I'm way behind on posting. I made this meal last Friday night. I've been busy though. Oh and this time I'm not doing a new meal every night. I'm only doing a new one twice a week or so (if it wasn't obvious already). I am trying to cook every night though and have messed up one night. We got home that night at 7:30 though so I don't feel too bad about eating out.
Last week I decided to look through my mom's cookbooks. I've gotta say, I love technology. With a computer you just type in what you have or what you're thinking about making and it pops up a list of recipes. I sat and looked at those stupid cookbooks for an hour and a half just trying to find something that sounded appetizing. I finally found 3 that I liked. I've only tried one so far called a Bar-Be-Bake. After reassuring my child (and husband for that matter) I wasn't going to bake one of her poor unsuspecting Barbies, we got started.
When you make this meal, you have to flatten and press biscuit dough in muffin tins. Two things:
1. 4 year olds are FANTASTIC at this. Andrea loves to squish the bread before we get out of the supermarket (purposely) so squishing this was like a game for her.
2. Use the jumbo muffin tins. The one that only has 6. Seriously. It looked like a bunch of biscuit explosions in my oven.
After Andrea shoved all the bisuits into the muffin forms, I let her measure, pour and stir all the ingredients. This was quite possibly the easiest dinner I've ever made. She did every bit of it except put it in the oven.
When we pulled it out of the oven, it wasn't pretty. Not even remotely. Russ said it looked like someone threw up on a biscuit if you want me to be completely honest. All of us just kind of looked at these biscuit, meat mountains on our plates and there was a silent dread at having to taste these. Andrea took the first bite. She said the meat was gross, dumped and scraped it off, and ate the biscuits. Figures.... I tried mine and it was surprisingly fantastic. Russ ended up liking his also. And Jake ate the biscuit part more than the meat too. What in the world is it with my children and bread products? It's like a moth to a flame. Anyhow, they are extremely filling and we had leftovers. I couldn't bring myself to heat them up again though so they went to waste. I'm thinking that the next time we make these, it will be in the big muffin tins so that they will look a little more appetizing...hopefully.
Bar-Be-Bake
Flatten and press canned biscuit dough in muffin tins to outline cups. Brown hamburger lightly. Add 2 T chopped onions, 2 T brown sugar, and 1/2 C barbecue sauce. Salt to taste. Fill cups; sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Sorry, no nutritional information for this one. It was from a little church fundraiser cookbook. :)
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Losing a little wisdom...
When you make a decision to re-do all your eating habits, you should consult your schedule first. I decided to get one of my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday. I've never had a problem with having a tooth pulled, but for some reason this one knocked me on my butt. Last night, I could have easily gotten the kids some fast food and all, but Russ volunteered to cook. Here's a brief run through of what I remember between the fog of a caffeine migraine and a throbbing mouth that won't stop bleeding:
Russ got home at 8:20ish. Um, yeah...my kids eat between 6:30 and 7 (usually) and I think that's late as it is. But 8:20? Considering they go to bed at 8:30 on a normal night, I wasn't sure exactly what Russ planned on making. I had some meatballs from my freezer meals that he decided to use. He grabbed the bag and popped some of the meatballs in the microwave. Now let me be clear that I made enough for three meals. He used half the bag last night. So now I have enough for one more meal. Grrr...
I had intended for him to cook them and make a sauce to put on them and cook veggies. I figured that was easy and plus we had spaghetti tonight at my family's monthly birthday meal. I walked in to find him wiping out a pot.
Me: What are you doing?
R: Go sit down. You are supposed to be resting. You used this pot last night for angel hair, right?
(as you see I hadn't done the big dishes yet..haha)
M: Um..yeah. And?
R: I'm going to make spaghetti tonight with angel hair pasta.
M: (As I show disgust at the idea of not washing the pot) I kinda want them in bed sometime tonight ya know...
R: It will be quick I promise...Go sit down. I got this. Oh and btw, this looks like you when we got married. The only thing you cooked was spaghetti and I had to show you how. hahahahaha
The laughing hyena got a VERY dirty look.
