Chicken and Dumplings Soup

I recently picked up another Taste of Home magazine, and this one was all soups.  One of the first ones I noticed was a Chicken and Dumpling recipe.  I've wanted to make one for a while.  It turns out this magazine has 2 recipes in it, so I took the parts I liked from each one and combined them into my own.  It came out great!

Sorry for the low quality photo.  I seem to have forgotten to take a pic, so I had to use one from my phone!

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

Olive Oil

1/2 cup flour

10 cups water

1/3 cup chicken bouillon granules

1 16oz package of frozen peas and carrots

1 1/2 to 2 lbs chicken breast, chopped or cubed

1 can Cream of Chicken soup, undiluted

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup, undiluted

Black Pepper to taste

All purpose biscuit/baking mix

Method:

In a stock pot, saute onion in olive oil until tender.  Stir in flour until blended.  Add water (or broth if you decide to go that route, see my recommendations), bouillon, chicken, and pepper.  Bring to a boil and let chicken cook a little bit.  Add in the cans of soup and mix well.  Let this mixture cook for a few minutes at a simmer.  While this is cooking, follow the directions on the back of the biscuit mix box to make dumplings.  I honestly just mixed the baking mix and milk until it looked good enough!  As far as an amount, if you want a lot of dumplings, make a double or triple batch of the portion on the box.  The original recipe I pulled this from used 5 cups of mix with 1 1/3 cup milk, but that seemed like a lot, so I used a little more than half that and it was a pretty good amount. Once the mix is blended, drop rounded tablespoonfuls (or whatever size you prefer) into the simmering soup.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean.  Do not lift the cover while simmering!

My Recommendations:

As I said, I pulled this from 2 different Chicken and Dumpling recipes in the magazine.  Next time I think I will just buy chicken broth instead of going with the bouillon.  It will probably be a lot less salty, and therefore, more healthy.  Also, I kind of guessed on the dumplings but they still turned out great, a little bit doughy, just like I like.  Next time I think I will do a little bit smaller pieces of dumpling, but that's all personal preference.

The Verdict:

Love this one!  I had actually had the Chicken and Dumplings soup by Campbell's Chunky a while back, and thought about trying to make it. I kind of forgot about it until now.  This soup is exactly what I was looking for, but way better than the canned version!  I will definitely be making this again, especially over the winter.  I'm sure it will be great for freezing too.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

I have been making these cookies for many years now, but I hadn't made them for quite a while.  I always had to re-print the recipe because I could never remember it!  I went searching for it again because I hadn't made these in a long time, and I couldn't find the one I always seemed to go to.  So I took the numbers from a few different recipes and from what I remembered, came up with this one.  There is a trick to boiling it long enough though, or your cookies won't turn out!  I actually botched my first batch and ended up tossing them, thinking I used a wrong ingredient.  After searching online, I actually discovered I hadn't boiled the mixture long enough for the milk to set.  Now that I've figured that out, I won't forget again!

Ingredients:

2 cups white granulated sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup baking cocoa (powder)

1/2 -1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, your choice)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

3 cups QUICK COOKING oats (not old fashioned!)

Method:

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and and cocoa.  Bring to a rolling boil, and let boil for 2-3 minutes.  Do not go over or under that time, pay attention!!  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Combine well.  Drop by spoonfuls on to wax paper.  Let cool until hardened.

My Recommendations:

I kind of put this recipe together from one I found and what I remembered.  If you go online and google, you'll see many variations.  The first batch I did this time around never hardened.  After reading online, I discovered I hadn't boiled it long enough.  I didn't let it get to a rolling boil before I timed it.  I did so for the second batch and they came out perfect.  As far as size goes, that's up to you.  I make them slightly on the larger side.  Also, remember to use the quick cooking oats, NOT the old fashioned oats!  You can use the old fashioned but the recipe is different and you'll have to look that one up! 

The Verdict:

These are always a hit.  I end up eating most of them because they are addicting.  They are extremely fast and easy to make.  Just make sure to let them cool and harden!  If you need a lot, make 2 batches and make the cookies slightly smaller.  

A Sneak Peek into the Littlefield kitchen!

This is a quick post to give you all a peek inside my kitchen.  A lot goes into making some of the foods I cook, and I'm not afraid to make a mess (much to hubby's dismay), especially in my new, awesomely huge kitchen!  As soon as we walked into this apartment and saw the kitchen, I knew I had to live here.  The rest of the place is great too, of course.  I am learning to cook on a gas stove, and actually really enjoying it.  Food cooks a LOT faster and more even, as I've heard many times.  It took some getting used to after using electric stoves all my life, but I don't know if I could ever go back now!

So here are a couple photos I snapped while in the process of making the tomato cream sauce in my previous post.  Note that it's still in the food processor at this point.  I was probably waiting for hubby to finish the chicken on the grill.

The counter is notorious for being a collector of our random things as we come in the house, 

so along with all the cooking things, there's wallets, phones, chargers, etc... 

I love the amount of counter space, and the fact that I can spread out so much to cook now

If you're bored, you could probably play a pretty rousing game of "I Spy" with all the random things.

Another view from the other side of the counter.
  Notice the hubby is outside by the grill that was donated to us by my Dad.  We love having it!

Tomato Cream Sauce with Grilled Chicken over Linguini

I've been perusing AllRecipes.com a lot lately in search of inspiration for new cooking ideas.  I stumbled across this sauce recipe and it sounded pretty tasty, so I decided to go for it.  I'm at a point now where I don't really follow recipes as much as I used to, but I use them as a basis and work forward from them to make what I think sounds good.  It has taken some time to get to this point, but now it comes easily to me to modify recipes without royally screwing them up!  If you're interested in cooking, stick with it, and you will eventually get to the point where you don't feel the need to follow every recipe to the tee.  With that being said, onto the food!

