Thursday, December 29, 2011

January exchange

Time to fill up the freezer again!
January 12th 7pm, church
RSVP yes or no here!

Monday, November 7, 2011

French dip

Roast Beef
Sandwich Rolls
au jus dip
Horseradish sauce

Prepare your au jus dip as directed on package. Then warm your meat in your au jus dip on the stove. Toast your rolls so they are nice and crispy, and then spread some horseradish sauce on it. Then pull your meat(one sandwich at a time-to ensure that your meat stays warm!)out of the au jus and place on your roll. Once all your sandwiches are done, spoon out your au jus dip into bowls, and dip your sandwiches into the au jus as you eat.(Like I need to tell you that!)

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Tahoe brunch

From frozen: thaw and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

12 slices of bread cut up
2c chopped onion, cooked
1 # Italian sausage cooked
1# shredded cheddar cheese
5 eggs
2 1/2 c milk
3 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dry mustard
1tsp nutmeg

Put half of bread in greased 9x13 pan. Layer 1/2 mixture of sausage and onion on top of bread, 1/2 cheese and repeat. Milk, eggs, mustards, nutmeg and salt and pepper together. Pour over the dish, cover and refrigerate over night. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:
8 tbs butter
4 tbs oil
2 cups mushrooms(sliced)
1 cup Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic
4 chicken breasts, cut in half, about 3 pounds.
Garlic pepper, to taste
1 box of angel hair pasta (I used spaghetti)

Assembly:
Mix butter, oil, garlic and mushrooms in the bottom of a sauce pan. Cook until mushrooms are browned. Add the remaining ingredients, minus the chicken, into the pan and cook until boiled. Because of the wine, be sure to boil for at least 10 minutes to cook out alcohol taste.

In a deep baking dish spray bottom of pan with cooking spray. Place half pieces of chicken breasts in pan. Sprinkle with garlic pepper. Pour sauce over chicken.

From frozen:
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
In a deep baking dish spray bottom of pan with cooking spray. Cut chicken in half and place in pan. Pour sauce over chicken. Cook at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Check thickest portion of chicken to be sure it is done. Prepare pasta as directed. Serve chicken and sauce over the pasta.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Full o' beans chili

From Epicurious (very slightly tweaked - I use frozen corn instead of frozen lima beans): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Full-O-Beans-Chili-232

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 14 1/2-ounce cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can black beans, well drained
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, well drained
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chick-peas), well drained
1 10-ounce package frozen corn, thawed
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon (or more) red wine vinegar

Preparation
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add next 7 ingredients and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors are blended and corn is tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Add vinegar to taste.

Frozen Mamas:
Thaw & simmer for about 30 minutes. Season with salt & pepper as you see fit. It's also good with some beer added as it simmers, and with any other stuff you'd add to chili. Enjoy!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Brown Sugar Chicken

Ingredients:

4-5 chicken breasts

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbl. soy sauce

2/3 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup lemon-lime soda

Put the chicken in the crock pot and cover with the brown sugar, pepper, garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar, and pour in the soda. Watch for bubbles. Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. The chicken is done when it it cooked through and has reached the desired tenderness. The longer you cook it on low, the more tender your chicken will be. Serve over rice.

Frozen Mamas:

Defrost chicken and sugar mixture. Put in crock pot and add the vinegar and soda. Cook as directed above.

From the book Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'Dea

Monday, October 24, 2011

November RSVP

Time for dinner! We will exchange on Thursday Nov 3rd, 7pm. Are you in or out? and what will you make? There is another baby due this month so if you are willing to make an extra meal we will get it to the new mom.

We will not be exchanging in December and will be ready again Thursday, January 5th.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced

In a small saucepan combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in chicken broth, vinegar, corn syrup, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for two minutes more. Serve warm. Makes about 1 1/3 cups sauce. I added a third more of each ingredient to make about 2 cups sauce for 30 meatballs.

Frozen:
2 cups Sweet and Sour Sauce and 30 meatballs. Heat in crockpot for 2-3 hours or in a saucepan on the stove. Serve with rice.

