Hello.
I know, I know. It's been a while. I've been busy. Not really an excuse, but it's true. Busy and lazy don't go well together.
A few things I've been wanting to put up here...
I made a chicken and noodle soup. J made the homemade noodles with Granny H's secret family recipe, we all have them, so I won't share this one (If you don't have one, call your Grandma/Mom/Aunt, I'm sure they'd be happy to share the tradition with you! If they won't, then I guess I could share ours...or you can buy the frozen noodles as well.
Since homemade noodles is a whole day affair, I decided to make the chicken one as well. I bought canned chicken broth (no sodium, msg blah blah blah) and put it in a pot then simmered a couple of boneless chicken breasts in it for several hours. At some point, once the chicken was all white, I would pull out the chunks and shred it, so it wasn't such a big piece of chicken. I added in some chopped celery and carrots, some thyme...(that's right, I bought some!), parsley, sage and a bay leaf and just continued to let it simmer. it smelled amazing, and tasted about the same.
Once the noodles were sufficiently dry and the chicken soup tasted like I thought it should, I fished out the bay leaf and most of the veggies (I wanted the flavor of the veggies in the broth but we didn't want to eat them in the soup) and brought it to a rolling boil, then dumped in the noodles and served them over mashed potatoes. I had a little bit too much broth for what we were wanting but it was delicious and definitely warmed the bellies. E ate them like crazy as well, and we had plenty for leftovers for our lunches the next day.
I also tried to make beef stroganoff recently. I browned a pound of ground beef, then mixed in a can of cream of mushroom soup. I also added in some garlic powder and parsely and then added in my boiled egg noodles (Not the homemade style, the "wide egg noodles" you purchase in the pasta aisle.) Once it was all mixed, I then added in about 1/2 cup of sour cream and mixed. It was just ok, I think next time I will up the garlic powder and add some whole mushrooms and maybe some onion.
The next thing I am most excited about cooking is our Thanksgiving dinner. I love making big family dinners and having people over for the meal, this year we will be hosting a friend or two for dinner and I plan on cooking Turkey, Stuffing, Rolls, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, some Cranberry sauce (ok that will be from a can) and of course, Green bean casserole and scalloped corn.
Do you have any staples that you eat for thanks giving every year?
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I'm always out of Thyme...
Fall is upon us, and two weekends ago it was cold and rainy...the kind of weather where you really just want to put on your sweats and eat chili in front of the fire. I was cleaning out a closet and found a stash of magazines that I had wanted to try recipes out of, so decided to add one to my grocery list.
Beef and Mushroom French Onion Soup
Original recipe from Hy-Vee's Seasons magazine from Fall 2009
1 Tablespon Olive Oil
12 oz Beef Stew Meat, cut in 1 in cubes
2 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
5 cups Beef Broth
1/2 cup Dry Red Wine
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Bayleaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Bread and Swiss Cheese
Heat olive oil in a 4 qt Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is brown. Remove beef from Dutch oven, reserve drippings in pan and set aside beef.
Add butter to reserved drippings and heat over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, covered for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, covered, 5 more minutes or until onions are golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in beef, broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme and pepper. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Discard Bayleaf.
Meanwhile, pleace bread slices on baking sheet. Top with cheese. Broil 3 - 4 inches from heat for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is light brown and bubbly. Lade soup into bowls, top each serving with a bread slice.
Ok, The changes I made were:
I accidently used 4 cups vegetable broth and 1 cup beef, I didn't realize it until I was recycling the first container...whoops! I also never ever have any Thyme...I always think I do, buuut, I don't, so I skipped it as well as the bayleaf. Everything else I followed pretty closely. I don't know off the top of my head what type of wine I used (I'll try to remember to check in the morning!), but it was recommended to me by my dear friend Julia. The only other changes I made was I had bought a 16 oz package of stew meat, so I used the whole thing, and while I understand that it was French ONION soup, we don't like a whole lot of onions, so I used about 1/2 of a big onion. For the bread, we used Ciabatta rolls/buns that were sliced in half and I used slices of Swiss Cheese on top.
It was really, really good! In fact, I will be making it a lot this soup season. The only thing I think I'll change from my adaptations would be to use shredded swiss cheese instead of the sliced, Just because I like my bread to be cheesier. We did serve our bread on the side, rather than on top, and then dipped the chewy crispy bread in the soup...my mouth is watering just thinking about it!! Since it makes a decent sized pot and the boys won't eat it, we had the leftovers the next night and it was still really good.
That's the only real new recipe I've tried...I've been eating a lot of Overnight Oats, which is popular in several food blogs, however I'll choose the local Iowa Girl Eats to reference...since, well...she's local!
Other things we've done recently...Roasted veggies (Zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, new potatoes, baby carrots all chopped or sliced and tossed in olive oil and...well, roasted...here's a tip, toss in the potatoes, baby carrots and new potatoes a while before you toss in your other softer veggies that will roast faster) grilling and just quick meals here and there. I had a minor surgery last week, and ended up eating turkey sammiches (on Arnold's Sandwich thins with Miracle whip and a slice of sargento colby jack...yummy!) for 2 days...darn vicodin cravings! And I must also mention...HONEYCRISPS ARE BACK!!! Yes, the one time per year I not only buy apples, but I spend $3/lb on them!
What's new in your kitchen?
Beef and Mushroom French Onion Soup
Original recipe from Hy-Vee's Seasons magazine from Fall 2009
1 Tablespon Olive Oil
12 oz Beef Stew Meat, cut in 1 in cubes
2 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
5 cups Beef Broth
1/2 cup Dry Red Wine
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Bayleaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Bread and Swiss Cheese
Heat olive oil in a 4 qt Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is brown. Remove beef from Dutch oven, reserve drippings in pan and set aside beef.
Add butter to reserved drippings and heat over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, covered for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, covered, 5 more minutes or until onions are golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in beef, broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme and pepper. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Discard Bayleaf.
Meanwhile, pleace bread slices on baking sheet. Top with cheese. Broil 3 - 4 inches from heat for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is light brown and bubbly. Lade soup into bowls, top each serving with a bread slice.
