2014 52 in 52 #5 - Baked Gnocci with tomato, bacon and mozzarella

Everything is better with bacon and cheese, right? 

I first found this recipe when I was looking on Pinterest for new recipes at my husband's request.  I am not normally a fan of tomatoes that are visible in food, but I figured that I would make a sacrifice this time because the rest of the dish sounded that it would be tasty. 

I had a semi-boring day at work today; not that I wasn't busy, just bored, so I figured making a longer recipe today would be better than saving this one for a different day where I was more stressed out during the day.  Plus all I needed to have unfrozen was some bacon that I bought yesterday.  It seemed like everything was lining up perfectly for today to make an awesome dinner.

Now the original recipe was written in grams instead of any sort of cups/ounces measurement, so I will spare you the conversion and write mine in ounces. 

This recipe has a few steps to it but the result is awesome.  It was flavorful and creamy and was an excellent answer to the need for comfort food.  A lot of the steps were completed simultaneously so overall this recipe takes a relatively short amount of time to cook. 

Baked Gnocci with tomato, bacon and mozzarella
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins  

Ingredients:
8 ounces bacon, chopped into small pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
handful cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
2-3 tbsp. cream
small handful fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
17 oz gnocci
4 oz mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. 

In high sided skillet, fry chopped bacon until crispy.  Drain excess grease.  Add garlic and paprika and fry for 30 seconds.  Add all tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add cream, salt, pepper, and parsley. 

Boil gnocci until they float.  Remove from water with a spider strainer and add to sauce.   Incorporate sauce and gnocci and pour into oven safe baking dish.  Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!

2014 - 52 in 52 #4 - Balloon Banner

I always want to do something cute for a decoration for my children's birthday parties.  I like to make a 'Happy Birthday' banner but it is so time consuming and we end up throwing it away after the party, which is entirely too wasteful for me to feel comfortable with.  I was looking for something else that looked cool, was creative and relatively easy. 

I found this pin over a year ago and knew that I wanted to give it a try.  I mean, it looked easy and festive and may be just the thing that I was looking for. 

The first time that I tried it was at Isabella's rainbow birthday party.  I bought all the different colored balloons without thinking how I was going to get them blown up.  I didn't want to rent a helium tank because I didn't need them to stand up on their own and that just seemed like a waste.  Luckily, my genius hubby came up with the idea to blow them up with an air compressor - this turned into an amazing idea!  It was fast and didn't require me to lose all oxygen in my body blowing up 48 or so balloons.  The banner went together easily, stayed together and the balloons remained inflated in my other daughter's room for at least a month, which was nice. 

I decided to try again with my son's second birthday party.  I knew this time I wanted to make a spiral balloon banner.  I had several problems with my son's balloon banner but they were all in my preparation.  I didn't buy the same brand of balloons so it was hard to get them blown up evenly, and I didn't watch to ensure that they were blowing up to be the same size.  If the balloons are not the same size, then they don't fit together properly in the banner, which is frustrating.  However, if you follow the steps outlined below, you are guaranteed to end up with a cool looking balloon banner. 

Balloon banner

You will need 48 balloons, and some string to make this banner.  Because I always have leftover string that I use to wrap presents, I just used that.  You can use anything that resembles string, yarn, twine, etc. 

The first step is to blow up all of your balloons.  Ensure that they are the same size and shape. 















Next, tie the ends of two balloons together. 




















Next, you will tie two pairs of balloons together. 

The next step will be different depending on which type of banner you are making.  If you want to recreate one like the rainbow then you would just place one set of a certain color on top of the same color.  You will need to turn the second set just a bit to ensure that they fit down inside of the first set.  I usually just wrap the string around both sets from top to bottom, but there is no set way to tie it together.  As long as they are wrapped together strong enough to keep it steady and held together. 

If you are making the spiral banner you will ensure that you use four colors, that each color is always in the same spot within the four tied together balloons and that each time you go to tie one set of four balloons to the stack that you rotate the color always the same direction. 
















Repeat until you have all of your balloons strung together in the banner and hang up at your party! 

Enjoy!!  Post pictures of your balloon banner!! 

2014 52 in 52 #3 - Bacon Wrapped Lil' Smokies

Bacon, lil' smokies, butter and brown sugar... if you don't love that combination then you need serious mental help.  And you should definitely stop reading because you will be greatly disappointed. 

Hubby was the first one to alert me to this recipe.  I filed it away for another time when we were having a party or get together with friends.  This is definitely a 'man' recipe.  Anything covered in butter and bacon attracts men like flies. 

I am always on the look for appetizers and snacks for the kid's birthday parties.  I like to serve several different appetizers and snacks in lieu of a meal, that way people are destined to find something that they like.  I originally made this recipe for Isabella's third birthday party and it was okay.  There were several people who ranted and raved about it but I knew that it could be better.  If you make it like the recipe states it kind of swims in the syrup created by the butter and sugar and the bacon will never look or taste like it is cooked.  I definitely wanted that to be different. 

For Silas's second birthday, I made it again and this time, I think, it turned out a lot better.  I played with the ratio of brown sugar and butter and we changed the heat settings on the oven in an attempt to cook the bacon on the outside a bit more. 

Try it and let me know what you think!  Also, let me know what appetizers you like or what food you like to serve at birthday parties. 