This ingredient list came from the website, but I modified a few things in the list.  The original is here if you want to see it.  The measurements are per the website, I actually just tossed what I thought was a good amount of most things in.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped or diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

a handful of fresh chopped basil

3/4 teaspoon white sugar

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup Philadelphia cooking cream

1 tablespoon butter

Method:

In a saucepan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Make sure it doesn't burn. Add tomatoes, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and continue to boil 5 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in cream and butter. Reduce heat and simmer a few more minutes.  Remove from heat and cool a tiny bit.  If you like the sauce chunkier, leave it as is.  Otherwise, move sauce to food processor, and add fresh basil.  Blend until it's at a consistency that you like.

My Recommendations and Changes:

The original recipe called for heavy cream.  I didn't want to use that or half and half, so I ended up grabbing the Philadelphia brand cooking cream.  It actually worked out pretty well.  It came out a bit rich though, so next time I'm going to try using part cream and part plain greek yogurt.  The original also didn't call for the sauce to be pureed, but after suggestions in the comments section on the website, and the sauce itself not looking very appetizing while chunky, I decided to put it through the food processor.  It was definitely the way to go for us.  Also, the fresh basil was a change that I made.  I have a basil plant that needed a harvesting.  If you're using dried basil, you can add it in with the other spices when the sauce is cooking.  If you are using fresh, add at the end, or before you run the sauce through the food processor.

Verdict:

This sauce came out exactly as I'd hoped it would, which is a big confidence booster for me since it was one of my first times kind of winging it based off a recipe.  I'll definitely be making it again.  I'll probably make some and freeze to have on hand since I have some left over cream.  I also decided to have the hubby grill up some chicken breast to top it with to fill the meal out a bit.  Otherwise, the sauce is vegetarian.  I served some garlic bread on the side.  If I was making a full on meal I probably would have also had a salad as well.

Easy Peasy Pulled Pork

The title says it all!  This has been a go to meal the last couple of weeks because I've been pressed for time after moving, and working long hours, and hubby keeps asking for it!  Can't go wrong there.

The ingredients are so simple, I don't even need a list!  All you need is a boneless pork roast, the larger the better (as long as it fits in your slow cooker, I have a large one), and a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.  

Method:

If there is some fat on the roast, go ahead and trim it off.  The one I bought this week didn't have much so I didn't bother.  Place the roast in the slow cooker and cover it with the sauce.  I leave a bit left in the bottle for later.  Cook the roast on low for 4-6 hours (for a newer slow cooker, longer for an older one).  Once it has cooked, pull it out and place it on a cutting board.  Take 2 forks and shred the meat.  If there is a gadget for this part, I'd love to find it!  Once it's shredded well, return to the pot and mix in well with the left over BBQ sauce/juices.  Add a bit more of the fresh sauce and cook for a bit longer on low, maybe half an hour to an hour.  If you don't have the time, toss it on high for a half hour.  There's really no rule or set time, so use your judgement.  Serve on hamburger buns or bread of your choice!  It's as simple as that.

Verdict:

This is a staple go to in our house.  It's easy to cook overnight with my programmable slow cooker, or all day while you're at work, and it doesn't require much in the way of prepping.  You can also add your own variations with some chopped onion or peppers, or other veggies, and I've also made a version with an Enchilada Sauce instead of BBQ, from a slow cooker magazine I have, which I'll post the next time I make!

Parmesan Garlic Quinoa Salad

This is my own twist that I put on the quinoa salad idea.  Hubby prefers this one over the other one. For me, it depends on my mood!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked white quinoa (1 cup dry quinoa = 2 cups cooked)

3-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced or you could use garlic powder, maybe a teaspoon or two

1/2 cup or so Olive Oil

Ground black pepper

Sea Salt

1/2 - 3/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation:

The amounts on this aren't quite exact since I threw it together on a whim, but you can use your judgement and preferences.  If you like a lot of garlic, use more.  If not so much, use less.  Again, cook the quinoa according to the package.  Usually one cup dry will equal 2 cups when it's cooked.  Mince the garlic as finely as you can, or use the already minced kind in a jar if you want to make it easier.  Mix the garlic in a small bowl with the olive oil.  Once the quinoa is cooled, pour in the garlic and olive oil mixture and combine well.  Add in the parmesan.  You can add more if you taste it and decide it needs more.  Next, add in ground black pepper and sea salt to taste.  Add more Olive Oil as you feel you need to make it more salad-y.  Mix all ingredients well and chill.

The Verdict:

This is another great cold appetizer or snack.  I like to serve it with the Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil flavored Triscuits.  The pepper from the crackers can have a lot of bite, so if you make the quinoa salad a bit on the mild side, the crackers will definitely compliment it well.  It would probably also go well with the plain variety or the Rosemary and Olive Oil, or Garlic and Olive oil varieties.

Printable Recipe Page

Dad's Spicy Roasted Red Potatoes

This is another recipe courtesy of my Dad.  It's a great easy side dish that can replace mashed potatoes or fries.

Ingredients:

Red Potatoes - baby or regular

Olive Oil

McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning

Cook's Note:

Use your judgement on the amount of potatoes you think you'll need.  Usually 3-4 regular sized ones make enough for hubby and I for dinner.  They reheat well so if you make more, then you can snack on them later.  Baby reds work best, you can quarter them a little easier.  They are more expensive though, at least in my experience, so regular sized reds work just fine, they just take a little longer to cut to size.  I try to find the smallest ones I can. 