Ok, The changes I made were:
I accidently used 4 cups vegetable broth and 1 cup beef, I didn't realize it until I was recycling the first container...whoops! I also never ever have any Thyme...I always think I do, buuut, I don't, so I skipped it as well as the bayleaf. Everything else I followed pretty closely. I don't know off the top of my head what type of wine I used (I'll try to remember to check in the morning!), but it was recommended to me by my dear friend Julia. The only other changes I made was I had bought a 16 oz package of stew meat, so I used the whole thing, and while I understand that it was French ONION soup, we don't like a whole lot of onions, so I used about 1/2 of a big onion. For the bread, we used Ciabatta rolls/buns that were sliced in half and I used slices of Swiss Cheese on top.
It was really, really good! In fact, I will be making it a lot this soup season. The only thing I think I'll change from my adaptations would be to use shredded swiss cheese instead of the sliced, Just because I like my bread to be cheesier. We did serve our bread on the side, rather than on top, and then dipped the chewy crispy bread in the soup...my mouth is watering just thinking about it!! Since it makes a decent sized pot and the boys won't eat it, we had the leftovers the next night and it was still really good.
That's the only real new recipe I've tried...I've been eating a lot of Overnight Oats, which is popular in several food blogs, however I'll choose the local Iowa Girl Eats to reference...since, well...she's local!
Other things we've done recently...Roasted veggies (Zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, new potatoes, baby carrots all chopped or sliced and tossed in olive oil and...well, roasted...here's a tip, toss in the potatoes, baby carrots and new potatoes a while before you toss in your other softer veggies that will roast faster) grilling and just quick meals here and there. I had a minor surgery last week, and ended up eating turkey sammiches (on Arnold's Sandwich thins with Miracle whip and a slice of sargento colby jack...yummy!) for 2 days...darn vicodin cravings! And I must also mention...HONEYCRISPS ARE BACK!!! Yes, the one time per year I not only buy apples, but I spend $3/lb on them!
What's new in your kitchen?
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sorry...
It's been so long since I've done a post! Life has gotten in the way. I do, however, have some things to share.
First, I tried the Peaches and Pork recipe on Chicken...it was Super Yummy! I served it with some baked beans and home made potato wedges.
Wedges:
Cut up some "New Potatoes" (I used the red skinned kind and left the skin on)
Put some olive oil in a zippy bag or in a glad ware container.
Seal and Shake.
Add in your favorite seasonings. (I used Rosemary and some parsley)
Shake some more.
Pour onto a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 until done. Simple, easy and delicious.
J hasn't been feeling the best lately, and he wanted something bland and some sort of soup...I decided I would try making Chicken and Stars.
2 Chicken breasts
1 box of Swanson's Chicken Broth
Seasonings (Italian Seasoning)
Handful of Frozen Mixed Veggies
Pastina
I diced up the chicken breasts and browned them, then slowly added in the broth. I then sprinkled some seasoning in until it smelled right and added in the frozen veggies. I let it all simmer for about 15 minutes and then added in the Pastina. ( I added WAAAAAAYYYY too much. I would guess I used 1/2-3/4 a cup of Pastina, and probably 1/4 would have been plenty.) I then let it simmer another 5-10 minutes then served.
The next time I make it, I'll take more time, and make sure to have better soup veggies (chopped celery, onions, carrots) and let it simmer a lot longer to let the flavors blend better, however over all it was really really good. I'm not sure how it would take to re-heating, since I added so much Pastina by the time we were done eating and cleaning up the boys etc to put away dinner, it had turned into a giant casserole, so we just tossed it.
One last thing to add, I've been trying to count calories and watch what I'm eating and tracking my calories here. I'm cutting back on Diet Coke and drinking more water. I'm (gasp!) exercising.
A couple of things I've learned I like in the last week or so include Greek Yogurt (It took a few tries to decide I liked it...the consistency is a lot thicker than regular yogurt but its good!), lots of fresh veggies for my snacks (rather than hitting up the vending machine for yet ANOTHER package of PB M&Ms). I've been making "old fashioned" oatmeal in the morning--still in the microwave, but it's supposed to be healthier than the instant. I bought some Agave nectar I've yet to try, but I'm excited to do so.
Last but not least, I've found a new (to me) way to enjoy salad.
Broccoli slaw
Chopped Cucumbers
Sliced Mushrooms,
Diced up Cheese Stick
Chopped Broccoli
Chopped Green Peppers
I then add 10 sprays of Ranch, put a lid on the bowl and shake. The 10 sprays usually coat the salad really well, adding a great flavor without too many calories.
So, that's what I've been up to....not as much cooking lately, but I'm excited for the fall weather and the delicious recipes that come with it.
What are you most excited for?
First, I tried the Peaches and Pork recipe on Chicken...it was Super Yummy! I served it with some baked beans and home made potato wedges.
Wedges:
Cut up some "New Potatoes" (I used the red skinned kind and left the skin on)
Put some olive oil in a zippy bag or in a glad ware container.
Seal and Shake.
Add in your favorite seasonings. (I used Rosemary and some parsley)
Shake some more.
Pour onto a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 until done. Simple, easy and delicious.
J hasn't been feeling the best lately, and he wanted something bland and some sort of soup...I decided I would try making Chicken and Stars.
2 Chicken breasts
1 box of Swanson's Chicken Broth
Seasonings (Italian Seasoning)
Handful of Frozen Mixed Veggies
Pastina
I diced up the chicken breasts and browned them, then slowly added in the broth. I then sprinkled some seasoning in until it smelled right and added in the frozen veggies. I let it all simmer for about 15 minutes and then added in the Pastina. ( I added WAAAAAAYYYY too much. I would guess I used 1/2-3/4 a cup of Pastina, and probably 1/4 would have been plenty.) I then let it simmer another 5-10 minutes then served.
The next time I make it, I'll take more time, and make sure to have better soup veggies (chopped celery, onions, carrots) and let it simmer a lot longer to let the flavors blend better, however over all it was really really good. I'm not sure how it would take to re-heating, since I added so much Pastina by the time we were done eating and cleaning up the boys etc to put away dinner, it had turned into a giant casserole, so we just tossed it.
One last thing to add, I've been trying to count calories and watch what I'm eating and tracking my calories here. I'm cutting back on Diet Coke and drinking more water. I'm (gasp!) exercising.
