After having this on my menu plan weekly for almost a month, I finally got around to making it. It just sounded so GOOD - like creamy, rich, comfort food, perfect for a chilly fall evening. And I was right - it was. I tweaked the recipe a bit (since I'm incapable of NOT tweaking a recipe), so here's what I came up with.
Chicken and bows
Adapted from Taste of Home
8 ounces bow tie pasta
2 T. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup milk
1 tsp. dried thyme
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions, leaving it fairly al dente. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large straight-sided skillet or dutch oven. Add the bell pepper and onion and saute until soft. Add garlic, chicken, soup, peas, milk and thyme. Bring just to a boil, and simmer 5 - 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and the peas are heated through. Stir in cheese and add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta, stir to combine, and serve.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Menu Plan November 21 - 25
First of all, I have to tell you, I finally made chicken and bows! Since I'm completely unable to leave any recipe well enough alone, I made some modifications and was quite pleased with the results. Only thing I didn't like was the bows - I bought some of that Barilla Plus pasta, which never quite gets to a soft enough texture for our taste. So next time I'll make it with good old fashioned unhealthy white pasta, and I'm sure it will be much better. I need to post the revised recipe before I forget what I did!
And now, on to this week. This will be a short menu week for us, as we have Thanksgiving dinners on BOTH Thursday and Friday. Have to love that!
Monday: Pasta e Fagioli (I already have the sausage cooked, and I'll use orzo pasta, so this should come together very quickly).
Tuesday: Taco salad
Wednesday: cranberry chicken (just like my cranberry pork, but with chicken tenderloins instead)
Thursday: Dinner with hubby's family. I'm taking spinach dip and an orange ambrosia-type jello salad.
Friday: Dinner with my family. I'm taking a veggie tray, jello, and my daughter's birthday cake. possibly more if my mom needs help, but that's all I know for now!
I may flip-flop Monday and Tuesday. We'll see how it goes.
To those of you in the US (and those abroad who celebrate US holidays), have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. To those of you who don't celebrate Thanksgiving this week, have a great week! Ah, what the heck, you be safe too. :-) And remember to visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com for lots of great menu ideas!
And now, on to this week. This will be a short menu week for us, as we have Thanksgiving dinners on BOTH Thursday and Friday. Have to love that!
Monday: Pasta e Fagioli (I already have the sausage cooked, and I'll use orzo pasta, so this should come together very quickly).
Tuesday: Taco salad
Wednesday: cranberry chicken (just like my cranberry pork, but with chicken tenderloins instead)
Thursday: Dinner with hubby's family. I'm taking spinach dip and an orange ambrosia-type jello salad.
Friday: Dinner with my family. I'm taking a veggie tray, jello, and my daughter's birthday cake. possibly more if my mom needs help, but that's all I know for now!
I may flip-flop Monday and Tuesday. We'll see how it goes.
To those of you in the US (and those abroad who celebrate US holidays), have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. To those of you who don't celebrate Thanksgiving this week, have a great week! Ah, what the heck, you be safe too. :-) And remember to visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com for lots of great menu ideas!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Toddler craft - Puffy Paint
A couple of weeks ago, I discovered Pinterest. About five minutes after that, I was completely addicted. So many ideas, so little time (and money!). I've found some great ideas for crafting with my daughter, though, and this was one I couldn't wait to try out.
I found it at Get Your Mess On, but I've since seen it at least four more places around the internet, so I have no idea where it originated.
Puffy Paint:
For each color:
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup water
squirt of tempera paint (or a splash of tempera paint powder) - as much as you need to get the color you want.
First, gather your supplies (and your adorable assistant!). Here in the Pacific Northwest, I found the squirt bottles at Bi-Mart for $2 each. JoAnn Fabric and Craft had some smaller ones in a two-pack for $2, but I wanted the option for bigger bottles so I bought these (I think they're 12 ounce).
I began by mixing the salt, flour, and water together, whisking well to get out all the lumps. Then we poured in the color,
Stirred, stirred, stirred,
Put the paint in the bottles using a funnel (during which my daughter, who has never seen the Wizard of Oz, kept shouting "it's MELTING! It's MELTING!" Where do they come up with this stuff???), and presto! Puffy paint!
