The Absence of Solitude

Sweet Treats

Chocolate Chex Mix

• 8 cups Chocolate Chex cereal
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, MINI size
• 1 cup MINIATURE marshmallows
• 1/2 cup caramel bits 
• 1/2 cup MILK chocolate baking chips 
• 1/2 cup vanilla (white) chocolate baking chips
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt

Directions

1. In large microwavable bowl, measure cereal; set aside. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper or foil.
2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour caramel mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave on High 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on cookie sheet. Cool 10 minutes. Break into bite-sized pieces.
3. Make sure Chex mixture is cool to the touch (so candy doesn't melt.) Evenly sprinkle mini peanut butter cups candy and miniature marshmallows over Chex mixture.
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave caramel baking bits and cream uncovered on High about 1 minute or until chips can be stirred smooth. Use a spoon or fork to drizzle over snack. Repeat with milk chocolate baking chips. Repeat again with vanilla (white) baking chips. Quickly sprinkle coarse salt over all while candy drizzles are still wet.
5. Refrigerate until set. Break apart and store in tightly covered container. Perfect for gift giving.

 

Love Potion Drink

• 1 (12-ounce) can pink lemonade concentrate
• 4 cups raspberry sherbet
• 1 (12-ounce) can of lemon/lime soda 

Preparation

1. In a pitcher, mix the lemonade concentrate with the recommended amount of water.

2. In a blender, combine the sherbet with 4 cups of the lemonade mixture; mix until combined. Pour into individual glasses. Add the soda, stir gently and serve.

Sugar Cookie Bars

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Spray jelly roll pan (15x10x1) with cooking spray.
3. In your mixer cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
4. With mixer on low, add in your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and baking soda.
5. Mix until just combined.
6. Press dough evenly into your prepared pan. (Dough will be sticky. I floured my hands to press it into the pan.)
7. Bake for 20 minutes until edges begin to golden.
8. Cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 16 oz. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Adjust milk and powdered sugar to get to desired consistency.

 

Edible Christmas Trees

I found this idea on pinterest and actually did it! Last Friday for a after school activity we made some yummy edible Christmas trees. It was a sugar cookie frosted with white icing for snow with a sugar cone placed on top for the tree and iced in green and decorated with M&Ms. The kids all LOVED it, especially the eating of the trees!

 

 

 

Recipes

Life is moving along without much change and very little interesting enough to make a blog post. But we have made some really good eats around here lately and so I will share a couple recipes today.

 

Cinnamon Honey Porkloin

 From Taste of Home

3 tablespoons chicken broth

3 tablespoons soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin or 2 smaller ones.

In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients. Add the pork; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate 4-6 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Grill pork, uncovered, over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally. Or cook in oven @ 350 for 1 hour. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. (I have found this recipe doesn't do that well in a crockpot.)

 

Pumpkin Scones

From The Shoebox Kitchen

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (we used our fresh pumpkin puree)
• 3 tablespoons half-and-half (I didn't have any so I just used milk and they turned out fine.)
• 1 large egg

Powdered Sugar Glaze

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk

Spiced Glaze 

• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground ginger
• Pinch of ground cloves

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, half-and-half, and egg. Set aside. Sift together into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Add the cubed butter on top. Now, either using a pastry blender or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer on medium speed, mix the butter and dry ingredients until your reach the consistency of coarse cornmeal (pieces of butter should be no larger than a small pea). Gradually fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  (We used a spatula for this step, but had to use our hands in the end to get that last bit of flour to incorporate into a well formed dough ball.) On a well-floured surface, flatten and form the dough a 10-12 in. circle. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, divide the circle into equal triangle pieces. Place the triangle of dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for just 15 minutes, or until light brown. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool before icing. Make up the powdered sugar glaze by mixing the milk and sugar until smooth, then paint the tops of the scones with the glaze using a pastry brush. While the first glaze is drying (10 minutes or so), make up the spiced glaze by combining all ingredients and mixing until smooth. Drizzle onto the scones using your favorite drizzling method (we put the glaze in a small ziploc bag and snip off the corner).

Eat from the Pantry

This month I am working on cutting my grocery budget and making use of what I already have stored in my pantry.

This is my menu plan and some recipes.

