Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups of Oil
2 cups Sugar
4 Eggs
2 cups Flour
2 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
3 cups Grated Carrots
1 cup Chopped Pecans
1 tsp. Vanilla

Beat oil and sugar.  Add eggs and continue to beat well.  Blend flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder, and salt.  Fold in carrots and pecans.  Bake in a greased 9" x 13"pan for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cool and then spread icing over cake.


ICING

1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 - box powdered sugar
4 Tbs. butter (or 1/2 stick)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. milk

Donuts

Who doesn't love donuts?  I do, but I'm not so wild about all the fat, sugar, and frying.

Avery and I found this cute little donut maker made by Babycakes.  It's almost like a mom's "Easy Bake Oven." 

The instruction manual contained several recipes for donuts.  We decided to try to the "Chocolate Donuts."  You then pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into each little donut well.  I put my batter into a plastic bag and cut off  a tip to help pour them in--it was less messy this way.  Then, close the lid and wait about 3-4 minutes.  Presto!  You have cute little mini donuts!  We then sprinkled powdered sugar on top, but you could add icing, sprinkles, etc.

It comes with a cooling rack, fork to help remove the hot donuts from the "oven", and a shaker jar. 

Babycakes also makes a Cake Pop maker.  I am thinking of buying it.  The cake pops turn out perfectly.  I have made Bakerella's version of cake pops before, but they just didn't turn out quite right, and with the cake pop maker, you could use any cake mix or recipe.

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

After watching the Pioneer Woman on Food Network, I was anxious to try her Lemon Blueberry Pancakes.

I doubled the recipe because the recipe says only 4 servings (not sure how many pancakes per person).  It made a lot of pancakes (not sure how many total), but I froze what was left over.  I also didn't use all the butter she called for.  She says to pour 2 tablespoons of melted butter into the batter--I went with about 1/2 tablespoon to cut the fat.  On the show, she mashed down the pancakes a bit with the spatula after she flipped them.  I did this, too--it helped "pop" the blueberries so they kind of melted into the batter.  She also calls for cake flour, but I used all purpose.  And, some reviews have said they thought the batter was a bit runny.  It did seem a little on the runny side, but they cooked just fine.

 Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cup Cake Flour
• 1 Tablespoon (additional) Cake Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1-1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (more If Needed)
• 1 whole Lemon (more If Needed)
• 1 whole Large Egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• Zest From 1 Lemon
• 1 cup Heaping Blueberries
• Extra Butter
• Maple Or Pancake Syrup

Preparation Instructions

Heat heavy skillet or grill over medium low heat.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix evaporated milk, juice of 1 lemon (more if lemon isn't very juicy), and lemon zest. Allow to sit for five minutes, then add egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix to combine.

Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients. Stir gently to combine. Splash in more evaporated milk if mixture is overly thick. Stir in blueberries. Again, check to make sure mixture isn't overly thick.

Melt butter in heated skillet. Drop batter by 1/4 cup measures and fry pancakes on both sides until golden.

Serve with softened butter and warm syrup.

Mini Apple "Pies"

I have several new favorite shows on Food Network.  One of my new favorites is "Hungry Girl", who also has a website / blog.  Avery even likes watching the show with me, partly because Hungry Girl / Lisa Lillien is married to the guy who created iCarly (one of her favorite shows)!

So, this past weekend Avery and I made Hungry Girl's "Apple Pie-lets".

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for topping, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups peeled and chopped apples (preferably Fuji) - we did not use Fuji.  I think they were Gala?
• 6 large square egg roll wrappers
• 18 sprays no-calorie butter spray
• Fat-free whipped topping, for topping, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium nonstick pot on the stove, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt with 1/2 cup cold water. Mix until the ingredients dissolve. Add apples and stir. Bring to medium-high heat and, stirring frequently, cook until apples have softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and, stirring often, cook until thick and gooey, 1 to 2 additional minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. This is your pie filling.

Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with foil and/or spraying it with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Place egg roll wrappers flat on a dry surface. Set out a small dish of water. Dip your finger into the water, and run it along all of the wrapper edges. Cook's Note: Repeat as needed while preparing your pockets, as it will help seal them. Starting 1/2 inch from the bottom, place about 1/3 cup pie filling along the bottom half of each wrapper, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the sides.

