Sunday Brunch!

Berry Yummy French toast
sausage links

5 eggs (mixed)
3 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
16 slices(1 lb) or a loaf of french bread (day old works great)
1 package 16oz mixed berries
2 T cold butter
1/3 cup brown sugar

Spray baking dish. Layer bread into dish. Combine eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. Pour over bread evenly making sure to cover all the bread. Cover and refigerate overnight. 30 minutes before baking take berries and pan out. Bake toast at 350 for 30 minutes. Top toast with berries. Make crumble mixture with butter and brown sugar. Sprinkle with mixture. Bake for 20 more minutes. Serve with syrup if necessary. And eat with sausage..yum!

Winter go away!

It's hard to believe that it snowed here again! Thanks god it means I can sneak in a few more casseroles and comfort food easily! Nothing too exciting here. Enjoy. Evie

Monday:
Lazy lasagna

1/2 pkg. egg noodles
1 c. cottage cheese
2/3 c. shredded Mozzarella
1/3 c. grated Parmesan
2 1/2 c. spaghetti sauce
1 lb. ground beef
1 red bell pepper diced
8oz chopped mushrooms
1/2 samll onion diced
8oz frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1T minced garlic

Preheat oven to 375. Brown hamburger, along with mushrooms, onions, garlic, peppers, and spinach. Add sauce to browned mixture. Cook noodles for about 4 minutes. In a large bowl, toss noodles with cottage cheese, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
In 2-quart baking dish, spoon enough sauce to cover bottom of dish. Layer half noodle mixture and half sauce; repeat until gone. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees.


Tuesday:
Golden Potatoes

2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup half-and-half cream
1 cup caned baby food sweet potatoes(or cooked sweet potato)
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2-1/4 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 cups cubed diced ham
2 cup steamed soft broccoli
2 cups soft bread crumbs
8 ounces Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

In a large skillet, cook onions in butter over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently.
In a large bowl, combine the cream, sweet potatoes, horseradish, nutmeg, salt and pepper. In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan, layer with potato slices, ham, broccoli, and onions. Spread with sweet potato mixture. Cover and bake at 350° for 1-1/4 hours.
Increase temperature to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese and sage. Sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until golden brown.


Wednesday:
Rosemary Baked chicken
green beans
chicken flavored rice(boxed mix)

3 lbs assorted chicken parts (I am using thighs and legs)
2T fresh chopped rosemary
1T chopped garlic
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper

Place chicken on non-stick baking sheet, or line with foil. Salt and pepper chicken. Spead garlic and rosemary onto chicken. Drizzle with olive oil, then with balsamic vinegar. Bake at 350for about 40-50 minutes or until juices run clear.

Thursday:
Heat up those awesome leftovers!

Friday:
Ginger-Orange glazed salmon
asparagus and cold sesame noodles

1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tablespoons white rice vinegar (or other white vinegar)
1 pound boneless, skinless salmon fillet, cut in four pieces
6 scallions, thinly sliced with green (optional)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Combine marmalade, oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and vinegar. Heat Broiler. Brush glaze on each side of salmon; Broil about 5 minutes on each side. Top with scallions and sesame seeds.

Noodles:
Marinade
1/4 cup sesame oil
3 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
7 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. Chinese black or balsamic vinegar
3 1/2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili oil
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Noodles and asparagus
~ Salt
2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on a diagonal
1 (14 oz.) package thin Chinese egg noodles
10 scallions, including the firm greens, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted until lightly browned

Mix the marinade ingredients together, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and the asparagus. Cook until bright green and tender but still firm, just a few minutes. Scoop the asparagus out, rinse it under cold water, and set on a towel to dry.
Pull the noodles apart with your fingers, add them to the boiling water, and give them a quick stir. Boil until tender but not overly soft, tasting them often as they cook. It should take only a few minutes. Pour the noodles into a colander and immediately rinse under cold water. Shake off the excess water.
Toss the noodles with all the marinade and most of the scallions, sesame seeds, and asparagus. Mound them in a bowl or on a platter, then garnish with the remaining asparagus, scallions, and sesame seeds.

One week off but back again..

So sorry for those who read on a regular basis, but I had to take a break last week. I am back this week though! I hope evryone had a fun St Pat's I know we did and we sure enjoyed our corned beef and cabbage, and the sandwiches and has that followed. We are having a beautiful week..so the menu is easy so we can get planting!

Sunday:
Grilled Steak and hot dogs
baked sweet potatoes
steamed asparagus(yes its in season and sooo cheap)
No recipes to follow here these are no brainers!

