Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I got the idea for this soup from Jason's Deli. I love their Chicken Pot Pie soup, and wanted to be able to make it at home, so here is my attempt...

What You Need

6 c chicken broth

2 large potatoes, peeled and diced

3-4 carrots, peeled and diced

2-3 sticks celery, diced

1 onion, diced

3-4 chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

2 c half and half

Pilsbury dough sheet

Directions

Place all ingredients in crock-pot, except for half and half and dough. Cook on low all day. Before serving cut dough sheet into 2-3 in squares and bake according to directions. Next, remove and dice chicken, and return to the soup and add the half and half. Serve soup topped with baked dough squares.

Pot Roast

I am a huge fan of the McCormick's Slow Cooker Seasoning packets. They are extremely delicious, easy, and come out perfect every time.

What You Need

1 beef roast

carrots (baby, or peeled and diced thick)

Potatoes (peeled and diced)

Onion (diced)

Celery (diced) (optional)

1 Package McCormick's Pot Roast Seasoning

Water

Directions

Place all ingredients in crock-pot according to directions on back of seasoning packet. Cook on low 6-8 hours, and enjoy a perfect pot roast, with a side of your favorite veggies!

Chicken and Mushroom Gnocchis

What You Need

1 large package Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

3-4 Chicken breasts sliced into small strips

1 jar Alfredo Sauce

1 package Gnocchis

1 c Italian blend cheese

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place chicken and mushrooms in large skillet and saute over medium-high heat, until cooked through. While chicken and Mushrooms are cooking, bring a saucepan half full of water to a boil, then add Gnocchis. Cook Gnocchis till they float to the top of the water, then remove from water and add to chicken and mushroom skillet with Alfredo sauce. Turn skillet down to warm, and top with cheese. Let sit for 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with a salad and garlic toast.

Broccoli, Ham, and Cheese Stromboli

What You Need

1 package diced Ham (around 1 1/2-2c)

2 c broccoli, chopped and pre-cooked

1 can Cream of Broccoli Soup

2 c Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 pizza crust dough (I usually use the pilsbury one)

Directions

Combine ham, broccoli, soup and cheese in a large bowl. Place pizza dough on large cookie sheet, spread out. Place Ham mixture along the vertical center, then fold the sides of the crust over the ham mixture so that they overlap on the top. It should look like a giant roll. Bake in the oven at around 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes (according to the directions on the pizza dough package). Sometimes the top will cook faster then the bottom, so you can cover the top loosely with aluminum foil for ten minutes to prevent over-browning. Stromboli is done when the crust in lightly browned and cooked through. Slice the stromboli perpendicular to the fold, and serve as is, or with a salad.

(You can also use different toppings inside for variation. For example you could use chicken and mixed veggies with Cream of Chicken soup, or have it more authentic with pizza toppings, sauce, and pizza blend cheese.)

Turkey Pot Pie

One more idea for how to use up that leftover turkey!

What You Need

4 c diced leftover Turkey

4-6 c cooked veggies and potatoes ( I really like to use carrots, celery, and onion)

1 can Cream of Chicken with Herbs Soup

1/2 c Sour Cream

1 package Pilsbury Crescents

Directions

Combine turkey and veggies and place in casserole dish. Combine Soup and sour cream and pour over turkey veggie mixture. Top with unrolled crescents. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until crescent dough is brown and flaky. Serve as is, or with extra veggies on the side.

Turkey Noodle Soup

Here is another idea for using up that leftover Turkey in the fridge!

What You Need

6-8 c turkey, or chicken stock (or water with chicken bouillon)

2-4 carrots, peeled and diced

1 small onion, diced

2-4 celery stocks, diced

4 c Leftover turkey, diced or shredded

1 bag egg noodles (frozen, or dry work fine)

Directions

Place all ingredients except noodles in crock-pot. Cook on low all day (6-8 hours). Around 1/2 hour before serving add noodles, and turn the temp up to high. Cook until noodles are tender. Serve as is, or on top of those leftover mashed potatoes.

Turkey and Stuffing Casserole

If you guys are anything like me, you have a lot of leftover Turkey! Here is a tasty recipe to help weed out some of those leftovers!

What You Need

4c diced Turkey

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 c sour cream

1 box worth of stuffing (leftover, or freshly made works)

Directions

Place Turkey in bottom of casserole dish. Mix soup and sour cream together, and pour over turkey. Top with prepared stuffing. Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until warmed through. Serve with a side or 2 of leftover, or freshly made veggies!

(You can also use chicken for this recipe. If using raw chicken, up the cooking time to 1 hour)

Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Chowder

This is a recipe that my husband's cousin, Katrina, posted on her blog. It looked so good I thought I would share it with all of you. I know I can't wait to try it tonight!!!

What You Need

3-4 chicken breasts

1 can black beans, drained/rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 package frozen corn
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. pepper, chopped
1 10 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups milk

1 c pepperjack cheese

1 c cheddar cheese

Directions

Place all ingredients, except cheese, in crock-pot and cook on low 6-8 hours. Add cheese and stir in to melt, right before serving. Serve with sour cream, avocado, salsa, tortilla chips, or any other burrito topping of choice.

Baking Sauce for Meat

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Jenn. She made meatballs with this sauce, and I loved it so much I had to have the recipe and share it with all of you! Enjoy!

What you Need

2 TBS butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery (optional)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
1 Cup ketchup
1 cup water
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS Brown sugar
1/8 tsp pepper
((I've also added garlic salt to taste.))

Directions

Saute onion (and celery and green pepper if used) in butter. Add remaining ingredients mixing well. Bring to boil and remove from heat.
Pour over chicken breasts (bake at 350 deg. for 1 hour) for oven barbecued chicken OR in crockpot! Also yummy with meatballs. Serve with mashed, or baked, potatoes and veggies.

Veggie & Chicken Alfredo

What you Need

2-4 c Mixed Frozen Veggies

4-6 Chicken Breasts, sliced into 2 in. strips

1/2 Bag Penne Noodles

1 jar Alfredo Sauce

Directions

In large skillet saute veggies over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add Chicken and cook through. In medium saucepan boil water and add Penne Noodles, cooking till noodles are al dente. Add noodles to chicken/veggie mixture and top with sauce. Reduce heat to low and warm through. Serve as is, or with a salad and garlic bread.

Noble's Chili

This is my family's recipe for chili. I hope you enjoy!

What You Need

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

1 large can diced tomatoes, with juices!

1 container tomato juice or Veggie juice

2 packages chili seasoning ( I like McCormicks...)

Directions

Place all ingredients in crock-pot and simmer on low for 6-8 hours. Enjoy with crackers and cheese. It is also great with homemade cinnamon rolls!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

So I know this is not a dinner recipe, but it is a great one none the less. Hope you love it just as much as I do!

What You Need

1 spice cake mix

1 15oz. can pumpkin

1 bag chocolate chips

Directions

In large mixing bowl, mix cake mix and pumpkin (either by hand or with a slow beater). Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, and enjoy with hot apple cider for a tasty fall treat!

(Recipe from the World Wide Ward Cookbook)

Beef Stew

I have found that the absolute best beef stew is achieved by using the McCormick's slow cocker beef stew seasoning packet.

What You Need

1 lb beef stew meat (I have tried pork, it is ok, but not quite as good)

2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced into medium sized chunks

4-6 carrots, peeled and diced "

1 onion, diced "

(you could also put in celery, parsnip, turnips, etc.)

1 package McCormick's Slow Cooker Beef Stew Seasoning

Directions

Place meat and veggies in crock-pot. Mix seasoning with the amount of water specified in the directions on the back of the seasoning packet, and pour over beef and veggies. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Stew will be very thick. Serve with bread and cheese. Enjoy!

Oct. 25-31

This week is a pretty low key one for me, so I will not be posting a menu. I will update with a few tasty meals later in the week. Namely Beef Stew, and Chili. Feel free to peruse the previous recipes, use your favorites, or try something new! As always feel free to share any ideas, favorite recipes, and posts on how your dinners turned out! Thank you, and have a great Holiday weekend!

Swiss Steak

The Recipe for Swiss Steak can be found on the July 24th post, or by searching on the side bar. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup

I thought this would be a fun seasonal dinner for everyone!

