Green, Eggs, and Ham (With Cheese!)

It was recently Dr. Seuss Day at my children's schools. They both got to try green eggs from the book Green Eggs and Ham. If you haven't read it, it's basically about a man who refuses to eat green eggs and ham, but when he tries it, it's actually delicious. 

Because of this book, my children have decided to try a few more foods. Buzz likes tomatoes (shocker!), and Roni might occasionally try something before announcing it's yuckiness. 

However, both kids will eat all their eggs if I cook them this way and call them green, eggs, and ham. They are a simple, nutritious, and filling breakfast. Does it get better than that? (Oh, they make a great quick dinner, too!)

Basically, you just scramble up some eggs. When they are nearly done, add some diced ham and some baby spinach. Stir in that spinach and it will wilt quickly. Then top it with cheese of your loving. Voila! A healthier version of a story book classic. 

(Muffin recipe will follow someday!) 

Garlic Breadsticks

I am normally a huge rule-follower. I have been since I was VERY young. If there is a rule, I will probably follow it, and attempt to make you follow it. (Do you think this is why I am a teacher?) One of my "rules" for adult life is to use whole wheat whenever possible. However, sometimes there is a time to break the "Rules". These breadsticks are one of those times. They are chewy, fluffy, the perfect amount of crusty, browned, and altogether delicious. They kind of make your mouth sing, especially when dipped into soup. If you've ever been to The Pizza Factory, these breadsticks remind me of theirs, except there is no stick in mine. 

I guess if you wanted to, you could put some whole wheat flour in here. I might try it next time, myself, but, honestly, you wouldn't have nearly the fluffy chewiness that made these awesome! 

And speaking of awesomeness, I did NOT get a picture of them fresh. Yeah, I kind of forgot to be awesome. Or the breadsticks were the level of awesome that they got eaten before I took a picture. Yeah, we'll go with that. 

As far as mixing and kneading these puffy clouds of awesome, my Heavy-Duty (old) Kitchen Aid worked perfectly. If I doubled it, I would have to use my Bosch. It makes a very soft, pliable dough.

Anyway, make these. Soon. Your taste buds will thank you. 

Garlic and Herb Breadsticks

3 c warm water

2 Tbsp yeast

1/4 c sugar

7 c flour

2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 Tbsp granulated garlic

Butter

Sprinkle yeast and sugar on warm water. Let sit until bubbly and foamy. (This is the kids' favorite part, they love watching the yeast "burp")

Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well each addition. Add salt, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Knead 5 minutes, until dough is shiny and clearing the bowl well. 

Let dough rise in bowl until it reaches the top. About 20 minutes. 

Split dough into approximate fourths. Roll one fourth at a time into a large rectangle (approximately 10 by 13 inches.) Cut strips the long way with a pizza cutter (I cut 8 strips each time). Fold each strip, then with the ends in one hand and the middle folded part in the other, twisty up your breadstick. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat for each breadstick, then repeat for the other 3/4 of the dough. Let the sticks rise about 20 minutes. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Brush tops with butter immediately. Devour. 

Pasta E' Fagiole

I love soup. It's so comforting, warm, and soothing. It's like a warm sweater for your insides. Plus, most soups are ridiculously easy, and make the house smell wonderful. Add a warm piece of bread, and I'm in Heaven.

Joe is not such a fan of soup. He's tolerated some of my soups, and enjoys others, especially the rich, creamy, high-fat soups. He does not see soup as a meal, and prefers meat and noodles over a broth-based concoction. He does, however, enjoy warm bread, and will eat soup if it is accompanied by bread.

This soup is quite yummy. It is kind of like Italian chili. Beans, tomatoes, sausage, pasta, and spinach come together with Italian spices to make a wonderfully colorful, warm, inviting deliciousness, I am sure this is nowhere near authentic, but it was super yummy. My family plus my sister and her husband ate most of the batch while watching the Utah Utes win last night! (Plus 3/4 of the breadsticks... we were very hungry and it was very good.)

Pasta E' Fagiole
2 t oil
1 to 1 1/2 lb Italian Sausage
1 diced onion
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 cans diced tomatoes
6 cups water
4 tsp chicken boullion
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c Ditalini (or other small pasta)
1-2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Shredded parmesan cheese for topping

Heat oil. Saute onion 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add sausage, and cook until crumbled and no longer pink. Add water, chicken boullion, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Pour in tomatoes with juices. Drain, rinse, and add white beans. Bring to a boil. Simmer an hour or more.

About 15 minutes to serving time, add pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package. Then add the spinach immediately before serving. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese, and a breadstick. Devour.

Meal Plan March 21 to 27

No bountiful baskets this week :(. I logged in Tuesday night only to realize it was actually Wednesday night. End-of-term will do that to me. (So will just ordinary life, but at least I have something good to blame it on!)

This cutie giggled this week... oh, I can hardly stand the cuteness!

This week is also my oldest's birthday. She will be SEVEN. SEVEN!?!? It seems like just a few minutes ago she was the chunky baby giggling at my sister. We will be having pita pizza on her birthday, as per her request,

Breakfasts:
French Toast
Oatmeal Bake
Toast and Eggs
Oatmeal Bake (leftovers) with green smoothies
Cereal
Oatmeal Bake
Waffles with Strawberries

Lunches (for Boy and Daddy or Aunt Nanny... quick and easy before preschool):
Sandwiches
Mac and Cheese
Chicken Nuggets
Finger Food
Grilled Cheese
Quesadillas

Dinners:
Pasta E' Fagioli with herbed breadsticks
Potato bar, fruit salad, and sugar cookies
Spaghetti and Broccoli
Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole
Tacos
Pork Chops, Potatoes, Carrots (probably in the pressure cooker!)
Pita Pizza (birthday girl's special request, LOL.)