Fold the top 1/2 of each wrapper over the filling, so that the top edge meets the bottom and the filling is encased with a border on 3 sides. Dab each border with water, and fold each inward about 1/4 inch to lightly seal. Press firmly along the borders with the prongs of a fork to seal completely.

Carefully transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat this process with remaining wrappers and filling, leaving you with 6 pie-lets.

Spray the top of each pocket with 3 sprays butter. Bake in the oven until the edges begin to brown, 15 to 18 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Top with additional cinnamon.

My tips. . .You will definitely need to use the spray butter on the top or they will not have a nice brown color.  We sprayed ours with 3 sprays, but I think a couple of more sprays would not hurt.  Some of our pies did not brown as well.  We ate ours with light Cool Whip.  Also, some of our pies got a little too crispy on the edges, but they still tasted delicious.  The filling was especially good.  Oh, and these pretty much have to be eaten right away (after cooling a bit)--they do not store well.  Best of all- each pie has 110 calories and 1/2 gram of fat!

English Sticky Toffee Pudding - YUMMY!

I made the most delicious "pudding" for friends that are moving to London.  I was trying to come up with something that was a typical British dessert.  I found the following recipe, courtesy of The Food Network.  It had rave reviews, and the ingredients sounded yummy.  It was very delicious--rich and yummy!  I will make this again.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup pitted dates
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla



TOFFEE SAUCE:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 tsp. vanilla - I added this - recipe did not call for it.


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch round or square baking dish. Sift the flour and baking powder onto a sheet of waxed paper. Chop the dates fine. Place in a small bowl and add the boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a bowl of electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until blended. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the date mixture to the batter and fold until blended with a rubber spatula. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake until pudding is set and firm on top, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack. Toffee Sauce: Combine the butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a small heavy saucepan; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil gently over medium low heat until mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Preheat broiler. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the sauce over the pudding. Spread evenly on top. Place pudding under the broiler until the topping is bubbly, about 1 minute. Serve immediately spooned into dessert bowls. Drizzle with toffee sauce and top with a spoonful of whipped cream.

Lasagna

This past weekend we had some friends over for dinner, and I tried several new recipes.  I made the Pioneer Woman's Lasagna.  I was a little confused by the serving size--the same basic recipe in her book says it makes 8 servings; however, the website recipe says 12 servings.  So, I used 2 lbs. of ground beef, instead of the 1 1/2 lbs. as stated in the recipe--I actually ended up with 2 pans (9x11)--quite a lot of lasagna.  I ended up freezing a pan.  Just follow the recipe and I think it will be fine.  It is a very delicious and tasty lasagna.  I will be making this again.  It would be a great meal (with bread and salad) to take to someone who is sick or who just had a baby.

Ingredients


1-½ pound Ground Beef
1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese
2 whole Beaten Eggs
½ cups Grated (not Shredded) Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pound Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles
(add 1/2 Teaspoon Salt And 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil To Pasta Water)

Preparation Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain half the fat; less if you’re feeling naughty. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and salt. After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes while you are working on the other steps.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside. Cook lasagna until “al dente” (not overly cooked).

To assemble:

Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top.

Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.

Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly.

Sangria

We had some friends over for Super Bowl, and I made this Sangria to go with the fajitas.  It was delicious.  I will be making it again.

1 bottle of red wine
1 can frozen limeade
1 can frozen Five Alive
1/4 cup sugar
Juice of a large orange

1 large orange (sliced)
1 lemon (sliced)
1 lime (sliced)

Combine wine, limeade, and Five Alive in a large pitcher or container.  Add the juice of one of the oranges and sugar (you could add more or less sugar to suite your taste).  Stir well.  Float the sliced lemon, lime, and orange in the container.  It is already cold from the frozen limeade/Five Alive, but you could add ice, if you prefer.  You could also add Sprite or 7-up to cut the taste of the wine.

Yummy Treats

I have some new treats that I just love.  I find myself buying them every time I go to the grocery store.

Minute Maid - Frozen Cherry Limeade

These are fat free and only 70 calories.

Jell-o Mousse Temptations

Only 60 calories.  They do have fat (2.5 grams), but are only 1 point on WW.  I used to not be a dark chocolate girl, but lately, I love dark chocolate.

Sugar and Cinnamon

I bought this, and then, when it was all gone, I tried making my own.  It just wasn't the same.  I love sprinkling this on toast or my Nutrigrain low-fat waffles.

