Yes, in Virginia, They Still Believe in Santa Claus!

C made out quite nicely this Christmas, even though there won't be anything under the tree... (actually, we didn't do a tree this year) She got new clothes for her new job, 3 new tires to get her safely to that new job & Patriot tickets! There were other, smaller gifts associated with the mentioned gifts, so she has no reason to complain this year! 

B & I are giving each other the gift of being with Carlotta & her family this Christmas break. OK, technically, he did most of the working to earn enough $$ & hotel points so its really a gift from/to himself, but I thought of it... so that counts!

First day of Kindergarden!

Carlotta has asked Santa to find a way to get us down to VA. She believes we cannot get the time away from work, not enough money or can't find a hotel room. Her parents haven't told her that we had planned on coming down... so now we can help Santa surprise her! 

 On Christmas morning, she/we will receive a note from Santa telling us he's arranged time off from work for us as well as finding a hotel room, with a pool, for the whole Christmas break! He will say in the note that we can leave for VA in the morning, December 26th! We will discover this gift together thanks to modern technology of FaceTime! I'm so excited that she still believes in Santa!

Because of jobs, doctor appointments (yes, even on Christmas Eve!) & our very, long drive, we are sticking at home this Christmas. Some family members are disappointed because they haven't seen us in a few holidays. I'm too excited to spend time with Carlotta to think about that anymore!

Merry Christmas to anyone who might check out my blog. I do not have as exciting a life as I once did, & that is just fine with me!

Chicken Enchilada Soup! Very Yummy!

The weather is supposed to be chilly this time of year so I've been testing out new soup recipes. I can't believe how warm the weather has been nor can I believe its been over a month since I found I recipe worth posting about! This one is sooooo good, I just had to post it.

Chicken Enchilada Soup  serves 4, very generously

What you need:

• 2T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced (I used garlic from a jar, worked fine!)
• 1-7 oz can of green chilies (I used the mild variety)
• 32 oz chicken stock
• 1-10 oz can of green enchilada sauce
• 1-10 oz can of red enchilada sauce
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• S&P, to taste
• 2-3 cups cooked chicken, cut up ( I shredded a rotisserie chicken & had plenty of meat)
• 1 cup uncooked, long grain rice

What you do:

• Saute the diced onion in preheated olive oil until somewhat soft
• Add in the garlic & saute an additional 30 sec - 1 min (the garlic can burn, affecting its taste)
• Add the green chilies & cook a bit longer (I drained the chilies, but you don't have to)
• Add in the stock & sauces
• Add the chicken & seasonings & stir to combine
• Bring to a boil, then cover & reduce heat to LOW
• Simmer for 40 minutes
• Add in the uncooked rice & stir
• Re-cover the pot & let it simmer another 20 minutes (don't un-cover while rice is cooking)
• Serve with shredded cheddar cheese & a dollop of sour cream

As leftovers, the rice continues to absorb moisture so it may become more of a casserole than a soup but it is still very yummy! Maybe some tortilla chips on the side for texture?

Ham... in a slow cooker?

YES!!

Easter just became a lot easier to handle!

I have learned how to use a slow cooker for baked potatoes and Honey Mustard ham! Put them in 8 hours before dinner & VOILA! Easter Dinner!

I have also heard about hard boiling eggs in a slow cooker, but haven't tried that out yet! If it works, making eggs for decorating will be a breeze! When I try it, I'll blog to let you know my results!

Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes  

(my 6 qt cooker held 7 good sized potatoes)

What you need:

• 2-7 russet potatoes, washed & pierced several times w/a fork
• olive oil (1/2 tsp per potato)
• salt
• aluminum foil

What you do:

• Place washed & pierced potato on a square of aluminum foil
• Rub 1/2 tsp olive oil over it
• Salt to taste. (I used about 1/4 tsp per potato)
• Seal tightly in foil
• Place into a slow cooker (If baking only 2 potatoes, center them, otherwise, just fill up the crock)
• Cover & cook on LOW for 8 hours

note: The color of the potato flesh is not bright white like a oven baked potato! However, this doesn't affect the taste of the spud. You could actually let the potatoes cook for 10 hours w/o any issues. But I've found 8 is more than enough time to cook a potato.

Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Ham  

(served well over 7 people, generously)

What you need:

• 5-7 lbs ham (boneless or bone-in, but I wouldn't do a spiral sliced)
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 T honey
• 1 T dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp black ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

What you do:

• Place ham in the slow cooker ( I used a slow cooker liner for easier clean-up)
• Pour apple cider over the ham
• In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients
• Rub mixture over ham to cover
• Cover & cook on LOW for 6-8 hours

Zoppa! Sopa! Soup!

On August 26, 2015 I began working for a new Nanny Family. 

I call this new family officially my Nanny Family #4. 

There are 4 kids. A practically 10 yr old girl, a 7 yr old boy, an almost 4 yr old boy & a 1 yr old boy. I get the 2 oldest out the door to their bus stop @ 7:30am then turn my attention to the 2 youngest.

 Usually they sleep in until 8am or beyond though sometimes, they are awake when I arrive at 7:15am. I change their wet diapers/Pullups, dress them & make oatmeal for them. They can feed themselves but choose not to so I feed both of them to assure they have a full tummy.

Playtime happens until 10 or so when we go outside until lunch. 

After lunch, the littlest goes to sleep ( he loves his nap, no crying... ever!) While he sleeps, I have "school time" w/the other boy. Unless he falls asleep like he did today! Then @ 3:25pm, the 2 oldest kids get off the bus. Mom or Dad arrive home by 4:30pm. And that's my every day for this school year!