Breakfasts:

Cereal, toast and fruit x 7

Eggs on toast or bagels x 3

Bacon, eggs, and biscuits x 2

Fruit smoothies and toast x 4

Oatmeal and fruit x 4

Apple bread and peaches

Pancakes and fruit x 3

Sticky buns and fruit

Blueberry muffins  or Cherry White Chocolate Chip Muffins and applesauce

Waffles and fruit x 2

Peach French Toast

Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

**All the fruit is either fruit I canned over the summer like peaches, apricots, and applesauce or it's apple slices from our supply in the basement or cantaloupe and oranges I got at Aldi's.

 

Lunches:

Mostly leftovers

Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Tuna fish Sandwiches

All with fruit, cheese, and pretzels

 

Dinners:

Italian Crockpot Chicken x 2

Creamy Potato Soup and homemade bread

Rice, Beans  and Cornbread x 3

Homemade Pizza with homemade garlic bread sticks x 4

Beef Tacos with Beans and tortilla chips

Spaghetti, homemade garlic bread and corn x 2

Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and fruit

Baked Ziti, homemade garlic bread, and green beans

Turkey Pot Pie and fruit

Italian Beef Sandwiches, roasted potatoes and fruit (I use the first recipe in the link.)

Taco Soup with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream

Baked Potatoes with chili

Baked Chicken and Salad

Chicken Taco Soup  with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream

Turkey Noodle Soup and homemade bread

Quesadillas, beans and guacamole with tortilla chips

BBQ Brisket Sandwiches with homemade buns, carrot sticks and fruit

Corn Chowder and homemade bread

Chicken Enchiladas, beans, and tortilla chips with salsa

Chili and cornbread

Nachos

Chicken Taquitos with black beans and rice

Hamburgers with homemade buns and sweet potato fries

 

Snacks and Desserts:

fruit, cheese, granola, goldfish, pretzels, almonds and craisins

Cinnamon Chip Bread

Too Yummy to Eat by Yourself Cookies

Apple Crisp

Lion House Brownies

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Raspberry Crumble

 

And onto the recipes:

 

Cherry White Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 cup cherries, pitted

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400. Line muffin pan with papers or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In large mixing bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl combine buttermilk, oil, eggs. Beat well to combine. Pour wet mixture over dry and add cherries. Fold in with a rubber spatula just until combined then add white chocolate chips.

Scoop batter into muffin cups, about 1/3 cup in each. Bake for about 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

 

Apple Bread

3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups chopped, pared, cored apples (about 3-4)

1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Topping:
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to slow 325. Grease and flour two standard loaf pans (or use those mini loaf pans.)

2. Stir together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in medium sized bowl until well mixed.

3. Combine the flour, soda and cinnamon in another bowl and then then stir into the liquid ingredients until just evenly mixed. Stir in the apples and pecans. The mixture will be very thick and gloppy. Divide between the loaf pans.

4. Prepare the topping: combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small cup, and sprinkle over the loaves.

5. Bake in preheated oven at 325F / 170C for 1 hour and 10 minutes, approximately. Check it carefully with a tester inserted in center comes out CLEAN. Make sure it's done. Sometimes in my oven they take longer than the time specified. Make sure they are done. Nothing worse than raw middle.

Let the breads cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges of the pans. Remove the breads from the pans to wire racks to cool.

Smoothies

12 oz. grape juice

2 scoops frozen yogurt

1 cup strawberries

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup raspberries

OR

12 oz. orange juice

2 scoops frozen yogurt

1 cup peaches

1 1/2 cup strawberries

 

Peach French Toast

From my Aunt Gaye

3 lg. eggs

6 pieces French bread

3 Tbsp. Peach Jam

3/4 c. Half & Half (I use 2% milk)

Cinnamon (optional)

Mix together eggs, jam and half and half. Place bread in a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish.

Pour mixture over the bread. Let stand for at least 1/2 hour. (Can be refrigerated overnight.) Sprinkle with cinnamon. Fry as you would regular French toast.

Topping:

1/2 cup marg. or butter melted

1/3 cup peach jam

Mix until the consistency of whipping cream. Spread on top of hot French toast.

Optional: Sprinkle with powder sugar, place peach sections on each piece. May also serve with maple syrup.