What You Need

3 T butter

1 2/3 lb baking pumpkin peeled and diced

1 onion, chopped

Grated rind on one orange

3 c chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

1 T cornstarch dissolved in 3 T milk

1 c milk

1/2 c cream

Directions

Melt butter in large sauce pan/ soup pot. Add pumpkin, onion, and orange rind. Cook over medium/ medium low heat until onion is tender (around 5 minutes). Add stock, and salt and pepper, then bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, covered, for around 5 minutes (until pumpkin is tender). Sieve or puree soup ( I usually use a blender in batches), then add to a clean sauce pan/ soup pot. Add cornstarch/milk mixture and milk, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for additional 5 minutes. Pour soup into a tureen, and stir in cream. Serve warm with a side of homemade bread.

(you can substitute butternut squash for pumpkin, or sour cream or yogurt for the cream)

(recipe from the World Wide Ward Cookbook)

Ground Beef Burritos

What You Need

1 lb ground beef

1 can tomato sauce

1 package taco seasoning

other burrito toppings of your choice

Directions

Brown beef in skillet. Add tomato sauce, and seasoning. Let simmer 5 minutes. Serve on warm tortillas, or taco shells, with your favorite taco toppings.

Bean Soup

This is a very simple, yet hearty soup, that is great for the low budget, is super simple, and tastes delicious!

What You Need

8-10 c water

1 lb bag dried navy beans

2 T butter

1-2 grated carrots

8-10 chicken bouillon cubes

6-8 slices bacon

Directions

Soak beans in water for any where from 1-24 hours then drain and rinse (This helps to get rid of the gassy effect of the beans). In large crock-pot add water, bouillon, beans, carrots, butter, and 2 slices of bacon cut into thin strips. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Cook and crumble remaining bacon. Serve soup with crumbled bacon, cheese, and/or homemade bread. Enjoy!

Spaghetti With Meatballs

This recipe can be found on the July 20th posting, or by searching for Spaghetti and meatballs in the search bar on the right.

Dinners and Shopping Oct 18-24

Dinners

Monday - Spaghetti with Meatballs

Tuesday - Bean with Bacon Soup

Wednesday - Burritos

Thursday - Hamburgers

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Pumpkin Soup

Sunday - Swiss Steak

Shopping

Monday

Spaghetti Noodles

Spaghetti Sauce

Frozen Meatballs

Tuesday

Package dry Navy Beans

Carrots

Bacon

Wednesday

Chicken

diced tomatoes with green chilis

onion

taco seasoning

refried beans

cheese

sour cream

other burrito toppings (avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, etc)

Thursday

Ground Beef (Turkey, or veggie burger patties)

Hamburger buns

hamburger toppings (cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon, etc)

Friday

No Shopping

Saturday

Baking Pumpkin

onion

Orange

chicken stock (or bouillon)

Cream (half and half, or sour cream would work)

milk

cornstarch

Sunday

Roast

1 can of tomatoes (diced, or whole)

Onion

Roast

Here I go slacking off again. Sorry this post is too late for Sunday dinner, but here is my recipe for pot-roast for future reference...

What You Need

1 Beef Roast (or other red meat roast, my parents prefer buffalo...)

2-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 package baby carrots (or 6-8 carrots, peeled and cubed)

1 onion, sliced into medium-small chunks

1 package Liptons Onion Soup Mix

1 c water

Salt, and Pepper to taste

(2-3T cornstarch for gravy)

Directions

Place roast in crock-pot, surround with veggies, sprinkle with Soup mix, and drizzle with water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. then remove roast and let stand for 5-10 minutes, remove veggies and pour roast juices into a medium sized sauce pan. Cooking the roast juices at a medium high heat, add 2-3 T cornstarch, mixed with enough water to make it dissolve and runny, stirring constantly. My parents would always serve this recipe with another side of veggies, but I find it fine as is. You could also serve with some homemade bread or rolls. Enjoy!

Pizza

One of my all time favorite foods is pizza! I can eat it 2-3 times a week without getting sick of it! You can find my recipe for homemade pizza posted July 8th, or by searching for pizza under the search bar located on the upper right hand toolbar. Enjoy!!!

Date Night

All right everyone. Tomorrow is date night. Enjoy your night off of cooking, and have fun with your spouse!

Thursday Oct 14

The recipe for this Thursday is for Mozzerella Chicken. The recipe can be found on July 11, or by searching the recipe on the right hand side search box. Enjoy!

Chicken Poppyseed Casserole

We actually got this recipe from one of Chris' old missionary companions. It was one of the very first things that Chris ever cooked for me, so not only is it delicious, it is also sentimental!

What you Need

4-6 Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 c sour cream

2 packages Ritz Crackers, crushed (a box usually comes with 4 packages)

3 T butter, melted

2 T Poppy seeds

Directions

Combine chicken, soup, and sour cream and place in a 9x13 baking dish. In separate bowl combine crackers, butter, and poppy seeds, then spread over chicken mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with a side of veggies.

BBQ Bacon Chicken

What You Need

3 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle BBQ sauce

Bacon, 2 pieces per chicken breast, cooked

Colby Cheese, (or cheddar) sliced

Directions

Place chicken in a 9x13 baking pan, cover with bbq sauce. Cover pan with aluminum and bake at 300 degrees for one hour. Remove pan from oven top each piece of chicken with 2 slices of cooked bacon, and 1 slice of cheese. Return to oven, just until cheese is melted (5-10 minutes). Serve as is, or topped with avocado, tomatoes, and sour cream. Serve with potatoes (baked, or french fries), and a veggie.

(Recipe from the World Wide Ward Cookbook)

Vegetable Chowder

This is a fantastic recipe! The last time I made it, it turned out more like cheesy vegetables, then like a soup... YUM!

What You Need

Red Bell Pepper (diced)

Onion (diced)

1/4 c Butter

1 c Celery, sliced

1 c Cauliflower, chopped

1 c carrots, sliced

1 c Broccoli, chopped

3 c water with 3 chicken bouillon cubes, or 3 c chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 c Flour

1 1/2 c Milk (or half and half)

3 c Cheddar Cheese (for a stronger cheese flavor use a sharper cheese)

Directions

In a large soup pot, saute the pepper and onion in butter until tender. Add remaining veggies, water and bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes (until veggies are tender). Combine flour and milk until smooth, then add to soup. Bring soup to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes. Right before serving, stir in cheese until melted. To make a heartier soup try adding some diced chicken, or turkey. Serve soup with crackers, or homemade bread.

(Recipe from the World Wide Ward Cookbook)

Dinners &Shopping Oct. 11-17

Dinners

Monday - Vegetable Chowder

Tuesday - BBQ Bacon Chicken

Wednesday - Chicken Poppyseed Casserole

Thursday - Mozzerella Chicken

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Pizza

Sunday - Roast

Shopping

Monday

Red Bell Pepper

Onion

Celery

Cauliflower

Carrots

Broccoli

Cheddar Cheese (at least 3 c)

Tuesday

Chicken

BBQ Sauce

Cheddar cheese

Bacon

Wednesday

Chicken

Cream of Chicken Soup

Sour Cream

Ritz Crackers

Poppy Seeds

Thursday

Chicken

Spaghetti Sauce

Mozzerella (in the block, spring for the good stuff it makes it taste even better...)

Friday

Take the day off of cooking and go out with your sweetheart

Saturday

Pizza Sauce

Pizza blend Cheese

Pizza toppings of your choice

Sunday

Beef Roast

Lipton's Onion Soup Mix

Carrots

Potatoes

Onion

Noble's Meatloaf

Nothing like your mother's homemade meatloaf to help brighten a chilly (or in our case warm and sunny) Fall day!

What You Need

1 lb ground beef

1 c oatmeal

2 T onion (dried)

8 oz can tomato sauce

1 egg

1 t salt

1/8 t pepper

Ketchup

Directions

In large bowl mix all ingredients (except Ketchup) and place in a greased loaf pa, making sure it fills the corners, and is flat on top. Top with a thick layer of ketchup. Back at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve with potatoes (mashed or baked), and a veggie or salad.

White Chicken Chili

Hope everyone enjoys their date night tonight. I know I am really looking forward to it. For tomorrow I am planning on making White Chicken Chili. Soups are some of the easiest things to make, and chili is no different.

What You Need

1 package White Chili Seasoning Mix

3-5 Chicken breasts

2 cans white beans (I like them drained and rinsed so that there is less sugar in it and more true flavor)

4-8 c Chicken broth (depending on how thick you want the soup)

1 small onion (Diced)

1-2 small cans diced green chilis

Any additional veggies like celery, carrots, parsnips, etc! (In my opinion the more veggies the better!)