Tamale Pie

1# ground beef
1/2 green pepper
1 onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1 can drained corn
2 cans chopped tomatoes with chiles
2 T chili powder
2 T sugar
2 boxes cornbread muffin mix

Brown ground beef, green pepper, onion, and garlic. Drain mixture. Mix in corn, tomatoes, chili powder, and sugar. Cook on stove top for one hour on medium heat. Transfer mixture to an oven proof 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Follow directions on box and mix up cornbread muffin mix. Pour on top of meat mixture and bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until cornbread is baked through.

From frozen:
Thaw meat mixture. Place in 9x13. Mix up both cornbread muffin mixes. Spread on top. Bake as directed above.

Touchstone Family Waffles with Cranberry Sauce

Waffles
This is the tried and true recipe that my mom uses.  I have decreased the butter, the original recipe calls for 2 sticks!  If you want to up the nutritional value, you can substitute flax seed for some of the butter
(3 TSBP flaxseed = 1 TBSP butter). 

4 cups Flour
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
4 Eggs, separated
4 cups Milk
1 1/2 sticks Butter (12 TBSP)

Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside.  Beat egg yolks, add milk and sifted ingredients, then melted butter.  Fold in egg whites.  Pour into a greased waffle iron.

Cranberry Sauce
In my family, we often spread left over cranberry sauce on waffles, frequently with whipped cream on top too!  If this doesn't sound good to you, just save the sauce for Thanksgiving - this is the standard recipe for whole cranberry sauce on the bag of cranberries.

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen Cranberries, rinsed and drained

Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate.

FROZEN MAMAS
Bag 1 - Cranberry Sauce - thaw and serve.
Bag 2 - Bacon - it's the fully cooked bacon from Costco.  Heat in the oven at 400 for 3 min or in the microwave for 45-60 sec.
Bag 3 - Waffles - heat them in the toaster, no need to thaw first.

Want to try Waffle sandwiches?  We tried this recipe and liked it, but my family prefers their waffles the regular way.  However, this might be something fun for your family to try.
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/bobby-flay/cheddar-and-bacon-cornmeal-waffle-sandwiches-with-maple-mustard-recipe/index.html

Ham and Cheese Pie

Taken from: http://crockpotrecipeexchange.blogspot.com/2011/08/crock-pot-ham-and-cheese-pie-crustless.html?m=1

  • 3 large eggs
  • (1) 12 ounce can of evaporated milk - I used 12oz of half and half instead
  • 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup of baking mix
  • 8 ounce package diced ham - I cut up ham instead of packaged
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Mix the eggs, evaporated milk, seasoned salt and ground black pepper until incorporated well. Add the baking mix and whisk in. Make sure you break up all the big chunks of the baking mix, but if a few little ones are lingering that'll be okay. Stir in the ham and cheese.

Spray the inside of a 2 1/2 quart crock pot very liberally with non-stick cooking spray. Make sure you get all the sides very well all the way up. Pour in the mixture. Cover the top of the crock pot with a couple of layers of paper towels and secure with lid. Turn to low and cook on low for 2 - 4 hours.

Look for the edges to start turning golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the crockery and wooden skewer comes out clean. Turn off and remove crockery when you can and let sit for about 30 minutes. Then flip over onto a plate.

*Even though it calls for a 2 1/2qt crockpot, I'm guessing you could cook it in the oven. Probably put it at 275* and just test it with a toothpick to see it.

chicken tacos

Ingredients
  • 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 12 oz salsa
  • 1 package taco seasoning

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Top with salsa and taco seasoning then cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with tortillas and taco fixings.

From frozen state:
Thaw(although have many of times stuck frozen chicken in my crock pot!) put chicken in crock pot, top with the baggy of salsa and taco seasoning mixture, and cook for 6-8 hours on low. Shred the chicken with a fork when cooking time is up serve with taco shell provided, and top with your favorite taco fixings!

Turkey chili and corn bread

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds ground turkey or turkey breast
1 onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground turkey
1 small onion chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
1 chili pepper, seeds and ribs removed; for a very mild jerk, use a red Fresno chili pepper)
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 scant palmful sweet smoked paprika or sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground allspice (about 1/2 palmful)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
About 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (14.5 ounces
1 cup cola
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Cook turkey, onion and garlic fully then add all other ingredients and simmer 20 minutes.