A couple of things I've learned I like in the last week or so include Greek Yogurt (It took a few tries to decide I liked it...the consistency is a lot thicker than regular yogurt but its good!), lots of fresh veggies for my snacks (rather than hitting up the vending machine for yet ANOTHER package of PB M&Ms). I've been making "old fashioned" oatmeal in the morning--still in the microwave, but it's supposed to be healthier than the instant. I bought some Agave nectar I've yet to try, but I'm excited to do so.
Last but not least, I've found a new (to me) way to enjoy salad.
Broccoli slaw
Chopped Cucumbers
Sliced Mushrooms,
Diced up Cheese Stick
Chopped Broccoli
Chopped Green Peppers
I then add 10 sprays of Ranch, put a lid on the bowl and shake. The 10 sprays usually coat the salad really well, adding a great flavor without too many calories.
So, that's what I've been up to....not as much cooking lately, but I'm excited for the fall weather and the delicious recipes that come with it.
What are you most excited for?
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Ewww...frozen dinners!
Typically I am anti-frozen dinner. I don't think they taste good, they're not filling, and just overall, gross. I once in a while would grab a Healthy Choice meal, but prefer to either take left overs, or (like I usually do) just eat out. After working 3 years downtown, I am REALLY sick of what the sky walk offers. Sure, I'll eat pizza now and again from Something Italian (my FAVORITE!) or some Chinese from Canton Express (aka "Dirty Chinese") but it was to the point where I couldn't think of a single thing to eat in the sky walk that sounded good and wasn't over priced. My dear friend "T" was eating something one day that looked...well...good! I asked her what it was, where she got it, cost, and most importantly, if it was good and decided to try it for myself.
The meals I speak of are by a brand called Amy's Kitchen. The dinners can be found in the frozen food aisles, at Wal-Mart, they are beside the healthier options. The Ankeny store offers a small variety of the meals, and I'm getting around to trying them all. They are pretty cheap, less than $4 each (which is cheap considering I had been spending at least $7 a day on lunch, sometimes more) and they are organic, vegetarian and most of all? DELICIOUS!! I never ever thought I would say that about a frozen meal that I hadn't created myself, but they are. They take about 5-7 minutes to cook, and smell amazing. I've had enchiladas, tamales, and lasagna so far and love them all. They are pretty filling as well, although sometimes I wish I had just a handful of chips and some salsa, or maybe a small side salad or piece of garlic bread. I have yet to finish one and then be STARVING within an hour like with some of the meals. Another perk about the meals--there are many different lines of the meals, that cater to people with special dietary needs or allergies (low sodium, gluten-free, lactose-free, etc).
I just thought I would share this product with you guys while I was thinking of it...and while I was making my grocery list for next week as well.
What's your favorite frozen dinner or meal to pack for lunch during the week? I could really use some new ideas!!
The meals I speak of are by a brand called Amy's Kitchen. The dinners can be found in the frozen food aisles, at Wal-Mart, they are beside the healthier options. The Ankeny store offers a small variety of the meals, and I'm getting around to trying them all. They are pretty cheap, less than $4 each (which is cheap considering I had been spending at least $7 a day on lunch, sometimes more) and they are organic, vegetarian and most of all? DELICIOUS!! I never ever thought I would say that about a frozen meal that I hadn't created myself, but they are. They take about 5-7 minutes to cook, and smell amazing. I've had enchiladas, tamales, and lasagna so far and love them all. They are pretty filling as well, although sometimes I wish I had just a handful of chips and some salsa, or maybe a small side salad or piece of garlic bread. I have yet to finish one and then be STARVING within an hour like with some of the meals. Another perk about the meals--there are many different lines of the meals, that cater to people with special dietary needs or allergies (low sodium, gluten-free, lactose-free, etc).
I just thought I would share this product with you guys while I was thinking of it...and while I was making my grocery list for next week as well.
What's your favorite frozen dinner or meal to pack for lunch during the week? I could really use some new ideas!!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Peaches and...pork?
So, I found a recipe in a magazine I wanted to make. I read the ingrediaents list and bought everything....then? Threw the magazine in the recycling...whoops! So, the closest I found was found here. But it was different than the one I wanted to use sooo, I decided to play with it.
I started with the basics from the recipe, but cut it in half:
1/2 cup Peach Preserves
About a tablespoon of honey (I never measure honey, its too sticky)
Lemon Juice
And that's where it went wrong. I poured a lot more lemon juice than I intended so I had to add some more Peach Preserves and squirted in some more honey to even it out.
Then I added some cinnamon, probably 1/2 teaspoon and some brown sugar (around 1/4 cup) and simmered it until it was a nice looking glaze....it was thickening like a gravy, where when you drag the scraper thru, you can see the bottom of the pan.
Then I sent J outside with the glaze since he is the official griller in the household. He grilled our chops (I used some thinner chops, almost like a butterfly chop that's been cut in half) for about 10 minutes or so, flipping every couple of minutes and re-applying the glaze on each turn. After the grilling, he tented them with foil so they could rest, and I finished up the sides. We were going to have fresh green beans, but Dahls only had them in huge bags, which we would never use, so he bought a bag of the steamer kind. We rounded it out with some mixed fresh fruit.
The chops were AMAZING. They were super juicy, and the flavor was really good. We had a ton of the glaze leftover, since I had to add more to even it out, but it was sooo good and we will definatly being having them again, and I might even try the original loin. I think they would be really good with grilled peaches (I remember I wanted them just as J was pulling back in the driveway from getting the lemon juice and beans), sweet potato fries or even baked wedges.
I started with the basics from the recipe, but cut it in half:
1/2 cup Peach Preserves
About a tablespoon of honey (I never measure honey, its too sticky)
Lemon Juice
And that's where it went wrong. I poured a lot more lemon juice than I intended so I had to add some more Peach Preserves and squirted in some more honey to even it out.
Then I added some cinnamon, probably 1/2 teaspoon and some brown sugar (around 1/4 cup) and simmered it until it was a nice looking glaze....it was thickening like a gravy, where when you drag the scraper thru, you can see the bottom of the pan.
