Chopped Wedge Salad

I've been doing this salad for years and I'm making it again for New Years Day - but with so much going on right now - I decided to look it up on this blog to make sure I don't forget anything and what do you know? I've never posted it! What? 

This is seriously one of my best crowd pleasers. I made it a few years ago for a family get together and my brother in law who is a man of few words came over and gushed and gushed about how much he loved it.

To be honest, I came up with it because I love a good wedge salad - but it's so hard to eat! Especially when serving a crowd that includes a million kids!!

I'm not going to include measurements bc it really depends on how many you are serving.

CHOPPED WEDGE SALAD
Iceberg lettuce
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Tomatoes, diced
Red onion, thinly sliced
Blue cheese, crumbled
Blue cheese dressing
Balsamic glaze (I love Nonna's)

*For the kids - I don't dress the salad. I put the blue cheese on the side and also offer shredded cheddar. I also offer Ranch and Poppy seed dressing (my kids fave)

I'll take a picture when I make it!! 

Chewie Caramel Popcorn

2 cups brown sugar

1 stick butter

1 c corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 bags of microwave popcorn

Slowly bring all ingredients (except popcorn) to a boil over medium low heat (so it doesn't burn).

Sift through the microwave popcorn for unpopped kernels shaking your bowl to let the kernels settle to the bottom and use your hands to move popcorn to another bowl - leaving the unpopped kernels behind.  Drizzle caramel over popcorn and use a plastic spatula to mix everything together bc the caramel is still a bit hot. 

It stays nice and chewy for about 7 days!!

Waldorf Salad

I'm going over our Christmas menu and this year we are going to mix it up. We usually have prime rib - but this year we are doing prime rib on New Years - so I'm revamping.

Talking to a friend the other day and she said that for ALL big holiday meals they serve a Waldorf Salad on the side. To be honest - I don't know if I've ever even had it - but it sounds interesting and I really love a salad with apples and grapes in it - so what the heck? I'm going to give it a try. If we don't like it - at least we'll have apples and grapes on hand! This is her recipe:

A New Spin on the Waldorf Salad
1 lb green seedless grapes
2 lbs red seedless grapes
1 lb diced red apples
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 c sour cream
1/2 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, mix softened cream cheese, sour cream, white sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer or hand mixer. You can use a mixer or mix by hand with a spatula. Add the grapes to the cream cheese mixture and stir thoroughly to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Sprinkle brown sugar over the grape mixture. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours until ready to serve. Right before serving sprinkle nuts on top.

Crock Pot Green Enchilada Chicken Soup

My husbands cousin that lives in Colorado posted this and as I LOVE soup - and living in NM I learned to LOVE green chilis - this looks like an amazing soup to try!

Crock Pot Green Enchilada Chicken Soup
2.5 lbs of boneless skinless Chicken Breasts or thighs
28 oz can of Green Enchilada sauce
24oz of Chicken broth
1 Cup half and half or heavy whipping cream
2 Cups Monterey jack cheese
4 oz cream cheese, cubed at room temp
4oz Green Salsa (salsa verde)
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In Crock Pot add Chicken breasts or thighs, green enchilada sauce and chicken broth...cook on low for 6-8 hrs
2. About 30 min before serving Remove Chicken and Shred. the add shredded chicken, Jack Cheese, Cream Cheese, 1/2 and 1/2 and green salsa to crock pot. stir until cheeses are melted. * you can add additional salsa for taste.
3. You can top with sliced avocado, cilantro, green onion and sour cream and add strips of Crisp tortillas if you like!

SOUP!

 

I've professed my love of soup over the years - tonight I made Broccoli Cheese Soup and served them in these ADORABLE soup bowls. I mean - have you seen anything more perfect for fall?!! I got them at Target a couple months ago. 

I've been serving soups in them (they are 12 oz.) this fall - and I'm going to use them as table decor for my Thanksgiving dinner - CUUUUUTE!

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

I wanted to make soup for dinner - but I also knew that tonights dinner had to include chicken - bc that is what I had and what was quick.