Preparation:

Dice up potatoes into 1 inch size pieces or so, maybe a little smaller.  Place in a casserole dish that will fit them all laying on the bottom.  Drizzle with olive oil, and toss until all of the potatoes are lightly coated.  Sprinkle with your desired amount of the steak seasoning.  If you don't like a whole lot of spice, only use a little bit. If you like a lot of spice, use a bit more.  If you REALLY like spice, get the "spicy" version of the steak seasoning.   However, you may not be able to feel your mouth for a bit as it burns from the spice, and I can personally attest to that!

Preheat oven to 350 or so.  Put the potatoes in for around half an hour, or until you see the white parts starting to look wilted, and a fork splits through them easily.  If you need them cooked a little more quickly, you can put the oven up to 360-375.  Let sit for a few minutes after cooking since the insides get really hot.

The Verdict:

I have loved these since the first time I had them.  I make them quite often since they are so easy.  You can always change it up and leave them plain, or try different spices.  I enjoy the bit of bite from the Montreal seasoning.  I eat mine with ketchup on them, but feel free to eat them as they are or put your own favorite toppings on them.  You can also modify this by using sweet potatoes.  I've never liked them, so I don't use them, but my family does and they say it's good!

Green Apple Ambrosia

This is another quick and easy recipe that makes a great healthy summertime snack or dessert!  I got this one from my mother in law.  It's very simple, no cooking required!  It's been a hit at a few family events that I've taken it to, as well as with my 8 yr old stepson, who can be quite a picky eater.

Ingredients:

2-3 large green apples, or 4-5 small - diced into small pieces

1 can crushed pineapple - undrained!

1 regular size tub of cool whip

1 package of instant butterscotch pudding mix (make sure it's instant!)

Preparation:

Dice apples into small pieces, leaving the skin on.  Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and combine until well mixed.  Chill before serving.  That's it!

The Verdict:

This is probably one of the quickest recipes I have.  The only thing that takes time is cutting up the apples, but as you all know, I use my veggie dicer gadget to speed up that part of the process.  If you need a lot of this for a party or get together, just double the recipe!

Printable PDF Page

Mango Quinoa Salad

I finally have a moment for a quick post.  I've been meaning to post this one for quite a while now.  This is the recipe I originally saw on The Biggest Loser, and just had to try it.  It's been a hit with just about everyone that's tried it, except, oddly enough, the husband.  He prefers another variation that I make that I'll be posting soon.  This quinoa salad makes a great summer snack or appetizer.  It's refreshing, and very healthy!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked red quinoa (at room temperature or cold)

1 diced mango

1 handful chopped cilantro

1 15-ounce can black beans

1 red bell pepper, chopped

6 green onions, thinly sliced

4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1-2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice 

Instructions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions.  1 cup of uncooked quinoa will make 2 cups cooked.  In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil and lime juice. Combine everything else in a big bowl. Drizzle liquid mixture over the salad, and toss until well combined. Chill for at least an hour.

The Verdict:

I love this as a snack.  It's tasty and filling.  I enjoy it on regular Triscuit crackers.  The salt in them is a nice complement to the salad.  The only thing I recommend is possibly adding a little more lime juice if you don't like a lot of vinegar.  I added more lime juice this time around and I actually liked it a little better!

Click here for the printable PDF page!

Ingredient of the Week - Quinoa

Since Blogger decided to lose my last post entirely, here I am, resurrecting my post from last week!  I want to try something new to keep the blog fresh in between new recipe lulls, so I'm going the informational route.  I have 2 upcoming posts that use Quinoa, so I thought I'd share a little bit of information about it.  I'd never heard of it before, so I'm sure many of you are unfamiliar with it as well.  So here we go!

A spoonful of cooked Red Quinoa

The recipe I will be posting later actually came from The Biggest Loser.  They were making some healthy snacks and meals, and it looked so good that I had to try it.  I wasn't sure what the ingredient they were using was, and I didn't catch the name of it on the show, so I turned to Google and searched until I found the recipe.  The first ingredient was Quinoa, which I had no clue what that was, so back to Google I went!  Here are some of the basic facts I found about Quinoa.

QUINOA

Quinoa is an ancient food that is not yet well known in North America. It has been cultivated in South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. and has been a staple food of millions of native inhabitants. In Peru, Chile and Bolivia, quinoa is now widely cultivated for its nutritious seeds, and they are referred to as "little rice." Quinoa has been grown outside of South America for a relatively short time. It is grown in Canada and has been grown in the U.S.

Technically quinoa is not a true grain, but is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. It is used as a grain and substituted for grains because of it's cooking characteristics.  Quinoa grains range in color from ivory to pinks, brown to reds, or almost black depending on the variety. There are over 120 species of Chenopodium, but only three main varieties are cultivated; one producing very pale seeds, called the white or sweet variety; a dark red fruited variety called red quinoa; and a black quinoa. The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains.The World Health Organization has rated the quality of protein in quinoa at least equivalent to that in milk.

Before cooking, the seeds must be rinsed to remove their bitter resin-like coating, which is called saponin. Quinoa is rinsed before it is packaged and sold, but it is best to rinse again at home before use to remove any of the powdery residue that may remain on the seeds.  To cook, you can follow the directions on the package, but it's usually 1 part Quinoa to 2 parts water. For example, 1 cup dry Quinoa to 2 cups water.  Stir the Quinoa in the water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Cover, and bring the heat down to a simmer.  The Quinoa is done when all the water has been absorbed.

