Monday, March 28, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Day 12- Bacon attracts toddlers
Sunday night I got home from choir and a quick grocery trip and was wanting something easy to make. I found a chicken club sandwich recipe I was wanting to try. A lot of these recipes are things that we already like, but I've never put forth the effort to learn to cook them. Anyhow, Russ wanted to try them too, but it was kind of late already so I made Andrea some macaroni-and-cheese (her favorite meal) and that was going to be her supper (seriously she eats enough for it to be her supper).
I threw the chicken on the broiler and that was about the hardest thing I did. Andrea was wanting to watch so she stood next too me while I cut up the tomatoes, started the bacon on the stove, and got the carrots and lettuce out to make a salad to go with the sandwiches.
Did I mention that Russ loves tomatoes and Andrea loves bacon? No? Okay, well this was a problem. I had the tomatoes on the island which is directly across from my stove. When I had my back to the island cooking the bacon, they were sneaking tomato slices. Russ was instigating it and then getting Andrea to participate. Such a bad influence...haha. Anyhow, I finished the bacon and Andrea starts giggling while I'm chopping the carrots with my back to the stove and the plate of freshly cooked bacon. Russ starts talking to me with this smirk on his face. I realize that he's not looking at me, he's looking past me. Now Andrea is stealing bacon! What in the world?! How am I supposed to get anything done! I told her to go on because she had already eaten. So she leaves, comes back and is all lovey-dovey and I pick her up and start talking to her and Russ is back to stealing tomatoes. She cracks up, walks over and picks up some bacon. I immediately kicked both of them out of the kitchen. They made it to the dinner table and sat there watching me like a couple of begging dogs. Once I finally got done with supper, Russ and I had to hurry up and get enough bacon for our sandwiches so the little bacon thief wouldn't get to all of them. Plus, Russ' salad was almost completely red from tomatoes. It's safe to say I had about 2 little pieces of tomato in mine.
I guess I should take it as a compliment...?
By the way, I'm not a fan of yogurt at all so we didn't use the sauce in the recipe. I used mayonnaise and Russ used ranch on our sandwiches. We didn't double stack as the recipe suggests and we also used good 'ole fattening, regular bacon rather than turkey bacon. It was "Family Approved", but this is definitely more of a lunch than a supper!
Chicken Club Sandwiches- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Makes 2 Sandwiches
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 strips turkey bacon, cut in half crosswise (optional)
2 T plain nonfat yogurt
1 T Dijon-style mustard
6 slices whole-wheat bread, lightly toasted
4 romaine lettuce leaves
1 mdm tomato, thinly sliced
1. Preheat broiler. Spray the broiler pan with veggie cooking spray.
2. Brush chicken with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Place chicken on prepared pan. Broil chicken, 6 inches from heat, turning once, until cooked through and no longer pink, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook bacon according to package directions. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
4. In a small bowl, combine yogurt and mustard. Mix well. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, and then in half crosswise, making a total of 8 slices.
5. Spread half of yogurt mixture over 2 slices of toast. Place 1 lettuce leaf, some tomato slices, 2 chicken slices, and 2 pieces of bacon, if using, on top of each toast slice. Place another slice of toast on top; repeat layering with remaining ingredients and toast. Slice the sandwiches in half diagonally.
**Picture of my finished product with the salad and fruit. **
I threw the chicken on the broiler and that was about the hardest thing I did. Andrea was wanting to watch so she stood next too me while I cut up the tomatoes, started the bacon on the stove, and got the carrots and lettuce out to make a salad to go with the sandwiches.
Did I mention that Russ loves tomatoes and Andrea loves bacon? No? Okay, well this was a problem. I had the tomatoes on the island which is directly across from my stove. When I had my back to the island cooking the bacon, they were sneaking tomato slices. Russ was instigating it and then getting Andrea to participate. Such a bad influence...haha. Anyhow, I finished the bacon and Andrea starts giggling while I'm chopping the carrots with my back to the stove and the plate of freshly cooked bacon. Russ starts talking to me with this smirk on his face. I realize that he's not looking at me, he's looking past me. Now Andrea is stealing bacon! What in the world?! How am I supposed to get anything done! I told her to go on because she had already eaten. So she leaves, comes back and is all lovey-dovey and I pick her up and start talking to her and Russ is back to stealing tomatoes. She cracks up, walks over and picks up some bacon. I immediately kicked both of them out of the kitchen. They made it to the dinner table and sat there watching me like a couple of begging dogs. Once I finally got done with supper, Russ and I had to hurry up and get enough bacon for our sandwiches so the little bacon thief wouldn't get to all of them. Plus, Russ' salad was almost completely red from tomatoes. It's safe to say I had about 2 little pieces of tomato in mine.
I guess I should take it as a compliment...?
By the way, I'm not a fan of yogurt at all so we didn't use the sauce in the recipe. I used mayonnaise and Russ used ranch on our sandwiches. We didn't double stack as the recipe suggests and we also used good 'ole fattening, regular bacon rather than turkey bacon. It was "Family Approved", but this is definitely more of a lunch than a supper!
Chicken Club Sandwiches- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Makes 2 Sandwiches
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 strips turkey bacon, cut in half crosswise (optional)
2 T plain nonfat yogurt
1 T Dijon-style mustard
6 slices whole-wheat bread, lightly toasted
4 romaine lettuce leaves
1 mdm tomato, thinly sliced
1. Preheat broiler. Spray the broiler pan with veggie cooking spray.
2. Brush chicken with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Place chicken on prepared pan. Broil chicken, 6 inches from heat, turning once, until cooked through and no longer pink, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook bacon according to package directions. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
4. In a small bowl, combine yogurt and mustard. Mix well. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, and then in half crosswise, making a total of 8 slices.
5. Spread half of yogurt mixture over 2 slices of toast. Place 1 lettuce leaf, some tomato slices, 2 chicken slices, and 2 pieces of bacon, if using, on top of each toast slice. Place another slice of toast on top; repeat layering with remaining ingredients and toast. Slice the sandwiches in half diagonally.
**Picture of my finished product with the salad and fruit. **
Monday, March 14, 2011
Day 11: A little mistake made it perfect! :)
*Why are these coming every few days instead of every night? I cooked spaghetti Wednesday because Andrea had asked if we could have her favorite and since she has been great at trying everything I cooked, I let her have her way. Friday night, Russ took me on a date and then Saturday, he asked if we could eat out because he would rather I take the hour it takes to cook and spend it with him and the kids. *
Moo shu pork was on the menu Thursday night. I had to run to the grocery store again (I failed to get around to going just once this week because...well I'm not sure why to be honest) and get all the ingredients that I don't keep around the kitchen. For example: soy sauce and sesame oil. After the last fiasco with the cream-of-chicken soup, I also picked up some chicken broth, just to be safe. I dragged Russ and the kids along on this excursion as well since he wanted to spend some time with us. He was not too happy, but forgot about it once I finished supper.
I'm not sure why, but everyone was in the kitchen that night. They were all watching and giving advice. I love them, but I ignored them. I was trying to read the recipe card about how to make the "pancakes". They seem to be this funky little tortilla thing that you put the pork on. I made the dough for them, and after fighting with the sticky stuff for 5 minutes I managed to get it wrapped in plastic wrap in some sort of disk shape. (Actually, it was more of a ball, but who cares?) Then I throw it in the freezer and start working on the main part of the dish.
I cut up the pepper, onion, and pork tenderloin, and got the food into the skillet and cooking in less than 10 minutes. This is definitely a record for me. Plus, the onion didn't make me cry. I'm not really sure what was going on, but I was getting really excited that everything was going well! There was absolutely no discouragement about the meal! Then my timer went off to get the dough for the "pancakes".
I take my "disk" out of the freezer and open it up. I try to sprinkle flour so I can roll out the dough to cut out disks. Um...yeah. The dough mixture was stuck to my hand. It wasn't coming off either. I carried the thing to the garbage can and started waving my hand around like I was swatting at a bee until it flung into the garbage. Russ said, "You know you could have just put it in the freezer for another few minutes and it would have been easier to work with." I told him to shut-up which began a lecture from Andrea about how shut-up is a bad word.... At least I know she listens occasionally.
At this point, I grabbed some tortillas out of the pantry. I threw 4 of them onto the counter and cut them in half with my pizza cutter. I put them onto 2 cookie sheets and let Andrea "paint" them with sesame oil. Then I threw them into the oven at 350 degrees. I'm just winging it at this point with the tortillas because there was no cooking directions on the back of the package so I have no idea how long they should be in the oven. The pork mixture was cooking fine and Russ asked if I could help him with some laundry.I ran to the laundry room and was in there for probably 7 or 8 minutes when I remembered the tortillas. I ran back to the kitchen and pulled them out and they had this weird, pita bread consistency. You could snap them, but they weren't hard to eat. They were....I guess crunchy is the best way to describe it. And with the sesame oil on top, so, so good. Russ and Andrea (and well Jake too because he was attached to Russ' hip) mysteriously disappeared from the kitchen along with a crispy tortilla. At least I know how to get rid of the "advisors" next time. haha
I got finished with the pork and we ate every last bit of it. Russ and Andrea both asked if we could make it again before the 30 days is up so I'm pretty sure we have another "Family Approved Meal". Yay!
Moo Shu Pork- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 4
1 mdm yellow onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 mdm red bell pepper, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 pork tenderloin (about 3/4 lb), cut into 1-inch strips
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
FOR THE PANCAKES
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup boiling water
1 tsp sesame oil
1. To prepare pancakes, in a mdm bowl, combine flour, water, and oil; stir until a dough forms. Shape dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill for 10 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each dough piece into a 6-inch round.
3. Spray a large skillet with veggie cooking spray. Heat skillet over mdm heat. Place 1 pancake in skillet. Cook, turning once, until golden, 2 minutes. Place on a plate. Cover with foil and keep warm. Repeat with more cooking spray and remaining pancakes.
4. Spray same skillet with more cooking spray. Heat skillet over mdm heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Stir-fry until softened, about 5 minutes. Add pork, broth, green onions, and soy sauce. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Place pork mixture on a serving dish. Serve immediately with pancakes.
** Here is my finished picture of the pork. Sorry, no picture of the tortillas.**
Moo shu pork was on the menu Thursday night. I had to run to the grocery store again (I failed to get around to going just once this week because...well I'm not sure why to be honest) and get all the ingredients that I don't keep around the kitchen. For example: soy sauce and sesame oil. After the last fiasco with the cream-of-chicken soup, I also picked up some chicken broth, just to be safe. I dragged Russ and the kids along on this excursion as well since he wanted to spend some time with us. He was not too happy, but forgot about it once I finished supper.
I'm not sure why, but everyone was in the kitchen that night. They were all watching and giving advice. I love them, but I ignored them. I was trying to read the recipe card about how to make the "pancakes". They seem to be this funky little tortilla thing that you put the pork on. I made the dough for them, and after fighting with the sticky stuff for 5 minutes I managed to get it wrapped in plastic wrap in some sort of disk shape. (Actually, it was more of a ball, but who cares?) Then I throw it in the freezer and start working on the main part of the dish.
I cut up the pepper, onion, and pork tenderloin, and got the food into the skillet and cooking in less than 10 minutes. This is definitely a record for me. Plus, the onion didn't make me cry. I'm not really sure what was going on, but I was getting really excited that everything was going well! There was absolutely no discouragement about the meal! Then my timer went off to get the dough for the "pancakes".
I take my "disk" out of the freezer and open it up. I try to sprinkle flour so I can roll out the dough to cut out disks. Um...yeah. The dough mixture was stuck to my hand. It wasn't coming off either. I carried the thing to the garbage can and started waving my hand around like I was swatting at a bee until it flung into the garbage. Russ said, "You know you could have just put it in the freezer for another few minutes and it would have been easier to work with." I told him to shut-up which began a lecture from Andrea about how shut-up is a bad word.... At least I know she listens occasionally.
At this point, I grabbed some tortillas out of the pantry. I threw 4 of them onto the counter and cut them in half with my pizza cutter. I put them onto 2 cookie sheets and let Andrea "paint" them with sesame oil. Then I threw them into the oven at 350 degrees. I'm just winging it at this point with the tortillas because there was no cooking directions on the back of the package so I have no idea how long they should be in the oven. The pork mixture was cooking fine and Russ asked if I could help him with some laundry.I ran to the laundry room and was in there for probably 7 or 8 minutes when I remembered the tortillas. I ran back to the kitchen and pulled them out and they had this weird, pita bread consistency. You could snap them, but they weren't hard to eat. They were....I guess crunchy is the best way to describe it. And with the sesame oil on top, so, so good. Russ and Andrea (and well Jake too because he was attached to Russ' hip) mysteriously disappeared from the kitchen along with a crispy tortilla. At least I know how to get rid of the "advisors" next time. haha
I got finished with the pork and we ate every last bit of it. Russ and Andrea both asked if we could make it again before the 30 days is up so I'm pretty sure we have another "Family Approved Meal". Yay!
