Getting back in the Kitchen...

This summer I have not done much if any real cooking for my family.  Normally in the summers there is a tons of grilling and great fresh meals from the garden, but saddly that was not the case for us this year...it was nothing more than sandwiches for the Books family.  I just could not stand the heat and really had no energy to do anything let alone cook.  But now that the days are cooler and the kids are getting ready to go back to school I have decided it is time to start making good meals and getting stuff planned and perpared. 

Yesterday I browned chicken for three upcoming meals:

 Chicken Alfrado and Bowtie Pasta

Chicken Fajita Ring

Today I used up the three zucchini I had and made:

Zucchini Patties

3 cups shredded zucchini (press between two paper towels to get dry)

1 cup of toasted bread crumbs

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 large egg

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

-shape into patties and fry in a skillet with a little olive oil

Made into little Zucchini Minis (just like a mini hamburger)

Than for dessert Zucchini Cake!  

The Best French Dip Yet...

So when I saw this recipe I wanted to try it just by the way they were describing how juicy and wonderful the meat taste. Lets just say I do not care for peperoncini pepers. When I was telling Joe about this he was like are you really going to mess with your good roast? I just wanted to make sure I was not missing out of something great...I AM SO GLAD I TRIED IT!!!

Peperoncini Roast Beef

1 jar of Peperoncini Pepper

1 roast

-put roast in crockpot and pour the whole jar with juice of peperoncini peppers in.
Cook on low for 8 hours (I used a frozen roast you may only need 6 hours if thawed)

-I chose to remove all the pepper. Then take a fork and shred cooked roast leave the juice in!

This was amazing, we LOVED it!!! I made French Dips with it, grilled buns, glazed onions,

swiss cheese and au jus. So so Yummy!!!!

St. Patricks Day Fun...

Thursday, March 17th I went on a great girls trip to Omaha

to see Lady Gaga...it really was a good time. Gaga is crazy

but I love her catchy music and she was an awsome performer.

On Saint Patrick's day the boys woke to Leperchauns that had caused much mischicf to our home, they dyed our milk green, wrote a note on the bathroom mirror Flipped pictures upside down and drew mustaches and tattoos on our family photos they even truned the T.V. in the kitchen upside down which made the picture green It was fun to see how excitied the boys were when they went throughout the house to find everything that was out of place! I made cute rainbow cupcakes with a pot of gold! The boys even got to enjoy their cupcake after they ate breakfast.

This is the crockpot chicken that started the whole obsession to my crockpot cooking!

Crockpot Lemon Chicken

4 to 5 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1/2 can of water

1 heaping Tbs. Lemon Pepper or (Lemon & Herb) Seasoning

1 cup flour

2 Tbs. olive oil

-Heat oil in skillet. Coat frozen chicken with flour and brown on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.

-Spray crockpot lightly with Pam place the chicken inside. Combine soup, water, and lemon seasoning. Mix well. Pour over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Make brown rice before serving.

I also made Sweet and Sour Meatballs for my family while I was gone on Thur night. Take Make Ahead Metballs, place in crockpot.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

1-20 oz. can crushed pineapple

1/3 cup water

3Tbs. soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

3Tbs. corn starch

-put in sauce pan, stir over med. heat until thickened. Pour over meatballs in crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours.

Repent...

For lunch I used the leftover Tex-Mex Chicken and made a crescent wrap.

Tonight I made...

Savory Split Pea Soup

8 oz smoked sausage cut into 1/2 pieces

(I used ham just because that is what I had on hand)

3 medium carrots, sliced

1-16 oz bag of dried split peas, rinsed

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 bay leaf

2 cans chicken broth

-brown sausage in skillet (I browned my ham) place everything in the crockpot

and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Discard bay leaf.

-my soup was really thick I had to add one more can of chicken broth and 1 cup of water.

This soup was really full of flavor and so good. I was starting to worry but it went over so well at the dinner table. Joe and I love split pea soup but could only imagine the whining that would come from the boys. They are not pickey eaters but I was affraid that the words SPLIT PEA was going to make them not want to try. That was not the case, Chandler was shovling it in.

Everyone really did enjoy!!!

I also made cinnamon rolls to go with our yummy soup!


After seeing the pictures of all the food I ate just today I think I should be the one repenting...

This morning we woke up a hour late...so as we were running around trying to get out the door Chandler did not want to go to school twice he came and told me his tummy hurt. I knew he was not 100% truthful with me and that he was just dragging his feet. When Joe came home from taking the boys to school this is what had been said...
Chandler "Dad does it say in the bible that you must tell your parents when you repent"?

Joe "No, it does say you must tell those that you have wronged that you are sorry and promise not to make the wrong again, why"?

Chandler "I repented three times"

Joe "what did you do to need to repent"?

Chandler "I was naughty at school last week and I thought my punishment from Mrs. Lindstedt was big enough and did not want you and mom to punish me again,

is that the same as lying"?

Joe explained that hiding the truth from us is that same as lying, but we are proud of him for telling us and that he went to Heavenly Father and repented.