To make the flavor really pop try squeezing in the juice of 1 lime before serving

Directions

Place all ingredients in the crock-pot (make sure the chicken is not cooked when added, this helps to flavor the soup, and makes the chicken more juicy). Let simmer on low all day. If you would like to thicken the sauce then mix 2 T or so of cornstarch with enough water to make it runny when mixed, add to the soup 30-60 minutes before serving, and turn crock-pot to high. Serve with cheese, crackers, and/or homemade bread.

Green Chili Chicken

You can use the same recipe for this as for the green chili pork, (found on July 7), except substitute chicken for pork. Then serve on tortillas and top with your favorite burrito toppings, and enjoy!

Just as a reminder, if halving the recipe as I do, remember to half all the ingredients. (last time I forgot to cut the salt in half, and had VERY salty pork, which was even hard for Chris to stomach and loves everything salty...)

Creamy Basil Pesto Spaghetti

What You Need

Handful spaghetti noodles

3-4 chicken breasts, sliced into 1-2 inch long slices

1 can/jar Artichoke hearts, quartered

1 small jar Roasted Red peppers, diced

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 jar alfredo sauce

1/2 jar Basil Pesto Sauce

Directions

Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium high heat. While chicken is cooking, boil water and start cooking pasta. After chicken is cooked through add veggies and sauces. When noodles are cooked through, drain, and add to sauce skillet. Mix thoroughly, and serve with garlic toast and a salad.

Noble's Hamburger Veggie Soup

I am so excited it is finally getting into soup season! I love soups, and am so happy to share my soup recipes with all of you!

Here is how my mom would make veggies soup...

What You Need

1 lb Gr. Beef (cooked and drained)

2-3 Carrots, sliced

2-3 Celery stalks, sliced

1 onion, chopped

1 can green beans

1 c frozen corn

1 c frozen peas

(any other veggies you might like...)

3 cans Tomato Soup

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

4 cans water

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except for peas, in crockpot and cook on low all day. About half an hour before serving, add peas. Serve with shredded cheese, bread, and crackers, and enjoy!

Dinners & Shopping Oct 5-10

After a couple of crazy weeks, I am finally getting back into a pattern, and planning out meals again! So here are this weeks...

Dinners

Tuesday - Noble's Hamburger Veggie Soup

Wednesday - Creamy Basil Pest Spaghetti

Thursday - Green Chili Chicken Burritos

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - White Chicken Chili

Sunday - Meatloaf

Shopping List

Tuesday

Gr. Beef (or turkey if you prefer)

carrots

celery

onion

green beans

corn

peas

3 cans Tomato Soup

1 can Cream of mushroom soup

(any other desired veggies)

Wednesday

Chicken

spaghetti noodles

alfredo sauce

pesto sauce

artichokes (canned or jarred)

1 small jar roasted red peppers

1 can diced tomatoes

Thursday

Chicken

1 can diced green chilies

Onion

refried beans

cheese

sour cream

(other burrito toppings)

Friday

No shopping, take the night off with your sweetheart!

Saturday

Chicken

white chili seasoning

2 cans White beans

onion

celery

(other veggies as desired)

Sunday

gr. beef (or turkey)

oatmeal

eggs

ketchup

Crepes

Crepes are a great very versatile dish. They are great stuffed with fruit, eggs, or meats and veggies.

What You Need

1 1/2 c flour

1 T sugar

1/2 t Baking Powder

1/2 t salt

2 c milk

2 T butter, melted

1/2 t vanilla

2 eggs

Directions

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, then beat with a hand mixer till smooth. Lightly butter (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a medium skillet and heat over medium heat until bubbly. Pour 1/4 c batter onto heated and greased skillet rotating immediate to let the batter coat the bottom of the pan. Cook until lightly browned then flip and cook other side until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining batter. Stack crepes with a layer of wax paper or seran wrap between each, and keep covered.

I had our crepes with a touch of Nutella, strawberries, bananas, and vanilla pudding. But you can stuff then with just about anything. They do taste better if they have some sort of sauce with the filling ( pudding, cheese sauce, cream, etc).

Apologies

Sorry everyone that I have not been updating this blog with new ideas. Things got a little crazy last week. Also I seem to be hitting a idea block. I am just simply running out of new ideas for dinners. Couple that with the fact that things are going to stay crazy for a while, has got me thinking of taking the blog down a slight notch.

Instead of stressing about trying to find new recipes all the time I will just post new ones when I come across one. Otherwise feel free to keep using the recipes I have posted, and as always, please feel free to share some of your favorite recipes with me as well, so that we can share in the bounty together!

Sorry

Sorry I have not been able to get meal plans and recipes out this week. We have had a lot going on in my family, and I have just not been able to get that done. Please bear with me and I will try to pick up the ball again for next week. In the mean time feel free to browse old recipes to plan out your meals. Thank you for your patience!

Ashley

Pork Chop and Potato Skillet

What You Need

6 Pork Chops

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can Mushrooms, undrained

1/4 c water

2 T dry white wine, or apple juice

1/4 t thyme leaves

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t Worcestershire sauce

6 medium new potatoes (or small red potatoes) cut into fourths

1 T pimiento

1 small package frozen peas

Directions

Place pork in a large greased skillet and cook over medium high heat, turning once, till each side is golden brown. In separate bowl mix soup, mushrooms, water, wine/apple juice, thyme, garlic, and Worcestershire, then pour over pork. Cover and cook for additional 15 minutes. Add potatoes to skillet, cover and cook another 15 minutes. Stir in Pimiento and Peas, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender and pork is cooked through. Serve as a one dish meal.

(It can also be prepared in the crockpot. Just omit water and add 3 T flour to soup mixture. Place potatoes in first, then cover with 1/2 soup mixture, top with pork and the remaining soup mixture. Cook on Low for 6 hours. Then remove pork, stir in pimiento and peas, and cook for additional 15 minutes. )

Grilled Garlic-Lime Fish

What You Need

Fish (whichever type you like, and enough for the family)

2-4 Limes

3-5 Garlic cloves

salt, pepper, ginger

Directions

In large bowl, or gallon zip lock, squeeze limes, mince and add garlic and spices, then add fish. Let marinate for at least 2 hours. Place marinated fish on preheated grill over medium heat. Cook fish for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with rice and steamed veggies.

Ashley's Chicken and Gnocchis

Gnocchis are little potato-pasta dumplings that you can find in an air removed plastic package in the specialty Italian food section. They have a very simplistc flavor, but are very yummy and are often a great hit with the kids! This is my absolute favorite way to eat Gnocchis! Enjoy!!!

What You Need

3-4 chicken breasts

1/2 jar Alfredo Sauce

1 jar Pesto Sauce

1 jar artichoke hearts, quartered

1 can diced tomatoes (or use 3-4 fresh tomatoes, diced)

1 bag gnocchis

Directions

Slice chicken into thin, short strips. Place in frying pan with about 1 T olive oil, to keep it from sticking, and cook over medium high heat until cooked through. Then add sauces, artichokes, and tomatoes, and simmer while you cook the gnocchis. Fill a saucepan half full of water and boil. Add gnocchis to boiling water, and let cook until gnocchis float to top (about 3-5 minutes). Remove floating gnocchis and add to sauce. Serve as a one dish, or serve with garlic toast and salad. Enjoy!

Fried Chicken

What You Need

Chicken (for the original fried chicken get assorted bone in, you can also use boneless if you prefer)

1 egg

1-2 c flour

1/2 c buttermilk (you can use regular as well)

salt and pepper

(You can also use additional spices for added flavor, like cayenne pepper, thyme, garlic, marjoram, ect. You want to use a lot of salt and pepper, and a pinch of other seasoning since that will really make your chicken flavorful!)

Directions

Fill a large frying pan with oil about an inch deep. Place over medium high heat so that the oil reaches a temperature of 375 degrees. In flat bowl, or deep plate, beat the one egg. In separate flat bowl place flour, spices, and buttermilk. Using your hands incorporate the flour mixture so that it is slightly (and evenly) lumpy. Pat the chicken dry, dredge it in the egg, then coat in the flour mixture. Place the coated chicken in the hot frying pan. Cook for around 5 minutes on each side (until golden). Do not overcrowd the chicken in the pan, if necessary cook in 2 batches. The oil temperature will drop after adding the chicken, do not try to get the oil temperature back up since that will burn the chicken before it cooks through. After Chicken is done cooking place on a platter lined with paper towels to help absorb excess oil. Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn.