Moo Shu Pork- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 4
1 mdm yellow onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 mdm red bell pepper, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 pork tenderloin (about 3/4 lb), cut into 1-inch strips
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
FOR THE PANCAKES
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup boiling water
1 tsp sesame oil
1. To prepare pancakes, in a mdm bowl, combine flour, water, and oil; stir until a dough forms. Shape dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill for 10 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each dough piece into a 6-inch round.
3. Spray a large skillet with veggie cooking spray. Heat skillet over mdm heat. Place 1 pancake in skillet. Cook, turning once, until golden, 2 minutes. Place on a plate. Cover with foil and keep warm. Repeat with more cooking spray and remaining pancakes.
4. Spray same skillet with more cooking spray. Heat skillet over mdm heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Stir-fry until softened, about 5 minutes. Add pork, broth, green onions, and soy sauce. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Place pork mixture on a serving dish. Serve immediately with pancakes.
** Here is my finished picture of the pork. Sorry, no picture of the tortillas.**
Day 10: The butcher laughed at me!
Have you ever noticed that beef tenderloins are impossible to find? I mean, I know you probably don't go straight to the meat section every time you step foot into a grocery store and then lurk up and down the case looking for it like a crazy person, but I did this for over a week trying to figure out why I couldn't find the stupid things. I was too embarrassed to find a butcher and ask one though (because my meat stalking looked stupid enough) so I just lived in quiet frustration.
At some point last week, I had to go into Piggly Wiggly. I was in a foul mood because it was coming a monsoon outside, I waited in the window line to pick up a prescription at Walgreens for 15 minutes and they also had about 15 in line inside so they were moving SLOW, and my house was a wreck so I was trying to get home to clean it. Plus, I was irritated I waited until it was raining to get what I needed for dinner. So I get inside and went straight to the meat and walked up and down the case two or three times. I see the butcher at the end restocking and, being in the non-caring mood I was in, decided I wanted roast beef and I was going to find a beef tenderloin no matter how stupid I sounded! I flagged him down through a window, as he had already went back into the little butcher room or whatever in the world it is, and he came out and talked to me. Here is the conversation:
Butcher Guy: Can I help you?
Me: See this? (I hold up my recipe card.) I'm not domestically inclined by any means and this thing says I need a 2 1/2 pound tenderloin. Now either I'm blind or there isn't one in that case thingy over there. Can you please help?
Butcher Guy: (laughs and then looks at me like he feels sorry for my husband) How much do you need?
Me: 2 1/2 lbs. (Again I wave the recipe card at him...Andrea is thoroughly amused at this for some reason.)
Butcher Guy: Um, ma'am, do you realize that it is 10.99 a pound.
Me: (I literally had to tell myself to shut my mouth.) Are you serious?!? Um, okay I guess a pound and half will work.... Oh and where do I find the cooking twine in this store?
Butcher Guy: I will just give you some that we have in the back. (I think he felt sorry for me because I have no idea what in the world I'm doing.)
While he was cutting and packaging the tenderloin for me, I finished up the last few things I had to get.
I went to the produce and after fussing for 5 minutes with Andrea about how we weren't going to get any apples or grapes because we already had some at home, I realized that there weren't any fresh chives. So I went to the dried spice section to look there too. Let me just make the point here that, when I am in a bad mood or dealing with my kids in public, I'm not thinking clearly at all. Andrea was giving me a play by play of EVERYTHING on the shelf and then harrassing Jake (who was kicking her in the back because she was sitting in front of him and it got a response out of her). I finally realize at some point that I have green onions at home, which, essentially, is chives. At this point, I'm beyond flustered. I get my $16 beef tenderloin back and finally leave the store. On the way out Andrea decided to jump in this monstrosity of a puddle and then whine the whole way home about being cold because her clothes were wet....
So we get home, and after dealing with Andrea's clothes, trying to keep the kids entertained and busy, waiting on Russ to get home, and figuring out how to fashion another makeshift pan out of the ones I have because every stupid recipe calls for a unique pan, I started up the tenderloin a little later than I had planned, but it still should have been done by 7:30. An hour later than I like, but it's still food.
I start cooking this thing and it says 30 minutes for medium-rare. I'm not a fan of anything medium-rare so I decided to cook it a little longer. At 9:00 PM it was still cooking. I had checked it at 30 minutes and it was not even near the temperature for medium-rare so I cooked it for another 20 minutes, and then another, and so on until 9 rolled around. At this point, Jake wasn't the only one gnawing on his hand so I sent Russ out to pick up some food. We had Wendy's, but some really great roast beef sandwiches (albeit a little on the peppery side) the next day. It was a "Family Approved Lunch" and I hope to cook it again so that we can actually eat it for dinner. I'll just start around 9 AM next time! :)
Best-Ever Roast Beef- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 8
1- 2 1/2 lb beef tenderloin, trimmed
2 1/2 tsp. coarsely cracked black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 T chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub the cracked pepper evenly over surface of beef, pressing gently to help pepper adhere.
2. In a small bowl, combine parsley, chives, and tarragon. Mix well. Spread herb mixture evenly on a plate or a sheet of waxed paper.
3. Place beef on top of the herbs. Roll beef in herbs to coat completely, pressing gently to help herbs adhere. Loosely tie beef at 2-inch intervals with kitchen twine along it's length.
4. Place the beef on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Roast beef until an instant-read theremometer inserted in center registers 145 degrees for medium-rare, about 30 minutes, or until desired doneness.
5. Transfer beef to a carving board and let stand for 15 minutes, allowing the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. Remove string and carve into thin slices. Serve immediately.
*Here is a pic of my finished product. Well, the slices. It never made it onto plates that night. Only into tupperware and into the fridge.**
I don't know if anyone actually looks at the nutritional facts, so if you want them, shoot me an email or comment below. I'd be more than happy to send them to you.
At some point last week, I had to go into Piggly Wiggly. I was in a foul mood because it was coming a monsoon outside, I waited in the window line to pick up a prescription at Walgreens for 15 minutes and they also had about 15 in line inside so they were moving SLOW, and my house was a wreck so I was trying to get home to clean it. Plus, I was irritated I waited until it was raining to get what I needed for dinner. So I get inside and went straight to the meat and walked up and down the case two or three times. I see the butcher at the end restocking and, being in the non-caring mood I was in, decided I wanted roast beef and I was going to find a beef tenderloin no matter how stupid I sounded! I flagged him down through a window, as he had already went back into the little butcher room or whatever in the world it is, and he came out and talked to me. Here is the conversation:
Butcher Guy: Can I help you?
Me: See this? (I hold up my recipe card.) I'm not domestically inclined by any means and this thing says I need a 2 1/2 pound tenderloin. Now either I'm blind or there isn't one in that case thingy over there. Can you please help?
Butcher Guy: (laughs and then looks at me like he feels sorry for my husband) How much do you need?
Me: 2 1/2 lbs. (Again I wave the recipe card at him...Andrea is thoroughly amused at this for some reason.)
Butcher Guy: Um, ma'am, do you realize that it is 10.99 a pound.
Me: (I literally had to tell myself to shut my mouth.) Are you serious?!? Um, okay I guess a pound and half will work.... Oh and where do I find the cooking twine in this store?
Butcher Guy: I will just give you some that we have in the back. (I think he felt sorry for me because I have no idea what in the world I'm doing.)
While he was cutting and packaging the tenderloin for me, I finished up the last few things I had to get.
I went to the produce and after fussing for 5 minutes with Andrea about how we weren't going to get any apples or grapes because we already had some at home, I realized that there weren't any fresh chives. So I went to the dried spice section to look there too. Let me just make the point here that, when I am in a bad mood or dealing with my kids in public, I'm not thinking clearly at all. Andrea was giving me a play by play of EVERYTHING on the shelf and then harrassing Jake (who was kicking her in the back because she was sitting in front of him and it got a response out of her). I finally realize at some point that I have green onions at home, which, essentially, is chives. At this point, I'm beyond flustered. I get my $16 beef tenderloin back and finally leave the store. On the way out Andrea decided to jump in this monstrosity of a puddle and then whine the whole way home about being cold because her clothes were wet....
So we get home, and after dealing with Andrea's clothes, trying to keep the kids entertained and busy, waiting on Russ to get home, and figuring out how to fashion another makeshift pan out of the ones I have because every stupid recipe calls for a unique pan, I started up the tenderloin a little later than I had planned, but it still should have been done by 7:30. An hour later than I like, but it's still food.
I start cooking this thing and it says 30 minutes for medium-rare. I'm not a fan of anything medium-rare so I decided to cook it a little longer. At 9:00 PM it was still cooking. I had checked it at 30 minutes and it was not even near the temperature for medium-rare so I cooked it for another 20 minutes, and then another, and so on until 9 rolled around. At this point, Jake wasn't the only one gnawing on his hand so I sent Russ out to pick up some food. We had Wendy's, but some really great roast beef sandwiches (albeit a little on the peppery side) the next day. It was a "Family Approved Lunch" and I hope to cook it again so that we can actually eat it for dinner. I'll just start around 9 AM next time! :)
Best-Ever Roast Beef- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 8
1- 2 1/2 lb beef tenderloin, trimmed
2 1/2 tsp. coarsely cracked black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 T chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub the cracked pepper evenly over surface of beef, pressing gently to help pepper adhere.
2. In a small bowl, combine parsley, chives, and tarragon. Mix well. Spread herb mixture evenly on a plate or a sheet of waxed paper.
3. Place beef on top of the herbs. Roll beef in herbs to coat completely, pressing gently to help herbs adhere. Loosely tie beef at 2-inch intervals with kitchen twine along it's length.
4. Place the beef on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Roast beef until an instant-read theremometer inserted in center registers 145 degrees for medium-rare, about 30 minutes, or until desired doneness.
5. Transfer beef to a carving board and let stand for 15 minutes, allowing the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. Remove string and carve into thin slices. Serve immediately.
*Here is a pic of my finished product. Well, the slices. It never made it onto plates that night. Only into tupperware and into the fridge.**
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Day 9- If they wanted powder they should have said so!
Picnic Chicken and Biscuits. A very interesting recipe. We weren't having a picnic, but it sounded good so we decided to give it a go. Let me start off this blog by telling you about my day. This pertains to the story, I promise. My daughter was having a particularly hyper day. I'm not sure if she has some secret stash of mountain dew and pixie sticks in her room or something, but some days she acts like her legs are pogo sticks and she only knows one speed: run. Plus, on these days her voice is a shrill scream. She was pretty good all day though until she had a friend over. Then she turned into my evil child that needs a nap and is thisclose to having a major meltdown. My son developed a faucet for a nose on Sunday and Monday it was BAD. Not to mention he was cranky. Not a "cry for 10 minutes and be over it" type of cranky. It was a "hold me or regret it" cranky. He's currently cutting four teeth (which I didn't know at that point in time). Also, every day at 6 PM (I kid you not) his timer goes off. There isn't anymore sweet baby. He cries and cries until 7:30PM when it is time for him to eat. I cook most dinners with him on my hip because my husband has school and when he's home, he's in the office doing homework so he can participate in the kids' bedtime routines. So just imagine a baby in a Bumbo seat (the little seats that help babies learn to sit up), on my kitchen island, screaming constantly except for the occasional acid reflux moment when I have to stop and Clorox the counter, and a faucet of snot moving faster than I can. Then a little girl that is quietly sitting at the table until I tell her to put her activity book away and at which point she gets angry that I won't let her help and that her brother won't be quiet. Chaos ensued....
So back to the food. I had to skin the chicken. The picture and explanation looks easy. The first sentence even says (in italics) "For easy removal". It tells me to just grasp the chicken with one hand and grab the skin in the other hand with a paper towel to prevent slipping and pull it right off. So I do this. Okay...I TRY to do this. I had the chicken down and I was pulling up like I was trying to start a push mower. I either had a stubborn chicken or this is the worst recipe card I've ever read. I flung a wing across the counter (which cracked Andrea up and I'm pretty sure Jake stopped crying briefly and was entertained by this thing flying across the counter). Since Andrea was wanting to help me, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with her burning herself again , I gave her corn flakes in a quart-size Zip Lock bag and told her to beat it up. She beat that bag until I thought it was going to fall apart. Part of the corn flakes were powdered and then there were some bigger pieces in there, but nothing that I thought was too big to make a good crust. Wrong, so wrong. If they want it powdered, they should really write that on the recipe. Crumbs and powder are not the same thing. Once the chicken was naked, I dipped it in milk and then in the corn flake mixture. I'm thinking "Um, that doesn't look anything like the picture", but then none of my recipes do so I move right along and put them in the oven.