Then I sent J outside with the glaze since he is the official griller in the household. He grilled our chops (I used some thinner chops, almost like a butterfly chop that's been cut in half) for about 10 minutes or so, flipping every couple of minutes and re-applying the glaze on each turn. After the grilling, he tented them with foil so they could rest, and I finished up the sides. We were going to have fresh green beans, but Dahls only had them in huge bags, which we would never use, so he bought a bag of the steamer kind. We rounded it out with some mixed fresh fruit.
The chops were AMAZING. They were super juicy, and the flavor was really good. We had a ton of the glaze leftover, since I had to add more to even it out, but it was sooo good and we will definatly being having them again, and I might even try the original loin. I think they would be really good with grilled peaches (I remember I wanted them just as J was pulling back in the driveway from getting the lemon juice and beans), sweet potato fries or even baked wedges.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Baby Food! (because babies eat too!)
I've been making a lot of my own baby food lately. There are several reasons (healthier, fresher, easier to store, fun to make...) but I'm doing it mainly because...well, I'm cheap. I got the idea one day when I was cleaning out the freezer. We were almost out of peas, E's favorite, so I decided to try my hand with my new blender.
I did a few quick online searches and basically they said to steam your veggies, mash them up and freeze them in ice cube trays. So, that's basically what I do!
So far, we've tried Peas, Mixed Veggies, Sweet Potatoes (I bake those, then peel them and mash them up), and lately been venturing into different combos.
Over the weekend, I made Cauliflower and Carrots, these were a little thicker, so I added some breast-milk into them, like I do with the sweet potatoes. I've read you can also use formula, and sometimes I add extra of the water I steamed them in, depending on the veggie--sometimes though, the steamed water can make it bitter, or so I've read.
In addition to the cauliflower-carrots, I made a couple fruit combos. Before this weekend, the only fruit I'd done was peaches (I would literally buy the frozen non-sweetened ones, thaw them out, mix them up and re-freeze them) so I was curious to see what he'd like. The first combo was an idea I had gotten from Chanda, a fellow baby-food maker. She said that her daughter loves fruit and yogurt so I thought, might as well! I took out my bag of mixed berries, added a banana and some yogurt, just like a smoothie, put in some breast-milk and blended away. I let E try it as I was filling the trays and ended up saving a bowl for him, he LOVED it.
I then decided I would try apples, So I cored one, skinned it, chopped it and steamed it in the microwave. I have a giant glad-ware container that works great for steaming since I don't have a steamer and well...probably wouldn't use if even if I did. While they were steaming I chunked up a kiwi and a banana, and grabbed a few of the berries he loved so much. After the apples were mostly soft, I dumped them and the tiny bit of juice/water that was in the container, mixed in the other fruit and blended it. I thought this one was a little bitter, but E loved it. (I think the problem was there wasn't the yogurt or any sugar that I'm used to, so it just wasn't as sweet.)
Overall, I'm pretty happy I decided to go on my baby-food making adventures, and will probably continue to do it, at least until he decides that he doesn't have to gag with texture...This weekend, I'm going to try chicken and pasta. I bought some Pastini, the itty bitty stars to try.
Tips:
I use my blender, usually on puree.
I blend the fruits/veggies both cold and hot, not really a difference as long as they are cooked.
When it's time to eat them, I usually set them out as I start cooking dinner, so they are softened by the time he's ready to eat. I have microwaved them for 30 sec at a time or so though when needed, stirring lots and usually letting it sit on the counter to come back to room temp.
If you're not sure how to cook something, look it up! I've used here a few times and here. I'm sure there are plenty of other great resources. If you know of one, please let me know!
Any combos you think I should try?
I did a few quick online searches and basically they said to steam your veggies, mash them up and freeze them in ice cube trays. So, that's basically what I do!
So far, we've tried Peas, Mixed Veggies, Sweet Potatoes (I bake those, then peel them and mash them up), and lately been venturing into different combos.
Over the weekend, I made Cauliflower and Carrots, these were a little thicker, so I added some breast-milk into them, like I do with the sweet potatoes. I've read you can also use formula, and sometimes I add extra of the water I steamed them in, depending on the veggie--sometimes though, the steamed water can make it bitter, or so I've read.
In addition to the cauliflower-carrots, I made a couple fruit combos. Before this weekend, the only fruit I'd done was peaches (I would literally buy the frozen non-sweetened ones, thaw them out, mix them up and re-freeze them) so I was curious to see what he'd like. The first combo was an idea I had gotten from Chanda, a fellow baby-food maker. She said that her daughter loves fruit and yogurt so I thought, might as well! I took out my bag of mixed berries, added a banana and some yogurt, just like a smoothie, put in some breast-milk and blended away. I let E try it as I was filling the trays and ended up saving a bowl for him, he LOVED it.
I then decided I would try apples, So I cored one, skinned it, chopped it and steamed it in the microwave. I have a giant glad-ware container that works great for steaming since I don't have a steamer and well...probably wouldn't use if even if I did. While they were steaming I chunked up a kiwi and a banana, and grabbed a few of the berries he loved so much. After the apples were mostly soft, I dumped them and the tiny bit of juice/water that was in the container, mixed in the other fruit and blended it. I thought this one was a little bitter, but E loved it. (I think the problem was there wasn't the yogurt or any sugar that I'm used to, so it just wasn't as sweet.)
Overall, I'm pretty happy I decided to go on my baby-food making adventures, and will probably continue to do it, at least until he decides that he doesn't have to gag with texture...This weekend, I'm going to try chicken and pasta. I bought some Pastini, the itty bitty stars to try.
Tips:
I use my blender, usually on puree.
I blend the fruits/veggies both cold and hot, not really a difference as long as they are cooked.
When it's time to eat them, I usually set them out as I start cooking dinner, so they are softened by the time he's ready to eat. I have microwaved them for 30 sec at a time or so though when needed, stirring lots and usually letting it sit on the counter to come back to room temp.
If you're not sure how to cook something, look it up! I've used here a few times and here. I'm sure there are plenty of other great resources. If you know of one, please let me know!
Any combos you think I should try?
Monday, June 14, 2010
mmmm...meatloaf...