How To Make Fried Chicken Gravy

After Chicken is cooked drain excess oil from the frying pan, leaving the extra crispy bits of chicken, and a little excess oil. Return the pan to the stove over medium high heat. Add a few Tablespoons of flour, and a couple chicken bouillon cubes, using a fork to incorporate into a paste-y texture. Then add milk, stirring constantly, until you reach a desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Super Savory Rice

What You Need

1 c rice

2 1/2 c Chicken stock (or water with bouillon)

1 T olive oil

4 strips bacon (cut into small pieces)

1 small onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 c mushrooms, sliced (or can mushrooms, drained)

3/4 c frozen peas

1/2 c frozen corn

Directions

In medium sauces pan (or rice cooker)bring rice with chicken stock to boil, then cook for 11-12 minutes. While rice is cooking heat oil in skillet and add onion and bacon. Cook until bacon is fried and onion is soft. Add bell pepper and mushrooms to onion and bacon, and cook for additional 3-5 minutes. Add peas and corn, and heat through. When rice is cooked, remove from heat and fluff with fork, then place rice in a large serving dish and add veggies, then mix together gently. Serve as a one dish meal. (for a more hearty meal try adding some shredded chicken, or sliced sausage to the veggie/bacon mixture).

(Another recipe from Let's Cook! A book for kids who love to cook )

Perfect Pasta

What You Need

1 bag Rotini Pasta

1/4 t salt

1/4 c butter

5 T Flour

1 3/4 c milk

1 c Sharp cheddar cheese, grated

4 oz ham, chopped

cherry tomatoes quartered

salt and pepper

1/4 c Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Fill saucepan half full of water, add 1/4 t salt, and bring to boil. Add noodles to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. In another saucepan melt butter and add flour. Cook butter and flour for 1 minute then remove from heat. Add milk a little at a time to butter mixture, stirring constantly to make a smooth sauce. Put pan back on heat, and continue stirring while sauce thinkens. When sauce starts to boil, turn heat down and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Remove from heat and add cheese, ham, and tomatoes, then season with salt and pepper. Drain pasta then add it to sauce mixture. Place noodle mixture in oven safe dish , sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

(Recipe from Let's Cook A book for Kids who love to cook)

Dinners & Shopping Sept 10-15

Dinners

Tuesday - Perfect Pasta

Wednesday - Super Savory Rice

Thursday - Fried Chicken

Friday - Chicken and Gnocchi dish

Saturday - Grilled Fish

Sunday - Pork Chop and Potato Skillet

Shopping

Tuesday

1 bag rotini pasta

cheddar cheese

parmesan cheese

thick sliced, or cubed ham

cherry tomatoes

Wednesday

rice

Chicken broth (or bouillon)

Bacon

1 onion

1 red Bell Pepper

1 can mushrooms

frozen peas

frozen corn

Thursday

Chicken

flour

buttermilk

Friday

Chicken

Gnocchi (they are little potato dumpling pasta found in the pasta isle at the grocery store over by the specialty pasta, sauces, and other ingredients)

1 jar alfredo sauce

1 jar pesto

1 jar artichokes

1 can diced tomatoes

Saturday

Fish (your choice)

lime

garlic

olive oil

Sunday

1 package pork chops

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can mushrooms

thyme

garlic powder

Worcestershire sauce

1 pound small (new or red) potatoes

pimiento

peas

Labor Day Soy Sauce BBQ Chicken

Happy Labor Day everyone. I am a little behind on getting this weeks dinners out, but I will work on getting that up here by tomorrow. As for today, let's BBQ! It is the last non-official day of summer, so bust out the BBQ and go hog wild! Or just enjoy good food...

Here is one of my husbands favorite recipe's for BBQ...

What You Need

1 Package chicken drumsticks

1 Package chicken thighs

1 small bottle soy sauce

1/2 c lemon juice

1/4 c Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c vegetable oil

garlic and ginger

Directions

Combine liquids and spices to create a marinade. Marinate the chicken for 2-3 hours. BBQ chicken on medium heat grill. Rotate chicken every 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (around 20 minutes or so). Enjoy with your favorite bbq sides, and have a great Labor Day!

Steak

Steak is a tricky thing to cook, and one I usually do not attempt. For some reason it sounded really good this week, so here goes...

What You Need

Steak (cut and quantity according to preference and need. For a good grilled steak spend the extra money to get a rib-eye, or NY strip, it will be worth it!)

Steak seasoning (you can usually buy a steak seasoning in the spices isle. I like the montreal steak seasoning, although I also have a specialty blend seasoning from NE called Misty's seasoning that I will be going with tonight...)

Directions

Sprinkle and rub in the steak seasoning. Place on medium heat grill. Grill for 4 minutes each side rotating several times. Total cook time depends on how well you want your steak cooked. For a more medium done-ness go for around 20 minutes, more well done, shoot for closer to 30 min. Serve with sauteed mushrooms, baked potatoes, and a salad or veggie. Enjoy!!!

A Night Out

Happy Labor Day weekend. Go out and have some fun with family and friends this weekend. Grab a bite out for dinner so that you can have a cooking-stress-free day.

Hot Dogs

Fire up the grill for some hot dogs. There is nothing like bbqing to kick off labor day weekend, and it doesn't get easier than hot dogs! They only take 5-10 minutes to cook. Serve them with fries or chips, and some fruit! Have a great Labor Day Weekend Kick-off!!!

Sandwiches

I thought Thursday should be nice and easy. Grab some hoagie rolls, lunchmeat, cheese, and lettuce and tomato. Serve your sandwiches with chips and fruit, and enjoy a easy night. If you want to mix it up a bit, try getting roast beef, and make a packet of au jus for french dip sandwiches!

Enchiladas

What You Need

2-4 chicken breasts

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis

1 package taco seasoning

1 onion, sliced thin

tortillas

1 package shredded sharp cheddar cheese

enchilada sauce

(optional sour cream, spanish rice, and refried beans)

Directions

Place chicken in crock-pot and cover with onion, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken. Put a large spoonful of chicken on a tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and roll tightly. Place rolled tortillas closely together in 9"x13" pan. Once pan is full of filled tortillas coat with enchilada sauce, and sprinkle with cheese. Cook enchiladas at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (If you cook for much longer then 20 minutes then the enchiladas will stick to the bottom of the pan and will start to harden) Serve with sour cream, refried beans, and spanish rice.

Mushroom Pork Chops

What You Need

Pork Chops

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Mushrooms

(For added flavor you can also add 1/2 c sour cream, and/or 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes)

Directions

Place Pork Chops in Crock-pot, cover with mushrooms and soup. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes, using sauce from cooking as a gravy, and a veggie side.

Dinners & Shopping Aug 31-Sept 5

Sorry for the delay, and lack of meal for yesterday, but here is the rest of this weeks dinners and shopping list...

Dinners

Tuesday - Mushroom Pork Chops

Wednesday - Enchiladas

Thursday - Sandwiches

Friday - Hot Dogs

Saturday - Eat Out

Sunday - Grilled Steak

Shopping

Tuesday

Pork Chops

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Mushrooms

Wednesday

Chicken

Diced tomatoes w/ green chilis

Taco seasoning

Onion

enchilada sauce

tortillas

cheese

sour cream

(optional spanish rice, and refried beans on the side)

Thursday

Hoagie rolls

lunchmeat

cheese

lettuce

tomato

Friday

Hot Dogs

Buns

French Fries

Saturday

Take the night off and take the family out to eat!

Sunday

our choice of steaks

Steak Seasoning

Potatoes

Pasta Bake

What You Need

1 bag rotini or penne noodles

1 lb ground beef

1 jar pasta sauce

1 bag italian blend cheese

Directions

Brown the beef, and boil noodles. Put noodles, beef, pasta sauce, and half of the bag of cheese in a 9x13 casserole dish and stir ingredients together till well blended. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.

You can also use italian sausage instead of the ground beef.

Grilled Pork Loin

What You Need

1 thin Pork Loin

Brown sugar

Marjoram, thyme, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper

Directions

Take Pork roast and poke holes in it. Rub with brown sugar. Then sprinkle on spices. Place on a hot grill over medium heat. Cook for 20-30 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes, or until roast is cooked through. (Temperature of roast needs to be around 170 degrees, or when sliced open meat is white, not pink). Serve with roasted veggies, baked beans, or any other favorite grill sides.