 

Homemade Pop-tarts (from Heavenly Homemaker.com and adapted by my cousin Shannon)

3 1/2 cups flour ( 1 3/4 cup wheat flour and 1 3/4 cup white flour)
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup melted butter
1 cup plain yogurt
Jelly or jam
 
Begin by mixing the flour, salt, sugar, butter and yogurt in the stand mixer until it comes together. Take the dough out and knead until smooth on a floured surface. Roll the dough out on a large well floured surface. Use a knife to cut the dough into the desired pop-tart size. Place about 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp jelly (depending on the size of your square/rectangle) on half of the squares. Spread the jelly around leaving the edges free. Lay each pop-tart in single layer on cookie sheet. Sprinkle the tops with just a little bit of sugar. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. 
 
YUMMY!

 

Cinnamon Chip Bread

2 cups hot water

¼ cup oil

¼ cup honey

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 TBSP instant yeast

5-6 cups flour

1 1/2 cup cinnamon chips

Put hot water, 1 ¼ cups flour and the yeast in mixer.  Mix on low with the paddle attachment for 3 minutes.  Add oil, honey and salt and mix for 3 more minutes.  Switch to dough hook and add 3 ¾ cups of the remaining flour.  After dough comes together, knead on low speed for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.  Add additional flour a little bit at a time if dough is too sticky after kneading for a few minutes.  Add cinnamon chips and knead until chips are incorporated. Remove from mixer bowl and place in greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 2 loaf pans (8x4) with Pam and set aside.  Punch down dough and divide into two equal pieces.  Shape into loaves and place in prepared pans.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.  Remove cover and place in oven.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Immediately remove from pans and place on wire rack to cool.

 

The Best Bread

1 C. oatmeal
2 C. boiling water
1/3 C. warm water
1 1/2 T. yeast
1/4 C. veg. oil
1/2 C. honey
1 T. salt
3 C. wheat flour
1 3/4 C. white flour
1/4 C. gluten

Pour boiling water over oatmeal.  Let cool (this takes a while, let it get down to 110 degrees before mixing with remaining ingredients).  Soak yeast in warm water.  In a large bowl mix flours and gluten together (I have done this with all wheat flour and love it too).  In your mixer combine oatmeal, vegetable oil, honey and salt.  Add yeast and two cups of flour.  Mix until flour is incorporated.  Continue mixing in flours one cup at a time until dough cleans sides of mixing bowl - this is usually all of the flour.  Knead for 10 minutes in mixer.  Let rise until double.  Punch down and divide into two parts.  Let it rest for 5 minutes.  Form into loaves and put into greased pans.  Let rise until pans are full.  Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes (I would check at 20 or 25 minutes; you can use a thermometer if you are worried about doneness).  Remove from pans.

 

Apple Crisp

From my sister-in-law Angela

3lb. Apples (granny smith or macintosh)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp nutmeg

1/3 cup sugar

½ stick (4T) butter

½ tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup oats

½ cup chopped nuts

Peel, core, and chop apples. Toss immediately into bowl with lemon juice. In separate bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, stir into apples. Set aside. In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, and oats. Cut butter into 8 pieces using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour until mixture looks like crumbs. Stir in nuts.

Butter a 10x10 dish. Spread apples onto bottom and sprinkle with flour mixture.

Bake 375. 45 minutes, until topping is lightly browned.

Serve with ice cream or whip topping.

 

Homemade Whole Wheat Hamburger/Hot dog Buns  (from Heavenly Homemaker.com)

**I am actually planning on making these today. I think I will use half whole wheat flour and half white flour. Randomly, my cousin Shannon said she made homemade buns yesterday with rave reviews. I am not sure if she used this recipe or not.

5 cups  (+) whole wheat flour (
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 pkgs. regular or active dry yeast (4 1/2 t.)
2 T. honey
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 T. butter
2 t. sea salt

In a large mixing bowl, stir together 3 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups warm water.  Set aside to let rest for 30 minutes.  In the meantime, mix together 1/4 cup water, yeast and honey.  Allow this to sit for at least 10 minutes to activate the yeast.

Melt butter, milk and salt in a small saucepan on the stove.  Do not allow the mixture to get above 120 degrees.

Pour yeast mixture and milk mixture into flour mixture.  Add remaining two cups of flour (more if needed). 