The recipe now says I need to make biscuits. I have a brain fart about this time and stare at my pantry and the Bisquick that is sitting at eye level and keep looking for the baking mix. Granted, Jake was now on my hip screaming, Andrea was dragging her "ladder" across the floor and Russ was calling my phone. I finally picked up the box, said duh to myself, and measured out the ingredients and let Andrea stir it up. It said just plop it onto the pan by the spoonfuls so that's exactly what I did. They weren't by any means pretty, but you don't get edible and pretty food here. It's one or the other...
Regardless of the badly covered chicken, and the odd shaped biscuits it was really good. I thought Andrea was going to have a heart attack when I pulled out the pasta salad again. She looked at me in a way that said " I ate that once woman. I'm not eating it again!" (But she did...hahaha) Just a note, my salad was not very appetizing cold. I would suggest heating it slightly. This is definitely a "Family Approved Meal". Although, I would greatly suggest a little more seasoning on the chicken. It's plenty spicy, but it just needed something extra. It needs a little "oomph" because it's just a bit plain. I will be making the biscuits for other things than just supper though. They were great and so, so easy!
Picnic Chicken and Biscuits- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 4
3 T low-fat milk
1 1/2 cups corn flake crumbs (about 3 cups corn flakes)
1/4 t ground red pepper (cayenne)
One 2 1/2 lb chicken, skinned and cut into pieces (I bought the pre-cut pieces in bulk)
For the Biscuits
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat baking mix
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with veggie cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Place 3 tablespoons of milk in a pie plate. (I just poured some into a bowl.) On a sheet of waxed paper, combine corn flake crumbs and red pepper. Mix well. Dip each piece of chicken in the milk, then dredge in corn flake mixture, patting so crumbs adhere.
3. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, until crisp and cooked through, turning once, about 40 minutes.
4.While chicken is baking, prepare the biscuits. In a medium bowl, combine baking mix and thyme. Add 1/2 cup of milk; stir just until dough forms. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake biscuits alongside the chicken until golden, about 7 to 9 minutes.
5. Place chicken and biscuits on a platter and serve.
**Here is a picture of my attempt.**
So back to the food. I had to skin the chicken. The picture and explanation looks easy. The first sentence even says (in italics) "For easy removal". It tells me to just grasp the chicken with one hand and grab the skin in the other hand with a paper towel to prevent slipping and pull it right off. So I do this. Okay...I TRY to do this. I had the chicken down and I was pulling up like I was trying to start a push mower. I either had a stubborn chicken or this is the worst recipe card I've ever read. I flung a wing across the counter (which cracked Andrea up and I'm pretty sure Jake stopped crying briefly and was entertained by this thing flying across the counter). Since Andrea was wanting to help me, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with her burning herself again , I gave her corn flakes in a quart-size Zip Lock bag and told her to beat it up. She beat that bag until I thought it was going to fall apart. Part of the corn flakes were powdered and then there were some bigger pieces in there, but nothing that I thought was too big to make a good crust. Wrong, so wrong. If they want it powdered, they should really write that on the recipe. Crumbs and powder are not the same thing. Once the chicken was naked, I dipped it in milk and then in the corn flake mixture. I'm thinking "Um, that doesn't look anything like the picture", but then none of my recipes do so I move right along and put them in the oven.
The recipe now says I need to make biscuits. I have a brain fart about this time and stare at my pantry and the Bisquick that is sitting at eye level and keep looking for the baking mix. Granted, Jake was now on my hip screaming, Andrea was dragging her "ladder" across the floor and Russ was calling my phone. I finally picked up the box, said duh to myself, and measured out the ingredients and let Andrea stir it up. It said just plop it onto the pan by the spoonfuls so that's exactly what I did. They weren't by any means pretty, but you don't get edible and pretty food here. It's one or the other...
Regardless of the badly covered chicken, and the odd shaped biscuits it was really good. I thought Andrea was going to have a heart attack when I pulled out the pasta salad again. She looked at me in a way that said " I ate that once woman. I'm not eating it again!" (But she did...hahaha) Just a note, my salad was not very appetizing cold. I would suggest heating it slightly. This is definitely a "Family Approved Meal". Although, I would greatly suggest a little more seasoning on the chicken. It's plenty spicy, but it just needed something extra. It needs a little "oomph" because it's just a bit plain. I will be making the biscuits for other things than just supper though. They were great and so, so easy!
Picnic Chicken and Biscuits- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 4
3 T low-fat milk
1 1/2 cups corn flake crumbs (about 3 cups corn flakes)
1/4 t ground red pepper (cayenne)
One 2 1/2 lb chicken, skinned and cut into pieces (I bought the pre-cut pieces in bulk)
For the Biscuits
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat baking mix
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with veggie cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Place 3 tablespoons of milk in a pie plate. (I just poured some into a bowl.) On a sheet of waxed paper, combine corn flake crumbs and red pepper. Mix well. Dip each piece of chicken in the milk, then dredge in corn flake mixture, patting so crumbs adhere.
3. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, until crisp and cooked through, turning once, about 40 minutes.
4.While chicken is baking, prepare the biscuits. In a medium bowl, combine baking mix and thyme. Add 1/2 cup of milk; stir just until dough forms. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake biscuits alongside the chicken until golden, about 7 to 9 minutes.
5. Place chicken and biscuits on a platter and serve.
**Here is a picture of my attempt.**
Per Serving:
Calories: 409 (19% from fat)
Carbs: 46 g
Protein: 36 g
Sodium: 842 mg
Fat: 8 g
Cholesterol: 99 mg
Day 8- It smells like an aquarium in here
So, I missed two days. We had a TERRIBLE day on Friday and I wasn't feeling well so we ate out. Saturday night, I pulled out the chicken I was originally going to cook on Friday and it was smelling kinda funky so we ate out again. I felt terribly guilty both nights. I'm being held accountable with this blog. That's a blessing and a curse. It's great because it keeps me on track and keeps me motivated. It's awful because I know that there are a few of you that are sweet enough to keep reading these and I don't want to give up now. I'm almost a third of the way done! Plus, I'm really starting to enjoy the kitchen. Scary thought, huh?
So Sunday night rolls around and guess what, I have NOTHING thawed out. I'm thinking I have a few options. I can find something and thaw it, but there's not too much time because it was already getting on the late side of dinner. I can go pick something up, but I do not want fast food again. That's the whole point of the 30 day challenge. Or lastly, I can use that thing in my head that was hurting me so bad on Friday! So I go searching. I find: frozen fish fillets, egg noodles, tomato, carrots, onions, frozen broccoli, and parsley. I also found some Cajun seasoning. My brain goes into "Chopped" & "Iron Chef" mode and I start thinking of all the possibilities. Let me back up for a minute to the fish though...
Fish may very well be my enemy. Not really, but I'm very scared to cook it or have it in my house. My dad got food poisoning either before I was born, or when I was very young. Evidently he had a very nasty case of it, and has not eaten fish since. I don't remember my mom ever cooking fish. My grandmother did occasionally when my grandfather used to fish so I think I developed my love of catfish then. I'm not sure to be completely honest. I started eating salmon because Russ' family makes it occasionally and I didn't want to be rude. It turned out to be really good, but I've never cooked it for Russ although I want too. Also, last Summer I went to the beach and tried flounder. Anyway, I'm just scared of the temperature and it going bad and making my family sick. I opted for the frozen fish fillets from Sam's when I went on my crazy meat shopping spree. I figured we would start with the easiest and progress from there.
I preheated the oven to what the bag said and I washed the fish fillets and put them in a pan. From here, there are no other directions other than cook time. So I pulled out some Cajun seasoning, prayed for the best and sprinkled some on the fish and threw them in the oven. I was cooking the egg noodles when I decided to cook the broccoli as well. Then I got an idea. I would steam the carrots, saute the onions, and cut up the tomato and parsley. I did all this and once the noodles were drained, threw the veggies and noodles back into the pot and poured about 3/4 to 1 cup of Italian dressing on it. It wasn't by any means drenched because I had made half a bag of egg noodles. It was just enough to be really good though. I've never made any kind of pasta salad so I was happy with my first attempt. The fish came out pretty well. I took them out of the oven and they were flaky on the fork, but I got a little apprehensive and stuck them in the oven for another couple of minutes to be sure (and they ended up overcooked...). I found some strawberries, blueberries and grapes in the fridge and washed them and cut up the strawberries and made a fruit salad also. It was pretty interesting. The whole meal took probably 20 minutes and I did it without a recipe! (There was a card I had been looking at that had a similar salad I was wanting to try, but I didn't have all the ingredients and didn't look at it while I was cooking. )
The result? The fish was a little spicier than I liked, but it was pretty good. The fruit salad was a big hit. We are big fruit eaters. I'm surprised Andrea doesn't look like the girl in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" since she wants blueberries daily. The pasta salad was mine and Russ' favorite part of the meal. Getting Andrea to eat it was like pulling teeth, but we got her to eat about half before we just gave up. I had enough to have leftovers too. :) I didn't get pictures, but all in all, it was a good night other than we discovered that our house smells like an aquarium afterwards! Russ walked outside to take the trash out or get something out of his car, but I just caught his face when he walked back in. Here's our conversation:
R: Do you smell that?
K: What exactly is that?
R: That nasty smell. Is it from the fish? UGH!
K: (I go around sniffing) EWWWW. It stinks in here like nasty aquarium.
I spent the next 10 minutes cleaning up everything pertaining to the fish. The pan, the aluminum foil, the little bits left on the plates, the one fillet that we couldn't eat. I didn't just throw it away. I zip locked that mess. Yuck. And then I took the trash out the following morning because I guess I was afraid the zipper lock would melt away from the nastiness. I'm glad it didn't smell like at first or we would have made a fast-food trip for sure! haha
Happy Cooking! :)
So Sunday night rolls around and guess what, I have NOTHING thawed out. I'm thinking I have a few options. I can find something and thaw it, but there's not too much time because it was already getting on the late side of dinner. I can go pick something up, but I do not want fast food again. That's the whole point of the 30 day challenge. Or lastly, I can use that thing in my head that was hurting me so bad on Friday! So I go searching. I find: frozen fish fillets, egg noodles, tomato, carrots, onions, frozen broccoli, and parsley. I also found some Cajun seasoning. My brain goes into "Chopped" & "Iron Chef" mode and I start thinking of all the possibilities. Let me back up for a minute to the fish though...
Fish may very well be my enemy. Not really, but I'm very scared to cook it or have it in my house. My dad got food poisoning either before I was born, or when I was very young. Evidently he had a very nasty case of it, and has not eaten fish since. I don't remember my mom ever cooking fish. My grandmother did occasionally when my grandfather used to fish so I think I developed my love of catfish then. I'm not sure to be completely honest. I started eating salmon because Russ' family makes it occasionally and I didn't want to be rude. It turned out to be really good, but I've never cooked it for Russ although I want too. Also, last Summer I went to the beach and tried flounder. Anyway, I'm just scared of the temperature and it going bad and making my family sick. I opted for the frozen fish fillets from Sam's when I went on my crazy meat shopping spree. I figured we would start with the easiest and progress from there.
