Fast Fancy Chicken

Jared and I cooked dinner for another couple last night, which turned out great -- thanks to a friend's blog, http://www.anirishgirlwhocancookanddrink.blogspot.com/. We were initially hosting our friends last week, but plans changed and we rescheduled for the day after Christmas. I have been wanting to make Kat's recipe for the Fast Fancy Chicken, and last night was the perfect opportunity. Our friends are pretty easy going, and this dish was a big hit. We enjoyed the chicken with a side of corn, salad, and wine!

Ingredients:
6 Boneless Chicken Breasts
6 Slices Swiss Cheese
1/4 lb. Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 Cup White Wine
2 Cups Herbed Stuffing Mix
1 Stick Butter/Margerine

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 350. Place chicken in lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.
2) Top each piece with a slice of swiss cheese. Arrange mushrooms over cheese. Mix soup and wine and pour over chicken. Sprinkle stuffing mix over top and drizzle with butter.
3) Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes

Recipe from http://www.anirishgirlwhocancookanddrink.blogspot.com/
Picture from my kitchen

Husband Rating: A
Jared liked the moist chicken and the crunchy stuffing on top.

Wife Rating: A+
I really enjoyed this dish, especially the cheese and crunchy stuffing on top. All of the ingredients combined created a wonderful taste.

We'll make this again -- probably for family!

Oreo Pudding

Taking a picture of the oreo pudding was difficult because of the light color to the pudding. Jared makes this pudding for family and friend get-togethers, and it is always a big hit. He came home with an empty bowl! I am glad that I asked for a little bit before he went to work.

Ingredients:
2 packages of vanilla pudding
2 cups of milk (we use skim, otherwise it is too heavy)
1-16 oz tub of cool whip
1 package of Oreos (half crushed in pudding, other half used for topping or to dip)

Directions:
1) Empty pudding packages into a big bowl, and add the milk. Stir until well blended.
2) Fold in the cool whip (best if thawed, and at room temperature).
3) Mix in crushed oreos.
4) Add remaining oreos as topping when ready to serve.

Husband & Wife Rating: A+
A party favorite! Also goes well with bananas -- yummy!

JKnottie December Baked Goods Exchange

This month I was creating baked goods for a special JKnottie, Clara! Clara was my first Secret Baker, and now I was hers! I decided to make cookies that were perfect for the holiday season. I found the Chocolate Mint Snow Top cookie recipe and was sold. After Clara ok'd mint flavors, I was ready to go.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon mint flavoring
Powdered sugar

Directions:

1) Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. In a saucepan heat 1 cup of the chocolate pieces over low heat until melted, stirring constantly.
2) Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar until combined. Beat in melted chocolate, eggs, vanilla, and mint flavoring. Stir in flour mixture and remaining chocolate pieces. Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Freeze 30 minutes or until firm enough to shape.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are crackled. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to wire racks. Cool. Makes 4 dozen.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, picture from Clara (her pic turned out better than mine)!

Husband Rating: A+
Jared really enjoyed the mint flavor -- and it is definitely minty!

Wife Rating: A+
I am not usually a big mint fan, but these are good!

Christmas Time Menu!

We will be spending the holiday with both families, so the following menu will be prepared after Christmas and before New Year's Eve!

December 26-30

Wednesday: Kat's Fast Fancy Chicken (our rescheduled dinner date)

Thursday: Greek Salad

Friday: Baked Chicken Nachos (Jared's brother is coming to visit for a few days -- so the weekend menu may be changed slightly based on going out to eat)

Saturday: Pasta with fresh tomato sauce

Sunday: Chicken Piccata

Sausage & Pepper Calzones

Jared and I purchased wheat dough the other day in the grocery store and were looking for a new recipe to try. We decided on a calzone and with sausage in the freezer -- we found the perfect recipe. We started off a bit crazy in the kitchen, preparing the calzones without the recipe, but we found our way pretty quickly.

Ingredients:
1 (11.3 ounce) can refrigerated dinner rolls, at room temperature (we used wheat dough)
Cornmeal for rolling (We rolled the dough in flour)
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, removed from its casing
Olive oil, for sauteing, if necessary
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 large yellow bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into small dice
1/2 large red bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into small dice
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (optional)
Olive oil, for brushing
Your favorite marinara-style pasta sauce

