This is an oldy but goody! Last Christmas my mom participated in an event at our house that we will all remember for a lifetime. It was chopped meets test kitchen! She was given a list of things to make and also a list of ingredients to use. For example, "Hey mom, what can you do with all this pheasant?" I can't wait to post pictures and share.
One thing she made was peasant bread. I have no idea where the recipe is now, but it was so easy to make. The warmest spot in the house to help bread rise was right next to our wood-burning stove. Surely this is similar to how peasant's made bread!
10/19/15
If you haven't made the chowder below, quit wasting time and get in the kitchen. I have made it over and over with a variety of vegetables!
I have conquered one of my biggest fears...canning. After convincing my mom to show me how to do it with pickles, I became brave and branched off!
There are jars of pickles, pickled jalapenos, pickled banana peppers, pickled okra, green salsa and even red pepper jelly in the pantry. I cannot tell you the satisfaction that has grown from this project. Every time I open the pantry I feel like a rock star!
If you haven't canned...now is the time to jump off with something simple - a package pickle mix, then get creative, find new recipes and have fun! It's a great way to use extra vegetables from the garden, and even some that may be on sale at the store!
9/13/15
Cheesy Vegetable Chowder
Here is the link to the original recipe.
And here is how I made it! Half a stick of butter in a stock pot, then chopped onions and a ton of carrots. Not because I love carrots but because our carrot crop has been abundant this year. I tossed carrots, onions, minced garlic until tender. Then added the chicken broth, salt and pepper. Once this started to boil I added three chopped potatoes. After about five minutes I added the rest of a leftover bag of frozen broccoli. Instead of making my own gravy...I mixed a packet of gravy with 1/2 cup of cold water and poured into the boiling mixture.
Let's face it, I'm all about shortcuts and saving time. It was midnight Friday night when I whipped this up. We had just finished all of our evening projects and began preparing for the next day.
Once the gravy mixture thickened I began adding handfuls of cheese. I really emptied a few bags of grated cheese so you can use anything you like. I love using up what is in the fridge and on the counter. I also don't see the need in running to purchase one missing ingredient.
This soup was so good, I even had a bowl with my breakfast! Next time I plan to add a finely diced jalapeno for a little bit of a kick! This morning I topped the soup with grated cheese, croutons and red pepper flakes, delish!
5/18/15
On a rainy day with kids stuck in the house I tried to get a little creative in the kitchen. I hand wrote a sandwich shop menu using all of the ingredients on hand. Here is a sample.
List the bread or wrap options
Heated or toasted
Meat options, get creative
Vegetables
Cheeses
Dressing or toppings
While Ryan, Tate and I enjoyed this, Tana asked where the peanut butter option was!
Here are a couple of examples. This was so easy and would work great on a busy night.
4/20/15
My new go to dessert...apple pie bites. We participate in a food coop and there is always an abundance of fruit. We eat a few pieces then in look on Pinterest for ways to use the rest. This recipe calls for crescent rolls, but I used rolled out biscuits.
Brush each biscuit with melted butter, the. Place a small slice of apple, covered with a pile of brown sugar and dash of cinnamon.
We baked these in the oven until golden. These really do taste like a bite of apple pie...with no prep work and ready in minutes.
Ryan immediately said these are your party desserts! Don't be afraid to substitute a like ingredient. My only suggestion is make these on foil...not your baking stone!
4/14/15
First let me tell you what you should add to ribs in a crockpot: a can of coke/dr. pepper, a bottle of bbq sauce and some seasoning. But at 6:30 am I emptied the refrigerator. I placed 5-6 pounds of beef ribs, you can also use pork, in a lined crockpot.
From the fridge I used half a bottle of fajita marinade, half a bottle of bbq sauce and also a few tablespoons of a ketchup/bbq sauce mix that has been around a while. Next one can of coke.
These ribs need to cook until tender. I let them cook on low 10 hours. The meat was separated from the bone. No fancy dinnerware here, but they were delicious.
If you are wondering why this is a larger than usual bone, it is because we butchered the steer below. Everything tastes better when you harvest it yourself.
When I moved to college my mom exposed me to store meat. I had never seen anything other than a package from the butcher with our name on it. So I am excited that our freezers have a variety of meats packaged the same way.
Other seasoning ideas, bbq seasoning, brown sugar, onion soup mix or taco seasoning.
4/10/15
A lot of people ask how I manage a home cooked meal almost every night...preparation. This is just one way we use the weekend to cook in bulk. A mixture of our own beef and venison seasoned for taco meat.
After it has cooled we package the meat in ziploc bags and freeze. I literally use this meat for everything, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, casseroles, spaghetti sauce or anything we need ground meat for. This makes our week nights much easier on a busy schedule.
Keep things simple. Real food for busy people. Food real kids will eat. Home cooked on a busy schedule.
3/11/14
If you don't own one of these you need to go buy one today! This is the absolute easiest way to get a charcoal grill going. Add some paper in the bottom and charcoal on top. Light the paper and when the coals begin to turn orange and burn well, pour in the grill. We use this thing a lot and I feel better knowing we didn't use any lighter fluid.
And here is a sample of what we might have on the grill. This actually was taken on Valentine's Day. We do steak a lot and love veggies, so this is what I prepared.
We are in love with grilled asparagus and okra. You just can't go wrong with them!
3/6/14
I haven't gotten a chance to try the creamed corn. Daily lives get in the way of schedule things and you just have to go with it.
But - how do I get my kids and extra serving of oatmeal and make recipes go farther. Sssshhh, don't tell them!
I browned several pounds of ground beef this weekend to make spaghetti sauce and taco meat. Then separated them to add the appropriate ingredients. While mixing I added approximately 1/2 cup of oatmeal to each mixture as well as some extra liquid as the oatmeal absorbs everything. It takes the seasoning well and increases the volume of the meat. She when the kids devour the tacos...I sit back and smile knowing they are getting hidden ingredients as well.
02/25/14
New house - new kitchen - more space and I find myself wanting to cook all the time. But I also have to plan ahead, prep on weekends and use my best friend the crock pot to get weeknights taken care of. While we do have fish sticks and make convenient meals, I'm really enjoying providing home cooked meals every night.