Knead for about 10 minutes until dough begins to look “shiny”.  Put dough back into the bowl, cover and let rise for at least an hour…or until it has doubled.

Pull dough onto a clean countertop and knead for a couple of minutes to get any air bubbles out.  Roll dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/2 inch thick. 

Cut circles from the dough with a large drinking glass or wide mouth jar.  Place circles on in a well buttered baking dish about an inch apart. 

Allow to rise for about 30 minutes.  Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Makes about 18 buns.

 

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

From my sister-in-law Kim

1 cup butter softened

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese softened

2 1/2 cups of sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups sifted cake flour

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup whipping cream

3 Tbs sugar

 

 

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 2 1/2 cups of sugar, beating well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.  Stir in flour by hand until combined.  Stir in salt and vanilla.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.  Bake at 350*for 1 hour and 50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10-15 min; remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack. 

 

 

Chicken Taquitos

 

From my sister-in-law Marchelle

 

1 T. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
2 Cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ c. chopped cilantro
2 c. shredded cooked chicken meat
1 c. shredded cheese
flour tortillas

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add onion & cook until starting to soften & turn translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin paprika & salt. Stir to combine & cook 2-3 minutes longer, until fragrant. Take from heat & stir in cilantro & chicken. Set aside.

Put couple of tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the tortilla, top with cheese, and roll. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet. I usually spray the cookie sheet with Pam and cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them, they do cook quickly.

**This recipe is to your taste. You can leave stuff out or put more in depending on what you like. If you have left over chicken use that.

 

 

 

Too Yummy to Eat by Yourself Cookies

 

From my sister-in-law Kim

 

I halved this recipe and still got nearly 5 dozen cookies.

 

2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups butter
4 eggs
Mix first 3 ingredients well, add 4 eggs. Mix together and add:
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
3-4 cups oatmeal

Mix everything together well & add 2 packages semi-sweet chocolate chips. Scoop teaspoon sized amounts onto a non-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 11-14 minutes.

 

And this was Jillian after she ate the yummy cookies:

 

Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn

I found this recipe on a site called Best Bites. It's yummy and addicting.

2 bags of micro-wave popcorn (or about 20 cups of popped popcorn)

2 c. honey roasted peanuts

3 c. peanut butter chips (I didn't have enough pb chips so I also used creamy pb and omitted the oil.)

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or oil

 

Place the peanuts and popped popcorn in a very large bowl. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter chips and vegetable oil or shortening and heat for 2-2 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Drizzle the melted peanut butter chips over the popcorn and peanuts and toss to combine.

Spread the popcorn onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. In a Ziploc bag, heat the semi-sweet chocolate chips until just melted and smooth (about 1-1 1/2 minutes, mashing the bag every 20-30 seconds). Cut a small corner in the Ziploc bag and drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn. Allow to stand long enough to become solid (you can transfer the pan to the fridge or freezer to hurry this step along). When done, break the popcorn into small pieces and enjoy!

 

A post of lots of random

things that don't really merit an individual post.

1. We got a wedding invitation this week. It is by far the most bizarre invitation ever. This couple has been married twice before to each other and have decided to marry once again. The following is a portion of the invitation:

AWESOME!

2. We have a nest of bunnies outside our dining room window. The kids have loved watching it move around a little and seeing the mama rabbit come to take care of them. We think there at least four bunnies.

3. Simon is back to his antics. I thought we had moved past this stage because he had not done anything too destructive in the past few weeks. But I guess he was just plotting his next move. He decided it is fun to knock Jillian over while she is crawling. He dumped a box of cereal in the garbage because he didn't like it; never mind that the rest of us did. He continues to empty toothpaste tubes and soap dispensers.

Good thing he is so cute and snuggles my neck and pats me on the back and whispers in my ear, "I love you mommy," every time he gets into mischief.

 

4. Jillian had a fever on Sunday and was quite cranky on Monday. I attributed it to teething because the fever was gone on Tuesday. Well, on Wednesday morning the fever was back and she had a horrible cough. I decided to take her to see the doctor just to err on the side of caution. He cough was getting worse throughout the day and by the time we got to the doctor yesterday afternoon, I could tell it was hurting her when she coughed. The doctor said her lungs sounded really wet and she thought she had pneumonia. Made me feel like an awesome Mom for thinking it was just teething! So after chest x-rays, yes, she does have a mild case of pneumonia. We caught it really early...I felt better knowing that, at least. Last night was rough for her but she seems to be doing better today.

