Parslied Potatoes

This is one of those things I throw together as an easy side.

AMY'S PARSLIED POTATOES
5-6 baking potatoes  (any type will work- I've used red and yellow, as well)
1/2 stick margarine or butter
3+ TBSP of parsley

Dice potatoes into bite-sized cubes.  Boil until fork-tender, drain, and return to pot.  Add in butter and parsley, mix well.  Measurements above are estimates-- may need more butter and/or parsley to taste.

We like these as a side dish, especially with pork chops.

Closed for Now

So, yeah, I haven't totally abandoned this blog... I promise. But, I've decided to just maintain it as a recipe archive for the time being. I simply don't have time to keep up with multiple blogs at this phase in my life. I'll be moving my food-related posts over to my main blog, Tiny Blessings, for the foreseeable future. Thanks for visiting!

Menu Plan 2/24

A bit late, but here's my plan for the rest of the week. Wednesday and Friday are a little challenging for me- with the beginning of Lent, I won't be eating meat on Fridays, nor on Wednesday of this week. The rest of the family, though, will be eating meat as usual. Here's my plan:

• TUESDAY: steak fajitas, rice, stewed tomatoes
• WEDNESDAY: Potato soup for me (which DH doesn't like)... Hamburger Helper Chili Mac (which I can't stand) for DH... the kids can choose.... everyone will be happy!
• THURSDAY: Roast Chicken in the Crockpot, stuffing, green beans
• FRIDAY: leftovers for the meat eaters, and a new hash brown soup for me-- I'll post the recipe on Friday
• SATURDAY: honey dijon pork loin (pre-seasoned from the grocery store), steamed mixed veggies, parslied potatoes
  

Check out Menu Plan Monday for hundreds of other menus.
Stop by my main blog to enter my coupon giveaway~ deadline is 7pm this Friday!

Menu Plan Monday 2/16/09

This week all of our meals will be made from what's on hand, with one exception: the BBQ ribs my husband has requested. Since these are all ingredients I have on hand, that pretty much also means that these are some of our family's favorite meals. I'll be making a run to two different stores to hit some sales, but other than the ribs and milk, we already have all we'll need for this week's meals.

• MONDAY: my favorite vegetable soup, cold meat and/or grilled cheese sandwiches
• TUESDAY: buffalo chicken subs (chicken tenders sauted in buffalo sauce with lettuce and blue cheese dressing on a sub bun) for the adults, chicken nuggets for the kids; *new recipe* parmesean roasted potato wedges (crockpot), grape tomatoes
• WEDNESDAY: ham steaks, macaroni & cheese, peas
• THURSDAY: our favorite BBQ ribs in the crockpot, corn
• FRIDAY: our favorite beef enchiladas, stewed tomatoes, sweet corn cake

My project for today is to reorganize the pantry and the stockpile-- I'm guessing that there's enough there to eat for at least two more weeks!

Family Favorite: Crockpot Vegetable Soup

This is my own recipe, basically learned from my mom, but now tweaked to suit my (and my husband's) taste. Mom always saved all the leftover vegetables in the freezer, until the container was full. I do that, too... but sometimes we don't have enough leftover vegetables to make soup when we want it, so I came up with this combination of canned veggies that also works well. You could always add/subtract any veggies that you like... green beans, etc. The soup has a tomato broth that we love... credit for that goes to mom. There's nothing better than coming home on a cold day and smelling this soup!

Amy's Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup
2 cans diced tomatoes

2 - 20oz cans Veg-All Homestyle (big chunks of potatoes, carrots, etc.)

1 can corn1 lb stew meat, cubed (Optional- I would leave it out, but DH prefers to have meat in the soup. It will cook in the crockpot. You can brown it if you prefer, but it will cook just fine in the broth.)

2 TBSP cilantro

2 TBSP dried onion flakes

2 TBSP Mrs. Dash

OPTIONAL: a small can of tomato sauce, to make a richer broth

Place stew meat in bottom of crockpot, add dried onion and Mrs. Dash. Dump in the canned vegetables and tomato sauce, top with cilantro. Fill the crockpot the rest of the way with water. Cover and cook on low all day (8 hours or more).

Forgive the repeat-- I'm pulling this out of a previous post that contained several recipes in order to link it up with my menu plan for today.

Ham and Cheese Fondue, my way

As usual, I've taken the original recipe and changed it to suit our tastes/ what I had on hand. We enjoyed this dip here at home during the Superbowl.

Ham & Cheese Fondue, Amy's Way

1 8oz. brick cream cheese, cubed

1 bunch green onions, chopped (I actually used dried chives)

1 container light sour cream

1 cup diced ham

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients in mini crockpot and cook on low for about half an hour.

Stir well, turn heat down to low, and serve warm.

