I’m coming back

I’ve been away too long. I will be back 

Veggie Soup

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, sliced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
3 cups chicken broth (can sub veggie broth, or use boullion/water)
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (Optional)

1.  Over medium high heat, melt butter and add onion.  Cook until onion is transparent.

2.  Add the chicken broth and all the other veggies to the onion.  Cover and simmer approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  In another bowl, mix together flour and milk until smooth.  Add the milk mixture to the pot of veggies.  Bring back to a boil.  Cook and stir another 2-3 minutes.

4.  Serve.  (Top with cheese, if desired.)

Makes approximately 6 servings.

**Use this recipe to help clean out the fridge and use up excess veggies!

New Year Kraut and Kielbasa

14 oz Kielbasa or sausage
1 bag of kraut, drained (canned or jarred works too.  32oz)
2Tbsp butter or margarine
1Tbsp Minced dry onion
1tsp caraway seeds
2Tbsp brown sugar

1.  Cut kielbasa in half lengthwise.  Grill both sides until no longer pink and browned on both sides (about 5 minutes per side).  (I used a grill pan on the stove since it's winter.  You can also use a George Foreman or outside grill.)

2.  While sausage is cooking, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add kraut, onion, caraway seeds and brown sugar.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Keep stirring while checking on the sausage.

3.  Remove the sausage from the grill pan.  Slice into 1/2 inch pieces and add them to the kraut mixture.

4.  Continue cooking the kraut until it starts to brown.

5.  Remove from heat and serve.

**I suggest serving this over mashed potatoes.

Happy New Year!

Wishing you and yours a very happy and safe New Year!

Pizza Dip

Pizza Dip

8oz cream cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese**
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
8oz jar pizza sauce
Pepperoni (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Thoroughly mix the cream cheese and Italian seasoning together.  Spread evenly in the bottom of 8 by 8 casserole dish. Top with half of the mozzarella and parm cheeses. Pour the  pizza sauce on top of the cheese. (If adding pepperoni, cut it into quarters and add it here.)  Then top with remaining cheese, sprinkle with more seasoning. 

 Bake at 350' for 30 minutes. 
 Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

**I used the Kraft Touch of Philadelphia Italian blend because it's what I had on hand.. it was amazing!  I also used Stacy's Bake Shop Baguette chips to dip.  Delicious! 

Tortilla Roll Ups

1 package Flour Tortillas
2 bars of Cream Cheese, softened
4 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 bag of green onions, cut into small pieces (green part only!)

Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese and green onions until well mixed.  Spread over one side of a flour tortilla.  Roll the tortilla up and cut into rolls.  Continue the process until you run of of cream cheese mixture.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cheddar Ham Soup

Cheddar Ham Soup - Recipe from Taste of Home

7 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sliced carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
• 1 cup frozen peas

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, carrot and onion.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or
• until tender.
• Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until
• smooth. Gradually add the milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil;
• cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until
• melted. Stir into undrained potato mixture. Add ham and peas; heat
• through. Yield: 7 servings.

**I am boiling the ham bone in water to flavor the 2 cups of water and omitting the salt.  I don't have any peas, so I'm going to add a few more potatoes.

King Hawaiian ham/swiss sandwiches

1 lb. ham (recipe called for deli sliced, I thawed out some leftover holiday ham)

1 lb. Swiss cheese thinly sliced (I used shredded cheese.)

1 1/2 sticks Butter

1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp Minced onion dried

1 12-pack KING'S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls

1. Cut rolls in half horizontally to make 2 "sheets" of rolls.  Place bottom of rolls in a 9x13 pan.  Melt butter and mix in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and onion into the butter.