Bacon Wrapped Lil' Smokies
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
2 packages of lil' smokies
1 and 1/2lb thin sliced bacon
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 and 2/3 cup brown sugar, divided

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut bacon strips into thirds.  Wrap bacon around each lil' smoky and place in ungreased 8x8 pan.  I used an 8x8 and a 9x9 this time in order to fit all of the lil' smokies in.  You can also use a 13x9 but I found that they didn't all fit without overlapping and that created soggy bacon.  Combine melted butter and 1 cup brown sugar together.  Spread evenly on top of bacon wrapped sausages.  Crumble remaining brown sugar evenly over the top.  Cook 20 minutes uncovered on 375, then raise heat to 400 and cook another 5 minutes.  We then cooked the pans carefully on broil for an extra 5 minutes in an attempt to crisp the skin a bit.  It still could be more crisp if it were up to me, but the party goers seemed to like them in the state that they were in.  Serve warm. 

Enjoy! 

2014 - 52 in 52 #2 - Baked Ravioli

I first pinned this recipe last year sometime.  I am always looking for simple and quick recipes for the weekdays.  The last thing that I want to do is come home after a long day at work and more than an hour and a half commute home and cook dinner.  This is one of the main reasons why I wanted to try freezer meals – I am not in the mood to cook dinner by the time that I get home from work. 

 

So I found this recipe for something called baked ravioli.  Shortly after I pinned this recipe, a woman on Youtube named Amy with the handle dreamflight6000 made this video where she made this recipe for a baked ravioli.  Now, you have probably read me talk about Amy before on another post – I love her!  She is really funny and smart and an excellent mother to her two boys (and pregnant with a third!), and she is a self-proclaimed picky eater.  I knew that if she and her family loved this recipe than certainly I could get my hungry albeit sometimes picky kids to eat it.

 

In my meal plan for the month of Dec-Jan (I decided that I need to do my meal plan for the end of one month and beginning of the next – better for our budgets and my sanity), I decided to try to make this meal.  I bought the ingredients and forgot about it.  If you follow me on Facebook or talk to me in person then you know that my home has been an acting convalescent home for some time with this crud that we are all passing around.  Well, Friday it came to a head with my son.  He was feeling awful and whiney, and needing to be held by someone and rocked most of the day.  For anyone who has now or who have ever had a toddler, you know those days.  I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner.  Luckily this recipe came to mind and it ended up being perfect. 

 

Isabella is a busy girl lately.  She just turned three, and she is all about helping.  I don’t want to stifle that help, because I don’t want her to turn into a sloth or (further) demanding toddler.  She is all about wanting to help in the kitchen.  I would LOVE to have the storage space for one of those Learning Towers, but alas, this rental that we are in has NO storage space, hence the reason why we had to build shelves to use our coat closet as a second pantry.  I will further explain that later.  She loves to help me cook, but since we have a gas stove, I am less than excited about the possibility of her doing that, especially since he will want to follow closely behind her and he has no natural apprehension towards fire like she does.

 

This recipe was awesome for them because it was simple and they were able to help.  It honestly is just laying several different pieces together and tossing it in the oven.  You could easily make this your own by substituting different kinds of ravioli, or different kinds of pasta sauce, etc.  We just used regular cheese ravioli and a traditional pasta sauce.  I do fresh grate my cheese always so that was just standard mozzarella from the store.  Let me know what substitutions you would do and I will check them out!

 

Baked Ravioli

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

 

Ingredients:

1 28 oz jar pasta sauce

1 package frozen raviolis (do not thaw)

8 oz grated mozzarella

½ cup Parmesan, to taste

¾ Tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp Garlic powder

 

Instructions:

Grease a 9x13 pan liberally with cooking spray and heat your oven to 400(check) degrees.  Spread about ¾ cup pasta sauce in the bottom of the pan.  Layer half of the frozen ravioli over the sauce in an even layer.  Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top of the ravioli.  Top with half of your mozzarella cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese.   Repeat that layer ensuring that you use all sauce and cheese.  I sprinkled the top of this with Italian seasoning and garlic powder to give it more flavor.  You can certainly omit those if you feel like you get enough flavor from your sauce or pasta, but I felt like it would need a little something.  (The picture above is what it looks like right before it goes into the oven.  No after picture - sorry we were too busy enjoying!) 

 

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is browning and completely melted.  Let stand 10-15 minutes after removal from oven before serving to allow the dish to set and the sauce to not be so runny. 

 

Enjoy!           

2013 52 in 52 #21 - Christmas Cross framed decor

I have been seeing pins like this everywhere on Pinterest.  The last one that I looked at got me even more inspired to re-create something like this just because it was awesome and had glitter.  Who doesn't love glitter?  Now, I understand that this pin is from www.etsy.com and that someone is trying to sell that, and I certainly don't want to undermine anything that another person is trying to sell; I am just going to give you my opinion.  What I am going to show you how to create today is relatively simple if you have the smallest bit of artistic talent.

The first step is to decide how big your frame is and what materials you want to use.  I used this festive tan and white holiday paper with red star accents (right), and this awesome red glitter paper (left).  I purchased both of them at Hobby Lobby before Christmas this year in their scrapbook paper area.  I already had the frame (11x14ish) so I didn't have to purchase one.  For crafts like this, I just use existing frames and switch out the pictures for crafts like this over the holidays.  I don't, personally, have the storage in my garage for several different sized frames like this. 

Next, you should decide on a shape.  You could really make this any shape that you wanted.  I chose a cross, but this would also look awesome with a Christmas tree, a Christmas ornament shape, or a star.  I might try it again with a different shape next year to see which I like better. 

