Reindeer Food

Well, the days have gotten away form me and I forgot to purchase the ingredients for reindeer food. What will I do? Improvise. I will have the kiddo help me crush some peanuts, pecans, and a few pretzels together. I already have these ingredients as well as a little glitter so the reindeer can see in the dark. Quick, easy, mom forgot to make it, reindeer food.

Artichoke Dip

Artichoke dip is a classic. This one is super easy and can even be used as a side item.

2 cans artichoke hearts

1 cup mayo

1 container shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Serve in the casserole dish with wheat crackers (Wheat Thins) or bagel chips.

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

Thinking of an easy gift? THink about chocolate dipped pretzels. Simply heat up regular milk chocolate. Melt, do not scorch. Dip salted pretzels and let cool on parchment paper or waxed paper. Put in clear bags with pretty bows. An easy "happy".

Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp is one of those things that if you buy it on sale, you can freeze it for a pretty long time. A month ago I did just that. I bought a pound of shrimp and kept in its original wrapping and froze it. Saturday night I was able to pull it out for a quick supper with items from my pantry.

3 -6 cloves garlic (this sounds like a lot but will flavor the shrimp and pasta)

1 lb. shrimp

1 lemon or lemon juice (to taste)

1/4 c. white wine (optional, but really adds to the dish)

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3 Tbsp. butter

Cooked Pasta - spaghetti, linguini, or similar pasta type works best

salt and pepper to taste

Heat pan and add olive oil. Saute' finely minced garlic in the pan. Place pealed shrimp in hot pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute' until cooked through. Add the wine, lemon juice, and butter. Combine all ingredients. Add pasta to the pan and toss. Serve with crusty bread and fresh parmesan cheese.

Beef Bourguignon with Red Wine

I found this recipe online. Charles has been asking me to find other crock pot recipes. I tend to only make a roast. I searched and found this. I have not made it yet, but this will be on the menu this week! The web address in which the recipe is featured can be found at the bottom of this post. Happy eating.

Beef Bourguignon with Red Wine

* Crock Pot beef stew with red wine and bacon, along with carrots and other seasonings

Ingredients:

1 lb. bacon, cooked, reserve grease

3 lbs. beef, cubed

flour

1 1/2 cups red wine

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 ribs celery, sliced

2 carrots, diced

4 to 8 ounces sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

Preparation:

Slowly cook bacon in large skillet; remove to crockpot. Dredge beef cubes in flour, brown in bacon fat. Transfer meat from skillet to crockpot. Saute vegetables and garlic in bacon fat; remove to crockpot. Gently stir beef, vegetables, bacon and wine. Add bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.

Honey Pumpkin Muffins - by Hannah Reed, author

These muffins are a favorite of one of my favorite author's. I love "cozy" mysteries and Hannah Reed has a new series. Check her out on FB and sign up for her newsletter!

Honey Pumpkin Muffins

makes twelve muffins 1½ cup flour 1½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground nutmet 1½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ stick butter - softened ¾ cup honey 1 egg 1 cup pumpkin - solid packed 1 cup walnuts - toasted Mix together first 7 ingredients and set aside. Beat the butter until light. Beat in honey, egg, and pumpkin until well mixed. Slowly add the flour mixture. Stir in walnuts. Spoon into greased or paperlined muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm.

Charles' Chili

This one is so easy. Great to double and freeze the other half. I have been freezing soups in gallon freezer bags, and double bagging them.

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium can tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

chili powder, 3 tablespoons or to taste

conecuh sausage cut into small rounds, I use Hickory

1 can kidney beans, I leave out but Charles does not

Fritos, optional topping

Sharp Cheddar Cheese, optional topping

Cook beef until browned. Drain and rinse. While browning cook the onion and bell pepper until softened in another skillet. Add the onion and bell pepper to the meat. Add the tomato sauce and chili powder. Bring to a simmer. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Stir. St this point you will want to add water to the desired consistency. At least 2 cups since some will evaporate. Cook the sausage in a separate pan. Add this to the chili. I add the beans at the last minute, just to heat them through. If we do not have others over I skip the beans or just add to Charles'. Serve with fritos and cheese.

