Monday, September 10, 2012

Manicotti!

Hey friends!
Another recipe from my sweet friend Melissa!  You can read about her journey here.

Manicotti- yum!
delicious, easy, and healthy Manicotti

boil manicotti shells in big pot for a minute less than the box instructs, drain in colander and set aside

mix together thawed frozen spinach, fat free ricotta, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and one egg in a bowl 

(amounts depend on how many shells you want to stuff and how spinachy you want the filling to be, use your judgement!)

using your (clean:)) hands, stuff manicotti with ricotta filling. be careful not to tear the shells, they can be delicate

cover the bottom of a baking dish with sauce, line manicotti shells in pan, cover with  more sauce, low fat shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. bake for 30 minute at 375, covered, until last 5 minutes

Friday, September 7, 2012

Chicken Marsala


Hey friends!
Today, our recipe comes from my friend Melissa.  You can check our her writing here.

She is a great cook, momma and loves Jesus fiercely!

Chicken Marsala

1lb chicken breasts or tenders
1 package of mushrooms (baby bellas or white buttons are what I use)
marsala cooking wine
flour (wheat flour is a healthy substitute)
butter or margarine
a drizzle of vegetable or olive oil
chicken broth (optional)

cut up raw chicken into bite size pieces and coat with flour
saute in a pan drizzled with oil
brown both sides of chicken but do not cook through (2-3 minutes on each side)
remove from pan

melt butter or margarine in pan, add sliced mushrooms and cook a few minutes until butter is absorbed 
add generous amount of marsala cooking wine (I like to add chicken broth as well)
simmer on med low until mushrooms are soft and you have a good amount of sauce
Add chicken to pan and simmer in sauce and mushrooms until chicken is cooked through
**If you don't have enough sauce at any time, just add more broth/marsala wine

Serve over pasta or any rice
We love the Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice from the freezer that you can microwave in 3 minutes
Enjoy!

PS Elle gobbles this right up! I love that she will eat these mushrooms!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Abbeys Bacon and veggie quiche

Quiche

It's french, it sounds fancy, it sounds hard.  Bahhaha! Those french can't fool me!  This is so easy and SOOO good.  And what I love about quiche, it's an any meal- meal.  Make it for dinner, have left overs for breakfast.

Okay here we go, what you need:
  1. bacon, get the center cut and be happy with it after it's cooked.
  2. pie crust (you can get the rolled up find next to the rolls or you can get the frozen kind in the frozen section.  I personally like the rolled up kind next to the yogurt and cinnamon rolls in the grocery store).
  3. 1 cup of Frozen veggies (I use broccoli and spinach)
  4. 4 eggs
  5. cheese
  6. 1 onion
  7. 8oz of grated cheddar cheese
  8. 1/2 cup of milk
  9. 1 cup of mushrooms

Step 1.  Eat lunch.  In the mean time, preheat oven to 400 degrees and cook pie crust for 10 minutes.  Take out of oven.
Step 2.  Cook bacon when you are SUPER full so you won't eat 1/2 of it :)
(if you don't eat bacon, still make this!  I've done it without and it's still amazing!!)



Step 3.  Sautee onion.
Step 4.  Mix together the eggs, milk and cheese.
Step 5.  Add all the veggies to the pie crust.

Step 6.  Add the milk/egg/cheese mixture over the veggies.


Bake for 15 minutes on 400 then reduce heat to 350 and cook for 25 minutes (mine always has to cook longer than this!!  So just watch it).  Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Summer salad

Hey friends!  Sorry for the month long absence.  It's been crazy around my house and I know for sure around Emily's house.

And honestly, we are running out of recipes!  If you email them to us, we will post them, give you credit for them and provide a link to your blog- if you do it!

So this is one of my FAVORITES!  I seriously made this every week last summer when I was pregnant with my youngest (who is turning 1 tomorrow- wahhhhhh!!!).

Here is what you need:

  1. Mixed greens (maybe even some spinach?)
  2. tomatoes 
  3. carrots
  4. blueberries
  5. blackberries
  6. strawberries
  7. Raspberries (I do this sometimes, because I have a hard time getting good ones.)
  8. onions
  9. some sort of nut or seed (almonds, pecans, sunflowers, sesame seeds, etc)
  10. blue cheese crumbles
  11. I have done chicken sometimes and it was good.  i just cooked it in the skillet and added some seasoning to that it wouldn't be bland.
  12. *Last night I didn't have chicken thawed so I added a black bean burger.  I just cooked it, tore it up and sprinkled it over. Oh my.  I think that's my new favorite!
  13. yummy light dressing (I have used light honey mustard, raspberry vinaigrette and balsamic)


Chop everything up into bite sizes.  Have small babes, just don't give them the lettuce and nuts/seeds and give them everything else and they will love it!  Mine like to "dip"  Salt and pepper and then enjoy!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Mini pizza? I don't know what to call it.

