Nacho Casserole

Last night I broke out the ole Bellevue cookbook, Seasoned with Grace. I made the Taco Casserole, but I've renamed it Nacho Casserole, because it's nothing like a taco, and mostly nacho cheese chips. It was pretty good fresh out of the oven, but the leftovers are no good because the chips get too soggy. I also realized as I was putting it in the oven that it would have been a really easy recipe to add some pureed carrots to.
I usually cook fairly healthy recipe's, but this one was probably the most unhealthy, salt laden thing I've made in a while.

We're leaving to go snow boarding tomorrow!!!!! I'll post pictures probably on Monday!

Nutritional Value

I found this website when looking to find out the nutritional value of mushrooms. It gives you all the nutritional info you could ever want to know about foods.

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20e2.html

Yes, Jennifer, they are good for you!

Mushrooms are a low-calorie, zero fat, zero cholesterol nutritious fungi to work into your diet.

By the way, I made the deceptive Rice Balls tonight. They were all right. I liked them, but Reece didn't gobble them up, and Alli only ate one bite, and Scott didn't say much about them. They seemed like they needed some sauce, but I don't know what kind to put with them. Also, I ended up spraying them with cooking spray and baking them in the oven after my attempt at frying them turned into a mess.
That part worked out well, and I think I will try the same technique for a lot of things that say to fry them. I think the chicken nuggets I did before would have worked well like that.

Spicey Noodle

Spicy Noodle

1/2 onion diced

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1/4 c raisins

1/2 c water

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp white or black pepper

1 1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp parsley

12 oz spaghetti noodles

Get your water pot going for noodles. Saute onion and brown meat. Add water and raisins and next 6 ingredients, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 min. on low heat. Add lemon juice and parsley just before serving. Serve over noodles.

To go with it I made Mustard Glazed Carrots.

Mom's Taco Soup

Made this easy favorite the other night. We have lot's of favorite's when it comes to meals at our house.

Mom's Taco Soup

1 onion diced

1 bell pepper diced (any color you like)

1 lb ground beef (I use ground turkey)

2 envelopes taco seasoning

2 14oz cans diced tomatoes (I use crushed, bc they're smaller)

2 cans kidney beans undrained (I use black, rinsed, instead, bc Scott doesn't like kidneys)

1 can whole kernal corn undrained (or about a cup or so frozen corn)

Saute onion and bell pepper, then brown meat. Add taco seasoning and everything else. Add some water to desired soupiness, especially if you used drained black beans and frozen corn.

I like mine topped with cheese and sour cream, but it's good all by itself. Scott like to eat his with tortilla chips.

Repeat

I made Red & Black Beans and Rice again last night. See archive for the recipe.
It's really good!

All in my house have been sick this week, so I haven't felt like making much.

Veggie Cigars

Last night's dinner was a total bust! I made a recipe I found in the Crock-Pot book, for pork chops and rice. It was not good at all. We still ate it, it filled the belly and all, but it was not very tasty, and the pork was dry.

Tonight on the other hand, I made the "Deceptive" Sloppy Joe's, and they were very good! I'm really excited that I've liked everything I've made in that cookbook.

My freezer is being taken over by veggie "cigars" as I prepare the purees to keep on hand for the recipes. I put 1/2 cup in sandwich bags and roll them up and put 5 or 6 in a quart size freezer bag. The sandwich bags are cheaper, that is why I do it that way, and I can reuse the quart bags. Then when I use them, I thaw it, and then just snip the corner off with scissors, and squeeze it out like icing.

Chicken (er, Turkey) Noodle

Last night I made a recipe my friend made for a SS potluck one time. Here's her recipe:

Jennifer's Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

6 tablespoons butter
2 medium shredded carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
7 tablespoons all purpose flour
92 oz. Swanson chicken broth (2 boxes and 2 cans)
3 cups half and half
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons dried
2-3 raw chicken breasts, diced small

4 cups wide egg noodles
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place chicken in shallow pan and add enough chicken broth to cover halfway. Bake on 350 until just barely done (it will cook some in soup). Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add carrots and onion. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually mix in chicken stock. Bring soup to simmer, stirring frequently. Add half and half and chopped parsley and simmer 5 minutes. Add chopped chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. (Chicken soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate.) Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta. Bring chicken soup to simmer. Mix in cooked pasta and simmer 2 minutes. Mix in lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper.