A little searching and I found this! It was really good! The chiles and the adobo sauce really add a smoky depth of flavor without being spicy. The zip of the lime juice and the freshness of cilantro also added unusual and delicious notes. This is a GOODIE!!! The original recipe doesn't include beans - but I added them and I'm glad I did!

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup via Rachael Ray Magazine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 skinless, boneless chicken (rotisserie)
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
4 cans great northern beans, drained

8 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper
1 haas avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 pieces
Crushed tortilla chips

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

*One of my BIGGEST beliefs about soup is that after you follow your recipe and you are ready to serve - if you have the time to put it on a low simmer - it just gets better and better. I made this really quickly about an hour before running out the door for carpool. We ate it 3 hours later - seriously. so. good.

Serve with any or all of the following: cilantro, lime wedge, sour cream, avocado slices, tortilla chips.

Haricot Vert with Hazelnuts and Dill

***UPDATE: I made these tonight - but used macadamia nuts instead of hazelnuts bc I couldn't find them. These were good. I didn't love them with dill - but otherwise they were good. 

I saw this on Instagram (Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa) and it was so beautiful and looked so amazing that I decided to put it on my Thanksgiving menu.

Because I've never made it before - and because this isn't a traditional side in my family - I'm not going to double or triple this recipe - and I may be the only person who eats it - but WHO CARES!! lol. 

Haricot Vert with Hazelnuts and Dill

1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds French string beans (haricots verts), stem ends removed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoons good olive oil
4 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Place the hazelnuts in a medium (10-inch) sauté pan set over medium heat. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, rolling them around occasionally, until they are heated through. Transfer the nuts to a clean kitchen towel, fold the towel over, and roll them around until some of the skins fall off. (Don’t worry if they don’t all fall off.) Roughly chop the hazelnuts and set aside. Wipe out the pan with a kitchen towel.

Meanwhile, fill a large pot with 4 quarts water, add 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil. Plunge the string beans into the water and cook for 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain immediately, plunge into a large bowl of ice water, and set aside.

When ready to serve, heat the butter and olive oil in the sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the string beans, 1 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook for 3 minutes, stirring with tongs, until heated through. Off the heat, stir in the dill and hazelnuts and taste for seasonings. Serve hot.

Fall Pasta Bake

I am an avid viewer of the cooking show "The Kitchen" on the Food Network. I DVR all their episodes and watched this one today. One of the hosts, Katie Lee, made this pasta and it looked right up my familys alley. Boy howdy I was right! My husband took one of my daughters out and they walked in right as I was finishing this awesome meal. My 12 year old shouted "it smells AMAZING!" 

My picky eater (8) always needs to know what is in every meal I serve so I skipped over the kale the first time I told her the ingredients. She asked again - WHAT IS THE GREEN STUFF? I asked her to take one bite and then I'd tell her. She took a bite and as promised I told her it was kale. She shrugged and dished herself up a big ol' bowl.

This one will be going into rotation around here!

Fall Pasta Bake

Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking dish
1 pound rigatoni
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, or more as desired
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
2 cups heavy cream
2 bunches Tuscan kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound fresh whole-milk ricotta
1/2 cup grated fontina
1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I omitted bc I forgot it!)

Preheat the broiler. Spray a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or metal baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil in the pan, then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown at the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is very aromatic, another minute. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling into small chunks with the back of a wooden spoon, until browned all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup pasta water to the pan and scrape up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the heavy cream and cook, stirring frequently, until it comes to a simmer. Stir in the kale, then cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted and tender and the heavy cream has thickened, another 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the nutmeg and about 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper on the kale (taste here, as your sausage might have different seasonings). Remove from the heat and stir in the ricotta until just combined, followed by 1/4 cup each of the fontina and mozzarella. Add the pasta and stir until it is coated in sauce and the cheese starts to melt, adding pasta water if the mixture seems too thick. Taste and season with a little more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top it with the remaining 1/4 cup fontina, 1/4 cup mozzarella and the Parmesan. Broil the pasta until the cheese is brown and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

I served this with a caesar salad - a nice way to cut through the heavy dish.

*The ONLY thing I will change when I make it next time is double the sausage - my husband and kids are big meat eaters.

Mulled Spiced Cider

2 of my kids LOVE hot cider. I just got this recipe off the box - the key is to let it steep for at least a good hour.