Hi friends.  Sorry that Emily and I have been MIA for the last week.  What happened?  I don't know, life maybe?  I'll blame it on my babies.  I don't know what her reason is, work?
So let's get to it.  I made these last night because I was super organized and planned ahead, because they are quick and I was so hungry I was about a second way from biting someones head off and it was fast and easy!

I've seen them around a few websites, but just did what I want and didn't really follow a recipe.  I don't know who to give credit to, but I for sure don't get it.  Enjoy never the less!!

What you need:
  • 1 or 2 containers of the crescent rolls.  Ours had 6 and we needed more.  I would plan for 4 or 5 per person.  If you husband (or you) eat like a teenager, then 5 for sure.  I bought the publix brand and they were just as good.
  • 1 small container of pizza sauce.  You need so little, plan for something else to use again so you don't waste it.
  • pepperoni
  • mozzarella cheese
  • any other small pizza topping that sounds good... get creative!!

First you preheat the oven to the directions of the rolls.  I think ours said 350.  Roll out the roll and add the sauce.


Then add the pepperoni.



Then sprinkle cheese on it.  Note to self, take a picture of each step.

Then roll it up. I found that if you take the corners and stretch them over it will hold better after it's cooked.

15 minutes later, viola!


I did warm up some of the pizza sauce for dipping.  Yummo!  And added a side of peas.  Well frank did the peas.  I hate peas and he made me eat some.  AB ate her weight in them.


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Meat Loaf- Easy and Simple

What you will need:

1-2 lbs ground beef (for 2 people I use 1lb and have leftovers)
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup ketchup
3/4 cup water
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup pulp from vegetable juicing (optional but adds a lot of flavor and gives you something to do with the pulp from juicing)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs then mix all of the other ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a 13X9 baking dish and bake for 1 hour.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Chicken and noodles

Hey friends, Abbey here!  Emily has had some many good recipes lately, so I thought that I would sneak one in :)

I literally made this up.  I need to go grocery shopping and this is what we had in the panty/ freezer.


First and formost, make sure you have an AWESOME sous chef that will "help" you and laugh at your bad dancing skill while cooking!

1 package of chicken strips
1 box of the archer farms (target) spaghetti pesto
1/2 of of frozen brocolli
1 egg
some milk
bread crumbs
oil
marsala or some other marinade

I defrosted some chicken and marinaded it yesterday.  Our friends called and asked us to dinner, we don't turn them down :)  So it ended up marinading the chicken for over 24 hours.  But above (marsala) is the marinade (let's see how many times I can type "marinade in one paragraph!).  I used tupperware and put the chicken in there with the marsala cooking wine and added italian seasoning and some other seasoning, I can't remember- tyme maybe?  I don't know- just whatever smells good {grin}.  Let soak for as long as you can.
Tonight, I used 1 egg and a dash of milk and dipped the said chicken in it and then rubbed the bread crumbs on each strip.


Put the chicken over the spaghetti.  I have never fried chicken before and THANK goodness my hubby came in and saved the day- or chicken.  It was a little crispy :)


Serve the broccoli on the side.  

Friday, July 20, 2012

Chipotle Roast

You will need:
1-2 lbs of roast
1 envelope of Grill Mates Chipotle Seasoning

Heat the oven to 350. Marinate the roast in the Chipotle seasoning per instructions on back of envelope. Place the roast on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Pour some of the leftover marinade over the roast. Cook for about 25-40 minutes. I would recommend starting to check the inside of the roast after about 20 minutes to make sure it does not get over cooked.

*** If you are able to marinade the meat ahead of time, I would recommend doing so for a few hours before. Trust me, it is still delicious even if you cannot do this.

I served this dish with a side of sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Creamy Spinach Dip

I am not really sure were this recipe came from but it is delicious. I have made it as a side for dinner or an appetizer to take to a party!