We used Ritz crackers, Fritos, and celery sticks for dipping. Yum! The original recipe called for baking this in a bread bowl and serving it with the bread cubes, and I'm sure that's good, too- I plan to try it that way some day! ;)

A Quick Menu Plan

Finally, a moment to sit and sketch out a menu plan for the rest of the week:

• MONDAY (last night): smoked sausage, macaroni & cheese, steamed broccoli (kids' request meal)
• TUESDAY: crockpot pizza, garlic bread, green beans
• ***Crockpot pizza is one of those meals I throw together with whatever is on hand- today's version will use partially cooked shell pasta, a pound of browned sausage, pepperoni, a jar of spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, and onions. Mix it all up and cook on low for 4-5 hours-- yum!
• WEDNESDAY: leftovers
• THURSDAY: chicken tacos (chicken pieces + taco seasoning + salsa, cooked in the crockpot all day and served in tortillas with cheese, lettuce, etc.)
• FRIDAY: ham steaks, au gratin potatoes, peas

All of those are quick and easy, no-recipes-required meals. I've almost given up on menu planning these last couple of months as our busy schedule keeps changing. This week is especially crazy, but I feel better knowing I at least have a plan to fall back on.

P.S. Even though it's Tuesday, you can still check out tons of others' menus over at Menu Plan Monday! :)

Menu Plan Monday- all tried and true this week

This week I'm going with all tried and true recipes- I've got a lot going on, so I'm relying on recipes that I know everyone will enjoy:

• MONDAY: my infamous chicken enchiladas, stewed tomatoes, sweet corn cake


• TUESDAY: my crockpot spaghetti sauce, ziti pasta, green beans, tossed salad



• WEDNESDAY: crockpot "Chicken Lickin' Good" Pork Chops, rice, steamed broccoli



• THURSDAY: crockpot Italian roast, potatoes, peas



• FRIDAY: leftovers.... or whatever bargain I found at the grocery store on Tuesday ;)

Menu Plan Monday 12/29/08

I decided that it's high time that I jump back into weekly menu planning... so here it is! :)

• MONDAY: Our favorite bean dip, tortilla chips, grape tomatoes, and *new recipe* mushroom and chicken quesadillas.


• TUESDAY: I'm experimenting with this *new* Sour Cream Burgers recipe, making them oval shaped to fit some sub buns I need to use up. I'll saute some onions and peppers to go on them, and serve with a side salad.


• WEDNESDAY: We'll have our favorite snack foods for supper- the kids are getting excited about our "party" (just the four of us at home). :) So far the menu includes our favorite layered taco dip, pigs in a blanket, and meatballs.


• THURSDAY: I'll make ribs and sour kraut in the crockpot for DH and the kids. I can't stand sour kraut, so I'll likely make myself some of my favorite potato soup.


• FRIDAY: to be decided.... likely something in the crockpot!
  
  

Pineapple Blue Cheese Dip

I made this Pineapple Blue Cheese Dip for a party on Saturday and it was well received. I doubled the recipe (using slightly more blue cheese and green onions than the recipe called for) to make enough to fill the pineapple, and served it with Ritz crackers.

Chocolate Peppermint Spoons

I made a batch of these to go in gift baskets and tuck in with a few other little gifts. I've made them several times, so my measurements here are estimated as I just kind of go by feel.

Amy's Chocolate Peppermint Spoons

12 heavy plastic spoons

1/2 or so melting chocolate wafers (estimated amount)

2 drops peppermint extract

1 cup crushed candy canes

Melt chocolate in double boiler, the stir in extract and half the candy canes. Dip each spoon into the mixture, twirl to remove excess, dip again, twirl again, and then lay on waxed paper to dry. Spinkle tops ("bowl" side of spoon) with remaining crushed candy. Cool, when hard remove from waxed paper and wrap in individual cellophane bags.

Use these to stir into hot coffee or hot chocolate for a sweet treat.

Dipped Oreos

Want to make some quick and easy treats to round out your dessert trays? Try this:

DIPPED OREOS

1 lb bag of chocolate melting wafers (found in the candy-making section)

1-2 packages of oreos

Melt the wafers per directions in a double boiler or microwave. I like to do small batches in a juice glass in my microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so. The small but deep glass is easiest for me to work with- I've found that a regular bowl or cup spreads the chocolate out too thin for me to quickly dip in. Take each Oreo and dip it in the chocolate, then place it on foil or waxed paper to dry. You'll have to work quickly, as the wafers cool and set up pretty quick. Cool and enjoy!

P.S. The Oreos I made tonight (photo above) were dipped in red vanilla flavored wafers. I like how they turned out... we'll see what everyone else thinks!

Cold Weather Cooking

I've got ravioli in the crockpot... I just finished eating soup for lunch.... and I'm in the mood to start baking Christmas cookies. Gee, could you have guessed that it snowed last night? :)

I usually do sugar cookies and fudge at Christmas, and after that, it varies year-to-year. I'd like to get some things baked up and frozen so I won't be so stressed right before the numerous Christmas parties we'll be attending Christmas week. I'm surfing for some new recipes to try, but would love to hear from you if you've got a tried and true one to share!