5. We have felt like we are in Texas with regards to the weather here lately. One day it's snowing, two days later it's 84 degrees. We are certainly hoping the warmer weather decides to come and stay awhile. It's just odd to be wearing jackets over baseball uniforms and wanting to sit in the car to get out of the freezing wind in the middle of May.

From this:

 To this:

 
 
  
6. I have come to love my local Goodwill store. It might become a bad habit. I have outfitted Ethan for summer in name brand clothing (Gap, Children's Place, Abercrombie, Old Navy) for a fraction of the cost. I have found a several dresses for Lauren, too. I often find things with tags still on which just makes it an even sweeter deal. My best deals have been a Polo dress for Lauren and Jos A. Banks pants for Allen. The pants were $79.99 on the original tag and I got them for $3.49! Last week I found an exer-saucer for Jillian since ours was broken in the move. It was only $10 and a good thing it was so cheap because she doesn't really like it. I would have been upset had I spent $70 or more on a new one.

Lauren modeling one of her 'new' dresses:

 
 
7. On our last night in DC we stopped at this little frozen yogurt shop. It was such a great concept...self serve yogurt and toppings. They had a wall of machines with about 10-12 different flavors and then a toppings 'bar'. You paid by weight which was really easy and reasonably priced. The kids LOVED it.

8. Finally, one last recipe I forgot to add to yesterday's post. It's a copycat recipe of Olive Garden's Pasta E Fagioli soup. I made it earlier this week and it was so yummy. It can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the ground beef or if you don't want the extra carbs, leave out the pasta. 

Pasta E Fagioli Soup

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup julienned carrot
• 3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans (with liquid)
• 1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans (with liquid)
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 ounce) can v-8 vegetable juice (I added more because it didn't seem soupy enough for me.)
• 1 teaspoon vinegar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 lb ditali pasta (I used rotini because that's what I had on hand.) 

Directions

1.Brown beef in a large stock pot over medium heat-drain off fat.

2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.

3.Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

4. After 50 minutes boil pasta to al dente.

5. Drain well.

6. Add pasta to the large pot of soup and simmer for 10 minutes.   

Recipes

I have tried out a few new recipes that I (and the family) liked so I thought I would pass them on.

I am not a fan of broccoli at all! I eat it only so my children will eat it. I do love garlic though, so this one really appealed to me. I loved it, I even had more than the two required broccoli crowns. My children all gobbled it up and Ethan even asked for more. We bought more broccoli just so we could make this again! It's easy and SO GOOD!

Roasted Broccoli with Smashed Garlic

1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets, cut long with part of stem

6-8 cloves of garlic, smashed (I put mine through a garlic press, instead.)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450. In baking dish (I used a 9x13 glass dish), combine broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Roast broccoli about 20 minutes, until broccoli is browned and tender.

I found this next recipe on Good Cheap Eats website. It has been great for me to use up the last of my bottled cherries.

Cherry Lime Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 eggs

finley grated zest of 1 lime

1 cup cherries, pitted

1/4 cup sugar mixed with finely grated zest of another lime

Preheat oven to 400. Line muffin pan with papers or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In large mixing bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, and lime zest. Beat well to combine. Pour wet mixture over dry and add cherries. Fold in with a rubber spatula just until combined.

Scoop batter into muffin cups, about 1/3 cup in each. Sprinkle the tops with sugar-lime zest mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

My friend Kylee, gave this recipe to me. It's quick and easy and my kids really liked it. Plus it was a great way to use that random box of Stove Top I had in the pantry.

Ham & Swiss Roll Ups

Sliced Deli Ham

Swiss Cheese

1 box prepared stuffing

Place slice of cheese on ham, spoon dressing in middle and roll up. Place sean side down on baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

While baking, if desired, prepare glaze: (My kids liked them plain.)

1 Tbsp. Cornstarch

1 cup pineapple or orange juice

1 cup water

1 tsp. butter

1/4 cup apricot jam

Mix all but jam in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thick, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in jam. Spread over roll ups.

