Monthly Dinners
I finally have a month of meals set up and am going to continue to using the same meals every month. Since we have enough dates, family meals, and eating out it doesn't feel like it is the same 30 meals. I will include either links or recipe for all thirty meals one at a time.
1. Chicken Alfredo
2 Cups cook chicken breasts
2 Cups pasta
1/4 cup each as desired: mushrooms, olives, broccoli and carrots
Alfredo Sauce (I prefer the sams club alfredo sauce.)
Cheese
Cook chicken in 1 Tbls oil. Let cool, use kitchen scissors to cut small pieces. Cook veggies in oil. Mix everything together.
2. Tuna Casserole
2 Cups uncooked pasta
2 Tbls butter
2 Tbls flour
1 tsp salt
2 Cups milk
1 Cup cheddar cheese
2 Cups broccoli
2 Cans Tuna drained
(I usually add finely chopped onion as well, and sometimes I'll add carrots and other spices as well depending on my mood.)
Topping:
2/3 Cups dried bread crumbs or crumbled bran flakes
1 Tbls butter
Heat oven to 350
Cook and drain pasta
In 1 1/2 quart sauce pan melt butter and stir in flour and salt
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until smooth. Gradually stir in milk.
Stir in cheese
Dump in 9 X 13 pan
Stir in pasta and everything else
cover and bake for about 25 min
Remove foil, sprinkle topping over, and let cook another 5-7 minutes
3. Porcupine Meatballs
30 meatballs
1/4 Cup uncooked rice.
1 Tbls snipped parsley
2 Tbls finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
1 can tomato soup
1/2 Cup water
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
Combine soup, water, and worcestershire sauce, rice parsley onion, salt, & pepper.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer. After 20 minutes add meatballs and let simmer another 20 minutes stirring often.
4. Sweet-N-Sour Meatballs
1 Can Pineapple
1/3 Cup Water
3 Tbls vinegar
1 Tbls Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbls cornstarch
1 batch meatballs
1 large green pepper
Hot cooked rice
Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Set pineapple aside. Add water to juice if needed to measure 1 cup; pour into a large skillet. Add 1/3 cup water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thick. Add pineapple, meatballs and green pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until heated through.
5. Grandma's Potato Dinner
1 1/2 lbs. Hamburger (Or sliced ham. If you use ham don't add salt)
4 potatoes sliced
1 onion chopped
2 Tbls flour
1 1/2 Cups Milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 Cups shredded cheese
Cook potatoes. Brown Hamburger (or ham) & onion. Sprinkle with flour & spices. Add milk & cooked potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese and cook 40 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and cook till' melted.
6. Pork & Beans
2 15 oz can Pork & Beans
1/4 Cup ketchup
1 Tbls mustard
1/4 Cup brown sugar
sliced hotdogs (or pieces of pork)
cheese
Mix all ingredients, sprinkle with cheese. Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes.
7. Swedish Meatballs
1/3 Cup fat or meat drippings
2 Tbls flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Cups milk
Put meatballs in casserole dish. Put sauce over them and top with onion. Bake 30-45 minutes at 350.
Menu
Recently I have been working to eat more healthy food, while keeping our grocery prices down. I haven't quite figured out a balance yet, but one thing I have found is that a menu is invaluable. I have started menu's before and they are like starting at the gym the day after the new year. But just like that I feel this is important enough to keep trying. I have this months done and the last Sunday of the month I'm going to start a new one for the next month. My sundays are relaxed and have very little in them anyway, so I should be able to accomplish it. This will also allow for me to sit down and discuss with my husband what is going on this month so that we have a schedule of activities as well. Hopefully this will not only make our groceries cheaper, but keep our lives more organized. I'll let you know how it goes!
Kiwi Bread
My sister-in-law had a baby shower on Saturday. With it came leftover food. Some of the leftovers included kiwi. I knew that my family wouldn't eat enough of the kiwi quick enough, so I searched online to find a recipe. The only one I could find was a kiwi quick bread recipe. I decided to try it.
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed kiwi
Grease and flour one bread pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and suger. Add in egg and mashed kiwi. Gently fold in dry ingredients just until they are moist.
The finished product . . . not a winner. If the kiwi is about ready to die we may do it again, but for the most part we will try to find recipes with fresh kiwi so that we don't need to use the bread. The family vote was banana bread is still the best bread out there.
Tortilla
As the end of my senior year came closer I remember thinking that there was so much I didn't know yet. I was a little scared of leaving home, but still excited to go out on my own at the same time. I realized quickly that there were things I didn't know how to do that I better learn before leaving. One thing I needed to learn was how to make a tortilla. I watched my mom and learned as well as I thought was necessary. Once out on my own though I realized that I really don't like store purchased tortillas. When all you've ever had is home-made tortillas you aquire a taste for them and it is hard to ever change that preferance. So, I called my Mom and got her tortilla recipe and started really learning how to make them. Mom use to make mostly burrito's and occasionally enchiladas, but they were usually either venison or beef. (Venison is also a very aquired taste. One that I aquired and really miss. There is something about the taste of venison that I especially loved in burritos.) I have since learned to make chicken enchilada's and fajitas to add to the list of foods I make with the tortillas once they are made. Also, I have far less kids then my mom was having to feed, so I make two batches of tortillas and with that am able to make about three meals. I freeze the ones I won't be using that day and then I have two bags of ready to go tortillas.