Frozen mamas: thaw and request on stove. Bake corn bread according to direction on bag/box.

Cook turkey

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Boeuf Bourguignon

Adapted from “I Know How to Cook” by Ginette Mathiot (published @ nytimes.com)


1 tablespoon oil


3 ounces onions or shallots, chopped


3 1/2 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced


1 1/2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1 1/2 -inch pieces, patted dry


Scant 1/4 cup flour


1 1/4 cups any type of stock, hot


1 1/4 cups red wine


1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs fresh thyme and 3 sprigs parsley, tied together)


Black pepper


3 1/2 ounces mushrooms, diced


Salt


1. In a heavy pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and bacon and cook, stirring, until browned. Remove them and set aside; leave fat in pan.


2. Add beef and brown on all sides (work in two batches if needed to avoid crowding).


3. Sprinkle browned beef with flour, stir until browned and add stock. Stir, scraping bottom of pan, then add reserved bacon and onions, the wine and bouquet garni. Season with pepper.


4. Simmer very gently for 2 hours.


5. Add mushrooms and cook 30 minutes more. Season with salt and serve. Or, even better, reheat and serve the next day.


Yield: 4 to 6 servings.


From frozen: Thaw, heat in a crockpot at low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, or let it simmer on the stovetop until heated through. Adjust seasoning to taste.


Note: We found that this recipe makes a very rich & savory sauce, so you may want to add some water when reheating in order to keep it from reducing even more and becoming stronger. Totally up to you though. J

Thursday, September 15, 2011

October RSVP...

RSVP for October 6th, in or out and what's for dinner?

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Grandma's meatballs

1 jar grape jelley
1 jar chili sauce
meatballs

defrost, cook in crockpot on low all day or stove top for 15-20 min. Sever with rice or noodles.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Garlic Lime Chicken with Cilantro Corn Relish

Ingredients

Marinade
4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 whole garlic cloves, crushed
5 whole limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Relish
1 cup fresh or frozen (and thawed) corn kernels
1 whole fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 whole lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Place chicken breasts in a large plastic storage bag. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Seal bag and marinate in fridge for several hours to overnight.

Before grilling, combine all corn relish ingredients in a medium bowl.

Set grill to medium heat and cook chicken breasts about 4 to 6 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Remove from grill and serve with spoonfuls of corn relish over each piece of chicken.

Frozen Mamas
Allow the chicken (and corn) to defrost completely, turning over occasionally so that the marinade gets spread throughout. Grill the chicken as directed above. The corn mixture should be served room temperature so if it is still cold, zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so.

Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe was from a Parents January 2004 article about making recipes that give you a meal now and extra to freeze for later

Serve: Chicken Potpie
Freeze: Potpie Filling

4 refrigerated piecrusts (2 15 oz pkgs), divided
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 pkg (32 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 Cup chopped onion
1 pkg (8 oz) sliced mushrooms
5 TBSP butter
½ Cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp poultry seasoning
½ Cup half-and-half
4 Cups cubed cooked chicken
1 Cup frozen peas
1 egg white

1. Heat oven to 400F. Unwrap 1 piecrust; place remaining 3 crusts in freezer. In glass bowl, combine carrots and ¼ cup chicken broth. Cover and microwave for 5 minutes. In skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes more, stirring.

2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and poultry seasoning. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Whisk in remaining broth, plus half-and-half. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir in cooked carrots, onion mixture, chicken, and peas.

3. Using slotted spoon, transfer 4 cups of mixture to a container. Let cool, then freeze up to 2 months.

4. Place remaining mixture in 1-qt baking dish. Cut piecrust into 8 wedges. Place wedges in spoke-wheel design on top of potpie mixture. In bowl, whisk together egg white and 1 tsp water. Brush egg mixture over crust. Bake 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 360 cal; 17g protein; 20g fat; 27g carb; 33mg calcium; 2g fiber

Potpie Packets
4 cups chicken potpie filling (above) thawed
3 piecrusts, thawed

Heat oven to 400F. Cut each piecrust into quarters. Fill each quarter with 1/3 cup potpie filling, seal edges, and crimp with tines of fork. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes. Makes 12 packets.