Mulled Spiced Cider
4 packets Alpine brand Spiced Apple Cider (original)
3 c water
1/2 c pineapple juice
3 whole cloves or equal amount of ground cloves
3-4 cinnamon sticks

Add everything together in a medium saucepan and cook low and slow.

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup - the way you want to eat it without looking like a mess!

French Onion Soup

4 large yellow onions

1 1/2 cups butter

1 generous cup dry white wine

4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium beef broth

4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

4 to 5 dashes Worcestershire sauce

2 cubes of beef bouillon

2 cloves garlic, minced

Croutons:
Several thick slices French bread or baguette
Olive oil, for drizzling
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, sliced thick

For the soup: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the onions in half from root to tip, then slice them thin.
Melt the butter in a heavy ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions, stir to coat them in the butter and cook, covered, until translucent and soft, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the pot to the oven with the lid slightly ajar. Roast the onions for 1 hour, stirring twice to keep them from burning. (Some brown bits on the bottom of the pan are fine though.)
Return the pot to the stovetop over medium heat (keep the oven on) and pour in the wine. Stir, scraping the pan. Cook until the wine reduces, 5 minutes. Next, add the beef broth, chicken broth, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes. It simmered/was on low for a few hours after it was done based on my time frame and when people came over - so I added a pinch of salt and 2 beef bouillion cubes to enhance the flavor because it had been simmering for so long.

For the croutons: Meanwhile, drizzle slices of French bread with olive oil and toast in the oven until golden. Set aside.

To serve, turn on the oven broiler. Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls. Place 1 or 2 pieces of the croutons on top of each serving of soup, depending on the size of the bowl. Place a thick slice of cheese on top of each bowl, then place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil just long enough for the cheese to become melted, bubbly and slightly toasted. I have to admit. I was the only one of the 10 of us that did this.

We tend to do things family style around here. I had a big pot of French Onion soup on the stove with 6-8 oz mugs and a 1 TBSP ladle adjacent. I put several cheeses out (gruyere, swiss, provolone, havarti) and a huge tray of croutons out. Everyone made their own the way they wanted and everyone was happy. My kind of party. 

My kids liked theirs served in the mugs with the cheese on top of the hot soup topped with a crouton. Several of our guests tore up the croutons and added them into the soup before adding the cheese to let it melt. 

The BEST THING about making French Onion Soup at home is that you don't have to be embarressed about the mess!!! AND French Onion Soup is SO INEXPENSIVE to pull off for a crowd - you just need time.

Tuna Italian

I didn't grow up with tuna casserole. Frankly - I'm sure that if my mom ever made it NONE of the 6 of her kids would've eaten it - and my Dad would've choked it down bc he was always grateful to have a hot meal on the table.  

I got this recipe from my sister in laws Mom, Sam - who I've known for 25 years and whom I absolutely adore. Last time I saw her she told me that my sister in law requests this casserole every time she goes home. She also told me that her husband (who is very POSH and picky) requests it every time Sam gets back in town. That sold me. I've yet to make it - bc it's hotter than blazes here - but it's on my list of must make when the weather cools down a bit.

Tuna Italian aka fancy Tuna Casserole
1/2 c chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
6 oz can evaporated milk or 2/3 c light cream
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese
6 1/2, 7 or 9 1/4 ounce tuna
3 oz can broiled sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 c chopped ripe olives
2 T minced parsley
2 t lemon juice
6 oz (3 cups) noodles, cooked and drained

Cook onion in small amount of hot fat till tender, but not brown. Add soup, milk and cheese; heat and stir. Break tuna in chunks; add with remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 2 qt. casserole. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese and paprika.
Bake at 375 degrees 20-25 minutes. top with minced parsley and ripe-olive slices as shown. Pass lemon wedges to squirt over. Makes 6 servings.

Sam's notes: Lots more lemon than it says. She only uses jarred tuna packed in oil.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Game nights are back - only we're on over drive!! M has practice 3 x a week after school as well as 2 games a week. I and P both practice twice a week with games usually on Saturday. J is in his Senior year with all that entails - as well as swim team and working - so we're lucky to sit down together around 8pm - or eat as we can. 

