Okay, I've done homemade for months now, but I went a step further and made the sauce from scratch instead of melting cheese on the pasta like I usually do. Results were super creamy!
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup butter
Cheese, cubed
Seasonings (I used sage, rosemary, garlic, and white pepper)
Macaroni
Panko
Heat your milk, butter, and cheese over medium low, stirring constantly to prevent the milk scalding. Once your cheese starts to melt, add your seasonings and cook your pasta. Pour your sauce over drained noodles.
I baked ours. You bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Pour noodles into a casserole dish. Mix in panko. Pour the cheese sauce on top. The panko helps everything hold tight while baking.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Chocolate covered strawberry froyo
So I discovered I had yogurt that was unopened and needed to be used PRONTO. As in, expiring soon. Yeah...my go to is frozen yogurt! I modified this recipe, so I'll give credit at the end of my post.
Ingredients:
Full container of strawberry yogurt (cherry would be tasty too!)
1/4 cup cocoa powder, plus 1 tbsp
1tbsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3-4 tsp sugar
Combine everything in a bowl and mix well. It will take a bit to get all the powder lumps broken up. Pour into your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. Mine took about 45 minutes to really set. You get a good cocoa bite at first, then yummy strawberry!
Recipe compliments of chocolatecoveredkatie.com, modified from her brownie batter froyo.
Ingredients:
Full container of strawberry yogurt (cherry would be tasty too!)
1/4 cup cocoa powder, plus 1 tbsp
1tbsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3-4 tsp sugar
Combine everything in a bowl and mix well. It will take a bit to get all the powder lumps broken up. Pour into your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. Mine took about 45 minutes to really set. You get a good cocoa bite at first, then yummy strawberry!
Recipe compliments of chocolatecoveredkatie.com, modified from her brownie batter froyo.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Flavoring Up Cheap Pasta Sauce
Okay, so when I get groceries, I shop on a budget. I spend between $80-$100 a month on basic groceries to feed a family of 4. We spend about $50 every 6-8 weeks on meat. That is without coupons, so I know we could end up saving more if I did use coupons. That said, when I buy pasta sauce, I buy whatever is on sale or is the cheapest. Normally, that means we keep Ragu on hand. I've found that their Alfredo sauce is extremely and horribly bland and lifeless. Blah. So I wanted to flavor it up last night for our baked spaghetti!
Take one jar of Alfredo sauce, shredded cheese, and seasonings. Last night I shredded Colby Jack and Sharp Cheddar cheeses. Mix the Alfredo sauce and the shredded cheese together. I think I had a half cup of sauce and close to a cup of each cheese. Add seasonings. I opted for Oregano, Thyme, and Garlic Salt. I poured it over the spaghetti and mixed it all together, then baked it. However, you can also put it in a medium pot and cook it on medium heat, stirring constantly, until an even sauce results.
My mom does not like Ragu (bland and flavorless), but she said she thoroughly enjoyed the flavors last night. And she's not one to just smile and eat something if it's not that good. Both my kids devoured most of their adult-sized helpings (gotta love growth spurts!), and my husband literally asked me what brand the sauce was that I had used. :)
Take one jar of Alfredo sauce, shredded cheese, and seasonings. Last night I shredded Colby Jack and Sharp Cheddar cheeses. Mix the Alfredo sauce and the shredded cheese together. I think I had a half cup of sauce and close to a cup of each cheese. Add seasonings. I opted for Oregano, Thyme, and Garlic Salt. I poured it over the spaghetti and mixed it all together, then baked it. However, you can also put it in a medium pot and cook it on medium heat, stirring constantly, until an even sauce results.
My mom does not like Ragu (bland and flavorless), but she said she thoroughly enjoyed the flavors last night. And she's not one to just smile and eat something if it's not that good. Both my kids devoured most of their adult-sized helpings (gotta love growth spurts!), and my husband literally asked me what brand the sauce was that I had used. :)
Monday, December 10, 2012
Spiced Pork Sirloins
Okay, James cooked last night, but this is my brain child. The seasonings were a bit heavy handed, so not quite what I wanted, but I love that he cooked and tried to follow how I do it. Had the seasonings been in better ratio, it would have been tasty!
