Saturday, June 5, 2010

Chocolate Sheet Cake


This is such a quick recipe if you need to bring a dessert to a get together with short notice.

1) Sift Together
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour

2) Bring to boil
1/2 lb. Margarine or butter
4 tbs. cocoa
1 c. water

3)Mix together pour over 1 & 2. Mix well
1/2 buttermilk
2 eggs, slightly beat
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Sheet pan
Bake temp: 400
Cook time: 20 min

Frosting. Beat well. Spread when cake is warm.
1/4 1b. Margarin or butter
6 tbs. milk
2 tbs. cocoa
Bring to boil & add 1 lb powdered sugar. 1 tsp of vanilla. 1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

My Planning Sheet/Grocery List

Beef Strogenoff



Beef Stroganoff

I always get happy comments when my family sees beef stroganoff on the table. This is one of our favorites.

1 pound ground beef
1 can cream of chicken
1 onion
3 stalks of celery
1 can mushroom soup or mushrooms
1 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp salt

Cook meat until brown. Saute onions or celery. Add to meat along with other listed ingredents. Serve over rice or noodles.

Simple French Bread Pizza





My children love making their own pizzas. This is fun and so easy to put together.

Shopping list
  • french bread
  • your favorite cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, prevolone)
  • 1 jar maranara sauce
  • Your favorite toppings: pepperoni, pineapple, ham, barbecued chicken, peppers, etc.

Pancakes and Scrambled Eggs



Everytime I make pancakes it makes me think of this one really hard day. My husband (Ryan) and I were really stressed out and as we sat there at the dinner table we saw it in our kids faces as well. I made lots of pancakes that night and after we finished eatting Ryan and I began throwing the extras at each other and our children. Before we knew it there were pancakes all over our kitchen and smiles on everyones faces. Laughter is such great medicine. This is the pancake recipe I follow everytime.

1 c. Whole wheat flour
1 T. Sugar
2 t. Baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 beaten egg
1 c. milk
2 T. cooking oil

Makes 8 to 10 4-inch pancakes.

Scrambled Eggs

I am sure everyone knows how to scramble eggs. I have my 9 year old son cook ours all of the time. He says he cooks them restaurant style and loves to help in the kitchen. I just know from personal experience that I was not very good at making scrambles eggs until my husband taught me his technique. This is what he taught me. Add milk to the eggs after you beat them and place in the skillet. We believe the milk helps the eggs to be lighter and fluffier. Cook at a medium temperature. I always cooked at a higher temperature because I was in a hurry this made for harder eggs. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

Pigs in a blanket


Needed ingredients
  • Hotdogs
  • dough (crescent rolls, Rhodes dough, or homemade dough)
Pre heat oven 375
wrap pre-cut dough pieces around each hot dog. Cook 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool and eat.

Poppy Seed Chicken


This recipe came from my twin sisters-in-law. When they were in college they took turns making meals for everyone that lived in their appartment. This was one of their favorite recipes. It has become one of our favorites as well. It is very creamy and you can never go wrong with Ritz crackers.

3-4 Chicken Breasts (cubed or shredded) - I put chicken in the crock pot in the morning making this meal a quick fix.
1 can Cream of Chicken (Family Size - low fat)
1 cup Sour Cream (fat free)
2 pkgs Wheat Ritz crackers (crushed)
1 T Poppy Seeds
2 T Melted Butter

Pre-cook chicken. Mix sour cream and cream of chicken soup. In a casserole pan, add chicken, cream of chicken and sour cream. Crush ritz crackers and mix with melted butter. Top chicken mixture with ritz and sprinkle with poppy seeeds. Serve over rice or noodles. MMMmmmm good!!!

Cook at 350° for 30-40 minutes

Hell Burger (the best burger EVER)

We can't take full credit for this idea. We watched an episode of Man vs. Food and they were visiting a restaurant that served up these delightful little burgers. We almost wanted to take a drive to Amarillo TX just to taste them. We then decided to try and make our own to save the 15.5 hour drive. Our first couple of goes at it were fun and tasty but we have now mastered the approach and these have become very popular. Our friends and family talk about them for weeks after we make them a round of Hell Burgers. They really love them. By the way, they are just as good without the Jalapeno's for your not-so-daring friends.

