Food on Sticks!

I love grilling out! It is by far my favorite way to cook. As soon as the snow has melted off and it is officially springtime, I fire up the grill. Tonight we had grilled chicken and veggie kabobs over cilantro lime rice with tortilla chips and mango salsa. I love using a lot of fresh flavors to cook, and it makes it seem like we are that much closer to summer!

Mango Salsa

1 mango - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a medium bowl, mix mango, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and lemon juice. Cover, and allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving. (Note- if mango isn't very ripe, add 1 Tbs of sugar to the salsa)

Source: Allrecipes.com

Grilled Chicken & Veggie Kabobs

1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons prepared coarse-ground mustard
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 red onion, cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into square pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into square pieces

In a large glass bowl, mix the cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Place chicken in the mixture. Cover, and marinate 4 hours or longer.

Before assembling the kabobs, sauté the peppers and onions in a skillet over high heat with oil until they are still crisp, but tender. Salt & Pepper to taste. You can skip this step, but I don’t like to over cook the chicken and want to make sure the veggies are thoroughly cooked.

Assemble the kabobs, and cook over high heat on the grill until the chicken is cooked through.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 cup cooked white rice
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 tsp salt

Cook rice as directed, I used a boil-in-bag rice packet. Mix in salt, lime juice, vegetable oil, and cilantro.

Source: Qdoba

Easiest Indian Food You'll Ever Make

Since Mondays are usually my busiest and most exhausting day at work, I love little help in the kitchen. Today, my cooking parter was Joe. Trader Joe that is. If you don't have a Trader Joe's Grocery Store near you, then my only suggestion for you would be moving near one. I love shopping there, and especially love the great sauces and frozen items they carry to make dinner a breeze!

Chicken Tikka Masala

8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1 in. pieces
1 jar of Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce
Basmati rice (prepared as directed on package)

Simmer uncooked chicken in sauce over medium heat for 15-20 min. (as directed on sauce jar)

Serve over cooked Basmati rice.

I recommend serving with Tandori Naan (like a flat bread) found in the Trader Joe's frozen foods section.

Sauteed Spinach

1 6 oz. bag of fresh baby spinach
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Sauté the minced garlic in oil over medium heat for 2 min. in a saucepan or skillet. Add spinach and allow to wilt. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.

Scott's Pics

Since neither of our NCAA March Madness pics are doing well, I decided to let Scott announce his pics for dinner. He said he wanted any combination of broccoli, chicken, cheese, tomatoes, and mushrooms. So for dinner I decided to make him a Caprese salad and Chicken Divan.



Crista's Caprese Salad

2 vine ripe tomatoes
1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese
fresh basil leaves
good extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella, and alternate on a plate along with the basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Voila!



Chicken Divan

1 (10-ounce) package frozen broccoli, chopped

3 cups shredded chicken, cooked (I used rotisserie)

1 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used light)

1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)

1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open 1 end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into a casserole dish. Add the shredded chicken.
In a medium bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, to taste, and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.
Place the mixture into an 8x8 casserole dish. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve over rice if desired.

Source: Paula Deen

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

This was seriously the best chicken I've ever made. It was so good, you must try it immediatly!!! I served it with green beans and delicious mashed potatoes. The beauty of these potatoes is that you can make them a day ahead, if you are short on time or prepping for a dinner party.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 skinless, boneless chicken
breast halves
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices ham
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup dry white wine
3/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon
granules
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Remove the toothpicks, and transfer the breasts to a warm platter. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm.

Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream & Cream Cheese

2-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (3 ounce) package cream
cheese, softened
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender; drain well.

In a large mixing bowl, mash potatoes. Add sour cream, cream cheese, 1 tablespoons butter, salt, onion salt and pepper; beat until fluffy. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Dot with the remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Source: allrecipes.com

Quick and easy Chili & Corn Bread

White and Black Bean Ranchero Chicken Chili with Cilantro Crema

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ medium white onion, finely chopped

4oz can diced green chilies

5 cloves fresh garlic, minced

3 14oz cans chicken broth

2 15oz cans great northern white beans, drained

1 15 oz can black beans, drained

2 heaping Cups shredded cooked chicken breast

2 heaping Tablespoons ground cumin

2 Teaspoons dried Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix (Hidden Valley)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper
½ Cup sour cream

¼ Cup packed fresh cilantro leaves

Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onions and chilies until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic for 1 minute. Stir in broth, beans, chicken, cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer on med-low for 20 minutes.

