire sauce

1/2 tbsp. dry mustard

1/2 tbsp. prepared mustard

3/4 tsp. chili powder

buns and cheese (I used American and provolone.)

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In a skillet, brown the ground beef and onion together until the beef is cooked through.  Drain off any fat.

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Place the beef/onion mixture in your slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients.  Stir until well combined and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

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Please join me over at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday!

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Menu Plan Monday

Posted in Menu Planning, tagged on March 19, 2012| 2 Comments »

Can you tell that it is March Madness time where you live?  If not, then you must not live in Kentucky!  A lot of us (myself included), love this time of year because of several different reasons and one of those reasons is the University of Kentucky basketball team…GO CATS!  I watch their games all season long, but at tournament time, I will watch just about every game I can.  All of the teams, even the lowly underdogs, will play above and beyond to try to advance to the next round.  There are always exciting games and a few upsets along the way.

March madness also means that it is springtime or at least almost.  It will be official tomorrow, but we have had spring-like and some summer-like temperatures around here for a while now.  Hopefully the rain will slack off a little this week and allow C & I to clean up the yard a little.  I need to weed, weed and weed some more so I can sow my early veggie crop seeds.  Also, last week I received a very special package containing 25 strawberry plans and 3 grape vines that will need to get in the ground as soon as possible.   All of this outside work means that this week’s menu will be filled with simple, quick suppers that I know we will enjoy. 

Here’s hoping your week is filled with lots of fun and sunshine!

Shredded BBQ (leftover) and oven baked fries

Tacos and fruit salad (These didn’t get made last week.)

Sausage bake (2 nights)

Pizza Night

Baked pasta with Simple Spaghetti Sauce (new)

I am now linking up my menu plan every week over at I’m An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.  Come and check it out!

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Peanut Butter Blossoms

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , on March 17, 2012| 2 Comments »

Last Christmas, I was looking for a few new sweets to try and I kept seeing this recipe again and again.  It looked so good and pretty simple, too, so I decided to add it to my holiday cookie/candy tray.  You can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate and this little cookie is no exception.  I really liked it and will definitely be making it again!

40 HERSHEY’S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.  Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

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Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

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Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Unwrap the chocolate Kisses while the cookies are baking.  Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. I had to play around with my camera while I was waiting for the cookies to bake.

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Please join me and other wonderful cooks over at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday.

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Menu Plan Monday

Posted in Menu Planning, tagged on March 12, 2012|

Good Monday morning to everyone!  Sorry I skipped out on last week’s plan, but C and I traveled most of the week for his annual work conference so there wasn’t much cooking going on around here.  We traveled to Louisville, KY and ate at a great Italian place there so check back on Thursday and I will tell you all about it. 

Since C & I indulged last week while eating out, I am going to try to go a little lighter this week.  We have both put a few pounds back on this winter so it is time to lighten the load a little bit especially in the sugar department.  I am a big sweet and carb eater so that is where I am going to cut back.  Now instead of heading for the chocolate for a sweet tooth fix, I will be heading for the fruit bowl!

Salisbury Steaks with Oven Fries

Homemade Tacos with Fruit Salad

Slow Cooker Meatball Sandwiches (new) with Oven Fries

Pizza Night

Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ

Cheesy Steak Sandwiches with Oven Fries

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Quick Peppery Cheese Bread

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , on March 10, 2012| 6 Comments »

Some things just go together naturally like peanut butter and jelly or chips and dip.  Well, this recipe goes great with the lasagna soup that I wrote about last week.  This recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs, The Southern Lady Cooks, who happens to be a fellow Kentucky blogger.  She has some wonderful recipes over there and all that I have tried turn out great.

You could easily modify this bread to suit your tastes by adding different cheeses or even some cooked crumbled bacon.  Mmmm!  I may have to try it with bacon.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 cup buttermilk (I used powdered buttermilk and water. The measurement conversion is on the back of the package.)

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 eggs

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Prepare a loaf pan by spraying with non-stick spray and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and powdered buttermilk.