Directions:
1) Separate rolls onto a cornmeal-sprinkled work surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest while preparing filling.
2) Fry sausage in a 12-inch skillet, breaking it up into small bits with a spoon, until it loses its raw color, about 5 minutes. Depending on the amount of fat in the pan, drain or add oil to equal about 2 Tbs. Add onion and peppers; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic. Transfer to a bowl. Cool to room temperature; stir in cheeses and optional parsley.
3) Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
4) Sprinkling with cornmeal as necessary, roll out each roll into a 7-inch circle. Spoon a scant 1/2 cup of filling just below the center line, leaving a 1-inch border along the bottom half of the dough circle. Spoon filling just below the center line of the circle of dough, leaving a border along the bottom half of the circle. With wet fingertips, moisten the bottom border. Fold dough over filling and press edges together. Thoroughly seal by using fingertips to crimp and flute the edges or by pressing with the tines of a fork. Place on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (At this point, can be frozen up to 2 weeks.)
5) Brush tops with oil. Bake until golden brown, about 16 minutes (longer if frozen). Let cool slightly and serve with warm marinara sauce.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A+
Wonderfully over-stuffed! Jared thought the calzone was "really good." Jared could not get over the size of the calzones too!

Wife Rating: A
The wheat dough is awesome. I would have enjoyed more cheese in my calzone. The sausage and pepper flavor was great.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Jared wanted a hot dish to share with his coworkers at their Christmas Party yesterday, so he made Spinach and Artichoke dip. I cannot remember where I got this recipe from, so please let me know if it belongs to you so I can give credit to you. It was so easy....and so delicious. I did not want him to take it all to work, but he did. :( I am planning on making this again -- soon!

Ingredients:
1 block of cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
12 oz. jar of artichokes (drained)
1 pkg chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed

Directions:
1) Mix ingredients and bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
2) Serve with tostitos or bread.

Husband Rating: A+
A perfect party appetizer! Use more garlic for more kick.

Wife Rating: A+
I loved this recipe -- and enjoyed a few bites before he took it away. :( Spinach and artichoke dip is one of my favorite appetizers.

I am going to make this again -- maybe for New Year's!!!

Bruschetta Chicken

On Wednesday we were planning to host friends for dinner, but unfortunately plans changed, and they needed to reschedule. Jared and I still decided to make the Bruschetta Chicken for ourselves, since he did not have it the first time I made it. This is such a great dish, and requires little effort!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup egg substitute
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp minced fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
1) Place flour and egg substitute in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in flour, then in egg. Place in greased 13x9 in baking dish. Combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and butter, sprinkle over chicken.
2) Loosely cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until topping is browned.
3) Meanwhile in a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon over chicken. Bake 3-5 minutes longer or until tomato mixture is heated through.

Recipe from Taste of Home's Test Kitchen Favorites Recipe Book.

Husband Rating: A
The chicken was very moist; and the fresh ingredients make the dinner very flavorful.

Wife Rating: A+
I love this chicken and the garlic flavor! The bruschetta topping is awesome!

We'll definitely make this again!

Christmas Tree

Jared and I purchased our real Christmas tree pretty late this year -- a week before Christmas. We usually cut it down or buy it during the second weekend of December, but this month has been quite hectic for both of us. This year was a new experience for us for another reason too. We purchased the tree from the trees in the Kohl's parking lot, sold to us by an interesting older man. :) We also finally managed to pick a tree that fit perfectly in our living room. Each year we seem to pick a "small" tree, but once inside, it's too big! Well, this year -- it's perfect!

Menu: December 17-22

With Christmas a week away, this week's menu will be light, and all dinners will serve to help clean out the fridge before the holiday!

Monday: Leftovers

Tuesday: Cobb Salad

Wednesday: Bruschetta Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, & Pasta (Hosting dinner for friends)

Thursday: Sausage and Pepper Calzone

Friday: Rigatoni with Sausage

Saturday: Leftovers


Merry Christmas!

Chicken Stuffed with Spinach & Ricotta Cheese

After last week's Chicken Parm, Jared mentioned that he was interested in trying a stuffed chicken dish. So, I looked around for some recipes and found a chicken stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese. The recipe I found last week, unfortunately was not the recipe I used tonight because I could not find that recipe anymore. :( So, I found one that was a bit more detailed, required bacon (which we did not have), so we had to modify the dish a bit. After prepping the chicken, I realized that the chicken did not really need a side dish.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (10 ounce) bag washed fresh spinach (we used a box of frozen spinach, thawed)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
8 slices thick sliced bacon (we omitted this ingredient)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2) Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until it begins to brown, about 30 seconds. Quickly stir in spinach, and continue cooking until the spinach has wilted. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, and set aside to cool.
3) Slice through the chicken breast horizontally to within 1/2 inch of one long edge, then open the meat like a book. Place each opened chicken breast in between two pieces of plastic wrap, and pound with a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch. (I did not flatten the chicken).
4) Stir the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and onion powder into the cooked spinach until blended. Evenly divide this mixture among the chicken breasts, then roll each into an oblong shape, like a burrito, tucking in the ends. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Wrap each breast with 2 strips of bacon, and secure with toothpicks. Place into the prepared pan.
5) Bake in preheated oven until the bacon is brown and crispy, and the chicken is no longer pink, 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before removing toothpicks and serving.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: B+
Jared thought the top part of the chicken was dry....which was a result of omitting bacon. The spinach and cheese mixture had a nice flavor, and the garlic was prominent.