I had to go to a few different stores to find the variety I needed.  My local grocery store has the white variety the natural foods section.  I also found white at Trader Joe's.  I just happened to be going near a Whole Foods over that same weekend so I checked there as well, and they had all 3 varieties, white, black and red.  You can order it online as well.

I hope you all enjoyed my slightly lengthy blurb about this (actually last) week's main ingredient!  Check back soon to see the Biggest Loser quinoa recipe, and one that I came up with myself!

Source:
http://chetday.com/quinoa.html

Black Bean Soup

One of my coworkers asked me if I could make a black bean soup.  I decided to give it a try since I'd never really had it before, let alone made it, but since I love black beans, why wouldn't I like black bean soup?  For some reason I thought Hubby didn't like it, but I was wrong.  He was so excited when I told him I was making my coworker's request!  I actually made this once a while back, and had meant to post it, then lost all my info!  I had pulled my ideas from a few recipes I found online.  I searched and found it all again and made the soup for this week, and I think it turned out even better this time.  So it all works out!  You can make this with any broth you like, so it can be vegetarian (possibly vegan) if you use veggie broth.  I don't know much about vegan cooking, but if it counts then, even better!  I think the only thing that's not vegan would be the cheese and sour cream toppings recommended at the end.

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium to large onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

(1) 32 oz carton of your broth of choice (veggie, chicken or beef will work, your preference)

(3) 29 oz cans of black beans (mostly drained, not rinsed, and divided)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

1 teaspoon oregano
A handful of fresh finely chopped Cilantro
Ground Black Pepper to taste

Juice of 1 Lemon

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

Preparation and Cooking Method:

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Sauté onions for 2-3 minutes until translucent.  Add bell pepper and garlic and sauté 1-2  minutes more.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Return heat to medium high.  Add half of the beans, salt, cumin, oregano, and cayenne powder and mix well.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat temporarily.  If you have a hand blender, puree the soup mixture right in the pot.  Otherwise you will have to use a blender, and probably do it in a couple separate rounds depending on how much soup you make.  After the mix is pureed, return soup to heat, and add the rest of the beans and cilantro.  Combine the cornstarch and water and mix well.  Add the lemon juice and the cornstarch mixture to the soup, stir, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes or so.

The Verdict:

I think I changed a few things from the first time I cooked this, but it came out awesome this time!  I will be very happy eating this all week, and so will Hubby.  If you want a little more texture, keep some of the onions and peppers aside and add them after you puree.  I was going to do this, and even had some that I set aside, but not thinking, I threw them in the pot before I pureed everything.  If you want the soup to be thicker, add more beans before pureeing, and vice versa if you don't like it as thick.  Top the soup with some shredded monterey jack cheese, scallions and sour cream if you like as well.

Click here for the printable PDF recipe page!

Simple Peach Barbecue Chicken

I tried this one a few weeks ago.  It's another one out of my big slow cooker magazine and was another Hubby's choice.  As usual, he raved about it :)

Ingredients:

2 ½ to 3 lbs chicken drumsticks, skinned if desired 

1 cup of your favorite barbeque sauce 

1/3 cup peach or apricot preserves 

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

Preparation:

To Prepare Sauce:
In a small bowl, stir together barbecue sauce, preserves, and mustard.

Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Cover and cook a couple hours on high, or 3-4 on low for newer slow cookers. For older slow cookers, 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 on high.

Transfer chicken to serving dish, cover to keep warm. Transfer sauce to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes, or until sauce reaches desired consistency. Serve chicken with sauce. Garnish with fresh peach wedges if desired.

The Verdict:

As I said before, the hubby LOVED this one. I served it with cut corn and red skin garlic mashed potatoes. Very yummy!

**One thing I want to clarify from the preparation is about the slow cooker times. I will elaborate more in another post, but it seems that newer slow cookers cook at higher temperatures. I realized I have been overcooking some things, and this would be why. So when you use your slow cooker, you may not have to cook things as long as some of the recipes call for. Refer to the instruction manual for your slow cooker if you have it.

Click Here to download the printable PDF recipe page!

I'm still here, I promise!

Hello Readers!  I promise I haven't left my blog!  I've been crazy busy lately, as usual, and haven't had much time on the computer to do the work it takes to make a post.  Things should be slowing down so I can at least get up the last couple posts I have in mind.  With my busyness, I have been making a lot of repeat recipes.  I'm hoping to get into some new ones soon, especially some good ones for summer so stay tuned!

Easy Pasta Alfredo

As promised, here is the alfredo sauce recipe I made for myself last weekend.  I had a craving and did some recipe searching.  One from Campbell's ended up being the healthiest one, so I used it as the basis for my own recipe.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder OR 1 clove fresh garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 3/4 cups chicken broth (possibly replace with vegetable broth to make vegetarian)

1/3 cup plain yogurt

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese (or any blend you prefer)

Half and Half

Preparation and Cooking Method:

Stir the flour, garlic powder, and black pepper in a medium sauce pan.  Add the broth and stir until the mixture is smooth.  Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens.  Stir the yogurt and the parmesan cheese in the sauce pan and blend well, whisk if needed.  Add some half and half.  Once well blended, cool mixture for a couple minutes to thicken.  Then pour over your favorite kind of pasta, cooked of course, and top with more parmesan and other toppings of your choice.

My Recommendations:

The original recipe didn't call for the half and half.  It became a bit of a weird color so I just added some until I got it to be the white color I wanted.  It also helped make the mixture less thick.  I didn't measure, so I apologize.  I would say I used maybe 1/4-1/2 cup at the most.  The recipe recommended mixing the sauce and pasta together before serving.  I didn't do this but you can if you like.  If you want to make it vegetarian, I suppose vegetable broth could work in place of chicken broth, but I haven't tried it.