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk
1 egg (beaten)
Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Then add the shortening. Warm the milk up in a microwave safe dish until it is hot to touch, but not hot enough to cook the egg, then add the egg to the milk and add them both to the flour and shortening mixture. Mix well and then break into small balls. Sometimes the moisture or lack of moisture in the air can cause them to not work as well. The trick is to add water as needed to make sure that the consistency is a soft dough.
Chicken Pizza
Years ago I remember eating pizza with some of my siblings one night when my parents were gone. I don't remember who was there, or even why my parents were gone, but I do remember a few details. First, we ordered pizza (which in my family, never happened.) I believe it was most likely Randall who ordered it, because he was the one who seemed to always have the money and liked the less healthy food. (He had a candy drawer in his dresser in which he stored an assortment of various candy types.)
Anyway, we ordered a chicken pizza from Pizza Hut. (Pizza Hut was the only pizza place in our small town.) It was cooked with chicken and what tasted like a ranch type sauce and cheese, and then lettuce and tomatoes were sprinkled over top. (At least those are the ingredients I remember, again it was many years ago.) When we got the pizza we realized it was missing the lettuce and tomatoes, so we went back. They gave us another one free. We received two for the price of one because of their mistake. The ironic part was, I prefered it without the lettuce and tomato.
So what does this have to do with anything? For years I have been trying to refind someone who makes that pizza. I believe Dominoes made something similar for awhile, but not quite the same. Then, a few weeks back, I stumbled across a Chicken Pizza recipe. A few weeks back, I tried it. It is very much like the pizza I had, and so loved, back then. The trick? It is the sauce that makes all the difference. I will put my recipes as they are and give detailed instructions for this amazing pizza. As far as toppings go, feel free to deviate and be creative.
Chicken Pizza
1/2 Cup Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
3 oz Cream Cheese softened
2 Tbl Tomato paste
1 pizza crust
1 Cup chopped chicken
1/2 Cup red pepper strips
2 1/4 oz black olives
1/4 Cup chopped green onions
1 Cup Mozzarella cheese
I used the pizza crust recipe and toppings below. That is what I already had in my kitchen.
Pizza Crust
1 pkg yeast
1 Cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbl oil
2 1/2 Cups Flour
Toppings:
Pineapple
Mushrooms
Mozzarella cheese
Chicken
Warning: Although most pizza's can be eaten cold, I wouldn't recommend it with this pizza. It gets a strong smell and taste when cold, and is much better eaten warm.
Moral to the story: Something this good will never just disappear. You'll eventually find something, somewhere like it, so that you can continue to enjoy the amazing flavor for years to come.
Mom's Dinner Rolls
I didn't know what else to call them as they literally are my mother's dinner rolls. She is the most accomplished cook I know, so many of my recipes are ones she has passed on to me. I'm using this one for December because I'm going to have to use it at least twice this month. Once for Bloomfield 3rd Wards family party on December the 9th at 6:30, and then once for Christmas dinner.
The recipe makes enough for a large group. I usually quarter it for my family, or I make the whole thing and then make half into cinnamon rolls. If I do that I freeze the cinnamon rolls and rolls we don't eat.
Rolls
1 quart milk warmed
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
3 Tablespoons yeast dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water and 2 tsp sugar
16 cups flour
Combine warm milk, oil, sugar, and salt. Beat eggs and add to mixture. Stir in some flour. Add yeast then add enough flour to make soft dough. Let rise. Roll out and then let rise again.
How you roll them out and cooking time depends on if you are making cinnamon rolls or dinner rolls.
To do cinnamon rolls, roll out flat and spread with butter. Sprinkle evenly in layers with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lightly add a little nutmeg if desired. Roll and then use a small string to cut. Floss, thread, and fishing line all work well.
I never got the temperature on the recipe card I have, so I have to jump on the Internet and see what other people cook their rolls at. I think I usually cook them at 375.
Little Bites of Heaven
I did a recipe for wikihow and it is my favorite cookie. In pinterest they dubbed the idea Mini Fruit Pizzas on Sugar Cookies. So I was going to stick with that title, but my husband and sister-in-law both felt that the title didn't do my cookies justice. For the purpose of my blog I will change it. They came up with the name and yes it does fit them better. Unfortunately I don't know how to change the title in wikihow.
They came about because . . . well I love my mother's sugar cookies. They are the most delicious cookies out there. One day I was thinking about all the foods I love most. I love fruit salad, her cookies and cheesecake, cream cheese frosting . . . and while I was on that line of thought, I realized how closely related in ingredients her cheesecake and cream cheese frosting are. The only difference is the cheesecake has whip cream. Why then could I not use the cheesecake recipe as a frosting and add fruit on top? This way I have most of my favorite things together in one recipe. It turned out I was right. It is fabulously delicious.
Tip: Use light sour cream to reduce the fat content. You may also use light cream cheese and whip cream but some people will notice a taste difference. Since the sour cream is cooked in the cookies no one has ever noticed.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Mini-Fruit-Pizzas-on-Sugar-Cookies
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