Chicken tacos

This recipe is so simple and so yummy!

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
garlic powder
black pepper
paprika
parsley
chicken bouillon

Place the chicken in a crock pot, add enough water to cover the bottom of the crock pot. Add 1 chicken bouillon (or 1 tsp better than bouillon, which is what I use). Season liberally with garlic powder, black pepper, paprika and parsley. Cook on low 6-8 hrs. About half way through or so, break the meat apart with a fork. Serve on tortillas with your favorite taco toppings.

Use the leftover meat to make quesadillas. I add shredded mexican cheese, the chicken, and sauteed onions and bell peppers.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this last night and it turned out really yummy!

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3-4stalks celery, diced
• 4 carrots, diced
• 4 potatoes, peeled and diced
  
• 1 tsp dried parsley
  
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
  
• 4 quarts low-fat, low sodium chicken broth
• 3 1/2 cups cubed skinless, boneless chicken breast meat
• 1/2 package egg noodles

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook onions in oil until translucent. Stir in celery, carrot, parsley and pepper and cook, covered, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large pot and pour in chicken broth. Simmer over low heat, covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Stir in chicken breast pieces and egg noodles and simmer, covered, 30 minutes more.
   

English Muffins

I tried this recipe today and the muffins turned out soooo well! They are soo yummy and SO much better than store bought English muffins. The boys loved them, they both ate them plain as soon as they cooled down!

• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 cups flour (I used 1/2 white 1/2 whole wheat)
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 3 Tbs. softened butter
• Cornmeal

Mix together water, milk, honey and salt. Add 2 cups of flour and the yeast. Mix until you have a loose batter.

Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Add the butter and remaining flour. Roll out dough on a surface sprinkled with cornmeal to about 1/2 inch thick and cut into circles.

Let rise until doubled ( I let mine rise for about 35 min.) Cook on a hot, well buttered griddle until they are light brown. Turning once while cooking.

I don't have a griddle so I just used a large frying pan.

Menu Plan Monday

We're having revival services tonight and tomorrow night at church. There's going to be pizza before the services so we'll probably just eat dinner at church tonight & tomorrow, just to make things easier for me! But here's a look at what we're planning for the rest of the week....

Wednesday- chili & rice
Thursday- Baked mac & cheese, salad and french bread
Friday- Toasted subs, salad, fruit
Saturday- Quesadillas, cut up veggies


I plan on doing some baking this week too. I'm going to try making my own English muffins. I've never made them before so we'll see how that goes. If they're any good, I'll post the recipe. I'd also like to make some bagels and I've got a ton of ripe bananas in my freezer so I'll be making banana bread or muffins too.

Granola

I just tried this recipe and it is sooooo good!!!! I will definitely be making this instead of buying it from now on. The boys love it too!

I left out the wheat germ because I didn't have any. You could easily add in chopped nuts or dried fruit too.

• 3 cups dry oatmeal
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup wheat germ

First melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the honey and salt and briefly heat with the butter. Turn off the heat and add the oatmeal and wheat germ. Stir. Pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet. Spread the mixture out evenly and bake it at 375° for 10 minutes. It will be a golden brown color. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Menu Plan Monday

Here's a look at what's on the menu this week....

Monday- Tuscan vegetable ziti bake, salad, french bread

Tuesday-Leftovers

Wednesday- Beef stew, homemade bread

Thursday- Aloha chicken, fresh veggies

Friday- Homemade pizza

Saturday- Toasted subs, fruit salad

Lemon Bars

These lemon bars are so easy to make and oh so yummy!!!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 lemons, juiced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/12 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
4. Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.

Sweet Potato Muffins

I made these for breakfast this morning and they turned out really yummy!! I think I'll add some cinnamon next time and maybe some oats for a better streusel topping. I did the brown sugar and butter and it wasn't very streusel-ish.

2 cups whole wheat flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup all purpose)
2 t. baking powder
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1 egg
1 cup mashed sweet potato
1/2 cup milk
3 T. melted butter

Topping:

3 T. brown sugar
1 T. butter, softened
2 T. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. Add honey, raisins, eggs, sweet potato, milk and butter. Stir until just mixed. Scoop into 15 paper lined muffin cups.

In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over each muffin. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Garlic Chicken Pasta

This is another recipe from Heavenly Homemakers. We tried this last night and really liked it. It's super easy to make and very yummy. I added 4 cloves of garlic though.