 

I got this recipe from the Money Saving Mom website. They are like a crescent roll, only better. Also this recipe says it makes 32 but that is 32 huge rolls. I made nearly twice that many. So you can halve the recipe or they are great to freeze. If you bake them right way, place on the pan and let rise again for another 30 minutes before baking at 375 until lightly browned.

Butterhorns

2 Tablespoons dry yeast, heaping
1/3 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
9 cups flour, divided (you can use any mixture of white or whole-wheat flour you’d like)
2 cups warm milk (110-115 degrees)
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar

6 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
3-4 Tablespoons butter, melted

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add 4 cups flour, milk, butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Beat 2 minutes or until smooth.

Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto floured board and knead lightly. (Or, knead in mixer until sides of bowl are clean, then knead two more minutes.)

Place in a greased bowl, turning dough once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (1-3 hours).

Punch dough down and divide into four equal parts. Roll each part into a 12-inch circle and brush with melted butter.

Cut each circle into 8 pie-shaped wedges.

Roll up each wedge from wide edge to tip of dough and pinch to seal. Place rolls, top down, on baking sheets and freeze. When frozen, place in freezer bags and keep frozen until needed.

To bake: Take out as many frozen rolls as you’ll need and place them on a greased baking sheet. Thaw for five hours or until doubled in size. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Remove and serve immediately or cool on wire racks.

 

This one is from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary website. Who needs Zatarains mixes when you can make it yourself and it be so yummy!?!

Red Beans and Rice

1 lb. red kidney beans, soaked at least 8 hours or overnight. (I just did the quick soak method.)

1 lb. kielbasa, chopped

ham scraps or ham bone

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 med. onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. oregano

1 Tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. thyme

1 Tbsp. worcheshire sauce

enough chicken broth to cover the beans

prepared rice

Add first 6 ingredients to the crock pot.

In a small bowl combine spices. Stir to combine. Add to the crock pot and stir to incorporate. Add the bay leaves, worcheshire sauce and just enough broth to cover the beans. Stop when you see the liquid just barely start to hit the beans.

Cover and cook for about 3 hours on high. Then lower the heat to low and cook an additional 2-3 hours.

Pull out ham bone if you used one and if you want (or can find) the bay leaves. Serve over rice.

 

Allen's mom gave this recipe to me last time she was here. Oh, it's so delicious!

Aunt Aileen's Carrot Cake

3 cups flour, sifted

2 cup sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Mix together flour and sugar then add other ingredients. Make a hole in mix and add 2 cups grated carrots and 1 can (15 oz.) crushed pineapple. Then add 3 eggs and 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil.

Beat well and add chopped pecans if wanted.

Grease and flour pan. Bake at 300 for 60 minutes and check. Turn oven to 350 and bake for another 10 minutes if needed.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 pkg. cream cheese

splash of vanilla

1 c. powdered sugar

pat of butter

splash of milk or whipping cream

Combine to make frosting and spread over cake.

 

ENJOY!!

The last week of the challenge

Whew! It's done and we found out we could eat pretty well with what's in our pantry. Now I have the task of finding good deals and restocking the shelves. For the month of January I spent about $155 on groceries which is WAY less than my usual $320-$400. I think I might have to do this challenge a couple times a year just to rotate things and take stock of what we have on hand.

Menu:

Breakfasts:

• cereal, toast, & fruit x 2
• oatmeal & smoothies
• blueberry muffins
• toast & eggs
• biscuits, eggs, & sausage
• leftover biscuits, muffins, & fruit

Lunches:

• grilled cheese sandwiches & applesauce
• PB&J, carrots, pretzels, & apples x 2
• leftovers
• frozen pizza
• ham sandwiches, pretzels, & fruit x 2

Dinner:

• Beefy Ranch Casserole
• BBQ Chicken sandwiches, Onion Strings, & fruit
• Taco Soup
• Baked Ziti, garlic bread, & Greek Salad
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Leftovers x 2

Desserts:

• Blueberry Bundt Cake
• Chocolate Fudge Ribbon Cake

 

Beefy Ranch Casserole

1 lb. ground beef, cooked & drained

2 cans Ranch Style Beans

2 cups Shredded Cheese

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

Tortilla Chips

1 can Rotel tomatoes or 1/2 c. Picante Sauce

Mix together meat, soup, beans & tomatoes. In a 9x13 baking dish, layer beef mixture, chips, & cheese. Repeat. Bake @ 350 for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.

