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....
Monday, February 28, 2011
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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