She had left some soup for the boys lunch the other day. It was the 1st time they ate everything I put in front of them! I got her recipe & made it tonight for dinner. Only took about 45 minutes from start to finish & B loved it... A LOT! 

Supposed to taste better as leftovers the next day! 

Unsure how it would do in a slow cooker. May try that method next Monday night w/friends.

Zoppa Tuscano (serves 4 hearty servings)

What you need:

• 1 lbs mild Italian sausage (I used 4 sausage patties & crumbled them up as they cooked)
• 2 large Russett baking potatoes (peeled, cut in 1/2 then into 1/4" slices)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 minced garlic cloves ( I used jarred garlic)
• 1/4 cup bacon bits (optional) I used the 100% real bacon bits from salad dressing aisle
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 cups of  kale or swiss chard, chop it up (I used kale)
• 16 ounces of chicken broth
• 1 quart of water
• 1 cup of heavy cream

What you do:

• Brown the sausage  in a stockpot breaking it into smallish pcs as you go
• Add in the chicken broth & water. Stir
• Put in onions, potatoes & garlic
• Bring to a boil then reduce heat & simmer until potatoes are soft
• Add in bacon
• Add salt & pepper, to taste
• Simmer another 10 minutes
• Turn to lowest heat setting
• Add in chopped kale & heavy cream
• Heat through & serve

Zucchini Boats

Been awhile, sorry Kathryn, its another recipe! 

I could blog about the complete hell that my family & I have gone through since July 17, 2015. But I'm not certain I want to blog on that subject! For those of you "in the know," I hope you understand! For those who aren't... it's for the best that I don't blog about that at this time. Just know the situation is improving, slowly.

A few weeks ago, I tried a zucchini boat recipe. The photo in the magazine looked soooo good & healthy! I followed the recipe to the letter! Then when we tasted it, I learned I do not like the main spice called TARRAGON! Icky! So, not posting that recipe!

C found a chicken enchilada zucchini boat recipe on Pinterest. So, I made it for tonight's dinner. 

I made one small change to the recipe. 

After tasting the sauce, I thought it was too hot/spicy so I added in 1T of cream cheese to tone it down. 

It worked! 

All 3 of us liked it & I don't need to change anything more except preparing a few more "boats" because there was a lot of filling leftover. I've frozen the leftover filling & hope to be able to make another batch in the future.

Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Boats  serves 4

What you need:

• 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken (store-bought rotisserie chicken & shredded the meat) 
• 4 medium length zucchini (the wider the squash, the better as it holds more filling)
• 1-1/2 T of olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1- 15 oz can of plain tomato sauce
• 1T Ancho chili powder **see note below **
• 1T regular chili powder **see note below **
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2/3 cup water
• 1-1/2 tsp corn starch
• 1T cream cheese (use more or less for your own taste. Or omit completely for a spicy dish!)
• 2/3 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1-1/4 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese

Topping ideas: chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, chopped yellow onion, sour cream

** It's important to use Ancho chili powder & not just double up on the regular chili powder. 

The taste profile is deeper in my opinion. **

What you do:

• Preheat oven to 400
• Scoop out the zucchini flesh leaving 1/4" rim to create a "boat"
• Brush the tops & bottoms of the boats with 1T olive oil 
• Place in a foil lined baking dish (a dish w/higher sides like a cake pan keeps boats from tipping)
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until "just tender"
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 T olive oil in a skillet
• Add onions & saute for 3-4 minutes until soft
• Add in garlic & cook for 10 seconds- Careful not to burn the garlic!
• Remove from heat
• Add in the tomato sauce, both chili powders, cumin & paprika
• Add the cornstarch to the water & stir to combine
• Add this mixture into the pan
• You can add in salt & pepper, to taste, if you want
• Return to heat & bring to a light boil
• Lightly boil for 1 minute, stirring occasionally
• Turn heat to LOW & continue to simmer & stir occasionally for 5 minutes
• Add in the shredded chicken & cream cheese 
• Mix until cream cheese is melted through
• Remove boats from the oven & allow to cool, slightly
• Fill each boat with the meat sauce mixture
• Sprinkle with corn & Mexican cheese
• Return to oven, continue cooking for 5-10 minutes til cheese melts & boat shells tender
• Top with toppings. 

Strawberry Shortcake & stuff

First, the stuff.

My time with Nanny Family #1 (also happens to be #4) came to a close yesterday. I'm be first on their list to call if their mom has an important meeting or goes out with friends. I'm on an "as needed" basis this summer as she ends her partnership with one of her companies so she can work from home & be more of a full-time mom. She missed that over this school year.

I'm also watching Nanny Family #3 on a part-time basis because their stepdad cannot actively look for meaningful employment & keep 3 active kids happy over the summer break. So, we won't be broke this summer, but money cannot be spent frivolously.

Then... at the end of August, I go full-time once more but with a new family, Nanny Family #5! Currently living in a nearby town, they'll be moving to Dover by summers end. They are both school teachers so I'll get some vacations, unpaid, but still..

There are 4 kids... a girl aged 8, a boy aged 6, another boy aged 4 & another boy aged 1. I'll be getting the 2 oldest on the bus in the morning then watching the 2 youngest until their Dad gets home. I know the 4 yr old best since he was in Nursery with me when I was called to there. I'm happy not to be worried about helping B with bills & such.

Now, the shortcake recipe...

Strawberry Shortcake  serves 6

**I use the individual sponge cakes you can buy at the store in packages of 6 because the carb count is lower than the traditional shortcake. **

This recipe has 113 calories & 25g of carbs.