Garlic Chicken Pasta

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (great way to use up leftover chicken)
1 clove garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or more if you like lots of garlic)
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pasta
3 cups whole milk
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 t. sea salt
grated parmesan cheese

In a skillet, saute chicken and garlic in olive oil. Turn to low heat to keep warm. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a big pot with the milk, butter and salt. Stir almost constantly, especially as the pasta is becoming tender and the milk is beginning to boil. Cook and stir over medium heat until pasta is tender and the starch from the pasta has thickened the milk, creating a creamy sauce. Stir in the chicken and serve immediately, sprinkling parmesan cheese on each serving.

Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta:

Follow recipe as above, except before adding chicken to cooked pasta…remove from heat and add 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar and 3 oz. cream cheese. Stir until cheese has melted…add chicken and serve with parmesan cheese.

Menu Plan Monday

Here's a look at what's on the menu for this week....

Monday- Three cheese garlic chicken pasta, salad, french bread and honey dew melon
Tuesday- Salad and french bread
Wednesday- chili and cornbread
Thursday- Leftovers
Friday- Homemade pizza
Saturday- Sandwiches and salad

Homemade Graham Crackers

I got this recipe from Heavenly Homemaker's and we absolutely LOVE it! These graham crackers are soooo much better than store bought graham crackers! And so easy to make!!

I used all purpose flour today instead of the whole wheat flour. I really like the texture better than with the whole wheat. But, either works.

2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup rapadura or sucanat (I always use organic sugar)
1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
¼ t. cinnamon
4 T. honey
¼ c. water
1 t. vanilla
1 stick butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt stick of butter. Set aside

3. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

4. Add the liquids: honey, water, vanilla and melted butter.

5. Stir well until a nice ball of dough is formed.

6. Cut two pieces of Parchment paper the size of the cookie sheet.

7. Lay one piece of parchment paper on the cookie sheet.

8. Place the ball of dough on the parchment paper.

9. Lay the other piece of parchment paper on top of the ball of dough. Squish dough down a little with your fist.

10. Use the rolling pin to roll the dough between the pieces of parchment paper. Roll until the dough covers the whole cookie sheet.

11. Remove the top piece of parchment paper. Cut rolled dough into 2 inch squares, or cut shapes with cookie cutters, being sure to separate the shapes from the surrounding dough a little.

12. Bake in oven for 18 minutes.

13. Turn oven off, but leave crackers in the oven to get crisp.

14. Remove from oven after 30 minutes to one hour. Break graham crackers apart.
Store in a air tight container.

This weeks menu

Here's a looks at what's on the menu for this week.... it's a few days late, but this week has been crazy!!!

Monday-Portobello mushroom burgers, asparagus, and salad
Tuesday-BBQ chicken sandwiches, sweet potato fries, and fruit salad
Wednesday-homemade pizzas
Thursday- French bread sandwiches, melon, chips
Friday- breakfast- french toast, sausage and fresh fruit
Saturday- quesadillas, fresh cut up veggies

Portobello-Prosciutto Burgers

I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman's website. We made these Monday night and they were SOOOOOO good!!! We skipped soaking the mushrooms in the red wine and the prosciutto. I will definitely be making these again! They were delish!

Ingredients

• ½ cups Mayonnaise
• 16 whole Basil Leaves
  
• 8 whole Large Portobello Mushrooms
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional)
• Olive Oil For Brushing
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 4 slices Provolone Cheese
• 4 slices Prosciutto
• 4 whole Kaiser Rolls, Split
• Extra Basil Leaves

Rinse mushrooms thoroughly. Soak in red wine for 20 to 30 minutes

Combine mayonnaise and basil in a food processor or blender (I used my magic bullet). Pulse until basil is totally mixed in with the mayonnaise. Set aside.

Grill mushrooms in a grill pan or on a charcoal grill, brushing lightly with olive oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper. Melt provolone cheese over the four largest mushrooms. Remove mushrooms from grill and stack the other four mushrooms on top of the cheese-topped mushrooms. (The mushrooms we had were pretty big so we just used one per bun)

Drizzle griddle with olive oil. Toast kaiser rolls over medium-low heat until very crispy and toasted.

Spread basil mayonnaise generously on both the top and bottom halves of the kaiser roll. Place the mushroom on the bottom half, then place the prosciutto slice on top. Finally, top with basil leaves and the other half of the roll.

*I think these would be really good topped with lettuce and tomato.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

I got this recipe from my Deceptively Delicious cookbook and it's one of our favorite fall breakfast meals! The boys absolutely LOVE this oatmeal!!