This weekend I made homemade shells and cheese using Gouda and cream cheese. It turned out amazing and has made a great leftover side for the week. Tomorrow we'll be having sliced honey baked ham with creamed corn in the crock pot. It's a recipe I've never tried, but I have corn on hand so we're going to use it! I'll let you know how it turns out.
And the oatmeal bread from the bread machine this weekend is a family favorite, you actually can't even tell there is oatmeal in it!
7/08/13
New recipes that I'll be trying soon:
Slaw Salsa - sounds strange, but once you read the ingredients and look at the pictures, I can't wait to grab a bag of chips and dig in.
Pepperoni Pizza Soup - I'm sure you could alter this recipe to become the flavors of your favorite pizza, but I'm going to try it and I'll share them both with you all!
02/04/13
This new year has been filled with fun new experiments in the kitchen and on the grill. Today I was to share with you the best ever, new kid-favorite in our house!
Hot Dog Enchiladas
hot dogs - as many as you'd like to prepare (we usually have leftovers from grilling)
canned or homemade chili
cheese
tortillas
Roll each hot dog in a tortilla, I usually pinch off the extra on the ends. Sometimes we make 4-6 or just a couple. Put half your chili in the bottom of a casserole dish, enough to cover the bottom. Place rolled dogs in the casserole dish then cover with chili and top with cheese. Bake until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
I'm not a lover of hot dogs in this world, but this tastes awesome and the kids love it!
11/13/12
Sharing a recipe that I haven't tried yet - and really don't need a recipe for - but something I want to try when we have a crowd in the house!!!
This is french bread pizza. Take a loaf of french bread, split it in half and top with anything you want! This is great for picky eaters too (like one of Ryan's cousins) - some can just have cheese and pepperoni and you can go wild on the others. Bake until cheese melts and the bread is toasted!!!!
10/16/12
I'm being a little lazy and this recipe is no gold price, but my mind is other places. A while back I saw a recipe on baked/grilled/broiled cabbage, so this weekend I tried it with lettuce. Telling you up front, it is different. I sliced the lettuce into wedges, put on a baking sheet, drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper, cracked red pepper and baked. Then after a while I broiled it. I topped mine with ranch dressing and cheese and Ryan ate his plain. Next time I plan on loading them up with bacon bits before putting them in the over, but I think there are a ton of variations that you could do!
10/10/12
Many of you are on Pinterest - but I know I have several readers who are not and I feel that I need to share some of the things I find!
This is what I intended to make for dinner tonight, but failed to get it in the crockpot before we ran out the door!
Dump 1 envelope of taco seasoning, 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts & a jar of salsa in the crockpot, stir and cook on high(4-6 hrs.) or low(6-8 hrs.) Should be able to shred with a fork. Place meat mixture in tortillas and top with your favorite toppings!
Some other favorites that I can't wait to try.
Mini Bisquick Pot Pies. I am not a fan of pot pies but think this would give me the opporutnitiy to customize them! Maybe they won't be so mushy either!
Oven Meatball Sub Sandwiches - Meatballs and sauce in subs topped with cheese and bake. This would be so easy for a crowd of people!
10/8/12
The harvest soup described below turned out great, except I would call is harvest goulash! With the leftovers I poured them into a foil pan and topped with cheese, froze it as a casserole for later. I love using up leftovers!
The 7up biscuits turned out great and will be making several dozen for an event in the morning!
Last week I made breakfast, but most of it the night before. I tore several slices of plain old wheat bread and put into a greased skillet.
Then chopped a few fresh tomatoes, a fool you pepper and a red mucho nacho pepper from the garden.
I stored the veggies in a ziploc bag and left the bread on the counter overnight. The next morning I topped the bread with the veggies, a handful of cheese and a few beaten eggs mixed with milk.
Here's what it looked like when it came out of the oven!
The only comment about this dish...that one little red mucho nacho pepper was a hot thing! This can easily be adapted using leftover meats or veggies, I have even used mashed potatoes in similar recipes. And you can use any size of pan, this is just my favorite!!!
10/5/12
What's in the crockpot this morning...harvest soup. I had a recipe, and then changed it to fit what I had on hand, etc. Here's a rough list of what I put in:
4 cups of chicken broth
1 can of spaghetti sauce
1 can of stewed tomatoes
pepper, garlic powder, italian seasoning
(I mixed all of that last night in the crockpot and left in the frig)
3 cups of sliced squash and zucchini
2 T dehydrated onions (because I didn't have fresh)
2 T dehydrated green peppers (because I thought that sounded good)
This morning I pulled the crockpot out and added the ziploc of veggies and set on low. I am hoping when I arrive home it smells delicious. I will add a few noodles to cook for 20-30 minutes and will serve it with crackers and top with parmesean cheese because that's my favorite!
The kids will be having sausage and mashed potatoes probably!
What will I be trying this weekend - 7up biscuits, they sound great and I have to bring biscuits to work next Tuesday, so I hope turn out well, otherwise it's back to my original recipe!!!
Have I mentioned that Ryan makes the best gravy!!!
10/1/12
I am shocked by looking at the last post. Want to know why...I was going to share the same eggs with you! Yesterday we had an excellent breakfast...because Ryan helped. I made biscuits, Ryan made gravy (which is better than anything in the world), and I made eggs. Yes they take a little longer than a fried egg, but the crunchy onion ring is so worth the wait! This time instead of a side of tomatoes I topped them with fresh chopped tomatoes and jalapenos!
Also on the plate this weekend we are preparing for winter. That means putting up as many fresh veggies as possible. We have frozen many pounds of fresh okra to use through the winter in fritters and fried! I also grated 12 cups of zuchinni to use in lemon zuchinni bread and for fritters. And last but not least I put up cooked squash which was new for me this year. If you didn't know this before I'll tell you now, we are huge fans of dehydrating. We did five racks of peppers this weekend as well. In the past we have done onions, peppers of all varieties, celery, squash and tomatoes, okra and or course slices of meat for jerky. All of the veggies will go back into soups, stews and casseroles, but one of my favorite things to do is food processor a little of them all and mix with sour cream. The freshness of this dip is amazing!
7/27/12
My mom knows me well, she also knows that we are up to trying almost any recipe. So when she sent this recipe by Pioneer Woman, I couldn't wait to try it.