Wife Rating: B+
I had high hopes for this meal and I was somewhat let down. I enjoyed the spinach and cheese mixture, but the chicken was just ok. I agree with Jared -- it was a bit dry on top.

Although the dinner was just ok...I will attempt to make another stuffed chicken in the future.

Boneless Ribs, Zesty Potatoes & Veggies

Jared and I were looking forward to making homemade BBQ sauce, a recipe given to us by his sister's boyfriend. We decided to try it on some boneless ribs on Thursday night. We added Zesty Red Potatoes, thanks to http://wineloverscookingdiary.blogspot.com/.

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves or garlic powder to taste
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup vinegar
3 cups ketchup (28 to 32 oz. bottle)
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. chili powder

Directions:
1) Combine all of the ingredients except for the last 4 in a saucepan.
2) Simmer for 20 minutes until thick, stirring occasionally.
3) Turn off heat and add the last four ingredients.
4) Add to meat or store in a glass jar/bowl in refrigerator.

Zesty Red Potatoes Ingredients:
4 medium red potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
2/3 cup small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt to taste

Directions:
1) Arrange potatoes and onion in an ungreased 9-inch square baking sheet.
2) Combine butter, pepper flakes and salt; drizzle over potatoes and onions.
3) Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes longer, or until potatoes are tender.

Recipe from http://wineloverscookingdiary.blogspot.com/

Husband Rating: A
Jared loved the crispy potatoes and the BBQ sauce was just right....no more store bought BBQ sauce for Jared!

Wife Rating: A
I LOVED the potatoes! The BBQ sauce reminded us of summertime!

We'll make this again soon -- probably next time with chicken.

Monkey Bread - November BGEX Gift

I did not get a chance to take a picture of the Monkey Bread before I sent it to Sarah, so I have borrowed the picture from her kitchen -- after her sister grabbed the first bite! Jared's mom makes this recipe often, and before meeting Jared, I had never heard of it before. If you have not tried Monkey Bread yet, you are missing out!

Ingredients:
3 packages of buttermilk biscuit tubes
1 cup sugar (divided)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
1) Take 3 packages of buttermilk biscuit tubes (10 per roll) and cut each roll into 4 pieces. Drop roll pieces into 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Drop sugar-coated pieces into a well buttered Bundt pan (don't squish roll pieces when placing them in the Bundt pan).

2) Put 1/2 cup of the left-over sugar/cinnamon mix and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and 1 cup of butter (2 sticks) into a small saucepan.

3) Bring this mixture just to a boil; remove from heat immediately. Carefully drizzle over the roll pieces.

4) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

5) Cool slightly in an upright position, then tip pan over onto a plate to remove from pan.

Recipe from www.cooks.com

Husband & Wife Rating: Although Jared and I did not get to sample our own Monkey
Bread, Jared walked into the house as it was cooling and was practically drooling over the smell. It looked so fresh and fluffy...and ready to eat! We can only judge the smell -- A+

We'll make this again...very soon.

Salad Pizza

We will always find an excuse to eat pizza in our house! Jared introduced me to salad pizza when he was working on Long Island. If you love pizza and salad....then there is no reason why you would not love Salad Pizza. It is very simple and comes together quickly.

Ingredients:
Pizza dough or Boboli crust
Pizza sauce (we used homemade sauce)
Cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumbers
Italian dressing

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Prepare pizza as normal (sauce and cheese), and bake until cooked.
3) In a salad bowl, prepare salad and toss with dressing.
4) Add salad to finished pizza.

Husband Rating: A
Jared really enjoyed the salad pizza and the whole wheat crust that we used. The toppings can fall off easily because each piece is small, but definitely tasty.

Wife Rating: A
Yummy -- pizza and salad! One of my favorite meals!

We'll make this again in the future...probably with pizza dough.

Menu: December 10-15

The holidays are fast approaching, which means our schedules will soon become a bit chaotic each week.