I say "I" in this a lot, but Charles is the actual chef when it comes to chili.

Cook this meal a few hours before you want to serve

Drop Biscuit Pot Pie

This is an adaptation of a Rachael Recipe. Check out her new show on the Cooking Channel. It is called "A Week in a Day". It is all about preparing a week's worth of meals in advance.

In this recipe Rachael poaches the chicken. I am all about ease so I have changed this part of the recipe. Other changes are minimal.

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 16 button mushrooms, sliced or quartered
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 3 to 4 small ribs celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 3 to 4 sprigs tarragon, leaves chopped
• 1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken, shredded (either bake in the oven or purchase the roasted store chicken if on sale)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Package drop biscuit mix, mixed to package directions (recommended: Jiffy) - use can biscuits if in a hurry
• Finely chopped fresh chives or parsley or fresh or dried dill, for biscuit mix

• Heat a high sided skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, add the mushrooms and cook to tender, but not brown, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add carrots, potato, celery, onion, salt and pepper, to taste. Cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

  Meanwhile, heat a pot over medium-high heat and add the butter. Whisk in the flour, then whisk in the stock to form a roux. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 7 to 8 minutes to thicken and lightly coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the tarragon and Dijon mustard.

  Pour the sauce into the vegetables and stir. Add the chicken and peas and transfer the mixture to a casserole dish or individual crocks. This meal can be refrigerated, at this point, for make-ahead dinners.

  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

  Prepare the drop biscuit mix for 8 biscuits and stir in a little chives, parsley or dill for flavor. Top chicken casserole or crocks with drop biscuits and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake in center of oven at 375 degrees F until casserole is warm through and biscuits are lightly golden and crispy at edges. If the chicken filling is still warm from stove top this will take only about 10 minutes. If the chicken is cold, bake for 30 minutes; for the last 10 minutes, remove from oven, add biscuit mix, then return to the oven and cook uncovered until the biscuits are golden.

Colorful Chicken Casserole

This is another recipe from Taste of Home: Freezer Pleasers. I did cube the chicken as the recipe states, but I would almost think large shreds would be better. We also left out the corn and it was just as good. This recipe originally called for a jar of mushrooms. I felt this was a bit much. This recipe makes 2 casseroles that serve 4- 5 people each.

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. chopped green (bell) pepper

3/4 c. chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. frozen corn

1 c. frozen peas

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 c. cubed chicken (I prefer shredded), cooked

1 package (7 oz.) spaghetti or elbow macaroni (we used 8 oz. mac and then 8 oz. corkscrew)

1 c. (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Saute' celery, green pepper and onion in butter until tender. Add the broth, corn (if desired), peas, salt and pepper. Heat through. Stir in chicken and pasta. Divide between two 2-quart baking dishes coated with cooking spray.

Cover and freeze one casserole up to 3 months. Cover and bake the second at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes longer or until heated through.

To cook the frozen casserole let sit on counter for 30 minutes prior to cooking. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until heated through. This can vary if your freezer is super cold.

Texas Potatoes

Here are two recipes for Texas Potatoes. My mother-in-law fixes this MANY times a year. The first version is from her mom, and the second she has altered a bit. We do prefer the second. I have to say I like to have it with extra cornflakes and butter. Coming tomorrow...my mom's Cheesy Veggie Soup.

Texas Potatoes - Elinor Bradley

4 lbs. shredded or cubes hashbrowns, thawed (we use the cubed)

1/2 c. butter

1/4 c. butter (for topping)

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. salt

1 c. chopped onion (or more)

1-2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1 carton sour cream

2 cups crushed corn flakes

Mix together in 9x13 casserole . Top with corn flakes. Drizzle with 1/4 c. melted butter. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Texas Potatoes Divine - Susan Bradley Dube

2 28 oz. bags Ore Ida frozen Potatoes O'Brian (if you can not find this you add onions and bell pepper)

26 oz. can cream of chicken soup

16 oz. sour cream

2 cups corn flakes

1/2 c. melted butter

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the above 4 ingredients and put into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with 2 cups crushed cornflakes mixed with 1/2 c. melted butter.

Bake at uncovered at 350 degrees for at least one hour.

