Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Crab Rangoon picture before and after

Crab Rangoon recipe link 


After
Making the Rangoons

Asian Chicken Slaw Recipe

This is an easy, tasty side dish or light lunch.

1 - 16oz bag of coleslaw mix
1 pound of cooked chicken, shredded (I use precooked breasts or left over rotisserie chicken)
2 cups of broccoli  florets (blanched) You can get frozen broccoli or fresh
1 cup sugar snap peas (the frozen ones are hard to find. Fresh ones seasonal)
1 red bell pepper (or can use green pepper if you have it) thinly sliced
1 cup sliced scallions (I used an onion since I had it)
1 /2 cup chopped cashews (optional - but highly recommended)

Combine in a bowl and toss.

Dressing:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs white vinegar
2 Tbs smooth peanut butter
1 Tbs sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger (I did not have any so I used 1/4 tsp of ground ginger)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 Tbs sesame oil

Whisk together in a small bowl. Drizzle over salad and toss.

Makes 10 servings.

Asian chicken slaw

Sunday, April 22, 2012

My Pizza Dough

My Pizza Dough

I use this dough for pizzas, calzones, and pizza rolls. It also doubles well.

1 package dry yeast ( about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon salt

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Gradually add in 3 cups of flour and the salt. Mix with the dough hook.  You can add in the final 1/4 cup of flour to dough. Allow the dough the mix for 5 to 10 minutes.
Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise until doubled in bulk. Takes about an hour, depending on temperature/humidity.
At this point you can form the entire dough into 1 large pizza. I often portion the dough into 4 equal parts to make 4 smaller "personal" pizzas.

I prebake my crust in a 425 degree oven on a pizza stone for 10 minutes.
Take it out and top with your favorite toppings. Bake for an additional 10 -15 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Slow Cooker Creamy Cheese Broccoli Soup

Love me some slow cooker recipes!!


This is a good spring/winter/fall recipe. Probably not really a summer recipe but hey - it is not quite summer right? 


Slow Cooker Cream Broccoli Cheese Soup

**Just an extra note - this was good but the velveeta took a while to melt. It did not thicken like I thought it would.

My Lasagna

My lasagna is so unique...so special....Just teasing!!! I use the recipe off the Meuller's box.

Real Original right?  

The only change I make is using my own meat sauce. You can get that recipe here. 

Enjoy!!

Menu for the week !

Here is my menu for this week!

Monday: Chef Special
Are you wondering what is Chef Special? It is a find what you have and use it recipe. This week will be left over brisket, roast, and tortillas. Makes great wraps!! Add a little lettuce, tomatoes and avocado I have in the refrigerator and there you go! Chef special!! It can be anything. Basically left over night but just makes it sound fancy :-)

Tuesday: Lasagna

Wednesday: Sliders, rolls for the sliders

Thursday: Slow Cooker Creamy Cheese Broccoli Soup

Friday: BBQ Pork

Saturday:


Sunday: Chicken and Dumplings




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Monday, April 9, 2012

This week's Eats

Here is our family menu for this week!

Monday: Waffles and leftovers

Tuesday: Mexican Night! Tacos, Quesas, and a Mexican Tortilla Soup (recipe link)

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Chicken and baked chicken for those too picky to eat the Slow Cooker Chicken
*After school sandwiches since Little man has a game this evening. Then we will eat when we get home.

Thursday: Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes and Hoagies. Another baseball game - so it is early to eat, snack when we get home if we are still hungry.

Friday: Sandwiches before - you guessed it - another game!!!!
Then eat out with the team afterwards.

Saturday: Wait for it....another baseball game! Plus added bonus - a basketball game and ballet rehearsals all day! I think this calls for homemade pizzas.

Sunday:  Roast, potatoes, veggies, all the fixings. We need a good sit down meal.

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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Cupcakes!!