What you need:

• 1T artificial sweetener 
• 1T cornstarch
• 1 cup orange juice (I wonder if the lower calorie OJ would work?)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 6 short cakes (**see my notation above)

What you do:

• Combine sweetener & cornstarch in a saucepan
• Stir in the orange juice
• Bring to a boil
• Cook & stir for about 1 minute until thicker & bubbly
• Remove from heat
• Stir in the vanilla
• Cool completely
• When cooled, combine mixture & sliced strawberries
• Chill for at least 30 minutes
• Place 1/6 of the mixture into each of the sponge cake cups & serve!

Spicy Vegetable Side Dish... not too spicy!

I was on a high from yesterdays successful dinner & so today, I thought I'd try only a side dish to go with the store-ready Parmesan Chicken Skewers from Hannafords. The skewers BTW were very tasty. I may have to find that recipe for myself!

B liked these veggies, even with the bit of a kick of heat at the end of a bite. I tasted the sweet, but felt the heat, a mild heat, on my tongue. My youngest sister liked them too. C is at work, but she isn't one to like spicy foods, so my guess is she won't even try the leftovers.

Spicy Vegetable Side Dish  serves 4  

 18g carbs per serving

What you need:

• 1 medium butternut squash, about 2 lbs
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat butter, melted
• 2T brown sugar
• 1T chili powder (yes, a whole TABLESPOONFUL!)
• 1T minced cilantro (I used 1T from a tube of cilantro paste I bought near the herbs)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (YUP! I said cinnamon!)
• 1 medium green bell pepper, 1" chunks 
• 1 medium yellow pepper, 1" chunks (I only had an orange pepper on hand & it worked fine)
• 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges (I used 1/2 an onion because of its strong flavor)
• 1T olive oil
• 2 cups grape tomatoes (I used only 1 cup knowing I don't really like warm tomatoes)

What you do:

• Cut the squash in half, discard the seeds
• Place cut side down in microwave safe dish (I had to trim ends to make halves fit in the dish)
• Add 1/2" water & cook, uncovered, in microwave 11-15 min or until tender (not mushy)
• Remove from pan, carefully & set aside to cool a little
• In a small bowl, combine butter, sugar, chili powder, cilantro, salt, pepper & cinnamon
• When squash is cool to touch, peel & cut into 1/2 chunks, set aside
• In a large skillet, saute the peppers & onion in the olive oil until desired tenderness
• Add in tomatoes & squash
• Gently toss to combine
• Heat through
• Transfer veggie mixture to a large bowl & pour the butter/spice mixture over the veggies
• Toss to coat
• Serve with your favorite piece of meat. We had chicken skewers!

Pork & Potatoes Skillet Dinner

I'm trying, AGAIN, to watch my carb intake & eat healthier. Some days are better than others. For instance, today, I treated myself to 1 chocolate dipped macaroon. One cookie was 19 carb grams which equalled 1-1/2 carb choices, perfect carb count for a snack. 

Unfortunately, it was soooo good & the rest of the macaroons were just sitting there, calling out for me! FOUR more went into my mouth before my brain made me STOP! I skipped lunch hoping to bring my sugar down which also was a stupid thing to do! So for dinner, I chose a new recipe from a cookbook made for lighter & diabetic-friendly meals.

B LOVED it! I barely got the question out "Do you like it?" when he said, "YES! It's a do-over recipe!" He did have 1 request though. More of it! This recipe makes 4 servings, but they are servings meant for those who need a low carb count. He was still hungry, even with the side of spinach.

Pork & Potatoes Skillet Dinner  serves 4 (for big eaters, serves 2)  

Carb count is: 21g per serving 

What you need:

• 2T real butter, divided
• 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 lbs, cut into 1/4" slices
• 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms (I don't like mushrooms & omitted this ingredient)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 small, red potatoes, quartered (I used baby reds, purples & fingerlings & cut into 1" chunks)
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz) chicken broth, divided
• 2T Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper
• 2T all purpose white flour
• 4 green onions, sliced

What you do:

• Melt 1T butter in a 12" skillet w/lid over MED heat.
• Cook pork slices 2-4 minutes on each side
• Remove from pan & cover w/foil to keep warm
• In same pan, melt remaining butter over MED-HI heat (optional: saute mushrooms almost tender)
• Add in the garlic & cook 1 more minute
• Stir in potatoes, 1-1/2 cup broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat & cover with lid
• Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are soft
• In a small bowl, combine flour & remaining broth until smooth
• Stir this mixture into the potato mixture.
• Bring to a boil & stir until sauce thickens
• Stir in the green onions
• Return pork to the pan & stir together until heated through
• Serve with a nice veggie side dish. I used sauteed spinach!

My youngest sister has moved in, "temporarily" & tried some of this dish. She also LOVED it!

Asparagus Shepherds Pie

MMMMMMM!

My family LOVES Shepherds Pie!

I've made several varieties over the years... tomato based, mixed veggies, etc. I've always gone back to the basic ground beef w/gravy, corn or peas with a homemade potato topping sprinkled w/paprika.

The other night I came across a new recipe, Asparagus Shepherds Pie & I knew I HAD to try it out!

It was very tasty! So, here is the recipe, for my future comfort food cravings!

Asparagus Shepherds Pie  serves 8    

(note: 1 serving = 264 calories & 29g of carbs) 

What you need:

• 6 medium Russet potatoes, peeled, 2"chunks & rinsed
• 1 lbs ground beef (you could use ground turkey)
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of asparagus soup, undiluted (I used cream of broccoli)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 lbs fresh asparagus spears, trimmed & cut into 1" pcs (oops! I forgot to do the chopping part!)
• 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed (makes it easier to mix into the potatoes)
• 1 tsp rubbed sage (I used 1 tsp ground sage & thought it was good)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Paprika, for color

What you do:

• In a saucepan, cover potatoes w/cold water. Bring to a boil & cook until fork tender
• In a skillet, brown the ground beef, onion & garlic over Med heat & drain
• Stir in soup & pepper, then pour mixture into a greased 2 qt baking dish
• Cook asparagus in a small amount of water until crisp-tender (4-5 minutes) & drain
• Place drained asparagus over the beef mixture
• Drain cooked potatoes, mash with milk, butter, sage & salt
• Spread over the top of the asparagus
• Sprinkle w/cheese & paprika
• Bake, uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes

Notations:

Be sure to chop the spears into 1" pcs. I forgot & while tasty, it was very stringy.