Yesterday was one of those icky kinda days. It was raining, chilly (inside anyway) and just seemed like a day for comfort food. I didn't have anything much thawed out, just a couple of pounds of ground pork that needed to be used or frozen...I didn't have some of things I normally have on hand and was stumped.
Then I found a meatloaf mix from Elsie's Kitchen the last time they were in town. (I normally DO make my own meatloaf, however, I was out of breadcrumbs...plus this is delicious and super easy.) I just started using ground pork recently, so this was new but I thought it certainly couldn't hurt any...and if all else failed, we could order pizza.
Mix was simple--called for 2 eggs, 1/2 cup water and 2 lbs of meat. Mix and bake at 350 for around 1/2 hour. I added some ketchup to the mix (I just squirted some in there, but I would guess less than 1/4 cup. I normally add mushrooms, some shredded cheese and once in a while bacon, buuut I was out of all of that, so just ketchup it was.)
Once that was mixed and in the oven, I whipped up a couple boxes of au gratin potatoes and then Spenny picked the veggies, so we had peas.
The meatloaf took right at 30 minutes to get done, so I took it out, cranked the oven to 450 to finish up the potatoes for another 5-10 minutes, then put the meatloaf back in for just a couple of minutes to let the ketchup bake on. It was pretty good! The color was different...it was lighter, the smell was a little off from the beef kind, but the best part of it was there was not a ton of grease in the bottom of the pan. Plus, the taste was pretty darn good! It was different of course, but not bad at all and I think that it would be pretty easy to get used to.
Then I found a meatloaf mix from Elsie's Kitchen the last time they were in town. (I normally DO make my own meatloaf, however, I was out of breadcrumbs...plus this is delicious and super easy.) I just started using ground pork recently, so this was new but I thought it certainly couldn't hurt any...and if all else failed, we could order pizza.
Mix was simple--called for 2 eggs, 1/2 cup water and 2 lbs of meat. Mix and bake at 350 for around 1/2 hour. I added some ketchup to the mix (I just squirted some in there, but I would guess less than 1/4 cup. I normally add mushrooms, some shredded cheese and once in a while bacon, buuut I was out of all of that, so just ketchup it was.)
Once that was mixed and in the oven, I whipped up a couple boxes of au gratin potatoes and then Spenny picked the veggies, so we had peas.
The meatloaf took right at 30 minutes to get done, so I took it out, cranked the oven to 450 to finish up the potatoes for another 5-10 minutes, then put the meatloaf back in for just a couple of minutes to let the ketchup bake on. It was pretty good! The color was different...it was lighter, the smell was a little off from the beef kind, but the best part of it was there was not a ton of grease in the bottom of the pan. Plus, the taste was pretty darn good! It was different of course, but not bad at all and I think that it would be pretty easy to get used to.
Friday, June 4, 2010
It's been FOREVER...
But I've still been cooking, just lazily!
Couple of recipes I've been wanting to share....
Pepsi Roast
1 roast (I've been using pork, but the original recipe was for beef)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 package of dry onion soup mix
Pepsi
(The soups/Pepsi may very, depending on the size of your roast, I think the last time I made it (we had company over) I used an 8 lb roast, 2 of the tall cans of cream of mushroom soup, 2 packages and about a 1/3 of a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi.)
If you do this in the crock pot, it's super easy, just mix up the soups with some pepsi, throw the roast in, and cook on low pretty much all day until it's done. The soups/Pepsi make a great yummy thick richy gravy, so all you need to finish the meal out is some mashed potatoes and some veggies, maybe some bread or a salad...or whatever your normally fix with your roasts. If you do it in the oven, I use my big roasting pan and cook for several hours, depending on the size of the roast.
This is one I stole from my MM girl Nikki...it's AMAZING!!!
1 box cook and serve chocolate pudding
1 box chocolate cake mix
1/2cup chocolate chips
1/2cup chopped nuts (optional- i'm not a huge fan of the nuts, so i bypass them)
prepare pudding and add dry cake mix into the pudding
pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan
sprinkle with chips and nuts
bake at 350 for 30 minutes
sprinkle powdered sugar if you want
(I never flour my pan tho...or use nuts...lol)
I've also tried a new variation of the cake, I used white cake, vanilla pudding and cherry chips on one half and chocolate on the other...it wasn't very pretty looking but as soon as I covered it in whipped topping, it was pretty darn delicious!! My mom also tried a similar one after I told her about it, she used strawberry cake, vanilla pudding and white chocolate chips and said that it was good as well.
Other than that, we've been doing pretty easy, throw together type stuff...or worse, eating out! lol Lazy much? :)
Happy Cooking!
Couple of recipes I've been wanting to share....
Pepsi Roast
1 roast (I've been using pork, but the original recipe was for beef)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 package of dry onion soup mix
Pepsi
(The soups/Pepsi may very, depending on the size of your roast, I think the last time I made it (we had company over) I used an 8 lb roast, 2 of the tall cans of cream of mushroom soup, 2 packages and about a 1/3 of a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi.)
If you do this in the crock pot, it's super easy, just mix up the soups with some pepsi, throw the roast in, and cook on low pretty much all day until it's done. The soups/Pepsi make a great yummy thick richy gravy, so all you need to finish the meal out is some mashed potatoes and some veggies, maybe some bread or a salad...or whatever your normally fix with your roasts. If you do it in the oven, I use my big roasting pan and cook for several hours, depending on the size of the roast.
This is one I stole from my MM girl Nikki...it's AMAZING!!!
1 box cook and serve chocolate pudding
1 box chocolate cake mix
1/2cup chocolate chips
1/2cup chopped nuts (optional- i'm not a huge fan of the nuts, so i bypass them)
prepare pudding and add dry cake mix into the pudding
pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan
sprinkle with chips and nuts
bake at 350 for 30 minutes
sprinkle powdered sugar if you want
(I never flour my pan tho...or use nuts...lol)
I've also tried a new variation of the cake, I used white cake, vanilla pudding and cherry chips on one half and chocolate on the other...it wasn't very pretty looking but as soon as I covered it in whipped topping, it was pretty darn delicious!! My mom also tried a similar one after I told her about it, she used strawberry cake, vanilla pudding and white chocolate chips and said that it was good as well.