Monday: Ravioli and salad

Tuesday: Leftovers (we have tons from last week)

Wednesday: Pizza salad

Thursday: Ribs, zesty red potatoes, and veggies

Friday: Holiday party @ work

Saturday: Chicken stuffed with spinach & feta cheese

General Tso's Chicken, Fried Rice, & Spring Rolls

Jared and I love Chinese food...chances are anytime he wants to go out for dinner, it's for Chinese! We decided that we wanted to make our own, including the rice and spring rolls. The General Tso's recipe came from the side of the bottle, I borrowed the fried rice recipe from a fellow food blogger, http://wheresthechorico.blogspot.com, and the spring roll recipe from www.cooks.com. Timing is crucial for this meal, in order for everything to be ready at the same time. It is also helps to have more than one person cooking -- so share the kitchen!

General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast cut into cubes
1 tablespoon oil for frying
6 tablespoons General Tso's sauce
Broccoli (steamed)

Ingredients:
1) Cut up chicken into cubes and cook in hot oil until chicken is cooked through.
2) Add General Tso's sauce and stir.
3) Mix in broccoli before serving.

Fried Rice

Ingredients:
2 eggs
carrots
peas
2 cups of long grain rice cooked and chilled (the longer the better!!!)
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
cooking oil
Pork, shrimp, or chicken (optional)

Directions:
1) Saute onions with minced garlic, red pepper flakes and ginger.
2) Add peas, carrots, and meat and cook for 5 minutes.
3) Mix in rice. Create a circle with your rice mixture and crack open two eggs into the pan and scramble. Mix with rice once egg is ready.
4) Add the soy sauce and mix. Cook rice for a few more minutes and it should be done.

Spring Rolls

Ingredients:
egg roll wrappers (we used phyllo dough)
2 carrots, shaved
white cabbage
1 cup dry flavored soy mince (we omitted)
beansprouts
salt & pepper to taste

Dipping sauce:
soy sauce
white vinegar

Directions:
1) Shred carrots and cabbage. Add beansprouts.
2) Add soy sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.
3) Wrap into wrappers or phyllo dough and fry in oil.

Husband Rating: A+
Do you honestly think that Jared would not like Chinese food?! He loved the rice because it had a kick, and ate 3 spring rolls. He did suggest that next time, we double the phyllo dough so that the spring roll is thicker, and bake the rolls instead of pan frying. (Good idea)!

Wife Rating: A+
The amount of work involved in preparing this meal was crazy, but it was well worth it! The rice had great flavor, the broccoli in the General Tso's sauce was delicious, and the spring roll was great! Jared's suggestions are definitely ones to consider for next time!

...There will be a next time for this meal!

Creamy Green Chiles Soup

Jared and I receive a lot of food gifts, and this soup was one of them! We decided to try one before the soups take over our food cabinet. The soup mix is from Darby Creek Gourmet Soups and the mix contained it all, except for the milk and cream cheese!

Ingredients:
Creamy Green Chile soup mix
4 cups of milk
4 cups water
7 oz can of chopped green chiles (we used a 4.5oz can)
8 oz package of cream cheese
If using low fat or skim milk, use 8 cups of milk and no water.

Directions:
1) Boil 8 cups of milk and bring to a boil.
2) Add contents of soup package, can of green chiles, and cream cheese.
3) Simmer 30-35 minutes, stirring often.
4) Salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Husband Rating: A
Jared loves a soup that is perfect for a cold day, and this is definitely one of them. He even finished my bowl!

Wife Rating: A
The soup is definitely creamy...and perfect for a cold day. I think if we added more green chiles it would have had more of a kick!

We are looking forward to the leftovers!

Radio City Christmas Spectacular!

I know this is not a food related blog, but I wanted to share pictures from our NYC trip to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Jared and I have never seen the show before, so it was very special for us. We went as "chaperone's" for my job, so the entire trip (bus and tickets) were free for us!

The beautiful tree in Rockefeller Center

Celebrating 75 years!

Jared and I in front of the Christmas balls and Radio City

The red Christmas balls!

One of the opening acts with Santa!

The Rockettes!

The live Nativity Scene

The finale!

The trip was quite an experience, and if you have never been, I definitely recommend making a trip to NYC during the holiday season to see the show!!!

Chicken Parmesan

I found the recipe for tonight's dinner on a fellow JKnottie/JFacie's blog. http://wineloverscookingdiary.blogspot.com/
When planning our menu for the week, we wanted a chicken dish that we have not cooked in a while. The chicken parmesan is prepared a bit differently than we have in the past, but this version is a bit healthier since the chicken is not fried. We served it over a Whole Grain Penne Pasta.

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Italian breadcrumbs
Garlic powder
Parmesan cheese
Marina Sauce (we made our own sauce)
Mozzarella cheese


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Mix in chicken to coat.
3) Place chicken in 13x9 baking dish and cook for 30 minutes.
4) After 30 minutes, remove chicken and cover breasts with sauce. Bake for 10 minutes.
5) After 10 minutes, top chicken breasts with mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 minutes.