I preheated the oven to what the bag said and I washed the fish fillets and put them in a pan. From here, there are no other directions other than cook time. So I pulled out some Cajun seasoning, prayed for the best and sprinkled some on the fish and threw them in the oven. I was cooking the egg noodles when I decided to cook the broccoli as well. Then I got an idea. I would steam the carrots, saute the onions, and cut up the tomato and parsley. I did all this and once the noodles were drained, threw the veggies and noodles back into the pot and poured about 3/4 to 1 cup of Italian dressing on it. It wasn't by any means drenched because I had made half a bag of egg noodles. It was just enough to be really good though. I've never made any kind of pasta salad so I was happy with my first attempt. The fish came out pretty well. I took them out of the oven and they were flaky on the fork, but I got a little apprehensive and stuck them in the oven for another couple of minutes to be sure (and they ended up overcooked...). I found some strawberries, blueberries and grapes in the fridge and washed them and cut up the strawberries and made a fruit salad also. It was pretty interesting. The whole meal took probably 20 minutes and I did it without a recipe! (There was a card I had been looking at that had a similar salad I was wanting to try, but I didn't have all the ingredients and didn't look at it while I was cooking. )
The result? The fish was a little spicier than I liked, but it was pretty good. The fruit salad was a big hit. We are big fruit eaters. I'm surprised Andrea doesn't look like the girl in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" since she wants blueberries daily. The pasta salad was mine and Russ' favorite part of the meal. Getting Andrea to eat it was like pulling teeth, but we got her to eat about half before we just gave up. I had enough to have leftovers too. :) I didn't get pictures, but all in all, it was a good night other than we discovered that our house smells like an aquarium afterwards! Russ walked outside to take the trash out or get something out of his car, but I just caught his face when he walked back in. Here's our conversation:
R: Do you smell that?
K: What exactly is that?
R: That nasty smell. Is it from the fish? UGH!
K: (I go around sniffing) EWWWW. It stinks in here like nasty aquarium.
I spent the next 10 minutes cleaning up everything pertaining to the fish. The pan, the aluminum foil, the little bits left on the plates, the one fillet that we couldn't eat. I didn't just throw it away. I zip locked that mess. Yuck. And then I took the trash out the following morning because I guess I was afraid the zipper lock would melt away from the nastiness. I'm glad it didn't smell like at first or we would have made a fast-food trip for sure! haha
Happy Cooking! :)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Day 7- Two burnt fingers and the black hole pantry
Oh wow. Was that a little tinge of happiness I just felt. I mean seriously. I disliked cooking with an intense passion before this journey. Tonight though, I said to Russ," I am really enjoying this!" and I truly meant it. With that being said, the night wasn't without it's flaws. And so we begin:
I pulled out my trusty recipe cards and got ready. It was time to make Kansas City Steak Strips. I've never been to Kansas City, well other than in passing it on the interstate, so I'm wondering if it either is some sort of something they have there or after 1200 recipes the company was running out of names for cooked meat. Either way, it was interesting and fairly easy to make. It really wasted some ingredients and the cheapo in me got irritated, but I forged on.
So I thought I was the smartest person on Earth last week when I thought to cut up the flank steak and measure out the amount I needed before freezing it. I love that I did that. Myself tonight thanked myself from last week. It was so nice to pull something out of the fridge and have it ready to throw in the pan with out any chopping or measuring involved! I got the ingredients out and was measuring them out before I started and whoopsy...missing the beef broth. I'm so not a fan of my soup stash anymore. In fact, I'm quite angry with it. I believe my pantry has a black hole that sucks in the labels it sees the most. Cream of Chicken..gone. Beef Broth...gone. Why isn't it taking the tomato and the chicken noodle?!? I just don't understand how a non-cooking woman is running out of stuff that she hasn't used....Anyway, I walked into the living room and had this conversation with my husband who was relaxing after a crazy day at school and then coming home and calming down a screaming infant:
Me: Russ...I love you.
Russ: (looks at me with a concerned grin) I love you too. What do you want?
Me: Um, I don't have any beef broth. Can you run to the store for me?
Russ: (Makes a pouty sound like someone just took a toy away) Do I have to? Why didn't you check first?
Me: I did. Well, no not really. I needed a total of one cup this week for recipes so I only bought one can not thinking. I guess I should have saved half of the can I used the other night.
Russ: Uh yeah...but fine.
He huffs and puffs around the house for a few minutes grumbling and whatnot. Then I realize I'm a little low on egg noodles. I ask if he can pick some of those up too. He looks at me like I just told him I was having quadruplets and leaves. Seriously, I've gotta get better at this recipe stuff.
So, after the beef broth fiasco was averted, Andrea and I got started cooking. She snapped the green beans while I chopped up the onion. She's so funny. I go through my entire "blind from onions" routine and she thinks I'm crying. She pats me on the arm and says, "Aww mommy. It's okay. You're a good cook." hahaha This makes me wonder, did she think I was crying because I'm horrible at this? I sure hope not. She keeps telling me I cook good whenever she sees me in the kitchen. I'm starting to think Russ is paying her to say this so after the 30 days is over, I will keep cooking. Nonetheless, it's nice to know that she's paying attention.This is a good place to add that I found out today that I'm not that different from other women. While in ballet class, two other moms said they ate out a lot. I honestly thought all these other women were out there, cooking nightly for their family and I was in some way failing. I'm normal. Well, not normal, that's quite a leap, but I'm like other moms in terms of cooking. :) I have to hand it to my mom though, she cooked every night growing up. She cooked most mornings too. She's awesome.
About the time I start the recipe I decide I want to have an unusual side dish. Not crazy, just something a little different. Publix had a sale on carrots and I picked up a few extra bags and just figured I would find a recipe with carrots and use them. I pulled down my favorite cookbook, and found Brown Sugar- Glazed carrots. I had two recipes going at once. YES TWO! And guess what, I didn't get them mixed up! YAY! Meanwhile, Andrea was given the job of crescent roll preparation so that she was away from the stove. We ate the most interestingly shaped crescent rolls and she was so proud of herself. She tried to put them in the oven, but I ended up having to push them in because she's a little too short to reach in without the door burning her. She kept going to the oven door and looking at them though. I hate that I've missed so much time in the kitchen with her. She helps measure everything out, laughs at my screw ups and then always gets excited when she sees the finished product of the meal. :)
Okay, I need to wrap this up. I ended up burning my hand when I was draining the noodles and the pot slid out of my hand. My thumb has been on fire all night. Andrea was so excited about the crescent rolls she reached up to touch the pan before I could stop her. She burned one of her fingers too. We finally got supper on the table and I had to feed Jake, but Russ and Andrea ate it hot. I have texture issues, so I wasn't crazy about the barely cooked green beans. They were just too crunchy for me. Andrea liked the noodles the best, but Russ and I agreed we would use different noodles next time. The egg noodles have this odd taste... The carrots were amazing. They were sweet, but not too sweet. I'll post both recipes below. This one isn't quite "Family Approved", but we aren't ruling it out just yet. That's the beauty of trying these. We get to tweak them, and try again. :)
Kansas City Steak Strips- Healthy Meals Made Easy
Serves 4
1 T. Veggie Oil
12 oz. beef top round stk, trimmed and cut into thin strips
1 large yellow onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 can (8 oz) low-sodium tomato sauce
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 T. chili sauce
1/4 t. black pepper
8 oz egg noodles
8 oz fresh green beans, cooked or 1 package (10 oz) frozen cut green beans, thawed (SERIOUSLY? I HONESTLY JUST SAW WHERE IT SAID COOKED. NO WONDER THE GREEN BEANS WEREN'T THAT GOOD....UGH. I'M ILLITERATE.)
1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over mdm-high heat. Add stk; cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer steak to a plate.
2. Add onion to juices in skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, broth, chili sauce and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. While onion is cooking, cook noodles according to package directions, but do not add salt.
4. Return beef to skillet. Add green beans; cook until hot and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Drain noodles in a colander; place on serving plates. Top with beef mixture and serve.
**My finished product on Andrea's plate.**
Per Serving:
Calories- 421 (19% from fat)
Carbs- 55 g
Protein- 30 g
Sodium- 209 mg
Fat- 9 g
Cholesterol- 102 mg
Brown Sugar- Glazed Carrots- By: Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook
Serves 4
1 lb. peeled baby carrots (or mdm carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-in pieces)
1 T. butter or margarine
1 T. packed brown sugar
dash salt
black pepper
1. In a mdm saucepan cook carrots, covered, in a mall amount of boiling salted water for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; remove carrots from pan.
2. In the same sauce pan, combing butter, brown sugar, and salt. Cook and stir over mdm heat until combined. Add carrots. Cook and stir about 2 minutes or until glazed. Season to taste with pepper.
Nutritional info reflects a 3/4 cup serving:
83 cal., 3 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 111 mg sodium, 14 g. carbs., 2 g fiber, 1 g protein
I pulled out my trusty recipe cards and got ready. It was time to make Kansas City Steak Strips. I've never been to Kansas City, well other than in passing it on the interstate, so I'm wondering if it either is some sort of something they have there or after 1200 recipes the company was running out of names for cooked meat. Either way, it was interesting and fairly easy to make. It really wasted some ingredients and the cheapo in me got irritated, but I forged on.
So I thought I was the smartest person on Earth last week when I thought to cut up the flank steak and measure out the amount I needed before freezing it. I love that I did that. Myself tonight thanked myself from last week. It was so nice to pull something out of the fridge and have it ready to throw in the pan with out any chopping or measuring involved! I got the ingredients out and was measuring them out before I started and whoopsy...missing the beef broth. I'm so not a fan of my soup stash anymore. In fact, I'm quite angry with it. I believe my pantry has a black hole that sucks in the labels it sees the most. Cream of Chicken..gone. Beef Broth...gone. Why isn't it taking the tomato and the chicken noodle?!? I just don't understand how a non-cooking woman is running out of stuff that she hasn't used....Anyway, I walked into the living room and had this conversation with my husband who was relaxing after a crazy day at school and then coming home and calming down a screaming infant:
Me: Russ...I love you.
Russ: (looks at me with a concerned grin) I love you too. What do you want?
Me: Um, I don't have any beef broth. Can you run to the store for me?
Russ: (Makes a pouty sound like someone just took a toy away) Do I have to? Why didn't you check first?
Me: I did. Well, no not really. I needed a total of one cup this week for recipes so I only bought one can not thinking. I guess I should have saved half of the can I used the other night.
Russ: Uh yeah...but fine.
He huffs and puffs around the house for a few minutes grumbling and whatnot. Then I realize I'm a little low on egg noodles. I ask if he can pick some of those up too. He looks at me like I just told him I was having quadruplets and leaves. Seriously, I've gotta get better at this recipe stuff.
So, after the beef broth fiasco was averted, Andrea and I got started cooking. She snapped the green beans while I chopped up the onion. She's so funny. I go through my entire "blind from onions" routine and she thinks I'm crying. She pats me on the arm and says, "Aww mommy. It's okay. You're a good cook." hahaha This makes me wonder, did she think I was crying because I'm horrible at this? I sure hope not. She keeps telling me I cook good whenever she sees me in the kitchen. I'm starting to think Russ is paying her to say this so after the 30 days is over, I will keep cooking. Nonetheless, it's nice to know that she's paying attention.This is a good place to add that I found out today that I'm not that different from other women. While in ballet class, two other moms said they ate out a lot. I honestly thought all these other women were out there, cooking nightly for their family and I was in some way failing. I'm normal. Well, not normal, that's quite a leap, but I'm like other moms in terms of cooking. :) I have to hand it to my mom though, she cooked every night growing up. She cooked most mornings too. She's awesome.
About the time I start the recipe I decide I want to have an unusual side dish. Not crazy, just something a little different. Publix had a sale on carrots and I picked up a few extra bags and just figured I would find a recipe with carrots and use them. I pulled down my favorite cookbook, and found Brown Sugar- Glazed carrots. I had two recipes going at once. YES TWO! And guess what, I didn't get them mixed up! YAY! Meanwhile, Andrea was given the job of crescent roll preparation so that she was away from the stove. We ate the most interestingly shaped crescent rolls and she was so proud of herself. She tried to put them in the oven, but I ended up having to push them in because she's a little too short to reach in without the door burning her. She kept going to the oven door and looking at them though. I hate that I've missed so much time in the kitchen with her. She helps measure everything out, laughs at my screw ups and then always gets excited when she sees the finished product of the meal. :)
Okay, I need to wrap this up. I ended up burning my hand when I was draining the noodles and the pot slid out of my hand. My thumb has been on fire all night. Andrea was so excited about the crescent rolls she reached up to touch the pan before I could stop her. She burned one of her fingers too. We finally got supper on the table and I had to feed Jake, but Russ and Andrea ate it hot. I have texture issues, so I wasn't crazy about the barely cooked green beans. They were just too crunchy for me. Andrea liked the noodles the best, but Russ and I agreed we would use different noodles next time. The egg noodles have this odd taste... The carrots were amazing. They were sweet, but not too sweet. I'll post both recipes below. This one isn't quite "Family Approved", but we aren't ruling it out just yet. That's the beauty of trying these. We get to tweak them, and try again. :)
Kansas City Steak Strips- Healthy Meals Made Easy
Serves 4
1 T. Veggie Oil
12 oz. beef top round stk, trimmed and cut into thin strips
1 large yellow onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 can (8 oz) low-sodium tomato sauce
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 T. chili sauce
1/4 t. black pepper
8 oz egg noodles
8 oz fresh green beans, cooked or 1 package (10 oz) frozen cut green beans, thawed (SERIOUSLY? I HONESTLY JUST SAW WHERE IT SAID COOKED. NO WONDER THE GREEN BEANS WEREN'T THAT GOOD....UGH. I'M ILLITERATE.)