Corned Beef and Cabbage

The last time I got a bountiful basket (sometimes I forget to contribute... oops!), we got two beautiful heads of cabbage. My sister/nanny HATES the smell, and is pregnant, so I strategically planned days to use it when she wouldn't have to gag on the permeating odor. Luckily for us, St. Patrick's Day fell on a night when she would have other plans. (Or so I thought... she ended up coming over to watch our college team play!)

Being neither Irish nor Catholic, I'm not sure why I celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but I do. It started with Green Waffles, and Green smoothies for breakfast. For dinner, we had corned beef and cabbage. Joe insists this should be eaten over cornbread. I don't love cornbread. (I do love him, so there is cornbread anyway!) I used my pressure cooker, and in about 2 hours, should've had delicious, tender meat. Unfortunately, I set it up just a little bit wrong, and it was a bit on the chewy side. However, the veggies were divine.

Anyway, here's how I cook corn beef.

1 corn beef (about 2 lbs, with seasoning packet)
2 cups beef stock (or water)
5-6 red potatoes, quartered
1 onion, cut into big chunks
3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 head of cabbage, sliced into 8 wedges

Put the corn beef on the rack in the pressure cooker and dump the seasoning packet over it. Add 2 cups of stock/water (some might add beer, but I'm not an alcohol kind of gal). Place potatoes, onion, and carrots on top. Set the pressure cooker to high pressure for 40-45 minutes. Use natural pressure release. Add cabbage. Set pressure cooker to high pressure for 4 minutes. Release pressure naturally. Veggies will be mushy and delicious. Roast should be fall-apart. Devour.

Pigs in a Waterbed

My kids used to really like Pigs in a Blanket. You know, those silly little things where you wrap a hot dog in a biscuit, and then bake it. I no longer buy hot dogs. Or pre-made biscuits. (Joe might.) But, back in the day, Joe started calling this dish Pigs in a Waterbed. Pigs for the kielbasa, and Waterbed... I'm not entirely sure. I never had a waterbed, and honestly never want one.

I got this recipe from my mom. I make it when we get cabbage from bountiful baskets. My son is not a veggie-lover. He likes some, and loves fruit, but veggies... they're on his "I'll eat it if mom makes me" list. So yesterday, when I was grabbing cabbage, and asked him what it was, I got a very sad "lettuce." When I told him it was cabbage, he shockingly changed his tune. "I like cabbage!" he announced.

At dinner, my older daughter, and my son each had two helpings. Both ate the cabbage and sweet potatoes. Both asked for extra pigs. It was awesome. Maybe if I starve my kids more often, they will eat well every night. (aka no more afternoon snacks?)

I did not make this recipe up. The original is pretty close to this one. I used 4 sweet potatoes instead of two, and a whole (small) head of cabbage. I also add a little more water/broth, since once I didn't and MAN does burnt cabbage and sweet potato STINK!!!

Mexican Chicken and Quinoa Skillet Meal

My first grade daughter has a very, very best friend. Both girls are allergic to nuts, so they have to (or get to) sit together at the nut-free lunch table. They love it. Best friend is the daughter of a total foodie, and always has the best lunches. My daughter kept coming home and telling me about quinoa. I cooked quinoa once before, and it was a complete flop. However, my spirited daughter helped me realize that I needed to try again. Because the first attempt was so dismal, I knew I needed to find a really good recipe if we were going to like quinoa.

I actually found a recipe on pinterest that looked yummy. However, I was missing some of the ingredients and other ingredients were among those that my family just won't eat. (My kids aren't even that picky, and still I am constantly changing ingredients out so they or Joe or I will eat the food!)

After modifying, this was really yummy. Kids both ate it, my parents both ate it, I had two servings. I ate all the leftovers. Poor Joe wasn't home and didn't get a bite. I'm not sure if he is upset or grateful about that. Either way, the rest of us really liked it and I will make it again. My kids really liked that they could "dip" their tortilla chips into it, and we did put cheese on the top. (Our family motto may or may not be "Cheese is For Heroes")

Anyway, here is the recipe as adapted by me:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 onion, minced
1 large red pepper, diced
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 cup quinoa
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can rotel
1 can corn, drained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt/pepper to taste
2 tsp lemon juice
3 c fresh spinach

1. Saute the onion, pepper, and garlic in oil until onions are soft
2. stir in quinoa, chicken broth, chicken, beans, Rotel, corn, chili powder, and cumin. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, or until quinoa is done.
3. Stir in salt and pepper, lemon juice, and spinach. Spinach will need about 2 minutes to wilt.
4. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
5. Devour.

If you wanted this spicier, you could add hot peppers to the original saute. My family has tender tongues.

Meal Plan 2/28 to 3/7

So, this is my last "free" weekend on maternity leave. Menu planning will be a little... well, different for the next 12 weeks. Hopefully all 3 kids will thrive, I will enjoy being out of the house, and daddy won't go too crazy! We shall see.