Onion Ring Eggs - Here's my link to it on Pinterest
While this took a little more time than just frying an egg, it was so worth it. The flavors of the onion ring make this fried egg amazing!! Here was my version with fresh tomatoes.
And almost once a week we've been doing a lot of grilling. Ryan is an excellent cook and it sure helps not to have to turn the oven on every day! Here's one of our kabob meals with plenty of veggies.
We are blessed to be producing tomatoes and peppers of all kinds in the garden and received a ton from my grandparent's garden as well. On the grill this weekend will be steaks and corn on the cob. The potatoes are in the crock pot right now wrapped in foil, so they can just be heated. Speaking of crock pot, my new favorite thing to do is put a whole chicken on crumbled up foil in a crock pot all day. Yesterday I topped it with Italian seasonings and produced enough chicken to freeze some for later. There's lots of cooking going on in this house!
5/21/12
Our weekend was cut a little short, or maybe it began a little late, Ryan had to go to work! But we still managed to fix this amazing meal. Sorry I didn't get any in between or after photos, I was washing muddy kids!!!
Ears of corn frozen from last year, but still tastes amazingly fresh. And then three bags of chicken thighs in barbeque sauce!!! Yummo, my husband is a great grill master!
5/16/12
One of our favorite snacks is .... popcorn. But not necessarily the stuff you buy in the nicely portioned packs, although we have those sometimes. But just good old plain popcorn. Pour some in a brown paper sack and microwave. Wow, it tastes amazing!!
5/11/12
Toasted PB Sandwiches. This recipe came from my awesome husband!!!! Butter all sides of bread, then put peanut butter on one side, toast on a griddle. Wow, these were great and the kids loved them!!!!
5/9/12
Alfredo Sauce-
It's not a secret and I've actually convinced myself to share it with you. Once I began a recipe that called for alfredo sauce and I realized I didn't have any. So I used dry gravy mix, the good kind. The kind you mix with cold water and then pour into boiling water. Except I make it less thick than traditional gravy. By adding garlic powder and italian seasonings, it turns into a great and fast alfredo sauce!!!! Today I had it with pasta and sliced sausage, would work great with shrimp too!!!
5/7/12
Step By Step - Our Burritos
I've shown and told you all about the burritos my awesome husband makes, but this weekend I took pictures!!!! Here are the potatoes in oil.
The steam was just too cool!
After the potatoes have cooked, we move them to the side and cook sausage.
Once the sausage is done, the potatoes are mixed back in.
Next we pour the eggs in.
And more eggs.
A lot of eggs.
Then Ryan gets to work!
Scrambling.
Heated tortillas with cheese and filling!!!
Rolled and then rolled in a paper towel. Stored in ziploc bags!! This batch made 25 burritos!
And for the ultimate...I put homemade guacamole on it! Wow, delish!!
4/25/12
A few weeks ago my great friend, one time co-worker and now my lunch date each week, shared this recipe:
1 tsp curry
1 cup mayo
The best dip for anything, all types of vegetables but especially stringless snap peas. I've also dipped broccoli, cauliflower and carrots in it. Good enough to make a meal out of.
4/23/12
The easiest homemade pizza:
Package of flatbread
Sauce of your liking - spaghetti, tomato, alfredo
Cheese and lots of it!
Toppings - veggies, meat, etc. - I love a simple freeze tomato and cheese pizza, but use your leftovers too
Bake until cheese is melted and flatbread seems cooked, not limp!!!
4/20/12
I would put money on the fact that each and every one of you also follow The Pioneer Woman...but if you don't here is the newest post on her cooking page:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/
It's cauliflower soup - my only change will be to substitute instant gravy mix for the whole process of mixing the flour up! It works and it super easy and fast!!!! But this might be on my list in the next few weeks to try.
4/10/12
I've been on a kick of sharing with you blogs and recipes....this blog is packed full of interesting recipes and I love the idea of their chicken salad!!!
Becoming Betty
4/6/12
If you are planning your garden and expecting a bumper crop, here is an awesome recipe I just found: Summer Vegetable Tian. I cannot wait to try it!
3/29/12
Check out this blog Stilettos and Diapers...for a great way to get organized before trying to meal plan. I love the idea of grouping meat/meal types together and picking from those lists.
I took to route of naming days..
Slow Cooker Tuesday (enough said on a busy day!)
Dog Wednesday (we always have packages of hot dogs in the freezer and I found a ton of new ways to use them)
Leftover Thursday (I'm not a huge leftover fan but we always have enough in the freezer for an extra meal)
Easy Friday (either an easy recipe or a slow cooker recipe)
Pizza Saturday (there are a million ways and toppings for pizza so this should be fun)
Variety Sunday
I have not yet introduced this to my family as we are still trying to clean out the freezer and eat what is in the pantry. We have about another week until I can begin on this plan! I have the menu and each week's recipes in a small binder!!! I have always loved menu planning and planning ahead, but this is the best I've ever done!
3/21/12
Chicken..parts...pieces....the whole thing, not my favorite! But last night I prepared my crockpot with mounds of foil and this morning I put a whole dang chicken in it! Sprinkled it with a variety of seasonings and left it on low. Lunch hour was hectic, matter of fact I forgot that I even had the chicken cooking! It smelled great. Tonight I plan on making a small batch of rice and topping with chicken cheese, maybe even some veggies!!!
3/15/12
My menu plan is pretty plain, three weeks at a time, dinner Monday - Friday and lunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday. But a great friend of mine forwarded me the link to an amazing plan, which has now prompted me to go to six weeks and themed days!! Here's a great link and some yummy looking recipes.
3/12/12
The hardest part about eating and trying to use up what's in the freezer...it's doesn't all go and there aren't many sides. One the menu for this week: tamales, pork chops that I froze with marinade and spaghetti!!! It's going to get interesting over the next few weeks and then I can't wait to share with you how I menu plan!!!
3/7/12
Quick and easy meal....Tomato & Spinach Pasta Toss. I am all about easy and quick!!!
3/1/12
Leftovers - I write a lot about leftovers. I love turning leftovers into new meals...and here's my latest. My mother-in-law made an excellent taco soup, sent me home with a large container...the first night we had soup. Then I drain the juice off of it...and today layered it with corn tortillas and cheese in a casserole pan. Cooking mexican casserole for dinner tonight and it won't even feel like leftovers!!!