1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over mdm-high heat. Add stk; cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer steak to a plate.
2. Add onion to juices in skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, broth, chili sauce and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. While onion is cooking, cook noodles according to package directions, but do not add salt.
4. Return beef to skillet. Add green beans; cook until hot and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Drain noodles in a colander; place on serving plates. Top with beef mixture and serve.
**My finished product on Andrea's plate.**
Per Serving:
Calories- 421 (19% from fat)
Carbs- 55 g
Protein- 30 g
Sodium- 209 mg
Fat- 9 g
Cholesterol- 102 mg
Brown Sugar- Glazed Carrots- By: Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook
Serves 4
1 lb. peeled baby carrots (or mdm carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-in pieces)
1 T. butter or margarine
1 T. packed brown sugar
dash salt
black pepper
1. In a mdm saucepan cook carrots, covered, in a mall amount of boiling salted water for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; remove carrots from pan.
2. In the same sauce pan, combing butter, brown sugar, and salt. Cook and stir over mdm heat until combined. Add carrots. Cook and stir about 2 minutes or until glazed. Season to taste with pepper.
Nutritional info reflects a 3/4 cup serving:
83 cal., 3 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 111 mg sodium, 14 g. carbs., 2 g fiber, 1 g protein
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Day 6- Queen of the grill!
I used the grill. Huge accomplishment. Let me back track a little and tell you why I was banned from the grill for a while:
Before I bought the current "ultimate man grill" for Russ last Father's Day, we had this rinky dink little thing that was way overused. I know that when you turn on the gas and then add fire, it can go poof. Well, I turned on the grill on our back porch (which is covered btw) and Andrea was crying about something (Remember this is pre-Jake so I had it so easy and didn't realize it with just one child...) so I ran inside and tended to her for a little bit. Anyhow, I go back out the back door and like an idiot I'm playing with the lighter just flipping the little switch over and over. I'm about 10 foot away from the grill when this fireball erupts from my hand all the way to the grill. The neighbor kids were probably looking at me like I had just blew up a bomb on the back porch. I immediately felt for my eyebrows. Andrea had came to the back door still mad and even she was laughing hysterically and asking 8 million questions. After Russ cried from laughing upon hearing of it later (as usual, he was at school) he told me it would be a good idea if I stayed away from the grill for a while. Once he got the current grill, he said no one was allowed to use it because it was his baby. Well, he never grills so I used it anyway....
Okay, so back to Day 6. We had honey grilled pork chops. After I properly lit the grill, which in itself was a triumph, I scraped it off and ran inside to finish up the marinade. I forgot one pack of meat in the freezer to thaw and only had two pork chops so I ended up having to thaw two in the microwave (of which I had to call my grandmother for instructions on how to do this. I'm telling you, completely clueless when it comes to cooking.) I finally get the marinade done and it is barely enough to cover the bottom of my "shallow dish" and it's so thick. I go rogue and add a little more pineapple juice. It made it thin enough to put two of the pork chops and the pineapple slices in it and stick in the fridge to marinate. The two that I spent time thawing out I put store bought honey barbecue sauce on it. I'm not a fan of making something different for my child because she needs to learn to eat what I make or not eat at all. (That may sound harsh, but I'm not going to cook separate meals for everyone, every night. I just don't have the time or patience. More power to those who do.) I didn't have enough marinade anyway though, so I wasn't too worried with it.
After the pork chops were marinated, I slapped them on the grill on medium heat, closed the lid and checked the recipe. It says I have 6-8 minutes. So I start on the sides. I go back out a few minutes later and the stupid things are burnt on one side. My husband says that they are supposed to burn on the bone, but I have to go check on them while they're cooking. I can't just leave them for 6-8 minutes and expect them to be beautiful. I yell "Well they should write that on the stupid card." and vow not to ask him any more questions when I'm cooking because he may end up divorcing me. haha
I went out and checked on the flipped pork chops and ended up cooking the pineapple eventually as well. I ended up only charring one pork chop and the rest turned out edible and surprisingly good. Andrea ate some of our pork chops and we ate some of hers so that she could try the marinade. She really enjoyed it so I'll make a little extra marinade next time. Once again "Family Approved"! So much for only knowing how to cook 5 or 6 meals!
Honey-Grilled Pork Chops- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 4
4 center-cut loin pork chops with bone (about 4 oz each), inch thick, trimmed
For the marinade:
1 can (8 oz) sliced pineapple in unsweetened juice
1/3 cup honey
1 T. prepared mustard
1 t. curry powder
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1/8 t. hot pepper sauce
green onion strips for garnish (optional)
1. To prepare marinade, drain pineapple, reserving 1 tablespoon of juice. In a shallow glass dish, combine honey, mustard, reserved juice, curry powder, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Mix well. Set aside 2 tablespoons of marinade.
2. Add pork chops and pineapple to remaining marinade in dish, turning to coat. Cover dish with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Heat a charcoal grill until coals form white ash or preheat a gas grill to medium. Place pork chops on grill rack. Discard marinade in dish. Baste with reserved marinade. Grill 4 inches from heat until cooked through and no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes on each side.
4. Add pineapple slices to grill during the last 5 minutes of pork grilling. Grill, turning once, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Garnish with green onion strips. Serve immediately.
**Picture of my finished product.**
Per Serving:
Calories- 414 (34% from fat)
Carbs- 33 g
Protein- 36 g
Sodium- 397 mg
Fat- 16 g
Cholesterol- 112 mg
Before I bought the current "ultimate man grill" for Russ last Father's Day, we had this rinky dink little thing that was way overused. I know that when you turn on the gas and then add fire, it can go poof. Well, I turned on the grill on our back porch (which is covered btw) and Andrea was crying about something (Remember this is pre-Jake so I had it so easy and didn't realize it with just one child...) so I ran inside and tended to her for a little bit. Anyhow, I go back out the back door and like an idiot I'm playing with the lighter just flipping the little switch over and over. I'm about 10 foot away from the grill when this fireball erupts from my hand all the way to the grill. The neighbor kids were probably looking at me like I had just blew up a bomb on the back porch. I immediately felt for my eyebrows. Andrea had came to the back door still mad and even she was laughing hysterically and asking 8 million questions. After Russ cried from laughing upon hearing of it later (as usual, he was at school) he told me it would be a good idea if I stayed away from the grill for a while. Once he got the current grill, he said no one was allowed to use it because it was his baby. Well, he never grills so I used it anyway....
Okay, so back to Day 6. We had honey grilled pork chops. After I properly lit the grill, which in itself was a triumph, I scraped it off and ran inside to finish up the marinade. I forgot one pack of meat in the freezer to thaw and only had two pork chops so I ended up having to thaw two in the microwave (of which I had to call my grandmother for instructions on how to do this. I'm telling you, completely clueless when it comes to cooking.) I finally get the marinade done and it is barely enough to cover the bottom of my "shallow dish" and it's so thick. I go rogue and add a little more pineapple juice. It made it thin enough to put two of the pork chops and the pineapple slices in it and stick in the fridge to marinate. The two that I spent time thawing out I put store bought honey barbecue sauce on it. I'm not a fan of making something different for my child because she needs to learn to eat what I make or not eat at all. (That may sound harsh, but I'm not going to cook separate meals for everyone, every night. I just don't have the time or patience. More power to those who do.) I didn't have enough marinade anyway though, so I wasn't too worried with it.
After the pork chops were marinated, I slapped them on the grill on medium heat, closed the lid and checked the recipe. It says I have 6-8 minutes. So I start on the sides. I go back out a few minutes later and the stupid things are burnt on one side. My husband says that they are supposed to burn on the bone, but I have to go check on them while they're cooking. I can't just leave them for 6-8 minutes and expect them to be beautiful. I yell "Well they should write that on the stupid card." and vow not to ask him any more questions when I'm cooking because he may end up divorcing me. haha
I went out and checked on the flipped pork chops and ended up cooking the pineapple eventually as well. I ended up only charring one pork chop and the rest turned out edible and surprisingly good. Andrea ate some of our pork chops and we ate some of hers so that she could try the marinade. She really enjoyed it so I'll make a little extra marinade next time. Once again "Family Approved"! So much for only knowing how to cook 5 or 6 meals!
Honey-Grilled Pork Chops- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 4
4 center-cut loin pork chops with bone (about 4 oz each), inch thick, trimmed
For the marinade:
1 can (8 oz) sliced pineapple in unsweetened juice
1/3 cup honey
1 T. prepared mustard
1 t. curry powder
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1/8 t. hot pepper sauce
green onion strips for garnish (optional)
1. To prepare marinade, drain pineapple, reserving 1 tablespoon of juice. In a shallow glass dish, combine honey, mustard, reserved juice, curry powder, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Mix well. Set aside 2 tablespoons of marinade.
2. Add pork chops and pineapple to remaining marinade in dish, turning to coat. Cover dish with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Heat a charcoal grill until coals form white ash or preheat a gas grill to medium. Place pork chops on grill rack. Discard marinade in dish. Baste with reserved marinade. Grill 4 inches from heat until cooked through and no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes on each side.
4. Add pineapple slices to grill during the last 5 minutes of pork grilling. Grill, turning once, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Garnish with green onion strips. Serve immediately.
**Picture of my finished product.**
Per Serving:
Calories- 414 (34% from fat)
Carbs- 33 g
Protein- 36 g
Sodium- 397 mg
Fat- 16 g
Cholesterol- 112 mg
Day 5- This looks nothing like the pictures...Hmm
So my hamburger meat finally decided to get with the program and thawed out enough for me to use. I don't know if I had "super" tinfoil or what, but everything is taking a really long time to thaw out. Anyway, I made Swedish Meatballs on Monday night. I don't know if it is because I had one child sitting on the island while I was chopping in front of him and the other grabbing my leg and swinging on her ladder right next to me or what, but this one went much faster. I would love to think it is because my cooking skills have improved so much over 5 days, but lets be realistic.
So first off, let me just say that too much of something can be bad. This recipe said to use 2 1/4 cups of bread crumbs and 3/4 lb of meat. I used a pound of meat because I'm not going to get that technical with the meat measurement (plus I figured I may just have a few extra meatballs). Well, there was WAY too many bread crumbs and WAY too little meat. I would hate to see the recipe if I had actually followed it correctly. Next time I will definitely subtract from that amount. Even Russ made mention of it when he ate them later that night (he was at school when we ate).
I have to say I am patting myself on the back over one thing. I put two egg whites in this recipe. I've never separated an egg in my life. I had this funky little device my mother-in-law gave me to use, but I had never used it so I was impressed that my unsavvy-in-the-kitchen self figured that little contraption out! :) Andrea was very upset that we weren't eating the yellow part though and kept asking questions. Want to laugh hysterically? Put a toddler in the kitchen one night.
The recipe called for 1-inch meatballs. Then it said to use an ice cream scoop to help scoop out the proper sizes. Okay, think of this in my perspective. I have a massive ice cream scoop. I'm thinking," Okay, I'm not a mathematician by any means, but that ice cream scoop is going to make meatballs way bigger than 1-inch. I should follow the instructions though because I tend to mess things up when I don't." So I follow the directions. Um....yeah. So these were not the cute little meatballs in the picture. In my defense, I know that most of the pictures of food you see are little pieces of inedible objects that are made all pretty, but still.
Despite having something that resembled ping-pong balls saturated in bread crumbs, they turned out delicious and it is another one of our "Family Approved Meals". I never knew I was actually going to love some of these recipes! :)
Swedish Meatballs- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 8
3/4 lb lean ground beef
2 1/4 cups bread crumbs (don't do it!)
2 egg whites
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 t. allspice
1/3 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, egg whites, onion, allspice, salt and pepper. Mix well. Shape beef mixture into 1-inch balls.
2. Spray a large skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat skillet over mdm-high heat. Cook meatballs, in batches, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, place meatballs in a mdm baking dish.