This week, I got another Bountiful Basket. The pictures actually show two, because I picked up my sister's basket as well. We got: apples, bananas, oranges, blueberries, celery, carrots, avacados, lettuce, broccoli, English cucumber, and asparagus. Yum-O! The blueberries have already disappeared into two hungry kids' bellies, and the apples, bananas, and oranges will be cut up and delivered directly to their hands as well. Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits (Joe's too), so we will eat that with dinner tonight.

Breakfasts:
Omelets and blueberries
pancakes
cold cereal (cop-out for my first day at work!)
toast and eggs
cold cereal and fruit
muffins
eggs

Lunches will be finger-food for the boy, packed lunches for the girl, and leftovers for me and Joe when we work. There may also be days of chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and frozen pizza for Joe and the boy.

Dinner (the good part!):
Broccoli cheese soup with apple cinnamon muffins and pineapple
Chicken/rice casserole and fruit salad
Baked Tater bar
Crockpot Italian Chicken, pasta, and steamed asparagus
Tacos (the avocados should be ripe...yum)
Brinner: Waffles or French Toast and fruit
Grilled cheese

Meal Plan 2/21 to 2/27

So this is late and scattered. Read the post about the baby blessing, and know that my mother-in-law was here until Sunday, and you'll start to appreciate the business of last week. LOL. However, I am still eating (so are my children) and therefore still cooking. My maternity leave ends this week, and I will be back to school next Monday, so if I don't update for a while... well, there's a reason for that as well. :)

Breakfasts:
Scrambled Eggs
Oatmeal Bake
Strawberries and Waffles
Toast and Eggs
French Toast

Lunches:
Quesadillas
Costco chicken and pitas
Grilled Cheese
Mac and Cheese
Picnic in the park (Sandwiches, fruit, veggies)

Dinners:
Pork chops, potatoes, and carrots (cooked in the pressure cooker--AWESOME!)
Mexican quinoa
Finger Food
Spaghetti
Chicken taco soup

It's going to be a good week.

How to have a party: Baby Blessing Edition

I love food. I love my family. My family loves food. Our parties, therefore, revolve around food.

In my religion, we bless babies when they are little. It's kind of like a christening or baptism, but there's no water. It's really sweet to see my husband give my newest arrival a blessing. Worthy priesthood holders in the family are invited to participate, and it's a great little show of love.

Little Miss in the blessing dress I crocheted. 

After, the entire clan showed up to my house for the food. Yum-O. We had chicken salad sandwiches on croissants, strawberries, grapes, sliced oranges, carrots, celery, cucumbers, ranch dressing, hummus, sugar cookies, mini carrot muffins, zucchini bread, lemon bars, brownies (made by my mom), banana bread (made by my mom), and chocolate chip cookies (made by my sister.) I bought the croissants (YAY, Smith's has safe ones!) but the rest was homemade. Yes, I was crazy. Still am. But I had enough food to feed the 40 people who descended: siblings, in-laws, cousins, aunts and uncles, parents, grandparents, and so on. My house was a bit of an insane asylum, but no one went home hungry, even though they did eventually all go home.

So, I will stop rambling, and link to the recipes I used. I definitely like some of these more than others, but they were all good!

Chicken Salad--I tripled this. And cooked the chicken in the pressure cooker. It got completely rave reviews, and all 60 sandwiches disappeared in short order. I especially like the crunch of the water chestnuts. (Although I had an allergy-mom moment, someone tasted it, then asked if there were water chestnuts, and my first response was, "Oh, no! Are you allergic?" They weren't, just curious about ingredients, LOL.)

Zucchini Bread (whole wheat, of course)--I've made this before, but this time I had Joe check for doneness, and the inside was still just a little gooey. Still good, though. I tripled it, and it made 8 small loaves. I replaced the oil with applesauce, and it stayed so moist and chewy.

Sugar Cookie Bars--I adore sugar cookies. Especially the frosting. Oh. My. Goodness. These are a billion times easier than the traditional rolling and cutting routine. The edges do get a little crispy while the inside stays soft and chewy, but cut the outer 1/4 inch off each side, and you've got a huge tray of sugar cookies in about an hour. Seriously yummy. However, true sugar cookies are yummier.

Lemon Bars--I like sour things. They rock my world. Unfortunately, a lot of lemon bars have a dish-soap aftertaste. These lemon bars are made with real lemons, flour, sugar, eggs, and so on. They are actually really, really, really easy. Unless you are like me and you get seeds in your lemon juice, Then you will be using a slotted spoon to fish for the little pips. Oh, or if you have hangnails. Squeezing lemons is a bit precarious around those. The end result is certainly worth it, however. These are gooey and decadent, but hold together well enough to be cut into cute little squares. They are also a great complement to all the super-sweet stuff.

Carrot Applesauce Muffins--There are a number of people in my family avoiding processed food and sugar for one reason or another. I made this recipe, only I baked them between 15 and 18 minutes in mini-muffin cups. My kids ate them for breakfast the next day, and LOVED that they each got THREE muffins.

I have the recipes for the brownies, banana bread, and cookies, but not uploaded anywhere yet. That will be my project for another day. Let's just say that even if you follow the recipe to a "T", the cookies won't be the same. My sister's love shines through those cookies. It's incredible.