You can freeze this dish for probably a month or two. Just thaw in the fridge before baking.

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

I have to say I adapted this recipe from my cousin. She publishes the Fairhope Foodie blog. She has some great recipes so check them out. She is on a semi-permanent vacation, but I was looking back at her older recipes. I found this chicken dish. I haven't made it in a while but I can guarantee it will be on the menu next week. I would serve with rice (Rice-a-Roni or Uncle Ben's) and garlic bread.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I purchase the cutlets)
2 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used milk or Lactaid I have to admit)
1-2 tablespoon Dijon mustard


Trim chicken breasts of excess fat and pound slightly to tenderize and even out the meat. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute chicken 5-6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove from the skillet and keep warm.

Add the chicken stock to the skillet, scraping up any brown bits. Stir in the milk and mustard. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. The original recipe says to add parsley here. Due to diet restrictions I don't, but feel free. Pour over chicken breasts and serve.

Baked Pesto Ravioli with Chicken

Pesto can be expensive. Basil plants grow really well and can grow very large. If you can keep plants alive think about making your own pesto and freezing in ice cube trays.

Nonstick cooking spray

2 pounds Frozen Cheese Ravioli

1 pound cooked chicken breasts 1/2 inch slices

2 cups zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds (on sale lately)

2/3 cup chicken broth (This week BOGO at Publix)

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/2 cup (I bought a small jar) store-bought basil pesto sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

Spray one 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

I actually put it into two of the smaller square baking dishes. We have 2 adults and one child who eats. I am able to make this meal and have leftovers for lunch.

Directions:

Combine the ravioli, chicken, chicken broth, zucchini, bell pepper, scallions, pesto, salt,

pepper, and Parmesan in a large bowl. Stir gently to mix the ingredients. If you are

preparing a triple batch, divide the remainder equally between two resealable freezer bags.

Preheat the oven to 350◦F. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1-1/2 hours or

until bubbly.

To freeze

Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before baking as

directed above.

This was modified from the Dream Dinners Cookbook

Rosemary Chicken Penne

This recipe was adapted from the Dream Dinners cookbook

1 pound diced cooked chicken

1 pound penne pasta (cook according to package instructions

1 cup (4 ounces) low-fat shredded cheese blend (Italian cheeses make sure to add Parmesan)

1/2 cup yellow onion(s), diced

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups nonfat milk

1 15-ounce can(s) Cream of Mushroom soup

Recipe says to spray one (three) 9 x 13-inch baking dish(es) with nonstick cooking spray. I actually stored in 2 one gallon freezer bags

Putting the pasta together

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to two

resealable freezer bag

For dinner tonight

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the contents of a bag into the prepared baking dish and

cover with foil. Bake for 1 to 1 º hours. Or, place in a crock pot, set on low heat, and cook

for 5 to 6 hours.

To freeze

Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking as

directed above.

Melt it Down - Crazy Crayons

I don't know about you but I have a TON of broken crayons around the house. I was about to throw them away, but I thought about something I did a while ago. I took a small microwave safe glass and put the pieces in the bottom. I put several of the same color next to each other. I did stack a little so the dish wasn't a think pancake. I slowly melted the crayons in the microwave (10 seconds at a time). This allowed the crayons to melt, but still hold a lot of the original color. I do put in the freezer so I can pop them out easily. This little project I think I will do during nap time tomorrow. Then in the afternoon we can have "Crazy Crayons" to color and write with.

If you have cute glass or tin molds this would be a great little favor for the kids class. You could do shapes or letters and numbers. Think about making a set for your child's letter or number of the week and send to her classmates. Too cute!

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings - (Cara's note: I split this into two smaller casseroles. Eat one and freeze one.)

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles (Cara's note - I use mild Rotel. The original is too spicy for the kids)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided (I use a ton more. Create a pretty thick topping.)

Preparation

Sauté onion and bell pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.

Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.

Note: Freeze casserole up to 2 months, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2000

Freezer Yummies

Over the next several days I am going to be adding some freezer friendly recipes. I will continue to add throughout the year, but these will be the ones we have eaten in the last 2 weeks. Freezer foods are great. Every so often I take a day, really a couple of hours in the day, and make 2 recipes. These recipes yield 2 frozen dinners each. Working full time these really help and are such a time saver. Stay tuned for the recipes to come!!!