Ingredients:
1 box thawed spinach
1 box cream cheese (I usually get fat free to make it have less calories :) )
1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2 milk
12 oz of salsa
1 tbs of red wine vinegar
2 cups of grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a small oven safe dish. Cook for 40 minutes. I like to serve this with the Whole Grain Tostitos Scoops.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Chicken and Atrichoke Hearts Casserole

Hi everybody! This is a delicious meal, but fair warning, artichokes, rice and chicken together do not make very pretty colors on your plate.

Ingredients
1.5- 2 pounds of chicken (depending on how much you want to add)
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2-1 cup mushrooms (depending on if you like mushrooms and how many you want in here)
2ish tablespoons of flour
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar (both seem to work about the same)
1 can artichoke hearts (if you are like Josh and I and LOVE these, you might want to get 2 cans)
1-2 cups of rice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Coat chicken in salt, pepper and paprika. Cook in skillet with butter or whatever your preference is. Once cooked, chop it up or leave it as whole pieces and place it in a casserole dish. In the skillet, add mushrooms and saute. Once sauteed, add chicken broth and sherry. Then sprinkle in flour until the sauce thickens.

Cook rice and add it to the casserole dish.

Place the artichoke hearts in the casserole dish and then pour mushroom sauce evenly throughout the casserole dish.

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

This might sound strange but if you add a splash of soy sauce after cooking it, it adds a lot of flavor.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Summer Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad. A few times I have made this for a cookout this summer and have ended up eating it for lunch or dinner a few times that week.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Pasta (I usually use bow ties or the twisty ones)
Cilantro Lime salad dressing (from Trader Joe's)
*If you do not want to go to Trader Joe's, you can use Italian dressing)
Cherry Tomatoes or a large Tomato (chop tomato or slice the cherry tomatoes in half)
Celery (chopped)
Green Pepper (chopped)
Carrots (chopped)
*I like a lot of veggies in my pasta salad, so feel free to add as much or as little as you would like

Cook the pasta. Drain the noodles then put in a large bowl. Add the chopped veggies into the bowl then dump in 1/2- 3/4 of the bottle of dressing and mix. I usually let mine refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Chicken/Vegetable Casserole

Things you will need:
~ 1 can of green beans or the equivalent of fresh green beans
~ 1 can of corn
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cups of diced, cooked chicken
1 cup of cooked rice
3/4 cup of milk
1 can of french onion rings (you can also use crackers if you do not have french onion rings)
~ 1 cup of cheese (optional)

Combine the beans, corn, cream of mushroom soup, chicken and rice. Put the mixture in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with onion rings and bake for 10 more minutes. If you love cheese like the Fox family does, add some shredded cheese before placing the onion rings on top.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Beat the heat with Summer Beer

Summer beer is a delicious drink to enjoy after dinner, sitting on the porch or at the pool. It is so simple to make yet one of the best drinks.

There are 2 variations of this, so here we go!

Lemonade Summer Beer:
1 can of frozen pink lemonade
Vodka
3-4 light beers (Bud Light or Coors Light are what we typically use)

Pour the pink lemonade into a pitcher then fill the lemonade can with vodka and pour into the pitcher. Add the 3-4 beers and mix well. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Limeade Summer Beer:
1 can of frozen lime juice
Tequilla
3-4 Mexican beers (Corona or Dos Equis work well)

Pour the limeade into a pitcher and then fill the limeade can with tequilla and pour into the pitcher. Add the 3-4 beers and mix well. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Teriyaki Chicken

Josh and I have started juicing. Since we are juicing, we have been trying to make lighter, simpler meals. Here is one of Josh's favorites:

You will need the following:
Teriyaki Sauce
1-2 onions chopped
Enough chicken for who you are cooking for


In a skillet, dump in enough Teriyaki sauce to line the skillet. Place the chicken in the sauce and turn it over a couple of times. Then let it cook completely on each side. While the chicken is cooking, sautee the onions in another skillet. I typically add salt/pepper and the Weber grill mates brand Kick'n Chicken.

Once the onions are cooked, combine then in the chicken to soak on the flavors. Then top with more Kick'N Chicken seasoning. 

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Bloody Mary goodness

Hey friends, Abbey here!  I don't know if you know this or not, but my husband can cook!  I mean, the proof is in my hiney he is seriously good!  Besides his killer culinary skills, he can make a mean drink.  So add it the ingrediants to the grocery list and stop by the liquor store on the way!!