Santa Cookies

I made these cookies 2 years ago at Christmas time.  I have been looking for a cookie or treat to make for Sterling's school party.  These turned out very cute, so I might just make them again.

INGREDIENTS


1 roll (16.5 oz) refrigerated sugar cookies
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
2 to 3 drops red food color
68 semisweet chocolate chips (about 1/4 cup)
34 cinnamon candies or red M&M's
2/3 cup coconut
34 miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS

1. Freeze cookie dough at least 1 hour.

2. Heat oven to 350°F. Cut chilled dough into 1/4-inch slices. (Return dough to freezer if it becomes too soft to cut.) On ungreased cookie sheet, place slices 3 inches apart.

3. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 5 minutes.

4. In small bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter and enough milk until smooth and desired spreading consistency. In small bowl, place half of frosting. Add red food color; stir until blended.

5. Frost cooled cookies with red and white frosting. Use small amount of frosting to attach chocolate chips for eyes and cinnamon candy for nose. Gently press coconut into white frosting for beard. Press marshmallow into red frosting for tassel on cap. Let stand until frosting is set. Store between sheets of waxed paper in tightly covered container.

Cupcake Pops

I tried making Bakerella's Cupcake Pops for Halloween.  Mine did not turn out as cute or "perfect" as Bakerella's, but I was kind of in a rush.  And, I think these take a little practice to get them to look "extra cute". 

1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake) I used Double Fudge.
1 container of frosting (16 oz.) I used cream cheese.
Wax paper or foil
candy melts (1 lb. pkg.) - I used Orange for Halloween.
Lollipop sticks


After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.


Mix thoroughly with 1 container of frosting. (I used my hands for this, but it is messy.  Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using about 3/4 of the container and then add more if you need to.)


Roll mixture into quarter size balls and place on wax paper or foil covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)  I used my cookie scoop from Pampered Chef.

Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for several hours.

TIP: You can speed this up by placing in the freezer for about 15 minutes.


Remove. Begin to shape into cupcakes using a small flower-shaped cookie cutter.  Take the chilled ball and roll it into more of an oval and then slide into cookie cutter. Push it into cutter until about half fills the cutter and the rest sticks out of the top in the shape of a mound. Then push the shaped cupcake carefully out of the cookie cutter from the bottom. Set right side up on a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Continue with remaining balls.  I struggled a bit with this step.  I think my balls were a little too moist, and I also think this takes a little practice.

Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)


Once shaped, cover and return to freezer. (5-10 minutes)

TIP: You can leave them covered in the refrigerator overnight if you want to do the dipping on the following day.  This is probably a good idea because by the time I got to this step, I was in a big rush.


While cupcake shapes are chilling, begin to heat up your chocolate bark.


Brown chocolate bark for the bottoms.  Choose your top color to suit your occasion.


Follow the instructions on the package for melting. Most recommend heating for 30 second intervals at a time and stirring in between. You can also do the double boiler method. Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up.


Take the cupcake shaped mixture and dip bottoms into the melted chocolate – just to the point where the mounded shape starts. Remove from chocolate, turn upside down and wiggle so that the excess starts to slide down slightly. Then lay on the wax paper upside down. If you want them to be lollipops, then go ahead and insert the lollipop sticks while the chocolate is still wet. Continue with rest of the cupcakes. You can also leave some without the sticks. They’re just as cute as Cupcake Bites. Add the sprinkles and candy of your choice.  There are multiple suggestions at Bakerella's site.

TIP: Dip end of your lollipop stick in the melted chocolate before inserting into chocolate bottoms. Not sure if this helps a lot, but it couldn’t hurt.

Place in a styrofoam block to dry.

What's for Dinner. . .

SUNDAY - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (We usually have lunch out after church, so Sunday night is usually something light.)

MONDAY - Tacos / Black Beans / Rice

TUESDAY - Sausage / Broccoli / Rice

WEDNESDAY - Fajitas

THURSDAY - Dinner Out (Luby's)

FRIDAY - Homemade Chili

SATURDAY - Sesame Noodles / My version of Chinese chicken - The sesame noodles were delicious!  I will be making those again.

Cinnayum Rolls

I had been reading on several other blogs about the Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls.  So, I had to try them.  They are definitely yummy and I will be making them again.