Place sour cream and cilantro leaves into a food processor or blender. Process until well combined. Serve chili with a dollop of Cilantro Crema on top.

To make the corn bread pictured, just ad 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers to a box of jiffy corn bread mix. Yum!

Source: http://pickypalate.blogspot.com/

Crock Pot Carnitas!

I love using my crock pot on Mondays. After what always seems like a long day, it is nice to open the front door and smell dinner waiting for me! Today I modified a few recipes to create these tacos, and they were delicious! The fresh salsa on top is delicious and was inspired by my friend Ali Dill who is always cooking wonderfully healthy things.



Crock Pot Carnitas Tacos

1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder roast or pork butt
1 Cup water
Pinches of salt and pepper
1 small onion thinly sliced
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies
¼ Cup finely chopped white onion
½ fresh lime juice
Corn tortillas

Place roast in crock pot, pour water in the crock pot, season roast with salt, pepper and add onion slices. Cook on low for 8 hours. Drain pork & onions, and shred. Return to crock pot and add tomatoes w/chilies, onion, salt and lime juice. Serve on tortillas with salsa recipe below.

Source: altered from http://pickypalate.blogspot.com




Ali Style Salsa

8 oz. can of Corn
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1/2 a lime
pinch of salt

Mix everything together. Delicious!

A fesitve side dish

The other night I made some chicken fajitas, just your average chicken, peppers, & onions seasoned with a packet of fajita seasoning mix. I decided to get creative and make some spanish rice with things I had on hand, and it it turned out great!

Crista's Spanish Rice

3 Cups cooked white rice
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced celery
¼ cup diced roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon minced garlic clove
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook rice as directed. Sauté the onion, celery, peppers and garlic in butter over medium high heat in a sauce pan until tender. Add chili powder, cumin, and can of tomatoes. Mix cooked rice into vegetable mixture and salt & pepper to taste.

Going Bananas

While this plague is still killing me, it isn't killing my appetite for yummy baked goods. That and we have an insane amount of bananas that are starting to go ripe.


Banana Sour Cream Bread with Chocolate Chips & Nuts

4 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 Tablespoons butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 sour cream
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300. Grease a 9x4 loaf pan. In a small bowl, stir together 4 tsp. white sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pan lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar. Mix in egg, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (May take additional 15 min)

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Oh so sickly.

Terrible respiratory flu...going on day 3. This is all the time in the kitchen I could muster.

I've Got the Plague Eggs & Toast

Butter
2 Eggs
2 Slices of bread

Cook eggs in a skillet with some butter, salt & pepper to taste if you like. Put bread in toaster. When it pops up butter it.

Happy Valentines's Day Dinner

We both enjoy going out to dinner, and celebrating love...but we don't really care to partake in the craziness of Valentines Day Dinner out, so as part of my gift to Scott, I made him a nice 4- course dinner at home. (But totally cheated on dessert!)

First Course, The Appetizer:

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

2 Portobello mushrooms (stemmed)
2 oz. dry stuffing mix for chicken
½ Cup water
2 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
¼ cup chopped roasted red peppers
½ stick of butter
½ tsp. minced garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 350.
In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and mix in water and stuffing mix. Alow stuffing to absorb the liquid for about 5 min. Add in cheese, peppers, and garlic and stir until well blended.
Place mushrooms on greased baking sheet and fill evenly with the stuffing mixture. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Source: Me!

Second Course, The Salad:

Spinach, Strawberry, & Hearts of Palm Salad

Recipe for 12 servings - cut down for servings needed

1/3 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion, grated
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and torn into pieces
1 can hearts of palm, drained and chopped
2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 cup chopped walnuts

For the dressing, combine the vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a small non-reactive saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat and let cool to room temperature. When cooled, whisk in the oil, onion, poppy seeds, dry mustard and paprika until thoroughly combined. Set dressing aside. In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, hearts of palm, strawberries, and walnuts. When ready to serve, add some of the dressing, and toss gently. Serve the remaining dressing alongside the salad so diners may add more, if desired.