To cut carbs, I may use cauliflower mock mashed potatoes.

I used cream of broccoli because I couldn't find cream of asparagus in the store. Tasted good anyway!

C didn't like the melted cheese on the top, could omit that ingredient.

K- SAH- DEE- AHS for snack or breakfast

I love the cheese quesadillas that are usually served as appetizers in restaurants. A little salsa, sour cream or guacamole & I'm in heaven! I'm bound & determined to be able to make a decent quesadilla & here are 2 recipes I found that sounded wonderful!

The first one is from the GOYA website.

Quesadillas  serves 4

What you need:

• 1 cup of pico de gallo salsa (drained, grocery store pre-made should work or get the jarred one)
• 1 can (15.5 oz) black beans (drained & rinsed)
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2T finely chopped cilantro ( I may not use this step as I don't like cilantro)
• 4- 10" flour tortillas/burritos
• 1 tsp olive oil

What you do:

• Place well drained Pico de Gallo into a medium bowl (discard any liquid)
• Add in the black beans, cheese & cilantro, mix until combined
• Put about 1/2 cup mixture evenly over HALF of each tortilla, then fold in half
• Heat a skillet over Med-Hi heat
• Brush skillet with oil
• Place filled tortillas on the skillet
• Cook, carefully flipping tortilla when one side is golden brown & crispy... about 5 minutes
• Cut into wedges & serve with your choices of toppings

Toppings could be:

• Salsa
• sour cream
• guacamole
• lettuce
• onion
• etc

Breakfast Quesadilla  serves 3

 25g of carbs per serving

Can be frozen!

What you need:

• 1 large egg
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1/2 cup corn, rinsed & drained
• 1/4 red onion, tiny diced pieces
• 2T chopped cilantro (I don't use)
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheese (cheddar, monterey jack)
• 1/2-1T taco seasonings
• 3 low carb 8" tortillas

What you do:

• Whisk the egg & egg whites together
• Scramble them in a skillet coated with cooking spray... Set aside until next step
• In a bowl, combine beans, corn, eggs, onion, cilantro, cheese & taco seasoning
• Place 1/3 of the mixture on each tortilla & fold in half
• Cook in a skillet w/cooking spray until golden brown on both sides or
• Place on parchment paper & freeze for 1 hour, then wrap individually until ready to use.

To reheat:

• microwave, uncovered until warm

or

• thaw overnight in fridge, in a skillet w/cooking spray, cook until golden & cheese is melted

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes, again But SUCCESSFUL!

Two things have changed since I last tried mock mashed potatoes. One... Green Giant now makes Cauliflower Crumbles where every piece is the perfect size & the entire bag can be microwaved. I did mine for 7 minutes even tho the bag directions say that 4 minutes would be enough.
The second thing that changed is what I mixed the cooked cauliflower in! Previous tries were in a blender. This time... A food processor! What a difference! Perfect smoothness though a bit more watery, thinner than real mashed potatoes.
So, I put the 16 oz bag of cooked cauliflower crumbles along with 1/2 cup skim milk, 2T real butter, salt & pepper, to taste into the food processor and blended into desired smoothness. Love it!

Changing Tastes

As children, vegetables seem to be the least favorite thing to eat. I always tried to have a veggie, usually canned or frozen, on the table for my daughters to eat with their meals. More often than not, I had to remind them to put a veggie on their plate. Most times they listened & put a teaspoonful on their plate. Other times, it became a battle.
Happily, as my girls grew, so did their taste for veggies, including fresh veggies! T will eat artichokes while C has recently begun to enjoy asparagus! Corn, carrots, salads, green beans, broccoli & summer squashes have become pretty common now!

Tonight we are celebrating C's 24th birthday with her requested meal of ribs, real mashed potatoes, ginger glazed carrots & spinach! Yay for veggies & changing tastes!

Ginger Glazed Carrots  serves 6

What you need:

• 3 cups fresh carrots, peeled & sliced
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 2T real butter
• 1tsp grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger (I use fresh, smells so good!)

What you do:

• Bring 1" of water in a saucepan to a boil
• Add in the sliced carrots
• Bring back to a boil, reduce heat, cover & simmer for 5 minutes
• Drain carrots & set them aside
• Using the same, warm pan over MED heat stir together sugar, butter & ginger
• Keep stirring until bubbly
• Add in the carrots & cook over LOW, stirring occasionally 1-2 minutes to heat carrots through
• Serve

Summertime Soup

I like V-8 juice. Not too many others seem to enjoy the blended vegetable beverage. 

It makes a quick, easy base to this next recipe, Gazpacho! 

There are sooo many recipes & flavor for gazpacho but it's basically, RAW, COLD SOUP! 

I've been told the Latin community looks at gazpacho as a side salad. Makes sense to me!

Easy Gazpacho  serves 4-6

What you need:

• 32 ounces of V-8 juice
• 1 1/2 cups diced European cucumber (I remove seeds from regular cukes)
• 1 cup chopped celery (tiny dices make the celery easier to chew, no stringiness)
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions (or scallions or chives or a bit of purple onion)
• 1 medium plum tomato, seeded & diced
• 1T minced garlic (fresh is best but I use jarred garlic)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• optional: your favorite hot sauce, to taste. (Or just put hot sauce in your own serving)

What you do:

• Mix it all together in a bowl
• Cover & put in fridge for at least 2 hours (Overnight is best for flavor)
• Serve with your meal or a thick slice of crusty bread.