Eating around our dinner table has always been very important to me but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do!

I've tried a few different recipes for 'sweet and sour' dinners without a winner - but this one is a keeper!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Frozen meatballs (as many as you need)
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks with juice
¾ cup water
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Seperately:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Serve over rice (my fave new find is the Uncle Bens or Golden Star Jasmine rice that come in 90 sec. microwave packets.)

Add all components together EXCEPT meatballs and the cornstarch/water slurry.

Heat up the sweet and sour liquid. With an immersion blender - blend until smooth(ish) THEN add the slurry. Stir until combined and then add the meatballs.

Depending on your schedule - cook on low for a couple hours - or high for a couple. With my schedule tonight, I put it on high for a bit (anticipating hungry teenage boy packing his dinner) and then flipped it to low for the rest of the family that would be eating later this evening. 

French Dip Sandwiches

Another "non" recipe - but we've been doing this a lot lately with life getting back to busy.

Go to a really good deli (mine is our neighborhood Harmons) and buy roast beef (they should ask you how you would like it done - go with the most RAW version - trust me).

While you're at the deli - grab some Boar's Head Pub Style Horseradish - SO GOOD!

AND - get the BEST of the best deli rolls. My family loves the "Tuscan Brat Buns" but any good hogie style roll will do.

French Dips:
1 lb Roast Beef (feeds 6 of us)

6 Hogie rolls

Beef stock

Provolone cheese slices

Butter

Garlic powder, salt and pepper

Horseradish

Get a large pan with at least 1" lip on it. Heat up the beef stock - adding garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Slice by slice - put the roast beef into the stock to warm it up.

In the meantime, slice the rolls in half and butter both insides of the rolls. Put into a 400 degree oven until they are a little brown and crispy.

Pull the rolls out and top one side with the provolone cheese - then back in the oven until the cheese is melted.

Pull them out again - and stack with the warmed roast beef. Serve with a side of the "au Jus" and the horseradish. 

*My husband. 15 yo and I just put the horseradish right on the bun - we love that stuff! Our 17 year old puts a bit in his jus and the little girls skip it all together.

Give it a try! Hearty, satisfying and ridiculously easy! Picture to come next time we have these!

Mexican Street Corn Salad

I found THE TATTOOED CHEF'S MEXICAN STREET CORN in the frozen section at Costco a few months ago and my family fell in love with it! The last few times I've been to Costco - they haven't carried it - so I tried this recipe and it was AMAZING!!! The frozen option is so easy and fast - but this hit the spot! Seriously SO GOOD!

Mexican Street Corn Salad

6 ears corn, shucked
4 scallions
2 jalapenos
1 red bell pepper
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Zest and juice from 1 lime
1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp grater
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup grated cojita cheese 
Kosher salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Put the corn, scallions, jalapenos and bell pepper directly on the grates. Grill, turning, until charred on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes for the scallions, 5 to 8 minutes for the peppers and 8 to 10 minutes for the corn; set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, add the sour cream, mayo, chipotle chili powder, lime zest and juice and garlic and mix to combine.
Slice the corn kernels from the cobs. Remove the ribs and seeds from the red pepper and cut into small dice. Chop the scallions and dice the jalapenos (seeds and ribs removed to taste). Put the corn, red pepper, jalapenos, scallions and beans in the bowl with the dressing and mix to combine while the veggies are still slightly warm. Sprinkle the cojita over the salad. Season with salt. Top with the cilantro and serve immediately slightly warm, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cucumber Salad

4 cucumbers
1 small white onion
1 c Distilled Vinegar
½ c Water
¾ c Sugar

1 Tbsp dried dill

In a small pot, add vinegar, water and sugar until it boils. Pour over cucumbers and onions - add dried dill. Refrigerate at least one hour if not longer.

Baked Beans

Baked Beans
1 lb bacon
5 cans BUSH'S original baked beans
1/2 cup Apple cider vinegar
Red & green peppers*
White onion*

Cut bacon into small slices with scissors and fry gently on simmer/medium. When they are cooked - scoop up with slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towels.