2/23/12
It's been a long week, so I turned to my crockpot for dinner last night! This recipe originally came from Jenna Bolerjack, I can't remember what it's called, maybe cheesy creamy chicken and noodles. It's awesome! First I placed four frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of my crockpot. Then I topped with two cans each of cream of mushroom and fiesta nacho cheese soups. Put the lid on it! It cooked from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, I shredded the chicken, put it back in the pot to toss with mixture and served over noodles!!!! Super easy, simple and cost was low, taste was amazing.
2/21/12
I've shard The Pioneer Woman's Shredded Pork Roast recipe before. Usually it's a little altered in our house depending on the ingredients we have...this time I added dehydrated chilies and it was super good! Here is a picture once I had it all in the pot!
2/14/12
I found a romantic in myself...sort of...I used metal cookie cutters, cracked an egg in them and produced heart shaped fried eggs this morning! It's the little things!
2/13/12
Potato Soup - Crock Pot Style!
Yesterday I made a quick pot of potato soup! First I used a really good powdered form of chicken bullion - mixed it with water. Then I peeled and diced the potatoes and put them in the crock pot, poured in the mix. And added more water to cover potatoes. Oh yes...and there were diced onions and carrots. This cooked until tender, when I added my secret mixture. You know the bags of gravy...that you mix with cold water and then dump in boiling water. I made a mix of this, added it to the crock pot and stirred until thick. Ryan likes his thicker than mine, so use your own judgement. I topped my bowl with cheese, chili powder and cracked red pepper. Sure, you could use bacon, onions, croutons, etc. Let's just say we ate it all, Tana ate the broth too!
1/25/12
Canned Chili....I have a lot of it and have been researching what to do with it. If I want to eat a bowl of chili I want homemade!!! But you can't beat pouring a can over fritos
1/9/12
12/22/11
12/19/11
Freezer cooking - something else that has caught my eye!!! Check out this blog to see how this amazing woman prepares crockpot meals, stores them in the freezer until she needs them and how simple it is!!
12/16/11
12/07/11
11/28/11
Update on the below tomato soup! I took the leftovers, reheated in the crockpot, pour half in a bowl to freeze later, then added mixed noodles to the half remaining in the crockpot
11/25/11
Tomato Soup
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans water
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped jalapenos (that makes tomato soup so much better)
1/2 chopped onion
a sprinkle of garlic powder and pepper
Cooked on high until veggies were tender, added 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup parm cheese and some cornstarch mixed with water. Let set for a while, delicious. Now I'm thinking about adding leftover shredded turkey!!!
11/16/11
We eat ours plain, with no icing, that's they only way Ryan will eat it!!!
Roast in the crockpot and started the bread machine during lunch! I can't wait to get home this evening and smell dinner ready to eat!!!
11/15/11
How do we eat on a budget and stretch food to the farthest limit? On Sunday we cooked a large package of sausage, ate sausage for lunch and here's what I did with the leftovers:
I'll start in the bottom center and go clockwise. First a package of two sausages that have I love you written on them. These are for Ryan to eat at any time, whenever he needs a snack. Next is a small package that says DO NOT EAT Spaghetti, these would be used for a small pot of spaghetti for dinner this week. After that is a larger bag of bigger pieces of sausage that says DO NOT EAT Sausage & Beans, these went in the freezer and I'll use them next week in the crockpot with beans and then I'll make cornbread! Next is DO NOT EAT Sausage Wraps, pretty simple, heat the sausage and put in a tortilla with cheese and dip in your favorite sauce. Last is a small package of chopped sausage that I will use for breakfast, it also says DO NOT EAT. I feel very strongly that if you are going to take the time to plan ahead, you must properly label the items so that no one comes along and eats dinner for a snack!
To go a little farther I made a 6.5 quart crockpot of chicken enchilada soup. Once it was done I divided it into containers for the week and then put the remainder in a casserole plan topped with cheese and crushed chips. Stuck that in the freezer to use in the future. Last night I pan fried the sausage for spaghetti, made the sauce, cooked the noodles and there was dinner. With the leftovers I threw it all in a casserole dish, topped with bread crumbs and Parmesan, baked until the cheese melted. That went in the refrigerator as a leftover for the week. Do you see how many meals I made with few ingredients and using leftovers to make casseroles! I'm on a missing to spend less on groceries, the cows need more feed!!
11/7/11
For months we have seen a man around town selling skillets...Ryan has always wanted one, so Saturday we bought and I told him Happy Anniversary. In return he cooked yesterday!
Sausage, potatoes, then eventually eggs for breakfast burritos.
Fajitas from last night
10/28/11
I can't wait to arrive home and smell the kitchen, well the whole house, it's really not that big! Here is the original link to the recipe I used this morning for Chicken Enchilada Soup. This came from my new favorite site: Stacy Makes Cents! She is amazing, a co-worker tried out the laundry detergent recipe too, and I'm hooked. So I'll let you know how this soup turns out!10/27/2011
So here's a list of potato toppings...I'll admit that some sound better than others, but thank you all for helping me out and adding what top your potato with!
- BBQ
- Chili (with chopped onions and cheese, this is one of my favorites)
- Broccoli and Cheese
- Guacamole (the first off the list I plan on trying)
- Cheese - a variety and lots of it
- Baked Beans
- Ham & Cheese
- Sausage & Beans
- Coleslaw
- Cream Cheese & Chives
- Tuna and Sweetcorn (one that I may never try...)
- Chicken and Avocado
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Roasted Veggies
- Chicken Salad
- Scrambled Eggs
- Pesto
- Hot Sauce
- Cooked Chicken in Chili or Enchilada Sauce
And last but not least!
I can't wait to try several of these!!!! Thanks for the ideas and we'll do something like this again soon.
10/25/11
I need your help!!!! I'm looking to make a list - that I will share with everyone - of baked potato toppings! After putting cheese dip and onions on a potato last night, and finding an article about topping one with guacamole...I'm on the hunt for awesome ideas!!!
10/19/11
From an MSN article - what his drink says about him
This is Ryan to a T!