Chicken Stuffed Potato Casserole... a work in progress

C moved back home about a month ago. Long story, but it appears that her engagement to G is over. She is putting all her energy into working (several jobs) to try to earn enough money to pay her bills off faster. Car loan & school loans can suck up quite a bit of $$!

She also came home with a recipe that failed her when she tried it out on her own. She tried it once more this week but sadly, this attempt failed too! She gave me the responsibility of working out the bugs & come up with a decent casserole. 

I think I still need to tweak it, but last nights attempt wasn't all bad!

WARNING! This is not a diet friendly recipe! Comfort food, for sure!

Chicken Stuffed Potato Casserole   serves 4

What you need:

• 9x9 casserole dish, needs to be a deep dish Foil for easier clean-up)
• 4 1/2 cups russet potatoes, scrubbed & diced into 1/2" cubes or smaller (about 4 baseball sized potatoes)
• 1 lbs chicken breast, chunked (I think small pcs. Some say no chicken at all, but we'd have to change the recipes title!)
• 4 slices thick bacon, cooked, cooled, crumbled ( use a bit more if you really love bacon)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided 
• 4 green onions, sliced (greens only) I used 1/4 cup chopped chives for a milder onion taste
• 1/2 tsp each of salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2T butter, cut into small pcs

What you do:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Grease the casserole dish
• Place 1/2 of the potatoes on the bottom of the dish
• The diced chicken goes in next.
• Season w/1/4 tsp salt & pepper
• Sprinkle on 1/2 the cooled bacon bits, 1/2 cup cheese & 1/2 green onions
• Put in the remaining potatoes
• Top w/the remaining bacon bits, salt, pepper & green onions, 1/2 cup cheese
• Pour the heavy cream over entire mixture 
• Dot the top w the bits of butter 
• Cover w/foil & bake for 70 minutes
• Uncover & cook an additional 35 minutes or until potatoes are soft enough
• Top w/remaining cheese & cook until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes

There you have it. 

B said the taste was good, but thought the chicken was out of place. C wanted smaller chicken pcs or not at all. I thought it needed MORE chicken but in much smaller pcs. Perhaps using a bag of thawed hash browns would be easier & have better results.

Stuffed Shells Variation

As promised, here is the recipe for Taco-Stuffed Pasta Shells! Since C has moved back home, she has requested this meal, especially since there are leftovers which she can take for lunch the next day.

Taco-Stuffed Pasta Shells   serves 6 & can be frozen (see below)

What you need:

• 1 lbs ground beef
• 1 envelope taco seasonings & 2/3 cup water
• 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 12 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (add in a few extra to cover any breakage)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chunky salsa
• 1 cup taco sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 green onions, chopped

What you do:

• Brown the ground beef & drain
• Add in taco seasonings & water, bring to a boil
• Reduce to LOW & let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes
• Stir in the cubed cream cheese until melted
• Transfer to a bowl & chill in fridge for 1 hour (mixture is too hot to handle so don't skip this step)
• Meanwhile, cook shells according to package & drain
• Toss with butter to prevent sticking
• Fill each shell with 3T meat mixture 
• Grease a 9x9 baking dish then add the salsa onto the bottom of the dish
• Place stuffed shells, meat side up, onto the salsa
• Top shells w the taco sauce
• Cover & bake @ 30 minutes
• Uncover, sprinkle w cheeses then crushed chips
• Bake uncovered 15 minutes or until cheeses are melted
• Serve with sour cream & green onions.

note: Double this recipe to make some to freeze for later. I freeze them on a cookie sheet then place 2 of them in ziploc sandwich bags for lunches or a big freezer bag. 

Heat the 2 shells in microwave, about 1-2 minutes, then check. If it needs more heating, microwave about 30 sec, a few times, until desired heat is achieved then add chips, salsa & cheese, to taste 

or...

Freeze up to 3 months. 
Reheating from freezer:

• Put frozen shells in fridge 24 hours before cooking, to thaw, won't thaw completely though
• Grease 9x9 baking dish & add the salsa
• Place the frozen shells, meat side up & cover with taco sauce
• Cover, bake at 350 for 40 minutes
• Uncover, add cheeses, chips and continue baking until heated through, about 15 minutes
• Serve w sour cream & green onions 

A Stuffed Shell Recipe

I've been asked to bring a dinner to a family from church whose mom had surgery last week & is unable to cook meals for her kin. Although I'm a bit puzzled as to why the other 4 adults in the house cannot step in for her, I will bring them a pan of Stuffed Shells & a salad.

I have 2 stuffed shells recipes. I'm making the traditional Italian style today. The Taco Stuffed Shells will be posted another day.

Stuffed Shells  

makes a 9x13 pan (or split it between 2- 8x8 pans & freeze one for later)

I use foil pans for easy clean-up

What you need:

• 1 box of jumbo shell pasta
• 1 lbs of ground beef
• 32 oz of favorite spaghetti sauce ( Prego is my fave)
• 2 lbs ricotta cheese (I use whole milk ricotta rather than low fat)
• 1/2 lb grated mozzarella cheese
• 2 large, beaten eggs
• 1/4 cup each of grated Parmesan & Romano cheeses
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp parsley

What you do:

• Cook & drain shells using box directions for al dente. 
• Brown & drain ground beef
• Combine the sauce w/browned beef
• In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until well blended
• Spread about 1/4-1/2 cup sauce in a 9x13 baking dish to cover the bottom
• Fill shells w/about 1-2 T of cheese mixture (I just "eyeball" it)
• Place shells "cheese side down" in the baking dish. Continue until all the cheese is used up
• Pour the remaining sauce on shells. Take care to put sauce on each shell to keep from drying out
• Cover w/foil during first half of cooking
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for a total of 45 minutes
• OPTIONAL: Add some more mozzarella cheese on top & bake until melted

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna, fingers crossed!