The next step is to cut out the shape from your glitter paper.  I drew the shape on the back of the glitter paper which is not bumpy and is white, so it makes it easier to see where you have drawn.  Cut out your shape and make any modifications to the shape at this time - when I first cut mine out, one of the 'arms' of my cross was almost double the size of the matching arm.  That had to get fixed because the goal was not to make this look like it was a child's art project! 

Then you affix your printed paper in the frame however you want.  I taped mine down to the existing white cardboard that was in the inside of a frame.  Make sure that it is straight and lines up with the other paper if you have to mesh two pieces together. 

Then glue/tape your cross onto your paper.  You can see in my photo above that I just used four pieces of regular clear single sided tape.  I just used whatever materials I had lying around my house for this.  I could have also glued this down with just some basic glue or Mod Podge.   

Lastly, put your creation into a frame.  We housed ours on our 'Christmas mantle' this year, but I would like to find a place to hang it on our wall at some place. 

Enjoy!

52 in 52 #34 - Homemade Lasagna

Lasagna. 

I don't know why I have always been so scared to make lasagna.  I have successfully made stuffed shells and baked ziti numerous times... same basic ingredients but different placement in a pan.. what is so mystifying about that?  Maybe it's the fact that most people from Italy know someone who can make a lasagna that is life-changing.  Maybe it's the fact that there are *so* many awful recipe reviews online.   

As a part of my monthly meal plan, I have started to ask my husband for input during the planning process of what he would and would not like to eat during the month.  After first month of meal planning, I learned that it is better to ask up front what he would like to eat instead of assuming that during the month he will want to eat tacos and spaghetti.  Baby steps to happiness during marriage.  I should write a book.  I digress... This month his request was lasagna.  Luckily, Pinterest is there and ripe with recipes that people claim to be "The Best (insert random item here) that they have ever had!"

I found this recipe.  Now, of course, I had to make some changes.  Today was my shopping trip for my monthly meal plan and we didn't end up getting home until after 6pm.  This recipe, as written, wants you to cook the sauce for more than an hour by itself.  I had three hungry kids and a starving husband... we did not have time to wait, so I did substitute making my own sauce and used a jarred marinara sauce.  I have made my own sauce before with both the ziti and stuffed shells and it is completely worth the time that it takes the sauce to simmer.  I didn't have plans to make any changes and at some point this month or next, I will make the recipe exactly as written.  However, even with my modifications, this recipe is awesome, and it was easy enough even for a novice like me to make. 

Try it out or let me know your favorite lasagna recipes! 

Homemade Lasagna
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

• 12 regular lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions - these are not the one minute/no cook/etc. 
• 1 container ricotta cheese (15-16oz)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 large jar marinara sauce of your choice
• 1lb ground beef
• 1lb mild Italian sausage
• 1 medium white onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1lb mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
• Liberally grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Unless you want to celebrate the awesome-ness of this recipe by standing over a sink full of a gross pan of stuck on lasagna, I 100% recommend that you use what you feel is too much cooking spray on your pan.  You have been warned. 
• Brown ground beef, Italian sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat.  Drain off any excess grease. 
• Add marinara sauce to the browned meat mixture and stir to incorporate.  We had to add a bit more of an open jar of sauce to our meat sauce to get the desired texture.  If you like your sauce a bit more hearty, then you might be fine with one jar.  You could also thin in out with an un-drained jar of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, beef stock, etc.  We just happened to have an open jar already hanging out in the fridge. 
• Allow sauce to warm over low heat. 
• Mix together ricotta cheese, parsley, salt and egg and set aside.
• Boil lasagna noodles according to package directions.  My package said to cook 12-14 minutes.  I cooked them a bit less than that because I knew that they would continue to cook in the lasagna and I didn't want a mushy noodle in my dish. 
• Drain pasta and prepare to layer.  I drizzled about 2 tsp olive oil over my colander after I drained the pasta so that the noodles wouldn't stick together while I was working on the other layers. 
• Add approx. 1 and 1/2 cups of sauce to the bottom of your 9x13 pan.  Layer 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce.  Top of 1/2 of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly over the top of the noodles.  Add enough sauce just to cover the ricotta mixture and top with approx. 1/3 of your Mozzarella and 1/3 of your Parmesan cheeses. 
• Repeat last step one time starting with the layering of another 4 lasagna noodles on top of this cheese mixture. 
• Top with last 4 lasagna noodles, remaining sauce and remaining cheeses. 
• Baked covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. 
• Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes. 
• Allow to set for 10-15 minutes after removing from the oven to ensure stability of all layers and to prevent your hard work from turning into a lasagna soup. 

Enjoy!

2014 New Year's Resolutions

Sigh... didn't we *just* make New Year's resolutions?  It seriously feels like just yesterday that I started regularly writing on this blog and came up with my 2013 resolutions.  Before I had children, time never seemed to fly by the way that it has since my kids were born.  Hubby and I were just talking about this yesterday that it has been 9 months since our eldest daughter moved out of her mother's house.  Seriously, when he mentioned that it had been that long, I almost fell over.  Time just flies by out of control. 

I will recap my 2013 goals in another post, but let's just sum it up by saying that I learned a lot about setting realistic goals and expectations for yourself when you have small children.  I am going to categorize them into three different areas similar to last year.  I will try to update once a month or so on my progress. 