You can also serve with bbq sauce, or use bbq sauce to baste with for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Friday Night

It is that time of the week again. Time for a night off! If your not big on pizza then order some chinese take out, or head out to your favorite restaurant. Get a sitter for the kids, feed them mac and cheese, and head out to dinner with your sweetie. Either which way enjoy your night off!!!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I am pretty sure I have posted this before, but here is a refresher...

What You Need

pork roast

liquid smoke

salt

bbq sauce

Directions

Poke holes in roast and place in crock-pot. Generously drizzle liquid smoke over roast, then generously sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred roast (should be fall apart tender). Place on sandwiches and top with bbq sauce. The sandwiches are also great with cheese and coleslaw. Serve with french fries or chips and a veggie.

Grilled Fish

What You Need

White fish (preferably a thicker fish like cod. Enough to feed your family... a little goes a long way when it comes to fish, one pound can feed 3-4 people)

Several pieces of Bacon (sliced in half)

Salt and pepper

Lemon

Directions

Cut fish into 1 1/2-2 in. cubes, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap each cube in a piece of bacon and use a bamboo skewer to hold the bacon in place. (remember to soak the skewers in water before use so that they char slower). Place skewers on grill over a medium high heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, rotating skewers ever 3-5 minutes, until fish is cooked through (it flakes easily). Serve with veggies or salad, and rice.

Nachos

What You Need

1 lb Ground beef

1 can tomato sauce

1 package taco seasoning

1 can refried beans

cheese

sour cream

Salsa

Tortilla chips

Directions

Brown beef. Add tomato sauce and seasoning, mix well, and let simmer. Warm up refried beans with 1/4 c water. Take tortilla chips top with beef, beans, and other ingredients.

Runzas

Any one from Nebraska is well aware of the restaurant chain Runza. Their name is derived from their signature sandwich. A Runza is a meat and veggie filled roll. My mom created this recipe, and I added my own twists to it. Enjoy!

What You Need

Roll Dough (use the recipe under the calzones dough recipe from a couple days ago, or make your own roll dough. You can even use frozen roll dough if that is easier.)

Ground beef

Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper

cabbage (about 1/2-2/3 head thickly shredded, or chopped really thin)

onion (sliced thin)

Mushrooms (also sliced thin)

Cheese (I prefer a sharp cheddar)

Directions

Make bread dough. While dough is rising 2nd time, brown meat. Season with salt and pepper. Once meat is cooked through also season with Worcestershire sauce to taste, (I usually put in around 1/3 -1/2 c). Then add onion and cabbage, and cook till veggies start wilting, then add mushrooms. Cook till veggies are tender then remove from heat. Roll out dough one circle at a time. Top with a small handful of cheese and a large, heaping, spoonful of meat mixture. Close dough around mixture and place seam down on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. Serve with french fries and/or veggies.

Dinners & Shopping Aug 23-29

Dinners

Monday - Runzas

Tuesday - Nachos

Wednesday - Grilled Bacon Wrapped Fish

Thursday - Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Grilled Pork Loin

Sunday - Pasta Bake

Shopping

Monday

Ground Beef

Worcestershire Sauce

onion

cabbage (I like to get the pre-shredded bag if the store has it, if not just get a regular head of cabbage)

Mushrooms

Cheese

Tuesday

Gr beef

tomato sauce

taco seasoning

refried beans

cheese

sour cream

salsa

tortilla chips

Wednesday

bacon

white fish (cod, halibut, or other thick fish)

Lemon

Thursday

Pork roast

liquid smoke

bbq sauce

hoagie or hamburger buns

Friday

Take the night off and order a pizza!

Saturday

Pork loin

spices/ seasoning (garlic, marjoram, paprika, thyme)

bbq sauce (optional)

Sunday

Rotini or Penne Pasta

spaghetti sauce

gr beef, or italian sausage

italtian blend cheese

Pot Luck and Brownies

If your ward is anything like ours then you have just had tons of new families moving in. Take this Sunday to invite over a few new families for a nice potluck and some games. Remember to keep it simple. Try making a veggie tray with fiesta ranch dip. Or a fruit tray with a dip made out of strawberry yogurt and cream cheese. You could even throw some little smokies in the crock pot with bbq sauce! Or if you would rather make dessert then here is a recipe for the best homemade brownies ever! I even like them better then most store bought brownies!

What You Need

6 oz Dark chocolate (Broken into pieces)

3/4 c butter

1 1/4 c sugar

pinch of salt

3 large eggs

1 scant cup flour

2 t vanilla

1/2 c chocolate chips

Directions

Place chocolate and butter in glass bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add sugar and salt. Beat eggs in a bowl and add to chocolate mixture slowly. Add flour and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and chocolate chips. Pour mixture into 8x8 greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. The top of the brownies will be brown but the inside will still be slightly soft (make sure that a toothpick inserted in center of brownies will come out mostly clean though). Let cool and serve with ice cream.

(recipe from Let's Cook! A book for kids who love to cook)

I Fixed It!!!

Usually I am completely un- tech-savvy, so it trully amazed myself that I actually fixed my little blogs big problem. For those of you who have tried before, the comment link has not been working for the last month or so on my blog. I am happy to report that it has been fixed and you will now be able to leave comments once more!

Thank you for your patience, and feel free to leave any comments you would like! I would love to hear from you all about recipes you tried, alterations you made that worked or didn't work, and any recipes you would like to share as well.

Thanks for following my blog, and happy cooking!

Calzones

What You Need

Pizza/Roll Dough

pizza sauce

ricotta cheese

mozzarella cheese

Pizza toppings of your choice

Directions

Roll dough into 6-8 circles. Top dough with sauce, cheeses, and toppings, making sure to keep about an inch of the outer edge free of any toppings or sauce. Brush a little water or egg whites around the outside edge of the dough. Fold dough over on itself to create a half circle, then gently press edges together using fingers, or fork prongs. Place calzones on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. For a crispier crust, brush calzones with egg whites before baking.

Roll Dough

This is one of my favorite recipes for roll dough. I actually found it in a children's cookbook and slightly adapted it. The rolls have a great simple flavor, and a great texture that is strong enough to be able to use for sandwiches, but soft enough to avoid being too chewy. I thought it would be a great recipe for our calzone dough.

What You Need

1 lb flour (around 4 c)

1 t salt

1 envelope yeast (or 2 1/4 t)

1 T Olive oil

1 1/2 c warm water

3 T sugar

Directions

Mix 2 c flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in bowl. Add water and oil beating on high. Add additional flour till dough starts climbing the beaters. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes, adding enough flour to keep it from getting too sticky (try to add as little flour as possible, since the more flour you add the tougher the bread will turn out). Place in a clean, lightly greased, bowl, loosely cover, and let rise for 30-45 minutes, until it doubles in size. Divide dough into 6-8 round pieces, then let rise an additional 30 minutes. Then follow the directions above.

Cream Cheese Chicken

This recipe is amazing! It is rich and creamy but very flavorful! It can be a little on the fattening side which makes it taste amazing, but if you would like to cut down the fat and calories then look for healthier versions of the ingredients. (Reduced fat soup, cream cheese, and even margarine)

What You Need

2 lb. chicken breasts

1/2c butter

1 envelope Italian seasoning dressing mix

1 package cream cheese

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

Directions

Turn Crock-pot on high. Place butter in bottom of crock-pot. When butter has melted, add Italian seasoning, and stir to mix. Cut chicken into 1 in. strips and place in crock-pot. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken. Add soup and cream cheese to Italian, butter mixture. Mix until smooth and creamy. Stir in chicken. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

(recipe from the World Wide Ward Cookbook)

Noble's Shipwreck

This is my mom's recipe for Shipwreck. One of those comfort foods that I grew up with. Enjoy!

What You Need

1 lb ground beef

1 can green beans

1 can tomato soup

6-8 servings of mashed potatoes

Directions

Brown hamburger. Combine Cooked hamburger, soup, and beans. Top with mashed potatoes. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I usually serve this as a one dish meal, but you can feel free to add whatever sides you enjoy.

Poor Man's Lobster

I tried this recipe a couple months ago and it is amazing! The fish turns out with an incredible flavor, although I did like it with a little lemon butter... :)

What You Need

2 quarts boiling water

1/4 c salt

1/2 c sugar

2 lb frozen cod or haddock

melted butter (I squeezed half a lemon in with the butter to make a great lemon butter sauce which was amazing!)

Directions

Bring water to boil; add sugar and salt. Drop in fish. Bring back to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Serve with the melted butter. To enjoy a restaurant style meal serve with steamed broccoli and garlic cheese biscuits (take a biscuit mix follow directions to make except add 1 c cheese and 1 t garlic to batter before cooking).