2.  Cover the bottom of the rolls with a layer of ham and a layer of cheese.  Place top sheet of buns on top.  

3.  Slowly pour butter mixture over sandwiches.  Refrigerate overnight in pan.

4.  The next day, preheat the oven 350.  Bake 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 large chicken breasts
8 slices of lunch meat ham
shredded swiss cheese (could use slices, but I had shredded)
italian seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350.  Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness.  Place ham and about 1/4 cup swiss on top of each piece of chicken.  Roll up and hold in place with a toothpick.  Sprinkle with Italian bread crumbs.  Bake 30 minutes.  Pull out and sprinkle a little more swiss on top.  Put back into oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
4 Tbsp butter
2 medium butternut squash
2-3 cans of chicken broth (depending on how thick you like your soup)
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like a kick!)
1 package of cream cheese (8oz)

Preheat oven to 375.  Start by cutting your squash in half and removing the seeds.  Place cut side down on a greased baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

When squash is done, in a 4quart pan, melt butter and saute onions.  Add spices, chicken broth, and scooped insides of squash.  Heat until hot.  Add cream cheese and put mixture in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Serve hot, but do not boil.

Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli

8 oz package of pasta
1 cup broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (10.5oz)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1lb boneless skinless chicken, cubed

Boil pasta according to package directions.  When there is 4 minutes left for the pasta to boil, add your broccoli.  When time is up, drain.

Brown your chicken cubes in butter or oil.  When chicken is done, add soup, cheese, milk, and pasta/broccoli mix.  Heat through.  Add salt and pepper to your preference.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Thanks to elegantemily @ Allrecipes.com

3 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can pumpkin puree (15oz)
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix sugar, oil, pumpkin, eggs and water until smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (except chips and nuts).  Pour dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture.  Mix until blended.  Fold in chips and nuts.

Evenly pour batter in 3 bread pans.  Bake 1 hour or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Freezes well.

Buck Taters

Apparently not a nationwide thing, but my hubby loves them!

2lb pork roast
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (or your favorite sauce)
Russet Potatoes

Put pork roast in the crockpot.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Drain some of the juices and shred the meat.  (I use the Pampered Chef Mix N Chop.. awesome!)  Add your BBQ sauce.  Set crockpot on warm for at least 15 minutes.  (I get big jugs of sauce that are in the fridge.. so I need the time for the sauce to warm up.)

Bake your potatoes.  I cheat and microwaved mine.  Super easy.. wash potatoes, poke a few times with a fork and microwave until soft.

Cut your potato in half and open it up a little.  Put the desired amount of butter on it.  Top with BBQ pork.

Enjoy a super easy dinner... literally takes 2 minutes in the morning to throw your roast in.  Come home, pop your potatoes in the microwave and finish up your pork.. maybe 5 minutes of actual work.

Makes 4-8 potatoes (depending on the amount of pork you like!)

Time for a change.....

I have been neglecting to update this blog.. I have been bad!  However, before I can begin to try new and exciting foods, I have decided I need to do some clearing out of the pantry and fridge.

At my other blog http://iwannallnoe.blogspot.com/ I am posting my progress as I attempt to use up my stockpiles and spend no more than $150/month on groceries, paper products and toiletries for the months of October and November.  Please feel free to follow my progress... there will be real food during these months, no beans and rice.

On my other blog, I will also be posting ways I am using up my massive supply of craft items, how I'm saving money and getting myself in a better financial position to tackle life.  Feel free to use it to inspire change in your life!

So I am not sure how many new recipes will be coming this way.. .although I will need to be creative towards the end!

Thanks for popping by!
Jen

Mexican Style Chicken Roll Ups

Slightly modified Hungry Girl's cooking show....

1 can (9.5 - 10oz) 98% fat free white chicken breast (in water)

1/2 cup salsa

8 small corn tortillas (6-inch)

1/3 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese

1/4tsp taco seasoning mix

Preheat oven to 375. Drain canned chicken and flake it into a bowl. Stir in salsa and put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Drain any excess fluid. Stir in cheese and taco seasoning.

Place tortillas in between 2 wet paper towel and microwave for 1 minute.

Cover each tortilla with a few Tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Roll each one up (hold in place with a toothpick). Put seam side down onto a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Bake in the oven until crispy. (about 15 minutes). Don't panic if the tortillas crack.. they are still yummy!