The Verdict:

This meal came out AWESOME!  I had a craving for alfredo and this quenched it for sure.  This recipe made enough for my meal and a few more.  If you need to feed the family, I might recommend doubling.   It was very quick and easy to cook as well.  This is a very versatile recipe, which I topped with steamed broccoli and diced tomatoes.  You could also top with chicken, steak, shrimp, or anything else you like on your alfredo!

Click here for printable PDF page!

Pot Roast with Fruit & Chipotle Sauce (Slow Cooker)

Here it is, FINALLY!  Things got a little busier than I anticipated the last few days, on top of forgetting my usb drive every day, with my blog files on it, made it difficult to find time to make this post!  This recipe is from the Essential Slow Cooker magazine I wrote about a couple posts ago.  It is one of many that I want to make.

Ingredients:

1 3 lb boneless beef chuck pot roast 

Garlic Pepper Seasoning 

1 7 oz package dried mixed fruit 

½ cup water 

1 tablespoon finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce 

2 teaspoons cornstarch 

1 tablespoon cold water 

Preparation and Cooking:

Trim fat from meat. Sprinkle with garlic pepper seasoning. Place in slow cooker, 3 ½ qt or larger. Add dried fruit, ½ cup of water, and chipotle pepper. Cover and cook on low for 10-11 hours or high for 

5-5 ½ hours. Transfer meat and fruit to a serving platter and cover to keep warm.

For sauce, pour cooking liquid into a bowl or glass measuring cup, skim fat. In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch and the cold water. Stir in cooking liquid. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

Serve meat (and fruit if desired) with sauce.

My recommendations:

Not many here.  I didn't change too much about the recipe.  The book recommended serving the fruit with the meat.  I decided against it because it looked pretty gross after sitting in the crock pot for 10 hours!  Also, the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce comes in a can and can be found in the Goya section of the grocery store.  If you don't have it, I'd say just replace with a tablespoon of finely chopped jalapeno pepper.

The Verdict:

This one was Hubby's choice, and he raved about it through the whole meal, and didn't complain once about eating the left overs all week. I enjoyed it as well, but left the left overs for the hubby :)  The chipotle pepper gives it a pretty good kick!  For sides I served peas and red skin mashed potatoes with fresh minced garlic mixed in, as well as jumbo flaky biscuits.

Click here for printable PDF recipe page!

Recipe Analyzer

Hello again!  Just another quick post here.  The Pot Roast recipe will be coming tonight or tomorrow, promise!  I just wanted to share a little tool I found that can make calorie counting a little easier for you.  Since I like to cook from scratch, not everything is easily measurable without a lot of math.  We learned from my coupon post that math isn't always my strong point.  I've started using my calorie counter app on my phone again which is very accurate when it comes to foods with barcodes on them, but I couldn't find a way to measure the soup I made this weekend so I was inspired to Google for a solution.

I found a great recipe analyzer here.  You list the ingredients and the amount of each you're using.  You can leave out spices and things like that.  It will flag each ingredient whether it recognizes it or not with red, yellow or green flags, so you can change how they are named until it figures it out.  I tested it with my Chicken and Brown Rice Soup recipe as compared to the nutritional info given on the Whole foods website and it was pretty accurate!  Only a little off but I was fine with just a few points here and there.  Then I needed to convert from grams to ounces, then ounces to cups to figure out how much a serving is.  Google has a calculator function that is very helpful with that.

Hopefully with this tool I can now cook with more accurate measurements and give nutritional info for my recipes!

2 Recommended Slow Cooker Magazines!

Hello Readers!  Just a quick post for the morning.  My hubby's chosen recipe of Pot Roast with Fruit and Chipotle sauce is already in the slow cooker, roasting for 10 hours or so.  Expect a blog post either tonight or tomorrow!  He chose the recipe from one of 2 really awesome slow cooker magazines I just bought.  I'm usually not one to buy food magazines since I'll normally only find one or two recipes I'm interested in, but both of these are FULL of easy and very tasty looking slow cooker recipes!

The larger magazine, Essential Slow Cooker, was $9.99, and the Prevention Guide Slow Cooker was $4.99.  I happened to be waiting for prescriptions at CVS and found them while perusing the other magazines, but you can probably pick them up just about anywhere.  As I said, I normally wouldn't spend $15, but since I want to try just about every recipe in these books, it was definitely worth it for over 200 recipes!

Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

Here's a great easy recipe I based off a recipe I found on the Whole Foods website.  It's easy to prep and fast to cook.  We had it for dinner tonight and it was hubby approved.  It's also very light and low calorie.  Also, don't be confused by the tags for this soup.  A couple easy changes will make this a vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken broth, (or vegetable broth for vegetarian) divided

1 medium onion, chopped 

3 medium carrots, chopped 

2 stalks celery, chopped 

2 cups water 

1 cup long grain brown rice 

½ lb chicken breast, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (tofu or quartered button mushrooms for vegetarian) 

1 bay leaf 

1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves thinly sliced 

salt and pepper to taste 

oregano to taste 

Method:

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring ½ cup broth to a simmer. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add remaining broth, water, rice, chicken and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook about 35 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Remove bay leaf and stir in kale. Continue cooking just until kale is wilted and tender.

The Verdict:

As I said above, this was hubby approved and very easy to make.  It made a pretty decent amount so we should get a few days of meals out of it.  You can also make 2 easy changes to make this a vegetarian meal.  The original recipe didn't call for the salt, pepper, or oregano.  I added the oregano, but I would like a little more flavor, so I will add a tiny bit of salt and some pepper next time.  Over all, it was very tasty and light and I look forward to the left overs!