Monday:
Pork tacos
beans
rice

1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 taco shells
2 tomatoes, chopped and drained
3 cups shredded lettuce
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
Bottled taco sauce

Cook pork, onion and garlic till meat is well browned; drain off excess fat. Add chili powder and salt. Spoon about 1/4 cup meat mixture into each taco shell; add tomato, lettuce and cheese. Serve with bottled taco sauce. Makes about 12 tacos.

Tuesday:
Veggie Lo Mein
purchased egg rolls

8 ounces linguine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 3/4 cups chopped celery
1 3/4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 3/4 cups sliced red bell peppers
1/2 cup sliced onion
2 cups bean sprouts
2 cups snow peas

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Stir in the celery, mushrooms, peppers, and onion, and cook about 3 minutes. Add the broth mixture, bean sprouts, and snow peas. Continue to cook and stir about 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender but crisp. In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta and the vegetable mixture.


Wednesday:
Chicken in sour cream
rice
broccoli

8 chicken thighs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pinch salt
1 pinch paprika
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup(organic)
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix(organic)
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill weed

Brown chicken in oil over medium heat. Place in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Combine mushroom soup, onion soup mix, sour cream, lemon juice, and dill weed. Pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for one hour, or until chicken is tender and sauce is brown.

Thursday:
Spaghetti
salad
bread

Another no brainer people!


Friday:
Grilled turkey tenderloins
potato salad
baked beans


enjoy!

Sweet kiss..

I had a great night with friends, pretending I was single and childless for a few hours at least. One phone call makes the walls come crashing down..I won't go into detail however. I was woken up by the annoying sounds of someone making breakfast loudly and all the grumbles that are my husbands morning routine. He shouts at us..are you going to get up..or sleep all day?? Zach rolls over to me and kisses my nose..and them my cheeks. I was surprised at his lovey doveyness.. since he is not usually a morning person. It was surprising and sweet and I live for those moments. The rest of the morning is like many others. A flurry of hurry-ups and get dresseds..and eat fasters. I rewarded his sweetness with a piece of King Cake for breakfast..its the best I could do. A photo of which I will include later since my photo hosting site is down right now.

Onward and upward...

Spring cleaning HO! God how I hate the thought of it..but somehow I have begun without really too much thought. I spent many hours cleaning my desk area..and still its a mess. I got rid of tons yet much remains..lol What a hoarder am I! I am a self proclaimed food hoarder..yes my cabinets are bursting with eaties. I watch that hoarding show on TV just to keep me in check. Cleaning is dull, but still I must. Eating..now that is exciting :) Enjoy Evie

Monday:
Fettuccine and veggies

8 oz. dried fettuccine
1/2 cup dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), chopped
4 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. fresh asparagus spears cut into 2 inch sections
4 oz. fresh Brussels sprouts cut in fourths
1-1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
8oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1-1/4 C milk
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1-1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding dried tomatoes the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and return to saucepan. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetables from skillet. In same skillet melt remaining butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Gently stir in pasta and vegetables. Stir in additional milk to reach desired consistency. Sprinkle with lemon peel and additional shredded Parmesan cheese.

Tuesday:
Happy Fat Tuesday!
Easy Jambalaya

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 ounces ham, cubed
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup long-grain rice
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Hot sauce (optional)

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and add the onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Saute until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, cayenne, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and tomato paste and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ham, chicken broth, tomatoes, and rice, then cover the pot and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Do not stir.
When the rice is tender, stir in the shrimp, and cook uncovered over low heat for about 5 minutes or until shrimp are just cooked through. Remove the bay leaf, salt and pepper, stir in the parsley, and serve immediately with hot sauce.

Wednesday:
Crock pot Beef Straoganoff

•3 lb. beef round steak, 1/2 inch thick
•1/2 c. flour
•2 tsp. salt
•1/8 tsp. pepper
•1/2 tsp. dry mustard
•2 med. onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
•8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
•1 can condensed beef broth
•2 to 4 tablespoons dry white wine, optional
•1 1/2 c. sour cream
•1/4 c. flour

Trim all excess fat from steak and cut into-3 inch strips about 1/2-inch wide. Combine 1/2 cup flour, the salt, pepper and dry mustard; toss with steak strips to coat thoroughly. Place coated steak strips in Crock Pot; stir in onion rings and mushrooms.
Add beef broth and wine; stir well. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours. Before serving, combine sour cream with 1/4 cup flour; stir into slow cooker. Serve stroganoff with hot cooked rice or noodles.

Thursday:
Bean and cheese quesadillas
No need for a recipe I am sure!