Other than that, we've been doing pretty easy, throw together type stuff...or worse, eating out! lol Lazy much? :)
Happy Cooking!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Apparently, I need to get more creative in my meatless meals, because I'm stuck in a rut of my ricotta-portabello-mushroom mix. However, I tried this as a lasagna and it was DELICIOUS!
I used the Barilla No-Boil Flat noodles, a couple cans of Hunts 4 cheese sauce, and the mixture, layered it up and baked. Served with some cheese bread and a salad and it was perfect.
Recipe:
Mixture:
1 15 oz package of ricotta
2 eggs
couple handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped
8 oz container of portabello mushrooms, chopped
Layers:
Box of No-Boil Flat noodles
Shredded Mozzarella
2 regular sized cans of sauce
I used a tinfoil cake pan, I think it might have been 9x13, but I'm not sure. I dumped about 1/2 a can of the sauce in the bottom, spread evenly then layered my noodles. I don't like my lasagna noodles to over lap, mostly because I think they get chewy, so I just put down three noodles across, then spooned on the ricotta mixture, sprinkled some cheese, poured some sauce, repeat. I did 3 layers, but stopped, mostly because I was afraid of the boiling over the back of the box on the noodles sugguested. I easily could have done another layer or two tho, as when it came out, it was pretty flat still. After the final layer of noodles, I covered it with lots of sauce then some mozarella and shredded parameasean, covered in foil and then baked for about 1/2 hour, then took the foil off and finished until the cheese was browning and bubbling. I had put the cheese bread in when I took the foil off, and I like to bake it for a bit then turn the broiler on to finish it up quicker.
Since I had done the lesser layers, I had all this extra stuff laying around. I decided to go ahead and make a small 8x8 to put in the freezer so that way some nigth we could have another but not have to make it all over agian. On this one, I layered it up to the top, since the noodles fit in nicer and i didn't want to waste any of it. I think in the future, I might just make 2 8x8s each time, but we'll see how that goes.
Other than that, we've been pretty basic here, bbq chicken and baked potatoes last week, this week we've had brown sugar pork chops, twice baked potatoes and a salad one night and the night before we had breaded chicken breasts, sweet potato fries (regular fries for J) and baked beans.
Once we get the propane in, we should be grilling quite a bit, guess we'll see where that leads us!
I used the Barilla No-Boil Flat noodles, a couple cans of Hunts 4 cheese sauce, and the mixture, layered it up and baked. Served with some cheese bread and a salad and it was perfect.
Recipe:
Mixture:
1 15 oz package of ricotta
2 eggs
couple handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped
8 oz container of portabello mushrooms, chopped
Layers:
Box of No-Boil Flat noodles
Shredded Mozzarella
2 regular sized cans of sauce
I used a tinfoil cake pan, I think it might have been 9x13, but I'm not sure. I dumped about 1/2 a can of the sauce in the bottom, spread evenly then layered my noodles. I don't like my lasagna noodles to over lap, mostly because I think they get chewy, so I just put down three noodles across, then spooned on the ricotta mixture, sprinkled some cheese, poured some sauce, repeat. I did 3 layers, but stopped, mostly because I was afraid of the boiling over the back of the box on the noodles sugguested. I easily could have done another layer or two tho, as when it came out, it was pretty flat still. After the final layer of noodles, I covered it with lots of sauce then some mozarella and shredded parameasean, covered in foil and then baked for about 1/2 hour, then took the foil off and finished until the cheese was browning and bubbling. I had put the cheese bread in when I took the foil off, and I like to bake it for a bit then turn the broiler on to finish it up quicker.
Since I had done the lesser layers, I had all this extra stuff laying around. I decided to go ahead and make a small 8x8 to put in the freezer so that way some nigth we could have another but not have to make it all over agian. On this one, I layered it up to the top, since the noodles fit in nicer and i didn't want to waste any of it. I think in the future, I might just make 2 8x8s each time, but we'll see how that goes.
Other than that, we've been pretty basic here, bbq chicken and baked potatoes last week, this week we've had brown sugar pork chops, twice baked potatoes and a salad one night and the night before we had breaded chicken breasts, sweet potato fries (regular fries for J) and baked beans.
Once we get the propane in, we should be grilling quite a bit, guess we'll see where that leads us!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Breakfast Casserole
The other night Spencer had leftover spaghetti that he wanted (Sketti, Mom? pweeease?) so I needed to decide what to make for J and I. I wanted...NEEDED something quick, made of stuff we had on hand and yummy. After a quick survey of what we had around, I decided to make a breakfast casserole. Mom used to make these when I was younger and I refused to eat them, mostly because of the eggs. I'm slowly coming around to them tho, and this was a perfect start.
Ingredients:
Southern Style Hash-browns (I used the chunks, you could also use shreds, or even potatoes O'Brien)
6 eggs
Splash of Milk
The rest is really up to you. I made mushrooms and bacon and cheese in it, baked until mostly done, then sprinkled cheese on top.
However, you could add any omelet type toppings you would like:
Sausage, ham, mushrooms, onions, peppers, cheese, tomatoes, spinach, you name it.
Preheat the oven to about 350, pray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray, then fill the pan about 1/3 of the way with the hash-browns. Toss them in the oven and then stir them every once in a while, you basically want them cooked enough, they're not going to clump together in a little ball.
While those are cooking, mix your eggs, milk and fillings together, then pour over the potatoes when they are mostly done.
I usually bake around 15 minutes, give or take, depending on how thick the casserole is, the most important part is you want your eggs to be done. Once it is done, top with cheese and bake until melted and then serve.
It's also pretty easy to prepare the night before, just put in the fridge until time to bake, then just bake accordingly. This might take longer if you don't precook your hash browns first, but it's still yummy and also good to take to a breakfast or lunch potluck.
Ingredients:
Southern Style Hash-browns (I used the chunks, you could also use shreds, or even potatoes O'Brien)
6 eggs
Splash of Milk
The rest is really up to you. I made mushrooms and bacon and cheese in it, baked until mostly done, then sprinkled cheese on top.
However, you could add any omelet type toppings you would like:
Sausage, ham, mushrooms, onions, peppers, cheese, tomatoes, spinach, you name it.