No better day for this than hump day:


Bloody Mary Goodness:
In a high ball glass add:
4 cubes ice
1 ounce pour (jigger) of Vodka of your choice
8oz can of V8 juice- original, not spicy
A generous squirt of Sriracha HOT chili sauce (you know that hot sauce with the green top and the roaster on the bottle)
1 squeeze of bottled lime juice or 1/2 of one lime (preferred)
ground pepper to taste
3 second pour (count it out) of Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce (the kind with the paper on the bottle and leave the paper on...it really adds to the experience!!)
Mix all the ingredients together, and shake violently for 5 seconds. 
Garnish with two large green olives and a celery stalk from the heart of the plant.
Go grab your honey and have some couch time and relax!  (Frank says: “or better yet, a hammock and a fat cigar.)


Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Creamy Chicken Casserole

This is seriously one of the easiest and most delicious chicken casseroles I have ever made.

Ingredients
~ 4 chicken breasts cooked and cut up
(or whatever is needed for your family)
8 ounces of sour cream (I usually get the low fat or fat free)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 package of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter or margarine (melted)
Poppy seeds

Combine the chicken, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup. Pour into casserole dish. Crush up the crackers and combine with margarine and poppy seeds. Sprinkle over top of the chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Chicken tacos in the crock pot

I work everyday. I leave my house about 7:00-7:15 and get home about 5:45-6:00. I am not complaining, but it makes crock pot cooking hard. Well, GOOD NEWS, if you work like I do, you can still make this recipe. I usually put it all together the night before or in the morning before I leave for work.

Ingredients:
Chicken (I usually use 3 breasts for 2 of us)
1 jar of salsa
1 taco seasoning packet
taco shells

Optional Ingredients (this is what you want to put on your taco!). Below is what I like
avocado or guacamole
cheese
tomatoes
jalapeno
onion

Place the chicken, salsa and taco seasoning in the crock pot. If you would like to cook on low, cook for about 4-6 hours. I cook it on high for about 2 hours. Once the chicken is cooked, it should shred easily wich a fork. You can use the chicken for quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, etc. Use the leftovers for taco soup!


Friday, July 6, 2012

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

4 cloves garlic- (this is the little sections on a bulb of garlic, not 4 whole things of garlic)
1 hefty slice of onion
6-8 stalks asparagus
1 medium Zucchini
1 medium Squash
1 c cherry tomatoes
¾ c sliced mushrooms
1 T Olive Oil
2 T Balsamic Vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 Can diced tomatoes- I like the Italian herb flavored kind..
Bow Tie Pasta (but rotini is good too) you want one with nooks and crannies though ;)
fresh parmesan. You’re gonna want a LOT- yum.

Chop the garlic and onions into little bitty pieces (if you have a chopper, use it) and then cook it over
medium heat in a skillet with the olive oil. Put the water on to boil at the same time. I like to add some
balsamic vinegar and salt to the noodle water to give it some flavor.
Once the garlic and onions are cooked and tender, reduce the heat to medium low and cook the
veggies. Just cook them in the skillet, stirring often, until they are tender. Boil the noodles for 1 minute
LESS than the box says.

After the veggies are tender, add the diced tomatoes and balsamic vinegar (and whatever herbs you
like- I love adding rosemary and basil). I like to make the tomatoes more liquid by putting them in the
food processor- but that’s mainly because Daniel hates ‘chunks’. Drain the noodles but save ½ cup of
the noodle water. Add the noodles and water to the skillet and turn on low. Let it all simmer together
for 10 minutes or so. Then serve topped with shredded Parm. Yum.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Easy Meatballs and Rice

I am a sucker for easy recipes. Here is an easy meatball and rice recipe.

1 bag of frozen meatballs (the ones from Trader Joe's are my favorite)
1 jar of your favorite sauce (BBQ is delicious, Trader Joe's Island sauce is GREAT, also General Tso's sauce)
1.5 cups of rice

Place meatballs and sauce in skillet. Let simmer until sauce thickens and meatballs are heated all the way through. Serve over rice with your favorite vegetables.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Chicken Cakes (Like crab cakes but with chicken!)

So I have been addicted to the Food Network and cooking shows lately. I saw one recently where they made something that looked like a crab cake but was with chicken. So here is what I used and how I cooked these 'chicken cakes':

~ 1.5 pounds of chicken (5 small chicken breasts)
~ 1/2 cup of chopped celery (leave the leafy things on the ends and make sure its chopped really fine)
~1/2 cup of onions
~1/2 cup of chopped peppers. I used a green one but I think a red or yellow one would make them very pretty
~ I didn't add this but think a little jalapeno would be yummy!
-3 eggs
~ 2 cups panko bread crumbs (not to be confused with blinko)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- splash of salt and pepper


I boiled the chicken since it requires less attention than grilling. While the chicken is boiling, I chopped up the celery, onions, and peppers then sauteed them. In a bowl, mix the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, mustard and salt and pepper. then mix this in with the chicken and vegetables. Add Panko crumbs until it seems thick enough to make into 'cakes'.