Ingredients:
Pork Sirloin
Creole seasoning
Salt
Sesame Seeds
Panko
Cilantro
Eggs (2)
Preheat your oven to 350. Mix your seasonings with the panko and sesame seeds (the seeds give a nice little crunch!). Be careful not to over salt your mix. Beat your eggs in a small bowl. Wash your room temp sirloins in the egg, then dredge in the panko mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.
As my husband learned, you don't want to get too much Creole seasoning or salt. You also want to make sure you mix the seasonings with the panko really well for even distribution.
Ingredients:
Pork Sirloin
Creole seasoning
Salt
Sesame Seeds
Panko
Cilantro
Eggs (2)
Preheat your oven to 350. Mix your seasonings with the panko and sesame seeds (the seeds give a nice little crunch!). Be careful not to over salt your mix. Beat your eggs in a small bowl. Wash your room temp sirloins in the egg, then dredge in the panko mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.
As my husband learned, you don't want to get too much Creole seasoning or salt. You also want to make sure you mix the seasonings with the panko really well for even distribution.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake
So boiling chicken to shred is one of my favorite techniques. The chicken stays so tender and moist! I needed a quick and easy way to use chicken that would fill up a toddler and preschooler who have hit growth spurts at the same time.
Ingredients:
Chicken breast
Pasta of choice (I used ziti)
Seasonings
Cheese of choice (I used mozzarella and colby jack)
Pasta sauce if you like
Set a stock pot of water on to boil. Once boiling, add your raw chicken breasts. Boil for 15 minutes. Let rest for another 10 on a cutting board after they cook. Boil your pasta until just about al dente. Drain well (I used a slotted spoon to dish it into my baking dish to make sure all the water was removed from the pasta). Mix in your cheese(s), seasonings, and chicken. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. It should get nice and gooey while the chicken stays really moist. Both my kids ate small, adult-sized portions of this and loved it!
Ingredients:
Chicken breast
Pasta of choice (I used ziti)
Seasonings
Cheese of choice (I used mozzarella and colby jack)
Pasta sauce if you like
Set a stock pot of water on to boil. Once boiling, add your raw chicken breasts. Boil for 15 minutes. Let rest for another 10 on a cutting board after they cook. Boil your pasta until just about al dente. Drain well (I used a slotted spoon to dish it into my baking dish to make sure all the water was removed from the pasta). Mix in your cheese(s), seasonings, and chicken. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. It should get nice and gooey while the chicken stays really moist. Both my kids ate small, adult-sized portions of this and loved it!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Something a bit different...a life update
So I have taken to using my blog to share recipes that I have tried. Cooking has been my realm to have a break from work, kids, dog...my own escape. However, there has been so much going on that I decided it was a time to actually give an update.
Today is closing day on our new home. I am so beyond excited, as any Facebook friend can attest based on my postings! This will allow us to provide our kids with so much more stability for the kids since we will no longer have to think about if/when our lease is up and where we would move. The kids have picked out their own rooms with no fighting. We have a large living room that is perfect for entertaining. Kitchen counters and cabinets were just installed 2 years ago. Large backyard, plenty of play space, quiet street, friendly neighbors (we met one last night on our final walk through!). I can't wait to get moved in and really make it ours!
James recently hit his first anniversary at Northern Oaks. He loves his job. He got a significant pay raise, and a 98.3 out of 100 on his review! I am so proud of the dedication he puts into his job. Our new neighbor we met last night actually knows him from Northern Oaks since she goes up frequently to visit one of her friends, who just so happens to be one of James's residents. He will be starting school in January to do a bridge program in order to receive his RN. His D.O.N. gave him a glowing letter of recommendation, and has said she wants to keep him on after he completes the 1.5 year program. I am so proud of him for going after this. He has wanted to get his RN for so long!
Mady is being the little energetic diva that she has always been. Her language has really taken off. Some days that little girl can talk circles around me! She is up to 5 and 6 word sentences routinely, and has begun using the word "and" in her sentences. I can still tell when her brain is working faster than her mouth can go. Lol. She gets caught up and tongue-tied before she figures out what she wants to say. She has such a little personality too! Hands on the hips, one finger out at me, and she loves to say, "You no tell me no Momma!". She gets in trouble, but we struggle not to let her see us laughing. Just the other night, she got The Look (moms, you know what look I mean!) for harassing Adair. She attempted to hide from me by covering her eyes up. You know, because The Look doesn't exist if she cannot see it. I almost busted out laughing in front of her. I just started laughing thinking about her response. She has started understanding that if she calls Roscoe, he will come running to her. She even tells me, "Momma, that my Roscoe. You no tell my Roscoe no. I put my Roscoe outside.". It's so sweet. She and Adair get along so well. If they are not together, they miss each other so bad. She constantly wants to take care of him, telling me he wants water or a snack, etc. It really makes my heart smile to see how she wants to take care of him and be with him nonstop.