(Recipe from the World Wide Ward Cookbook)

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

I got this recipe from my sister, who got it from her mother-in-law. It is a great recipe because you make a bunch of pancake mix that you can keep in an air tight container, so you have mix for homemade pancakes anytime. Plus it is my absolute favorite recipe because they are not only healthy, but they are incredibly good, like oatmeal cookies! I top my pancakes with Peanut Butter and sugar free Maple Syrup... Yum!

What You Need for the Mix

4 c Oatmeal

2 c all purpose Flour

2 c Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 c brown sugar

3 T Baking Powder

2 T Cinnamon

2 t Salt

1/2 t Cream of Tartar

(you can also add 1c Dry Milk to make them a little more smooth, but I usually omit it since I don't have any, and just use milk to mix the pancake batter instead of using water. Although if you do use dry milk I still suggest mixing the batter with milk, it just gives it a better fuller taste)

Directions

Mix all ingredients well, and store in an air tight container. (Makes 4 batches)

What You Need to Make Pancakes

2 c Pancake Mix

2 eggs

1/3 c Oil

1 c milk (go for fat free! You can also use water if you are out of milk.)

Directions

In large bowl beat eggs. Add oil. Alternately add milk and pancake mix. Blend well. Cook on lightly greased skillet over medium to medium high heat. Makes about ten pancakes. Serve with your favorite syrup, eggs, fruit, bacon or any other of your favorite breakfast foods.

Squash Enchiladas

What You Need

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T olive oil

1 pkg frozen corn

Butternut squash, cooked and drained well

salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin

green enchilada sauce

corn tortillas

cheese (cheddar and/or pepper jack)

Directions

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Stir onion- garlic mixture and corn into squash, and season to taste with spices. Heat enchilada sauce and dip tortillas in the heated sauce to soften. Fill tortillas with squash mixture, sprinkle with cheese, and fold. Fill pan with enchiladas and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

(Recipe from the World Wide Ward Cookbook)

Dinners and Shopping Aug 16-22

Dinners

Monday - Squash Enchiladas

Tuesday - Breakfast with yummy Oatmeal Pancakes

Wednesday - Poor Man's Lobster

Thursday - Noble's Shipwreck

Friday - Cream Cheese Chicken

Saturday - Calzones

Sunday - Potluck

Shopping

Monday

Butternut squash

onion

white corn

green enchilada sauce

corn tortillas

Cheese (cheddar and/or Pepper Jack)

garlic, chili powder, cumin

Tuesday

Oatmeal

white and whole wheat flour

Make sure you have all your basics...

baking powder, oil, brown sugar, milk, eggs...

Wednesday

Cod or haddock

Thursday

Instant potatoes (you can used real mashed potatoes if you prefer)

tomato soup

ground beef

can green beans

Friday

chicken

cream cheese

butter

italian seasoning package

cream of chicken soup

Saturday

stuff for bread dough, or frozen roll dough

pizza sauce

mozzarella cheese

ricotta cheese

pizza toppings of your choice (sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, ect.)

Sunday

Pick an easy recipe or just make a fruit or veggie tray, or chips and salsa, and invite some friends over for a potluck and games.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

I hope you all enjoy this classic comfort food dish. It has always been one of my favorites!

What You Need

4-6 chicken breasts

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 c sour cream

1 box Stove Top Stuffing (prepared according to directions on box)

Directions

Place chicken (uncooked) into casserole dish. You can either do it whole or you can dice it into chunks (which helps it cook faster). Mix soup and sour cream and pour over chicken. Spread stuffing over chicken and soup. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with a side of your favorite veggies.

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

On Wednesday I decided to go healthier with my grilled cheese, ventured out, and made an amazing Fire Roasted Tomato soup! I hinted at the recipe, but ended up adding a few more ingredients, so I thought I would share the completed recipe with you all since it was so delicious.

What You Need

1 bottle V8 Juice

3 cans Fire Roasted tomatoes

1 jar Roasted Red Peppers (drained)

3 carrots (peeled and cut thin)

2 celery sticks (sliced)

1 onion (diced)

1/2 c half and half

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

sprinkle chili pepper, garlic, marjoram, and basil

Directions

Put all ingredients in crock-pot, except half and half, and cook all day on low. In 3-4 batches blend soup in blender to a fine consistency. Return to crock-pot and stir in half and half. Let simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes and serve. It is great with grilled cheese sandwiches, or just serve by itself with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Date Night

Tomorrow is Saturday night. Grab a sitter for the kids, and have a night out with the hubby! Try something new (or old) for your date night, like rock climbing, bowling, or just taking a twilight walk, and enjoy your night off!

Terriyaki Chicken

What You Need

Chicken Breasts

Terriyaki glaze

Directions

SO this is pretty simple... it is the same directions for BBQ chicken. Half cook on each side, baste with sauce and finish cooking on each side. When Chicken is half cooked through some sliced pineapple on the grill and baste with sauce as well. Serve with rice and whatever else suits your fancy!

BBQ Chicken

What You Need

Enough Chicken for the Family

1 bottle BBQ Sauce

Directions

Grill Chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side so that it is halfway done. Baste with sauce and grill on each side once more. Serve with your favorite bbq sides (potato salad, baked beans, corn on the cob(which is also great on the grill, just remember to keep in the husk and soak it in water first), watermelon, ect.)

Grilled Cheese and Soup

What You Need

Bread (just your regular sandwich variety)

Cheese (my favorites are Havarti, Velveta, or Sharp Cheddar, but American would work just fine too)

Canned Soup (I love tomato, Chris loves bean with bacon)

Milk

Butter

Directions

Spread butter on one side of bread, place in warmed skillet and top with 2 slices of cheese and bread that is buttered on one side. Cook for around 3 minutes, until golden brown, then flip over and cook on other side till golden brown. Repeat with other sandwiches. I find I can usually do 2 sandwiches at a time with our skillet. While sandwiches are cooking start warming your soup in a medium sauce pan. Use 1 can of soup then use the can to measure out half a can of milk (go for fat free!). Stir occasionally until soup starts to boil. Serve sandwiches with a bowl of soup on the side.

For a yummy variation try placing 1-2 slices of ham, or a couple slices of bacon in the sandwiches before cooking. You could also make little sandwiches by getting a small loaf of bread, you find them over by the deli in your local supermarket.

You could also make your own homemade soup with a quart of veggie juice, 3 cans fire roasted tomatoes, 1 jar roasted red peppers, and some veggies (carrots, onions, leeks, ect.) and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a touch of garlic and basil. Cook ingredients till soft, then blend together and let simmer for 5-10 minutes more.

Spaghetti

What You Need

1 lb Ground beef

1 package mushrooms

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1/2 package spaghetti noodles

Directions

Brown Hamburger. Add mushrooms and sauce and simmer over low while noodles are cooking. Serve the noodles topped with the sauce, and with garlic toast and salad or other veggie choice.

Burritos

What you need

2-3 Chicken breasts

Tomato sauce, or diced tomatoes

Taco seasoning

Tortillas

Whatever toppings you like

Directions

In crockpot combine chicken, tomato option, and taco seasoning. Let cook on Low for 4-6 hours, then shred. Serve on tortillas with your choice of toppings.

This Weeks Dinners

Monday - Burritos

Tuesday - Spaghetti

Wednesday - Grilled Cheese and Soup

Thursday - BBQ Chicken

Friday - Grilled Terriyaki Chicken

Saturday - Date Night!

Sunday - Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

Shopping List

Monday

Tortillas

Chicken

can tomato sauce, or diced tomatoes

taco seasoning

Beans

Cheese

Sour Cream

Veggies (tomatoes, avocado, Lettuce)

Tuesday

Spaghetti Noodles

Spaghetti Sauce

Ground Beef

Mushrooms

Wednesday

Bread

Cheese (for the really good stuff go for Havarti or Velveta, traditional try american, flavorful try sharp cheddar)

Your favorite Can Soup (Chris loves bean with bacon, I prefer traditional tomato)

Thursday

Chicken

BBQ Sauce

Your favorite BBQ sides

Friday

Chicken

Terriyaki Sauce

Pineapple

Saturday

Take the night off, get a sitter for the kids, and enjoy a night out with your Spouse!

Sunday

Chicken

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Sour Cream

Stove Top Stuffing Mix

Glenn Noble's Famous Ranch Chicken

Let me start by saying that my dad is an amazing cook. He actually invented this recipe which has become one of my family's all time favorites.