3. Pour broth over meatballs. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake until meatballs are heated through, about 25 minutes. Spoon meatballs and broth onto individual serving plates. Serve immediately. **A picture below of Andrea's plate with the finished product. Looks kinda nasty here actually. hahaha**
Per Serving:
Calories- 219 (33% from fat)
Carbs- 21 g
Protein- 15 g
Sodium- 380 mg
Fat- 8 g
Cholesterol- 36 mg
So first off, let me just say that too much of something can be bad. This recipe said to use 2 1/4 cups of bread crumbs and 3/4 lb of meat. I used a pound of meat because I'm not going to get that technical with the meat measurement (plus I figured I may just have a few extra meatballs). Well, there was WAY too many bread crumbs and WAY too little meat. I would hate to see the recipe if I had actually followed it correctly. Next time I will definitely subtract from that amount. Even Russ made mention of it when he ate them later that night (he was at school when we ate).
I have to say I am patting myself on the back over one thing. I put two egg whites in this recipe. I've never separated an egg in my life. I had this funky little device my mother-in-law gave me to use, but I had never used it so I was impressed that my unsavvy-in-the-kitchen self figured that little contraption out! :) Andrea was very upset that we weren't eating the yellow part though and kept asking questions. Want to laugh hysterically? Put a toddler in the kitchen one night.
The recipe called for 1-inch meatballs. Then it said to use an ice cream scoop to help scoop out the proper sizes. Okay, think of this in my perspective. I have a massive ice cream scoop. I'm thinking," Okay, I'm not a mathematician by any means, but that ice cream scoop is going to make meatballs way bigger than 1-inch. I should follow the instructions though because I tend to mess things up when I don't." So I follow the directions. Um....yeah. So these were not the cute little meatballs in the picture. In my defense, I know that most of the pictures of food you see are little pieces of inedible objects that are made all pretty, but still.
Despite having something that resembled ping-pong balls saturated in bread crumbs, they turned out delicious and it is another one of our "Family Approved Meals". I never knew I was actually going to love some of these recipes! :)
Swedish Meatballs- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 8
3/4 lb lean ground beef
2 1/4 cups bread crumbs (don't do it!)
2 egg whites
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 t. allspice
1/3 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, egg whites, onion, allspice, salt and pepper. Mix well. Shape beef mixture into 1-inch balls.
2. Spray a large skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat skillet over mdm-high heat. Cook meatballs, in batches, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, place meatballs in a mdm baking dish.
3. Pour broth over meatballs. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake until meatballs are heated through, about 25 minutes. Spoon meatballs and broth onto individual serving plates. Serve immediately. **A picture below of Andrea's plate with the finished product. Looks kinda nasty here actually. hahaha**
Per Serving:
Calories- 219 (33% from fat)
Carbs- 21 g
Protein- 15 g
Sodium- 380 mg
Fat- 8 g
Cholesterol- 36 mg
Monday, February 28, 2011
Day 4- Cream of Chicken- How I loathe thee....
I planned to have Swedish Meatballs last night, but when I got home from choir practice I realized my hamburger meat was still frozen solid. I had some chicken thawed out though because I bought it in bulk and was in the process of dividing it up to put into my freezer. So I pulled out a recipe for a chicken bake that called for mushrooms, chicken, egg noodles, broccoli and bread crumbs. I think I read that recipe 8 times to make sure I had all of the ingredients. (Which by the way, I think I must still have baby brain because I have successfully misread three recipes and lost 3 or 4 things in my house that I have yet to find...but that's another story.)
I didn't have mushrooms so we just skipped that step. I cooked the noodles, cooked the broccoli, chopped up the chicken and boiled it and was ready for the next step. All I had to do was cook cream of chicken soup with milk, pour it on top of all the ingredients, sprinkle on some bread crumbs and throw it in the oven and be done. It would be my quickest recipe yet! I ALWAYS have cream of chicken in my pantry. It's always sitting there and annoying me because I only use it for one recipe, but have 10 cans. Guess what, I open the pantry and THERE IS NO CREAM OF CHICKEN! What the? I guess I should've checked, but I mean...come on! I go stomping up the stairs, wake up Jake, scare Andrea and walk into the office/guest room and start ranting to Russ who at this point probably thinks I'm psychotic because I'm whining about the fact that there is soup missing from the pantry. He laughs (then immediately stops when he realizes I'm serious) and says, I'll be down in a minute and we'll figure something out. I'm beyond ready to eat out at this point. I walk past the pantry and reached to shut (okay, slam) the door that I left open in my "soup rage". I spot the alfredo sauce and immediately decide that that will have to do. I mixed the broccoli, chicken and noodles together and poured the alfredo sauce on top and let it warm for a few minutes. Russ isn't a fan of alfredo, but even he said it was good. Andrea wanted seconds and I was happy that I didn't waste all that food for nothing. So I guess that counts as a night. I've eaten chicken and broccoli alfredo before, but I've never made it at home. It's now one of the "Family Approved Meals". :)
Now, tonight is Day 5- Swedish Meatballs...I hope....
I didn't have mushrooms so we just skipped that step. I cooked the noodles, cooked the broccoli, chopped up the chicken and boiled it and was ready for the next step. All I had to do was cook cream of chicken soup with milk, pour it on top of all the ingredients, sprinkle on some bread crumbs and throw it in the oven and be done. It would be my quickest recipe yet! I ALWAYS have cream of chicken in my pantry. It's always sitting there and annoying me because I only use it for one recipe, but have 10 cans. Guess what, I open the pantry and THERE IS NO CREAM OF CHICKEN! What the? I guess I should've checked, but I mean...come on! I go stomping up the stairs, wake up Jake, scare Andrea and walk into the office/guest room and start ranting to Russ who at this point probably thinks I'm psychotic because I'm whining about the fact that there is soup missing from the pantry. He laughs (then immediately stops when he realizes I'm serious) and says, I'll be down in a minute and we'll figure something out. I'm beyond ready to eat out at this point. I walk past the pantry and reached to shut (okay, slam) the door that I left open in my "soup rage". I spot the alfredo sauce and immediately decide that that will have to do. I mixed the broccoli, chicken and noodles together and poured the alfredo sauce on top and let it warm for a few minutes. Russ isn't a fan of alfredo, but even he said it was good. Andrea wanted seconds and I was happy that I didn't waste all that food for nothing. So I guess that counts as a night. I've eaten chicken and broccoli alfredo before, but I've never made it at home. It's now one of the "Family Approved Meals". :)
Now, tonight is Day 5- Swedish Meatballs...I hope....
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Day 3- Did that say undrained? Oh crap...
Ziti Toss with Cheese...I thought that noodles and veggies would be easy and quick. So wrong, so terribly wrong.
My husband has started calling me raccoon. I have used recipes with onions three nights in a row. We are lucky we don't have massive heartburn! Anyhow, I know you can cut them in a bowl of cold water and it will keep you from crying, but I can barely handle a knife now, much less a slippery one. Plus, as you saw on the earlier post, my child likes to scream random things at random times! I've tried all the tricks I've heard: yawning, humming, bubblegum, holding my breath, etc. and nothing works. I cry like a baby for about 10 seconds and then my eyes burn and water so bad I can't see so I always rub my eyes on my sleeve around my bicep area. Last night, while I was cooking, Russ walked in the door and started laughing hysterically at my face. He asked if I looked in the mirror. I held up the butcher knife so he went into another room laughing like a hyena. Needless to say, I checked the mirror tonight so I wasn't forced to threaten him again. :)
I didn't mind cutting up all the vegetables for this one. It was tricky trying to get all the vegetables as thin as they needed to be, but I seemed to get them small enough. I'll probably cut the peppers a little smaller next time for Andrea's sake though. I minced the mozarella cheese because it said diced and I had shredded, so I just made my own way. haha
I had one issue though. Somewhere along the way, I'm thinking right after the onion cutting incident where I went blind, I read that I needed to open and drain a can of whole tomatoes. I think I either made up this line, or it disappeared from the paper (plausible right?). Anyhow, I drained them VERY well and then I realized it said, one can of whole tomatoes...undrained. What? That can't be right. I read it again. Yep....it says undrained. Sooo....I think we will be either adding tomato sauce next time OR NOT DRAINING THE TOMATOES. Oh my. It's going to be a long 27 more days.....
Ziti Toss With Cheese- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 4
1 mdm red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 mdm red or green bell pepper, cut into thin strips (about 1 cup)
3 T water
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 can (16 oz) whole tomatoes, UNDRAINED
2 T chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 T chopped fresh basil, divided
12 oz ziti pasta
1/4 cup diced part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Spray a large nonstick skillet with veggie cooking spray. Heat over mdm heat. Add the red onion, bell pepper, and water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and add green onion. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate.
2. Add the tomatoes with liquid and half of herbs to skillet; break up tomatoes with a spoon. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. While tomatoes are simmering, cook pasta according to package directions, but do not add salt. Set aside 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Stir in onion mixture, tomatoes, and enough pasta water to think sauce. Stir in mozzarella. Sprinkle with remaining herbs and Parmesan and serve.
*In place of fresh herbs, 2 t. of dried parsley and 1 t. of dried basil may be substituted.*
-Here is my finished product.
My husband has started calling me raccoon. I have used recipes with onions three nights in a row. We are lucky we don't have massive heartburn! Anyhow, I know you can cut them in a bowl of cold water and it will keep you from crying, but I can barely handle a knife now, much less a slippery one. Plus, as you saw on the earlier post, my child likes to scream random things at random times! I've tried all the tricks I've heard: yawning, humming, bubblegum, holding my breath, etc. and nothing works. I cry like a baby for about 10 seconds and then my eyes burn and water so bad I can't see so I always rub my eyes on my sleeve around my bicep area. Last night, while I was cooking, Russ walked in the door and started laughing hysterically at my face. He asked if I looked in the mirror. I held up the butcher knife so he went into another room laughing like a hyena. Needless to say, I checked the mirror tonight so I wasn't forced to threaten him again. :)
I didn't mind cutting up all the vegetables for this one. It was tricky trying to get all the vegetables as thin as they needed to be, but I seemed to get them small enough. I'll probably cut the peppers a little smaller next time for Andrea's sake though. I minced the mozarella cheese because it said diced and I had shredded, so I just made my own way. haha
I had one issue though. Somewhere along the way, I'm thinking right after the onion cutting incident where I went blind, I read that I needed to open and drain a can of whole tomatoes. I think I either made up this line, or it disappeared from the paper (plausible right?). Anyhow, I drained them VERY well and then I realized it said, one can of whole tomatoes...undrained. What? That can't be right. I read it again. Yep....it says undrained. Sooo....I think we will be either adding tomato sauce next time OR NOT DRAINING THE TOMATOES. Oh my. It's going to be a long 27 more days.....
Ziti Toss With Cheese- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Serves 4
1 mdm red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 mdm red or green bell pepper, cut into thin strips (about 1 cup)
3 T water
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 can (16 oz) whole tomatoes, UNDRAINED
2 T chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 T chopped fresh basil, divided
12 oz ziti pasta
1/4 cup diced part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Spray a large nonstick skillet with veggie cooking spray. Heat over mdm heat. Add the red onion, bell pepper, and water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and add green onion. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate.
2. Add the tomatoes with liquid and half of herbs to skillet; break up tomatoes with a spoon. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. While tomatoes are simmering, cook pasta according to package directions, but do not add salt. Set aside 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Stir in onion mixture, tomatoes, and enough pasta water to think sauce. Stir in mozzarella. Sprinkle with remaining herbs and Parmesan and serve.
*In place of fresh herbs, 2 t. of dried parsley and 1 t. of dried basil may be substituted.*
-Here is my finished product.
Per Serving
Calories- 403 (10% from fat)
Carbs- 74 g
Protein- 16 g
Sodium- 147 mg
Fat-5 g
Cholesterol- 8 mg
Day 2- Cooking Show with Chicken
Did I mention my daughter loves Food Network? She calls it "the cooking show". She usually gets up, eats breakfast and then I ask her if she would like to watch Disney while I feed her little brother. She says, " No mommy. I want to watch the cooking show please."! This does tie in, I promise!
So I made Chicken Casserole last night. My prep time was way off as usual. I figured out that if I set all the ingredients out in the beginning rather than getting them as I go, my recipe goes much more smoothly. Andrea kept peeking in to see what I was doing. She got closer and closer until I realized she was standing on her "ladder" (a step-stool) right next to me watching me cook.
