Something different - Holiday Cards

As Christmas nears I have a check list I’m working on to make sure that Lucas’ First Christmas is the best and least stressful for me possible. One of the first things I have to complete are my Christmas cards and I decided to first start with a little research. I have ordered things from Shutterfly online before and once I started looking at their Christmas card options I was very impressed. They have a wide selection of cards and formats – making my decision both easy and hard. I knew I would find something in the wide selection but then I started looking through I found that I liked a lot of different ones. Check out all the different options at http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards. If you want something alittle different or not specifically Christmas check out the other options at http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery. . Head on over to Sutterfly and you can get their current promotion: “Shutterfly is offering 20% off all holiday cards” http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery. Enjoy your holiday cards! I can’t wait to get mine in the mail and out to family!

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 2 cups onions chopped
• 1 cup carrots diced
• 2 cup mushrooms
• 2 tablespoon garlic minced
• 4 cup chicken broth
• 1 Can Italian style stewed tomatoeschopped
• 1 Can tomato sauce 10 3/4 oz.
• 1 cup mafalda pasta
• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 1 cup provolone cheese diced
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese diced
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 4 teaspoon fresh basil thinly sliced

Directions | Numbered...

Brown sausage in a large saucepan. Add onions and carrots; saute 3 min. Stir in mushrooms and garlic and saute another 3 min.

Add broth, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and simmer until cooked about 10 min. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted.

Place 1/4 cheese into each serving bowl and pour soup on top. Garnish with parmesan and basil.

Apple Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1 small apple, grated
1 pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
***Topping:***
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven 350 degree. Grease and flour loaf pan.

2. Blend shortening, eggs, sugars and fruit together. Mix salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour together; add to fruit mixture.

3. For Topping: Combine brown sugar, nuts, butter and cinnamon together in saucepan. Cook until sugar dissolves.

4. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and spread on top of bread and return to oven for 10-15 minutes longer.

5. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Fresh Green Beans

Fresh green beans are a wonderful addition to a meal. They are much crisper than canned green beans and you can add a variety of flavors. The following recipe is the way I typically make my green beans.

1lb fresh green beans

3 slices bacon - diced

1 small onion - diced

salt

pepper

1. Snap ends off of green beans and discard. Snap into smaller bites it you would like. Rinse green beans.

2. In a medium size sauce pan brown bacon and onions over medium heat.

3. Add green beans and toss to coat all green beans with bacon, onions and bacon grease.

4. Add enough water to cover green beans, reduce heat to low-medium and cover.

5. Cook until desired texture is achieved. We like ours fairly crispy and usually cook for about 15 minutes.

6. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!!

Cinnamon Apple Muffins with Crumble Topping

We went and picked apples last weekend. Now we have what seems like a million apples in the house (not that it's a bad thing) and we have had to think of new things to try with apples. Jason decided he would like some muffins, so here is the recipe that we made today and they are yummy,

Muffin Mix

1 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmag

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 apple - peeled, cored and diced

Filling

1/4 cup softened butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Topping

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup cubbed butter

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line 12 muffin cups with muffin cup paper or grease.

2. Mix together flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmag. Mix in egg, milk, applesauce, and vegetable oil. Fold in apples.

3. Fill muffin cups 1/2 to 3/4 full of mixture.

4. Mix together all ingredients for the filling. Should be similar to a brown sugar butter consistency. Drop 1/2 tablespoon of filling onto the muffins.

5. Prepare the topping - mix together flour, white sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add in cubed butter, mix until you have a crumble texture that can be sprinkled onto the muffins.

6. Sprinkle topping onto muffins.

7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Cool on a cooling rack or serve warm.

Sweet Potato Fries

A sweet alternative to regular fries.

2 sweet potatoes

oil

salt or sugar

1. Cut sweet potatoes into desired shape and size of fries - remember to keep them a similar size so they cut in the same amount of time.

2. Place sweet potatoes in a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until tender.

3. Drain completely.

4. Heat oil in sauce pan or fryer to 375 degrees. Add sweet potatoes and fry for about 4 minutes or until desired crispiness is achieved.