Ok, I've tried spaghetti squash a few times. I've posted about a few of the recipes I've made using this squash. Truth be told, even though I liked the recipes, I haven't remade them. But I'm always hopeful.

This recipe has been "pinned" on Pinterest many times & I fell in love with the photos! It looked soo good! What is "it?" Lasagna! I love lasagna but only if the noodles are cooked properly. I hate eating glue! Spaghetti squash replaces the noodles so it must be good! I hope so!

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna  Serves 2-4

What you need:

• 2 medium-sized spaghetti squashes, about 5lbs total (or 1 really big squash!)
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 2-4 sweet Italian sausages (casing removed or use ground beef)
• 1/2 lg yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

What you do:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Slice squash in half, lengthwise & remove seed membrane
• Place in a baking dish, cut side up & brush on the oil.
• Bake uncovered 40-60 min or til tender (DO NOT PUNCTURE SKIN! Your stuff will leak out)
• Remove from oven & let cool at least 10 minutes
• While squash is cooling, brown the sausage meat
• Add in the onion & cook for a few minutes before adding the garlic
• Let some of the sausage get a little crispy but don't burn the garlic! (Burnt garlic ruins the sauce!)
• Add in the marinara sauce & heat until warm.
• In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta & dry spinach together (I also added 1-2 T of Parmesan)
• Add in S & P (I felt the chhese & sauce brought enough saltiness, so I omitted)
• Scrape out the spaghetti strands & place in a paper towel lined colander to remove excess liquid
• Turn oven UP to 450
• Using the empty squash shells, in baking dish, layer the lasagna in the following manner...
• Sauce, squash, sauce, ricotta, mozz cheese, squash, sauce, ricotta, mozz cheese, sauce & mozz cheese
• Return to oven & bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes
• Cool about 5 minutes before serving.

There it is. 

My squash is just about done so off I go to stuff them. 

Hoping for the best, but take-out is a possibility if this fails! 

Slow Cooker Chicken Azteca Recipe, Finally!

How did this escape from ever being posted? The original recipe was found in a diabetic slow cooker cookbook & has been modified a bit here & there to suit our family's tastes.

Chicken Azteca (serves 10)

for use in a 5-6 qt slow cooker

What you need:

• 8-10 chicken breast halves, skinless & boneless
• 2- 15 oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed
• 4 cups frozen corn kernels (I like to thaw & pat dry, but you don't have to do this. Frozen is OK)
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cups thick & chunky salsa, divided (our faves: Old El Paso HOT! or Pace MED!)
• 12 oz tub of cream cheese ( regular or low fat. No fat kind is yucky)

What you do:

• Line your crock pot w foil or use liners for easy cleanup
• In the crock pot, mix together: beans, corn, garlic, cumin & 1 cup of salsa
• Arrange the chicken over this mixture, preferably in a single layer
• Pour the remaining 1 cup salsa over the chicken pcs
• Cover & cook on LOW 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours (I use LOW for juicier chicken)
• Remove chicken from crock pot & shred/cut into bite sized pcs
• Return chicken pcs to crock pot
• Add in the cream cheese (in small pcs for easier melting) 
• Stir well
• Cover, turn to HIGH & let cheese melt, about 30 minutes
• Stir one more time
• Serve over rice (I like it over Jasmine rice) or serve it as is.

NOTES:
This recipe can be frozen. However, do not add in the cream cheese until thawed & reheated

Sweet Rich Crockpot Dessert

My quest to find recipes for the crockpot that go beyond stews, soups or casseroles continues.
Today's effort came out very sweet & rich. Good for a big group.

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cake

What you need:
1 box of fudge brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker)
1 pouch of chocolate chip cookie mix (Betty Crocker again)
4 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter, divided
Pam spray with flour

What you do:
Spray a 4-5 qt crockpot w Pam spray
Mix the brownie mix w 2 eggs & 1/4 cup melted butter
In another bowl, mix cookie mix w 2 eggs & 1/4 c melted butter
Spoon mixtures into crockpot, alternating mixtures
Cover. Cook on High for 2 hours, maybe 3 as crockpots differ
After 2 hrs, uncover briefly to touch center of cake. It will be moist but if it bounces back when touched, it's done. Keep checking every 15 min if not
Scoop out cake & serve w vanilla ice cream

She's 5!

Last week, Carlotta turned 5! Time has flown by. 

C & I drove down on Thursday prior to help her celebrate! We stayed until Sunday morning before heading back into a snowstorm to get home. We made it home but did spend the night in PA because I didn't trust road conditions in the dark of night. 

Our driving adventures could be a whole other blog entry!

Anyway, back to the 5 yr old...

     We made it to VA, in time to see her participate in her swimming class. She was excited to see us &  it was hard for her to focus on her coach's words. She can't get her legs out behind her to kick properly. Hmm, sounds like me. I've been told her Dad swims the same way.

     After a quick pizza/gift opening party in our hotel room, Carlotta, T & M went home while C & I crashed! 14 hours of driving, even w help, is exhausting! 

It was going to be a busy weekend!