Keep the fat from the bacon and add the peppers and onions to soften* After about 5 minutes - add canned beans and the apple cider vinegar and cook low and slow at least 1 hour. Stir often enough so the beans don't "stick" to the bottom of the pot.

Serve with the crumbled bacon on top for service.

*I found a bag in the frozen aisle with all 3 - but they are more "fajita" style strips. Next time I'll thaw them and dice them smaller

Got LOTS of compliments on these - and I seriously barely lifted a finger!

Bang Bang Chicken

Bang Bang Chicken
1 cup mayonnaise (or Veganaise)
½ cup sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce (*omitted bc of my little kids)
⅓ cup flour
1 lb chicken breast tenderloins, cut into bite-size pieces
1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
2 green onions, chopped

Whisk mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha together in a large bowl. Spoon out 3/4 cup of the mixture and set aside.

Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, close bag, and shake to coat. Transfer coated chicken pieces to the large bowl with the mayonnaise mixture and stir to combine.

Place panko bread crumbs in another large plastic resealable bag. Working in batches, drop chicken pieces into bread crumbs, close, and shake to coat.

Preheat oven or an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Place as many chicken pieces into the air fryer basket as you can without overcrowding. Cook in the hot air fryer for 10 minutes. Flip and cook 5 additional minutes. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Transfer fried chicken to a large bowl and pour reserved sauce over the top. Sprinkle with green onions and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Piper's Favorite Cucumber Salad

Piper's Favorite Cucumber Salad

4 cucumbers (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
Kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (or 1/8 dried)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Freshly cracked black pepper
Slice your cucumbers and set them in a colander and salt - leave for about 20 minutes to bleed some of the water out.

If you don't have time to let the cucumbers sit - at least let the rest of the ingredients sit overnight

*We also use this sauce on top of fish - salmon or halibut are our faves!

Chicken Pot Pie (IZ)

Miss 12 made this delicious riff on chicken pot pie

Thaw pie dough (x2)
1 1/2 lbs chicken (rotisserie)
1/2 bag frozen corn
1/2 bag frozen peas
1/2 bag diced hash browns
1 can cream of chicken (or what ever cream you have on hand) soup
1/2 diced onion
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Par bake bottom pie crust.

Add all other components (except top pie crust) and mix thoroughly.

Add chicken mixture to par baked crust and top with second thawed pie crust - don't forget to vent the pie crust!!

This was an experiment - so we kept opening and closing the oven - which dragged our time at 350 degrees from 25 minutes to 45 minutes. At that point we were all so starving we opted to discard the top crust.

Mississippi Mud Pie

Okay. COVID UPDATE

I bought a Costco sized bag pull of pie crusts a few months ago - so I've been brainstorming on how to use everything we have.

This recipe is just on here for Miss 15 - she's the one that made it - this is so she can replicate it...

MISSissippi Mud Pie
Thaw pie crust (or get graham cracker crust)
1 box chocolate JELL-O pudding
3 cups chocolate milk
Heavy cream
Chocolate Chips

Prepare JELL-O pudding per "instant" directions with 3 cups chocolate milk.

Use beaters or electric whisk to beat heavy cream into stiff peaks.

Add JELL-O pudding to cooled crust, top with whipped cream and chocolate chips.

Easy Gumbo

This quick week night meal comes together in a jiff. Precooked sausage (Hillshire farm), rotisserie or left over chicken - it comes together in less than 15 minutes - but can also cook on low on the stove top until you are ready. 

It's great for those nights that half of us are ready to eat before practices/games and the other half of us want to eat afterwards.

Easy Gumbo

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (fat doesn't count as an ingredient!)
6 small or 4 large New Orleans-style or andouille sausage links, sliced into 3/4-inch ovals (rounds on the bias)
1 cup frozen chopped fire-roasted peppers and onion blend, thawed
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning blend
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
4 to 6 cups prepared white rice, for serving
Your favorite hot sauce, for serving

In a large pot on medium heat, add the butter and sausage. Cook, stirring, until color and a light crust forms on most sides of the sausage, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper and onion blend and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the bright red of the paste becomes a muted reddish brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the Cajun seasoning blend and cook it the same way as the tomato paste, ensuring the spices bloom and become fragrant. Add the stock, bring to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Pour over prepared rice and hit with a shake of your favorite hot sauce.