Click here to download the PDF page for this recipe!

My New Adventures in Couponing

This blog is not just about cooking, but making your home.  Saving money is part of running a home, and we all like to save money where we can, right?  I have been using coupons for a while now on things here and there, but thanks to tips from friends and meeting a well known "Extreme" Couponer, I'm finally learning and understanding how to use them to their maximum potential, getting things for nearly, or completely free!  I will be up front and tell you that it's not easy or quick, but if you put in the work, it definitely pays off.

I recently met Kathy Spencer of Boxford, MA, the creator of the website How to Shop for Free, and writer of a book of the same name.  She was a guest on a show at my work, and she gets so much for free, that she is more than stockpiled at home, and is able to donate to food pantries and other charities.  I plan to buy her book on my Nook next week, and I highly recommend it to you and I also recommend signing up on her website.  I've also signed up on Coupon Mom so I can use both to my advantage in my search for deals.

The best stores to search for deals are the ones that offer incentives and rewards, like CVS and Rite Aid, and Walgreens.  If you haven't already, sign up for CVS Extra Care, and Rite Aid Wellness+, and get the rewards cards, and sign the cards up on the store's websites.  Also, you can sign up through the Rite Aid website for Rite Aid Single Check Rebates.  Certain items have rebates, you can enter your receipt information, and once it processes, you can cut a check!  You can also get deals at Target, Walmart, and the grocery store with a little more work.

Part of the work is getting the circulars in the paper or online, and going through them.  Coupon Mom and How to Shop for Free do this for you and will list out the deals of the week, in conjunction with the coupons that are online, as well as in the Sunday paper inserts.  You also have to find a way to come across multiple coupon inserts or this won't work to it's full potential.  I have an alliance with a board member at work who gives his coupon inserts to me when he's done, and he barely clips any of them so it works out in my favor to load up.  I'm also thinking of reaching out to people in my apartment complex. You can also print out up to 2 of each coupon per computer from the coupon printing websites, so if you have multiple computers between home and work, go for it!

I'm not going to get into too much more detail in this post, otherwise it will be a novel!  I will try to provide posts with tips along with my usual recipes, and show any deals that I get.  I will try to shop earlier in the week as time goes on so you can take advantage of the deals too!  You don't get everything for free right away, but once you add in the rewards and things, you will start to see it snowball.  I will keep tabs on my rolling total as well.

So without further ado, here is my pile for this week!

From left to right: 4 bags of Chex Mix, 2 packs of Goodnights, 4 boxes of pasta, 4 tubes of toothpaste, 2 Almay eyeliners, 3 boxes of Gain dryer sheets, 1 bottle of spray butter, 4 bottles of Suave body wash, and 1 bottle of Dove body wash.  My grand total for all of this between Target, Market Basket (grocery store), CVS, and Rite Aid was $81.54.  The end total spent after manufacturer coupons, store incentives and rewards, used and unused (but they still count toward the end total), and rebates, $26.36.  That's a savings of $54.58!  If I look at my receipts, that's like paying only for my Target bill (pre-coupons), and getting the rest free!  I will break everything down for you by store.  The totals don't include tax.

Market Basket (grocery store)
4 boxes of Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta, $1 each, with 4 $1 off coupons = FREE!
2 boxes of Swanson Chicken Broth (not pictured) $2.39 ea, with $1 off 2 coupon = 3.78
Original Merch Total: $7.98
MFR(manufacturer) Coupons Total = $4.00
Out of Pocket Expense = 3.78

Target
3 boxes of Gain dryer sheets, $4.34 ea ($13.02), with 3 $3 off coupons = 4.02
4 bottles of Suave body wash, $1.84 ea ($7.36), with 4 $1 off coupons = 3.36
1 bottle of Dove body wash, $5.84, with $1 off 1 coupon = 4.84
Original Merch Total: $26.22
MFR Coupons Total: $14.00
Out of Pocket expense: $12.22
That's like paying only for the dryer sheets, plus a few cents and getting the rest free!

Rite Aid (two separate trips)
2 tubes of Colgate Toothpaste, $3.50 each, with 2 $1 off coupons = 5.00
4 bags of Chex Mix, 2 for $3, with 1 $1 off 2 coupon = 5.00
2 Almay Eyeliners, 40% off on sale, $4.49 each, with 2 $1 coupons = 6.98
Merch Total: $21.98
+UP dollars earned for toothpaste purchase: $7.00
+UP dollars earned for Chex Mix purchase: $4.00
Rite Aid Single Check Rebates on Eyeliners: $4.00 ($2 each, limit 2)
Original Merch Total: $21.98
MFR Coupons Total: $5.00
+UP and Rebate Total: $15.00
Out of Pocket expense : $1.98
That's like paying for only one bag of the Chex Mix at the sale price, plus a few cents and getting the rest free!

CVS (two separate trips)
2 tubes of Colgate toothpaste, $3.79 each with 2 $1 off coupons = 5.58
2 packs of Huggies Goodnights, 2 for $17.98, with 2 $1.50 off coupons = 14.98
Extra Care Bucks (ECB's) earned for toothpaste purchase: $7.58
ECB's earned for diaper purchase: $4.00
Original Merch Total: $25.56
MFR Coupons Total: $5.00
ECB's Total: $11.58
Out of Pocket Expense: $8.98
That's like paying for one pack of the Goodnights at the sale price and getting the rest free!

The butter was free with a Buy one get one Free coupon that I used at Hannaford during my weekly grocery trip.  I didn't count Hannaford toward my couponing, but I counted the butter as part of my freebies :)  I suppose it would actually throw off the math a little, but let's pretend it doesn't because I don't feel like trying to recalculate all over again for a second time!