2014 New Year's Resolutions

• Personal
• Post one blog everyday.
• This was on my list last year.  I really am happy with posting blogs.  I love sharing recipes and I love corresponding with other people who blog.  This year I crossed an awesome un-written goal off my list of 10k views on this blog.  That was amazing and felt awesome!  Without stressing myself out too much, I would like to make a more formal schedule of what kind of blog is going to be posted on what day.  I might try to plan that out and see what happens.   
• Go on more dates with my husband. 
• I don't know any married couples with children that feel like they spend enough quality time with their partners.  I know that I don't.  I want to change this for the better this year.  I love my husband and would like to spend more alone time with him continuing to build our relationship.   
• Start going on 'dates' with my kids, i.e. manicures with Grace, play-dates with Isabella, etc. 
• Rarely, do I go anywhere with only one child.  Normally, I have at least 2, if not all 3 kids with me and I am usually doing something that would be boring to them, like grocery shopping, shopping at Target, etc.  I would like to change this and go on at least one date per month with the kids.  I am going to try to do this in combination with Corry because it's important for them to spend alone time with their father as well. 
• Home
• Do 52 'Pinterest projects' for the year.
• I tried to do this last year and failed miserably.  I am determined to accomplish this during the year.  I really like Pinterest for crafty type things and recipes.  I will definitely be able to accomplish this if I put my mind to it.  The original idea is to do one per week to make this more easy to complete.   
• Stock freezer with prepared meals once per month.
• We did an awesome job of making freezer meals and eating out of the freezer this year.  I want to continue this during the year.  I like doing the big monthly meals, but, honestly, it is easier if I just double or triple recipes that I am making for dinner or on the weekends.  I like doubling recipes that I put in the crockpot, because usually I can just put those in freezer bags, freeze them flat and they are good to go.  Super easy to thaw and heat up for easy dinners. 
• Do 12 'preps' for the year. 
• Most of Americans need to store more water, food, and supplies.  I want to get better at this during the year.  We were barely decent at something like this last year, so I would love to get better at this during the year.   
• Health
• Drink more water. 
• Last year, my resolution was to stop drinking sodas.  As much as I would like to stop drinking sodas, I have more belief that I would be able to drink more water than stop drinking a soda.  I keep reading different ideas about how much water a person should really consume.  I am going to shoot for at least the recommended 64 ounces, but I would like to shoot for half of my body weight in ounces of water. 
• Do some form of exercise 5 days per week. 
• I would like to go on walks after work at least 5 days per week, and I think that I am also going to try to walk at least 30 minutes per day at work on lunch.  I am going to try to bring my lunch most days to work which allows more free time on my lunch hour that would normally have been spent driving to get food, eating there, and driving back.  This should totally feasible. 
• Take all medications and vitamins regularly.
• I only take 2 prescription medications - both for my thyroid.. well, my lack of thyroid actually.  I don't know why it is so hard for me to remember to take these medications.  It's got to be a mental block for some reason.  I was never a big fan of taking medicine when I was growing up, so when I had my thyroid out and was told I was going to have to take a medication every day, I knew this was not going to turn out well.  I know for a fact that I feel SO much better when I take it regularly, so I just need to buckle down.  I was told at my last doctor's appointment that I had a relatively severe Vitamin D deficiency, so I have recently started taking my pre-natal vitamins again (no, not pregnant... I just have like 8 full containers laying around my house), Vitamin D pills and Iron pills.  It's easy for me to remember this regimen when I am at work, but when I am home it's more difficult for some reason.  I am determined to get better about this.   

What are your resolutions for this year? 

52 in 52 #33 - Homemade Chicken Fried Rice

I love chicken fried rice.  It is honestly one of my favorite things to order from any Chinese restaurant.  Other than egg rolls, but who doesn't love egg rolls?  I know that it sounds boring to say that fried rice and egg rolls is one of my favorite dishes to order, but anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not an adventurous eater.  I like certain things and I rarely step out of that comfort zone to test anything else. 

I wanted to figure out how to make chicken fried rice at home, because it seems like it would be easy and something that I could make quickly on a busy night when I have nothing else planned.  I found this recipe on Pinterest which made it almost seem comical how easy it looked to make.  I don't know that I have mentioned this before but thanks to Grace's generous grandmother we have been getting farm fresh eggs... they are awesome!  If you only buy eggs from the store, you forget what an egg is supposed to look like - note the awesome orange color of the yolk! 

It took a bit to prepare because you have several pieces (chicken and rice) that ultimately get combined together once they are cooked, but the combination of the items was super easy.  The result was something that tasted like it could have come from any half-decent Chinese food restaurant.  It wasn't the best fried rice that I have ever had but it was definitely something that I would make again, especially considering the ease that it came together. 

Try it and let me know what you think!

Homemade Chicken Fried Rice
Prep time: 35 mins
Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
4 cups rice, cooked
2 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked
3 Tbsp sesame oil
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs
1/2 cup soy sauce

Instructions:
Prepare rice and chicken.  I cooked our rice according to the bag instructions and I sautéed the chicken in a little bit of olive oil with some salt and pepper to taste.  In a large saucepan, heat sesame oil over medium heat.  Add peas & carrots, garlic and onion and sauté until soft.  Once softened, add eggs and scramble.  Add rice, chicken and soy sauce and cook for approximately 5 minutes until all ingredients are heated through. 

Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

52 in 52 #31 - Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

Our friends Jim and Tracy made this amazing twice baked potato casserole for us when we visited them for dinner one night.  I had always heard rumors of this delicious dish but had never tasted it until that night.  It was amazing.  Creamy, cheese-y, and utterly amazing.  I mean, who doesn't love anything with bacon and cheese? 

I found this recipe for a Twice Baked Potato Casserole and decided to give it a try for myself. 

Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
5 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup sour cream
10 slices bacon, cooked, drained and chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup melted butter
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheese
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
chopped green onions

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil peeled and diced potatoes until fork tender.  Drain potatoes and put in stand mixer.  Add butter, sour cream, and cream cheese.  Mix until completely combined.  Add 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheese, salt, pepper, and 1/2 bacon.  Mix well.  Press into well greased 13x9 pan and top with remaining cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through.  Garnish with remaining bacon and serve warm. 

Enjoy! 

52 in 52 #19 - Chicken Noodle Soup

I have been looking for a recipe for a decent chicken noodle soup forever.  All of the ones that I have tried so far have either had way too much salt, not enough seasoning at all, noodles that fall apart, or something else that made you think that you wasted an entire evening cooking something that you just want to throw away.  Since I have been having some luck with Pinterest recipes lately and since it was perfect soup weather today in DFW, I figured that I would try out one of the popular recipes that I found this afternoon. 

Thanks to wanting to make a chicken pot pie at some point during this month, I already had the ingredients for this recipe on hand.  I also took a look through the recipe to ensure that there weren't any steps that made me rethink the author's sanity.  This is a step that I used to not perform, and then I was burned by several awful recipes and decided that I had to start previewing the recipes before cooking.  This recipe did not seem to have any out of the ordinary steps, so I figured that we were good to go. 

This recipe is very good and was an excellent end to a cold, rainy day here in the Metroplex.  My husband said that the seasoning was lacking something but I think that he is looking for something that he is never going to find with a recipe for chicken noodle soup because my kids and I thought that it was great.  I did make a few minor changes to the recipe.  The original is here and you can find mine detailed below. 

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Ingredients:
2 whole chicken breasts
1 medium to large onion, chopped
3 tbsp. chopped garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb carrots, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. chopped, dried parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp black pepper
water
16 oz egg noodles

Place chopped garlic and onion in large stockpot with olive oil and sauté over medium heat until tender.  Add carrots and celery and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Add herbs, salt, pepper and chicken breasts to pot and cover with 8 cups of water.  Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer for one hour.  After one hour, remove the chicken and shred finely with two forks.  Add at least 1 tsp more salt at this time, depending on how salty you like your soup.  Add a little more than you care for, because you have yet to boil the pasta and add additional water and that will lessen the saltiness of a soup.  Add the noodles, raise heat and boil for 7 minutes.  After 7 minutes, add chicken back into mixture and add at least 2 cups more water.  I had to add another 5 cups to get the amount of soup that I was looking for and to even out the liquid to noodles mixture.  Ensure that water that you are adding is hot or else you will have to spend another 5 minutes heating mixture again to avoid hot and cold spots in your soup.  Season again and serve warm. 

Enjoy!

52 in 52 #18 - Pioneer Woman Meatloaf

So, I'm going to be completely and totally honest here... I am not a meatloaf fan.  I never have been and probably never will be the biggest fan of it.  My mother didn't care for it and thus didn't serve it a lot, so I never really got the chance growing up to become accustomed to it.  Now that I am a grown up, it doesn't make my meal plan a lot, even though my husband loves it.  I resolved to change that this month because I know that he loves it and doesn't get to have it a lot.  Plus, I saw that the Pioneer Woman has a recipe for it and I figured that her recipe was bound to be amazing since I have yet to try a recipe by her that wasn't completely awesome. 

This recipe definitely did not disappoint.  I mean, it's covered in bacon... how bad could it really be?  Everything is better with cheese and bacon, right?  If you aren't saying "Right?" right now, we can't be friends anymore...

This meatloaf is moist and flavorful, and the sauce for the top is amazing.  I made a small modification because we don't have Tabasco in our house, but I would imagine that even if you made it exactly the way that it called for in the recipe that it would be amazing.  I will say that I am stating our cook time that it took in our oven.  Her recipe stated that you should cook the meatloaf for 45 ish minutes and after that time our loaf was no where near done.  We used a probe thermometer to ensure that it was cooked through and ours took roughly an hour and a half to cook through.  Keep an eye on yours and ensure that it is fully cooked before consuming.  Pink in the middle is not acceptable for this recipe. 

Definitely make this recipe if you or anyone you know is a meatloaf fan and they will think that you are awesome! 

Simple Meatloaf
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fresh minced Parsley
4 beaten eggs
6 slices white bread
1 cup milk
3 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 tbsp. seasoning salt
10 slices thin bacon
1 and 1/2 cups ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground mustard
Sriracha to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place six slices of white bread in a bowl and cover with milk.  Allow to soak for a few minutes.  This part is crucial for the texture.  Bread crumbs are not an acceptable substitution in this recipe. 

Mix eggs, beef, cheese, salt, pepper, seasoning salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Crumble bread and milk into this mixture and completely combine.  As odd as this sounds, your hands are the best tools to combine a meatloaf's ingredients together. 

Once your ingredients are completely combined, form into a loaf shape on a broiler pan.  Ensure that you have another pan underneath to catch drippings.  For your sanity, I would cover that bottom pan with aluminum foil.  This will allow for easy clean up when you are in a food coma after consuming this amazing dish. 

Once your loaf is formed, top with bacon slices.  Combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Tabasco.  Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the bacon slices and spread evenly.  Bake in oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven, top with 1/2 of the remaining sauce and continue baking for 15 minutes.  Check the temperature.  We looked for 165 degrees.  You can technically cook it shy of that temperature but you are safe at 165.   Note:  I am using a picture from the Pioneer Woman's own recipe post.  In all the excitement of dinner finally being done with three starving kids, I forgot to take a 'final' photo.  This will not be the last time that we will make this so I will update with a 'real' picture of mine when we make it again. 