I did it a little different, I used turkey, and homemade turkey broth, so I had to add some other flavorings, but I've had it her way and it is sooooo good. My last night's version turned out very tasty as well, but it wasn't quite the same as Jennifer's. I had a completely different dish by the time I was done with it. Actually I guess I made creamy turkey noodle, not really soup. Reece at 3 bowls of it though, if that tells you anything!

Cold Day, Hot Soup

I hate winter! A nice hot bowl of soup gets me through a few days of it, though. Here's the soup I made last night. It was really yummy!

Jenn's Ham & Corn Chowder

1 medium diced onion, sauteed in a little evoo till soft

6-8 slices of fully cooked ham, diced (about 1 cup) Saute

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 1/2 c milk

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

2/3 cup potato flakes

1 Tbsp parsley

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp white or black pepper

Simmer for a little while, stirring often. Add water if it gets too thick. Top with cheese if desired, and serve.

Shrimp Pasta

I love garlic! Tonight's dinner:

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

1-2 Tbsp evoo
1 lb shrimp, ready to cook, tails and everything removed
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup carrot puree, or 1 cup shredded/julienned
1 Tbsp parsley, fresh or dried
a little pepper
a little garlic salt, go easy with it.
12 oz thin spaghetti

Cook pasta. While it's cooking:
Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. Add garlic, then shrimp, cook shrimp for 3 min. Add carrots, cook another 2-3 minutes till shrimp is done and carrots are tender. Add parsley and salt. Toss into drained pasta, and serve.

I fixed green beans to go with it. I keep frozen gbs, and sauteed them in evoo with a couple cloves pressed garlic, parsley, salt. Again, I love garlic!

Monsters

We went to the Monster Truck show on Saturday. It was fun the first time we went, last year, but not so great the second time. I think every little boy should get to go once in his childhood, because it is cool, and loud, and big, but don't waste your money going twice! It's a pretty long slow going show, so they get bored between runs. But, we had a great time beforehand at Huey's with our friends! I had the Cheese Steak, and oh, man it was good! We were going to go to Bigfoot, but the wait was 45-60min! I guess word got out about their awesome sweet potato fries and burgers.

The Brownies

I noticed today, while enjoying one of the brownies I made last night, that the wheaty taste is no longer there, probably because they are now completely cool. So, note, if you use whole wheat flour when baking, let it cool completely.

Chicken Chili

Tonight I made the all-time easiest meal.

Chicken Chili

3 chicken breasts cut into bites
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cans chili hot beans, un-drained
1 Tbsp cumin (does not add heat, only flavor)
a little garlic powder

Put a Tbsp or 2 in a big skillet or pot, heat over med-high heat. Brown chicken till cooked through. Add remaining ingredients, and simmer for a little while. Top with cheese and serve with chips if desired.

I use chicken that I've already cooked in the crock-pot for this recipe, because it shreds and Scott likes that better than browned bites.
Here's how I do that: I buy a bag of frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I dump them all in the crock-pot, and cover with water and add a little salt. Cook on high till water gets hot, and then turn down to low and cook about 2-3 hours. Let cool, or refrigerate over night. Rinse, then chop and put into freezer bags, 2 cups in each, because this is usually the amount used in casserole recipes. Keep in freezer.
Don't waste all that broth in the crock-pot either! Run it through a strainer, and put it in a container and freeze it to use for soup! It's cheaper than buying broth.

Okay, on to dessert! I made the deceptive brownies, since dinner was so easy. They have carrot and spinach puree in them, and I know most of you would probably not even try them, but I swear they are delicious and you can't even tell there is anything unusual about them. I did make 1 variation from the recipe that I didn't like. I used half white flour, and half whole wheat flour, and they did taste a little too whole-wheaty to me. I tasted the batter before I added the flour, and it was delicious, but after the flour, not as good, so next time I'll stick with white flour for desserts. I made a chocolate icing to cover the wheat flavor. Me and the kids loved them! Scott doesn't like chocolate. I will never understand that about him, he's just not a dessert person, and Reece is somewhat the same way! He only eats a couple bites of sweet things. Weird people!

Chicken Nuggets

For last night's dinner I made the "deceptive" chicken nuggets and oh, man were they good! They are dipped in a mixture of eggs and beet puree, and then a breadcrumb mixture that I put some unprocessed wheat bran in. I think the frying in oil part may nix some of the good for you qualities, though! I served them with the left over potatoes from the night before.
I hope this is encouraging you to get in your kitchen and cook up some yummy dishes of your own!

I took this picture because I have so many friends that don't like to touch raw meat! Hands wash, you know. Soap!