Husband Rating: A
The chicken was very moist, full of flavor and the whole grain pasta was delicious.

Wife Rating: A
I love cheese -- and this was very cheesy! The pasta was delicious and the chicken was great. Definitely a good choice!


We'll make this dish again -- definitely!

Caesar Salad

Tonight's salad was an excellent choice for this week's menu. After two nights of meat dishes, it was very refreshing to have a non-meat dinner. Plus, the homemade Caesar salad dressing made this salad perfect!

Ingredients:
1 head romaine lettuce
2 cups croutons, divided
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon-style mustard (we used a creole-style mustard)
1 lemon, juiced
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

We also added a cucumber to the salad


Directions:
1) Clean and chop lettuce, set aside.
2) Crush 5 or 6 of the croutons in a deep mixing bowl. Add the garlic, mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Blend thoroughly in a mixer and slowly add olive oil until creamy.
3) Pour dressing over the lettuce, add parmesan, remaining croutons, toss and enjoy.


Recipe from www.allrecipes.com


Husband Rating: A+
Jared's exact words tonight were, "this salad is better than any Caesar Salad that I have ever had in a restaurant." (WOW)!

Wife Rating: A+
I was nervous about the mustard substitution, but it turned out great. The garlic was amazing! The salad was refreshing and crunchy!

We'll definitely make this again -- maybe with chicken next time! (I will probably share this for our holiday party at work)!

Jambalaya

Jared and I "cheated" tonight out of convenience. Our Jambalaya was Zatarains, straight from a box. We added turkey kielbasa, which tasted great! We made a quick salad to compliment the meal.

Ingredients:
Zatarain's Jambalaya mix
1 pound of chicken, turkey, etc. (we used Turkey Kielbasa)

Directions:
1) Follow the recipe on the box. :)

Husband Rating: A
He really enjoyed the Jambalaya flavor -- it definitely had a kick!

Wife Rating: A
I like spicy food, and this had just enough flavor and spice! The salad was an excellent add-on.

Dinner was a quick and easy one because we picked up our wedding video tonight (which included 3 final copies, 2 raw footage cd's, and a bottle of champagne)!!!!

Hot Dog Casserole

You might think that we were hosting children tonight at our house with hot dog casserole, but you would be wrong. Jared has been wanting hot dogs for a while and with our grill neatly tucked away until next year, the casserole was a great option. If you are looking to bring the taste of the amusement park to your house, definitely try this dinner.

Ingredients:
1 (28 ounce) can baked beans
2 (16 ounce) packages hot dogs, sliced
1 (7.5 ounce) package corn bread mix

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2) Pour the can of beans into a 9x13 inch baking dish so they cover the bottom. Arrange hot dog slices so they cover the beans as completely as possible. If too much juice seeps through to the cornbread, it will take longer to cook. Prepare cornbread mix according to package directions. Spread the batter evenly over the hot dog layer.
3) Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cornbread is cooked through. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Husband Rating: A
Another great meal, or as Jared said, "another hearty meal." Jared went back for seconds!

Wife Rating: A
This meal was so easy and fun to prepare and eat! The recipe makes a lot of food -- and could be used a party appetizer.

Oh (fake) Christmas Tree!

Christmas is a time for sharing, and like many of my blogging friends, I decided to post a picture of our 6' fake Christmas tree, tree #1 of 3, sharing our home with yours. We decided this year to put the tree in our bedroom. Our real tree will be placed in the window of our living room. Each year, the hardest part is deciding which ornaments to put on the real and fake tree. As you can tell, we have a great start on our Christmas shopping too!

I will post a picture of our real tree after we pick one out and decorate it with our ornaments!

Menu: December 3-9

Last week's menu did not produce much for leftovers, so hopefully this week's will be different.

Monday: Hot Dog Casserole

Tuesday: Jambalaya

Wednesday: Caesar Salad

Thursday: Chicken Parmesan

Friday: NYC to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular!!!!

Saturday: Cajun Bean Soup

Sunday: General Tso Chicken & Fried Rice

Potato Soup

Today was a perfect day to make potato soup in the crock pot. The weather reached a high of 20 degrees today and it snowed on and off all day. I borrowed this recipe from another Jknottie, Kristi, who posted the recipe on the JKnottie Cookbook blog -- http://jknottiecookbook.blogspot.com/ We started cooking the soup at 11am so it was ready for dinner.