5 minutes later
R: (from kitchen, yelling) What is this?
M: (aggravated at having to yell back) WHAT?
R: This prego in the fridge...is it old?
M: What prego?
R: On the door.
M: Again...what prego?
Russ proceeds to take it out of the door and bring it to me.
R: This prego. How old is it?
M: Um, well considering I wasn't aware I had prego in the fridge door I'm gonna have to assume it's not a good idea to eat it.
Russ gives me a look and walks out.
This goes on for the next 10 minutes. A question here, a question there, a kid screaming for food, another refusing to eat the meatballs... I've never been so happy to see bedtime.
Even though I didn't eat the meatballs, evidently they were a hit. I would like to try them with something other than spaghetti sauce and noodles, but I'm just glad Russ made the kids food and let me rest. :)
Here is the recipe for freezer meatballs:
Tip: I read on a different website that after the meatballs cool completely, put them on a cookie sheet (or whatever will fit in your freezer) but place them so they are not touching. Leave them in at least 30 minutes. Then take them out and put them in the bag. This way, you can thaw out as many as you want and you don't get them all stuck together like they would be if frozen in the bag all at one time. It worked great for us!
Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/make-ahead-freezer-meatballs-274047#ixzz1nHDk4oWf
Russ got home at 8:20ish. Um, yeah...my kids eat between 6:30 and 7 (usually) and I think that's late as it is. But 8:20? Considering they go to bed at 8:30 on a normal night, I wasn't sure exactly what Russ planned on making. I had some meatballs from my freezer meals that he decided to use. He grabbed the bag and popped some of the meatballs in the microwave. Now let me be clear that I made enough for three meals. He used half the bag last night. So now I have enough for one more meal. Grrr...
I had intended for him to cook them and make a sauce to put on them and cook veggies. I figured that was easy and plus we had spaghetti tonight at my family's monthly birthday meal. I walked in to find him wiping out a pot.
Me: What are you doing?
R: Go sit down. You are supposed to be resting. You used this pot last night for angel hair, right?
(as you see I hadn't done the big dishes yet..haha)
M: Um..yeah. And?
R: I'm going to make spaghetti tonight with angel hair pasta.
M: (As I show disgust at the idea of not washing the pot) I kinda want them in bed sometime tonight ya know...
R: It will be quick I promise...Go sit down. I got this. Oh and btw, this looks like you when we got married. The only thing you cooked was spaghetti and I had to show you how. hahahahaha
The laughing hyena got a VERY dirty look.
5 minutes later
R: (from kitchen, yelling) What is this?
M: (aggravated at having to yell back) WHAT?
R: This prego in the fridge...is it old?
M: What prego?
R: On the door.
M: Again...what prego?
Russ proceeds to take it out of the door and bring it to me.
R: This prego. How old is it?
M: Um, well considering I wasn't aware I had prego in the fridge door I'm gonna have to assume it's not a good idea to eat it.
Russ gives me a look and walks out.
This goes on for the next 10 minutes. A question here, a question there, a kid screaming for food, another refusing to eat the meatballs... I've never been so happy to see bedtime.
Even though I didn't eat the meatballs, evidently they were a hit. I would like to try them with something other than spaghetti sauce and noodles, but I'm just glad Russ made the kids food and let me rest. :)
Here is the recipe for freezer meatballs:
Tip: I read on a different website that after the meatballs cool completely, put them on a cookie sheet (or whatever will fit in your freezer) but place them so they are not touching. Leave them in at least 30 minutes. Then take them out and put them in the bag. This way, you can thaw out as many as you want and you don't get them all stuck together like they would be if frozen in the bag all at one time. It worked great for us!
- 1 egg , beaten
- ¾ cup soft breadcrumbs (about 1 slice bread)
- 1⁄3; cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef (I prefer 90% lean or higher)
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients except beef.
- Mix in beef well, and shape into meatballs.
- Place all on single layer in pan.
- Bake 20 minutes at 350.