Sometimes you just need cupcakes!!!
Vanilla with chocolate fudge frosting, chocolate with buttercream, then vanilla and chocolate swirled with either chocolate fudge frosting or buttercream. Yum yum yum.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Dinner

One day I will get a maid and someone to drive the evening car pool schedule. Until then..... It's all on me. You moms know what I mean!
Anyway- here is the menu this week.
Sunday chicken n dumplings
Monday leftovers
Tuesday chicken chimis
Wednesday sliders and sides
Thursday eat out - ball games and ballet
Friday grandma cooks! Yeah!!

Monday, March 12, 2012

This week's meals

Where is 2012 going? It feels like it is flying by....

So here is the menu plan for this week!

To Stock up/make for the week:
Rolls
Muffins  - Chocolate chip, banana nut, cinnamon
Chicken stock
Salads
Pizza Sauce
Black and Tan cupcakes
St Patty's day cookies

Sunday: Beef Stroganoff - This is Daddy's favorite and since Saturday was his birthday.....this is what he got for dinner on Sunday.

Monday: Big Daddy's Fried Chicken - Daddy cooked tonight ;-) I would have taken a picture, but they ate it so quickly!!!

Tuesday: Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, Fries, salad

Wednesday: Not sure yet - going to be easy though!

Thursday: Slow Cooker - Peppers and sausage

Friday: Mom is not home - everyone is on their own.

Saturday:  Corned Beef and Cabbage, loaded Baked potatoes for the those who won't eat the Corned beef and cabbage

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Monday, March 5, 2012

What to feed the monkeys this week

What to feed the monkeys this week

Muffins, breads, and cookies this week. 

Monday -  Waffles, regular and chocolate cake waffles ;-)

Tuesday - Grilled Cheese and Vegetable Soup in the slow cooker
Today is the 100 year anniversary of the Oreo Cookie so to celebrate - chocolate dipper oreos decorated like baseballs, basketballs, and ballet shoes.

Wednesday -- Tacos, quesas, and guacamole oh my!

Thursday - Slow cooker Brunswick stew

Friday - slow cooker beef stroganoff for the Old Man's birthday.

Saturday  - Pizzas!!!

Sunday -  Eat out - baseball games today so we will eat out.

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Monday, February 27, 2012

What we are eating this week

I totally missed last week! My parents were visiting and life got chaotic!!!

So now to catch up:

Snacks for this week:

Bavarian Almonds  
These are the best! Great for snacks and great for gifts!



Chocolate Chip Cookies (made by Em)

Cinnamon Muffins

Chocolate chip muffins

Meals:

Sunday: red beans n rice with shrimp - from Zatarrans. Cheated and used a box and frozen shrimp.. Still yummy!!!

Monday: Steaks made by the hubby, potatoes augratin, southern fried green beans, and corn.

Tuesday: Chicken Pot Pie

Wednesday: Waffles

Thursday: slow cooker  - hmmm.....what to make, what to make......

Friday: No Meat! Grilled cheese sandwhichs and tomato soup

Saturday: another busy, busy day. Probably eating out this night!

What are you making this week? 

Enjoy!!!


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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Em's High Heel Cupcakes

The Red Shoe

Em with her Red High Heel Shoe

The Shoe Gallery
Aren't these Fab - U -Shoe -Less ;-) I know, I crack myself up. Seriously, she did a great job on these and I am so proud of her! 


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Bread - Buns for sandwiches, etc

These buns are great for everything. They are especially great warm, out of the oven, with butter. Yummy

Ingredients:

3 TBS warm milk - I put it in the microwave, then let it cool a bit
1 cup warm water - about 110 degrees
2 tsp instant yeast
2 1/2 TBS Sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 TBS unsalted butter, softened

In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, sugar, milk, salt and egg. Use a fork to mix them together. Add the flours to the bowl and mix with the kneading hook. Mix in the butter just as the flours start to come together. Knead on low for 6 - 8 minutes.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 - 2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough on a lightly floured board. You can divide the dough into 8 parts for a larger bun or 16 smaller buns. Roll each piece into a ball, place the seam on the bottom. Cover and rise for 1 -2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You can brush the buns with an egg wash, but I always forget to do this.
You can also put a pan with water on a bottom rack of the oven to create a steam bath for the buns. I forget to do this too, it just makes the crust crispier.
Bake for 15 minutes, rotate the buns half way through.