Scotch
- Catapano. This kind of man is often serious and contemplative, so chances are he's looking for more than a casual fling.
10/18/11
Here is a favorite – hits the spot for any occasion.
South of the Border Dip
2 - 8 oz. packages Cream Cheese, room temp.
1 - tsp. garlic powder
2 - cans Rotel tomatoes, well drained
1 - 8 oz. package Velveeta cheese shreds
Preheat oven to 350. Spread in 13 x 9 baking dish in the following order:
Cream cheese mixed with garlic powder
Beans
Rotel tomatoes
Cheese
Cover and bake 30 minutes, uncover, bake for 10-12 minutes longer or until bubbly
Serve with tortilla chips.
10/07/2011
Okay, here's a picture of the roast, well you can't really see it...but you get the idea. This time I had to use two cans of coke and one can of root beer, we were all out of Dr. Pepper. But it was still delicious. Let me tell you what I did with it when I got home. Shredded it, took off all the fat and the bones. Returned it to the crockpot. Baked taco shells. Filled taco shells with shredded pork, topped with cheese and sweet and hot jalapenos. It was to die for!
10/05/2011
You all know I love making the Dr. Pepper Pork Roast I've mentioned before. So yes I'm doing another one....but I'm also going to try a BBQ chicken in the crockpot. I promise to take pictures of it and tell you all about it! I can't wait to try it on a toasted bun! And have I mentioned how much I love cooking in a crockpot - reason #1 - it's convenient and takes care of itself while I'm at work - reason #2 - after putting all the ingredients in a doing minor cleanup all you have to do is clean the crockpot!!! I love having fewer dishes!
9/26/11
Hot dog toppings...with a few fast food restaurants increasing their menus to include a variety of hot dogs and toppings, I tried one of my own this weekend. No it wasn't ketchup, mustard, cheese or the typical, it was Sweet & Sassy Squash Relish by Katrina Evans... This topping needed no other condiments, it was delicious. Next I'll try a jar of jalapeno peppers that are also sweet and spicy. But here's how we like our dogs - just slightly crunchy...
9/23/11
My mom is an amazing cook, both my aunts are too, as well as both grandmothers and I’m sure their mothers were as well. I was introduced to a variety of cuisines and cooking techniques. But we have special memories of certain dishes. As a young girl my mom spent time in El Paso
I want to share another story to you – and it will hit home with several of you, because it did me. One of my best friends in the world, Barb BolerjackBolerjack would make and ship to Buddy in Vietnam, so it has become a family favorite. Buddy says even though mail took a while this cake was still moist when he opened it. How neat! This was special to me because my dad served in Vietnam, and I can only imagine what Buddy’s friends thought when he opened the box, that he was special and he was loved and could they have a piece!!!
9/21/11
I want you all to email me your best recipe, not just any recipe, something that has been in your family for a long long time, passed down from generation to generation, with a story and some history! Email them to katyleewilliams@gmail.com - and on Friday I'll share one from my family with you - I promise you won't want to miss this!!!
9/16/11
Click here, it's are Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen. Super easy and on a busy weekend we love rolling stuff in tortillas.
9/14/11
I'm altering a recipe that calls for pork chops and using ham steaks. After slicing them into smaller pieces I layered them in a 4 qt crockpot with almost a full bottle of BBQ sauce and about 1/2 cup of fajita marinade, garlic powder and 1 chopped onion. I used a pair of tongs to mix it all up and coat each piece of steak. I'll tell you tomorrow how it turns out!
9/8/11
With a new blog design in the works, and future additions, one thing I will begin doing is a few reviews or spotlights! So here is the FIRST! Watonga Cheese Factory is our local cheese factory in Perryton, Texas. While is was originally located in Watonga, OK, due to a tornado, the Cowan family relocated to Perryton. With any variety of cheese and lots of extras. They have a great story and will ship their products anywhere, check out their website here! And there's a picture below of a few things I purchased while I was there (ps, the curds are to die for):
9/7/11
With a Holiday on Monday...I spent a little extra time on dinner. Shortly after breakfast I pan seared 1/2 a roast. Placed it in a 2 quart casserole dish, added salt, pepper, and who knows what, and a can of beer. And a few veggies and chopped onions. This dish sat in the frig all day, until about 4:00 when I put it in the oven. From the words of Tate, "this is really moist." I was proud, it was great and super easy! Be prepared for a lot of future creations...I'm buying two new crockpots. We've been without for several months after the last one fell off the top of the frig and shattered!
8/29/11
Creamy Mexican Chicken Pasta
Add a little olive oil to a skillet, saute 1 cup of chopped onions and 1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers (next time I'll add jalapenos and black olives), add 1 1/2 pounds chicken (cubed), add your spices, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cook until the chicken is done. Turn down, add two jars of Alfredo sauce and 1/2 cup of hot sauce. Stir well, add more spices if you need to. Add 1 box of pasta (already cooked) and 1 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Pour into baking pans or casserole pan, top with more cheese (and I put dried cilantro on the top). Bake until bubbly!
8/26/11
Bean Burritos - not really, they were actually sweet potato bean burritos. I used canned potatoes so that I didn't have to cook them...put them in a skillet with refried beans and mashed, stirred in black beans, rotelBolerjack. Even Tana ate them...but I wasn't going to tell she and Tate just how healthy they were!
8/19/11
Katy's Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake
1 box penne noodles - cooked
1 1/2 lb chicken - cooked and diced
2 jars Alfredo sauce
3 cups fresh spinach chopped
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes - halved
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups mozzarella cheese
Mix all ingredients except for the cheese. Divide into at least two casserole pans, I do a few smaller ones to freeze and have for later. Top with cheese, bake until golden brown on top, serve with bread! Super easy and delicious, I sometimes use less chicken and more veggies depending on what we have on hand. If Ryan like olives I might throw in some black olives every once in a while!
8/15/11
Mom's shrimp boil - who knows how much shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn dumped in a pot of boiling water and seasoning, cooked until done, and dumped on butcher paper on the table! It doesn't get much better than this. Ketchup, cocktail sauce and many other things just squirted in a pile. Easy clean up too! Doesn't this look too yummy.