The travel log part

I realize this is more of a food log than travel adventures log right now, that is because we haven't been anywhere since I started this blog. We do have some trips planned in Feb. and March that I look forward to telling you about!

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Last night I made meatloaf, deceptive mashed potatoes (they have cauliflower in em), and steamed green beans, wax beans, and carrots. It was all so filling I didn't get hungry the whole rest of the night. The recipe was passed down from Scott's late grandmother, Dot Holmquist.

Gran's Meat Loaf

1 lb ground beef, (I used ground turkey)
1 egg
1/2 c chopped green bell pepper
1/2 c diced onion
1/4 milk
3/4 tube crushed crackers
1 scant Tbsp all-spice
1 scant Tbsp sugar
1 tsp dill weed, (I didn't have any of this, so I used a little celery salt)
1/2 c ketchup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
* I added 1/2 cup chopped carrots to add another veggie, next time I will use pureed carrots, because Alli won't eat them if she can see them.

combine all, put in a loaf pan, and bake @ 350, 1 hour, covered.

combine 1/4 c ketchup, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp mustard. spread over top and bake another 30 min, uncovered.

MMMMMMMMMMMMM Good.
The night before that, I also made a McFarland family tradition called "Soppin' Chocolate".
Here's how that goes:

Cook some biscuits, canned or scratch. While they are cooking combine in a small sauce pan, over med-low heat:

Cocoa powder
Sugar
Water
Vanilla 1 cap full

Do about 2 Tbsp sugar to 1 Tbsp Cocoa. I used about 1/2 cup water, and about 3 Tbsp cocoa. Taste it and see if you need to add more cocoa or sugar.
Let this simmer and cook down to a syrup, stirring often. When syrup coats a spoon when dipped in, it's done. Let it cool a little, and it will thicken up a little more, but do serve it a little bit warm over the biscuits.

Mushroom Burger Noodles

Today we had "Reece and Mom's day of fun"! Alli stayed with Scott's mom last night and today. I took Reece to Toys R Us to spend some Christmas cash, he got another Lego Star Wars item. Then we went to lunch at Quizno's. we had these new things they call Sammis for $2, they were yummy and just the right size for us. Then we went to the theatre and saw Alvin and the Chipmunks, which is enjoyable when you're with a 5 year old.

Tonight we had one my family's favorite's, Mushroom Burger Noodles -

1 onion
1 box mushrooms or 2 small cans, cut small
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 lb. ground meat
1 beef bullion cube, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
a little milk
a little pepper
1 pkg egg noodles

Put on a big pot of water to boil for noodles. While waiting for that, saute first 3 ingredients. Then brown beef in with them. Set aside till noodles are done. Drain noodles and return to pan. Turn heat to low and stir in beef mixture and remaining ingredients. Leave the milk for last, and add as much as needed to make it kind of creamy. Turn up the heat a little to heat it all through. Eat this quickly after you get it in the bowls, it gets cold fast. You could stir in a can of green beans if you want, or serve them on the side.

Taco Rice

Last night's dinner - free bbq sandwiches from The Germantown Commissary! Ya'll, if you've never had bbq from the Commissary, you haven't tasted real bbq! MMMMMMMMMMMM!
Be careful what you wear if you dine in, though, because you will be permeated with the nice hickory smoked bbq smell. It was free because someone sent it to Scott's office for lunch, and he brought home the leftovers!

This is a quick, easy dish that I like to make to take to others. We also like to have it for our own dinner, as well, but today I made it to take somewhere.

Taco Rice -
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 lb ground meat
2 cups dry instant white rice
1 14oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can chopped green chili's
1 can black beans
1 package taco seasoning
8oz. shredded cheddar

Cook rice according to package. Saute bell pepper, add ground meat and brown. Add all other ingredients, except cheese, to combine and cook down a little if needed. Pour into casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 long enough to heat through and melt cheese.
Serve with chips, sour cream, picante, black olives.

Pork Tenderloin Dinner

Last night we had the roasted tenderloin, potatoes, and green beans again (see archive). I also made the Deceptive Banana Bread with cauliflower in it. It is really good! I can't share those recipe's online for copy right reasons, but I would definitely recommend purchasing the cookbook.

Happy New Year!

Yesterday, I started a new tradition for our family. We had Green Eggs and Ham (er, bacon) for breakfast yesterday! I left the actual ham and biscuits in my in-laws fridge Mon. night, so I had to make do with the bacon. It's all pig, right! I suppose you could use food coloring, but I found a recipe using spinach in the Deceptively Delicious cookbook. They were pretty good!