Source: Paula Deen


Third Course, The Pasta:

Chicken-In-Love Pasta

Makes 2 very large portions

4 oz. linguine, uncooked
1 large chicken breast, cut into thin slices
1 14.5 oz can of Italian Style Diced Tomatoes
1/2 cup reduced fat cream cheese
1-1/2 cups baby spinach
½ of a medium onion
½ tsp minced garlic clove

Cook pasta as directed. Meahwhile, saute chicken, onions and garlic in a large skillet. After the chicken is cooked, add the canned tomatoes, cream cheese, and spinach. Simmer until sauces is thouroughly combined. Toss with pasta.

Source: Adapted from Kraftfoods.com

Fourth course, The Dessert:

Carrot Cake for Two

Go to your local grocery store bakery. Buy two pieces of carrot cake. Now wasn't that easy?

And if you are lucky, it will all pay off in the end:

Cheatin' Slow Cooker Cacciatore

Another long Monday for both of us was wrapped up with a hot bowl of a cacciatore-like slow cooked chicken stew. Scott even brought home and heated up some crusty, roasted garlic-stuffed artisan bread, which was great to soak up the left over broth and juice.

Super Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in half)
2 14.5 oz cans of Italian style stewed tomatoes (w/garlic, onion, & oregano)
1 lb mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

Toss everything in the crock pot and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Voila!

Verly Loosely Adapted from Martha Stewart

Fun blogs = Fun Recipes

My sister-in-law, Liz, got me hooked on reading the Confessions of a Pioneer Woman.
(www.thepioneerwoman.com) The writer has a great sense of humor, which I love.
Along with her entertaining blog on life, she also has a recipe page. I was very inspired by a recipe for Olive Cheese Bread, and it is great! (www.thepioneerwomancooks.com)



Olive Cheese Bread

1 regular can whole black (ripe) olives
1 6-oz jar pimiento-stuffed olives
2 green onions
¾ pound Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup real mayonnaise
1 stick butter, softened
1 loaf French bread

Roughly chop black and green olives. Slice green onions and give them a rough chop. Combine
green onions and olives with the softened butter, ½ cup mayonnaise, and grated Monterey jack
cheese. Mix thoroughly. Slice French bread in half lengthwise, then spread mixture evenly over
the halves.
Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, or until thoroughly melted and starting to turn light brown
and bubbly.

Zesty is the besty...

How do you make a usually dull Thursday night fun? With Zesty Chicken & Pasta of course! It is very much like you typical pasta salad, only served warm with chicken. It is delicious!




Zesty Chicken & Pasta

6 servings

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Rotini pasta

1/2 cup Kraft Light House Italian Reduced Fat Dressing, divided

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 of a red pepper, chopped
1/2 of a yellow pepper, chopped

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup of the dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables and parsley; cook 5 min. or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta; mix with chicken mixture and remaining 1/4 cup dressing. Sprinkle with cheese.

Calories 440 Total fat 9 g Saturated fat 3 g Cholesterol 75 mg Sodium 490 mg Carbohydrate 52 g Dietary fiber 4 g Sugars 7 g Protein 36g Vitamin A 50 %DV Vitamin C 90 %DV Calcium 15 %DV Iron 20 %DV

recipe altered from Kraftfoods.com

I'm Stuffed!

...and so is my chicken. For some reason, I thoroughly enjoy pounding meat after a stressful day. I like to picture the people that have agitated me, and whack the heck out of a piece of yard bird... So without any further ado, I introduce you to:






Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2 servings

1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing, divided
2 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
2/3 cup Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped roasted red peppers
2 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1/4 cup Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring water and 1 Tbsp. of the dressing to boil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir in spinach, stuffing mix and peppers; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 min. Set aside.
Place chicken, top-sides down, on large cutting board; spread evenly with stuffing mixture. Starting at one of the short ends, tightly roll up each chicken breast. Place, seam-sides down, in 8-inch square baking dish. Brush with remaining 1 Tbsp. dressing.
Bake 35 min. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through (170°F).