Nutrition per packet: 332 cal; 8g protein; 19g fat; 30g carb; 16mg calcium; 1g fiber

JEN’S VARIATION
1. I use the Martha Stewart Pie Crust Recipe
2. I make 2 big pies instead of 1 pie and potpie packets (the crust recipe makes enough for 2 pies)
3. I start with baby carrots to make the prep faster
4. I add broccoli and pre-cook it in the microwave about 3 ½ min using the same procedure used for the carrots, but I cook it separate from the carrots because of the different cooking times
5. I omit the mushrooms since a lot of people don’t like them
6. I substitute curry powder for the poultry seasoning
7. To get my cooked chicken, I bake frozen chicken breasts and then chop
8. I skip the egg wash

FROZEN MAMAS
Thaw,cook uncovered at 350 for 45min - 1hour until crust is done and filling is bubbly.  If cooking from frozen increase cooking time.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Roast

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 2 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed
  • 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

  • Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.
  • Place pork and marinade in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
  • Remove pork from slow cooker using a slotted spoon; place on a cutting board or work surface. Cover with aluminum foil; keep warm.
  • Add broth to sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Shred pork with 2 forks; serve with sauce.
From frozen: thaw completely in refrigerator; cook as directed.

Two notes: I accidentally forgot to put the Hoisin sauce in...oops! Also, I added the chicken broth to the marinade instead of packaging it separately...again, oops! Pregnancy brain at work I'm afraid :)

Clam Chowder

Old Fishermen's Grotto Monterey Clam Chowder
1 carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 potato, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 pound bacon, minced
1/4 pound butter
3 fresh garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces clam juice
1 1/2 C flour
2 C milk
2 C Heavy whipping cream
2 C half and half
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pound clam, chopped (fresh, frozen, or canned)

Cook bacon, set aside. Saute vegetables over medium heat until tender. When vegetables are tender, add flour to make a roux. Cook for a couple minutes, allowing flour to cook. Add clam juice and dairy products. Stir by using a wire whip. Add fresh garlic, black pepper, bacon and chopped clams. Cook over low-medium heat stirring occasionally to prevent chowder from scorching. Cook for a couple hours until chowder is brought to desired thickness. A crockpot is recommended. Clam juice can be added to thin chowder down if it gets too thick. Chowder needs to be stirred often, probably about every 10-15 minutes or so, or it will stick to the bottom of the pot.

**I basically use the recipe only as a list for ingredients. I never use the exact measurements. I always add more potatoes, bacon, and clam juice.

From frozen:
Thaw completely, and reheat in a crockpot or on stovetop. Do not let the chowder boil. Makes a great meal served with crusty garlic bread and a salad.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced1 green pepper, diced
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hamburger buns

Brown the meat and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard*. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.

From Elie Krieger (with a couple tweaks): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/sloppy-joes-recipe/index.html

From frozen: thaw & reheat however is convenient for you. There is enough sauce that it could probably handle being in the crockpot for a while without drying out.

(*I didn't do the best job of draining the juices in the second step, so this batch is a little bit on the soupier side. Consequently, it could also make a good chili. :) )

pizza wraps

Directions:

  1. Spoon sauce onto a tortilla.
  2. Add cheese and toppings.
  3. Fold like a burrito.
  4. Place on cookie sheet.
  5. Repeat steps to make as many wraps as you'd like.
  6. Sprinkle cheese on top.
  7. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes or until hot inside.

I froze after folding them, so you will need to bake them, and sprinkle them with cheese if you desire. put in over 350 with cheese sprinkled over them to cook after thawed. (although I am sure you can do it longer from frozen state!)

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/pizza-wraps-22977#ixzz1XIgdncHG

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Potato and Double-Corn Chowder

1 bag (16 ounces) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed (4 cups)
1 can (15.25 ounces) whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can (14.75 ounces) cream-style corn
1 can (12 ounces) fat-free evaporated milk
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
5-6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients.
Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours (or High heat setting 3 to 4 hours) to develop flavors.

Options: Sprinkle with cheese when ready to serve or serve with grilled sandwiches.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

September 8th RSVP

In or out for September 8th and what will you make?