- Remove and drain on paper towels, and let cool 15 minutes.
- Put in freezer bag or freezer container or use immediately.
Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/make-ahead-freezer-meatballs-274047#ixzz1nHDk4oWf
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Fat Tuesday- A bag of stew, burnt chicken and a plan
Oh how I've missed my blog. I also fell off the cooking wagon. Between Russ' school, Andrea's constant dance/gymnastics/soccer practices, and trying to figure out the ins and outs of a colicky baby, I'm not going to be too hard on myself. Fast food is just too readily accessible. The fact that my house is less than, or right at, a mile from at least 10 fast food joints does not help my situation one bit. I have a plan though. I'll get to that in a minute...
So I decided to be one of those crazy freezer ladies. The one that goes on a crazy shopping and cooking spree and then stocks up like it's Armageddon. I'm not savvy with coupons so I didn't save a lick of money, but I made 10 freezer meals for right at a $100 so I'm not going to complain. I'll be happy to post all the recipes for you if you like. They will appear over time as we try each meal though.
So Monday night rolls around and I came home from work and voila, dinner was ready. Seriously, I love my crock-pot. It's my best friend besides Russ (oh and my George Forman grill...hahaha). I decided to try out the beef stew from the freezer. I've never made it before, but it's definitely going to be a staple. The kids hated it, but Russ and I loved it. I think they were frightened by the fresh colors and the odd shapes of real food. Andrea told me it was yucky, but I was still a good cook. I think she is starting to get the idea that it's better to not say anything than to say something that's not nice. She still has that cute little 4 year old innocence though that lets her say exactly what's on her mind. Which will one of these days probably bite me in the butt, but that's a different blog entirely. haha
Tonight I was feeling great and we went to the grocery store right after our library trip to pick up dinner supplies. Andrea decided on Chicken Parmesan. I got the necessities, sat on the couch to fold clothes and realized I was exhausted. I think I may have actually fell asleep briefly while sitting up. Anyhow, I was no longer inspired to cook. I was inspired to waste gas and money and keep filling my sweet kids with toxic goop called food. Andrea told me I was going to cook. I think I literally stomped into the kitchen (come to think of it....that may be where she learned that trait!). I made chicken Parmesan, sort of. I made a glob of something that looked like angel hair pasta and I burned the chicken terribly. I actually should have butterflied the chicken, but I'm just going to say George and his grill really let me down today. Either way, it turned out edible. Both the kids had a full serving and their garlic bread sticks and milk and were very pleasant. I even got out sugar cookies and let Andrea go to town cutting the roll of dough with a butter knife and placing them on the baking sheet.
My plan is this-Tomorrow is lent. I'm not Catholic (my hubs is), but I've joined my mom and brother for the past couple of years in giving up things.
2010- chocolate...did pretty good.
2011- Dr.Pepper... I convinced myself drinking Mr.Pibb was not cheating.
2012- fast food completely
To verify (and I'm doing this as a way of holding myself accountable) this means absolutely NO food from fast food chains and no drinks from fast food chains (goodbye Route 44 Sonic Dr.Peppers). I'm hoping this will stop the cycle. I hoping after 40 days of cooking I'm capable of cooking chicken properly and capable of feeding my family (without teaching my child bad habits) in a way that will be healthy and help us all feel better. It's a lofty goal, but I'm pretty determined when I set my mind to it. :)
Recipe for Freezer Beef Stew-
Notes: I did not follow this recipe exactly. It was taken from a recipe I found on the internet, but the link is constantly broken so this was the closest I could find. I did not use celery in mine and I used red potatoes to try and be healthier. I used all fresh ingredients, but think the frozen are a good idea and it may be worth it. I also doubled this recipe and made multiple bags. I suggest Ziploc Gallon Freezer bags and DOUBLE bag it. Mine leaked a little once it started freezing. Happy cooking!
So I decided to be one of those crazy freezer ladies. The one that goes on a crazy shopping and cooking spree and then stocks up like it's Armageddon. I'm not savvy with coupons so I didn't save a lick of money, but I made 10 freezer meals for right at a $100 so I'm not going to complain. I'll be happy to post all the recipes for you if you like. They will appear over time as we try each meal though.