     Early next morning, Carlotta came to spend the day & night w/C & me. We drove to Radford to visit Evergreens grave. C had never been to the cemetery & Carlotta took her responsibility of getting us there very seriously. She spoke of how Evergreen is her sister, they grew together in Mommy's tummy but Evergreen didn't grow strong enough. She went back to Heavenly Father. We had to be sure to bring flowers to her grave. Being Valentines weekend, there were plenty of flower bouquets to choose from. Carlotta insisted on the best... ROSES! I tried to steer her to cheaper varieties like daisies or carnations. NO! Only ROSES! And they had to be opened up a bit, no closed buds!

     We exited the car to place the roses on Evergreens headstone, Carlotta said, "Nonie, you take 1 rose, and C & I will take 1 rose for Evergreen." I asked about the rest of the bouquet. 

She replied, " Oh, those are for me!" I love this kid!

     We sang Happy Birthday, placed the flowers & listened as Carlotta told us stories of her sister, her mom, dad & other things. Have I mentioned she likes to talk fast, smile & laugh?

     A lunch at Sonic, eaten in the car, which Carlotta could not believe I was allowing, then back to the hotel where we discovered an indoor, heated pool! Well, mostly heated. It was so cold outside, we were hoping for hot tub temps. Carlotta didn't mind though. 

This kid LOVES the water! 

I tried to help her w/her kicking but she told me, 

"Learning to kick is for swim class! Swimming in the indoor hotel pool was for fun! 

C & Carlotta played well in the pool.

     Sleepover @ the hotel on Friday night where she played w/ many of the toys we brought for her birthday. C & G gave her a Barbie doll w/a pool & that proved to be the winning toy during our stay! 

Saturday morning at a Waffle House for breakfast. 

Oh, how we love Waffle House breakfasts! 

Then over to Toys R Us which was next door to the hotel! More birthday gifts were bought for her. More playtime in the hotel, lunch at Applebees & then off to her birthday party at a nearby indoor swim/splash park (we had spent several hours with her at this place back at Christmas & she loved it) More swimming & presents for her!

Birthday dinner @ Red Robins & it began to snow. 

Why is it that every time I spend her birthday in VA, a place not known for much snowfall, the area gets pummeled? C & I told her its our gift to her. 

Carlotta loves snow as much as she loves swimming, I think.

Good bye breakfast at... yep, Waffle House. The return trip home, into the snow, occupied my mind more than the sadness of leaving Carlotta & family again. 

Hopefully, they can come to NE in the summer.

Carlotta loves to laugh & make others laugh. She knows most of what she needs to know to start Kindergarden in September. 

T has done a wonderful job preparing her daughter for school.

(tho I know she'll find it hard to separate from her daughter in the fall). 

Carlotta loves to sing & make up songs to sing. I have several on my iPhone which I listen to often.

 Shoes!

 She loves shoes & the color PINK! Her memory is just like C's! Both of them can recall events & such w details others have long forgot. 

     I cannot believe how fast time has gone since Carlotta came into the world! I love visiting with her & am so happy she has never thought of me nor treated me as a stranger. This isn't how I imagined life would be once I had grandchildren, but it seems to be working & I am happy.

     Happy Birthday to Carlotta & Evergreen! Thank you for being in my life.

Bacon-Cheese-y Slow Cooker Potatoes

Y-U-M!!

I discovered this comfort-food side dish recipe during another snow storm this week. Too much snow to drive in even w/an all-wheel drive vehicle! 

I had limited ingredients on hand, but was able to pull enough stuff together to try this recipe out.

B asked me what it was called. 

Why, I asked.

So I know what to ask for the next time I want this. It's good!

I also tried it out the following day for Nanny Family #1. 

Con emptied his plate. I asked him if he liked it since his plate was empty & he said, Except for the roast beef my mom made me eat with it, it was good. Gluten-free to boot!

Crock Pot Bacon & Cheese Potato Side Dish 

(serves 4)

What you need:

• 1/4 lbs of bacon, cooked, drained & diced ( I used extra thick & bit extra because I like bacon!)
• 1 sm onion, sliced thinly (in half moons) 
• 6-8 red skin potatoes, 1" chunks (I used 2 softball size Yukon Gold) 
• 2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (use any cheddar...  mild, sharp, extra sharp)
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 1-2 T of real, salted butter (cut into tiny "dots")
• sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)

What you do:

• Line w/foil leaving extra to fold over food (Easier clean-up, trust me! You'll be happier!)
• Place 1/2 of the bacon on the bottom of the foil-lined crockpot
• Then follow w/half the onions, half the potatoes, half the cheese
• Repeat process of layering.
• Salt & Pepper & place the butter "dots" on the top
• Fold over the extra foil & crimp it closed
• Cover w/lid
• Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours
• note: if using green onions, use less real onion in the recipe.

I think it tastes like loaded potato skins! I peeled Russet potatoes on my second try & made the chunks a bit smaller. I may try thinly slicing the potatoes next time so the melting cheese stays on the top layer as it cooks.  It's very yummy!

Just a Little Bored Today

Today, this area of the USA is experiencing a blizzard. Juno is her name & although she took her time getting ramped up, she has arrived! Last measurement  (as best we could measure in the blowing snow) was almost 30 inches. There is still a bit more snow falling, but by dawn, this blizzard will be over. We didn't lose power as the snow was very light & fluffy. Phew! Cleaning up the roads, sidewalks & parking lots may take a day or 2 but all in all, I suffered only from boredom!