I really didn't have as much to cut up this time (and I managed to cut my fingernail in half...), it was just an odd recipe that made me look at the paper 8464 times. I was concentrating on browning the chicken, something I've never done, when Andrea screamed, " GO FASTER MOMMY! YOUR GOING TO LOSE!" I seriously about splattered hot oil all over the both of us because it scared me to death. I must have given her a crazy look because she RAN out of the kitchen. (Do you see why I never cook?! haha) A few minutes later she returned and got on the "ladder" again and then she starts screaming again. I said," Andrea, what on earth are you screaming about?" She said," Mommy, if you don't go faster, you are going to lose the cooking show and then we wont win any money!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Evidently there must be some sort of contest show on cooking network. I know there is a show called Worst Cooks in America that I could probably qualify for appearing on, but I hope she doesn't know/realize I'm that bad! haha I love my sweet, crazy child.
Anyhow, as for the recipe, there isn't too much to tell. I was much more confident although the prep is still taking some time. I'm sure that I will get faster as I get used to it and as I learn the recipes better. I would definitely recommend skinning the chicken first and letting all the spices sit on the chicken rather than the skin. It also cooked about 20 minutes longer than the cooking time posted, but I think that was due to the fact that I didn't brown the chicken long enough on the stovetop. My husband loved it and Andrea ate every last bite (she didn't touch Night #1 at all). So, needless to say, this is our first "Family Approved Meal"! Yay! :)
Chicken Casserole- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Prep Time: 35 mins
Bake Time: 30 mins
3 mdm russet potatoes, sliced 1/2 in thick
2 T veggie oil
1 2 1/2 to 3 lb chicken, cut into pieces *(I just bought pre-cut chicken from Publix)*
1 t. poultry seasoning, divided
1/2 t. black pepper, divided
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 T imitation bacon bits
sliced green onion for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until tender, about 10 mins. Drain well.
2. While potatoes are cooking, in a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over med. heat. Add chicken; cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 mins. Place browned chicken in a 2-quart casserole; sprinkle with 1/2 t. of poultry seasoning and 1/4 t. of pepper. Set aside.
3.Add the potato slices to skillet and cook until well browned, about 5 mins per side. Add potato and onion slices to the casserole with the chicken; stir gently to combine. Sprinkle with remaining poultry seasoning and pepper. Top with parsley and bacon bits.
4. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 to 30 mins. Garnish with green onions. Serve immediately. (To cut fat content, do not eat skin. Nutritional data is based on skinned chicken.)-Here's a picture of my finished product below!
Carbs- 17 g
Protein-29 g
Sodium- 137 mg
Fat-26 g
Cholesterol-107 mg
So I made Chicken Casserole last night. My prep time was way off as usual. I figured out that if I set all the ingredients out in the beginning rather than getting them as I go, my recipe goes much more smoothly. Andrea kept peeking in to see what I was doing. She got closer and closer until I realized she was standing on her "ladder" (a step-stool) right next to me watching me cook.
I really didn't have as much to cut up this time (and I managed to cut my fingernail in half...), it was just an odd recipe that made me look at the paper 8464 times. I was concentrating on browning the chicken, something I've never done, when Andrea screamed, " GO FASTER MOMMY! YOUR GOING TO LOSE!" I seriously about splattered hot oil all over the both of us because it scared me to death. I must have given her a crazy look because she RAN out of the kitchen. (Do you see why I never cook?! haha) A few minutes later she returned and got on the "ladder" again and then she starts screaming again. I said," Andrea, what on earth are you screaming about?" She said," Mommy, if you don't go faster, you are going to lose the cooking show and then we wont win any money!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Evidently there must be some sort of contest show on cooking network. I know there is a show called Worst Cooks in America that I could probably qualify for appearing on, but I hope she doesn't know/realize I'm that bad! haha I love my sweet, crazy child.
Anyhow, as for the recipe, there isn't too much to tell. I was much more confident although the prep is still taking some time. I'm sure that I will get faster as I get used to it and as I learn the recipes better. I would definitely recommend skinning the chicken first and letting all the spices sit on the chicken rather than the skin. It also cooked about 20 minutes longer than the cooking time posted, but I think that was due to the fact that I didn't brown the chicken long enough on the stovetop. My husband loved it and Andrea ate every last bite (she didn't touch Night #1 at all). So, needless to say, this is our first "Family Approved Meal"! Yay! :)
Chicken Casserole- By: Healthy Meals in Minutes
Prep Time: 35 mins
Bake Time: 30 mins
3 mdm russet potatoes, sliced 1/2 in thick
2 T veggie oil
1 2 1/2 to 3 lb chicken, cut into pieces *(I just bought pre-cut chicken from Publix)*
1 t. poultry seasoning, divided
1/2 t. black pepper, divided
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 T imitation bacon bits
sliced green onion for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until tender, about 10 mins. Drain well.
2. While potatoes are cooking, in a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over med. heat. Add chicken; cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 mins. Place browned chicken in a 2-quart casserole; sprinkle with 1/2 t. of poultry seasoning and 1/4 t. of pepper. Set aside.
3.Add the potato slices to skillet and cook until well browned, about 5 mins per side. Add potato and onion slices to the casserole with the chicken; stir gently to combine. Sprinkle with remaining poultry seasoning and pepper. Top with parsley and bacon bits.
4. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 to 30 mins. Garnish with green onions. Serve immediately. (To cut fat content, do not eat skin. Nutritional data is based on skinned chicken.)-Here's a picture of my finished product below!
Per Serving:
Calories- 423 (56% from fat)Carbs- 17 g
Protein-29 g
Sodium- 137 mg
Fat-26 g
Cholesterol-107 mg
Friday, February 25, 2011
Day 1- What was I thinking?!
Oh the motivation of a new journey. I pulled out 7 recipe cards, made an awesome grocery list with so many fresh ingredients on it (which half of them, I have no idea how to cut, cook, etc.), and I took off for the local Publix.
Problem #1- I have never heard of some of the spices I needed so looking for some of them was a nightmare. My buggy has arms from my 3 year old and it was spitting up and whining as well from my little acid-reflux machine. When I finally found what I needed it was off to the produce section. Did you know that preschoolers are enthralled with the scales? There are just some things that I would rather not fight with my child over in a public setting. It's called "preventing a scene". It just so happens that every vegetable that I needed was next to one of those stupid scales. We weighed onions, parsley, green onions, tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, well...you get the point.
Problem #2- I recently discovered these nifty little things called coupons. Of course I knew they existed, I just didn't see a point in cutting one out to save 30 cents on a can of soup. Once I learned the proper method of couponing and saved $60 on a shopping trip and cut our grocery bill down to about $250 a month, I was hooked! The problem is, when you are using fresh ingredients, there are no coupons. I did pretty good considering I got 8 meals worth of ingredients for $112 (meat included), but I'm not pleased at the moment. I am going to have to learn to coordinate recipes with sales. My poor brain can only do one thing at a time though so that may come after the 30 day challenge.
I finally finished at the grocery store and brought all of my ingredients home. It was a Wednesday night so we had a quick supper and headed to church. Thursday night would begin my challenge. You may be asking why don't I just wait til March 1, to start this to have a "start date". I was not blessed with the gift of patience. I get bored very easily. I think I may actually have a slight case of ADD. Either way, if I don't start on a goal immediately IT WILL get pushed aside. It's an annoying trait yes, but I prefer the term endearing. :)
So Thursday night rolls around. I like to eat around 6:30 if possible. We had a very busy day so I didn't even start supper until 6:30. After reading the prep and cooking times I discovered I should be done around 7:15. Not too bad, so I set off to cooking. My first lesson was that the prep times they put on recipes are ridiculous. I'm not the Iron Chef! How in the world do they expect me to cut up that much food, while corralling a preschooler, rocking a baby in a bouncer with my foot because he's screaming, and trying to figure out a new recipe. Supper was ready around 8. Better late than never though, right? I got very discouraged about halfway through when I realized I had a complete airhead moment and was making a recipe that required broiling and had made a side that needed to be cooked at 350 degrees. I found a skillet recipe for the baked macaroni-and-cheese though so I diverted that crisis fairly easily. Here's a brief view of tonight's kitchen activities:
I pulled out the recipe that I had chosen for night one. It says I need to broil the food in a broiling pan.
Me: Honey, what in the world does it mean to broil something?
Russ: You cook it close to heat. You know we don't have a broiling pan though, right?
Me: It requires a special pan? What the crap kind of recipe is this?!
Russ googles the pan. We fashion something out of a 9 X13 cake pan and a cookie cooling rack.
A few minutes later...
Me: Russ, the garlic came in this little bulb thingy (I hold up the garlic). Is this a clove or are the little things inside cloves?
Russ: (He thinks for about 30 seconds or so) I don't know. Go look it up.
I finally figured out how to mince that stupid clove of garlic after 15 minutes or so of reading up on it. I'm telling you....I am not good at this kind of thing.
Anyway, after a lot of scrambling around, reading, fussing at the stove and/or oven, getting irritated at the recipe and it's ingredients, and talking myself out of trashing it and eating out tonight, I finished the recipe. Stuffed boneless pork chops and homemade macaroni-and-cheese. (I would have preferred one more side, but Russ and Andrea were close to gnawing their arms off.)
The verdict? Good, but a little bland. The macaroni-and-cheese was pretty good though. Kraft is definitely easier, but Andrea was so funny that I will cook it again just to listen to her laugh at me and talk about the "crazy cheese and bubbly milk".
What I learned? Garlic is sticky when minced. I should always cut the fat off of the meat before cooking it. Prep times are NOT accurate so I need to start early. My family loves me regardless if I suck at cooking. :) Not a bad first day in my opinion.
Easy Stuffed Pork Chops- From Healthy Meals in Minutes
4 boneless, center-cut loin pork chops (4 oz each) trimmed
For the stuffing
1 mdm yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth (reduced sodium)
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 slices of white bread cut into 1/2 in. cubes
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
2 T grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Preheat broiler and line the broiler pan with foil.
2. To prepare stuffing, spray a large nonstick skillet with veg. cooking spray. Heat skillet over Med. heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 5 mins. Stir in broth and vinegar. Add bread, parsley, oregano, and basil. Cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed, about 5 mins. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan.
Per serving:
Calories -259
Carbs -12 g
Protein -30 g
Sodium -148 mg
Fat -10 g
Cholesterol- 79 mg
Problem #1- I have never heard of some of the spices I needed so looking for some of them was a nightmare. My buggy has arms from my 3 year old and it was spitting up and whining as well from my little acid-reflux machine. When I finally found what I needed it was off to the produce section. Did you know that preschoolers are enthralled with the scales? There are just some things that I would rather not fight with my child over in a public setting. It's called "preventing a scene". It just so happens that every vegetable that I needed was next to one of those stupid scales. We weighed onions, parsley, green onions, tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, well...you get the point.
Problem #2- I recently discovered these nifty little things called coupons. Of course I knew they existed, I just didn't see a point in cutting one out to save 30 cents on a can of soup. Once I learned the proper method of couponing and saved $60 on a shopping trip and cut our grocery bill down to about $250 a month, I was hooked! The problem is, when you are using fresh ingredients, there are no coupons. I did pretty good considering I got 8 meals worth of ingredients for $112 (meat included), but I'm not pleased at the moment. I am going to have to learn to coordinate recipes with sales. My poor brain can only do one thing at a time though so that may come after the 30 day challenge.
I finally finished at the grocery store and brought all of my ingredients home. It was a Wednesday night so we had a quick supper and headed to church. Thursday night would begin my challenge. You may be asking why don't I just wait til March 1, to start this to have a "start date". I was not blessed with the gift of patience. I get bored very easily. I think I may actually have a slight case of ADD. Either way, if I don't start on a goal immediately IT WILL get pushed aside. It's an annoying trait yes, but I prefer the term endearing. :)
So Thursday night rolls around. I like to eat around 6:30 if possible. We had a very busy day so I didn't even start supper until 6:30. After reading the prep and cooking times I discovered I should be done around 7:15. Not too bad, so I set off to cooking. My first lesson was that the prep times they put on recipes are ridiculous. I'm not the Iron Chef! How in the world do they expect me to cut up that much food, while corralling a preschooler, rocking a baby in a bouncer with my foot because he's screaming, and trying to figure out a new recipe. Supper was ready around 8. Better late than never though, right? I got very discouraged about halfway through when I realized I had a complete airhead moment and was making a recipe that required broiling and had made a side that needed to be cooked at 350 degrees. I found a skillet recipe for the baked macaroni-and-cheese though so I diverted that crisis fairly easily. Here's a brief view of tonight's kitchen activities:
I pulled out the recipe that I had chosen for night one. It says I need to broil the food in a broiling pan.
Me: Honey, what in the world does it mean to broil something?
Russ: You cook it close to heat. You know we don't have a broiling pan though, right?
Me: It requires a special pan? What the crap kind of recipe is this?!
