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)