1 cup milk
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp natural peanut butter (optional)
Dried fruit and nuts (optional)
Pure maple syrup, for serving

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and spice. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the oatmeal. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the oatmeal is soft and creamy. Stir in the peanut butter, if using.

Spoon the oatmeal into bowls, sprinkle with dried fruits and nuts and serve with warm maple syrup.

Veggie Casserole

Eggplant, chopped into bite-size pieces
fresh mushrooms, sliced
zucchini, and yellow squash , chopped into bite size pieces
red onions, diced
red peppers, diced
homemade marinara or store bought spaghetti sauce (I use one with chunky tomato, basil, and garlic)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to coat with the sauce. Spread into a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Stuffed Zucchini

I made this the other and it was SO good!!! I'll definitely make this again. Although, I did it a bit differently. I didn't add the sausage, tomato soup, or water. I used Italian diced tomatoes and added a clove of garlic and sprinkled mozzarella cheese on top for the last 5 or 6 minutes. Next time, I'll probably add basil and oregano to the meat mixture.

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Grease or spray a 13x9 inch baking dish.
2. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Chop and reserve about 3/4 of the seeds for the stuffing. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, sausage, chopped onion, bread crumbs, egg and the reserved zucchini seeds. Place the meat mixture equally into all of the zucchini halves; mixture should be piled up over the top. Place the filled zucchini halves into the prepared baking dish.
3. In a bowl, stir together the crushed tomatoes, tomato soup, and water. Spoon the tomato mixture over the filled zucchini, liberally. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until meat is fully cooked. You may want to place foil or a cookie sheet underneath the baking dish because it tends to bubble over and splash.

Brownie Cups

It's been a while since I posted a recipe! I'm going to try to post them more often again....

I made these brownies a couple of weeks ago and they were really good! I frosted them and thought they tasted even better. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Cool. Add pecans; stir until well-coated. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla. Fold in chocolate mixture.
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 325° for 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 1-1/2 dozen.

Spinach Lasagna

This is one of my favorite recipes! We all love this lasagna. It's very simple and so yummy!!!

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten

1 container (16 oz.) t Cottage Cheese

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

3 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce, divided

9 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained

HEAT oven to 350°F.

MIX eggs, cottage cheese, spinach, 2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

LAYER 1 cup spaghetti sauce, 3 lasagna noodles and half the cottage cheese mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and cheeses.

BAKE 45 min. or until heated through. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

Menu Plan

Here's a look at this weeks menu...

Monday:
Spinach lasagna, salad and homemade French bread

Tuesday:
Breakfast for dinner: French toast (made with leftover French bread), sausage and fruit

Wednesday:
Quesadillas and fresh veggies

Thursday:
Homemade pizza

Friday:
Going out for Isaac's second birthday

Saturday:
Chicken cutlets, mashed sweet potatoes and fruit

Sunday:
Italian beef sandwiches, fries and veggies

Menu Plan

Here's a look at our menu for this week.....

Monday:
Beef Stew and homemade bread

Tuesday:
Pork chops marinated in Italian dressing, some sort of veggie

Wednesday:
Baked penne, garlic bread, veggies

Thursday:
Roast chicken, veggies and dinner rolls

Friday:
Homemade pizza

Saturday:
Sloppy joes on homemade buns, fresh cut up veggies, fruit

Sunday:
Leftovers/sandwiches

Spinach Alfredo Pizza

I made this pizza last night. I didn't like, but both Dante and Caleb did. I didn't like the alfredo part. I don't really like alfredo sauce very much.... the texture kinda grosses me out. I know, I'm weird. I think it would be really good with spaghetti sauce though, so I'm going to try that. Anyway, here's the recipe..... if you like alfredo sauce and spinach, you'll like this pizza.

Ingredients

• 1 package (6-1/2 ounces) pizza crust mix
• 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
• 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend

Directions

• Prepare pizza dough according to package directions. With floured hands, press dough onto a greased 12-in. pizza pan.
• Spread Alfredo sauce over dough to within 1 in. of edges. Top with spinach, tomatoes and cheese. Bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.
  

Homemade Chicken and Noodles

I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman (I love her blog!) and it is sooooo good! Mine turned out a little soupier than I think it's supposed to be, but it was still super yummy. I will definitely make this again.