7/28/11
The best pasta salad ever. Well, it's really my usual recipe with a few extras. I had a box of pasta, so I cooked it. Dumped about a half a cup of mayo in a mixing bowl, topped with dry ranch dressing mix, pepper and garlic salt. Then I diced up about a half a cup of onions, at least one and a half cups of zucchini. Mixed it all up and stuck it in the frig. It was delicious, even Ryan who's not a big fan of things I throw together, told me to write that down! That's always a good sign!!!!
7/22/11
To say that our refrigerator is empty is an understatement. But a new friend (old acquaintance from showing cattle), here in town is selling fabulous vegetables, and I've been eating them for every meal. We have another friend that makes skillitini, the most mouthwatering dish ever. It includes squash, zucchini, veggies and I'm sure butter in a pan on the grill, with cooked noodles, spaghetti sauce and bread on the side. I've never tried to make it myself, but got pretty close the other night. I had of course squash and zucchini, and sauteed them in olive oil, then sauteed two hot dogs (forget I mentioned that, I do not enjoy eating hot dogs, but there were two in the frig and Ryan had eaten the sausage I was saving, in the future I would use sausage of any kind).
Those dogs were getting nice and crispy while I cooked noodles and opened a jar of spaghetti sauce (can't believe I'm admitted that either, but you have to have at least one jar on hand in case of emergencies). So noodles on the plate, topped with sauteed veggies, hot dogs (yikes) spaghetti sauce and in the event there would be any cheese around, I would have put that on top. It was delicious!!!! Had the leftover serving last night. Some day I will go to the grocery store, for now, I'm getting creative!!
7/19/11
Zucchini Fries, click here for the recipe
7/7/11
Tate's first fire...well he helped, he stacked the charcoal and got everything ready to grill hot dogs and sausage this weekend! This little grill was the best investment ever, and didn't cost much.
6/27/11
Ryan's favorite snack:
And here's how you do it! Pick up the cracker, dip it in the sour cream, top with a small piece of cheese (in this photo we've got Vermont extra sharp), then top with a jalapeno!!! Open up wide and eat the whole thing. These were snacks we used to live on years ago and haven't had much of lately.
And another favorite:
Chili cheese dip!!! Cream cheese, chili, grated cheese, jalapenos, onions!!! Yummy, serve with tortilla chips.
6/20/11
Omelets, I love them, you can put anything in them. For Father's Day I made omelets and fried potatoes. Sauteed a green onion, jalapeno, onion (all chopped very fine) and leftover corn. Added 1/2 teaspoon of a secret Indian seasoning recipe for a little kick. Some cheese and eggs and a beautiful omelet!!!!!
5-20-11
5-19-11
I did my own twist on this recipe...spiral noodles and much more grated Parmesan!!!
5-3-11
Ryan gives me a hard time...I often come up with creations and never write down the recipe, so some of these posts are pretty vague!!! Creamy spaghetti bake: Brown hamburger meat, drain, add spaghetti sauce of your choice or make your own. Stir until bubbly, then I always add extra tomatoes! Add 1/2 block of cream cheese, once melted and combined, add spag
4-29-11
Chicken Pot Pies do not exists in my brain, nor on my table. I despise them. But after reading this recipeziploclima beans and all!!!!
4-25-11
This past Friday we had homemade pizzas for dinner. With this dough recipe and a few other random ingredients we made three pizzas, yes we, I rolled out the dough and Tate piled on the toppings. Pizza #1 - pizza sauce and a variety of cheeses/herbs for cheese pizza. Pizza #2 - pesto with mozzarella cheese. Pizza #3 - hot sauce with taco meat, jalapenos and cheese.
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| Tate spreading sauce |
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| The Pesto Pizza |
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| What was left of all three. We love thin crust and after rolling these out they were super thin and crispy!! |
4-22-11
Breakfast at our house!!! We skipped dinner, painfully, we were starving, but it was so late. Knowing that we would need a big breakfast I heated up leftover taco meat and made a stuffed taco omelet. Well actually it only had taco meat and cheese with hot sauce and sour cream. In another life with more time it would have contained chopped onions, tomatoes and jalapenos too!!! But it was delicious!
Things we ate this weekend: omelets, my own version of this recipe (which was very tasty), pesto and chicken pasta with mozzarella cheese, and my special dip (sour cream mixed with hot sauce). More tasty things to come this week!!
4-14-11
Dinner at our house last night...quesadillas: corn tortillas with cheese and taco meat. Very plain, but always a favorite with the crispy corn tortillas!!!! And of course GG's salsa!
4-12-11
I've often thought about opening my own restaurant, you know, good old home cooked food, nothing you'd find anywhere else and then on the other hand I think there are great opportunities for a select few chain restaurants to succeed in our area. And if I ever 'had' to open one, it might be this one!!! Fish City Grill. If you click on the link, it will take you to the menu. I ordered the Cream of Roasted Jalapeno Soup and the Honey Chipotle Shrimp Tacos. Both of which I could eat over and over again. But I'm really going to try to make the soup on my own, it was delicious, not too spicy. But I'll kick up the spice in my own version as we are a family of the hotter the better! I'm not a fan of oysters...but would definitely try some of theirs the next time! They have locations in several states too...hum not seeing one within many hours of us though!!!
4-1-11
Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork
Click here for the original recipe. As usual...I didn't have all of the ingredients and so here were my changes: a can of Hot Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies instead of chipotle peppers, and three dr. peppers instead of two...big crock pot, tall roast! But it turned out amazing. After letting it cook in the crock pot all day, I strained the juices twice, and put the juice free of pieces/parts/chunks, in a pan on the stove. Then added the pork after I had disected the roast. I have issues with fat...so all the good pieces went into the pot! But it's fantastic and has a great flavor.
A story behind this specific roast. I put the roast in the frig to thaw (like you are supposed to do) and then set out the on hand ingredients I was going to use the next morning. Then my darling husband states that's not how you cook a roast. Really, you know what, you are exactly right...I don't think I'll cook it at all!!! So it sat in the frig for two days before I gave in and did cook it my way! And today he admitted it was really good.
3-30-11
So I told you we made it…yes, Tana stood on a dining room chair and watched me chop everything…she evens eats raw onions. And yes, we ate it together, shared a bowl! And Tana ate a lot, which is a big deal for our little picky eater!