Layered Jello

And the 50's pattern Corel plate adds something to the presentation of gelatin :)

My family has a love/hate relationship with Jell-O. My kids LOVE it. It's wiggly, sweet, and fun. It tastes good, is easy, and comes in bright, happy colors. It is also completely unhealthy, full of sugar, food-coloring, preservatives, and who-knows-what. There is very little redeeming about Jello--there are no necessary nutrients, so it is completely empty calories! So, on the very, very, very rare holiday occasion that I DO make Jell-o, I make it special. I make it layered. Oh, and to make it a bit less unhealthy, I make it with greek Yogurt. Let's add some dairy and protein to our sugar :).

I can easily fit 7 or 8 of these layers in my big, glass 9 x 13 pan, and this process takes a minimum of 15 minutes per layer. It's time consuming. It's a pain in the neck. It's worth it.

I have done this with sugary and sugar-free jello. In a billion color combinations. Red, white, and blue for Independence Day, Red and Green for Christmas, Reds and pinks for Valentines, Pink and White for baby showers, Rainbow colors for a start-of-summer party, blues and whites for a Frozen party, etc. 

For transparent (normal Jell-O) layers: 

1 small package Jell-O

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup cold water

--Dissolve the Jell-O in the boiling water, stir in the cold water, pour into pan, and chill until just set. 

For opaque layers: 

1 small package Jell-O

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup greek (or regular) plain yogurt

--Dissolve the Jell-O in the boiling water, stir in the yogurt, pour into pan, and chill until just set

For white layer:

1/4 c cold water

1 packet knox gelatine

3/4 c boiling water

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup greek (or regular) plain yogurt

--Sprinkle gelatine over 1/4 c cold water. Let sit for 2-3 minutes. Stir in boiling water and sugar, until completely dissolved. Stir in yogurt until smooth. Pour into pan, and chill until just set. 

Basically, you decide what layers you want. Don't do two clear layers in a row, because the colors get muddled and it just turns brown. I usually do a clear, then an opaque, or a clear then a white. Prepare the first layer (mine is usually clear), gently pour it in the bottom of the pan, and let it set. The first layer usually takes the longest because the pan isn't cold yet. About 1/2 hour. Then make your next layer, and when the first layer is just set (still a teeny bit tacky), gently pour it over the first layer, and chill for about 15 minutes, Repeat until pan is full.

Tip: I stir the goo for the next two layers when I put the first layer into the fridge. Then every time I put another layer in the fridge, I start the boiling/mixing process for the layer two behind it. It makes the setting in the fridge process faster, since the jell-O has come to room temperature. 

Tip #2: If I am doing the same color over and over, I will just stir up a HUGE batch, and just put the equivalent of one box of Jello in each time. So If I were doing stripes of clear and opaque pink, I would do 4 boxes of pink jello all together, mixed with just water, and 4 boxes of pink jello all together, then mixed with yogurt, Then I would scoop out equivalent portions of one recipe (about 1 3/4 cups) to set them in stripes. 

Tip#3: I boil my water in the microwave. I'm sneaky like that. 

Weekly Meal Plan 2/14

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Usually I enjoy this lovely break in hum-drum winter weather to celebrate love. This year, I am mostly wishing the days were a little longer, and that I didn't have to go back to teaching. It's going to be a rough transition for sure!

However, this week is still MINE (even though we are planning on blessing our baby in church next week, and will have house guests) with my baby and my food. So let the good times roll!!!

This morning, I made crepes for my family for Valentine's Day. It's something my husband really likes, and it's kind of complicated. My kids whined about it. Seriously. They WHINED because they wanted their berries on the outside of the taco! Then they each had seconds. I guess they were better than they originally believed.

Anyway, on to this week's menu:
Breafasts:

• crepes
• waffles
• muffins
• oatmeal bake
• muffins (leftover) and eggs
• waffles
• oatmeal bake (lefover)

Lunches: 

• leftovers
• finger food
• Nachos
• quesadillas
• sandwiches
• pita wraps

Dinners:

• grilled cheese sandwiches
• Roast beef
• Finger Food
• Pizza
• Spam Surprise (I will have to blog this later... I find it gross)
• Baked potato bar
• Mac and Cheese

Taco Soup

This soup might just be my kids' favorite meal. My daughter actually eats the soup, and my son really, really, really likes the tortilla chips. He might eat a few of the beans in the soup as well. You might call this taco chili as well. It's quick, easy, and incredibly filling. It's also extremely versatile.

To start off, you brown some ground beef and onions. I add in some veggies here, too. Zucchini is great in soups like this because it is so mildly flavored and absorbs other flavors. Then add seasonings (taco seasoning, or others of your choosing), some cans of stuff, some beef broth, and let it simmer. Yup, that's it. Top with cheese and tortilla chips for a delicious, filling, and fairly healthy meal. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 to 1 lb of ground beef

zucchini, carrots, celery, or other yummy veggies, diced (optional)

1 packet of taco seasoning

2 cans kidney beans

1 can of sweet whole kernel corn

1 small can of diced green chilies (optional)

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 c. beef stock or water

First, cook ground beef, onion, and any veggies in olive oil in a big soup pot. When beef it cooked through, add taco seasoning and stir well. Add 2 cans of kidney beans (I drain them, but you don't have to. If you don't drain them, don't add the beef stock/water later.), a can of corn, a can of diced tomatoes, and some diced chilies (or a can of Ro-Tel is awesome, too.) Add enough water or beef broth/stock to replace the water drained off the beans (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups). Bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve with cheese and chips. Devour. 