I have to say I was rolling when Joe was telling me of the conversation, Chandler is a funny little boy, and when he is so serious it sometimes is even funnier!

Read Across America Week...

Wednesday was "Go To Sleep With A Good Book"
(wear pajamas to school)

Today was "Plan Your Future With a Good Book"

(dress up for your career goal)

This is Read Across America Week to celebrate Dr. Suess' Birthday at school. Tuesday they got to wear their favorite hats and Friday it is "Go Big Read Day" and get to wear their favorite team apparel. We have always enjoyed this fun week each year but today was really hard for Riley, he just could not decied what he wanted to be for career day and everything I would suggest he would say "but that is not what I will be when I grow up" I tried to help him understand this was more for fun and it didn't matter if he would not become it down the road but he just was not having it...until it was time to walk out the door. Then he wanted to wear something. So daddy went out to his car and got his rail road stuff, Ry was okay with it but he did say on the way to school "I think being a rail roader is more my third choice for a career" the poor boy just had a hard time with this one :) Chandler knew he wanted to be a builder today but he told me... "I am going to be a paleontoligist for real"

Burrito Lasagna

2 lbs. browned ground beef

1 pkg. taco seasoning

8 oz. cheddar cheese

16 oz. refried beans (I made my own refried beans)

16 oz. sour cream

8 oz. salsa

5 flour tortillas

-layer beef, tortilla, refried beans, sour cream, chedder cheese in a deep dish or pan. Repeat. Pour salsa on top. Cover with tin foil and Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes, take foil off and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve hot with lettuce and tomatos on top. (I do not pour the salsa on before baking we wait till it comes out of the oven because the boys don't care for salsa)

Now for my Crockpot recipe for tonights meal...

Queso Dip

1 can of Rotel undrained

1-16 oz box of Velveeta Cheese cut into 1 inch cubes

-put in crock pot and put on low for 2 hours stirring frequently

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan...

Chicken Parmesan

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 egg

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese

1 jar of your favoite Marinara Sauce

Directions:

-spread 1Tbs. olive oil into the bottom of the crockpot

(I just coated crockpot with ov oil spray)

-whip egg with fork on a plate

-mix bread crumbs w/ seasonings and parmesan cheese on another plate

-dip chicken into egg then coat w/ bread crumbs mixture

-place chicken in crockpot

-layer mozzarella cheese on top

-cover w/entire jar of marinara sauce

-I topped with the leftover breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese mixture

-cover & let cook on low 6 hours if chicken if frozen 4 hours if not

-serve w/ your favorite pasta

This was so easy and very tasty! We had a garden salad,

steamed snapped peas, and jello salad with it.

I might try this one in the oven next time,

the chicken was so tender that it fell apart

when I went to serve it...not that it was any less yummy!!

Only for presentation.

I also made my own Bread Crumbs...I did not realize

how pricey they are at the store.

After making them myself I will not ever buy them again.

Bread Crumbs

-1 bag of hamburger buns

or any bread you have at home you can use

white and wheat, even homemade

-toast in oven at 350 for 8 minutes turn over and toast another 8 minutes

-take toasted bread and put in the food processer tell they are crumbs

Yes that is it!!! Most recipes will call for the seasonings that needs to be added

so you don't have to worry about seasoning until you go to use them.

A New Love...

So I have only had one tried and true crockpot recipe (the best pot roast ever) I really have never had anything made in the crockpot that I could not make in the oven and always thought I liked it out of the oven better. Well, 2 weeks ago after reading a blog I follow that had a Lemon Chicken crockpot recipe that sounded good and really easy...I went straight into the kitchen and made it and got it in the crockpot. By supper time it was smelling so wonderful and then all I had to do was make rice and a salad. We had a YUMMY hot meal that took me 10 minutes. The boys LOVED it, Ry ate two huge helpings. So that made me want to find another crockpot recipe to try, I then went back to the internet and found a great blog that is 365 days of crockpot recipes. http://crockpot364.blogspot.com/ Last week I made 4 more new recipes and we loved the next just as much or more then the first.
I have decided I am going to challenge myself and use the crockpot each evening meal we eat at home this month...can I do it??? So this month I am going to blog about each.

Tonight...Whole Chicken

-Thawed whole chicken (if you are buying chicken from the store a whole chicken is the best for your buck, you pay big for someone to cut it up for you)

-Spray your crockpot with Olive oil or Pam

-Place whole chicken in crockpot

-pour in 2 cups of water

-1 Tbs. of McCormick 1 Step Chicken Seasoning or your favorite Chicken Seasoning

-Season with salt and pepper

-Cook on High for 4 hours then turn to Low for 4 hours

We had chicken on small egg noodles with Pesto Sauce, Corn and Garden Salad

Then with the leftover chicken I picked off the bone and made Chicken Salad for Sandwhiches &

Chicken and Stuffing

3 cups of cooked pulled chicken

8 oz. sour cream

1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup

-Mix all together and put in the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish

-Make a box of Stove Top Stuffing and spread over top of chicken mixture.

-Bake in oven at 350 for 30 minutes just till it is hot and bubbly

3 great meals with very little work on my part!!!!!