So Monday night rolls around and I came home from work and voila, dinner was ready. Seriously, I love my crock-pot. It's my best friend besides Russ (oh and my George Forman grill...hahaha). I decided to try out the beef stew from the freezer. I've never made it before, but it's definitely going to be a staple. The kids hated it, but Russ and I loved it. I think they were frightened by the fresh colors and the odd shapes of real food. Andrea told me it was yucky, but I was still a good cook. I think she is starting to get the idea that it's better to not say anything than to say something that's not nice. She still has that cute little 4 year old innocence though that lets her say exactly what's on her mind. Which will one of these days probably bite me in the butt, but that's a different blog entirely. haha
Tonight I was feeling great and we went to the grocery store right after our library trip to pick up dinner supplies. Andrea decided on Chicken Parmesan. I got the necessities, sat on the couch to fold clothes and realized I was exhausted. I think I may have actually fell asleep briefly while sitting up. Anyhow, I was no longer inspired to cook. I was inspired to waste gas and money and keep filling my sweet kids with toxic goop called food. Andrea told me I was going to cook. I think I literally stomped into the kitchen (come to think of it....that may be where she learned that trait!). I made chicken Parmesan, sort of. I made a glob of something that looked like angel hair pasta and I burned the chicken terribly. I actually should have butterflied the chicken, but I'm just going to say George and his grill really let me down today. Either way, it turned out edible. Both the kids had a full serving and their garlic bread sticks and milk and were very pleasant. I even got out sugar cookies and let Andrea go to town cutting the roll of dough with a butter knife and placing them on the baking sheet.
My plan is this-Tomorrow is lent. I'm not Catholic (my hubs is), but I've joined my mom and brother for the past couple of years in giving up things.
2010- chocolate...did pretty good.
2011- Dr.Pepper... I convinced myself drinking Mr.Pibb was not cheating.
2012- fast food completely
To verify (and I'm doing this as a way of holding myself accountable) this means absolutely NO food from fast food chains and no drinks from fast food chains (goodbye Route 44 Sonic Dr.Peppers). I'm hoping this will stop the cycle. I hoping after 40 days of cooking I'm capable of cooking chicken properly and capable of feeding my family (without teaching my child bad habits) in a way that will be healthy and help us all feel better. It's a lofty goal, but I'm pretty determined when I set my mind to it. :)
Recipe for Freezer Beef Stew-
Notes: I did not follow this recipe exactly. It was taken from a recipe I found on the internet, but the link is constantly broken so this was the closest I could find. I did not use celery in mine and I used red potatoes to try and be healthier. I used all fresh ingredients, but think the frozen are a good idea and it may be worth it. I also doubled this recipe and made multiple bags. I suggest Ziploc Gallon Freezer bags and DOUBLE bag it. Mine leaked a little once it started freezing. Happy cooking!
Freezer Beef Stew in a Bag
2 small chopped onions
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups chopped potatoes
1.5 cups chopped green beans (I used frozen in two bags and fresh in another)
1.5 cups diced celery
Whatever other veggies you might like in your stew
2 lbs preferred beef, chopped into large chunks (I had a 7ish lb roast that I split between 3 bags)
3.5 cups beef stock
3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. pepper
¼. tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
4 T. flour
1 tsp. garlic
3 tsp. tomato paste
Layer all the meat and veggies into a gallon-size Ziploc freezer bag. The prettier, the better, hehe. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Mix spices, broth, and paste into a bowl and taste test before dumping into the bag as well...adjust according to your tastes. Be sure to label your bags with the date and cooking instructions.
To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight and cook in a crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. You can also do it on the stove on low for about 35-40 minutes, according to Real Mom Kitchen. Just cook until the stew is thick and the veggies are cooked thoroughly. If you like your stew thicker, mix a bit of cornstarch and cold water together, then add to the pot and keep simmering.
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