Adair has adjusted pretty well to moving back to Texas after spending 4 months with his mom in California. We have had him home a little over a month now. It's been an adventure this past month for sure! He is such a sweet and loving boy. He still doesn't 100% understand not putting his hands on Roscoe's mouth since the dog loves to play and chew (playfully) on hands. We are getting there though. It's tough since he's been away from Roscoe for 4 months, and our pooch is quite playful and energetic. He loves playing with Mady. Except at daycare. Then it's the normal "OMG, my little sister is so ANNOYING!" mentality. lol. But he certainly defends her if she gets picked on. Typical "I can pick on her but nobody else can" thought process. He has made good strides in his speech, thanks to speech therapy started here and continued by his mom. He's not 100% where other children his age (4) are, but he's made such incredible advances. He loves sharing with Mady, and he is still obsessed with running nonstop! Our house is filled with happy squeals and shrieks that kill my eardrums nightly, but I LOVE it.
We just did our second evaluation with a local psychologist for autism. We are trying to figure out what is going on since there are still several things that just don't seem "normal" (I absolutely HATE that term and rarely use it). We are hoping to get the results soon so we know what else we can do to help him learn skills to conquer this world he lives in. He is going to do Speech Therapy, PT, and OT at West Texas Rehab, just waiting on that all to get going. I'm excited for him to do therapies at such a great facility.
Roscoe is still living in that puppy stage. We have had him for about a year now. He is a total bundle of energy. He will lay by the backdoor all day and whine to be in, then race through the house for about 30-45 minutes. Crazy pooch! He is phenomenal with the kids. They love sitting with him, hugging him, and playing with him. Although, at times I think Mady enjoys his toys as much, if not more, than he does! We have started training him to sit calmly with us on the couch. He loves to cuddle up on my lap, chest, wherever there is sitting space he can squeeze into. lol.
As for me, I've been keeping busy with packing, trying not to stress over the move, prepping both kids for the move, and my normal duties (work, cooking, house, etc.). It's crazy to think that just a year ago Mady and I were moving into our rental with James, getting everything set up for Adair to move in a few months later. It's so crazy to think about how much our lives have changed in just a year. And I wouldn't change any of it!
Today is closing day on our new home. I am so beyond excited, as any Facebook friend can attest based on my postings! This will allow us to provide our kids with so much more stability for the kids since we will no longer have to think about if/when our lease is up and where we would move. The kids have picked out their own rooms with no fighting. We have a large living room that is perfect for entertaining. Kitchen counters and cabinets were just installed 2 years ago. Large backyard, plenty of play space, quiet street, friendly neighbors (we met one last night on our final walk through!). I can't wait to get moved in and really make it ours!
James recently hit his first anniversary at Northern Oaks. He loves his job. He got a significant pay raise, and a 98.3 out of 100 on his review! I am so proud of the dedication he puts into his job. Our new neighbor we met last night actually knows him from Northern Oaks since she goes up frequently to visit one of her friends, who just so happens to be one of James's residents. He will be starting school in January to do a bridge program in order to receive his RN. His D.O.N. gave him a glowing letter of recommendation, and has said she wants to keep him on after he completes the 1.5 year program. I am so proud of him for going after this. He has wanted to get his RN for so long!