Weekly meal plan February 7 to 13

I got bountiful baskets again. YAY!!! So much goodness. Zucchini, green cauliflower, purple(?) potatoes, asparagus, butternut squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemons, red pears, oranges, apples, and kiwi. DELISH! I really enjoy kiwi, but hate picking them at the store, so that has been my treat this morning.

This week's bounty. Mmmmmm.

Also, I discovered hummus this week. I tried it while pregnant, but it was gross! When I tried it not pregnant, well, let's just say I ate the costco-sized bucket in a week. I will be buying more to dip those delicious veggies in. (Plus more of the baby carrots I bought last week at Costco.) It truly is a delicious thing, and I've heard easy to make, but I'm not ready to try that (yet). 

Now for the meal plan:

Breakfasts: 

• French Toast (as made by Joe!)
• Zucchini bread/muffins-- I haven't tried this recipe, yet, but most things that can be quickbreads are an easy conversion to muffins. 
• Oatmeal--the mushy kind, as per daughter's request
• Eggs
• Waffles
• Muffins (leftover) or toast
• Oatmeal Bake 

Lunches: 

• Leftovers/quesadillas
• Grilled cheese sandwiches, veggies, and fruit
• Quesadillas
• Leftovers
• Finger Food
• Mac and Cheese

Dinners:

• Mac and Cheese  with cauliflower and apples
• Lasagna, salad, lemon bars, bread, fruit salad, and roasted asparagus
• Tacos
• Pizza and raw veggies with dip
• Crockpot roast beef, taters, and carrots with sauteed zucchini
• Roasted Chicken, potatoes, au gratin, butternut squash
• Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Weekly Meal Plan January 30 to February 6

Yikes! What a weekend! Joe worked mornings, so I had all three kiddos myself. Thank goodness for my Moby wrap, because we still got the grocery shopping done! Saturday night, we had a fun time when my 2-year-old nephew came to play. Sunday (as everyone knows) was the BIG game... and the awesome commercials, so it was more family get-togethers. So even though I've had a menu plan since Saturday, I am just now putting it on the blog. LOL.

Breakfasts:

• toast and eggs
• cereal
• waffle-eggs and leftover oatmeal bake
• waffles
• leftover oatmeal bake
• eggs
• cereal and toast

Lunch:

• Costco chicken, veggies, and hummus
• Grilled cheese
• finger food
• macaroni and cheese
• sandwiches
• finger food/leftovers

Dinner:

• Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream
• Superbowl party: Sandwiches, fruit salad, veggies, strawberry "footballs", jalapeno poppers, hummus, chili, rolls, etc.
  
• Chicken Corn Chowder
• Crockpot Beef dip Sandwiches, veggies
• Chicken Spinach Tortilla Pie
• Taco Soup and Tortilla chips
• Quesadillas/Enchiladas (with the leftover beef)

Should be a delicious week! 

Roz's Cheese Soup

I must admit, I have a favorite cookbook. It's one that my extended family (great-grandparents and down) put together when I was just a little girl. I used my mom's copy when I was a kid, and was given my OWN copy when I got married. I've only been married 8 years, but this cookbook is ratty and tattered from overuse. (Especially the chocolate cake page, but that's a recipe for another day.)

Anyhow, I found this recipe for cheese soup in this old family cookbook. I knew it would be good, because 1) It's in the family cookbook, and 2) It was submitted by Roz who made EVERYTHING yummy. So I made it. Easy, delicious, and quick. Win Win Win!!! I've since added a few more veggies (hello, have you met me?) and we eat it at least once a month.

Cheese Soup
1/2 c (one stick) real butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 to 2 c carrots, diced
1 c celery, cut thinly
1 c Bisquick
4 cans (about 5 cups) chicken broth
2 c milk or cream
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Optional: fresh or frozen broccoli, cauliflower, peas, or other yummy veggies

Saute the onion, carrots, and celery over medium heat in the butter until the carrots are the texture you prefer (I like soft). Stir in the Bisquick. Add the chicken broth. Cook, stirring frequently until the soup thickens. (This is when I add my other veggies as well, so they cook in the broth.) Turn off heat, and add milk/cream. Stir in cheese until melted.

Then, eat.

Depending on how many veggies you add, this makes about 8 REAL people servings. If your family is made up of light eaters, it's probably closer to 12 servings. The whole process seriously takes half an hour (unless you quadruple it). Now, I realize Bisquick is processed, but I haven't experimented to make this "real" food, yet. I'm betting someone could use whole wheat flour in place of the bisquick, cook it for a few minutes, and have the same result. If you try it, let me know if you are successful!!!

This is a nice, thick soup, great for serving in breadbowls, or regular soup bowls. Paired with a salad and some bread, this makes a great meal!!

Quick Whole Wheat Waffles

My kids love waffles. I love waffles. Joe loves waffles. I have a handy-dandy waffle maker. Therefore, today was waffle day. (The hooligans didn't even whine that they weren't cold cereal...that I heard.)

I have previously posted about overnight whole wheat waffles. These are delicious, and worth the time. However, I didn't think about making them last night, so this morning was quick waffles. The kids like to "help" by wearing their aprons and playing in their bedroom. Sometimes they stir. Either way is fine by me :). This recipe takes under 10 minutes to put together, and then however long to make the waffles. I have a neat-o double waffle maker, so it goes quickly. This made 14 Belgian Waffles in my waffle maker. This was enough to feed 2 starving children, and 2 hungry adults with some left over.