Create the mixture into how many ever and whatever size cakes you want.

In a skillet, melt a small amount of butter. Then cook the cakes until they are golden brown on each side.

I made a sauce to dip them in BUT think it would be a lot easier to use a chipotle type mayonnaise or remoulade sauce that is already pre-made.

The sauce you can make involves mixing the following:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
splash of salt and pepper
bigger splash of bayou blast or similar seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
splash or Worcestershire sauce
2ish tablespoons of Dijon mustard
splash of lemon or lime juice
garlic (I used a whole clove)

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Pizza on the Grill

Tonight for dinner I decided to grill. Pizza that is!

It was a fun meal to make. I used this dough recipe from www.foodnetwork.com:

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling (Chef's Note: Using bread flour will give you a much crisper crust. If you can't find bread flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour which will give you a chewier crust.)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 envelope instant dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
  • Cheeses (of your liking)
  • Vegetables (of your liking)
  • Meats (of your liking)
  • ~4 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

I made mine into 4 pieces instead of 2. This allowed us to make 4 individual pizzas.

Turn the grill on to medium/high.

Make the 4 dough balls into flat pizza shaped sizes. Put some Olive Oil and salt and pepper on 1 side.

Then put the dough on the grill with the oil side down. Then put olive oil and salt and pepper on the top. It would be easiest if you have a brush to put the olive oil on, but I do not have one so I used a baster.

Cook each side for a couple of minutes, until their are grill marks in it.

Take them all off the grill.

Use whatever ingredients you would like on top.

Here are my favorites that we made:

1- a little olive oil on the bottom, then zucchini/squash, cherry tomatoes, a little bacon, asparagus, Gorgonzola cheese, feta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese

2- tomato paste, green olives, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, Gorgonzola cheese, shredded mozzarella, shredded Mexican cheese

Once you place your ingredients on the pizza, set them on a cookie sheet and then back on the grill until the cheese is melted. 

Monday, July 2, 2012

Chicken Quinoa Veggie Soup

Chicken Quinoa Veggie Soup

This recipe was sent to me by my friend Becca Fowler! Hope you enjoy!

Serves: 12
Time: 30 min

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
2 bell peppers (yellow and red are yummy), diced
2 large carrots, diced
drizzle evoo
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
dash chili pepper flakes
1 C quinoa
4 C low sodium chicken broth
2-3 C water, to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, sauté the peppers and carrots with the
garlic. Allow to cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add seasonings
and cook for another minute.
2. Add quinoa, chicken, and chicken broth. I usually add another cup or two of
water, you can vary that depending on how you want it to taste.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.

This soup freezes well, just make sure you stir it up before you portion it because
the quinoa and veggies sink to the bottom.

*Quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly
crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. It is one of the highest
forms of protein you can get outside of meat and is gluten-free.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Breakfast for dinner!!!

So this is one of mine and Abbey's favorite recipes. Our grandmother used to make it for Christmas brunch every year! You can make it with bacon or sausage (or both) or without meat in it. Enjoy one of our favorite recipes!

You will need the following:
15 slices of breaf
2 sticks of margarine, melted
4 cups of milk
1 cup grated cheese
12 eggs
Bacon or sausage

Place the bread in the bottom of the casserole dish. If you are using bacon or sausage, place that on top of the bread. Mix the milk, cheese, and margarine and pour over the bread and meat. Beat the eggs and pour over the rest of the mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate (for best results, refrigerate overnight), if not, refrigerate for at least a few hours. Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees.

Friday, June 29, 2012

CrockPot Roast Beef

Crockpot Roast Beef- SO easy!

This was sent to me by my friend Marissa Joyce. She is published in her church COOKBOOK!



1 Beef Roast- like a pound or so.
1 Can Cream of Mushroom
1 Envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix

Spray the Crockpot with Pam and put the roast in. Stir together cream of mushroom and onion soup
mix, spread over roast. Put on Low all day. Yum. Great with Mashed Potatoes. You can also stick 4 or
so red potatoes in the crockpot with the roast- at the end of the day they will be cooked! Voila- dinner
AND sides!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole

CHICKEN POPPY SEED CASSEROLE

This was also sent to me by Marissa Joyce. I made this one night and it is delicious!!