Mady is being the little energetic diva that she has always been. Her language has really taken off. Some days that little girl can talk circles around me! She is up to 5 and 6 word sentences routinely, and has begun using the word "and" in her sentences. I can still tell when her brain is working faster than her mouth can go. Lol. She gets caught up and tongue-tied before she figures out what she wants to say. She has such a little personality too! Hands on the hips, one finger out at me, and she loves to say, "You no tell me no Momma!". She gets in trouble, but we struggle not to let her see us laughing. Just the other night, she got The Look (moms, you know what look I mean!) for harassing Adair. She attempted to hide from me by covering her eyes up. You know, because The Look doesn't exist if she cannot see it. I almost busted out laughing in front of her. I just started laughing thinking about her response. She has started understanding that if she calls Roscoe, he will come running to her. She even tells me, "Momma, that my Roscoe. You no tell my Roscoe no. I put my Roscoe outside.". It's so sweet. She and Adair get along so well. If they are not together, they miss each other so bad. She constantly wants to take care of him, telling me he wants water or a snack, etc. It really makes my heart smile to see how she wants to take care of him and be with him nonstop.
Adair has adjusted pretty well to moving back to Texas after spending 4 months with his mom in California. We have had him home a little over a month now. It's been an adventure this past month for sure! He is such a sweet and loving boy. He still doesn't 100% understand not putting his hands on Roscoe's mouth since the dog loves to play and chew (playfully) on hands. We are getting there though. It's tough since he's been away from Roscoe for 4 months, and our pooch is quite playful and energetic. He loves playing with Mady. Except at daycare. Then it's the normal "OMG, my little sister is so ANNOYING!" mentality. lol. But he certainly defends her if she gets picked on. Typical "I can pick on her but nobody else can" thought process. He has made good strides in his speech, thanks to speech therapy started here and continued by his mom. He's not 100% where other children his age (4) are, but he's made such incredible advances. He loves sharing with Mady, and he is still obsessed with running nonstop! Our house is filled with happy squeals and shrieks that kill my eardrums nightly, but I LOVE it.
We just did our second evaluation with a local psychologist for autism. We are trying to figure out what is going on since there are still several things that just don't seem "normal" (I absolutely HATE that term and rarely use it). We are hoping to get the results soon so we know what else we can do to help him learn skills to conquer this world he lives in. He is going to do Speech Therapy, PT, and OT at West Texas Rehab, just waiting on that all to get going. I'm excited for him to do therapies at such a great facility.
Roscoe is still living in that puppy stage. We have had him for about a year now. He is a total bundle of energy. He will lay by the backdoor all day and whine to be in, then race through the house for about 30-45 minutes. Crazy pooch! He is phenomenal with the kids. They love sitting with him, hugging him, and playing with him. Although, at times I think Mady enjoys his toys as much, if not more, than he does! We have started training him to sit calmly with us on the couch. He loves to cuddle up on my lap, chest, wherever there is sitting space he can squeeze into. lol.
As for me, I've been keeping busy with packing, trying not to stress over the move, prepping both kids for the move, and my normal duties (work, cooking, house, etc.). It's crazy to think that just a year ago Mady and I were moving into our rental with James, getting everything set up for Adair to move in a few months later. It's so crazy to think about how much our lives have changed in just a year. And I wouldn't change any of it!
Pan seared steak
Okay, so most my dishes/cooking vessels are packed up, and I didn't feel like busting out the George Foreman. lol. So I used a skillet to do a light sear/fry on sirloin. Super tasty!
Ingredients:
Steak
Seasonings (I went with chili powder and garlic salt - everything else was packed!)
Olive Oil
I put enough oil in my medium skillet to thoroughly coat the bottom. While the oil was heating, I seasoned the steaks. I suggest a slight over-seasoning since the oil absorbed some of my meat's flavoring. Once the oil is hot, put your steak in. Sear it for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how you like your steak cook. I did about 3 minutes per side and got a nice medium.
We served black beans with this.
Had I not had most my kitchen packed up, I would have kept with the chili and garlic, but I think adding a cheese crisp to the steak, or a parmesan crust with the steak being finished in the oven to get a nice color to the cheese.
Ingredients:
Steak
Seasonings (I went with chili powder and garlic salt - everything else was packed!)
Olive Oil
I put enough oil in my medium skillet to thoroughly coat the bottom. While the oil was heating, I seasoned the steaks. I suggest a slight over-seasoning since the oil absorbed some of my meat's flavoring. Once the oil is hot, put your steak in. Sear it for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how you like your steak cook. I did about 3 minutes per side and got a nice medium.
We served black beans with this.
Had I not had most my kitchen packed up, I would have kept with the chili and garlic, but I think adding a cheese crisp to the steak, or a parmesan crust with the steak being finished in the oven to get a nice color to the cheese.
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