Recipes!

Here a few more recipes that I have in my arsenal. I have not yet made the Baked French Toast one, but how can you go wrong with a Paula Deen recipe??

This first recipe is one that I received from my friend Becky at my wedding shower in Michigan. Her husband is a chef and created this version of Mac & Cheese. It is now my go to recipe and I always receive compliments on it when I make it for potlucks! It is definitely not for those on a diet that's for sure!

Baked Mac & Cheese

1 box ridged penne pasta (cooked)
2 T butter
2 T plus 1 t flour
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t curry powder
2 c heavy whipping cream
5 slices american cheese
1 c shredded cheddar cheese (i use whatever shredded cheese i have handy)
1/2 sleeve crushed ritz crackers

In medium saucepan melt butter, add flour and stir till bubbly and blonde in color, add spices and stir. Add whipping cream and bring to a boil - add cheeses and stir till melted. Add cooked penne pasta to cheese sauce and mix, pour into 9 inch greased baking dish. Cover w/ ritz crackers - bake @ 350 for 15 minutes, or till bubbly. ENJOY!!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and had planned to make it for Christmas morning but with Jay having to scoot on over to the farm to get chores done, I decided to save it for a later date. I will be making this Thursday (which means I better assemble it Wednesday night). I'm sure it will be delicious though!

Pecan Praline Baked French Toast

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

When I make Lasagna, I don't really follow a recipe. I just layer it all together and hope for the best! I have been making this with sausage for years now (got the idea from an ex-boyfriend's step mom, thanks Sue!), and now when I have Lasagna w/ hamburger it just isn't quite right to me. I also like it extra cheesy and melty, so I add in shredded cheese and parmesan cheese between my layers! Yum! I have also done a 'white' version using alfredo sauce, I add thawed chopped spinach (frozen box) that has been well drained/squeezed to the sauce as well.

Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles, cooked slightly underdone
1 lb sausage, browned & drained
1-1.5 jars pasta sauce
2/3 c cottage cheese or ricotta
1/3 c parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
shredded cheese
extra parmesan cheese

Mix pasta sauce w/ cooked & drained sausage. Mix together cottage/ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and egg. In 9x9 greased baking dish pour in ½ ladle of meat mixture, then top w/ a couple dollops of cheese mix, spread both around bottom so there is an even layer of sauces. Lay down 3 noodles side by side, trimming to fit in pan. Pour in a ladle (or two or three) of meat sauce and spread around, top w/ cheese mixture and spread out. Sprinkle a bit of shredded cheese over this, then add in a bit of parmesan cheese. Lay in 3 more egg noodles, repeat meat & cheeses, then top w/ last 3 egg noodles. Finish off with the sauces and then sprinkle some parmesan cheese down, top w/ a liberal layer of shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until cheese is nice and melted and gooey!

Meal Planning Challenge - The first week!

I have just completed an inventory of my freezer, fridge and pantry and have realized that I have more than enough food to get us through most of the month of January! For one thing, I have way too much freezer space (2 chest freezers and 2 fridge freezers) and not enough pantry space. I was constantly buying groceries for meals that I didn't have ingredients for and soon started running out of space, non perishable food was/is sitting in bags on the floor of my kitchen because I don't have anywhere to put it. 

My challenge to myself for the month of January is to make as many meals as I can with the food I have and to also make at least 1 side with each meal (unless making a casserole loaded w/ veggies). I will still go grocery shopping as needed for perishable items like milk and fresh fruit and veggies. Here is my inventory list! If something is crossed out, I am using it up in the current weeks menu plan. I do not have all my spices or baking supplies listed, but I have quite the pantry full :) 

I should also mention that I have a [somewhat] endless supply of beef (roasts, hamburger, steaks, stew meat) thanks to Jay's family getting a steer butchered once a year or so. The pork that I have came from Wyanet Locker - I bought 1/2 hog last February or March, so the only meats that I buy at the store are chicken breasts and seafood. So if you see a meal w/ beef, and nothing is crossed off on my list - it's because I don't have all of my beef listed out (but I'm not buying it from the store). 

I usually plan at least 5 dinners and 2 lunches (Sat/Sun) for the week, this allows for leftovers and events or take-out. My meal plan will run Sunday thru Saturday and I have yet to figure out the best grocery shopping day for me. We are really not big breakfast eaters during the work week, Lane eats dry cereal, a fruit bar or toast before we head out. I eat my breakfast at work, and Jay will grab something at Grandma's once he gets chores done. For my lunches, I will either take leftovers or a frozen meal. I am going to try to get better about not buying lunch all the time (which means that I need to actually cook dinner at night!).