What You Need

6 chicken breasts

1 1/2 c ranch dressing

1/2 c italian dressing

3/4 c brown sugar

Directions

Mix together salad dressings and sugar and set aside. Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side(so chicken is halfway done), then baste with the dressing and grill for an additional 3-5 minutes on each side. Serve with your favorite bbq sides (corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad, watermelon, etc), and enjoy this tasty treat from my dad!

Kalua Pork

This is a super simple recipe, that has a great end product! It is a recipe inspired by the luau as a means of enjoying the flavors of a roasted pig without the inconvenience of buying a whole pig, digging a huge pit in your back yard, and finding banana leaves to wrap the pig in, etc... Enjoy this tasty treat!

What You Need

1 3lb Pork Roast

liquid smoke

Sea salt (I have used regular table salt and it worked too, but sea salt is always better if you have it)

Directions

Poke holes all over the pork roast with fork or knife. Place Roast in crock-pot then coat roast with liquid smoke and sprinkle with salt. You want to use around 1/3 of the bottle of liquid smoke, so that there is a thin layer on the bottom of the crock-pot, but the roast isn't swimming in it. You also want to get a good amount of salt sprinkled over since it gives it a good salty flavor and helps bring out the smokiness. Let cook on low for 6-8 hours. Pork will be fall apart tender when done. Shred with a fork, stir shredded pork around in the remaining sauce, and serve. It makes amazing sandwiches, is great with rice, or even makes great burritos. Of course you could always go luau style and just serve it with sweet potatoes, rice, and fruit.

Technical Difficulties

For some reason I have been having trouble with the comments posting on my blog. I am planning on trying to download directions for an application that will allow a separate area specifically for comments, but my last try was a fiasco.

In the meantime if you would like to leave a comment on a recipe (how well it worked for you, any variations to the recipe that you found useful, other recipes you would like to share, ect.), then click on the time stamp on the bottom of the post. For some reason the time stamp will take you to the comment area, and you will be able to post on there.

Sorry for the inconvenience! I hope you are all enjoying these tasty recipes. Thanks for using my blog!

Ashley

Pizza and a Movie

Tomorrow is Friday night. Grab a pizza, movie (Redbox is a great bargain, or try your local library, they usually have great selections too!), some rootbeer, and the family and enjoy a movie night. I am all about setting up a picnic blanket on the floor and enjoying an indoor picnic while watching the movie.

If you prefer to make your own pizza then try making pita pizzas. You can have each person in the family help make their own so they are individualized, plus the kids love helping to cook, and are all the more excited to eat something that they helped make.

What You Need

1 package Pita Bread (go for the whole wheat!)

1 jar pizza sauce

1 package pizza blend cheese

Your family's favorite toppings

Directions

You will want to pre-bake the pitas to help crisp them up, otherwise the bread will be really flimsy and hard to handle. Set the oven to 400 degrees and prebake for 3-5 minutes. Remove Pitas from oven and top with sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Return to oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and enjoy!

You can also very this recipe with other crusts ie: bagels, biscuits, english muffins, sandwich wraps, ect. (for more solid crusts like bagels, muffins, and biscuits, they will not need to precook)

Red Beans and Rice

What you Need

1 c Dry Red Beans (presoak the beans for at least an hour, then drain and rinse. This helps to get rid of the gas-y effect that beans tend to generate)

3 1/4 c Chicken Broth

6 slices bacon (sliced into strips)

1 medium onion (diced)

1 Medium Green Bell Pepper (diced)

1 t salt

2-3 Chicken Breasts

1 c Rice

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except for rice, in crock pot and simmer on low all day. One hour before serving, shred chicken, then add rice. Turn crock pot up to high and continue cooking till the rice is tender. I usually serve this as a one dish meal, but you can feel free to add whatever sides you like.

Ashley's Tortilla Soup

Ok so this is actually a recipe I got from a co-worker when we lived in California the summer after Chris and I were married. I don't remember her name any more but it is the best tortilla soup recipe I have ever had, and is one of our family's favorites so enjoy!

What you Need

2-3 Chicken breasts

4 c chicken broth

1 can hominey (drained and rinsed!)

1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can red beans (drained and rinsed)

1 c frozen corn

1 can diced tomatoes (with juices, don't drain!)

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 package taco seasoning

2-3 limes

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except limes, in crock-pot and simmer all day. Right before serving add the juice from 2 limes and stir. Serve with cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, tomatoes, avacado, salsa, extra lime, ect...

Dinners and Shopping Aug. 4-8

Better late then never.... Here is the rest of the weeks Dinners with corresponding shopping list...

Wednesday - Ashley's Tortilla Soup

Thursday - Red Beans and Rice

Friday - Pizza and a Movie Night

Saturday - Kalua Pork

Sunday - Glenn Noble's Famous Ranch Chicken

Shopping list

Wed

Chicken

1 large can Hominey

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 can pinto beans

1 can red beans

4 c worth of chicken broth/ stock/ bouillon

frozen corn

ranch dressing mix

taco seasoning

tortilla chips

cheese

lime

sour cream

(any other toppings you might like... tomatoes, avacodo, etc)

Thurs

1 package dry red beans

1 package rice

chicken broth

bacon

1 green bell pepper

1 medium onion

chicken

Fri

Order out a pizza, grab some rootbeer, and a movie!

Sat

large Pork Roast

liquid smoke

sea salt

Sunday

Chicken

ranch dressing

Paul Newman's Italian Dressing

brown sugar

Ashley's Chicken Pot Pie

I figured since I was already at the store I would go ahead and plan out one more meal. This is my version of Chicken Pot Pie...

What You Need

2 small Potatoes

2 Carrots (or a small handful of baby carrots)

2 stalks of Celery

1 small Onion

2-3 Chicken Breasts

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup with Herbs

1/2 c Sour Cream

1 package Pillsbury Biscuits

Directions

Peel and dice veggies and place in a greased saute pan on medium high. Cook for around 10 minutes stirring occasionally. While veggies are cooking dice chicken, then add to the pan with the veggies and cook an additional 10 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender). Stir-in Soup and sour cream then place in a casserole dish and top with uncooked biscuits. Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown. This is a yummy one dish meal that is sure to please!

Hawaiian Haystacks

I managed to drag myself to the store today since we were literally out of most of our food. Chris said he wanted Hawaiian Haystacks yesterday so I figured I would indulge him.

What You Need

2-3 Chicken Breasts

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (go for the reduced fat!)

1/2 c Sour Cream (again go for the reduced fat or fat free!)

1 Chicken Bouillon Cube

Rice

Cheese

Chow Mein Noodles

Green Onion

Tomatoes

Pineapple

Directions

Place chicken in the crock pot with soup, sour cream, and chicken bouillon. Cook on low all day, or if crunched for time cook on high for a couple hours. Once cooked then shred or cut up the chicken. Serve over rice and top with other toppings mentioned above.

The delay

Sorry folks there has been a delay in this weeks meal plans. I seem to have come down with a cold along with not feeling that well in the first place and am just not up to planning meals that far ahead at the moment. Hopefully I will be feeling better soon and will try to post new week planners soon. Sorry!

Honey Sesame Pork Tenderloin

What you need

1/2 c Soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t ginger (or 1 T fresh ginger)

1 T sesame oil

1-1 1/2 lb pork loin

1/4 c honey

2 T brown sugar

1/4 c sesame seeds

Directions

Poke holes in tenderloin with fork. Combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil in large plastic bag. Add tenderloin. Marinate at least 2 hours. Combine honey and brown sugar in shallow bowl. Remove tenderloin from marinade and pat dry with paper towel. Roll tenderloin in honey mixture and then roll in sesame seeds. Roast in shallow pan at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees.

(Another recipe from the World Wide Ward Cookbook)

Birthday Burgers

Tomorrow is Chris' 30th birthday. Happy Birthday Babe! For his birthday dinner he wanted some hamburgers on the grill. I know that I just posted about making hamburgers on Independence Day, so I will just touch on a few pointers...

First: Use ground hamburger meat to form your own patties as the pre-made patties tend to dry out and don't have as much flavor.

Second: For juicier burgers add a wet ingredient like 2-3 T Worcestershire Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Terriyaki, etc...

Third: Feel free to add extra flavor to the burgers with Salt and Pepper, Garlic, Diced Onion, bacon bits, cheese, etc...