INGREDIENTS -
8 cups whole milk
1 cup oil (I used canola)
1 cup sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 + 1 cups all purpose flour
1 heaping tsp.  baking powder
1 "scant" tsp. baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon of salt
3 to 4 cups melted butter (I would go with 3 or even a little less.)
2 cups of sugar
generous sprinkling of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS -
Mix the milk, oil, and sugar in a large soup pot.  "Scald" the mixture or heat it just until it is about to boil.  Turn off the heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. (I let mine go until 1 hour--or as Goldilocks would say, "It was just right!")  When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast.  Let the mixture sit for one minute.  Then add 8 cups of flour.  Stir the mixture together.  Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

Add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and the salt.  Stir the mixture together.

Sprinkle surface generously with flour.  Take half the dough and form a large rough rectangle.  Then roll the dough thin, maintaining the general rectangle shape.  Drizzle 1 1/2 to 2 cups melted butter over the dough (This is where I think you could use a little less butter.)  Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.  Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you.  Keep the roll relatively tight as you go.  Next, pinch the seam to the roll and seal it.  Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in seven rough, foil cake or pie pans.  Then begin cutting rolls approxiamately 3/4 to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.  Repeat this process with the other half of the dough.  Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, and then bake at 400 degrees until light golden brown (about 15 to 18 minutes - it was 15 min. for mine - I guess it depends on your oven.)

FROSTING INGREDIENTS -
1 bag of powdered sugar
2 tsp. maple flavoring
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup of brewed coffee
1/8 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS -
Mix all the ingredients together and stir until smooth.  It should be thick but pourable.  Generously drizzle over the warm rolls.

NOTES / COMMENTS -
This recipe makes a LOT and it is time consuming.  Next time I think I will be halfing the recipe, but these would make great gifts for the holidays.

I also made some without icing because I'm not a big fan of any kind of icing (something must be wrong with me).  But, I will say that these are yummy with or without icing.

 

What's for Dinner. . .

SUNDAY - Yummy Chicken / Macaroni 'n Cheese / Corn

MONDAY - Leftovers (Soccer Practice)

TUESDAY - Lentils & Sausage

WEDNESDAY - Cheese Ravioli with Meat Sauce

THURSDAY - Chicken Noodle Soup (homemade)

FRIDAY - Chicken Tenders & Green Beans (kids only)

SATURDAY - Eat Out / Red Lobster - Sterling's choice - he wanted Popcorn Shrimp!

What's for Dinner. . .

SUNDAY - Arroz con Pollo (Birthday Party)

MONDAY - Beef Tacos / Rice / Black Beans

TUESDAY - Yummy Chicken / Mini Potatoes au Gratin / Steamed Carrots

WEDNESDAY - Takeout Pizza

THURSDAY - Breakfast for dinner / pancakes

FRIDAY - Leftovers

SATURDAY - Yummy BBQ (We went to another birthday party.  We've been to Birthday parties the last 3 weekends in a row.  This was some of the best BBQ I've ever eaten.  I wish there was a Rudy's close to us!)

YUMMY Chicken

Earlier this week, I made the following recipe that I'm calling YUMMY Chicken. My husband actually loved it! And, the kids liked it, too. I got the idea from my new favorite chef on the Food Network, Melissa d'Arabian. She was the winner of the Next Food Network Star, and her new show, Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d'Arabian is a new favorite of mine. I had kind of quit watching Food Network, but now I DVR her show every week. She cooks things that my family will actually eat and has lots of great tips and ideas.

INGREDIENTS -

10 boneless skinless chicken tenders defrosted (or you could use chicken breasts)
Salt and black pepper

Onion Powder
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1 to 2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS -
Season chicken with salt , onion powder and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour (A gallon size Ziploc bag works great for this. You can just toss the chicken around.), add to the hot oil and saute until cooked through. (I let mine get nice and brown on both sides.) Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil.
In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions and saute. When onions are nice and sauteed, add the chicken broth. Turn the heat up to high, and deglaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce.
Remove the pan from the heat and finish the sauce by whisking in butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Melissa d'Arabian's recipe can be found here. You can use this recipe for several kinds of meats, etc. or add lemon and wine to the sauce.

The picture shown is the "other" Melissa's version. My camera battery was dead, but I'm sure I will be making this again soon!

What's for Dinner. . .

SUNDAY - Birthday Party (Pizza)

MONDAY - Chicken Tenders / Mac 'n Cheese / Green Beans - the kid's favorite meal

TUESDAY - Italian / Spaghetti / - Ground Beef / Wheat Pasta Shells/ Jar Spaghetti Sauce (with a little cream cheese added for a tomato cream sauce)

WEDNESDAY - Quiche (Bacon / Tomato / Cheese)

THURSDAY - Dinner Out at Johnny Carino's (with the grandparents and Ian let me eat my meal in peace - he stayed in a high chair without making a fuss.)