Ingredients:
8 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp garlic
4 cubes chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons dried parsley
6 cups water
2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour


Directions:
1) Place the potatoes, onion, butter, chicken bouillon cubes, parsley and water into a slow cooker. Set on low and let cook for 6 to 8 hours.
2) At least half an hour before serving, stir together the milk and flour until no lumps remain, and mix into the soup.
3) Cook for 30 minutes or until the soup is thickened. Add real bacon bits and shredded cheese on top.

Husband Rating: A-
Jared thought this was a hearty soup for a cold day like today. He finished my bowl for me!

Wife Rating: A-
The soup was good, although I think it needed less flour (it was too thick for me) and some salt and pepper.

Baked Haddock

Jared and I decided to add another fish dish to our menu this week. However, when we went shopping last Sunday, the grocery store did not have Haddock, so we substituted the Haddock with Flounder. The recipe calls for a white fish, so we were set. Unfortunately, this dish did not turn out as planned.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground dried thyme
4 haddock fillets (we used flounder)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2) In a small bowl, combine the milk and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and thyme. Dip the haddock fillets in the milk, then press into the crumb mixture to coat. Place haddock fillets in a glass baking dish, and drizzle with melted butter.
3) Bake on the top rack of the preheated oven until the fish flakes easily, about 15 minutes.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband & Wife Rating: C
The fish turned out too salty, so we did not eat more than 2 bites.

Suggestions for a future attempt:
* Use panko bread crumbs instead of regular or flavored bread crumbs
* Use less salt than the recipe states.

As a result of the wasted lunch, our meal replacement was last night's leftovers from Sukhothai Restaurant in Albany (Cashew Nut with Chicken)

Husband and Wife Rating: A
Definitely much better than the fish!!!

JKnottie November Baked Goods Exchange

I have participated in another great Jknottie Baked Goods Exchange in November, and my Secret Baker for this exchange was Kat!!!! Jared and I enjoyed a cookie last night for dessert, and they are delicious!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Combine shortening, brown sugar, and egg.
3) Stir in 1/2 cup applesauce.
4) Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ground cloves, and add to shortening mixture.
5) Mix in raisins and nuts.
6) Bake 10 minutes.

Husband Rating: A+
Jared really enjoyed the cookie! The applesauce keeps the cookie nice and moist.

Wife Rating: A+
Yummy!

Thanks Kat!!!! We will definitely be making these cookies for friends and family.

Taco Salad

This picture does not do justice to the taco salad -- it was delicious. We modified the recipe a bit by sticking to our non-recipe directions.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (we used turkey meat)
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans (omitted)
1 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing (we had a spray dressing and used a bit)
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup prepared salsa


Directions:
1) In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and drain excess fat. Stir in the taco seasoning, chili beans and French-style dressing. Fill the dressing bottle 2/3 full of water and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2) Crush the bag of chips, open the bag, and toss the broken chips into a large bowl with the lettuce, cheese and tomatoes. When the meat mixture is done, combine it with the lettuce, tomatoes, chips and mix well. Then, add salsa and sour cream.

Husband Rating: A
Jared liked the crunchy tortilla chips and he added hot sauce to kick it up a bit.

Wife Rating: A
Cheese, tortilla chips, salsa, and sour cream -- I'm set!


We'll definitely make this dish again in the future.

Shrimp Scampi (Tuesday's Dinner)

Jared came home with shrimp a few weeks ago, so we froze it for a special time, and yesterday seemed like a perfect day. We decided to make one of our favorite (old time) recipes, one that we made quite often years ago. However, this time we followed a recipe from www.allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced (added more)
1/4 cup dry white wine (omitted)
3 green onions, chopped
Angel Hair pasta

Directions:
1) Preheat broiler to 500 degrees (260 degrees C).
2) Stir shrimp together with butter, garlic and wine. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes. Sprinkle on scallions and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp are firm. Serve hot.


Husband Rating: A
Jared loved the shrimp broiled instead of sauteing in a frying pan.

Wife Rating: A
I loved the garlic with the pasta!

We'll definitely make this again!

Greek Chicken

I have been busy with the holiday and traveling, so my blog has suffered, and so has our fridge and cooking. :) We finally went shopping after we created this week's menu. The Greek Chicken was a meal prepared by his mom, which we froze a few weeks ago. I do not have a picture to share or the recipe at this point. I know you can find a Greek Chicken recipe on www.allrecipes.com.

Shrimp Scampi picture and review to follow.