Fourth: When forming the patties try to make the inside flatter and the outside fatter so that the patties have a slight bowl like shape. The inside of the patties tend to cook slower then the outside so if the inside is thinner then the outside it should help it cook more evenly.

And finally: Don't over cook! The burgers need to cook through so as to avoid foodborn illness, but you don't want to char them since that will just make them dry and chewy. Cook them for around 5 minutes on each side. Feel free to cut into the center of one of the burgers to check for done-ness. If the center is still pink then cook an additional 2-3 minutes and check again. Otherwise if the center is cooked through take them off and serve them quick so they don't dry out.

Now enjoy this tasty summertime treat!

Fiesta Ranch Quesadillas

My parents are in love with fiesta ranch mix. They love to use the mix with sour cream to make a dip for veggies. While we were living with them I had a night that I was in charge of dinner and wanted something mexican. My parents didn't have any taco seasoning so I thought I would try their fiesta ranch seasoning instead. Well it turned out incredibly delicious, so now I will pass it on to all of you!

What You Need

2-3 Chicken Breasts

1 Package of Cheese (cheddar or quesadilla blend)

1 Package Tortillas

1 Package Fiesta Ranch Seasoning

Directions

Cut chicken into thin strips. Place cut chicken into hot lightly greased skillet and add fiesta ranch seasoning. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through. Remove pan from heat. Warm up and lightly grease another large skillet. Place a tortilla in the warm skillet top with cheese, chicken, a little extra cheese, and another tortilla. Cook over medium heat till bottom cheese is starting to melt, and tortilla is starting to brown, then using a spatula and your hand (with the spatula on the heated side of the quesadilla and your hand on the still cool other side) flip the quesadilla over. (Make sure you get your hand out of harms way so you don't burn yourself, but try to make sure all the ingredients stay inside the tortillas!) Then cook this other side till the quesadilla is heated through and the tortilla is nice and crisp. Transfer the cooked quesadilla to a cutting board and cut with a pizza cutter, then place the slices on a serving tray. Serve with salsa, guacamole, and/or sour cream, and enjoy!

Chicken Crescent Sandwiches

I happened across this recipe at a Relief Society recipe exchange. It is super yummy, and a cinch to make.

What You Need

1 package Pillsbury Large Crescent Roll Dough

2-3 Chicken Breasts

1 8oz Package Cream Cheese (go for the reduced fat or fat free for a healthier option)

1 Small Can Mushrooms (Sliced)

1 Small Can Olives (Sliced or chopped)

1 c Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Let Cream Cheese reach room temperature (this makes the cream cheese much easier to work with and mix in). Boil the chicken breasts until they are cooked through, then remove from water and shred them. With a beater mix the cream cheese till it is smooth. Add the mushrooms, olives, chicken and cheese and stir till well blended. Place dough (still flat) on greased cookie sheet. Take cream cheese mixture and spoon onto each dough triangle and then roll the dough into the shape of a crescent making sure there is 1-2 inches between rolls so they don't bake into each other. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until dough is cooked through and turns golden brown. Serve with a side of veggies, and/or fruit.

Lemon Chicken

Lemon Chicken is one of those recent dishes that I tried and just can't get enough of. I loved the way that this Chinese restaurant in Colorado springs prepared it, so I thought I would adjust my recipe to mimic theirs.

What you need

3-4 boneless skinless Chicken breasts

1 Egg (Beaten)

1 c Plain Bread Crumbs

1 c Chicken broth

1/2 c Sugar

2 T Lemon juice

1/2 t Lemon zest

1 t Salt

1 T cornstarch

Directions

Slice each Chicken Breast in half along the depth of the breast and pound flat ( so they are only 1/2 in thick). Dip each chicken breast half in the beaten egg then coat with the bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a lightly greased cookie sheet and cook in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or so (just until meat is cooked through. (If you prefer you could just fry the chicken instead) While the chicken is cooking combine the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan (making sure that you dissolve the cornstarch in the broth before you start to heat it up, otherwise the cornstarch will not dissolve and will just get clumpy). Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens. Remove Chicken from oven and slice into strips. Put on plates then pour sauce over the top. Serve with rice and veggies.

Noble's Stroganoff

This is a great recipe that my dad created and is one of my family's all time favorites!

What you need

Beef (cubed, I prefer to get the beef that is sliced thin for stir-fry and then I cut the slices into cubes)

Terriyaki Sauce

Sour Cream

2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 package Egg Noodles (go for the No Yolks brand, they are by far the best!)

Directions

In medium sized sauce pan start boiling water and cooking noodles. At the same time in another medium sized sauce pan add Beef and Terriyaki Sauce so that there is about 1/2 -3/4 in of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Let simmer till the meat is cooked through, then add the 2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup, and a heaping large spoons worth of Sour cream (around 1/2 c worth). Stir and let simmer, till noodles are cooked through. The sauce should be creamy with a bite to it do to the Terriyaki. If the bite is too strong add more sour cream, if the sauce is too creamy with only a little bite, then add more Terriyaki. Serve the sauce over the noodles, and don't forget a side of veggies (green beans or broccoli work really well with it).

Dinners & Shopping July 26- Aug. 1

Dinners

Monday - Noble's Stroganoff

Tuesday- Lemon Chicken

Wednesday - Crescent Sandwiches

Thursday - Fiesta Ranch Quesadillas

Friday - Hamburgers

Saturday - Foil Dinners

Sunday - Honey Sesame Pork

Shopping List

Monday

Beef cubed or sliced for stir-fry (I prefer the thin sliced)

Terriyaki sauce

Sour cream

Cream of Mushroom Soup x 2

Egg Noodles (the best or the no yolks noodles, worth the extra cents I promise!)

Tuesday

Chicken

Bread crumbs (plain)

Lemons

Soy sauce

Chicken broth

Wednesday

Package Pillsbury Large Crescents

Chicken

Cream Cheese (try for the reduced fat or fat free)

1 Small Can mushrooms

1 Small Can Olives

Cheddar Cheese

Thursday

Tortillas

Cheddar or quesadilla cheese blend

Chicken

1 Package Fiesta Ranch Mix (you find it in the salad dressing isle with the other ranch dressing mixes)

Friday

Ground Beef

Hamburger buns

Sliced Cheese

Bacon

Lettuce

Tomato

Saturday

Beef (cubed or sliced thin for stir-fry)

Potatoes

Carrots

(make sure you have plenty of aluminum foil as well)

Sunday

Pork Loin

Garlic

Ginger

Sesame Oil

Sesame Seeds

Honey

**Don't forget to add to your list any sides, fruits, veggies, salads that you would prefer to go with each meal along with any other foods for other meals, and basic ingredients that you might be out of.

Swiss Steak

This is another Noble Family recipe that I absolutely love! Trust me, the flavor is AMAZING!

What you need

Medium sized Chuck Roast (or other beef roast)

1 large can diced or whole tomatoes

1 onion sliced into strips

1/2-1c water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place roast in crock-pot with tomatoes, onion, water, and salt and pepper. Cook over low heat 6-8 hours. Serve roast and veggies separate, then use roast sauce to make a gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes and additional veggies or salad.

Saturday Night

Take the night off from cooking! Find a sitter and another couple to go on a double date with. Grab a couple pizza's and invite some friends over to play games, or watch a movie. Any which way have a fun night tomorrow!

Ashley's Tacos

What you need

Ground Beef

1 Small can of Tomato Sauce

1 package Taco seasoning

Garlic Salt

Refried Beans

Cheese

Lettuce

Tomato

Sour Cream

1 package of Hard shell Taco Shells

Brown the beef in a large sauce pan. Try to get the beef into really small pieces while you brown it. Once the meat is cooked through mix in the tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and sprinkle with garlic salt. Let simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, while you warm up the refried beans and taco shells, and cut up the lettuce and tomato. Serve as a make-it-yourself taco bar, and enjoy!

Hot Dogs

Nothing like another lazy day dinner!

What you need

Hot Dogs

Hot Dog buns

Yep it is that simple! Throw some hot dogs on the grill. If you don't have a grill then I find that the toaster oven works great, and a frying pan works well too... Serve on buns with your choice of condiments, chips/fry's, and fruit.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

What you need

Spaghetti Noodles

Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 Package of Frozen Meatballs

Thaw meatballs. Boil spaghetti noodles in a medium sauce pan. In another medium sauce pan start heating meatballs and sauce. Add cooked noodles to sauce and meatballs, make sure the noodles get coated with sauce so they don't stick together, and finish heating through. Serve with a salad or other veggies, and garlic toast.