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Teryaki meatballs

Teryaki sauce
35 meatballs
Red pepper flakes

Heat in a crock pot on low until warmed all the way through. Enjoy! Serve over rice (sorry forgot to throw that in!)

Monday, August 8, 2011

Garbage Casserole

1 lb hamburger
Medium size shell noodles
Family size can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 - 1 cup sour cream
Couple dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
Cheddar Cheese - use preference on how much

Brown hamburger with seasoning (what ever your family likes, I used garlic powder and Johnny's.)
Cook noodles.

Mix ingredients together and place in casserole dish. Cover with cheese. Cook at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until cheese is melted.

From frozen - thaw and follow above directions.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Meatball Heroes

6 sandwich rolls
1 teaspoon olive oil
30 frozen, precooked Italian meatballs
Jar of pasta sauce (I use Prego)
10 ounces shredded mozzarella
3 ounces shredded or grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Warm the rolls on the oven rack. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook until browned on all sides. Add the sauce, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Put 5 meatballs and sauce in a roll, top with cheese mixture.

Frozen Mamas: defrost meatballs and sauce and reheat in a sauce pan. Warm rolls, add 5 meatballs and sauce per roll, top with cheese mixture.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Crockpot raspberry chicken

3 cups rice
6 cups water
6 chicken bullion cubes
Mix in crockpot

4 chicken breasts cut up ( I used tenders)
1/4 c dejion mustard
1 tsp ground ginger
12 oz raspberry jam
Mix together and add to rice in crockpot

Add 1 cup of pineapple chucks without juice (or just a little juice if you dont like pineapple chunks)

Cook on low 3 hours or until juices are absorbed and chicken is cooked to 170 degrees

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

August RSVP

RSVP here for August 4th...

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Pulled pork and coleslaw

1 pork steak
Apple juice
Water

Cook roast in crock pot and cover with equal parts of apple juice and water. Cook on low 8 hours. Pull pork and add back to crock pot with about 1 cup of meat juice left over and add desired amount of favorite BBQ sauce.

Frozen mamas: reheat meat, defrost coleslaw and serve meat in split buns.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Lemon Chicken Pasta

I got this recipe from here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/grilled-chicken-with-lemon-basil-pasta/

Ingredients
  • 3 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced
  • 1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente
  • ½ sticks Butter
  • 3 whole Lemons, Juiced
  • ¾ cups Heavy Cream
  • ¼ cups Half-and-half
  • 1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)
  • Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
  • 20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 3 to 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-heat. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

Directions from frozen

Defrost completely, flipping the bag of chicken occasionally so the marinade gets throughout the chicken. Grill the chicken, discarding the marinade. I suppose it would work to bake it, but it tasted really good grilled. Slice into strips.

In the midst of that, cook the pasta. I cooked the whole bag and while it looked like there was barely any sauce it was pretty flavorful. But if you want the sauce to be more obvious, cook 3/4 or so of the pasta.

Also at the same time, heat the milk and cheese mixture in a saute pan. Once hot, whisk in the lemon and basil mixture. Nothing curdled when I made it, but whisk occasionally to make sure.

Combine the sauce with the pasta and sliced chicken on top.

Slow-cooked Pork Soft Tacos

Slow-cooked Pork Soft Tacos
1 Pork Loin Roast (I buy them in four-packs from Costco)
1 Jar of Kirkland Organic Salsa
Flour tortilla shells

Place the thawed pork roast/salsa in crock pot and cook on low (when I have tried it on high it does not shred very well) for 8 hours. Shred with fork. Serve with warm flour tortillas.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Spicy Bbq Meatballs

35 meatballs
bbq sauce (lots!)
crushed red pepper

Dump bag with meatballs and bbq sauce into crock pot cook on low. The bag with crushed red peppers you can add a ltttle or a lot depending on how hot you like it! If it cooks all day with the meatballs will be really hot! We like it that way, but not everyone or their kids will! You can always take some out for the kids add the peppers you want at the end and let it cook for a half an hour or so longer! We have had to start to do that around here! But the really spicy version is excellent to! (that was my first try)

Great with garlic mash potatoes!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

June rsvp

RSVP here for June 2nd 7 pm...

