Back in the kitchen again

Good Sunday Morning!
Hubby is at the gym, and I figured I could get a blog in before we headed to church.  This week has been a whirlwind of inservice.  I even went up to school Saturday to wrap my head around what is going on.  We will say that is my one Saturday for the school year.  School starts tomorrow, and I am excited to get back in the groove.  For the most part, I really do love teaching.  I am hoping that I will be able to form good relationships with people at my new school that will make going to work super fun.

I am not going to be too ambitious here or anything, but I have got to start meal planning again.  I have been so lazy this summer.  Nothing sounded good, so it was hard to cook anything.  Before the end of the school year last year, we were packing and moving, so I wasn't cooking then.  So, I am going to try three meals this week.  With leftovers, that should be plenty.

Monday:

SKINNY FETTUCCINE ALFREDO WITH SPINACH 
YIELD: 4-6 SERVINGS INGREDIENTS: 13.25 oz whole wheat linguine, 1 package, you could use any other pasta of your liking 1 cup cottage cheese, or low fat cream cheese, I did this once and it works well 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain, I used 2% fat 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 2-3 tablespoons blue cheese, I used crumbled blue cheese 1/4 cup Manchego cheese, cubed 8 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed out and drained 2-3 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, to prevent curdling Pepper flakes, optional DIRECTIONS: Add all the ingredients, except the pasta of course and the spinach, to your food processor and process until smooth. Pour sauce in a non stick pan and add the chopped spinach. Over a low to medium heat, heat the sauce through for a minute or so before adding the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce and heat until sauce starts to thicken and adhere to pasta, about 3-5 minutes. Add pepper flakes if using and serve.
Read more at http://www.eatgood4life.com/2012/02/skinny-fettuccine-alfredo-with-spinach.html#4PgzrgMwh6iOc1wL.99
This looks super easy and super yummy.  She has a really pretty picture on her website, too.  I will probably not use all the fancy cheese and will add some shredded chicken.

Wednesday:
Hamburger Steak with Onion and Gravy

I have done something similar to this before called Salisbury Steak.  The picture on the website is with corn and mashed potatoes, and that looks really good!

Friday: BBQ Pulled Chicken

This is one of my recipes I got from my sister.  Super easy.


So, if I was a productive girl, today I could...
1.) make the alfredo sauce, bag it, refrigerate it
2.) make and brown the steak patties
3.) cook and shred the chicken (it's crockpot) and put in the freezer

Doing those steps would make for a much less messy kitchen during the week when I have absolutely no motivation to clean.

Hollar!  Now to make a grocery list...

Have a great week,

Yummy Goodness Comfort Food

I used this recipe for two different family functions this summer.  It seemed to be a big hit, and it is so easy to make.  Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures unless you want me to take a snapshot of the little bit of leftovers that are still in the fridge and should probably be in the trash.

Ingredients:
32 oz. frozen hash browns
8 oz. cubed ham or bacon
2 cans cream of chicken soup
16 oz. sour cream
2 C. shredded cheese
1.5 C shredded parmesan cheese

Mix everything together except the parm. cheese.  Put in lightly greased 9x11 pan.  Sprinkle parm. cheese on top.  Bake on 375 for 1 hour.

We used it as a side for a BBQ, but my family has also had it with breakfast before.
Enjoy!

What to do with that bag of potatoes in the pantry

Who loves good comfort food?  I mean, get real, Who DOESN'T love good comfort food???  I made this a while ago when I made this other yummy soup.  The way this weather year is going, you might need another easy recipe up your sleeve. 


Ingredients:
5 lb. potatoes (washed, not peeled), diced into 1\2 cubes
1 med onion, diced
10 garlic gloves (jarred=5t)
8 C chicken broth
16 oz cream cheese (softened)
1t seasoned salt
Garnishes-bacon, cheese, chives

Directions:
1. Add potatoes, onions, garlic, seasoning salt, and chicken stock to crock pot.
2. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
3. Add softened cream cheese and puree soup until cheese is incorporated.  (Depending on how soupy you like your soup, add more or less broth to puree.)
4. Stir well--top with your choice of garnishes.  

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
2 C powdered sugar
15 oz pumpkin
1t cinnamon
1\2t ginger

Directions:
1.  Beat cream cheese and sugar
2.  Add other ingredients and beat well 
3.  Eat with ginger snaps or apples and bananas 

Clearly, I love pumpkin and not just in fall!   You can have it for breakfast too!


Yum, Yum!

Impossible Taco Pie

Last year when my grandmother was visiting (actually it could have been several years ago), she taught me how to make the recipe.  It is such an easy recipe and is husband and father-in-law approved.  

Impossible Taco Pie

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1\2 C chopped onion

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies (drained) 

1 1\4 C milk

3\4 C Bisquick (or any pancake mix)

3 eggs

2 tomatoes sliced (I have used canned)

1 C shredded cheese

Instructions:

1.  Grease pie plate 

2.  Cook beef and onion (drain)

3.  Stir in taco seasoning

4.  Spread meat in plate top with chilies

5.  Beat milk, bisquick, and eggs until smooth

6.  Pour into pie plate

7.  Bake 25 minutes at 400 until knife comes out clean

8.  Top with tomatoes and cheese and put back into the oven until cheese is melted.  

Enjoy!