We discovered about two minutes (and half a bottle of blue) into the project that it's a less-than-perfect idea to let the two-year-old control the paint bottle without supervision. Once we got that down, though, we had a great time. Makes a great fingerpaint with awesome texture!
I found it at Get Your Mess On, but I've since seen it at least four more places around the internet, so I have no idea where it originated.
Puffy Paint:
For each color:
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup water
squirt of tempera paint (or a splash of tempera paint powder) - as much as you need to get the color you want.
First, gather your supplies (and your adorable assistant!). Here in the Pacific Northwest, I found the squirt bottles at Bi-Mart for $2 each. JoAnn Fabric and Craft had some smaller ones in a two-pack for $2, but I wanted the option for bigger bottles so I bought these (I think they're 12 ounce).
I began by mixing the salt, flour, and water together, whisking well to get out all the lumps. Then we poured in the color,
Stirred, stirred, stirred,
Put the paint in the bottles using a funnel (during which my daughter, who has never seen the Wizard of Oz, kept shouting "it's MELTING! It's MELTING!" Where do they come up with this stuff???), and presto! Puffy paint!
We discovered about two minutes (and half a bottle of blue) into the project that it's a less-than-perfect idea to let the two-year-old control the paint bottle without supervision. Once we got that down, though, we had a great time. Makes a great fingerpaint with awesome texture!
Menu Plan November 14 - 18 (and a question for you!)
We did pretty well at sticking to our menu last week. I had the opportunity to go to work early on Friday, so we went shopping and had dinner out (with a coupon) that day, but other than that, we ate at home. I did make potstickers from the freezer one day because I just couldn't get up the energy to make dinner once I got home. That's what that freezer convenience food is for!
This week, we have a pretty routine schedule, though I do get off early again on Friday. Here's the plan:
Monday: Spaghetti (made with Italian sausage instead of ground beef - yum!)
Tuesday: Broccoli Beef
Wednesday: mushroom pork chops
Thursday: If I say Chicken and Bows will you laugh at me?
Friday: One-dish twice baked potatoes
Now, a question for you, my readers. I have four HUGE kale plants in my garden, and I'm at a loss as to what to do with them. Seemed like such a good idea when I planted them... I'm thinking about Zuppa Toscana, but I'm open to any and all ideas...thoughts?
Have a great week, and remember to visit Menu Plan Monday for more menu ideas than you can shake a stick at!
This week, we have a pretty routine schedule, though I do get off early again on Friday. Here's the plan:
Monday: Spaghetti (made with Italian sausage instead of ground beef - yum!)
Tuesday: Broccoli Beef
Wednesday: mushroom pork chops
Thursday: If I say Chicken and Bows will you laugh at me?
Friday: One-dish twice baked potatoes
Now, a question for you, my readers. I have four HUGE kale plants in my garden, and I'm at a loss as to what to do with them. Seemed like such a good idea when I planted them... I'm thinking about Zuppa Toscana, but I'm open to any and all ideas...thoughts?
Have a great week, and remember to visit Menu Plan Monday for more menu ideas than you can shake a stick at!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Freezing Green Onions
We've reached that point in the year where I really need to get some things out of the garden. We've had several frosty mornings, and the onions are looking especially limp. I don't want to waste all that fresh oniony goodness, though, so I decided to chop and freeze some of the green tops (I'll also chop the bottoms and freeze them separately). Here's how I do it.
First, wash and chop your green onions. Then, place them in a freezer-safe container of a convenient size. I used some silicone cupcake molds (I hate baking in them, so I might as well use them for something, right?). Add enough water to each just to cover, and put them in the freezer until they're solid.
Take them out of the freezer and remove them from the cups (that's the nice thing about silicone - you can just flip it right out). Voila! Little green onion hockey pucks.
First, wash and chop your green onions. Then, place them in a freezer-safe container of a convenient size. I used some silicone cupcake molds (I hate baking in them, so I might as well use them for something, right?). Add enough water to each just to cover, and put them in the freezer until they're solid.
Take them out of the freezer and remove them from the cups (that's the nice thing about silicone - you can just flip it right out). Voila! Little green onion hockey pucks.
Put into a freezer container and freeze until ready to use. I've kept these for six months or more. You can use them as is in soups, stews, and other saucy things where a couple extra tablespoons of water won't matter, or you can thaw them out before you use them. They do get a little slimy so I wouldn't use them in a salad or anything, but they're good in just about any cooked dish. Enjoy!