We're still eating :)

I haven't stopped cooking.... the family's been fed... I just haven't felt up to writing about it lately. Ever since my DD's Type I diabetes diagnosis, meals and food have taken on a whole new meaning. Planned meals get changed at the last minute to balance out carbs and portions. Unplanned meals get thrown together. It's been working out fine, it just has not been particularly blog-worthy.

In the meantime, here's the excellent Baked Pasta recipe that DD helped me make last night. This one has chicken broth in it, which sounds weird, but keeps the pasta nice and moist. We used tiny shell pasta rather than ziti, and sausage rather than hamburger.

Souptacular Crockpotalooza: Potato Soup

Potato soup is one of my favorites- I like to make a big pot and eat it for lunch all week. This is my very own recipe, put together after much trial and error. I've also published it on RecipeZaar, so it's possible that you may have seen it there.

Amy's Potato Soup:

Ingredients:
5-6 large potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons margarine
3 chicken bouillon cubes (I use bouillon paste when possible, about 2-3 TBSP)
3 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons cilantro
3 cups water

Place all of the above ingredients into the crockpot, cook on low all day.

About an hour before serving time, add in either:

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup flour

OR, as I more often do, add in about a cup of whatever kind of milk you have on hand and a sprinkle of instant potato flakes.

Garnish with:
shredded cheese or French-fried onions or croutons

Enjoy!

Back to the menu planning...

I know I haven't been here on my cooking blog too much lately... my apologies! Since September 19, when my five year-old was diagnosed with Type I diabetes, our meals have been kind of thrown together, trying to balance her carbohydrate needs with everything else we have going on that day. This week, though, I'm starting to feel more confident and ready to jump back into menu planning. Here goes...

TUESDAY: *new recipe* Deep Dish Sausage Pizza and salad

WEDNESDAY: our favorite crockpot BBQ ribs, corn

THURSDAY: *new recipe* Beef Stew in the crockpot

FRIDAY: Chicken Hurry, steamed broccoli, rice

* If you're not familiar with Type I/ Juvenile Diabetes, it's in many ways treated the opposite of Type II, which is much more common. (Our doctor says that only 1% of children will develop Type I Diabetes.) Type II is often diet-controlled and in some cases medication can prompt the body to produce insulin as needed. My daughter has Type I, which means that her body produces no insulin at all. There are no limitations on what my daughter eats, but, every carb must be counted, she has to eat at certain times of day, and she must receive insulin injections 4-5 times daily for the rest of her life.

What kind of cook are you?

You Are an Excellent Cook

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Spaghetti Sauce: FIF Sauce Edition

Well, true to my pattern lately, I'm a day late for the Favorite Ingredient Friday: Sauces Edition. Oh well, I'll share my spaghetti sauce recipe anyway! ;) This is a recipe that has evolved over time in my kitchen, geared to not be too garlic-y for my DH, and also not have too much meat for me. (I actually prefer meatless sauces, but DH has to have meat in his.)

Amy's Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

1 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
1 large onion, chopped and cooked with the beef
2 small cans sliced mushrooms
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)
2 (14 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons dried Italian Seasoning

1 tablespoon Garlic Pepper
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and simmer on low all day.

This sauce works great with any kind of pasta you have on hand.

Soup's On ~ Recipe Swap

Life as Mom did a recipe swap yesterday for soup recipes. I'm a day late, but I'm sharing one anyway because I love soups. I love a lot of different kinds- potato, french onion, and broccoli cheddar are some of my favorites. Here's one I make regularly- I've shared this recipe before, but, it's one that we all love and I think it's worth sharing again! :)

Amy's I-Don't-Feel-Like-Cooking Version of Tortilla Soup:

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup
• 1 can diced tomatoes/ chili peppers (AKA:Rotel- but I buy the store brand)
• 1/2 cup salsa (guess-timated amount)~
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• several shakes of dried cilantro
• two shakes of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 large can precooked, chopped chicken or turkey

Put that all together in a crockpot and let it simmer on low for a couple of hours. I usually do this around lunchtime and serve it for supper, so it probably cooks around 3-4 hours. Top it with shredded cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips.... yum!

Check out Life as Mom for more great soup recipes!

FIF: Broccoli Cornbread

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/3 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 (8 1/2 ounce) package Jiffy corn muffin mix

Preheat oven to 400. Thaw and drain broccoli. Combine first six ingredients. Stir muffin mix into first mixture with a fork. Pour into a 13" x 9"pan that's been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes , or until done when tested with a toothpick.

This cornbread is moist and dense, best eaten with a fork. I always make it along with some sort of creamy soup, like potato soup or corn chowder.

Check out Favorite Ingredients Friday for more great bread recipes!