Russ googles the pan. We fashion something out of a 9 X13 cake pan and a cookie cooling rack.
A few minutes later...
Me: Russ, the garlic came in this little bulb thingy (I hold up the garlic). Is this a clove or are the little things inside cloves?
Russ: (He thinks for about 30 seconds or so) I don't know. Go look it up.
I finally figured out how to mince that stupid clove of garlic after 15 minutes or so of reading up on it. I'm telling you....I am not good at this kind of thing.
Anyway, after a lot of scrambling around, reading, fussing at the stove and/or oven, getting irritated at the recipe and it's ingredients, and talking myself out of trashing it and eating out tonight, I finished the recipe. Stuffed boneless pork chops and homemade macaroni-and-cheese. (I would have preferred one more side, but Russ and Andrea were close to gnawing their arms off.)
The verdict? Good, but a little bland. The macaroni-and-cheese was pretty good though. Kraft is definitely easier, but Andrea was so funny that I will cook it again just to listen to her laugh at me and talk about the "crazy cheese and bubbly milk".
What I learned? Garlic is sticky when minced. I should always cut the fat off of the meat before cooking it. Prep times are NOT accurate so I need to start early. My family loves me regardless if I suck at cooking. :) Not a bad first day in my opinion.
Easy Stuffed Pork Chops- From Healthy Meals in Minutes
4 boneless, center-cut loin pork chops (4 oz each) trimmed
For the stuffing
1 mdm yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth (reduced sodium)
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 slices of white bread cut into 1/2 in. cubes
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
2 T grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Preheat broiler and line the broiler pan with foil.
2. To prepare stuffing, spray a large nonstick skillet with veg. cooking spray. Heat skillet over Med. heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 5 mins. Stir in broth and vinegar. Add bread, parsley, oregano, and basil. Cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed, about 5 mins. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan.
3.Using a sharp knife, cut a deep horizontal pocket in each pork chop. Spoon stuffing evenly into each pocket. Secure openings with toothpicks
4.Place pork chops on prepared pan. Broil 4 inches from heat, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove toothpicks. Serve immediately..
-Here's my finished product(s) below...and that's not a giant size portion of mac and cheese. It just looks like it from the angle of the picture!
Calories -259
Carbs -12 g
Protein -30 g
Sodium -148 mg
Fat -10 g
Cholesterol- 79 mg
My Story
*Disclaimer-Please ignore all the bad grammar. I'm learning to cook, not where to place commas!*
My story began 27 years ago in a little town in northern Alabama. Being a Southern girl, a lot of expectations are put upon us to learn to cook that good ole "Southern food". My little sister did a great job of learning these skills and even went to culinary school. While she was in the kitchen with my mom I was, during my elementary years, tucked away in my bedroom reading the latest "Sweet Valley High" or "Goosebumps" books. In my teenage years, I was usually on the phone with my friends or my boyfriend of the moment. When I look back at my teenage attitude, I'm not so sure my mom would have wanted me in the kitchen anyway... This was the beginning of my downfall.
I moved into my own apartment when I was 18. I'm not so sure that I ever used the kitchen. I did however eat a lot of take-out. I'm pretty sure the guy that made that movie about McDonald's was speaking directly to me. I would hate to see my arteries! If it wasn't for my mother and grandmother inviting me over to their houses to eat, I never would have had a home cooked meal. I owned a few pots and pans, but the only thing I knew how to cook on a stove was ramen and something that resembled overcooked scrambled eggs. I was (and still am) awesome at working a microwave and a toaster though!
My then boyfriend (he's been upgraded to husband) and I moved in together in April 2003, and we worked together at O'Charley's in Huntsville. We used the kitchen one time and only one time. The only reason I remember it is because we had the bright idea to put 10, yes 10, lbs of hamburger meat onto a cookie sheet and pop it into the oven to un-thaw it so that we could form it into hamburger patties. Are you beginning to see how bad I am/was at this? We overcooked it of course and were too scared to eat it and gave it to our tiny dog. Her belly expanded to a very alarming size and she was waddling like a baby learning to walk. Needless to say, she was pretty sick later and we ended up eating take-out. I would like to thank O'Charley's for our meals for the 6 months that we lived at that apartment though...
Fast forward a bit to Spring 2005. My hubby (well, fiance at that point) was overseas and I lived in a duplex with my best friend. She moved in with me for a little while before I got married. At some point I had learned to cook spaghetti. We ate spaghetti or ramen every single night. It took me a long time to return to eating noodles. There were many times I pulled the spoon out of the pot and a huge chunk of noodles would come with it. I can still see Christina's face as I would tell her supper was ready.
Russ and I got married in Summer of 2005 and moved back to Alabama from Georgia in October of 2005. I learned to cook a few things here and there because, well let's face it, I had to learn something because I was a wife and I wanted to be "domesticated". I had about 4 or 5 meals that I would rotate out and when we got tired of those we supplied the fast food chains with our money because we knew they were seriously hurting for the cash since I was cooking occasionally. I found out in September 2006, that I was pregnant with our first child. I immediately tried learning new recipes, but cooking when you are pregnant can be really great or really awful. There were days that just thinking of food made me nauseous and then there were days that I couldn't eat enough. Thank the good Lord that I discovered my child wouldn't eat table food until she was at least a year old. After her first birthday, she had a steady diet of Gerber's graduates. I had at this point added a few more recipes to my list.
Now it's 2011. I have been married almost 6 years, I have 2 kids, same dog with the expandable tummy, a gorgeous kitchen in our new house and I'm 27... you would think I would have a decent list of recipes under my belt, right? WRONG! I have enough to sustain us for about 2 1/2 weeks. They get so old too! My sweet 3 year old daughter could survive off macaroni-and-cheese and spaghetti (which is much better now than it was in '05 by the way), but I think she's needs more nutritious foods! Plus, I'm not so proud to say that lately, we've been eating out a lot. I went on bed rest with my last pregnancy in June 2010 and my hubby would pick up food for my daughter and I rather than cooking. I ended up having my son 9 weeks early in July 2010, and for 33 days we traveled back and forth to the NICU 45 minutes away so my car became a moving dinner table. It's bad when your 3 year old knows the menu for just about every national food chain. I was hit hard by having 2 children at home too. My daughter quit going to daycare in order to prevent my preemie son from catching anything unnecessary, and he had colic when he came home. I was exhausted and cooking wasn't on my list of things that sounded appealing. I looked at our bank statement one month and the money going to food was almost as much as my house payment. I had to stop allowing my family to eat this way. Not only were we spending an atrocious amount of money, but my family never felt good. We never had energy to do anything and my husband and I were gaining weight because our metabolism isn't what it used to be. It was time for a change. (Funny little side-note: I was a Pampered Chef consultant for 2 years. I was a FRAUD! ha ha)
We've began eating in more, but about a week ago I realized that the same old meals are getting old. I refuse to go back to eating out to fill in the blah days when nothing sounds good. I pulled out all my cookbooks I've acquired over the years and the two boxes of recipe cards my husband's grandmother gave me around the time we got married. I picked out probably 60 or so recipes and gave myself a challenge-30 days, 30 new meals. Now, when I think about it, we have family suppers for birthdays and we usually just eat sandwiches on Wednesdays because with church it is hard to fit in supper. So, I'm still cooking 30 meals, but it may take me more than 30 days. I invite you to join me, and laugh at me if you want, as I learn to cook new things for my family. I'll give the recipe and what we thought of it too. Hopefully I'll learn more about myself as I learn new recipes!
Happy Cooking!
My story began 27 years ago in a little town in northern Alabama. Being a Southern girl, a lot of expectations are put upon us to learn to cook that good ole "Southern food". My little sister did a great job of learning these skills and even went to culinary school. While she was in the kitchen with my mom I was, during my elementary years, tucked away in my bedroom reading the latest "Sweet Valley High" or "Goosebumps" books. In my teenage years, I was usually on the phone with my friends or my boyfriend of the moment. When I look back at my teenage attitude, I'm not so sure my mom would have wanted me in the kitchen anyway... This was the beginning of my downfall.
I moved into my own apartment when I was 18. I'm not so sure that I ever used the kitchen. I did however eat a lot of take-out. I'm pretty sure the guy that made that movie about McDonald's was speaking directly to me. I would hate to see my arteries! If it wasn't for my mother and grandmother inviting me over to their houses to eat, I never would have had a home cooked meal. I owned a few pots and pans, but the only thing I knew how to cook on a stove was ramen and something that resembled overcooked scrambled eggs. I was (and still am) awesome at working a microwave and a toaster though!
My then boyfriend (he's been upgraded to husband) and I moved in together in April 2003, and we worked together at O'Charley's in Huntsville. We used the kitchen one time and only one time. The only reason I remember it is because we had the bright idea to put 10, yes 10, lbs of hamburger meat onto a cookie sheet and pop it into the oven to un-thaw it so that we could form it into hamburger patties. Are you beginning to see how bad I am/was at this? We overcooked it of course and were too scared to eat it and gave it to our tiny dog. Her belly expanded to a very alarming size and she was waddling like a baby learning to walk. Needless to say, she was pretty sick later and we ended up eating take-out. I would like to thank O'Charley's for our meals for the 6 months that we lived at that apartment though...
Fast forward a bit to Spring 2005. My hubby (well, fiance at that point) was overseas and I lived in a duplex with my best friend. She moved in with me for a little while before I got married. At some point I had learned to cook spaghetti. We ate spaghetti or ramen every single night. It took me a long time to return to eating noodles. There were many times I pulled the spoon out of the pot and a huge chunk of noodles would come with it. I can still see Christina's face as I would tell her supper was ready.
Russ and I got married in Summer of 2005 and moved back to Alabama from Georgia in October of 2005. I learned to cook a few things here and there because, well let's face it, I had to learn something because I was a wife and I wanted to be "domesticated". I had about 4 or 5 meals that I would rotate out and when we got tired of those we supplied the fast food chains with our money because we knew they were seriously hurting for the cash since I was cooking occasionally. I found out in September 2006, that I was pregnant with our first child. I immediately tried learning new recipes, but cooking when you are pregnant can be really great or really awful. There were days that just thinking of food made me nauseous and then there were days that I couldn't eat enough. Thank the good Lord that I discovered my child wouldn't eat table food until she was at least a year old. After her first birthday, she had a steady diet of Gerber's graduates. I had at this point added a few more recipes to my list.
Now it's 2011. I have been married almost 6 years, I have 2 kids, same dog with the expandable tummy, a gorgeous kitchen in our new house and I'm 27... you would think I would have a decent list of recipes under my belt, right? WRONG! I have enough to sustain us for about 2 1/2 weeks. They get so old too! My sweet 3 year old daughter could survive off macaroni-and-cheese and spaghetti (which is much better now than it was in '05 by the way), but I think she's needs more nutritious foods! Plus, I'm not so proud to say that lately, we've been eating out a lot. I went on bed rest with my last pregnancy in June 2010 and my hubby would pick up food for my daughter and I rather than cooking. I ended up having my son 9 weeks early in July 2010, and for 33 days we traveled back and forth to the NICU 45 minutes away so my car became a moving dinner table. It's bad when your 3 year old knows the menu for just about every national food chain. I was hit hard by having 2 children at home too. My daughter quit going to daycare in order to prevent my preemie son from catching anything unnecessary, and he had colic when he came home. I was exhausted and cooking wasn't on my list of things that sounded appealing. I looked at our bank statement one month and the money going to food was almost as much as my house payment. I had to stop allowing my family to eat this way. Not only were we spending an atrocious amount of money, but my family never felt good. We never had energy to do anything and my husband and I were gaining weight because our metabolism isn't what it used to be. It was time for a change. (Funny little side-note: I was a Pampered Chef consultant for 2 years. I was a FRAUD! ha ha)
We've began eating in more, but about a week ago I realized that the same old meals are getting old. I refuse to go back to eating out to fill in the blah days when nothing sounds good. I pulled out all my cookbooks I've acquired over the years and the two boxes of recipe cards my husband's grandmother gave me around the time we got married. I picked out probably 60 or so recipes and gave myself a challenge-30 days, 30 new meals. Now, when I think about it, we have family suppers for birthdays and we usually just eat sandwiches on Wednesdays because with church it is hard to fit in supper. So, I'm still cooking 30 meals, but it may take me more than 30 days. I invite you to join me, and laugh at me if you want, as I learn to cook new things for my family. I'll give the recipe and what we thought of it too. Hopefully I'll learn more about myself as I learn new recipes!
Happy Cooking!
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