What was it??? Tortellini Soup!!!! Very tasty, super easy, with room to add more ingredients if you like. We almost doubled this recipe and probably have more than enough tortellini…and I used the cheese-filled ones for an extra kick!!! And I did not add all the spinach, we added it to each bowl, that way the spinach isn't floating for leftovers. Taking soup and a ziploc bag of spinach for lunch with a fantastic friend today!!! The only thing better would be nice buttery, cheesy garlic bread!!!
3-24-11
A few great recipes I've tried lately (and I actually followed the original recipe!):
Fiesta Chicken Pasta - very good, very spicy, but Ryan loved it!!
Cheesy Beef-Corn Chip Skillet - also good, a Mexican Frito pie type.
And some other very random dishes lately. One secret I will release: I make dip, but it's my special dip, the kids LOVE it and Tate will ask for the special dip...mix sour cream with hot sauce, it makes a pink dip with a hint of spice but it's very creamy!!!
3-17-11
I cannot for the life of me now remember where I got the beer soup recipe...hum waiting, waiting, got it. Here is a very basic cheesy beer soup recipe from Kraft...you could increase the variety of veggies, adding carrots and celery too...and I would definitely top with a large amount of bacon on the second go around. But it was great, I added pepper and a hefty amount of cayenne pepper to my bowl last night and it was delicious. Tana enjoyed all of two bites of mine before she realized it was very hot! But super simple, going to have the left over bowl with bacon sandwiches tonight. (We have a project planned or else was looking forward to a bacon cheddar scone recipe I found!)
3-15-11
Long story short, I did not know how to pop this popcorn and the instructions said to pull here...they didn't say pull here to read directions. I didn't know to pull there before popping it...so I dumped the unpopped kernels into a small brown paper bag and put them in the microwave...which is generally the way we pop it anyway!!!
3-9-11
After a complete disaster with dinner the other night we resorted to bowls of cereal. I am in no way endorsing anyone, but we all love these!!!
This picture was taken last night as I pulled the cold leftovers out of the refrig and decided the color version looked too disgusting. But can you believe it, Tana loved it and kept asking for more. She would occasionally say hot, because it was a little spicy, but she ate a ton!!!!
2-16-11
A present arrived...it was a blender. I've been without a blender for three years, so I unpacked it and made smoothies this morning. And I'm already starving!!! I can't wait to experiment though!
2-15-11
This past Sunday we cooked out, everything on the grill. Ryan loves to grill and it gives me a break, and besides, it tastes soooo good.
Broccoli from my grandmother's garden...with real butter, seasoned salt, pepper and double wrapped in foil.
The final meal: sausage, stuffed jalapenos, potatoes and broccoli!!!
2-9-11
This would be a chili con queso, rice, fajita meat, egg, cheese and hot sauce burrito in the making!!!
And this would be icy milk that came out this morning on Tate's Cheerios!!!
2-1-11
We had potato and egg breakfast burritos this morning with coffee. What a wonderful way to use any type of leftover potato. I had leftover cowboy potatoes...will get you that recipe later...but I put them in a non stick skillet, mashed them up with a fork, put three eggs in on top, salt and pepper and stirred until done. So simple and easy!!!! And I can't forget to tell you about the pasta I made last night. A tomato based sauce with sauteed minced onions and garlic, tossed with linguine and grated parmesean cheese. I'll write this recipe down soon!!!
1-30-11
Friday I put a pork tenderloin in the crockpot....I can't even explain how delicious it was. I am tweaking the recipe...as I should have used a larger tenderloin or at least 2-3 smaller ones. The flavor was amazing, who knew you could cook with wine so much!!!
1-28-11
While I had intended to celebrate today with a bottle of champagne and a large pizza....Tana is 2 today. I don't know whether to be sad or glad, but I'm celebrating with a pork tenderloin, potato casserole and who knows what else...and probably a mixed drink for dessert.
1-27-11
We have a critter around our house that raids the refrigerator. If I want to save anything I have to leave a note on it.... This morning I turned on the oven as I was going to fix cheese toast and eggs...only to find there was NO cheese in the refrigerator. Ryan sneaks pieces of sliced cheese as a snack. So we settle for biscuits instead.
1-26-11
Still working on the toppings, or the perfect combination of toppings, but after melting 1-2 tablespoons butter in a skillet and placing the bread with a hole in the middle, filling it with an egg and frying it all in one piece, there are many different combinations of toppings for these egg in a hole toast or whatever you want to call it. I will work on them more!!
The easiest cinnamon rolls ever! Spread out crescent roll dough into a large rectangle. Sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar and pecans, all over except within 1” of a long side. Roll and pinch the edge, cut into 1 ½” pieces, place in a greased muffin tin and bake for just a few minutes. After baking, place on a plate and drizzle with your favorite maple syrup!!! Tana had a few for dessert the night I made them!
1-20-11
Breakfast in a bowl. I do these often, never the same way or with the same ingredients. This morning I sliced a loaf of Parmesan Garlic French Bread, made a few pieces of cheese toast and then just toasted two slices. I sprayed my bowls with non stick spray, crumbled the toast, one in each bowl, cracked an egg over the top, sprinkled with chopped onions (the rest of the onion is in the pot of beans), sprinkled grated cheese and pepper. Broiled until done!!! I even made coffee. My husband has had breakfast for two mornings, go me!!
Other ingredients you can include: potatoes (any variety, fried, mashed, baked, just mush the up and put them in, I put them on top of the egg), jalapenos, bacon, ham, fajita meat, tomatoes, hot sauce, you name it, it can go in there. The more you put in it the more filling it is!!
1-17-11
Who says breakfast burritos have to be hard!!!! We had mashed potatoes and linked sausage with lunch yesterday and a little preparation then helped me this morning. Tortilla, cheese, mashed potatoes, small pieces of sausage, egg, jalapenos!! They were great!!!
1-10-11
The frig has been rather empty, but I set out pork chops. These are special...bone-in...and I only buy them when they are really on sale..cheap!!! Half are marinating in a garlic marinade and the other half in BBQ sauce. Will continue to sprinkle seasoning on them as they bake tonight. Should last for several days unless Ryan is hungry, at which point, he can empty a refrigerator!!!