Monday, November 07, 2011
Menu Plan November 7 - 11
We ended up doing REALLY well on our revised menu plan last week. This will teach me to actually sit down and think about my week before I plan a menu, LOL!
Here's the plan for this week:
Today: Spanish Rice Casserole - I have leftover rice and turkey in the freezer, so this will go together pretty quickly once everything's thawed.
Tuesday: Scalloped potatoes and ham - I don't have all three cheeses at the moment, so this will be made with parmesan and cheddar
Wednesday: Chicken and Bows (sound familiar?)
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Chicken Cacciatore
Don't forget to visit Menu Plan Monday for tons of fabulous menu ideas!
Apple Bread
Our apple tree was especially prolific this year, and after sharing a couple of boxes full with my mom, I've had plenty left for canning, freezing, and baking. Once I got tired of making apple crisp (hubby's favorite), I went searching for a good apple bread recipe. I found one here, but wanted to make it a little bit healthier, so I tweaked it a bit.
Whole Grain Apple Bread
makes two loaves
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or cake spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups apples, chopped
1 cup chopped pecans (optional, but they are really good!)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pans.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, applesauce, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in flour, spices, soda, and salt, mixing until just combined. Fold in apples and pecans.
Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 70 minutes at 325, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack. Let cool completely before slicing or it will fall apart a bit.
Enjoy!
makes two loaves
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or cake spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups apples, chopped
1 cup chopped pecans (optional, but they are really good!)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pans.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, applesauce, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in flour, spices, soda, and salt, mixing until just combined. Fold in apples and pecans.
Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 70 minutes at 325, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack. Let cool completely before slicing or it will fall apart a bit.
Enjoy!
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Steak and Pepper Sandwiches
At my house, I call these cheesesteaks. I realize, though, that in some parts of the country that will get me run out of town, so, for blogging purposes, steak and pepper sandwiches they are.
At my grocery store, I'm able to buy "thin sliced beef steaks". That's the meat I use, because it's quick and easy (and versatile!). It comes in big flat "steaks" about the size of my hand, and I slice it cross-wise into thin strips. You could also use thinly sliced round steak. If you go that route, put the meat in the freezer for a half hour or so before hand to make it easier to get nice, thin slices.
Steak and Pepper Sandwiches
Serves 4
1 T. canola oil
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1 medium red pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced thin
12 ounces thinly sliced beef
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (you could also substitute 1 clove minced garlic, just put it in a few minutes before the meat is done)
8 slices cheese (hubby likes cheddar, I like provolone)
4 hoagie, French, or bolillo rolls, split
condiments: mayo, mustard, ranch dressing, sliced pepperoncini, etc.
In a stir fry pan or large skillet over high heat, saute the peppers and onions until they just start to get soft.
Add the beef, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
Meanwhile, put the rolls cut-side up on a baking sheet. Lay two slices of cheese on one half of each roll. Broil two to three minutes, or until the cheese side is bubbly and the dry side is toasted. Spread with your choice of condiments, top with the meat and pepper mixture, and enjoy!
At my grocery store, I'm able to buy "thin sliced beef steaks". That's the meat I use, because it's quick and easy (and versatile!). It comes in big flat "steaks" about the size of my hand, and I slice it cross-wise into thin strips. You could also use thinly sliced round steak. If you go that route, put the meat in the freezer for a half hour or so before hand to make it easier to get nice, thin slices.
Steak and Pepper Sandwiches
Serves 4
1 T. canola oil
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1 medium red pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced thin
12 ounces thinly sliced beef
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (you could also substitute 1 clove minced garlic, just put it in a few minutes before the meat is done)
8 slices cheese (hubby likes cheddar, I like provolone)
4 hoagie, French, or bolillo rolls, split
condiments: mayo, mustard, ranch dressing, sliced pepperoncini, etc.
In a stir fry pan or large skillet over high heat, saute the peppers and onions until they just start to get soft.
Add the beef, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
Meanwhile, put the rolls cut-side up on a baking sheet. Lay two slices of cheese on one half of each roll. Broil two to three minutes, or until the cheese side is bubbly and the dry side is toasted. Spread with your choice of condiments, top with the meat and pepper mixture, and enjoy!
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
I love fall.
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