Grand Merchandise Total: $81.54
MFR Coupon Total: $28.00
Rewards Total (extra dollars and rebates): $26.58
Current Out of Pocket Expense: $36.96
Grand End Total: $26.96!

I have $10 in unused rewards and rebates to come, but they contribute to my rolling total. Hopefully I can earn rebates and extra dollars back over time to make that total go down. I will also earn some extra dollars back from CVS every quarter, so the more I spend there, the more I will earn! I hope to learn more as I get to read Kathy's book as well.

I know it's a lot to read and take in, but it is work to do this.  Like I said, it's not all free at first, you have to get into it, but as time goes on, the numbers should eventually even out!  I started an excel workbook with tabs for each store, and an over all tab to log it all so I can track my progress.  I will be sure to keep sharing as I learn more and give tips and deals through out the weeks to come!

Homemade Banana Ice Cream

Since I have been lacking in posts lately, I thought I would put this one up that has been sitting in my arsenal for a couple weeks.

This is a very simple recipe that was posted by a friend of mine on Facebook.  I decided to try it, and it is actually pretty tasty!

I'm not going to make an ingredient list, since the only and obvious ingredient is a few ripe bananas!

Peel the bananas.  Cut them into small pieces and freeze for a few hours on a plate. Put into food processor or blender and blend.  At first it will look crumbly.  Stop the blender when needed, and scrape them back down.  Keep blending, and the mixture will eventually turn creamy.  Scoop out and serve.

Recommendations:

No modifications, this one is pretty easy.  I have made it twice so far, and the bananas can definitely be frozen up to a few hours.  I only did it about two hours last time, and the mix was a teeny bit frothy, but still very tasty.  If you freeze the end result in an airtight container, it will get harder like regular ice cream.  Otherwise its more like a soft serve. You can also add things like a little bit of peanut butter or some honey as recommended on the original post after the mix turns creamy in the blender, and blend again to mix.  I added a little bit of honey and some cocoa powder.  Top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

The Verdict:

We enjoy this recipe.  It's a great light and low cal dessert.  I'm going to try making a lot and freezing next time to see how the texture is.  Hopefully it will make a great summer treat, especially for the kids!

New Blog Improvements!

Hello Readers!

I know I have been lacking in the recipe posting, but I've been working on a lot of improvements for the website as you may have noticed.

I added a Facebook fan page, which you can find the link to at the top right corner of the blog.  Please "Like" it if you want to follow through Facebook!  I make sure to post all new posts on the page so it's always up to date.  Also, don't forget to follow the blog through Google or another blog reader.  I love seeing my list of followers grow!

The latest addition is the downloadable recipe pages.  They are the same pages that I use in my homemade recipe book.  Once I make a recipe that we like, I put it in the book, and now I'm going to share them!  They are the recipe as I make it with my modifications, but you can alway make it your own, and I encourage that!  You can find the link for each recipe at the bottom of each post, or go to the new recipe index tab at the top of the blog.  It is in alphabetical order to make finding the pages a little easier.  The pages are all in PDF format.  I figured that would be easiest and most compatible for everyone.

I also added My Favorite Websites page which can also be found on a tab at the top of the blog home page.  I only have a few at the moment, but I will add more.  I will be sharing sites where I get recipes from, the makers of my favorite kitchen items, and much more!

I hope to soon add a fun "About Me" page too!

Thanks for reading and following the blog, I'm really enjoying the feedback I'm getting!  I promise I will get back to posting more recipes very soon!

~Heather~

Dad's Jambalaya!

This recipe comes to you courtesy of my Dad, Phil Morris.  He's made it many times and I finally got him to give it to me so I could share it on my blog.  It's a delicious, easy, and quick one pot, stovetop recipe.  There weren't exact measurements on most of the ingredients, so bear with me, I'm guessing.  This will give you a chance to eye it yourself and put in the amounts you want!

Ingredients:

1 lb or so Chicken breasts or tenders diced into small pieces

1 package Andouille Sausage (or Kielbasa, a cheaper alternative)

1 Large or 2 Medium Green Bell Peppers

1 Medium-Large Onion

2 cups chopped Celery

Fresh Garlic (optional)

28 oz. can Diced Tomatoes with the juice

2 32 oz. cartons Chicken Stock

1- 1.5 cups Long Grain White Rice (not instant)

Tobasco/Hot Sauce to taste

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

Olive Oil

1-2 dried Bay Leaves

Cajun or Creole seasoning

Preparation and Cooking:

Dice the chicken (raw) and slice up the sausage or kielbasa.  Put in a large mixing bowl and coat well and evenly with the cajun or creole seasoning.  Set aside.  Chop up the peppers, onion, celery.  Mince garlic if you're using it.  Heat the oil on medium in the stock pot.  Add the vegetables and simmer until they are tender, and the onions are transparent.  Add tomatoes with their juice.  Add in Tobasco and Worcestershire sauces, bay leaves, and rice and stir.  Slowly add the broth a bit at a time, allowing it to warm in the pot each time.  Bring the soup mix to a simmer, then add the meat.  Bring back to a simmer and cook until the meat and rice are done.  Remove Bay leaves if you can find them.

My Recommendations:

I don't really have any changes for this one.  I don't feel I used enough of the meat so I'll definitely use more next time.  I only used one pepper, and I should have used the second one I bought.  I also used a bit more than one cup of rice, because as usual, I felt like 1 cup wasn't enough, and I wanted to get rid of the few remnants in the bag that I had.  It came out a little thick but it's still tasty.  I'd rather fill it out with more veggies and meat, so I'll plan accordingly next time.  My Dad recommended buying chicken tenders because they cut up a lot quicker than trying to dice raw chicken breasts.  I will fully agree with him on that one, and will now use tenders in any recipe I do involving diced chicken.  You can also add shrimp to the recipe if you like, probably in place of the chicken.  I don't like seafood, so there won't be any shrimp in my recipe.