You can also use chicken for this recipe. Instead of beef, use 1 lb chicken breast cooked & diced. Also substitute Cream of Chicken soup for the Cream of Mushroom.

 

Mandy's Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef, cooked & drained

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans Ranch Style Beans

1 pkg. Taco Seasoning

1 c. water

Combine all ingredients and simmer until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken

2-4 Chicken Breasts

1 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce ( I like Sweet Baby Ray's)

1/3 c. water

Place chicken (can be frozen) & water in crockpot and pour BBQ sauce over them. Cook on low until chicken is done, about 5-6 hours. Shred chicken and serve on buns with your favorite toppings like pickles and onions.

Baked Ziti

1/2 lb. sausage, cooked & drained

1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked & drained

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups Mozzarella cheese

1 lb. ziti noodles, cooked al dente & drained

Mix together meat, noodles, tomatoes, & sauce. Place half in 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Add the rest of noodle mixture and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake @ 350 until cheese is melted and sides are bubbly.

Leslie's Blueberry/Raspberry Bundt Cake

1 pkg. white cake mix

3 eggs

3/4 c. oil

4 TBSP. flour

1/2 c. water

1 pkg raspberry jello (I used cherry.)

2 c. frozen raspberries or blueberries

Mix all ingredients together and then fold in the berries and pour into a well greased & floured bundt pan. Bake @ 350 for 30-40 minutes. or until tested done.

Icing:

Powdered Sugar

pinch of salt

lemon juice

Mix together to make a runny consistency. Glaze warm cake.

Brooke's Chocolate Fudge Ribbon Cake

Cake:

2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

4 sq. baker's chocolate

1 1/3 c. milk

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. butter

Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs & vanilla, mix well. Add melted chocolate squares. Combine flour, baking soda & baking powder in separate bowl. Alternate adding flour mix and milk to chocolate mixture.

Filling:

4 T (1/4 c.) butter

2 eggs

2 (8 oz.) cream cheese bricks

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 c. sugar

4 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter & cream cheese. Add sugar & cornstarch. Then add egg, vanilla, & milk.

Layer cake batter with filling in the middle. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour.

Frosting:

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

In medium sauce pan, melt chocolate chips in milk. Add butter, sugar & vanilla. Combine & melt together. Spread over warm cake.  

I will try to post recipes more often as I try new ones. It's been fun trying so many new ones to use up stuff I already had on my shelves.

week three

I am honestly a little ready for this to be over. It's kind of getting a bit tiring to think of ways to use what I have and not make a trip to the store.

MENU-

Breakfasts:

• cereal & toast x 3
• oatmeal & fruit
• breakfast casserole (I used bacon.)
• smoothies & toast
• French Puffs & fruit

Lunches:

• grilled cheese & tomato soup
• PBJ, pretzels, & fruit x 2
• leftovers x 3
• LUNCH OUT (after Ethan's swim meet)

Dinners:

• Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic toast, & Greek salad
• Chicken and Biscuits
• Baked chicken, baked sweet potatoes, & broccoli
• Beans, rice, & cornbread (My kids' all time favorite meal.)
• Chicken/Cheese quesadillas, leftover beans, chips & salsa
• Sandwiches (after our big lunch out)
• Italian crockpot chicken, garlic toast, & green beans

A couple notes on the chicken recipes above:

1. The chicken and biscuits calls for a bag of mixed veggies. I didn't have one so I just used a can of green beans and some frozen corn. I also could have put in carrots but didn't think about it until I had already put it in the oven. So just use what you have.
2. The crockpot chicken recipe says to dice the chicken. I usually just put frozen chicken tenders or breasts in the crockpot and when they are done, take them out and cut up. I also think it's easier not to have the chicken in the crockpot while mixing the cream cheese and cream of chicken soup together. I tend to get a hand mixer out to get it smooth.