FRIDAY - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Amy's Spaghetti O's (another kid favorite)

SATURDAY - Takeout Pizza

Donut Muffins

My grandmother used to make a cake donut from scratch that were delicious, so when I saw a recipe for Donut Muffins, I had to try them.

INGREDIENTS -

3/4 cups butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup milk

TOPPING -

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS -

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners or grease well. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well between additions. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Add half to the creamed mixture with half of the milk. Gently fold the ingredients together before incorporating the remaining flour and milk. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan, filling each hole to about two-thirds full. I got about 18 muffins out of the recipe. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the muffins are lightly brown and firm to the touch. For the topping, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. While the muffins are still warm from the oven, brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle over the cinnamon and sugar mixture. I dipped mine in the melted butter and then dipped in the bowl. It was less messy. Eat warm or cold. Don't expect a moist muffin. These are very much like a dry cake donut, but they were very yummy! And, they weren't fried, so maybe a "little" healthier!

What's for Dinner. . .

The BIG dilemma around here is always "What's for Dinner?". It's not always easy coming up with something quick, easy, and YUMMY on school nights. And, I attempt to make it healthy or semi-healthy. I also have a hard time pleasing a VERY picky husband and picky children. Then there are times that I make something that was a "HIT" with us, and then I forget about it and forget to make it again. So, I decided to start keeping a weekly blog of what we have for dinner in our house. Here are our dinners from last week. I can't believe we didn't eat out once! What did you have for dinner last week?

SUNDAY - Turkey Chili Dogs (very quick and easy - I used Turkey Chili in a can.) The sodium is not the greatest, but we had just come back from a trip.

MONDAY - Taco Cheeseburger Macaroni - I use whole wheat pasta / lean ground beef or turkey / cheese sauce is made with a little Velveeta, mild taco seasoning, and chicken broth

TUESDAY - Chicken Stir Fry with Rice - I brown chicken with onions and make a sauce with soy sauce and broth. I then throw in whatever frozen vegetables I have on hand and serve with rice.

WEDNESDAY - King Ranch Chicken and Black Beans made with this recipe

THURSDAY - Breakfast for Dinner (Eggs & Toast)

FRIDAY - Leftovers

SATURDAY - Grilled Fajitas and Bean Salad - We grilled at my parent's house, and I made this yummy salad (see recipe here).

Yummy Bean Salad

I found a similar recipe at MckMamma's blog. I changed a few things to suit my taste and for things I had on hand.

1 can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 can of pinto beans, drained
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of yellow corn, drained

1 can of shoepeg white corn, drained
2 cans Rotel Mexican flavored with cilantro and lime
6 green onions, chopped finely
2 Tablespoons Zesty Italian Dressing
dashes of chili powder, cumin and garlic powder
Juice from 1 fresh lime
fresh cilantro* (optional)
salt to taste

Drain all the cans of beans and corn and dump into a LARGE bowl. Add the 2 cans of Rotel (juice and all). Add the green onions, dressing, seasonings, lime juice, and cilantro*. Blend together and refrigerate. The recipe said to refrigerate overnight and then serve. I ate mine right after I made it, and it was delicious. It is very yummy with Multigrain tortilla chips or Fritos. It does make a LOT. This would be great for a picnic or potluck.

*I read or heard somewhere that only 1/3 of the population likes the flavor of cilantro. It is not my favorite thing, although the last couple of years, I started using a small amount in cooking. A little goes a LONG way. I don't seem to mind a little bit, but I can't stand it when it overtakes the entire dish. I put a very tiny amount in this dish.

Berry Crisp

I bought some raspberries and blackberries, but they were a bit too sour. So, I decided to make this Berry Crisp. I changed a recipe I found in a cookbook. It was delicious! I ate way too much of it, but I keep trying to tell my self it was healthy. It has oatmeal in it! Maybe the oatmeal cancels out the butter?

1 cup fresh blackberries (you could also use blueberries)
1 cup fresh raspberries
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cups butter


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, gently toss together blackberries and raspberries with white sugar. Allow to sit while you are making the crisp.
In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture in the bottom of a 9x9" pan. Cover with berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over the berries.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.