Monday, May 2, 2011

Chicken Primavera Pasta

2 chicken breasts cut in bite size pieces
Chopped broccoli and carrots
1 tub Philadelphia Italian cheese and herb cooking creme
2 cups hot cooked pasta

Cook chicken until done. Add vegetables until heated through. Add cooking creme, stir until heated through. Stir in cooked pasta. Serve

From frozen: Thaw chicken and vegetables. Follow above instructions.

Dale & Shari's Beef Stroganoff (michele's April Meal)

4 cups beef cubes
can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of sour cream

Beef in slow cooker
cover with mushroom soup (mixed with milk)
Cover on Low 8 hours or High 4-5 hours
Before serving stir in sour cream


Serve over cooked rice, pasta, or baked potatoes

Friday, April 29, 2011

Grown-up Mac n' Cheese

I will have to come back here to post the recipe, but here are the instructions from frozen:

Defrost in a casserole dish. Spread bread crumbs over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes until brown and bubbly.

chicken tacos

  • 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 12 oz salsa
  • 1 package taco seasoning

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Top with salsa and taco seasoning then cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with tortillas and taco fixings.

From frozen state:
Thaw(although have many of times stuck frozen chicken in my crock pot!) put chicken in crock pot, top with the baggy of salsa and taco seasoning mixture, and cook for 6-8 hours on low. Shred the chicken with a fork when cooking time is up serve with taco shell provided, and top with your favorite taco fixings!


Recipe taken from Better Recipes Website
Submitted by Jodi Carney

Thursday, April 28, 2011

London broil

1 1/2 lbs of london broil
Marinade:
3 T dijion mustard
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1tsp black pepper, ground
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp brown sugar
1 T sun dried tomato

combine all marinade ingredients and meat in a ziplock bag. Let sit for at least 2 hours, or freeze.

Two methods of cooking: One is fancy and declicious and the other is quick and delicious!

1. Thaw meat. Remove steak from bag and toss marinade. Butterfly steak and score each side lightly. Make stuffing and spread stuffing over meat. Roll length wise like a jelly roll and tie with cooking string and 2 inch intervals. Brush meat with melted butter and place in a roasting pan on rack and bake uncovered for 65-75 minutes. Slice meat and toss string. (this is nice for a sit down meal)

2. Thaw meat. Remove steak from bag and toss marinade. Place meat on a hot grill and cook 15-25 minutes until it is done to your liking, turning as you go (we take this one camping)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Spicy Shrimp

1 ½ lbs Unpeeled Shrimp
¼ to ½ cup Olive Oil
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1-2 whole Lemons (juice Of)
¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco
½ stick Butter

Thoroughly rinse raw shrimp w/shells still on. Place the shrimp in a large baking pan in a single layer. Over top of the shrimp drizzle about ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil. Generously sprinkle pepper and kosher salt over top of the shrimp.  Squeeze the juice of 1-2 lemons over top of all of the shrimp. Drizzle Worcestershire all over the shrimp. Drizzle Tabasco sauce over the top to your desired temperature. Cut the butter into pats. Place the pats of butter on top of the shrimp as evenly spaced as possible.

Place the pan of shrimp under the broiler in your oven about 10 minutes until the shrimp are no longer translucent. This dish is meant to be shared family style on the pan you broiled the shrimp on.  Peel the shrimp as you eat them. Serve with bread because you need something to absorb all of the juices.

Adapted from the Pioneer Woman website (see the link for more detailed instructions and lots of pictures http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/08/spicy_shrimp_yu/

FROZEN MAMAS

Bag 1 - shrimp
Bag 2 - oil/juice/Worcestershire/seasoning mixture
Bag 3 - butter
Bag 4 - cheese bread sticks

Can be made from frozen.  Spread shrimp on a baking pan.  Mix contents of Bag 2 well then drizzle onto shrimp. Cut butter into pats and place on shrimp.  Cook as directed above. This is meant to be a fun, messy meal served family style, peel then eat.  Warm cheese bread sticks and use them to soak up the juices.  This recipe is called Spicy Shrimp, but I left out the Tabasco, so you can add it to taste. Also, I used Montreal Steak Seasoning instead of plain salt and pepper.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Jana's Cream Cheese Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 tub herb cream cheese (I used low fat Garden Vegetable flavor)
1 can mushroom soup
1 envelope italian salad dressing mix, dry 1/3 c water

Mix together, pour over chicken and cook on low in crock pot 6-8 hours.