5. Sprinkle with salt or sugar. Enjoy!

Deviled Eggs

Eggs

1 tablespoon Miracle Whip

1 tablespoon Mustard

1/2 tablespoon Butter

2 Sweet Pickles - Diced

Salt

Pepper

1. Boil eggs covered in water for 1o minutes.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Run cold water over the eggs to cool enough to remove the shells.

4. Carefully remove the shells from the eggs. Cut eggs in half and remove yolk - place in separate mixing bowl.

5. Add Miracle Whip, Mustard, Butter, Pickles, salt and pepper to the egg yolks and mix until completely combines.

6. Using a piping bag, ziplock bag or spoons fill the empty egg yolks with the mixture.

7. Sprinkle with Paprika if desired.

Easy "Homemade" Cookies

This is a super simple way to make homemade cookies in a zillion different varieties!

1 box of cake mix (any flavor)

2 eggs

1/2 cup of oil

1/2 tablespoon of vanilla

Any flavor add ins you would like (chocolate chips, oatmeal, raisins, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.

2. Mix eggs, oil and vanilla together in mixing bowl. Add cake mix. Mix until completely combines with no lumps.

3. Add any flavor add ins that you would like.

4. Place tablespoon size cookies approximately 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet.

5. Bake 10-12 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

7. ENJOY

*I made Chocolate Caramel Chip Cookies with Yellow Cake mix and Oatmeal Raisin Cinnamon Chip Cookies with White Cake mix*

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup of flour

1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 large eggs

4 slices of Provel Cheese

3 cups Pasta Sauce

Spaghetti

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place a piece of chicken between 2 pieces of wax paper. Using a meat pounder or rolling pin or bat or something heavy, flatten chicken to approximately 1/2 inch thick.

3. In a flat container (big enough for the piece of chicken to fit in) mix flour, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. In another bowl beat eggs.

4. In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add butter and melt.

5. Dip chicken in egg wash and then bread crumb mixture. Place in skillet.

6. Cook until brown on one side and flip (about 4-5 minutes). Flip and cook other side.

7. While chicken is cooking, prepare desired pasta according to box instructions and heat pasta sauce.

8. Once chicken is browned on both sides remove from pan (I place mine of a paper towel to soak up the excess oil).

9. Mix pasta and pasta sauce, saving a 1 cup of sauce for the chicken, in an oven safe bowl or pan. Place chicken on top of pasta, cover with remaining 1 cup of sauce. Top with Provel cheese.

10. Place in oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until cheese is browned.

11. Serve and enjoy!

Goulash

Very simple recipe. Easy weekday dinner option.

1 lb of hamburger

1 large can of Tomato Soup

1 lb of pasta (any kind - elbow is what I normally use)

1 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp Chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

(all spices can be tweaked to taste)

1. Brown hamburger in a medium sauce pan. If necessary drain fat off of hamburger.

2. Add Soup and spices. Stir and simmer over low-medium heat.

3. Prepare pasta according to directions on package.

4. Add pasta to soup mixture and simmer for 30 minutes.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken a-la King

My husbands favorite comfort food, my mother-in-laws recipe!

A great use for leftover chicken.

My husbands favorite comfort food, my mother-in-laws recipe!

A great use for leftover chicken.

3 cups of cooked diced chicken

1 family size can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

3 Tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup of onions

1/4 cup of green peppers

4 tablespoons pimentos

1 cup of milk

salt

pepper

1. Melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and green peppers to the pan. Sweat the onions and green peppers (click here for instructions on how to sweat onions).

2. Add Soup and milk to onion and green peppers once they are translucent. Mix well.

3. Add chicken and pimentos and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes (the longer it cooks the better it tastes).

5. Serve over toast.

Pineapple Cupcakes

This is a funny "lite" summer dessert! I made this for Father's Day. The only thing that would be a nice alternative would be Coconut Jello (but they don't make that).

