Breakfast Pizza

1 multi-grain flatbread (toasted)
1 wedge cheese spread
1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
2 slices bacon cooked in microwave - juices drained, crumbled
1-2 T salsa

Yum!  Only about 250 calories. 

8 crock pot freezer meals - DONE!

I found this link on pinterest and decided to try it.

Yesterday I did the shopping, made the soup for dinner, we're having the roast today.  It's in the crockpot as I type!  The only thing is I went to three stores and could not find beef consomme. So I used brown gravy mix. :/

I'm killing two, maybe three, birds with one stone by eating healthier, saving money and time.

It really took about an hour to get these ready.  My kids helped so of course it took longer.  Just kidding. :)  They actually helped organize it while my hands were all covered in chicken juice. Eww!

I don't know that we'll eat all of these in one week, but I love having options on days that are busy and MANY of our days are busy!

My husband's favorite cake

Prune Cake
My mother-in-law's recipe and my husband's favorite cake.  The name sounds weird but really it is one of the most moist and delicious cakes you've ever had.

I copied this from her handwritten recipe and she didn't have all the detailed instructions written down so we just make it from experience. ;)

Cake
1 cup of oil
2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1 jar of baby food apricots
1 jar of baby food prunes
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t soda
2 cups of flour
1/4 t salt

Bake at 350

We use a bundt pan.

Icing
1 cup of sugar
1 T Karo syrup
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter

This does need to be cooked but I have no instructions, we just do it until it looks right!

Let the cake completely cool and pour glaze over.

Success!!!!

I have never tried to cook Baby Back Ribs before.  I bought some a while back on sale at Brookshire's a local grocery store.  They sat in the freezer... did I mention they were LONG and I have a side by side refrigerator/freezer and they just kept getting in the way, sometimes even falling out - dangerous!  So yesterday I took my bi-weekly trip to Aldi a not so local grocery store and bought so much I had to take the ribs out, so I thawed them and cooked them today. The hubby LOVED them. Better than what he gets at Chili's he says.  And that's saying something because he loves Chili's Ribs ;)

Here's the recipe I used.  The only adjustment I made was after I coated and "rubbed" them I put them back in the fridge for a couple of hours. And he totally didn't want any sauce on it!  They were that good!!!

Cauliflower Fritters Recipe

I made a few new recipes this week and this one was a hit!

They tasted just like potato patties. Yummy comfort food!

Check it out and try it soon!

Gina's Recipes Cauliflower Fritters

Making Hummus today

Today I'm making a BIG batch of hummus. I'm making it all from scratch!

I used a one pound bag of chickpeas and cooked them in the crock pot with water, onion powder, garlic powder and some salt I think.

I drained them and reserved some juice for the blender.

I mixed in a large bowl:

the chickpeas

3 or 4 T of tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

cumin (I didn't measure!)

red pepper - a few shakes

red pepper flakes - a few sprinkles

salt

about 7 cloves of garlic

Then I took about 1 1/2 cups of the mixture at a time with 1/2 cup of the liquid and put it all in the blender and pureed it.

It made a HUGE amount of hummus about 6 cups or more.

I'm sharing w/my friend who was the one that talked me into trying hummus.

I admit the name sounded weird, then after I tried making it I realized it was just Mediterranean Bean Dip! LOL

Whatever it is, I love it!

My kids don't like it so much but that's okay. More for me. ;)

It's a great source of protein and low fat if you don't use too much tahini which I didn't.

The first recipe I tried called for 3T for one can of beans. I just used 3T for the whole batch this time. It's just right in my opinion.

I found a way to make spaghetti that my husband likes!

I started with this recipe from the Biggest Loser.

Turkey Goulash

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

1 lb ground turkey (or lean beef)

1 can no-salt added kidney beans with liquid

1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into bite-size chunks

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt-free extra spicy seasoning mix, or more to taste

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

Brown onions and garlic in cooking spray.

Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Brown ground meat.

Add the beans, squash, tomatoes, chili powder, seasoning mix, salt cayenne and the reserved onion mixture.

Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 35-40 min or until veggies are tender.

~~~~~~~~~~

Oops! As I began cooking this dish I realized I didn't have squash or beans so I put in spaghetti noodles. DH loved it! He ate seconds and took it to work.

HE NEVER TAKES PASTA TO WORK!!!!

I didn't think of it as spaghetti when I made it. I really thought he would think it was slop. LOL

But he said, "This is the best spaghetti you've ever made!"

Maybe he isn't fond of Italian spices in regular spaghetti? hmmm

My new recipe:

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

1 lb ground turkey (or lean beef)

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt-free extra spicy seasoning mix, or more to taste

3/4 tsp salt

(I don't add the cayenne it's TOO spicy for the kids)

I basically followed the above directions adding in the noodles and some water. I'm not sure how much, sorry!

But the verdict is we all liked it. We love it actually!

Enchiladas

Tonight I'm using Lentil Taco mixture, some shredded cheese, corn tortillas and this enchilada sauce recipe to make enchiladas.

The interesting thing is, none of the enchiladas I make ever use the red sauce so this is new for us.

I'll check back and let you know the details of how I put them together and how they tasted.

***********UPDATE**********

They tasted okay. We all ate them, but dh didn't finish his. He gave me no comment either so I don't know if it was the filling or the difference in sauce that we aren't used to. DD and I thought they were actually a little bland so we added sour cream and salsa and that helped.

So all in all, I don't know if I will make this particular recipe again

Lentil Tacos

http://www.recipezaar.com/Easy-Inexpensive-Lentil-Tacos-304604

Okay, we made this yesterday.

It was great! Even dh ate 3 of them!!!!

We will have this each time we have taco/tostada/burrito night.

I recommend you try it.

What I did:

I made mine in the crock pot on low for about 5 hours, I think I'll add a bit more water next time because it was all soaked up in 5 hours but some lentils were still a little crunchy, so six hours would be better, but in my crock pot it would have been burned by then.

I used beef bouillon cubes to give that beefy flavor. I may try vegetable some time and see if it still tastes good.

This isn't a meat substitute for sure, I mean I wouldn't try to trick anybody but as a different filling for tacos it's a great alternative.

Healthy Dinner - Layered Salad

I wanted to make a salad for supper the other night, but didn't just want the regular tossed salad. I searched for some recipes but many were not really healthy or I didn't have the ingredients so here's what I came up with:

Dressing: Whisk together

½ cup miracle whip type salad dressing -----16 pts

½ cup fat free plain nonfat yogurt-------------- 1 pt

¼ cup 2% milk ------------------------------------- .5 pt

Sub-total points 17.5

Salad Layers:

Green leaf lettuce ------------------------------------0

(1/2 dressing drizzled on)

Mushrooms chopped---------------------------------0

Red onion chopped-----------------------------------0

Broccoli & cauliflower chopped--------------------0

Fresh Spinach------------------------------------------0

3 slices turkey bacon chopped -------------------1.5 pts

Grilled chicken breast chopped--------------------5 pts

(Second 1/2 dressing drizzled on)

chopped garden tomatoes--------------------------0

Layer in 9x13 pan. Cover with clear wrap and put in fridge for a few hours. Serve

Weight Watchers Points:

Total dish – 19.5 points

Divided by 6 servings = 3 points per serving

And guess what? It was good! Even dh liked it! No one knew I had added healthy stuff to the dressing and they liked it. We will make this again. I've thought of a few different ways to make it, you could add ranch dressing, or taco seasoning. Add some beans or corn. Just about anything! I wish I'd taken a picture of it. It was really pretty. ;)

If you're on a diet don't make this

Oh my! This Pioneer Woman recipe is so delicious and simple, but not something I could eat regularly. But if you feel like a treat - go ahead and try it. It is really yummy.

Apple Dumpling Recipe

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

I adapted this recipe to my crockpot. I cooked it on low for about 5 hours. It turned out good! Warning - it is spicy, but we like it that way!

Southern Living - King Ranch Chicken Casserole


I used already grilled chicken breasts and chopped them up for use in the casserole rather than a whole boiled chicken.

The other day when we came home from the grocery store, DD and I cooked all the meats ahead of time. Her job was grilling all the chicken breasts on our little George Foreman grill that my older son & DIL gave us for Christmas one year. So all I had to do was remove a couple from the freezer, thaw them just a bit in the microwave, just enough to be able to cut them up and add them to the recipe. It was so easy! I put all the layers together last night in my crock pot, put it in the fridge overnight and then placed the crockpot dish in the heater part and turned it on low. We went to church and it was nice and bubbly and ready for lunch when we got home.

It doesn't get any easier than that.

FAST & EASY Chili Cheese Enchiladas

1 can Wolf Brand Chili (16 oz?)
8-10 oz velveeta type cheese
12 corn tortillas
oil
onion (if desired)
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Soften the corn tortillas in hot oil.
Slice the velveeta cheese into 12 little rectangles.