Preheat the oven to about 350, pray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray, then fill the pan about 1/3 of the way with the hash-browns. Toss them in the oven and then stir them every once in a while, you basically want them cooked enough, they're not going to clump together in a little ball.
While those are cooking, mix your eggs, milk and fillings together, then pour over the potatoes when they are mostly done.
I usually bake around 15 minutes, give or take, depending on how thick the casserole is, the most important part is you want your eggs to be done. Once it is done, top with cheese and bake until melted and then serve.
It's also pretty easy to prepare the night before, just put in the fridge until time to bake, then just bake accordingly. This might take longer if you don't precook your hash browns first, but it's still yummy and also good to take to a breakfast or lunch potluck.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Lazy much?
So, lately, due to several different reasons (sick kids, myself, J...) I've been lacking in the cooking department, but a quick summary of the meals we've enjoyed:
Chicken and Biscuits
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 large bag or 1 small bag of frozen mixed veggies
1/2 cup sour cream
Milk
1 large can of chicken breast, rinsed(I'm sure you can use cooked chicken breast chunks as well)
1 tube of biscuts (I like the non-flaky kinds for this)
I cook the veggies some, mostly to get them un-frozen and warm, then drain them.
In a large bowl I mix the cream of chicken, sour cream, veggies, drained/rinsed chicken (I always buy the stuff that's packed in water, but I drain it/rinse it then kinda...shred it up so the chunks aren't so huge) and the I add the milk. The amount of milk I use varies, it's supposed to be creamy, but not runny, and. A good general rule is about 1/2 cup, but it gets a little runnier as it cooks, so you will probably want it on the thicker side rather than the runnier side.
I then heat this up either in a microwave safe bowl for about 10 minutes or on the stove top until it's just starting to boil, then pour it in an 8x8 baking dish sprayed with Pam, of course. Then open the biscuits and toss them on top and bake until the biscuits are done, probably around 15-20 minutes. The recipe doubles nicely for a 9x13 pan.
Chicken and Biscuits
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 large bag or 1 small bag of frozen mixed veggies
1/2 cup sour cream
Milk
1 large can of chicken breast, rinsed(I'm sure you can use cooked chicken breast chunks as well)
1 tube of biscuts (I like the non-flaky kinds for this)
I cook the veggies some, mostly to get them un-frozen and warm, then drain them.
In a large bowl I mix the cream of chicken, sour cream, veggies, drained/rinsed chicken (I always buy the stuff that's packed in water, but I drain it/rinse it then kinda...shred it up so the chunks aren't so huge) and the I add the milk. The amount of milk I use varies, it's supposed to be creamy, but not runny, and. A good general rule is about 1/2 cup, but it gets a little runnier as it cooks, so you will probably want it on the thicker side rather than the runnier side.
I then heat this up either in a microwave safe bowl for about 10 minutes or on the stove top until it's just starting to boil, then pour it in an 8x8 baking dish sprayed with Pam, of course. Then open the biscuits and toss them on top and bake until the biscuits are done, probably around 15-20 minutes. The recipe doubles nicely for a 9x13 pan.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Spinach and Mushroom Mani..shell-i?
Ok, I know it's not Sunday, but I'm made something that is quickly becoming a new favorite tonight, and wanted to share. I'm slowly starting to take meat out of our diet, I started with removing red meat, and now I've started experimenting with some recipes that don't include meat. Since I'm a newb at it, it's mostly been pasta before, where it's heavy enough you don't miss the meat.
I got this recipe off of the back of the Barilla manicotti box (I actually copied it from the website to include it in here.) I made a few changes, of course, because I never seem to follow a recipe in full...(which might be why I can't bake...hmm...)
The Original:
1 box BARILLA Manicotti
1 jar BARILLA Italian Baking Sauce
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bag (6 ounces)fresh spinach, chopped (may substitute 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained)
2 eggs
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
1/3 cup chopped basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
COOK Manicotti for 7 minutes; drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
HEAT oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach; continue cooking 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
BEAT eggs lightly in medium bowl. Stir in ricotta, basil and salt. Stir in mushroom mixture.
SPREAD ¾ cup Italian Baking Sauce over bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Fill Manicotti with mushroom mixture; place in dish. Pour remaining Sauce evenly over filled shells; sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; continue baking 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
The changes I made are: Omit the basil (I like a little bit of basil, and of course I love the Bazals, however, I think this calls for waaaay too much, plus, I never have fresh basil.) I also omitted the salt.
I used button mushrooms the first time, tonight I'm used portabella, and they were equally nice.
Both times I've used the fresh spinach, the first time I was struggling to get it done quickly so I just shredded some up, and the chunks were too big for my liking, so this time I decided to drag out the trusty old food processor. I used it for the garlic, mushrooms AND spinach and it made the mixture look much prettier and much more evenly distributed.
The first time I made it I used the manicotti and thought it was too much work, so tonight I decided to use shells...Next time, we're going back to the manicotti! They took SO MUCH LONGER to stuff! We were also brain storming about ways to make it faster and I think that I'll put the mixture in a bag next time and squirt it into the noodles that way. Probably quicker and less messy...we shall see.
Other than that, I just used 4 cheese sauce, but kept everything else the same.
Tonight we ate it alone, but I think it would pair nicely with a side salad and some garlic bread. Enjoy!
I got this recipe off of the back of the Barilla manicotti box (I actually copied it from the website to include it in here.) I made a few changes, of course, because I never seem to follow a recipe in full...(which might be why I can't bake...hmm...)
The Original:
1 box BARILLA Manicotti
1 jar BARILLA Italian Baking Sauce
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bag (6 ounces)fresh spinach, chopped (may substitute 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained)
2 eggs
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
1/3 cup chopped basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
COOK Manicotti for 7 minutes; drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
HEAT oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach; continue cooking 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
BEAT eggs lightly in medium bowl. Stir in ricotta, basil and salt. Stir in mushroom mixture.
SPREAD ¾ cup Italian Baking Sauce over bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Fill Manicotti with mushroom mixture; place in dish. Pour remaining Sauce evenly over filled shells; sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; continue baking 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
The changes I made are: Omit the basil (I like a little bit of basil, and of course I love the Bazals, however, I think this calls for waaaay too much, plus, I never have fresh basil.) I also omitted the salt.