Allow to cool for a few minutes, remove toothpicks and serve with salsa. (You can also add light sour cream for 1DOT per 30gram serving.... I can't get myself to serve fat-free just yet..)

Serving size: 2 roll ups

DOTS: 5 (add additional points for sour cream)

Butternut fries

Modified from Weight Watchers recipe.... Burger simple 4oz. 93% lean beef patty, 1 slice of 2% cheese on a whole wheat bun, with all the toppings! (Burger: DOTS=8, 1 of which is from Miracle Whip)

1lb Butternut squash, peeled and seeded

cooking spray

salt

cayenne pepper powder

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cut squash into strips (Think french fries). I used my Pampered Chef crinkle cutter to make them pretty.

3. Spray baking sheet. Spread squash evenly on sheet. Spray squash with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper.

4. Bake about 8 minutes. Turn the fries over and bake another 8-10 minutes.

Servings: 4

DOTS: ZERO

*Don't like cayenne pepper? Try your own seasonings!

Enormous Breakfast Wrap To Go

The exact contents change every time, due to changing up the veggies, but this one weighed in at 12.1 oz...yep 3/4lb!!

1 whole egg

3 egg whites

2oz diced ham (or any other meat that costs 2 DOTS)

1 oz shredded 2% cheddar cheese

1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup tomatoes, diced

2 scallions, chopped

1/8cup red bell pepper, diced

1 large low carb, high fiber wheat tortilla (should have a DOT value of 2)

cooking spray

Spray skillet with cooking spray. In a bowl, scramble together eggs, add meat, cheese and veggies. Pour into skillet and scramble until done. Pour contents of skillet out onto a triple layer paper towel to absorb the moisture.

When egg mixture is cooled down, place in the tortilla and wrap in plastic wrap. When ready to eat, heat and enjoy!

**If you are going to eat this immediately, pour the egg mixture directly from the skillet onto the tortilla. I'd heat the tortilla first in the microwave too!

Serving: 1

DOTS: 9

**Play around with your own meat/veggie combos. If this is too big, simply pare it down to one whole egg, less cheese, less meat and a smaller tortilla.

Tuna/Red Pepper Salad

Modified from a Weight Watchers recipe.. I can't bring myself to take Jason down to completely fat free goodies!

12oz canned tuna (in water), drained

1/4 cup Miracle Whip

1 Tbsp light sour cream

1/4 cup roasted red peppers (in water), chopped

1 tsp. dried dill

Mix together all ingredients. Chill for at least 2 hours and serve.

Servings: 4 (approx 1/2 cup each or 3.6oz)

DOTS: 3.5

Eggplant Bruschetta

From the Biggest Loser cookbook...

1 eggplant (approx. 1lb in weight), peeled and cut into 1" pieces

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 green onion (scallion), chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

olive oil cooking spray

garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Place eggplant cubes on the sheet, being sure the pieces do not touch. Lightly spray with olive oil. Place in oven about 10 minutes.

While eggplant is cooking, mix together tomatoes, garlic, basil and onions. When timer goes off, turn over eggplant cubes and bake for another 7-10 minutes.

When eggplant is done, dump it in the bowl with the tomato mixture. Stir well. Serve immediately.

DOTS: Conflicting information.. based on the fact that everything in this is a freebie, I'd say ZERO dots. However, upon entering it in the Recipebuilder at ww.com, it says 1 point. You decide!

Servings: 4

Plain Jane pancakes

Jason likes those blueberry pancakes, but personally, I'm not a fan of the berries popping in my mouth! I set out on a mission to find a good pancake mix and then cut the recipe down to a single serving batch.

1/2c. Heart Smart Bisquick baking mix

1/3c. skim milk

1Tbsp egg substitute.

Mix together and pour onto a prepared, preheated griddle or skillet. (Personally, I spray mine with a little bit of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray.)

Cook until golden brown and set. Eat immediately, or place in a 200 degree preheated oven to keep warm.

DOTS: 7 (without syrup)

**We use Log Cabin sugar free syrup. It's 1 DOT for up to 1/4cup.