1 whole chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
1.5 cups chopped frozen broccoli
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tube Ritz crackers, crushed (they crush easily if you smash them BEFORE you take them out of
the wrapper!
1/3 c. melted butter

Combine soup, broccoli, and sour cream with chicken. Put in a greased casserole dish. Combine
crackers, poppy seeds and butter and put over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Makes a small casserole.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Yam Soup

Yam Soup-

This delicious recipe was sent in by Becca Fowler!

Serves: 8

Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

•8 C vegetable (or chicken) stock

•2-3 tbsp olive oil

•1 sweet onion, diced

•6 tbsp minced ginger

•4 large cloves of garlic, minced

•1 tbsp ground cumin

•2 tbsp ground coriander

•1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more to taste)

•1 tsp paprika

•2-3 tsp salt

•1 red bell pepper, diced

•1 yellow bell pepper, diced

•4 medium yams (or sweet potatoes if you’re in the States), chopped

•1 14-oz. can pineapple tid-bits or crushed

•3 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can of crushed tomatoes)

•5-8 tbsp smooth peanut butter (more or less to taste)

•2 tbsp almond butter

•1 bunch cilantro, chopped

•juice of 2 limes

•favorite hot sauce, to taste

Directions:

1.Heat the stock on a back burner so it’s ready go when you need it and doesn’t slow you down too
much.

2.In a stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and saute for about 10
minutes or until onions are golden and soft. FYI, using a cheese grater to dice your onions helps
them break down and cook faster and prevents those big chunks of onion in your sauce or soup.

3.Add garlic, ginger, and spices and continue to saute until golden.

4.Stir in peppers, yams, and salt and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Once the veggies start
to stick to the pan, add stock until everything is covered. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer
until yams are tender.

5.Add pineapples with juice, tomatoes, peanut butter, almond butter, and remaining stock and simmer 30 minutes. If you prefer your soups chunky, just let it go at that. If you prefer them
smooth, puree this puppy up.

6.Season to taste with more salt, pineapple juice, peanut butter, and/or hot sauce.

7.Just before serving add chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Brown Rice with Asparagus and Almonds

Brown Rice with Asparagus and Almonds

Submitted by Becca Fowler!

Serves: 4

Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

•1 C brown rice

•2 C vegetable stock

•1 bunch asparagus (16-18 stalks), woodsy ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces

•1/4 – 1/3 C toasted sliced almonds

•2 cloves garlic

•1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

•1 tbsp butter

•salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1.Cook brown rice in vegetable stock until all moisture is absorbed.

2.Steam asparagus or drizzle with olive oil and broil.

3.Toast almonds on low heat until they are slightly browned. You’ll know they’re close when they
start popping and smell really good.

4.Sauté garlic in olive oil and butter on low heat until light brown. Be careful — don’t let it burn.

5.After the rice is cooked add asparagus, almonds, and garlic with the e.v.o.o. and butter. Mix well
and add salt and pepper to taste.


Monday, June 25, 2012

Cheesy Chicken Crescents

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Cheesy Chicken Crescents

Ingredients:
2 Cups chopped, cooked chicken breasts
1 can crescent rolls (8 count, 2 per person)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Cup shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350* F
2. Prepare cream of chicken soup as directions call for, keep warm on the stove.
3. Place a spoonful of chicken in middle of a crescent and sprinkle some cheese
on top. Wrap up the chicken and cheese, sealing the crescent around it.
4. Place in a square baking dish about an inch or 2 apart.
5. Spoon half of the soup around the crescents, filling in the gaps so you don’t
see the bottom of the pan.
6. Bake at 350 for about 20 min or until golden. A few minutes before they’re
done, sprinkle more cheese over the tops of the crescents and continue
baking.
7. Serve with a spoonful of the soup drizzled over top.

Variations:
1. Add your favorite vegetables like broccoli or peppers.
2. Vary the flavors of cheese you use, texmex is a fun one!
3. Cooked hamburger, plain or w/ taco seasoning, could be yummy!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

Hey guys, some quick housekeeping and we'll get you the recipe real quick!  A of all, do you like us?  Then will you "follow" us?  We would love for you to join our following.  We love a good party and love seeing your lovely faces on the right side :)  B of all, do you have a recipe?  Please share with us!  We will give you credit and link your blog over here.  C of all, We don't have a bajillion hits everyday, but I will tell you, in the last week and a half since we launched, we've had over 250 hits!!!  So now is a great time to join the party- wanna get featured, email us and we can trade buttons!!  Okay, we are done and back to normal broadcasting.