Eat from the Pantry Challenge

So we are doing surprisingly well with this challenge. I am most impressed with a few things:

1. How easy it is to make bread. Why have I not been doing this before!?! I had two loaves I bought at the store in the freezer and have used one and then made a couple loaves as well.
2. All those little trips to the store because I forgot one or two ingredients and then end up with 20 items add up and fast. I have only spent $65 this month on groceries. That is unbelievable for nearly three weeks!
3. I have been fighting a major sweet tooth this month and I would have eaten way more sweets had I not been the one having to make them. If I had Little Debbie's stockpiled, it might be a different story.
4. I mentioned this challenge to a friend and she told me not to buy eggs at the store anymore. I could just come over to her parents farm and get fresh free-range eggs. She had collected 11 dozen that morning. Yea!

MENU

Breakfasts:

• Breakfast Bagels (eggs, cheese and slice of ham)
• Cereal and Cinnamon Toast x 2 (my kids' newest favorite)
• Whole Wheat Waffles
• Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuits
• Banana Bread and smoothies
• Breakfast Rolls (My version below) and peaches
• Breakfast Tacos

Lunches:

• PB&J, pretzels, carrots, & peaches x 2
• frozen pizza
• leftovers x 2
• ham sandwiches, applesauce, pretzels
• grilled cheese, carrots, and applesauce

Dinners:

• Chicken Spaghetti and Garlic Toast
• Leftovers
• Chili & Cornbread
• Chicken Tacos, black beans, chips & salsa
• Corn Chowder, fresh bread, & peaches
• Make your own pizza night
• Roast, carrots, potatoes, and bread slice

Snacks:

• apples
• celery
• cheese
• crackers
• granola bars
• raisins

Breakfast Rolls

16-20 frozen Rhodes rolls

1 pkg. butterscotch pudding mix (non-instant)

2/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

Place frozen rolls in greased bundt pan. Sprinkle dry ingredients over rolls. Pour melted butter over rolls. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set out overnight. Bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes and then invert over tray or large plate. * Mine burned a little on the top so I would suggest covering with foil and then remove the last ten minutes.*

Banana Bread

1/3 c shortening

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 3/4 c. sifted flour

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. mashed ripe bananas. (2-3)

Cream shortening & sugar. Add eggs & beat well. Sift together dry ingredients & add to creamed mixture alternating with bananas, blending well after each edition. Stir in nuts & pour into well greased loaf pan. Bake @ 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Chili

1 lb. browned hamburger

1 lg. can dark kidney beans

2 can diced tomatoes

1 small diced onion

2 small cans tomato sauce

1 pkg. chili seasoning

Serve with shredded cheese and cornbread.

Incredible Bread

1 1/2 TBSP. instant yeast (2 pkg.)

1/2 c. warm water

2 c. hot water

6 TBSP. sugar

1 TBSP. salt

5 TBSP. vegetable oil

6 c. flour

1 egg white lightly beaten

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c. warm water with 1 TBSP. sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes. In large mixing bowl combine 2 cups hot water with sugar, oil, salt and 3 c. flour. Stir well with wooden spoon and add yeast mixture and remaining 3 c. flour. Stir to just combine but don't knead. Let stand for 10 minutes. Then stir until well mixed. Divide dough in half and on a cookie sheet shape loaves like french bread. Score the top with knife and brush on egg whites. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Let rest 30-40 minutes. Bake @ 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Chicken Tacos

4 chicken breasts

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 c. water

1-2 c. salsa

Place chicken (I use frozen chicken breasts or tenders) in crockpot and pour other ingredients over chicken. Cook on low until chicken is done (5-6 hours). Then shred chicken. Serve over chips for a taco salad or in tortillas for tacos. Top with sour cream, cheese, more salsa, onions...your favorite taco toppings.

Brownies (Christmas Recipes from Lion House)

1 c. butter

1/2 c. cocoa

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Melt one cup butter & stir in cocoa. Cool. Beat eggs, gradually add sugar a little at a time. Add vanilla and cocoa mixture. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda & add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour into 9x13 baking pan. Bake @ 350 for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool.

Frosting

1/4 c. cocoa

1/4 c. melted butter

5 TBSP. milk

3 c. powdered sugar

Melt butter and stir in cocoa. Add milk and beat in powdered sugar to spreading consistency. Pour & spread over cooled brownies. (I like to frost the brownies warm and let it melt over them.) Frosting will become more firm as it cools. Cut into bars.

See you next week!