Week of January 8th - January 14th

Sunday: 

   Lunch - Grilled cheese & tomato soup

   Dinner - Pork Roast w/ glazed carrots

Monday: MOPS (the boys are on their own)

Tuesday: Crockpot Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup w/ Biscuits

Wednesday: Crescent Dogs w/ Sweet potato fries

Thursday: Pecan Baked French Toast

Friday: Leftovers (I was just informed that this is Henry's Basketball Homecoming and there will be subs)

Saturday:

  Lunch - Leftovers

  Dinner - Hot Hammies

Each week I would like to share at least one recipe with you in this post (may post other recipes during the week). This week I am sharing the recipe for Hot Hammies. These little sandwiches are so delicious and heavenly, I think I could eat them once a week! My amounts are in red, the full recipe makes a ton and since only Jay & I eat these, we don't need that many.

Hot Hammies

from CFYF group on BabyCenter

2 pkgs Kings Hawaiian Rolls (2 dozen total) (4 pk Hawaiian sub rolls) 
1 lb shaved ham (honey ham is good, too) (1/2 lb ham)

8 oz. Swiss cheese – shredded (2 slices swiss cheese, halved)

¾ cup butter, melted (6 tbs butter)

1 ½ tbsp Poppy Seeds (scant 1 tbs)

1 ½ tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (scant 1 tbs)

1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard (scant 1 tbs)

Whisk together butter, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce and mustard.  Cut rolls in half and place bottoms in 9x13 pan (8x8 dish).  Layer with ham and then Swiss cheese.  Drizzle ¾ of the mixture on top of the cheese and then cover with tops of rolls.  Brush remaining sauce mixture on the tops of the rolls and then cover it with foil.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (until cheese is melted) then remove foil and continue baking for 5 more minutes.

Things to be thankful for...Week 1

The Holidays are just beginning, but for now Thanksgiving is behind us and Christmas is just over 3 weeks away! Following with the challenge, I wrote down things that I was thankful for this past week. Some were just written down in a few words, other days I wrote out a sentence.

Sunday: I am thankful for the life that I have.
Monday: being a mom
Tuesday: country life
Wednesday: Today I am thankful that my son loves cows as much as I do.
Thursday: good food and family.
Friday: heat
Saturday: cookies
Sunday: a clean and organized kitchen and quiet!

Things to be thankful for and Stuffing...

I keep telling myself that I need to get on here and post more often, but I just never seem to follow through. I am hoping that by putting a challenge of sorts in writing that I will actually post a bit more often! My long term challenge to myself is to post twice a month, however until Christmas I hope to post once a week. In church yesterday our minister gave us 'homework', we received 2 note cards each and are supposed to write something that we are thankful for each day from now until Christmas day. Then we are to go back and read what we have written and think about everything else that we are thankful for. I am challenging myself to get on here every Sunday and post what I have written each week.

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is quite literally just around the corner...only a couple more days! It certainly doesn't feel like it's Thanksgiving time and I think that's due to the wonderfully warm (albeit out of season) weather we have been experiencing. We have yet to experience the bitter cold, windy weather that is the norm for this time of year. This year I am making pies (I think) for the Kocher Thanksgiving and am making my Mom's Stuffing for the Miller side...YUM! Here is Mom's recipe - she would make this every year when I was growing up. I received this recipe from her at one of my bridal showers and I try to make it every year for one of the Thanksgiving dinners that we attend.



Old Fashioned Amish Stuffing

1/2 c butter
1 medium chopped onion
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 medium grated carrots
2 bags unseasoned croutons
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp celery seed
1-2 cans chicken broth
2 eggs

In large pan, saute onion, celery & carrots in butter until tender. Mix with croutons, add all seasonings and toss. Beat eggs and add broth, then pour over mixture and toss.

Notes: Start off w/ one can (14 oz), may need to add half of 2nd can - you want it to be nice and moist. You can cook this either in the bird or in a crock pot. If cooking in the crock pot, cook on low for 4 hours.

My lil Monkey is 18 mos :)

Head: 19.5 cm (not real sure on this since he wouldn't hardly let the nurse put the tape around his head)
Height: 34 1/4 inches tall (above 90th percentile)
Weight: 27.3 lbs (50th percentile)

He shot up 1 3/4" from his 15 month appointment (many of his pants are too short now lol). His doctor said he could weigh a little bit more but she's not that worried about it. The kid eats like a horse and is constantly on the move so it's not for lack of trying! I just have a busy little bee :)

He still loves Black Beauty (I don't know how many times he's watched it now)!! He also LOVES to be outside playing. We go over to the farm on the weekend to see the cows (of which he has NO FEAR), he runs right up to the big cows and could really care less about the calves. I sure am going to have my work cut out for me this summer at the fairs!!