1 box of Pineapple cake mix

1 tube of Cool Whip

3 tablespoons of crushed pineapple

1 regular size package of pineapple Jell-o

1 cup boiling water

1. Prepare the pineapple cake mix as directed on the box. I made a combination of mini and regular size cupcakes.

2. Allow cupcakes to cool for approximately 15 minutes. Prepare Jell-o - mix 1 cup of boiling water with pineapple Jell-o.

3. Using a straw, chopstick, skewer or other similar item and poke 3 holes (or more if you want) in each cupcake. Use a spoon to drizzle Jell-o over the cupcakes. (this can get a bit messy so make sure you do this over a plate or cookie sheet or something).

4. In a medium bowl, mix Cool Whip and crushed pineapple. Apply to tops of cupcakes.

5. Serve and enjoy.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Salad

I made this recipe several weeks ago for a family reunion and it was great! Jason (who never eats pasta salad actually liked it). The only modification I would make is more dressing for the pasta (so I will provide instructions for more dressing here).

Erica - I originally found this on Smitten Kitchen - didn't even realize what the site was.

1 pound of pasta (any kind you want - I used elbow macaroni cause that's what I had)

1 cup of frozen peas

1 lb of asparagus (See here for how to cut asparagus)

2 large red peppers or 2 jars of roasted red peppers

5 Tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 small shallot diced

Salt

Pepper

1.If you are using fresh red peppers you will need to first roast them. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the peppers on a cookie sheet. Cook for 25 minutes then turn the peppers and cook for another 20 minutes. Peppers should turn black on the outside. Remove the peppers from the oven and place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (this makes it easier to remove the skin later).

2. Once the peppers have cooled completely, remove the skin and the sides from the inside. Place pepper in blender or food processor.

3. Add Vinegar, olive oil, shallot, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add more vinegar or seasoning if desired.

4. Prepare pasta according to directions on the box.

5. Blanch asparagus (Boil a large pot of water. Now, place your asparagus into the boiling water. Cook until the asparagus turns a bright green. The time this will take will depend on how thick your asparagus stalks are. Count on between 2-5 minutes or so.)

6. Once pasta is completed, mix frozen peas, asparagus and dressing together (warm pasta will thaw the peas).

7. Chill, Serve and Enjoy.

Baby Food - Peas

I have 2 batches of Baby Food completed - I will post both recipes individually.

Peas

1 bag of frozen baby peas

1. Put approximately one inch of water in the bottom of a pot with a steamer. Put frozen peas in the steamer.

2. Bring the water to a boil and place a lid on the pot.

3. Steam peas for 8 minutes.

4. Place steamed peas in blender. Puree to desired consistency. (For 1st foods you will want this to be very thin)

5. Put puree in ice cube trays, freeze. Once frozen remove from ice cube trays and place in freezer bags labeled with the type of food and date.

Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe from Ashley Webber.

Jason loves Chicken Pot Pie and it's a great comfort food, but frozen chicken pot pies just aren't very good. Ashley posted this recipe and I decided to try it, my past experiences with Chicken Pot Pies did not turn out well (usually the "soup" base is my problem). Jason loved this recipe and it was super simple.

Filing

2 cups of Chicken (pre-cooked)

1 29oz can of Cream of Chicken Soup

16 oz of frozen vegetables

1/2 cup of milk

Crust

1 cup of Bisquick

1/2 cup of milk

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

.

In a mixing bowl combine chicken, soup, frozen vegetables and milk (if you are using the chicken that you prepared making chicken broth you will not need to salt and pepper - other wise salt and pepper to taste). Pour mixture into medium size baking dish.

Mix Bisquick, milk and egg. Pour over chicken mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. (Half way through I spread butter on top to better brown the biscuit topping.)

Chicken Dishes and Broth

Next on my list for the freezer are several chicken dishes. To prepare for the chicken dishes I cooked chicken/made broth today. I purchased 2 cut up fryer chickens (approximately 8 lbs total). This morning I took the chicken and put it in my large stock pot with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then I covered the chicken with water. I boiled the chicken on medium high heat for approximatively 4 hours - until the chicken falls off the bone.

Once the chicken has cooked for a while I use a strainer and get all the chicken and bones separated from the broth. Store the broth for later use. Remove all chicken from bones, store for use in recipes.