Roll the velveeta rectangles in the corn tortilla and lay in 9x12 baking pan.
Cover with the can of chili, sprinkle with cheese and onion.
Bake 350 for about 20 min.

I learned this simple dish from my dear (now deceased) mother-in-law. The whole family loves them!

Sausage and Potatoes Au Gratin

I used my crockpot on high for 4-5 hours or until potatoes are done.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2. cup milk
1/2 cup seasoning blend (frozen onion, green pepper, red pepper, celery)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4-6 sliced potatoes
1 pkg. smoked sausage cut in pieces
1 T. butter
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Combine first five ingredients.

Layer crockpot with half of the potatoes, then half of the sausage. Cover with half the soup mixture then repeat.
Dot with butter.
Bake.
Uncover and sprinkle cheese on top and allow to melt.

Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Spaghetti

3-4 cooked chicken breasts (I like to grill these in my little GF grill)
8 oz velveeta type cheese
1 can rotel (just about 1/3 of the can)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 8 oz pkg spaghetti
milk
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Boil spaghetti according to directions.
Cut up chicken into bite size pieces. (I use scissors!)
Combine chicken, spaghetti, cream of mushroom, portion of rotel, salt, pepper, garlic powder.
Melt cheese in microwave with a little milk just to make it creamy.
Combine with the remaining ingredients.

I like to bake it for 15-20 min in a 350 oven just to blend the flavors.

Yogurt Dip

I've been using Hidden Valley Ranch Dip mix and others like it to make dips with Fat Free Plain Yogurt. YUMMY!! Not to mention that I'm eating the live cultures in the yogurt AND the veggies that I dip into it! I found that Fat Free Plain Yogurt tastes better than "lite" or "reduced" sour cream in dips. It's tangier. (Is that a word? LOL)Anyway, I highly recommend it if you are like me and eating 5 veggies a day is a challenge, and especially raw veggies.

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich

A while back my daughter-in-law directed me to this recipe on this blog. I really wanted to make it but didn't have the beef, so I experimented with the same steps using chicken, and substituting Teriyaki Marinade (from Dollar General) for the Worcestershire sauce. It was DELICIOUS!!! In fact I eventually DID make the Marlboro Man Sandwich and at our house we prefered the chicken!
So here's the recipe...

3 or 4 chicken breasts
Deli Buns
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/2 cup Teriyaki Marinade (the cheap stuff)
Tobasco Sauce
Butter (a little more than a stick)
Onions - I used "Seasoning Blend" bought in the freezer section. It is onion, pepper, celery etc. already chopped in a bag and flash frozen.

1. Cut chicken breasts into thin slices (cut crosswise), pound to tenderize, sprinkle with Lawry's
2.Melt 2T butter in skillet, cook onion blend until clear
3. Remove onions
4. Add 2 more T butter, melt and add chicken pieces.
5. Cook on one side a few minutes, then turn over. Cook thoroughly.
6. Add in the Teriyaki (about 1/2 cup)
7. Add a couple shakes of Tobasco (just for zing)
8. Add 2 more T butter
9. Add onions back in
10. Cook until "glazey" meanwhile - butter the buns and brown them in another skillet or griddle. (Both sides!)
11. Pile the chicken on the buns and serve!

It is finger lickin' good!

Recipe for meatloaf or meatballs

This recipe comes from a lady I go to church with. It is delicious!

Martha’s Meatloaf

LOAF
3 – 3 ½ lbs ground beef
3 – 4 stalks celery chopped fine
1 bell pepper chopped fine
1 onion chopped fine
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 eggs beaten
¾ sleeve saltines

Mix together
Bake @ 350 for 1 hr

GLAZE
½ cup brown sugar
Lemon juice (just a little)
Then add enough ketchup to mix easily
Let stand until meat is almost done
Then put on glaze and cook 10 min more

To make meatballs, just shape meat mixture into balls, and double the glaze amount.

Chili Recipe

This is another one of our quick and easy favorites. Here in Texas it's actually cold. No kidding, yesterday I was running my air conditioning, today there is freezing rain on the ground. So we're having chili for supper tonight! yum!

Chili
1 lb ground beef
1 can of beans
1 can of tomatoes
1 T Chili powder
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder

Brown ground beef, drain, add remaining ingredients and simmer.

Now I do this a lot of ways but that is the basic recipe. Tonight I'm actually making a pot of pinto beans and then I will make the chili with that. Obviously I will adjust the other ingredients so I'll be making a really big pot. That's okay, we hardly ever have left overs with the above version, this time there might be some for lunch tomorrow!

The original recipe called for kidney beans but dh isn't too fond of those so I use other types of beans.

Best Potato Cheese Soup EVER!

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped (depending on your taste)
3/4 c. green bell pepper chopped (I don't add quite this much)
3 T. margarine
3 chicken bullion cubes (or 1 T. granules)
4 1/2 T flour
2 c water
2 c milk
8 oz velveeta cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I use mexican blend or 4 cheese blend)
1/4 t. pepper

Directions:
In a large saucepan, saute first 3 ingredients in the margarine until the onions are clear.
Add flour and toss to coat.
Stir in bullion, water and milk and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until smooth and thick.
Remove from heat, add cheeses and pepper.