Ingredients

• 1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
• 2 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 stalks Celery, Diced
• ½ whole Medium Onion, Diced (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Turmeric
• ¼ teaspoons White Pepper (more To Taste)
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Thyme
• 2 teaspoons Parsley Flakes
• 16 ounces, weight Frozen "homemade" Egg Noodles
• 3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

Preparation Instructions

Cover chicken in 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot with a slotted spoon. With two forks, remove as much meat from the bones as you can, slightly shredding meat in the process. Return bones to broth and simmer on low, covered, for 45 minutes.

Remove bones from broth with a slotted spoon, making sure to get any small bones that might have detached.

Add the carrots and celery (and onions, if using) to the pot, followed by the herbs and spices. Stir to combine and simmer for ten minutes to meld flavors.

Increase heat and add frozen egg noodles and chicken. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Mix flour and a little water. Stir until smooth. Pour into soup, stir to combine, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until broth thickens a bit. Test and adjust seasonings as needed.

Menu Plan Monday

Here's a look at our menu for this week.....

Monday- baked chicken, veggies and dinner rolls
Tuesday- Homemade chicken and noodles* and bread
Wednesday- Quesadillas, fresh veggies and fruit
Thursday- Beef Stew and homemade bread
Friday- pizza
Saturday- Chicken salad sandwiches on homemade buns
Sunday- Sandwiches/leftovers

*recipe will be posted soon!

Margherita Pizza

This was very, very good! The only thing I didn't really like was that my crust was too thick. Margherita pizza should have a thin crust. Next time I'll divide my dough in half. But I will definitely make this pizza again. It was so yummy and brought back memories of our time in Italy. Yum!


Ingredients

• 1 recipe Pizza Dough (see Recipe Center)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes, undrained (1-3/4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 16 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh basil leaves

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Prepare Pizza Dough as directed, using the Thin-Crust Pizzas directions. Drizzle dough with olive oil.
2. For sauce, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, snipped basil, garlic, and tomato paste. Spread a thin layer of sauce over dough in each pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove pizzas from oven and place mozzarella in single layer on top of the sauce. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes more or until crust bottom is crisp and brown. Top with basil leaves. Cut pizzas into wedges and serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This soup is soo good!!! You definitely need to try this one!

• 1 can (15 Oz.) Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained
• 1 can (14.5 Oz.) Diced Tomatoes
• 1 package (10 Oz.) Frozen Corn
• ½ cups Onion, Chopped
• ½ cups Red Pepper, Diced
• 1 can (10 Oz) Enchilada Sauce
  
• 1 can (10 3/4 Oz) Can Condensed Cream Of Chicken Soup
• 1-½ cup Milk
• 2 whole Chicken Breasts
• 1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese, Shredded

In a 3 1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place 2 chicken breasts on top of the mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk together the enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker. Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken back into the soup. Top with pepper jack cheese and serve. The soup can also be topped with avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips.

Note: if the soup is too thick for you, just add a little more milk after it’s all cooked.

Menu Plan

Here's a look at this weeks menu.....

Monday: Quesadillas, fresh fruit and veggies
Tuesday: Cheesy potato soup and homemade bread
Wednesday: Spaghetti and garlic bread
Thursday: Chicken pot pie
Friday: Margarita pizza*
Saturday: Enchilada Soup*
Sunday: Leftovers/Sandwiches

*Will post recipes soon.

Potato Soup

I made this soup tonight and did it a little differently than normal. I added cheese and dried parsley. It was sooo good!!!

Here's the original recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 cups cubed peeled potatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  
• 2 cups milk, divided
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives

Directions

In a 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat, combine water, bouillon, potatoes, onion, celery, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add 1-3/4 cups milk. Combine flour with remaining milk; stir to form a smooth paste. Add to soup, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add a small amount of hot liquid to sour cream; stir to mix. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly; heat through but do not boil. Add parsley and chives just before serving

Yield: 4-6 servings.

What I did differently:
I used 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper instead of the black pepper, I also added a tsp of dried parsley flakes to it with the salt and pepper. After I stirred in the sour cream, I added 6 slices of Deli Deluxe cheese. One slice at a time, torn in pieces and stirring until melted. I also stirred in 1/2 cup of cauliflower puree and heated it through. The cauliflower was more for extra veggies than taste, you can't even tell that the cauliflower is in there. It was SO good this way!

Menu Plan Monday

Here's a look at what's on the menu for this week....

Monday: Chunky Potato Soup (look for the recipe tomorrow!) and homemade bread
Tuesday: Chicken strips, fruit and veggies
Wednesday: Spaghetti, garlic bread and veggies
Thursday: Quesadillas
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Chicken Parmesan
Sunday: Not sure yet.....

Menu Plan (a day late)

Here's this weeks menu plan....