Calories 270 Total fat 8 g Saturated fat 2.5 g Cholesterol 75 mg Sodium 690 mg Carbohydrate 17 g Dietary fiber 2 g Sugars 3 g Protein 32 g Vitamin A 120 %DV Vitamin C 15 %DV Calcium 30 %DV Iron 20 %DV

recipe from Kraftfoods.com

My take on take out

Tonight we decided to make our own Chinese take out...and it was delicious. Scott gives it 4.5 out of 5 stars, and said he'd give it 5 if there were more water chesnuts.

Crista's Chinese Chicken Lo Mein

4 servings

2 3oz. Ramen Noodle Packets (discard seasoning mix)
1/4 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen stirfry veggies
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. chopped peanuts

Heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, add red pepper flakes. Next add chicken and garlic; stir-fry 3 min. or until chicken is no longer pink. Add frozen veggies, broth and peanut butter; stir-fry an additional 3 to 4 min. or until chicken is cooked through.
Cook and drain ramen noodles; add to skillet. Add soy sauce; mix everything well. Spoon onto serving platter; sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts.

Calories 490 Total fat 12 g Saturated fat 2.5 g Cholesterol 65 mg Sodium 840 mg Carbohydrate 56 g Dietary fiber 5 g Sugars 11 g Protein 37 g Vitamin A 10 %DV Vitamin C 30 %DV Calcium 4 %DV Iron 20 %DV

recipe adapted from Kraftfoods.com

Stormy Weather

Tonight my friend Ali came over for dinner, and luckily she blew in just before the storm! This is crazy Indiana, so if you don't like the weather, just wait 10 minutes. At 7pm when we started eating dinner it was dry and 50 degrees. Before we even got to dessert we had a tornado warning, it was pouring, and the temperature was plummeting! Luckily we never lost power and we had a fun dinner, including 3 recipes below.





Brushetta n' Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 servings

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/4 cups Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the basil and dry stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.
Place 2 chicken breast halves in large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Pound chicken with meat mallet or side of heavy can until chicken is 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding two at a time to bag. Place chicken, top-sides down, on cutting board; spread evenly with stuffing mixture. Starting at one of the narrow ends, tightly roll up chicken. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Drizzle evenly with dressing. Bake any remaining stuffing mixture on the sides of the chicken if desired.

Calories 280 Total fat 8 g Saturated fat 3 g Cholesterol 80 mg Sodium 880 mg Carbohydrate 20 g Dietary fiber 1 g Sugars 5 g Protein 32 g Vitamin A 10 %DV Vitamin C 15 %DV Calcium 15 %DV Iron 10 %DV

recipe adapted from Kraftfoods.com

Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Bacon

4 servings

1/4 cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups packed baby spinach leaves
2 Tbsp. Real Bacon Bits

Heat dressing in large deep skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute or until tender.
Add spinach; cover. Cook an additional 4 to 6 minutes or until spinach is wilted, stirring after 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with bacon bits.

Calories 80 Total fat 5 g Saturated fat 1 g Cholesterol 5 mg Sodium 480 mg Carbohydrate 6 g Dietary fiber 3 g Sugars 1 g Protein 5 g Vitamin A 150 %DV Vitamin C 25 %DV Calcium 10 %DV Iron 20 %DV

recipe adapted from Kraftfoods.com

Crista's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 2 dozen large cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup Crisco baking stick
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat crisco, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy, adding eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in the dry mixture. Stir in morsels by hand. Use a standard size ice cream scoop to measure out the cookies on to ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until sides become golden brown.

Winding down from a nice weekend

This weekend has been nice and quiet...for me anyway. Scott did have to get up around 5am on Saturday because his wrestling team started sectionals. It was a very long day for him, so I wanted to make him a nice dinner to come home to on Saturday night. I was inspired by a recipe I saw on Bobby Flay's Throwdown last week on the Food Network, and it got rave reviews from a very tired and hungry boyfriend.