2 large eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground is best)
1 3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup oil (or melted butter)
1/4 cup applesauce
1 T sugar (brown or white)
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Beat the eggs with a wire whisk. Then add all the other ingredients, and beat just until smooth.

Put into the waffle maker, according to directions.

Add butter, syrup, and a fork. Devour.

These waffles are best right out of the waffle maker. If you wait too long to eat them, the delicious crispy part gets squooshy. Which is still decent, but not as tasty as fresh.

Weekly Meal Plan Jan 24-30

I got another bountiful basket today. AND I got the juice pack and the Italian Pack. In case you are wondering, that's a LOT of veggies. Pretty much enough veggies that we may not eat meat this week. (Joe likes meat.) But they are yummy veggies, so that's a good thing.

The regular basket contained: 2 stalks of celery, 4 huge carrots, 2 green peppers, 3 ears of corn, 6 jalapenos, 4 lemons, 4 pomegranates, 2 tangerines, 5 tomatoes (I also inherited my sisters 4), 13 potatoes, a head of cauliflower, and 2 heads of napa cabbage.

The juice pack contained: 2 stalks of celery, 3 huge carrots, a beet (which was gifted to my sister), kale, 3 apples, 2 lemons, 2 oranges, and some ginger

The Italian pack contained: an eggplant, 1 zucchini (the teeniest one I have ever seen!), a head of garlic, 2 yellow onions, parsley, 2 lemons, 2 red peppers, 2 green peppers, and 2 yellow peppers, and a pineapple (Unless the pineapple was in the juice pack... I can't remember!)

Needless to say, I am drowning in vegetables. My entire table is COVERED. Therefore, my creativity was stunted, and I headed to facebook land and the interwebs to find new recipes for the week.

Breakfasts:

• Saturday: Whole wheat waffles with syrup. Kids were disappointed that it wasn't strawberries. (I have great kids!) 
• Sunday: Omelets or scrambled eggs with veggies (well, mine will have veggies... Joe's will have ham and cheese.)
• Monday: Leftover Oatmeal Bake from last week
• Tuesday: Muffins (leftover from Saturday) and Hard-Boiled eggs. (I boiled up a bunch on Friday last week, and Roni loves them!)
• Wednesday: cold cereal. The kids will be beyond thrilled. I might have toast and eggs. 
• Thursday: leftover muffins or toast. 
• Friday: cold cereal or leftovers

Lunches: 

• Saturday: Carrot Applesauce Muffins, Cauliflower Cheese Soup
• Sunday: Sunbutter Sandwiches
• Monday: Finger Food (ants on a log, anyone?)
• Tuesday: Mac and Cheese
• Wednesday: Quesadillas
• Thursday: Grilled Cheese
• Friday: Finger Food 

Dinners: 

• Saturday: Napa Cabbage Salad with Lemon Dressing (replace the pistachio oil with olive oil, and the pistachios with pumpkin seeds.)
• Sunday: Ratatouille , spaghetti with marinara, salad, and lemon bars for dessert 
• Monday: Stuffed Pepper Casserole (With real tomatoes instead of canned stewed tomatoes)
• Tuesday: Leftovers
• Wednesday: Zuppa Toscana, salad, whole wheat breadsticks 
• Thursday: Chicken Scallopini, Ginger Rice
• Friday: Turkey Cabbage Cups (This is a recipe from my friend whose daughter is also allergic to nuts.) 

School Lunches: 

• Muffin and String Cheese
• Waffle Sandwich (leftover waffles with cream cheese and jam between them)
• Finger Food
• Sandwich
• Homemade Lunchable

baked macaroni and cheese

I have a great recipe for mac and cheese that a friend gave me at my bridal shower many moons ago. It is simple, and uses every new cook's favorite ingredient: cream of chicken soup.

Now, I still use cream of soup in a few things, but yesterday, I also forgot to buy brick cheese, which my recipe called for... And so I began to improvise.

I started by boiling water and cooking a box of penne whole wheat pasta.

While that was happening, I made Emily's cheese sauce. (http://thatswhatieat.com/easy-peasy-cheese-sauce/). I used whole wheat flour, and preshredded cheese.

When the pasta and the sauce were finished, I mixed them, dumped them in a 9x13" casserole, topped with more shredded cheese and some breadcrumbs, and baked at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Served with steamed broccoli and salad, this made a great weeknight meal. My sister (a connoisseur of mac n cheese) likes this better than the original recipe. It takes just a little longer to make the cheese sauce, but it is DELICIOUS!!!

Weekly plan January 18

I did NOT get a bountiful basket this week, and that makes me just a little bit sad. However, we took advantage of an extra-long weekend and got in a little family vacation. It was lots of fun! My menu is less-than-inspired this week, but the food will still be yummy... I just have to remember to BUY and use veggies from the grocery store!