Cool and Enjoy!


Vaverek Guacamole

I know there are hundreds of ways to make guacamole but I found this recipe to be a favorite of my family.

Ingredients:

3 - 4 Ripe Avocados (If you need to ripen your avocados, you can put them in a paper bag and let them ripen)
1 Tomatoes
1/2 medium Onion - I like to use Vidalia Onions
2 Tbs. Key Lime or Lime Juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs Mayonaise
4 Tbs Sour Cream
Fajita Seasoning or any Mexican seasoning.
Salt - to taste, I usually use 1 tsp

Dice up the avocados, tomatoes, and onion. Combine them in a bowl, addt he rest of the ingredients and chill.
Serve with chips and salsa or chips, or on tacos, fajitas - anything!

* I would post a picture but the boys ate it so fast I couldn’t get a good picture.

Enjoy!

Monday, February 13, 2012

meals for 2/12/12 - 2/19/12

I did not have time to post the menu last week - but it was a crazy week. Mostly crock pot meals and soup/sandwiches.

This week is another busy week so it will be a creative meal week.

Sunday - we had hamburgers and fries. I make my own hamburger buns they are super yummy.

Monday  - taco night, beef and chicken, hard and soft shells. I also made guacamole. I will post the recipe next.  Posted!

Tuesday - Crockpot potato and double corn chowder. This is a Betty Crocker recipe. Looks super easy, I like super easy on busy days. Yes, I know this is Valentine's day but with a band concert, ballet, and E and I taking a cake decorating class - we will post pone a special dinner until the weekend.  I also made fried chicken strips and cornbread.

A picture!! I forgot the bacon - but it was still good. 
Slow cooker Double Corn and Potato Chowder
Fried chicken for those picky ones who won't eat the chowder


Wednesday - sandwiches and soup. Soup will be a basic crock pot veggie soup.

Thursday -Crock Pot Jambalya again a Betty Crocker recipe. Looks super easy and good.

Friday - Steak, baked potatoes and steamed veggies

Saturday -Sauce, pasta, and meatballs. I make my sauce in the slow cooker all day.

I just realized I did not post recipes for the buns or sauce. I have to post the recipes!!!

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Monday, February 6, 2012

Superbowl Cupcakes

The football shapes

The cupcakes

Finished product!

The "Grass"

Box of Yummies

My Em hard at work. 
My Em made the cutest Superbowl cupcakes! She used gum-paste and colored it brown for the footballs. Then cut white gum-paste to make the laces. She also baked the chocolate cupcakes, made the green butter cream to look like grass. She did a great job! Proud of my Boo!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The granola and the bread

Here is the granola - I did not use the recipe in the link I posted earlier. I used an old recipe - mostly because I completely forgot to use the other recipe! I will have to use it next time.
Granola

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked rolled oats
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup sunflower kernels
1/4 cup pumpkin seed kernels (optional but good)
1/4 cup plus 2 TBS honey - I like tupelo honey
1/4 cup olive oil or canola if you don't have olive oil
2 1/2 TBS water
2 TBS brown sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
optional - 3/4 cup raisins or craisins

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and stir well.
Combine the Honey and the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. Spread over the oat mixture. Mix well. Mix again.
Spread on a jellyroll pan covered with parchment paper.
Bake in a 350 degree ovenfor 25 minutes or until golden, stir every 5 minutes.
Cool and stir in raisins or chocolate chips :)
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 1/2 months.

* Can also add walnuts, pine nuts, or peanuts.
*OR you can add in dried fruits (banana chips, dried apricots, apples, peaches, pineapple) into granola.


Here are the sandwhich buns.


I will post that recipe tomorrow.

Enjoy!!!