Hey friends, Emily here.  This recipe is from one of my college buddies, Marissa.  Enjoy!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH SPAGHETTI

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 small onion

3 garlic cloves

cherry tomatoes

1 squash

1 zucchini

mushrooms- sliced

olive oil

Italian seasoning

Red wine/balsamic vineagar

1 T pesto (optional)

Pine nuts, or if poor, sunflower seeds

Poke holes in spaghetti squash, microwave for 5 minutes. Slice in half and place in baking dish, sliced

side facing down. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

In a large saucepan bring olive oil to a simmer, add garlic and onion, and simmer until tender. Slice the

veggies and add all of them, stirring occaisionally. Add vinegar, pine nuts, seasoning, pesto, salt and

pepper, and whatever other seasonings you want. Continue to sauté until all veggies are tender and the

juice reduces to make a sort of sauce.

Once spaghetti squash is done, rake it with a fork to get the meat out of the rind, it will come out stringy

kind of like spaghetti. Use this as the pasta, and spoon the sauce over top. Yum.

I like it with yeast rolls. Yay carbs.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

Hey friends!  Emily here, this recipe came from one of my girlfriends, Rebecca.


crockpot buffalo chicken - 4 chicken breasts, one bottle buffalo sauce, one packet ranch dressing mix.  (chicken can be frozen - just extend cooking time) put in crockpot on high for 4 hours or so.  shred.  eat.  couldn't be more simple.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Taco Casserole

1 1/2 cups rice
1 pound ground beef
1 tomato
1 onion
1 jalapeno
cilantro
taco seasoning packet
2 cups cheese
1 avocado
sour cream

Hear the oven to 350.

Cook the rice. cook the ground beef according to the directions on the taco seasoning packet. chop up the tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and avocado. Place avocado to the side.

In a casserole dish, combine the rice, beef, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro and cheese. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with avocado and sour cream as a garnish.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Mushroom Stroganoff

This is my take from a recipe I heard on the Food Network. I start watching these cooking shows and get so into them, I forget to write down the recipes so I end up making an Emily Fox version of them.

1 bag of egg noodles
4-5 portabello mushrooms
Green onions
12 ounces Beef broth
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper
8 ounces sour cream
2-4 ounces of cheese (feta, goat, Gorgonzola, etc)

Cook the egg noodles per the directions on the back of the bag.

Slice up the portabello mushrooms and place in a frying pan with butter. Cook the mushrooms down until they are really soft and appear almost burnt. Add in almost all of the green onions and some salt and pepper. Then add the flour and stir in the beef broth. Stir occasionally until the sauce thickens up.

Stir in the noodles with the mushrooms and then add sour cream and cheese. 

Place the rest of the green onions in the mixture and serve!






Monday, June 18, 2012

Taco Chili

Hey friends, Abbey here.  I wanted to share this recipe with you.  It's one of our favorites.  One of the many reasons I like it, is that I don't have to remember to take the chicken out of the freezer the night before AND it's a crock pot recipe.  You should know how much I'm obsessed with my crockpot by now {grin}.

Taco Chili:
1 onion, chopped.
1 16oz can of the following:

  • black beans
  • kidney beans
  • diced tomatoes (rotel)
1 can of corn (or corn salsa)
1 can of tomatoe sauce

1 tbs of cumin AND chili powder
1 package of taco seasoning
1/4 cup of cilantro

Sides:  Corn bread or rice

Throw all the indregients in the crockpot (except the cilantro and chicken).  Stir and then place chicken on top of everything.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  30 minutes before serving, removed chicken and chop (I put it in the food processor), put back into crockpot and stir it in.  At this time, you will add in the cilantro.
*this could easily be a vegetarian dish, just don't add the chicken!!

Serve over corn bread.  I have served it over jasmine rice, but the corn bread is just better!  Don't forget the sour cream :)

Serves 4 adults.

Enjoy!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Trader Joe's quick dinner

Hey friends, Abbey here.  I wanted to share this super quick, cheap and easy meal.  It made me want to have it again the next night and the next.  But I refrained because when I do that, my hubby gets mad.  Boo.