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In another bowl, combine the water (for the powdered buttermilk), butter and eggs.  When that is mixed, add it to the dry ingredients; stir just until combined and make sure there are no dry spots in the batter.

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Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool for about 10 minutes and turn out of the pan. 

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Please join me at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday.

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Lasagna Soup

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , on March 3, 2012| 5 Comments »

Are you looking for a rich and hearty meal with some classic Italian flavors?  Look no further!  I found this recipe on Pinterest, of course, and it was pinned from the blog Creatively Domestic.  This is one of the best soup/stews that I have had in a long time.  I hesitate to call it a soup, because it gets really thick and stew-like which is just fine with me.  Yummy!  I won’t hold you in suspense any longer…here is the recipe.

1 onion finely diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 lb. Italian sausage

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
26 oz. spaghetti sauce
4 cups chicken (or vegetable or beef) stock (I used vegetable broth.)
2 bay leaves
8 oz. pasta

 

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In a large Dutch oven, cook the onion, garlic, and meats in the olive oil until the meats are completely cooked.  (Note: I cooked this the day before so the photo will show a skillet.)

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Add the remaining ingredients except the pasta and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

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Bring to a boil and add the pasta.  Cook for additional 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.  Enjoy!  I served this with a quick peppery cheese bread that I will highlight next week.  You don’t want to miss it!  They go great together.

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“Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset”

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Menu Plan Monday Week 9

Posted in Menu Planning, tagged on February 27, 2012|

Is it the end of February already?  That is hard to believe, and since it is the end of the month, this week is clean out the pantry/fridge/freezer week.  In trying to save money on groceries, I have started a new routine this year.  At the end of one month, I take a calendar and write down supper ideas for the next month.  Yes, that’s right, the WHOLE month!  Then I make one big grocery list that allows me to have the ingredients for all of those meals on hand.  That way I only have to buy perishables the rest of that month.  How is it working?  So far so good.  C & I did have a couple of extra events this month that I really wasn’t expecting so I had to pick up a few things, but all in all, it is working great.

Since I am cooking for just the two of us during the week, I also try to plan suppers that have leftovers and we have those for lunch the next day.  That doesn’t always happen, but I usually end up with lunches for 3 or 4 days which helps out a lot.  The next two weeks probably won’t have any new recipes since this week is grocery week and next week we will be traveling a few days for C’s job.  In fact, I will probably skip next week’s menu plan because I won’t be cooking too much then.

Biscuit Bubble-Up Pizza

Grilled Hamburgers with Oven Baked Fries (We ended up having leftovers last week so I didn’t make this then.)

Pizza Night

Grilled Pork Chops & Oven Baked Fries

Grocery Night

Basic Meatloaf with Butter Roasted Potatoes

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Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , on February 25, 2012| 3 Comments »

Mmmmmm, creamy cheesy potatoes.  This is comfort food at its finest. I have tried to make au gratin potatoes in the past, but they have always turned out too dry for my taste.  I was looking for a recipe that resulted in tender potatoes with loads of creamy sauce and this is it!  These could be a meal by themselves, but if you wanted a little protein, just throw in some diced ham and it would be an awesome casserole.

The original recipe came from allrecipes.com again.  Can you tell that is one of my favorite places to search for food? 

4 Idaho potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

1 onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds.

 

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Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

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Please join me at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday.

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Menu Plan Monday Week 8

Posted in Menu Planning, tagged , on February 20, 2012|

We have arrived at the beginning of another week, so it is time for another menu plan.  Do you menu plan and do you find that it helps save time and energy by knowing what you will fix that week?  I know it helps me tremendously!  After working all day, the thought of coming home and having to wrack my brain for something to fix for supper is just a pain.  By planning a week’s worth of dinners, I know I have options. 

I don’t list my meals by the day of the week on here, but on my kitchen calendar I do.  That doesn’t mean I stick with it exactly, but at least I know what I can make and that makes life a lot easier!

Taco Soup (new) with cheesy bread

Grilled hamburgers and oven fries

Sausage bake (2 nights)

Hamburger Stew

Pizza or Eat Out Night

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