Monday- chicken salad sandwiches, grapes and cut up veggies
Tuesday- quesadillas, cut up veggies
Wednesday- Lazy day Lasagna, garlic bread, salad*
Thursday- Southwest Chicken Roll-ups*
Friday- Homemade pizza
Saturday- Chicken noodle soup*
Sunday- Sandwiches/leftover soup

*Recipes will be posted later this week.

Homemade Hamburger or Hotdog buns

I found this recipe a while ago and have been wanting to try it. I finally tried it Wednesday and they were sooooo good!!!! So simply and yummy! Definitely much better than store bought buns. In fact, I don't think I'll be buying buns any more. These are just too good!

This recipe is for a bread machine.

1 1/4 cup milk
1 lg egg
6 Tbs oil
3 Tbs sugar or honey
4 cups bread flour
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp vital wheat gluten*
2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine pan (in order listed). Program for dough setting. When done, roll out on a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal parts, I used a big plastic cup to cut them out. Form into a flat round for burger buns or a small loaf for hotdog buns. Cover loosely and let rise for 30 min. or until doubled in size.

Bake for 15 min. or until golden brown at 375 degrees.

*I didn't have any vital wheat gluten so I used 3.5 cups bread flour and 1/2 cup all purpose.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I love these sandwiches!! So quick and easy!

Leftover cooked pork (from the sweet & sour pork)
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 kaiser rolls (I used homemade buns this time, I'll be posting the recipe for those soon)

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Set pan over med. heat and bring to simmer. Cook 15 minutes, or until liquid reduces and sauce thickens. Serve on buns.

That's it! It's that easy and so yummy!

Sweet and Sour Pork

This is such a simple and yummy meal! What's easier than putting it in the crock pot and letting the crock pot do the rest?! Plus, you can use the leftover meat to make pulled pork sandwiches another night.

3 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
3 lb pork roast (I like to use tenderloin)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
Salt

Arrange potatoes and onion in the bottom of a crockpot. Place pork on top. Spread garlic all over pork.

In a med. bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over pork.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4.

Reserve leftover meat for Pulled Pork Sandwiches, I'll post that recipe later this week!

Menu Plan Monday

Here's what this week dinner menu looks like.....

Monday- Sweet and sour pork tenderloin, veggies and rolls
Tuesday- Homemade chicken pot pie (this may change, Dante and I were talking about going out for Mexican instead)
Wednesday- Pulled Pork Sandwiches (recipe to come), veggies
Thursday- Breakfast- my boys LOVE to have breakfast for dinner. We'll probably do French toast and sausage.
Friday- Homemade pizza
Saturday- Chicken salad sandwiches, cut up raw veggies
Sunday- sandwiches/leftovers

Chili

Chili is one of my favorite meals, especially on a cold winter day. This is my favorite chili recipe, it's quick and easy and super yummy!!

1 lb ground turkey/beef
2 cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic
2 cans Bush's chili beans
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small zucchini, shredded
Salt, pepper, oregano and basil to taste

Brown the meat with the onion and garlic until cooked through. Season with salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Once the meat is browned, add the shredded zucchini and let cook a few minutes. (You cannot taste the zucchini at all, I just add it to get in extra veggies!) Add tomatoes and beans. Add a dash of each seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

We eat this chili served over white rice and topped with shredded Mexican cheese. Yumm-O!

Banana Cake with cream cheese frosting

This year I really want to make more healthy, all natural meals. So for Caleb's birthday I didn't want a store bought, sugar filled cake. I found this recipe on another blog and decided to give it a try. My boys LOVED it!! It was actually pretty good.

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 smashed over-ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Mash bananas in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. POur in mashed bananas and all other ingredients. Stir well.

Pour into a greased 9x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream cheese frosting

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 ounces cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbs. agave nectar or honey

In a medium sized bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla and sweetener until smooth. Fold into whipped cream. "Slather" it on your banana cake.

Chicken Potpie

• 2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
  
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup cooked, diced carrots
• 1/2 cup cooked, diced potatoes
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp thyme (I only used 1/2 tsp of thyme and I thought it was plenty)
• double pie crust

Combine chicken, peas, carrots and potatoes in a bowl; set aside. In a medium pan, melt butter. Saute onion. Whisk in flour and cook until bubbly. Whisk in broth and milk. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Stir in seasonings. Pour over chicken-veggie mix. Line pie plate with bottom crust. Pour in filling. Position top crust, crimp edges and bake at 375 for 1 hour.