Breakfasts:

• Waffles (my husband made these while I got some extra sleep! Go Joe!)
• Eggs and Muffins. We liked the applesauce carrot muffins from last week so very much that I am making another double batch with the carrots from last week's bountiful basket. DELISH! 
• Oatmeal bake. Again, the last batch was snarfed, so I will be making this again. 
• Leftover muffins
• Leftover Oatmeal bake

Lunches: 

• Finger Food
• Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (I like to add spinach, tomatoes, and pears!)
• Leftovers
• Quesadillas
• Finger Food/Leftovers/Sandwiches depending on what's in the fridge

Dinners: 

• Homemade Mac and Cheese
• Orange Chicken and Veggies over rice
• Taco Casserole (made by Joe!)
• Grilled meat (whatever is on sale at the grocery store, LOL) and roasted red potatoes
• Pasta Salad with veggies. (I cook up some whole wheat pasta, dice up whatever veggies I can find, some cheese, a can of sliced olives, and then pour some italian salad dressing over it... my kids both like it, and so do I)

School lunches (for this wonderfully short 4-day week!) 

• Sandwich, tomatoes, apples
• Muffins, String Cheese, peppers, oranges
• Finger Food (crackers, meat and cheese), apples, peppers
• Sandwich, oranges, carrots

Oatmeal Bake

Oatmeal bake is like eating cake for breakfast. It's delicious, chewy, and baked in a cake-shape. Everyone in my family likes it, requests it, and asks for seconds. There are VERY few recipes for any type of meal that EVERYBODY actually likes!

The texture of baked oatmeal is kind of between a nutrigrain bar and a cake. It is chewy, cakey, crispy on the edges a little, just sweet-enough, and delicious. It is not mushy or runny like traditionally cooked oatmeal.

You could probably make this healthier by using honey or maple syrup to sweeten this. Or just leave out the sugar all together. The original recipe has quadruple the sugar that my modified recipe uses. But it was just too sweet for breakfast. Yikes!

Ingredients:
6 c oatmeal (I use regular oats, but quick cooking will work. Steel cut will not.)
1/2 c packed brown sugar (more sugar if you prefer very sweet. Joe likes it with 2 c)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
4 eggs
2 c milk
1 c applesauce
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan

Mix all ingredients together. (Yeah, it's really that hard.) Pour into the 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set.

Top with fruit, raisins, chocolate chips, etc. My kids usually eat this with milk or applesauce poured over it, and chocolate chips. (A bag of mini chocolate chips will last us months, because a teaspoon goes a LONG way on the top of this.) I usually top it with fruit (bananas are great.)

Some variations:
I have replaced the applesauce with pumpkin and the spices with pumpkin pie spice
I have used pureed banana instead of the applesauce
I have (accidentally) doubled the applesauce and halved the milk
I have used fresh apples, peeled and diced instead of some of the applesauce

This isn't a picky recipe. You could add fruit to the mix and bake it in, but some of my family would balk at the cooked fruit. You could probably use soy or almond milk or even water instead of the milk. It's pretty yummy no matter what!

German Pancakes (Joe style)

Joe's friends gave him this recipe when he was single. It is a yummy breakfast that isn't too fussy. The first time I had it, I was a little surprised that it wasn't cakey, but it is still delicious. Joe loves the custardy middle part, while the kids and I enjoy the puffy edges. The bonus is that if it is easy enough for a bachelor to make, it is easy enough for a sleep-deprived daddy to make (and he did!) Of course, I whipped the cream, so I can say I helped, right? 

This recipe is not in our regular rotation, but we eat it often enough that I HAVE made it with whole wheat flour and it turns out just as yummy, although not quite as fluffy. The kids and I don't mind, and Joe doesn't usually complain about what I cook. 

German Pancake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream

German Pancake: 

Preheat oven to 425-450 

Put a big old hunk (1-2 Tbs) of butter in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan

Place pan in oven to melt butter

6 eggs--beat the snot out of them

Add:

1 c flour

1 c milk

1 tsp salt 

Beat gently just until the flour is mixed in

Pour butter into (hot) buttered pan

Back 13-15 minutes until done (browned) but not burnt

Serve with favorite toppings

I  like fruit and whipped cream

Joe likes butter and real maple syrup 

Weekly Meal Plan

I've been a little under the weather the last couple of days, PLUS my daughter had two baby teeth pulled, the car has been in the shop, and I have been playing stay-at-home mom! Sheesh, that's hard work.

The puker

The toothless 

The crazy one

Anyway, I got another bountiful basket (2 of them in reality,,, which is probably excess, but I would rather have TOO MANY veggies, than not enough.)

This week we got: 2 clam-shells of strawberries 10 oranges, 2 grapefruit (I traded the rest of them to my sister for extra tomatoes), 3 clam-shells of baby tomatoes, 20 of the hugest carrots I have ever seen, a heap of both orange and red bell peppers (which I adore), 2 broccoli, a bag plus a few loose red potatoes, 2 big zucchini, 4 English cucumbers, and 4 beautiful big yellow onions,

Here's the breakdown of the menu:

Breakfasts:

cereal (my kids' favorite)

German pancakes with strawberries

Omelets (probably made in the waffle maker.)

2 extra large eggs with ham and peppers thrown in a Belgian Waffle maker turns out SUPER yummy (add cheese after!) 

baked oatmeal

leftover muffins and eggs

cereal

leftover oatmeal bake

Lunches:

Carrot Applesauce muffins (from http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/10/25/recipe-whole-wheat-carrot-applesauce-muffins/), with oranges and cut up veggies 

Leftovers/quick food after church

Finger Food (crackers, cheese, lunch meat, veggies, fruit)

Grilled Cheese and Salad

Cheese Soup (I will add this recipe later, but it's delicious and easy!)