Serve with remaining sauce and your choice of side dishes.  We served it with the Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese. 

Enjoy! 

52 in 52 #17 - Crockpot macaroni and cheese

I love my crockpot(s).  I love macaroni and cheese.  So when I saw this recipe for a crockpot macaroni and cheese, my heart was overjoyed.  You mean, I wouldn't have to stand over the stove and cook a roux, cook noodles and then wait for all of this to bake?  I could really just par-cook noodles and then throw all this stuff in the crockpot and 4 hours later like magic it would be done?  This is like modern day magic! 

I was anxious to test this out as Thanksgiving approaches.  In our family's Thanksgiving celebration, we are in charge of the side dishes.  I am always on the look out for a good macaroni and cheese recipe.  While this recipe that I blogged about the other day was delicious, I am not going to be home for the crucial cooking time for that recipe and was hoping to find something that could just hang out in a crock pot and cook itself. 

I will say this about this recipe... it is cheesey.  For someone who likes a macaroni and cheese that tastes extra cheesey, then this recipe is totally for you.  For us, it was too cheesey.  It tasted, honestly, like we could have half-ed the amount of cheese in the recipe and been completely fine.  And I will admit that I even added more noodles than I should have because it seemed like the balance was already off from the get go.  The taste was good and it would honestly probably work with half of the Velveeta, or half of the Colby and jack cheese(s).  Also, for all of you readers that have the larger circular crock pots or crockpots that heat to a hotter temperature, you might want to cut the time back as well.  I was using our larger circular crock pot and it boils on low some how, so I should have also cut the cook time back by at least 30 minutes or used our smaller crock pot which actually is a low temperature when set to low.   

Even though the finished product was not what I intended, I will definitely be making this again and will update with the changes that I make to the recipe.  I am bound and determined that I will find a simple but delicious macaroni and cheese recipe that I can share with you all.  If you have one that you think would make the cut, please email me! 

Crockpot Macaroni and cheese

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 4 hours

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked macaroni noodles
16 ounces Colby cheese, cubed
16 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, cubed
16 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 stick of butter, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups whole milk

Instructions:
Boil macaroni noodles for 4 minutes, tops.  It is going to seem very odd to only cook them for such a short time, but believe me, if you cook them any longer they will be mushy and gross by the time your macaroni and cheese is ready to serve. 

Layer macaroni, cheeses, butter, salt and pepper together starting and ending with your cooked pasta.  Once the layers are complete, pour milk over the top. 

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.  Stir only twice - once halfway through and once at the end.  Any more stirring than that and you will risk breaking down your noodles and turning the whole thing to mush. 

Beware that the edges will get very dark brown.  This will be similar to baked macaroni and cheese.  Ours did not get as brown as I thought that it would, but rest assured that it will not burn and those pieces are acceptable to be stirred in or eaten separately by the person cooking. 

Enjoy! 

52 in 52 #16 - Buckeye Bites

Sugar and peanut butter held together by a pretzel and dipped in chocolate.  Oh it sounds awful!  How could anyone make such a gross recipe?  Totally kidding... this recipe, honestly, had to have been invented by a woman either PMS-ing or pregnant. 

These are nothing short of amazing.  The creamy peanut butter and sugar and the awesome hard candy shell really work together to make these irresistible.  I have made them several different times and have yet to find anyone, besides my toddlers, who hate them.  We are lucky because our toddlers are not into these - more for us!  The creamy, peanut-buttery, pretzel-y, chocolate-y goodness is something that should be shared with others but with a secret stash for yourself to eat after the kids go to bed! 

Buckeye Bites
Prep time: 10 mins
Freeze time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp. softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
 pretzels
chocolate melts

Instructions: 
Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Cream together butter and peanut butter.  I have used a stand mixer and it seems to incorporate things easier, quicker and you don't feel like you need to stop and have a rest for your arm halfway through.  Mix in sugars.  Dough will be very thick and very sticky.  At this point, I refrigerate the dough for at least 10 minutes to make it significantly less sticky.  Roll the dough into balls and top a pretzel with each ball.  (We do balls about the size of 2 marbles, but you can do more if you would like your bites to be thicker, smaller if you would like them to be thinner.)  When you find that the dough is too sticky to handle, simply put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes.  Top each ball with a second pretzel with the sides lined up to the bottom pretzel.  Once all of your dough is balled up and in a 'pretzel sandwich', place those pretzel sandwiches in the freezer for at least 20 minutes, if not longer.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler.  Dip half of each pretzel sandwich in the chocolate and place back on your pan.  Once all pretzels are dipped, place in the fridge for 15 minutes. 

Consume with caution - these are dangerously good!

52 in 52 #15 - Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole

I promise I am going to blog about something other than recipes... eventually.  I have been in the zone lately making recipes that I find from Pinterest, it seems.  And (knock on wood) they have been mostly positive experiences. 

Next up on the list is Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole.  Let me be honest here... I was originally annoyed by this pin because it is just a picture when you click on it.  I don't understand why people do this for a recipe.  Take me to someone's blog or website that has made the recipe and can give clear, descriptive instructions.  I don't want to see a picture with your less than 100 words of description/recipe.

With that being said, I still took the chance and it turned out great.  Our latest version of taco seasoning that we made is a little bit more spicy than I care for, but it made this dish very flavorful. 

Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 25 mins

Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts
2 cups instant rice - we used brown
3 tbsp. homemade taco seasoning or 1 packet
1 can tomatoes and green chiles
1 1/2 cups water
grated cheese

Instructions:
Cut chicken up into bite sized pieces.  Add water, taco seasoning and tomatoes and green chiles.  Heat until boiling.  Add rice and stir together.  This is where we differ from the recipe.  We heated our mixture to boiling again after the rice was added, then immediately covered and moved the temperature down to low on our stove top.  Once water is absorbed, stir completely to combine and top with shredded cheese. 

We served ours in a bowl and it was amazing!  It has great flavor and is super easy to make.  The cheese melts and makes it creamy and delicious! 

Enjoy!

52 in 52 #14 - Persimmon Cookies with an orange glaze

A few weeks ago we got this mysterious orange fruit in our Bountiful Baskets haul.  While everyone is picking up their food, it is difficult to talk to people about what you are getting because it is mildly chaotic, so I just figured that I would look it up at home.  Lo and behold... a persimmon.  Before that day, I can't say with confidence that I knew what a persimmon even was. 

I have been trying to use everything that we get out of our baskets and let less go to waste, so I knew that I wanted to use them in something.  A quick search on Pinterest and voila - persimmon cookies!  I told a friend at work about them and he instructed me to freeze them because they are supposedly better after a first freeze and since ours would have been harvested before that then they probably weren't technically ripe and awesome tasting yet.  Into the freezer they went... 

My first batch of cookies tasted awesome but I knew that the texture could be better so I decided to try out pureeing the fruit and see how that did.  Once out of the freezer they defrost very quickly and the fruit turns kind of mushy.  If you are not going to use them in cooking, and want more of a raw fruit experience, I would not freeze them.  However, for this recipe it was a great idea!  Give it a try! 

Persimmon Cookies with Orange Glaze
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 12 per batch

Cookie ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup unsalted softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup persimmon pulp (from 2-3 persimmons)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla

Orange glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice - we used at least 1/3 cup if not more
zest from oranges that you are juicing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

Cream the butter with the sugar. Puree the persimmons and beat in persimmon pulp, egg, and vanilla.

Slowly add in the flour mixture until everything is combined.

I use a small ice cream scoop for similarly sized portions of dough.  Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes or until cookies are brown around the edges and set. They will still look a little under done, but that is perfect!  Let cool on baking sheets for five minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the orange glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and zest together. Whisk until smooth. Spoon glaze over each cookie.  Set cookies back on wire rack for glaze to harden.

These cookies have an amazing cake-y texture and the orange glaze really makes them special.  We love a really orange flavor in our glaze so cut back the juice and zest if you do not love as much orange flavor. 

Enjoy!

52 in 52 #10 Homemade Yogurt Melt Snacks

I have seen this pin like 9,000 times on Pinterest.  My kids were never that into the yogurt melts when they were younger, but they love yogurt now so I figured that perhaps this would be a less messy way to indulge their taste for yogurt.  I don't know what it is about yogurt but I can barely eat yogurt as an adult without getting it everywhere so you can imagine two toddlers and the mess that comes after them trying to eat yogurt on their own. 

The basic idea of this pin is very simple.  Dump a container of yogurt into a plastic sandwich bag, cut the tip, squeeze dime-ish sized dots onto a foil lined baking sheet, freeze and then enjoy.  Sounds simple.  I went into this however with apprehension because I have been burned by pins

that appear easy before. 

Homemade Yogurt Melt Snacks
Prep time: 10 minutes
Freeze time: 2 hours

1 container flavored yogurt
1 baking sheet
aluminum foil
plastic sandwich bag

Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Decide which yogurt flavor you want to make your snacks out of. 

 

Empty the yogurt container into the plastic sandwich bag and cut a *small* hole in one of the tips.  I quickly learned that what I first considered a small hole was vastly too big. 

 

Drop dime sized dollops of yogurt onto the baking sheet.  Be careful to not put them too close together unless you want them to run together and become bigger 'dots'. 



 

 

Freeze baking sheet with yogurt dots for at least 2 hours.  They will probably be frozen through sooner than that, but I think that it works better if they are SUPER frozen.  Once they are frozen through, you can gently scrape them off of the foil and store them in a plastic bag or container in the freezer, like this:

 

 

 

Now, since you are flash freezing your melts they will start to melt once you remove them from the freezer so unless you live in Antarctica, this is not a good "on the go" snack.  Mine also are starting to break apart a bit every time they are handled in the freezer.  I don't know how to rectify that problem.  However, they do amuse children and are super easy to make.  I haven't purchased the packaged variety of these snacks in over a year, but I would definitely be willing to say that these are cheaper than the ones that you can purchase at the store. 

 

Give this a try and let me know how it works out!

 

-Sara 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

52 in 52 #9 - Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning – Pinterest Project #9

 

I have had my eye on this pin to make my own taco seasoning for months.  This is one of those items that I would not have previously brought up to my husband.  My husband is very practical and one of the things that he always wants me to think about is the amount of time, effort and money that it would take to make something personally versus the amount of money that it would cost just to purchase something pre-made at the store.  Since a packet of taco seasoning is like $.80 at the store and I figured that he would be less inclined to indulge my desires to try this recipe at home.  Luckily he was feeling generous that day and he actually seemed like he was into it. 

 

The original pin that I used as inspiration is here.  I was very interested in at least trying this because I figured that it would solve at least a few of my issues with the packets of taco seasoning.  We eat tacos, salsa chicken and other recipes that require taco seasoning a lot, so we were always buying at least a few packets of that seasoning mix when we went to the store.  We buy a lot of spices for chili mix and other cooking adventures so I knew that we would have everything on hand, I was always just hesitant to try a new recipe because I didn’t want it to be horrible.  Also, with the packet of seasoning, I was always getting HORRIBLE heartburn with it no matter what we put it in.  I am not sure what is in that mix that causes that but this homemade version definitely does not do that, which is awesome. 