As I said above, the recipe usually calls for Andouille sausage, which is usually more expensive.  I found Johnsonville's New Orleans Spicy Andouille Sausage for a good price.  You can also use your  choice of kielbasa if you like.  I also used Zatarain's Creole Seasoning in place of the Cajun mix my Dad usually uses, because I ran out of our favorite Bayou Cajun that we had.  I couldn't find Cajun at the grocery store I was in, and the Creole was actually fairly cheap and perfect for this recipe.

The Verdict:

The Hubby loved this recipe when he had it at my Dad's house, so there was no question he would like it when I made it.  He did give me his approval anyway, so that makes me happy.  This one makes a lot and my Dad says it freezes well too.  It's also a one pot recipe, so it's fast and easy.  The veggies and meat take a little prep work, but that's about it.

Click here to download a printable page for this recipe! (PDF)

Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Soup

This is another one I threw together in the slow cooker.  The amounts are approximate, and can be modified for preference.  Unfortunately the only picture of it I have at the moment is pre-cooked, but it still looks pretty tasty and colorful!

Ingredients:

8 cups beef stock or broth

2 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups potatoes, diced

2 cups cut up carrots or baby carrots

2 cupsFrozen cut green beans

2 cups Frozen peas

Montreal Steak Seasoning (optional)

Preparation and Cooking:

Put all ingredients in the slow cooker, mix, and top with a few shakes of Montreal Steak seasoning for a little kick and flavor.  You can also get it in a spicy variety.  Set on low for 8 hours or high for 4.  This could also be cooked on the stove in a stock pot, simmering on medium until the meat is cooked through.

The Verdict:

This was a great soup.  It is fairly easy to make.  This recipe made a lot so it can be cut back if you need less.  It was very tasty and is pretty healthy and light with all the veggies.

Baked Pork Chops & Gravy

Since discovering the enjoyment of cooking, we've fallen into the tradition of me cooking a Sunday dinner.  I made this last weekend for my husband and my family when we went for a visit.  It's another from Campbell's Kitchen.  This easy recipe is one of my favorites because it's inexpensive, and quick to make.  This recipe is for 6 pork chops, but you can add more or less ingredients as necessary if you decide to make more.

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons water

6 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing, crushed

1 jar (10 1/2 ounces) Turkey Gravy

Preparation and Cooking:

Beat the egg and water in a shallow dish with a fork or whisk. Coat the pork with the flour.  Use more than the 2 tablespoons if you need. Dip the floured pork into the egg mixture. Coat with the stuffing. Place the pork onto a baking sheet.  Bake at 400°F. for 20 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.  Heat the gravy on the stove or in the microwave, and serve with the meal to top the pork chops.

The Verdict:

I have no changes as far as the recipe goes.  I serve this meal with fresh steamed green beans, Savory Herb stuffing, and occasionally, mashed potatoes.  The gravy can serve a double purpose if you serve the potatoes.  I figured out the timing, and you can usually get the stuffing and beans done while the pork chops are in the oven, and everything will finish together.  If you make mashed potatoes too, you can usually get those done in the 20 minute time frame as well.  It is extremely filling when served with all of the sides, but the meal is always a hit.

Click here to download a printable recipe book page! (PDF)

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Here is another recipe I got from the Whole Foods website many months ago.  I finally decided to try it.  Once again it was rave reviews all around.  I love it, and my husband and coworkers did too!  It's also one of a very few vegetarian recipes I have, which I'd like to find more of.  Here it is on the stove, still cooking in my new stock pot.  I don't have a picture of the finished product, I forgot!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1 medium yellow onion, chopped 

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 

1/4 cup tomato paste 

1/4 cup chopped parsley 

1 tablespoon chopped basil 

2 large stalks of celery, sliced 

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 

1 dried bay leaf 

1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with their liquid 

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained 

1 cup dried fusilli (rotini) pasta 

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or white beans, drained 

Salt and pepper to taste 

3/4 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional for topping soup when serving)

Preparation and Cooking:

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until translucent. Add broth, tomato paste, parsley, basil, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and tomatoes with their juice and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add chickpeas, pasta, and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

My Recommendations:

The recipe originally called for cabbage, but hubby and I aren't fans so I left it out.  I also didn't read once again, and just used the whole can of chickpeas but it actually worked out because I made a little bit more than the recipe calls for.  The only size containers of broth I could find at the store were 32 oz each.  They were really low on broth that day.  I didn't feel like having left over veggie broth that would just sit in the fridge and go bad,  so I used it all.  It was only an extra 2 cups of broth.  I just added in a little more of each of the veggies.  Of course, being part Sicilian, I didn't think 1 cup of dry noodles was enough.  I was wrong.  I went overboard and put way too many in and it soaked up a lot of the broth.  It was still good, but next time I make this, I will stick to the recipe on the noodle amount!  I also used whole grain rotini.  I couldn't tell the difference.  It tasted great!  Other than that, I just had a little fun with spices from the spice rack, tossing in a little Oregano, Basil, and whatever else smelled like it would go well!

The Verdict:

All around good reviews.  I'll definitely be making it again, with less pasta so it's more soupy.  It's a very filling and tasty soup!  This recipe makes a lot, and I'm sure it would be great for freezing as well.

Click here to download this recipe page!