I used button mushrooms the first time, tonight I'm used portabella, and they were equally nice.
Both times I've used the fresh spinach, the first time I was struggling to get it done quickly so I just shredded some up, and the chunks were too big for my liking, so this time I decided to drag out the trusty old food processor. I used it for the garlic, mushrooms AND spinach and it made the mixture look much prettier and much more evenly distributed.
The first time I made it I used the manicotti and thought it was too much work, so tonight I decided to use shells...Next time, we're going back to the manicotti! They took SO MUCH LONGER to stuff! We were also brain storming about ways to make it faster and I think that I'll put the mixture in a bag next time and squirt it into the noodles that way. Probably quicker and less messy...we shall see.
Other than that, I just used 4 cheese sauce, but kept everything else the same.
Tonight we ate it alone, but I think it would pair nicely with a side salad and some garlic bread. Enjoy!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Sunday March 7
Tonight I just kinda threw dinner together, I had gotten a pork loin out of the freezer yesterday so I knew that was going to be the main course. J wanted pork chops and apples, so I decided to improvise. Turned out pretty good, I think I *might* prefer the chops to the loin, mostly because it gets more carmelized.
I got the recipe from a news paper, and have made it my own since then. Sinec I prefer the chops, I'll give that one instead today, but the loin is the same thing, just roasted the whole time instead of browned.
4 pork chops
2 apples
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Brown the chops in a skillet for a few minutes on each side. While they're cooking, cut up apples and place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add the pork chops in, the sprinkle everything with the brown sugar and cinnamon. I don't actually measure, I use about a handful of sugar and then sprinkle the cinnamon on, but I know some people (T!) don't cook well that way, so I believe the original recipe called for 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and something like 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. I might be off by some, but I'm of the belief that you just "know" when it's enough :)
Cover with tin foil and bake. I remember the recipe said something like 20 minutes the first time and they took FOR. EV. VER. Seriously. I think I used good thick Iowa Chops and they used those paper thin chops because it took a long time for the meat to cook, so now I just cook until done. (With the loin, I always end up cutting it into 3rd or 4ths, and then usually in half again, depending on the size, mostly because I don't want to undercook the meat)
Overall, it was delicious and yummy, but I think next time, I'll go back to my chops :)
I got the recipe from a news paper, and have made it my own since then. Sinec I prefer the chops, I'll give that one instead today, but the loin is the same thing, just roasted the whole time instead of browned.
4 pork chops
2 apples
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Brown the chops in a skillet for a few minutes on each side. While they're cooking, cut up apples and place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add the pork chops in, the sprinkle everything with the brown sugar and cinnamon. I don't actually measure, I use about a handful of sugar and then sprinkle the cinnamon on, but I know some people (T!) don't cook well that way, so I believe the original recipe called for 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and something like 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. I might be off by some, but I'm of the belief that you just "know" when it's enough :)
Cover with tin foil and bake. I remember the recipe said something like 20 minutes the first time and they took FOR. EV. VER. Seriously. I think I used good thick Iowa Chops and they used those paper thin chops because it took a long time for the meat to cook, so now I just cook until done. (With the loin, I always end up cutting it into 3rd or 4ths, and then usually in half again, depending on the size, mostly because I don't want to undercook the meat)
Overall, it was delicious and yummy, but I think next time, I'll go back to my chops :)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Sunday Feb 28th
Thanks to my friend T's husband, I got a new cookbook last week so I was anxious to try one of the new recipes in it. This week our Sunday dinner was actually on Saturday due to us having other plans on Sunday. We made Orange-Pineapple Pork Loins, and some steam fresh veggies, for desert I followed it with a modification of my twinkie cake.
The original recipe for the pork loin was for pork chops, but I modified it and used the sauce as a glaze and it worked out well.
Recipe:
Orange-Pineapple Pork Chops
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice, divided
1 tsp corn starch
1/8 tsp all spice
1 medium orange, peeled sectioned and seeded
Brown chops on each side.Add ¾ cup pineapple juice and bring to a boil.Cover, reduce heat and cook for 45 min or until chops are tender. Combine cornstarch, remaining ¼ cup pineapple juice and all spice in a small bowl.Stir into skillet and cooking until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly.Add orange sections and cook until thoroughly heated.
I got to working on it, realized I didn't have allspice, so I omitted it, then I didn't have an orange, however, I did have mandarin oranges...so, I improvised, drained the oranges and used them instead. Turned out great! I added the oranges towards the very end, just like it said and it was great!
Cake:
Box of 1 step angel food cake mix
1 can of cherry pie filling
Mix
Bake at 350 until done.
I *may* have let it bake a little too long, but still, it was good. Served it warm with whipped topping. I do prefer the original better, made with lemon pie filling, but J liked the cherry chunks. Overall, it was a decent attempt.
The original recipe for the pork loin was for pork chops, but I modified it and used the sauce as a glaze and it worked out well.
Recipe:
Orange-Pineapple Pork Chops
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice, divided
1 tsp corn starch
1/8 tsp all spice
1 medium orange, peeled sectioned and seeded
Brown chops on each side.Add ¾ cup pineapple juice and bring to a boil.Cover, reduce heat and cook for 45 min or until chops are tender. Combine cornstarch, remaining ¼ cup pineapple juice and all spice in a small bowl.Stir into skillet and cooking until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly.Add orange sections and cook until thoroughly heated.
I got to working on it, realized I didn't have allspice, so I omitted it, then I didn't have an orange, however, I did have mandarin oranges...so, I improvised, drained the oranges and used them instead. Turned out great! I added the oranges towards the very end, just like it said and it was great!
Cake:
Box of 1 step angel food cake mix
1 can of cherry pie filling
Mix
Bake at 350 until done.
I *may* have let it bake a little too long, but still, it was good. Served it warm with whipped topping. I do prefer the original better, made with lemon pie filling, but J liked the cherry chunks. Overall, it was a decent attempt.
The Purpose
Recently a friend of mine decided that she would start fixing Sunday Dinners...I think I read it's because she found a blog about someone that was doing it. I had been doing it for quite a while, but decided that I would make my own blog, documenting what it was that we fixed, the recipes and the like.
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