Life SKILLZ - The kids take over

I'm going to post this in one big blob - blog.

I am staring down the barrel of my oldest going off to college in less than a year and a half and I'll tell you what - I. Just. Don't. Wan't. That. To. Happen.

But - of course I do - for him to have a happy, normal life - but SERIOUSLY?!?

I'm big into research - like BIG. I've been listening to podcasts and reading articles on parenting teenagers and bucket lists about what to do with your teenagers before they sprout their wings and fly away and a bunch of GARBAGE! Only slightly kidding - what is this business about raising your kids just so they can leave you in order to function as normal adults anyway?

RANT OVER.

I've always encouraged my kids to help me cook - or cook themselves (even if that means dumping a bunch of canned goods into a crock pot).

After being inconsistent for the last 15+ years - I've reintroduced our kids making dinner for the family.

This is no easy feat. We have allergy restrictions and we also live with the pickiest eater on the galaxy. No lie.

Why am I doing this? Because I want my kids to be self sufficient (stab me in the heart!) and I want them to be independent (did I actually just say that?)

MAISIE'S (15) MEAL:
Teriyaki meatballs
Sweet Rice
Salad
She used the crock pot for the meatballs (Costco), added Teriyaki sauce and let them heat up in there. She used the pressure cooker for the sweet rice and whatever we had on hand for the salad. She was VERY CLEAR about how to assemble the bowl and very proud of what she had accomplished.

JACK'S (16) MEAL:
Sloppy Joes
http://breakingthereciperut.blogspot.com/2020/02/sloppy-joes.html
He raved about how delicious his dinner was and said that when he goes to college - he is going to make sloppy Joe's every night!

IZZIE'S (12) MEAL:
Enchiladas
http://breakingthereciperut.blogspot.com/2012/10/best-green-chili-enchiladas-ever.html
Her favorite thing to eat EVER. I forgot that my recipe makes 2 9x13 pans - and we didn't have freezer space - so we took a casserole over to a friend that was having a stressful week. The next day at school - one of the boys in that family came up and told Izzie that her enchiladas were the best he's ever had.

PIPER (8) MEAL:
White Bean Chicken Chili
http://breakingthereciperut.blogspot.com/2010/02/white-bean-chicken-chili.html
This meal is just opening cans, dumping them in a crock pot and letting it do all the work. Easy peasy.

Cucumber Dip

I saw this on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a go...

Cucumber Dip

1 cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise

2 tsp dried dill
1/4th tsp Lawry’s seasoning salt
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 cup whole fat sour cream
1/8th tsp ground pepper

2 tablespoons dried parsley

Combine all ingredients well. Refrigerate overnight.

Sloppy Joes

My son asked me to write down my sloppy joe recipe - so he can make it when I'm not home.

Sloppy Joe's
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, diced
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1 1/2 c ketchup
2 squirts yellow mustard
couple dashes of Worcestershire
2 or 3 T brown sugar

This is the easiest thing ever - but my kids go absolutely CRAZY for it! The last time I made it - I had just finished browning 7 lbs of ground beef to freeze. I asked my kids what we should have for dinner that had ground beef - 2 of my girls yelled - MEATLOAF!!! But since I had already cooked the beef - this was the next best thing!

Butternut or Carrot Soup

I LOVE the restaurant Blue Lemon. Their Butternut Squash Soup is AMAZING. My 15 year old - who used to eat anything and everything has suddenly become more opinionated on what she eats. The one thing she doesn't like is butternut squash - to my dismay. 

I had a HUGE Costco bag full of baby carrots that needed to be used so I decided to use carrots instead of butternut squash to make this soup. 

Now - I FREAKIN LOVE SOUP - so take that into consideration...

Butternut/Carrot Soup

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 large granny smith apples peeled, cored, and diced
2 pears peeled, cored, and diced
2 onions diced small (I used a food processor)
3 lbs of butternut squash or carrots (peeled, seeds removed, diced in cubes)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp tumeric
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

2.5 qts of chicken stock

2 c heavy cream

ground black pepper, and salt to taste