The (Semi Famous) Hell Burger

Warning: this is a hot one. Our 9 year old can handle it though.

2 lbs. Quality Ground beef

1 Medium or Large diced onion

Season to Taste (Salt, Pepper, Lawry's Steak Seasoning,)

1 Egg per 2 pounds of meat

Lettuce

Tomato

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Thaw ground beef and mix in onion, egg and salt and pepper. Also add in Lawry's Season Salt. Mix with hands and make into patties, ours are usually about 1/3 pound patties.

Preheat the electric griddle to 400 degrees cook the burger on one side for 3 to 4 minutes uncovered to sear it. I like sprinkling a coat of Lawry's seasoning and some cayenne pepper on the burger as it first starts cooking. Then flip it over and place under a metal bowl (See picture), these help to cook the meat all the way through and make it cook a little faster. I estimate that we cook for about 5 - 8 minutes then flip it over and do another 5 minutes on the first side.

Once you place the bowl on the burger put the jalapenos (sliced to make little circles) on the griddle. Brown (slightly). When you flip the burger place the Jalapenos on top of the patty. Keep under the bowl until fully cooked. When almost done put a handful of shredded cheese on top of the burger covering the Jalapenos. Cover again for 30 to 60 seconds to melt the cheese. Then serve it up with your choice of toppings and condiments. Our favorite is on my homemade wheat buns (see below) with just ketchup and mustard although on the show they put lettuce and tomato on as well.






Honey-whole wheat bun recipe

3 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. shortening or butter

1 tbs. salt

2 pkg yeast (2 Tbs)

2 1/4 c. very warm water

3 to 4 c. whole-wheat flour

Combine in a glass bowl: honey, shortening (butter), salt, and water. Heat in microwave for 1 minute until hot (not boiling hot)

In your mixer put 3 cups of whole-wheat flour, crate a little cavity in the flour and pour the yeast in. Then pour hot ingredients on top and mix for about a second. Check to see if the water is bubbly, if it is that means your yeast is good (alive). Turn the mixer back on to a slow setting and continue adding flour very slowly as it mixes. When the dough comes off of the sides of your mixer the you have added enough flour. Let the dough continue to mix (knead) for 5 minutes. Place it in big bowl with damp towel over the top. Tip: heat helps the dough rise quicker, place it next to your hot oven.

After the dough has doubled in size, make into dinner rolls size balls (a little bigger than a golf ball). Smash as flat as you can. I even use a rolling pin. Place on a greased pan and then in oven. Then slice the rolls to make your bun.

Preheat Oven: 375

Bake Time: 10-12 minutes




Red and Yellow Pepper Chicken

Red and Yellow Pepper Chicken

6 chicken breast - roll in flour
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. sour cream
1 can (26 oz) cream of chicken
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom
2 c. cheddar cheese
1 c. red bell pepper
1 c. yellow bell pepper

Bake for 2 hours at 350. Serve over noodles or rice.

My adaptations:
1. I use whatever peppers (red, yellow, orange, green) I have on hand. You can't mess this recipe up. That is what I like about it.

BLT Sandwich


Today was such a HOT day! My house would not stay cool and that meant I wasn't going to cook. Dinner options were pretty limited at this point, cereal (which we ate last night), fast food (blah), or sandwiches. I always know it has to be tasty and filling so my children wouldn't come to me later saying they were still hungry.

I remembered my mother-in-law making us BLTs (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato) sandwiches. Super simple microwave or fry up some bacon. Put on whole wheat bread. Flavor to taste with mayo, mustard and salt and pepper (a must in my house). Place lettuce, tomato and bacon on the bread and enjoy. My husband was very excited when he heard what I was cooking. This is one of his favorites!! Who would have guessed a sandwich night becoming something to cheer about.



Turkey, Stuffing and Squash



This is my favorite Sunday meal. I put the turkey in the crock pot in the afternoon, after church, and when nap time is over dinner is almost complete. My family loved the stuffing and turkey. We are still working on the squash. Our garden is full of squash and zuccini so hopefully they will come to like it really quick.

Items needed: Turkey (let it thaw in the fidge over night). Shake some Lawry's seasoning on top.
Two boxes of stuffing
A veggie.