Leftovers

Quesadillas

Dinners

Ham, Potato, and Corn Chowder (with added carrots!)--because with all the craziness of the week, I didn't make it yet, and everyone likes it a lot!  

Casserole @ my mom's house. We will take fruit salad and green salad

Cordon Bleu Casserole (chicken, rice, ham, and cheese, YUM!) with zuchinni

Stuffed peppers/meatballs with smashed red potatoes and broccoli

Finger Food

Grilled Cheese

Out to dinner!

I am super excited for all the yumminess going on this week. I will try to keep adding recipes as I cook, but no guarantees. 

Healthy Real Food Whole Wheat Waffles

I found a delicious, easy, and real-food waffle recipe. You mix it up in the evening, and then cook it the next day. It looks really weird for waffles, since it bubbles up because of the yeast. It truly bakes up super light and fluffy, and crispy on the inside. We had it with strawberries, whipped cream (from real cream!) and/or maple syrup. Again, no picture, because I was busy cooking waffles (in my deluxe, new, 2-waffle Belgian waffle maker), and the kids were too busy eating.

http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-whole-wheat-waffles-346707

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 ounce active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Basically, you heat the milk, water, butter, and honey until the butter melts. (120 degrees) and then mix everything together in the kitchen aid. Store in the fridge overnight and mix it down once in a while. Plop it into the heated waffle maker, and enjoy the deliciousness,  (I doubled the recipe and got 14 beautiful, whole waffles)

Bountiful Baskets 1/3 and Weekly Meal Plan

I got a bountiful basket today for the first time in over a year. I am very excited for the ;produce haul we got. (I actually get 2... we eat lots of produce) And many thanks to the volunteers at the site, who held our basket for a few extra minutes, since the alarm didn't wake Joe up, and the baby (actually) slept past 7 a.m.

Veggies: Lettuce, Rainbow chard, Spaghetti squash, Red potatoes, Broccoli, and Orange bell peppers
Fruit: Blueberries, Oranges, Grapefruit, Strawberries, and Pineapple

The only thing in  here I don't like/won't eat is the grapefruit. Not too bad!

So here's the weekly plan,

Saturday:

• Breakfast: Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins (just use whole wheat flour in the traditional recipe), sliced peppers, Orange slices, string cheese, yogurt
• Lunch: Pita pizza. Take pita bread, spread with sauce (tomato paste with one can water mixed in), shredded cheese, and toppings. the orange peppers will definitely be used here
• Dinner: leftovers/finger food... hubby has to work, and the kids love cheese, crackers, fruit, and cut up veggies. 

Sunday: 

• Breakfast: Waffles with strawberries. Church doesn't start until 11, and I can't fast when I am nursing. Anyone who does fast can have their waffles after church or on Monday. 
• Dinner: At my mom's house. Dad is cooking a roast. I am taking spaghetti squash (and if the youngest minion will allow it, homemade bread.)

Monday: 

• Breakfast: cold cereal (Let's face it, Monday's are hard enough without adding elaborate breakfasts!)
• Lunch: Ham and Potato Chowder http://slowjoelikestoeat.blogspot.com/2014/12/ham-potato-and-corn-chowder.html
• Dinner: Leftovers 

Tuesday: 

• Breakfast: Omelets with ham, peppers, and cheese (and toast)
• Lunch: box mac and cheese. (My son and husband love this. I think it's nasty)
• Dinner: Finger Food

Wednesday: 

• Breakfast: leftover waffles
• Lunch: Grilled Cheese (my son's favorite,,, I add peppers and lettuce to mine, and it is delish)
• Dinner: Grilled meat (pork chops, steak, chicken, whatever is on sale today), roasted potatoes (http://slowjoelikestoeat.blogspot.com/2015/01/roasted-potatoes.html), and swiss chard with orange (http://www.marthastewart.com/334381/sauteed-swiss-chard-with-orange)

Thursday:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal or leftover muffins (hopefully there are some leftover muffins if I freeze them right now!)
• Lunch: Quesadillas/wraps (Again, I load mine with veggies)
• Dinner: Spaghetti (or Spaghetti Squash) with meat sauce, broccoli, and pineapple

Friday: 

• Breakfast: cold cereal (my children's favorite!) 
• Lunch: Finger food (use up all the leftover fruits and veggies.)
• Dinner: Crockpot BBQ chicken, Spaghetti Squash, and some kind of starch (potatoes if there are any left, or pitas, or biscuits)

Also, I add salad to many meals. 

Lunches for the first-grader:

• Muffins, String Cheese, Orange Rounds, Sliced peppers
• Sunbutter and Jam on pita, carrots, apple slices
• Crackers, sliced cheese, lunchmeat, peppers, oranges
• Grilled ham and cheese (cold), apples, craisins, carrots
• Quesadilla (cold), strawberries or pineapple, carrots or peppers

Roasted Potatoes

No picture this time, because, well, we ate them too quickly. And I refuse to serve cold food because I was too busy taking photos. Go figure.

Anyway, these are super easy and delicious.

Preheat oven to 425
Cut 10 red potatoes into quarters (or smaller... I like steak fry size), then put them in a large bowl
Drizzle olive oil (about 2-3 T) over the potatoes
Sprinkle Lipton Onion Soup Mix over that. Stir (I put a lid on and shake) until coated
Dump into a sprayed 9 x 13 pan
Bake until browned and tender (45 min?)

Yum.