 

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Prep time: 10 minutes

 

2 Tbsp chili powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp cumin

2 ½ tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

 

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Mix well and store in an airtight container.  Use 2-3 Tbsp per 1lb of ground meat depending on how flavorful you like your dishes. 

 

This seasoning blend tastes amazing in any dish that you would use the store bought mix in.  There are several different things that I love about this mix:

 

·         It’s customizable – you can add more or less salt if you like.  We use smoked paprika in place of regular paprika and we also usually add more red pepper flakes since we like ours a bit more spicy than some other people.

·         You don’t get that gross, heartburn-y feeling after eating this mixture.  There are no preservatives that aren’t already in the spices themselves and there is no MSG to leave you with an upset stomach like the package mix. 

·         We buy our spices in bulk most of the time, so this recipe ends up being fairly comparable as far as price is concerned to the package.  It will cost maybe a few cents more per use but to have something that tastes much better and you can customize makes it totally worth it.  Plus, people are impressed when you say that you make your own spice blend. 

 

You can buy cheaper mixes and get a bland result but if you are looking for something to add some kick to your dishes that require a taco seasoning packet, give this one a try.  Let me know what you would add or remove to make this blend different for your family.  I am always in the market for substitutions to try. 

 

52 in 52 #8 Jalapeno Popper Dip

I'm going to start off by saying that I am going to have to work very diligently to finish this 52 in 52 challenge that I am working on this year.  Luckily, I have BIG plans coming for the kid's birthday parties so I will definitely have the opportunity. 

With that being said, I have been eyeing this recipe for a long time on Pinterest.  I love all things to do with Jalapeno Poppers, so I figured who wouldn't love the dip.  For real, I mean it looks like this picture, except more awesome when you make it for yourself.  I didn't care for something about almost every recipe that I saw, so I just winged it.  I mean, really how hard could it be? 

And not to toot my own horn or anything but I am still snacking on leftovers.  This will definitely be made in a smaller more controlled portion size later.  I actually think that it is better after the first day.  Luckily, we are getting a fairly sizeable crop of jalapenos from our garden, so we were able to use fresh, which I think made it better.  I like this dish because you are totally in control of the spice level and can make it as tame or as hot as you prefer.  It's also very flexible with the kind and amount of cheese that you add and any additional spices.  Let me know if you try anything different because I would definitely be willing to try some variations.   


Jalapeno Popper Dip
Yields 1 8x8 pan roughly 1.5 inches thick
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4-6 jalapenos, finely chopped without seeds and ribs
6 pieces bacon, fully cooked and finely chopped
1 tsp Cumin
8 oz cheddar cheese
1 cup breadcrumbs
4 oz butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Smoked paprika

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

- Mix cream cheese, mayo, jalapenos, bacon, cumin, 1/2 cup Parm and cheddar cheese together completely.  Spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray lightly.  Press mixture into pan. 

- Melt butter in microwave.  Stir in remaining Parm cheese and breadcrumbs until fully combined.  Sprinkle breadcrumbs over mixture and top lightly with smoked paprika.  . 

- Place in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until topping is toasted and mixture is bubbly and awesome. 
 
Let me know some of your favorite dip recipes - I am always looking for a new one!

-Sara

52 in 52 #5 - No-Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Cookies

52 in 52 #5 – No- Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Cookies

Pinterest project – 5
Pinterest projects to go – 47

This weekend I have to work an overnight shift to test a system upgrade at my job. Insert happiness and joy here. I knew that I would need something with sugar in it in order to keep myself awake for the multiple hours that I would be there. My boss would be there as well and I knew that she recently gave up chocolate and marshmallows for Lent, so this instantly became a challenge to find something that looked delicious and didn’t include those two ingredients.

Insert a pin that I saved MONTHS ago and never did – Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Cookies. Original pin: http://www.marthastewart.com/343255/no-bake-peanut-butter-rice-krispies-cook . This definitely fits all three requirements of looking delicious, not including chocolate or marshmallows and including enough sugar to keep myself awake.



On my last visit to the store I bought an enormous box of Rice Krispies and decided to make a double batch so we would have some for the house as well. This made two 13x9 pans of treats – I cut one batch into the stated 16 squares and they seemed a bit large so I cut the next batch into 20 and they were definitely a more appropriate size.

Original recipe:
Ingredients
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups salted peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups Rice Krispies
Directions
1. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with wax paper or baking parchment. Place the corn syrup and sugars in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
2. Stir in the peanut butter and mix well to combine. Quickly stir in the vanilla and Rice Krispies. Spread into the lined baking pan. Cool and slice into squares.

A few important things to mention:
1. This mixture needs more cereal than it calls for – the texture is completely different than a normal Rice Krispie treat. It is a lot more dense than normal and adopts a slightly sticky texture on the bottom of the bars even after they are refrigerated.
2. Remember to spray your wax paper or parchment liberally. These are very sticky and will stick without being sprayed with cooking spray or buttered. I used aluminum foil and sprayed heavily with cooking spray.
With that being said, this recipe is amazing! It has a strong peanut butter flavor and is a good texture, even though different from ‘normal’ Rice Krispie treats. The instructions are easy to follow and the recipe takes about 10 minutes total to make. This was a hit!