Here we go:
~Trader Joe's goodies~
Frozen veggie burgers
Frozen Sweet Potatoes
Frozen organic broccoli
Flat burger buns

I steamed the broccoli, baked the fries according to the package (well, a little longer because we like them crispy) and I cooked the patties on our griddle.  I buttered the buns and thew them on the griddle also.  It was so cheap and somewhat healthy.  Of course we added pickles and mustard and ketchup.  The tomatoes I had went bad, but that was the plan to have them with the burgers.

I really need to start taking pictures for you guys!!

Enjoy.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

BBQ Chicken

I don't know the "real" title of this recipe nor where it came from.  My sister told me about it and her  best friend told her.  I have told all my friends and it's so easy.  It sounds really weird, but TRUST ME when I tell you, it's a conversation stopper!

Here you go:
Chicken (however much you need for your family)
1 bottle of BBQ sauce (i have used the trader joe's brand and the sweet baby rays, both are awesome)
1 jar of salsa

Put everything in the crockpot for 4 hours.  Serve over rice.  I also serve a side of broccoli or salad.

Yes, it's that easy and I know it sounds weird, but just do it!!  You can thank me in the morning!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Creamy Chicken or Beef Enchiladas

1 tub of Sante Fe Philadelphia Cooking Cream Cheese
1 pound of ground beef or chicken
1 taco seasoning packet
Shredded Cheese (to taste)
Jalapenos (to taste)
1 small onion
1 can or diced tomatoes
8-10 Tortilla Shells

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the chicken or beef in the skillet following the cooking instructions from the taco seasoning. Sautee the onions and jalapenos. Add in the chicken or beef, the diced tomatoes and Sante Fe Cooking Cream Cheese and a handful of shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

Grease a casserole dish and then fill the tortilla shells with the above mixture. Once the casserole dish is full, sprinkle cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with sour cream!

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes- This came from my friend Marissa Joyce.

6-8 red potatoes, chopped up into 1 inch cubes (I don’t peel the skins off- other people do.)
½ to 1 cup milk
2 T Ranch Dressing OR
½ c Sour Cream or Mayo
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Boil potato cubes about 10 minutes until you can mash one just by smooshing it on the side of the pot.
Drain water out, and then mash up the potatoes. The should mash up pretty dry and mealy. Add the
milk and stir, you should be getting creamier. Then add the ranch or SC (or both- it’s really whatever
you want!) and season. They should be mashed potato-ey.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Quiche

The recipe called for meat, but I didn't use any.  I wanted to have vegetarian that night and bacon at trader joe's is not in the budget right now.

Here's the list:
1 pie crust
1 medium onion
1 1/2-2 cups of chopped broccoli AND spinach
8oz of grated cheese
1/2 cup of milk
4 eggs

Like I said, the recipe called for meat:
1 cup of bacon
4 slices of ham, chopped
1 cup of mushrooms

*I used frozen broccoli and spinach

Bake the pie crust for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.  In the mean time, beat the eggs and add in the milk and cheese.  Saute the mushrooms and onions.  When the crust comes out, put the veggies and meat in the crust, pour the milk/egg/cheese mixture over the veggie/meat.  The cheese will rest on top.  Bake for  15 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn down to 350 and bake for 25 minutes.

*I needed to cook it for longer, about 10 minutes longer.  When I pulled it out the first time, it was really runny, so I put it back in there for like 10 minutes and kept checking on it.  The cheese should look like a pizza (a little brown).

Enjoy.

(the source of this recipe is unknown)

Welcome!

Hey friends!  My sister and I are always calling each other to get ideas for dinner.  This idea was born from a crazy idea that maybe we can help other women who are also doing the same thing but don't have a sister to call, or they don't have time to call a friend.  Maybe they are such a tight budget that they need super cheap ideas that will go a long way!  Feel free to email us with ideas that you have or "ruts" that you are in that we can share with each other.

Here is what you will find on this blog:

  • Tasty food that is budget friendly.  I mean seriously, let's save the cash for date night, right?
  • A series called "two for Tuesday"  Where we will share recipes for one night, use the left overs to make something different the next night.  I mean, how many times can you eat leftovers without getting sick of them!
  • Recipes that are not 19 ingredients long.
  • Most of the recipes will be things that you already have in your pantry or will easily get with coupons or pick up at target.
  • Most of the recipes you can easy turn into organic or you can make vegetarian.
We would love your feed back, so let's get the emails flowing and the tweeting started!!

Much love,
Abbey and Emily.