Menu: November 26-December 2

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Monday: Greek Chicken

Tuesday: Shrimp Scampi

Wednesday: Taco Salad

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Dinner with friends

Saturday: Potato Soup

Sunday: Baked Haddock

Orange Honey Garlic Chicken

We were planning on making the Orange Honey Garlic Chicken on Saturday, but with my work schedule, we ran out of time. Plus, we did not marinate the chicken, so it would not have been ready. So, today was a perfect day, and we decided to make it for lunch. We prepared a tomato, cucumber, and red onion salad, along with scalloped potatoes (from a box). ;)

Ingredients:
1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (We used chicken breasts)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika


Directions:
1) To Make Marinade: Combine the soy sauce, honey, orange juice, garlic, oregano, pepper and paprika. Mix all together and pour over chicken pieces. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3) Remove chicken from refrigerator. Place chicken and marinade in a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Baste once.
* Since we used chicken breasts, the chicken only needed 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating:
Jared thought the chicken had good flavor and that the orange and honey flavors were prominent, but the garlic was very subtle.

Wife Rating:
I liked the chicken, but would add more garlic next time!

We'll try this again sometime, and will probably cook it with a whole chicken as the recipe states.

Pepper, Onion, & Feta Pizza

Jared and I love pizza and I realized after we made the pepper, onion, and feta pizza, that for 3 weeks now, we have cooked something from the Greek family. This pizza was so easy and very good!

Ingredients:
1 (12 inch) thin pizza crust, homemade or prepared, such as Boboli
3 cups chopped red, green, yellow and/or orange bell peppers (any combination)
1 cup sliced yellow or red onion, separated into rings
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
3/4 cup crumbled herbed feta cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients except cheese. Spoon mixture over crust. Top with cheese.
2) Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until vegetables are crispy-tender. Remove from oven and serve.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating:
Jared was in pizza heaven and said, "I might eat the whole pizza tonight." When we roll out our dough, we are able to make a pizza of 9 square slices. He did hold back and we have some for leftovers.

Wife Rating:
The pizza was so good and very fresh. "Yummy"

We'll definitely make this one again!!!

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Jared and I have made baked macaroni and cheese before, but without a recipe and with little effort. Believe it or not, I was looking forward to following a recipe that required a bit of "work" and different ingredients.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
8 ounces macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Place the bread crumbs into a small bowl and mix well with the melted butter; set aside.
2) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, then place into prepared casserole dish.
3) While the pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the minced onion and cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
4) Stir in the flour, pepper, salt, and dry mustard until incorporated, then pour in the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring constantly until the milk has thickened, about 10 minutes. Take the milk off of the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni, then sprinkle evenly with buttered bread crumbs.
5) Bake until the top is golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com


Husband Rating:
Finding a meal that Jared does not like is hard to find, so it was obvious that Jared enjoyed the macaroni and cheese.

Wife Rating:
Anything with cheese is a winner in my book! The bread crumbs were a nice touch and the onion was subtle, yet added good flavor.

We'll make this again!

Crockpot Beef Stew

Beef stew was perfect on a cold, cloudy day like today. We modified the recipe from the book, "Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?" (Yes, I still have that book since college) to cook in the crockpot. The recipe makes enough for leftovers!

Ingredients:
1 pound stewing beef
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 1/2 cups water
2 onions, sliced and separated
3 potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced

We added:
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

Directions:
1) Cut meat into bite-sized pieces. In bag, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Put pieces of meat, and shake to coat.
2) Brown meat until browned on all sides.
3) In crockpot add potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and mushrooms.
4) Add meat and water.
5) Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. (We only had 4 hours, so we cooked it on high all day).
6) Add flour (by tablespoonful at a time) for desired thickness. (We only added 1 tablespoon).

Husband Rating: A-
Jared thought the stew was good, but that the water could be replaced with beef broth for more flavor.

Wife Rating: A-
I definitely agree with Jared...more beef flavor would have been perfect. Although, I would eat the stew with all the vegetables and no meat!

We'll make this again... and probably will alter the recipe a bit.

Menu: November 12-16

This week will be a short week because of our plans to go out with friends and my schedule at work.

Monday: Beef Stew (crockpot)

Tuesday: Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Wednesday: Peppers, Onion & Feta Cheese Pizza

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Dinner with friends!

Saturday: Orange Honey Garlic Chicken

Pork Chops with Garden Rice (Monday's Lunch)

Happy Veteran's Day! Our menu changed a bit this week due to an unexpected get together with friends. Since we were both off today, we decided to cook meals for both lunch and dinner. Thanks to a recommendation from Kat, http://anirishgirlwhocancookanddrink.blogspot.com/
we were looking forward to trying this meal.