Friday:
Roasted turkey tenderloins
fresh green beans
rice


6 turkey tenderloins (about 2 1/4 pounds)
8 tablespoons pesto
4 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips


Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut each tenderloin lengthwise almost in half. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto inside each. Then insert cheese strips, dividing equally. Using toothpicks, skewer tenderloins closed. Brush each all over with 1 tablespoon pesto. Arrange tenderloins on rimmed baking sheet. Bake tenderloins until thermometer inserted near center registers 160°F., about 20 minutes.

This day is alright..

Wow another week gone by. I stayed up late playing my games: pogo, facebook games and such. I was hoping a bit of sleeping in was in the cards. Around five am my dear boy began stealing blankets, kicking and talking to me. I shouted at him to get out, but to no avail. I instructed him to go play his Wii, yet he still refused. Each time I started to fall asleep he woke me. Eventually he got the message and let me be.. I got to sleep until 7:15 wooooo. When I woke up he shouted at me get out! Go play Wii! I guess I derserved it..lol. I just don't understand it. Five days a week I beg him to get up, get ready for school. Then on non school days he is a beacon of sunshine pestering me to arise?? Whateveah.
I am preparing my list and headed out in the next few. This week's grocery list is short..but in order to save a little dough I am headed to three different store in the same vicinity in order to get everything I want and for the prices I want..Oh the insanity. Off to the bank, target, dollar tree and hyvee. So much for an easy sat. I'll be back later to post the menu. :) Evie

Another great weekend..

I got my party on this weekend again..two wonderful weekends in a row. Now if only our financial issues were as great. Two week, streching the menu, cleaning out the freezer meals! Zach has had birthday parties every weekend for the last month and this coming weekend is the same..although this kid might be more interested in something cool and homemade...we shall see if my crafty bone is up for the challenge.
I will try and check in with a few foodie pics this week. Toodles

Monday:
Very veggie lasagna
garlic bread

2 medium carrots, julienned
1 zucchini, cut into slices
1 yellow summer squash, cut into slices
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced sweet red pepper
1/2 cup sliced green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 jar (28 ounce size) spaghetti sauce(I used homemade)
1 container ricotta cheese
1 egg beaten
4 T parmesan cheese
14 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, stir-fry the vegetables, garlic and salt in oil until crisp-tender. Mix up ricotta, egg and parmesan. Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Arrange noodles over sauce, overlapping as needed. Layer with half of the vegetables, spaghetti sauce, ricotta mixture, and cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for about an hour, removing foil for last 10 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting, otherwise you will have a runny mess.

Tuesday:
Pan fried boneless pork chops
oven roasted cauliflower
rice -white (make a double batch to use extra on Friday)

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 boneless rib end pork loin roast, around 6 slices
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour measured

Heat the butter and oil in an 11 to 12-inch skillet over low heat. While the pan is heating, sprinkle the chops on both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge them in flour. A couple of minutes before sauteing, increase the heat to medium-high. When the butter stops foaming and starts to smell nutty brown, arrange the chops in the skillet. Cook, turning only once, until they are a rich golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet.

Cauliflower:
1 head of cauliflower
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
Lemon juice from half a lemon
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Toss in the garlic. Sprinkle lemon juice over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the oven hasn't reached 400°F yet, set aside until it has. Place in the hot oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired doneness. Fork tines should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Wednesday:
leftovers or breakfast
(It's my massage night)

Thursday:
Easy shepards pie
using leftover potatoes

1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried rosemary
8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (such as carrots, peas, and corn), thawed
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Cheddar
leftover mashed potatoes

Heat oven to 400° F. Place the beef in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no trace of pink remains, about 5 minutes.Spoon off and discard any fat. Stir in the ketchup, dried rosemary and Worcestershire. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Spoon into a baking dish. Mix the cheese (if desired) with the potatoes in a bowl. Spread over the beef and bake until heated through, 25 minutes.

Friday:
Oven baked chimis
spanish rice(made by using leftover rice)

1 – 2lbs round steak
1 cup salsa + extra for garnish
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar or monterey jack) + extra for garnish
4 burrito sized flour tortillas
about 1TBSP olive oil
optional sour cream, guacamole, cilantro

Place a roundsteak in a crockpot and cover with 1 cup salsa, cover, set on low for 4–6 hours. The steak should be fork tender when removed. Remove the steak (leave the juice behind) and shred with forks.
Preheat your oven to 375F. On a clean baking sheet, place 1/4th beef mixture and approximately 1/4th cup of shredded cheese on each of the four tortillas.
Fold and lightly brush with olive oil.Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until the chimichangas are golden. Top with desired garnish: salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, or cilantro and serve.

Rice: heat leftover rice with about 2 T salsa, 1/4 cup chicken broth, and 1/4 tsp cumin. Serve.

I will be back later in the week to post the rest of my two week menu.. Enjoy.