Updates: Patriots made it to the Super Bowl (they play the Seattle Seahawks on Feb 1) & while I'm happy for them, I'm not as excited as I have been the last FIVE TIMES they made it to a Super Bowl since 2000. They've been accused of deflating the footballs to somehow gain an advantage over their opponents. Science has proven that properly inflated balls in a warm environment which are then brought into a very cold environment WILL deflate but the world won't let the issue go. I know my favorite NFL team did not cheat but I'm still deflated (yes, pun was intended)

Carlotta turns 5 in a few weeks! C & I will be driving down on Thurs, prior, spending Fri & Sat w/her as well as T & M before heading back home on Sunday, because Nanny Family #1 needs me for February vacation care the next day. 

I know I don't post about Carlotta as often as I once did, but since I can't see her as much as I like, I get sad. Writing about that makes me sadder. So I'll stick w/updates like this instead. Going to visit her makes me happy! I LOVE how she has never been afraid or shy around me despite the long periods of time between visits!

OK, though I'm still bored, I'm done typing. Have a great day, all.

Warm Soup or Stew

It's been very cold here past few days. A "polar vortex" is what the weather people are calling it this year. Coldness from north of us is making an appearance here. Happens every winter to one degree or another. Lately, the media have decided to name every weather event. So, we will endure this vortex.

It does make one yearn for a warm bowl of soup or stew though. On my stove right now is a simmering pot of "Winter Stew" which will be ready in time for dinner & the Broncos vs Colts playoff game! The Pats have already advanced as have the Seahawks. M & I might get to do some trash talking to each other if our teams make it to the Super Bowl!

This recipe, if made "as is,"  makes a lot of soup. Perhaps leftovers can be frozen? The author of this recipe says his dad would make the soup, leave it simmering on the wood stove and whenever someone was hungry, they took some. Then as the soup began to dwindle, his dad would add more ingredients and continue simmering, sometimes for days! Not sure I'd try or trust that method.

 Go for freezing the leftovers!

Winter Soup (makes a lot!!) ... feel free to cut recipe in half!

What you need:

• 4 quarts V8 juice (I subbed in 2 cups of original V8 with 2 cups Spicy Hot V8, for flavor)
• 1 lbs ground beef, browned & drained (I used 1.5 lbs ground beef)
• 2 medium sweet onions, roughly chopped
• 5 peeled carrots, roughly chopped
• 4 medium sized white potatoes, peeled & chopped (I used Yukon Gold baby potatoes & left peel on)
• 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 3T chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
• 3T butter (I used margarine because I was out of butter)
• 2T white flour
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

What to do:

• Brown ground beef & drain well. Set aside
• In same pot, melt butter
• Add the carrots, onions & celery, stir until softened (I sauteed long enough for the onions to soften)
• Sprinkle flour in & stir/cook for 1 minute
• Add in the V8, cooked ground beef, parsley, bay leaves & potatoes
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to LOW
• Cover & simmer until potatoes are soft.
• Remove the bay leaves before serving. (I remove the celery as I don't like cooked celery texture)

Ok, after testing this new recipe, I would use less V8 juice, more meat and cut the acidity with a touch of heavy cream. And stick to peeled white potatoes.

A Yummy Bacon Appetizer

The holidays are coming to a close. We were fortunate to have been able to spend several days in VA w/Carlotta & her parents, T & M, though we did miss seeing C & G as they spent their 1st Christmas together in their place. Oh well. I loved seeing how much Carlotta has grown & how much of a sense of humor she has. She starts Kindergarden in September so her availability for visits will be limited.

Ok, on to the bacon appetizers which got good reviews from a childhood mentor of mine who is a wonderful cook in her own right and bakes some of the best homemade bread in my memory! 

For years, she supplemented her husbands income by making & selling her bread in a little cabinet on her front lawn, near the street. She sold out every time! 

So, for me to get a compliment from her on how good something was that I made, well... it's a big deal!

Thank you to the Pillsbury company for this recipe!

Bacon Appetizer Crescents  (makes 16 servings)

What you need:

• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 8 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled (I used the super thick variety)
• 1/3 cup of Kraft Parmesan cheese (the Parm/Romano blend works good too)
• 1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
• 2T fresh parsley, chopped
• 1T milk (I used skim)
• 2 cans refrigerator crescent DINNER rolls (the bigger sized ones are just too big)

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix all ingredients together EXCEPT the rolls
• Open rolls & separate into triangles
• Put 1 generous Tablespoon of the mixture on each of the triangles
• Spread the mixture to cover the triangle (doesn't have to be perfect)
• Roll up from the bottom, to the point & place, point down, on a cookie sheet (or jelly roll pan)
• Bake 12-15 minutes. Ovens vary, my try could've taken another minute
• Best served warm. 

My Simple Egg Salad Sandwich recipe

There's a gazillion ways to make egg salad!
I used to make it for the girls during summer when they were sick of PB & J or baloney & cheese.
A few hard boiled eggs (perfect recipe for hard boiled eggs follows this recipe below) mixed w mayo & a dash of mustard was really all I ever did. Sometimes I added in too much mayo making for a runny sandwich.

As I've gotten older, I want my food to taste like I want it to every time so I experimented w/some actual recipes for egg salad. C was my test subject, though she didn't know that most times!

This is the recipe we settled on, though I have forgotten where it came from, apologies to its originator.

Egg Salad   (serves 4)

What you need:

• 6 extra large hard boiled eggs, peeled & mashed (my recipe for perfect hard boiled eggs is below)
• 3T mayo (or if you like tanginess, Miracle Whip)
• 1 tsp yellow mustard or dijon mustard
• 1T dill relish (I drain on a paper towel. I don't like the extra watery-ness in my final product)
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

What you do:

• In a separate bowl, mix the mayo, mustard, relish, salt & pepper.
• Taste. Add more S&P if needed.
• Combine mixture into eggs, about 1T at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. 

 (eggs come in different sizes & may need less than of the mixture you made)

• Spread on your favorite bread. Mine? Canadian Premium White!