If frozen, defrost first. (I don't always thaw my chicken - just cook longer from frozen)

April RSVP

RSVP here for April 28th, 7pm at church. No RSVP, no meals!

Friday, April 1, 2011

Jana's Taco Yummy crock pot dinner

I followed Jana's Taco/rice dish recipe. Throw it in the crock pot and warm it up. Add water to make it the consistency you desire.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Slow Cooker Barbecued Beans and Polish Sausage

INGREDIENTS
2 cans (15.5 oz each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained, rinsed
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 ring (1 to 1 1/4 lb) fully cooked smoked Polish sausage

Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients except sausage in cooker. Place sausage ring on bean mixture. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.

FROZEN MAMAS
Thaw bean mixture (and sausage), and use cooking instructions from above.

Recipe from bettycrocker.com

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Chicken Fettuccine


2 Sticks Salted Butter
1 pint half and half
5 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Parmesan Cheese
Chicken pieces
Penne noodles

Melt butter add garlic, half and half and 1/2 cheese. Warm through and then add nutmeg, once nutmeg is dissolved add your chicken. Keep on low/medium don't let boil or stick to pan it will burn! I stir continuously! Boil noodles while sauce is heating, drain noodles and pour sauce over noodles put back on burner on low, mix all together and the other 1/2 of cheese and let sit for just a few minutes. It will be a little liquidy but after a few minutes it will come together! Enjoy!

From frozen state: Thaw chicken, you can thaw sauce or do from a partially frozen state(that is how I did it!) Melt all the sauce package ingredients together, stirring constantly. (Boil your noodles at the same time.) Once sauce is melted add half the cheese package, save rest for later, melt through and then add chicken. Heat till chicken is warm and sauce is warm. Once noodles are done add the two together and the other 1/2 of cheese and put back on burner on low for a few minutes as it all comes together! Enjoy!

Bacon and Egg Muffins

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole milk
7 large eggs (1 in batter, 6 on top of muffins)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease 6 jumbo muffin tins (or 1-cup ramekins) with the oil spray and set aside.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, bacon, chives, and cheese in a large bowl. Combine the milk and one egg in a small bowl, and add to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter. Fold the ingredients together gently until no dry spots remain.

Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each of the muffin tins. Using a soft spatula, spread the batter up the sides of the tins a bit, leaving a depression in the middle of the batter. Crack an egg into the center of each cup, and divide the remaining batter between the cups, making sure you cover the yolk. (It’s easiest if you work with small dollops of batter.)

Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until the visible egg white is set and the muffins are just barely beginning to crack. (They won’t be very brown.) Cool 5 minutes, then run a small knife around the edges of each muffin to release. Serve hot.

FROZEN MAMAS
Substitutions – I used 10 slices of Canadian bacon instead of regular bacon, I omitted the chives and used 2% instead of whole milk.

CHECKLIST
Freezer bag containing Bags 1-4
Bag 1 – dry mix (flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and Parmesan)
Bag 2 – Canadian bacon, chopped
Bag 3 – milk + 1 egg
Bag 4 – butter
6 eggs
Jumbo muffin tin

Melt butter then combine with contents of Bags 1-4, mix until no dry spots remain. Remaining 6 eggs DO NOT go in the batter. Follow directions above for spooning batter into tins and cracking 1 egg into each of the 6 muffin cups.

From Edible Seattle Magazine
http://www.ediblecommunities.com/seattle/recipes/bacon-and-egg-muffins.htm

Monday, March 21, 2011

French Toast Casserole

4 cups bread cubes
4oz cream cheese cut up
1 1/2 c milk
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 c maple syrup
1 mashed bananna

Spread bread in greased 9x13 pan, drop clumps of cream cheese on top of bread. Mix other ingredients and pour over bread. Let sit 8 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with 2T sugar and 1t cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 40-45 min.

Frozen Mamas: Thaw and sprinkle with sugar mix. Bake at 350 for 40-45 min. Good served with extra syrup and bacon or sausage.

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