1-3-10
I've really been expanding my food horizon. With new cookbooks I've been tweaking with recipes and creating some really neat dishes. My husband even liked the black eyed pea and sausage soup...with homemade corn bread!!! I also made a batch of oatmeal cookies and brownies, rolls, and several other delicious foods. Now it's time for a diet!! So glad we finished off the chili con queso though!
12-28-10
When unexpected or even expected guests come over, pour a can of chili over a block of cream cheese. Top with grated cheese, microwave just until cheese melts. Garnish with chopped onions or cilantro or parsley. Serve with crackers...or my favorite, tortilla chips.
12-20-10
Ryan walked around the house calling me Miss Stewart yesterday. From making homemade tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes to having several pans of rolls rising on the floor in the house, to homemade spanish rice, a pot of beans and the most delicious tamales from friends of ours...the house smelled so good. I was quite proud of myself, the rolls were delicious!!! The first pan of rolls were plain with melted butter on top...the second were dusted with fine corn meal...and third were dusted with flax seed. It was amazing how different they all were. I've never tried toppings on bread and they were all so tasty!!! I'm thinking I should top my homemade biscuits too!!!
12-6-10
Calf fries, jalapenos, okra and more this weekend. Breakfast casserole with sausage and potatoes and pancakes. We ate food like it was a very special occasion, which it was, we love having family over and entertaining. Leftovers tonight, maybe bacon sandwiches....
12-2-10
Dinner was simple, but guess what I have going in the crockpot!!! On of the blogs I follow is Jenna Bolerjack and yesterday she posted a very tasty looking enchilada recipe, check out her blog for the original recipe, but here's what I did:
2 cans diced tomatoes - I used one with green chilies and the other with chipotle peppers, that's all I had; 2 cans ranch style beans undrained - original recipe says any type of beans will work; 1 can enchilada sauce; 1 onion diced; 1 teaspoon chili powder and cayenne pepper; 3 cups cooked chicken shredded. I combined all of these ingredients and put it on low. Will go home at lunch and it should be done!!!!
12-01-10
I love to cook, or explore in the kitchen, I rarely write down a recipe, so anything below is pretty general. I cook things until their done, don't ask at what temperature, because I don't think my oven in accurate!!!! While I was raised in what should traditionally be considered a down home cooking house, I wasn't. I have no desire to make fried chicken, chicken fried steak or some of the other traditional recipes. I'm not a huge fan of turkey and dressing and would rather have fajitas or grill steaks at the holidays. My mother cooked almost all of the meals I ate for 17 years and she has a diverse cooking background, from true, home made chili con queso and flat enchiladas to chicken and stuffing casserole, and the neatest appetizers
Often you might hear me talk about things I've cooked, but not be able to find the recipe...guess what, I don't share everything. There are several recipes that I will one day pass on to Tana and possibly Tate's wife, but they are my little secret. I love entertaining others and know some day I will have a kitchen large enough to entertain in. If you have a weak stomach don't stop by on a weekend because that's when we love to cook calf fries. We especially like it when we have guests that aren't from our way of life, they are shocked at what they are eating, but often help prepare them as well. Don't get me wrong, Ryan is an excellent cook as well, he is famous for grill tomatoes topped with smoked gouda cheese, onions and dill. So enjoy what is to come on this page and if you ever have questions leave a comment and I'll get back with you!
I feel guilty for even posting this but in a hurry or trying to prepare for the next week I love making them!!!
Hot Dogs in the House
Get 1 tube of refrigerated pizza dough, roll flat, cut into 8 triangles. Place 1 hot dog on each piece and roll up. Bake at 350 until slightly brown. You can also put a thin slice of cheese in them too. The pizza dough gets a little crunchier than other doughs. We love ours with mustard or spicy mustard!!!!
Grilled Tilapia with Sauteed Spinach
Coat tilapia fillets with bread crumbs and any seasoning you want. Pan grill in a few tablespoons of oil. Remove and set aside. Place crushed garlic, chopped onions and cracked red pepper in pan with drippings. Cook until all are tender, add several handfuls of fresh spinach. Cook until done. Serve fillets on top of spinach. This is delicious, sorry I don't have exact measurements, but this was another favorite new recipe.
Southwest Zucchini Boats
Take four zucchini cut them in length way, microwave for several minuted until tender. Scoop out at least 1/4" of pulp. In the mean time prepare 1 pound of taco meat, mix in 1/2 cup of salsa, 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of cheese. Mix well. Fill the zucchini with the meat mixture, cover with cheese and microwave until cheese melts. This is unbelievable, Tana ate them!!!
Ham &amp;amp; Mango Quesadillas - delicious, Tate and Tana both ate them!!!
Saute cubes of ham, I used the other half of the package from below, sliced them into cubes and heated them in a skillet. Cube the mango, it is kind of messy, but trust me, it does fine in the quesadilla. We alternate between flour and whole wheat tortiallas, they are more expensive but I know they're better for the kids. On my square skillet, I spray with no stick spray, heat both sides of the tortillas, layered shredded cheese, ham and mango, folded over in half and cooked until cheese was melted. Slice and serve with Katy's dip, a mixture of sour cream and hot sauce.
Ham Carbonara - Yes, Tana even ate it!!!!
In a medium skillet, add a swirl of olive oil. Chop 1 zucchini, 1 squash and 1/4 cup of onion, saute in oil until tender and slightly brown. At the same time cook 8 oz. of spaghetti noodles. When all are done, combine, add 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Toss to coat, sprinkle with salt and pepper. This might be one of the best things I've made. As for how long it takes...as quick as you boil the noodles it's all done!!!! I served with cheese toast.
Fried Avocados - I haven't actually made them, just eaten them. As I've read the nutritional values are awful once you fry them...but you won't believe the taste. Slice into wedges, use any batter you prefer and fry until they are crunchy!
Tuna Cakes from Kraft (I don't use many name brand products and this turned out just fine without them!!)
2 cans (6 oz. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. CLAUSSEN Sweet Pickle Relish
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You won't believe the taste of these, and they don't taste like fried tuna either!!!
I am a big fan of shopping once or twice and meal planning for the month. I have acquired a lot of sample menus from magazines and websites that I store in a three-ring binder. If anyone is interested in looking these menus or recipes, let me know!!