Play Doh

I bought two cases of Play-Doh last Black Friday. One was a kit and the other contained 24 of the large cans. I have to say what an investment. Under $7.00 each and I can not count the number of hours spent in Play-Doh heaven. Well, heaven for my daughter. I am not a fan of picky up the gooey mess off of the floor.

Here is a suggestion. When you see Play-Doh go on super sale, go ahead and buy it. I did that and I am still able to get out fresh cans a year later. My daughter can honestly entertain herself for an hour when she plays with Play-Doh. It is so hot here that we have played a lot lately. Look for the sales and put it under the tree at Christmas. One of the most inexpensive yet best gifts ever.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Bacon

I bought a new freezer meals cookbook this week and just had to try out some recipes. Here is one. I have altered it so the Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers cookbook was the inspiration.

You will need:

I lb. of bacon

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Cut the bacon pieces in half and dip in the mixture. Twist the pieces as you place them on your sheet. Cook for 20 minutes. Take out of the over and get rid of grease. Turn the pieces over. Cook for another 5 minutes. Let cool and them place in freezer containers for up to a month. Microwave to reheat.

Labor Day

Do you ever have a day off and it not feel like a day off. Holidays seems to always be too busy, and you need a holiday from the holiday. This is what even basic holidays like Labor Day seem to be. Take a breath and relax. Get the house stuff done at a slow pace. Visit with the kids at home. Not everyone will like it, but you will be more refreshed when you go back to work Tuesday. Sometimes a little less to do will recharge the batteries. I am so going to try to follow my own guidelines. Tomorrow I have to grade papers and clean the house, but that will not take all day. I find cooking relaxing so I may even put a few dishes in the freezer. We will see where the day takes us and do what we can, but I will for sure make time for the kids.

Roast in the Crock Pot

Wednesday night was going to be super busy. Not only would I get home at 4:30, but we were going to have family over to relax before they had an even that night. What to fix to make everyone happy? Roast.

Easy Roast

First, I purchase an oven roast. I do whatever is on sale. The small package in the store easily feeds 5-6 people.

2 potatoes

1 onion

frozen carrots (in my freezer)

2 packets of gravy mix (I get McCormick Brown Gravy in the packet)

Open the two gravy packets in the crock pot. Add water into the crock pot. I fill the gravy packet up 4 times. Mix the gravy together.

Cute up the onion into wedges and put in the crock pot. Peel and cut the potato into cubes. Place it is the crock pot and toss in the gravy mix. Put a handful of frozen carrots into the pot as well. Place the roast on top and salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low. I end up leaving the meat in the pot for 9- 9.5 hours, not the usual 8 since I get home later. This seems to work even better.

Serve with saffron or yellow rice.

Beads, Beads and More Beads

It is another rainy day. My mother keeps my children sometimes and she always has a craft for my three year old to do. One of the favorites is beads. Mom purchased a few bead kits and they were able to play for hours. All of the strings were used or lost, and honestly Reese will play and take apart and play again. I have found the shoelaces are a great substitute. Just make sure the bead hole is large enough. So, for today and other rainy days keep a bead box around. Great idea and will really pass the time. And if you are lucky your child can play independently!!!

Today is the first post and I think it should be from my lunch portion of the toy box. These posts will usually be frugal food choices or on sale. Sometimes I will have some other recipes as well. It is so hard to feed the fam. The 3 year old is picky and the hubby has diet restrictions. How do I fix a healthy lunch? Today I am having rice, squash and ritz chicken. When I cook I cook for 3. A great idea is to cook for an extra person and then take leftovers to work the next day.

Ritz Coated Chicken

Lightly salt chicken breasts or pieces. Coat with crushed Ritz crackers (I use one whole sleeve) and a few pats of butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. This could vary depending on the cut of chicken used. You want the chicken cooked through and the crackers browned.

Uncle Ben's Rice Pilaf

Squash

Saute' 3 squash in butter until light caramelization. Salt and pepper lightly as you cook. I use three squash and that serves 2 people.

Picture will follow.