Grandma Maroni's Meatballs

1 pound ground chuck

4 ounces dried bread crumbs

4 large eggs

4 ounces whole milk

6 ounces grated Romano

3 ounces grated Spanish onion

2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic

2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs. Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Grandma Maroni's Sauce

6 ounces good olive oil, not extra-virgin

12 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 large or 2 medium Spanish onions, finely diced

2 (28-ounce) cans imported crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper

1 large handful julienned fresh basil leaves

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil. Once heated add the finely sliced garlic and onions to the pan. Cook over medium heat until soft and slightly brown. Next add the canned crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the julienned basil.

recipes from Foodtv.com

I served the meatballs and sauce over spaghetti along side some good ol' cheesy texas toast garlic bread and a nice bottle of Chianti. I of course made dessert, but I'll have to give Mrs. Smith all of the credit on that one!

Cheesy, just like me!

Nothing exciting to report here, except that it is really freaking cold outside. This healthy vegetable packed dinner warmed us up!

Cheesy Chicken, Vegetables, and Noodles

(6 huge portions, I'm guessing more like 8)
4 cups egg noodles, uncooked
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup Light Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
3-1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 large red pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow squash, sliced
12 oz. Velveeta Made With 2% Milk Reduced Fat Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up
3 Tbsp. fat-free milk

Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile, cook chicken in dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 5 to 7 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables; stir. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Simmer 5 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Meanwhile, place Velveeta in small microwaveable bowl. Add milk. Microwave on high 2 to 3 min. or until Velvetta is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 1-1/2 min. Add to chicken mixture, add drained noodles, and mix lightly.

Calories 320 Total fat 8 g Saturated fat 3 g Cholesterol 100 mg Sodium 660 mg Carbohydrate 28 g Dietary fiber 3 g Sugars 6 g Protein 35 g Vitamin A 50 %DV Vitamin C 80 %DV Calcium 20 %DV Iron 15 %DV

recipe adapted from Kraftfoods.com

Slowly but surely, I'm getting him trained.

My boyfriend Scott is a great guy, no questioning that. However he isn't a big planner. I'm a total planner, and on a personality trait test our HR department had us take, my #1 trait out of 34 was "Futuristic," meaning I like to (and most importantly) have to plan ahead.

On Sundays, I plan out our menu for the week and hit the grocery. I always involve Scott when planning so I know what nights we'll be home and what nights he has a wrestling meet, ect. This week we discussed how we would both be home late on Monday night and he said, and I quote:

"Since we are both going to be home late on Monday, we should do something in the crock pot."

I could not have been prouder...and dinner couldn't have been tastier.





Saucy Swiss Steak in the Slow Cooker

(4 Servings)
1/4 cup Italian Dressing
1 boneless chuck blade or shoulder steak (1 lb.), cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup beef broth
1 cup chopped green peppers (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup shredded Swiss Cheese

Heat the dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, coat steaks evenly with flour; gently shake off excess flour. Add to skillet; cook 2 to 3 min. on each side or until each steak is browned on both sides. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
Combine the tomato paste, tomatoes and broth in slow cooker. Add steaks and peppers; cover with lid. Cook on high 3 to 4 hours. (I did low for 8.)
Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.

Nutrition per serving: Calories 270 Total fat 12 g Saturated fat 4.5 g Cholesterol 60 mg Sodium 700 mg Carbohydrate 17 g Dietary fiber 3 g Sugars 5 g Protein 23 g Vitamin A 20 %DV Vitamin C 40 %DV Calcium 15 %DV Iron 20 %DV

recipe adapted from Kraftfoods.com

The Maiden Voyage

Here is my first post...I sit here with all this blank white space not knowing exactly what to say. I don't really know what kind of blog this will become. I'm guessing as it takes on a life of its own it will include many things. Perhaps I'll include recipes...reviews of movies...thoughts on life...

Today we went and saw the new National Treasure movie. It wasn't bad. It did make me feel bad about how little I know about American History. Sure, I learned all the stuff they start putting in front of you in text books in school, but how much of that is really true. Now, I'm not saying that this movie is accurate and that I learned anything new from it, but it did make me stop and think that there are people out there that find places like the Library of Congress very facinating. I wish I could say I did, but I really have no desire to go there. Does that make me a bad American?

I do however enjoy a good conspiracy theory, so I think I'll buy this book I've been wanting: Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. At least this way I'll get a refresher on all the stuff I learned in History class, plus maybe I'll learn the real story.