Ingredients:
6 (1 inch thick) pork chops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped orange bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic about 1 minute, then brown pork chops about 2 minutes on each side.
3) In a pot, bring the vegetable broth and rice to a boil. Mix in the Italian-style diced tomatoes, green bell pepper, orange bell pepper, green onions, and mushrooms, and cook about 5 minutes, until heated through. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the pork chops over the rice and vegetables.
4) Cover, and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until rice and vegetables are tender and pork has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A+
Jared's first reaction was "it smells delicious." He did not even have a dish prepared and he was drooling over the smell. He really enjoyed the flavor of the rice, although he did suggest we use brown rice next time for a healthier addition.

Wife Rating: A+
I agree with Jared. The smell of the dish throughout the house was amazing. The flavor of the pork chops and the garden rice were a great pair!

We will definitely be making this dish again!

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Last night's pasta dinner was a meal we cooked for friends. We could not have picked a better dish to share with them. They raved about the dish and the freshness. We did not get to take a picture, so the picture above is from www.allrecipes.com.

We made dinner at their house, and they supplied the wine and fire!

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta (we used wheat spaghetti)
8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the penne pasta in the pot, cook 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
2) In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the tomatoes, Italian dressing, basil, red onion, and Parmesan cheese.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A+
Jared really enjoyed the pasta, fresh tomatoes and onion.

Wife Rating: A+
This dish was so easy to make and was delicious! The salad and red wine, compliments of our friends, were perfect.

Friends' Rating: A+
They were both very happy with the meal that we picked for last night.

We'll definitely be making it again in the future!

Garlic Chicken Fried Chicken (Wednesday)

Jared and I love garlic, so when I found this recipe, I thought this would be a great meal. In the end, I found out it is very similar to chicken cutlets, but with more seasoning. We did not have much time for cooking, so we were unable to add more side dishes. The chicken stuffing was a great choice.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons garlic powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed


Directions:
1) In a shallow dish, mix together the garlic powder, pepper, salt, paprika, bread crumbs and flour. In a separate dish, whisk together the milk and egg.
2) Heat the oil in an electric skillet set to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Dip the chicken into the egg and milk, then dredge in the dry ingredients until evenly coated.
3) Fry chicken in the hot oil for about 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from the oil with a slotted spatula, and serve.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A-
Jared thought the chicken was good, but could have used more garlic powder -- maybe fresh garlic.

Wife Rating: A-
I agree with Jared. The name of the recipe begins with garlic, I think the garlic should have been more prominent.

We'll make this again in the future. Next time, we'll add the zesty potatoes, and a veggie.

Cabbage & Kielbasa

I decided to use my new crockpot for the first time and try a new recipe as well. We had kielbasa and I found a cabbage and kielbasa recipe for the crockpot. There was a lot of anxiety from leaving my crockpot alone, but in the end it turned out fine. I halved the recipe because we were not using 2 pounds of kielbasa. However, I should have followed the recipe for the cabbage because it cooked down a lot!

Ingredients:
8 cups shredded cabbage (I used 4 cups -- use 8)
3 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (We left them out because of the reviews)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
2 pounds fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into serving size pieces (I used only 1 pound)

Directions:
1) In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the cabbage, potatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Pour broth over all. Place sausage on top (slow cooker will be full, but cabbage will cook down). Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until vegetables are tender and sausage is heated through.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A
Jared liked the combination of the kielbasa and cabbage. He definitely wanted more cabbage.

Wife Rating: B+
Although a fan of German food, I thought this dinner was too salty and mushy for me. I think 8 hours in the crockpot was too long. Maybe with more cabbage it would have been different. The picture above does not do much for the meal. I am glad I tried something different, but I won't be running to make this again soon.

Greek Salad (Monday's Dinner)

Although, Jared and I made a Mediterranean salad last Monday, this salad was very different. We love Greek salad, mostly for the kalamata olives and the feta cheese! The dressing was perfect! If you love salads, definitely try this one!

Ingredients:
1 cucumber, diced
2 large tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges (I used cherry tomatoes)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
1/2 cup whole, pitted kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, layer cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Sprinkle with oregano, then drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A+
Jared loves salad...and that is probably an understatement! He really enjoyed the salad and the fresh veggies!

Wife Rating: A+
I must agree with Jared. Homemade salads are so much better when you make the dressing too!

We will definitely be making this salad again!

Menu: November 5-10

The weekend plans are still up in the air, so this week's menu includes dinner from Monday-Friday.

Monday: Greek Salad

Tuesday: Kielbasa with Cabbage

Wednesday: Garlic Chicken Fried Chicken

Thursday: Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: Pork Chops with Garden Rice (courtesy of http://www.anirishgirlwhocancookanddrink.blogspot.com/)

As with each week and our crazy schedule, the menu is subject to change.